Review: The Beautiful (The Beautiful #1) by Renée Ahdieh

The Beautiful (The Beautiful #1)
By Renee Ahdieh

Release Date: October 8th, 2019

Publishers: Hodder Books

Genre: YA, Paranormal
Source: For Review
Pages: 448
Goodreads: Add to TBR

 

In 1872, New Orleans is a city ruled by the dead. But to seventeen-year-old Celine Rousseau, New Orleans provides her a refuge after she's forced to flee her life as a dressmaker in Paris. Taken in by the sisters of the Ursuline convent along with six other girls, Celine quickly becomes enamored with the vibrant city from the music to the food to the soirées and—especially—to the danger. She soon becomes embroiled in the city's glitzy underworld, known as La Cour des Lions, after catching the eye of the group's leader, the enigmatic Sébastien Saint Germain. When the body of one of the girls from the convent is found in the lair of La Cour des Lions, Celine battles her attraction to him and suspicions about Sébastien's guilt along with the shame of her own horrible secret.

When more bodies are discovered, each crime more gruesome than the last, Celine and New Orleans become gripped by the terror of a serial killer on the loose—one Celine is sure has set her in his sights . . . and who may even be the young man who has stolen her heart. As the murders continue to go unsolved, Celine takes matters into her own hands and soon uncovers something even more shocking: an age-old feud from the darkest creatures of the underworld reveals a truth about Celine she always suspected simmered just beneath the surface.

The Review: Anyone who knows me knows that my love for reading first came from reading paranormal books.  Over the years, my reading tastes have changed and while I do now favour fantasy books over all others now, I’ve never forgotten about paranormal stories. It’s honestly been so long since I’ve read a good vampire story until I read The Beautiful which if I may say, may even be my favourite read of the year. 

Set in 1872, the story follows seventeen year old Celine Rousseau who moves to New Orleans after fleeing from her home in Paris following a terrifying encounter. It’s in New Orleans Celine wishes to start to a new life for herself where she can try and make a name for herself a dressmakers. But it’s not long after her arrival that Celine gets tangled up with the La Cour des Lions after catching the eye Sebastien Saint Germain, the leader of the group. La Cour des Lions is a dark and mysterious place that Celine cannot help become intrigued by. It’s there one night that a girl is murdered and all signs point to Sebastien, however New Orleans’s streets are full of terrible and dangerous creatures.

This book is phenomenal and so unputdownable. The world that Renee Ahdieh has created is captivating and enthralling. The plot was very original and although a little slow at times, I was still hooked and didn’t want to put it down. I’ve always wanted to visit New Orleans and the author describes the city beautifully, it’s made me want to visit even more. I honestly felt like I was walking the streets while Mardi Gras was happening. 

The characters are unforgettable and very likeable. I love that Celine is such a strong character, one that definitely stays true to self and one that could be a role model. Bastien is mysterious and dark and really enjoyed getting to know the real him. The romance between Celine and Bastien is a slow burn but one full of tension which I absolutely loved. 

There are plenty of secondary characters for you to fall in love with as well. And while I’m still trying to figure some out, I cannot wait to see how the story goes for these characters. And the vampires are something else. It’s definitely unique and something I’m very intrigued to read more about. 

I honestly just want more of everything. This book was over way to quickly and I really wish I had taken my time with it because it was a fantastic read and one I won’t be forgetting anytime soon. 

Thank you to Hodder Books for giving me the opportunity to review this book in exchange for an honest review. 

                                                                                    Rating: 5 Flowers - Amazing

{Review} Smoke in the Sun (Flame in the Mist #2) by Renee Ahdieh

Posted by Donna
Release Date: June 5th, 2018
Finished Date: May 20th, 2018

Publishers: Hodder & Soughton
Genre: YA, Fantasy, Romance
Source: For Review
Format: ARC

Pages: 432
Buy: Amazon UK / Amazon US / The Book Depo 

 

The highly anticipated sequel to Flame in the Mist—an addictive, sumptuous finale that will leave readers breathless from the bestselling author of The Wrath and the Dawn.

After Okami is captured in the Jukai forest, Mariko has no choice—to rescue him, she must return to Inako and face the dangers that have been waiting for her in the Heian Castle. She tricks her brother, Kenshin, and betrothed, Raiden, into thinking she was being held by the Black Clan against her will, playing the part of the dutiful bride-to-be to infiltrate the emperor's ranks and uncover the truth behind the betrayal that almost left her dead. 

With the wedding plans already underway, Mariko pretends to be consumed with her upcoming nuptials, all the while using her royal standing to peel back the layers of lies and deception surrounding the imperial court. But each secret she unfurls gives way to the next, ensnaring Mariko and Okami in a political scheme that threatens their honor, their love and very the safety of the empire.

The Review: Smoke in the Sun is the finale in the Flame in the Mist series by author Renee Adhieh and while I really enjoyed Flame in the Mist along with the free novellas, I didn’t quite think Smoke in the Sun lived up to my expectations but it was still a pleasant conclusion to the series. 

After the nail-biting cliff-hanger in Flame in the Mist, Mariko and Okami are now headed to the Heian Castle after Okami is captured by Mariko’s betrothed and brother. However what they do not know is that Mariko didn’t need rescuing and she was with Okami and his clan of her own free will. Now she will do anything to protect Okami from being killed even if that means heading into the lion’s den herself to free him.

I couldn’t wait to start this book knowing that Mariko Okami were both heading to the same place even though one was a prisoner. I was eager to see how the story would play out and of course I was looking forward to more special moments between my two favourite characters. But the characters hardly had any time together which was disappointing. I could understand the difficult situation the characters were in but I was hoping we’d get more time of them together than we actually did. 

While I did enjoy some parts of the story such a Mariko’s character development, Okami realising who is really is along with the pleasant ending, I still felt like something was missing from the story. It was very slow paced with not much happening plot wise until the very end. I was expecting for Mariko to do more than she actually did to help saving Okami which unfortunately was very little. She didn’t have enough power at the Heian Castle to be able to do more which was frustrating. And while I enjoyed the story, I will admit there are plenty of plot holes that have left a few unanswered questions. 

In all, although the series doesn’t quite live up to The Wrath and the Dawn series, I’m still glad I’ve read it and I will continue to read more books by Adhieh in the future. 

Thank you to Hodder & Soughton for giving me the opportunity to review this book in exchange for an honest review.