T. Kingfisher

Bryony and her sisters have come down in the world. Their merchant father died trying to reclaim his fortune and left them to eke out a living in a village far from their home in the city. But when Bryony is caught in a snowstorm and takes refuge in an abandoned manor, she stumbles into a house full of dark enchantments. Is the Beast that lives there her captor, or a fellow prisoner? Is the house her enemy or her ally? And why are roses blooming out of season in the courtyard? Armed only with gardening shears and her wits, Bryony must untangle the secrets of the house before she, or the Beast, are swallowed by them.

Bryony and Roses

Sandrin

say no to bestiality, boys, girls, and nbs

would have been a 3 star read but i hated the ending

A lovely Beauty and the Beast retelling. No unnecessary drama or miscommunication that results in tragedy (thank goodness)! As is the case with other Kingfisher works I've read, I found that the protagonist was relatable and a joy to follow around. 

Kiersten

Bryony and her sisters have come down in the world. Their merchant father died trying to reclaim his fortune and left them to eke out a living in a village far from their home in the city. But when Bryony is caught in a snowstorm and takes refuge in an abandoned manor, she stumbles into a house full of dark enchantments. Is the Beast that lives there her captor, or a fellow prisoner? Is the house her enemy or her ally? And why are roses blooming out of season in the courtyard? Armed only with gardening shears and her wits, Bryony must untangle the secrets of the house before she-or the Beast-are swallowed by them.

Janice Hopper

** spoiler alert **
           FINALLY, a telling of Beauty and the Beast that deals with the part of the tale that always annoyed me! And it's well done, too. 

Bryony is the heroine. I liked her very much. She got into her situation on her own, and got out of it with a bit of aid from her sister, Holly. (As I type this, it occurs to me that all the women here have plant names: Bryony, Holly, & Iris.)

The Beast is the Beast we've all seen a thousand times. He's a perfectly cromulent Beast, but his story arc is pretty much the same as it is in all the tellings, with one major, significant difference. That was the one that delighted me. 

Between this and Toad Words, I've become a fan of this author, and eagerly look forward to reading more of her work. 

(BTW, I found this work in someone's recommendations in one of the Sad Puppy recap threads on File770. It's an ill wind that blows NO ONE any good, LOL!)

Martina Méndez Fernández

Lo disfruté mucho y el final no me lo esperaba para nada. Pero siento que fue un poco apresurado al final. Y me he quedado como con ganas de más. 

Una lectura sencilla y para pasar el rato.

Ben Nathan

A delightful update of a kidnapping classic. This was great and smoothed out the myriad of problems that exist in Beauty and the Beast. I love how Kingfisher is thoughtful about the era we are in and the era something is from and together makes something that doesn't bastardize, but wonderfully updates.

Bryony and Roses

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