Review: Beasts and Beauty: Dangerous Tales

Title: Beasts and Beauty: Dangerous Tales
Author: Soman Chainani
Genre: Middle Grade, Fantasy, Short Stories
Publisher: HarperCollins
Source: Purchased
Format: Hardcover
Release Date: September 21, 2021
Rating: ★★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

You think you know these stories, don’t you? 

You are wrong. 

You don’t know them at all. 

Twelve tales, twelve dangerous tales of mystery, magic, and rebellious hearts. Each twists like a spindle to reveal truths full of warning and triumph, truths that capture hearts long kept tame and set them free, truths that explore life . . . and death.

A prince has a surprising awakening . . .                           

A beauty fights like a beast . . .

A boy refuses to become prey . . .

A path to happiness is lost. . . . then found again.

New York Times bestselling author Soman Chainani respins old stories into fresh fairy tales for a new era and creates a world like no other. These stories know you. They understand you. They reflect you. They are tales for our times. So read on, if you dare.

Review:

These twelve tales are twisted to give a new perspective on the story. Some of the heroes become the villains, and the villains save the day. Men become witches and girls become beasts. These reimaginings of fairytales show a different side of the stories.

I loved these stories. By changing one character’s role, the entire meaning of the story changed. These were also diverse tales. The characters were from different countries around the world, such as Cinderella in Spain. Some of the stories had gender swapped characters, such as Rapunzel’s father who kept her locked in a tower rather than her mother. These twists to the stories made them unpredictable and exciting.

Beasts and Beauty: Dangerous Tales is a beautiful, modern collection of fairytales.

What to read next:

Have you read Beasts and Beauty: Dangerous Tales? What did you think of it?