Catharina Maura

Broken Beauty

Totally Addicted to Reading

The first thing about Broken Beauty to grab my attention was the cover. However, my decision to request a copy for review was due to it being a Beauty and the Beast retelling. A wonderful time was had with this interesting take on a well-loved fairytale.

New to me, author Catharina Mauer delivered a tale which hooked me from the very first page. It’s always nice discovering a new author and Mauer did not disappoint. I would definitely read more of her work.

This retelling of Beauty and the Beast introduces to Felix and Arabella. Felix is the ruler of the Kingdom Eldiria and a powerful sorcerer. Known as the Shadow Emperor. A powerful leader, feared by all. However, no-one outside his kingdom knew of his curse. A curse which forced him to live in the shadows bathed in inescapable darkness. A prophecy revealed that the key to breaking the curse lay in Arabella, princess of Althea.The ruler of the kingdom of Althea, Arabelle’s father, banned magic. Because of the ban, the people of Althea treated Arabella like a pariah because of her magical powers. Her father despised her, so it came as no surprise when he readily agreed for her to marry the Shadow Emperor. Arabella, however, will not give without a fight. 

Felix and Arabella were interesting characters. At first, I feared for Arabella, recognising she was walking into the unknown. After all, Felix was rumoured to be evil. But the thing with rumours is most time they are created out of fear. After getting to know Felix, I recognised the fears were for naught. A true alpha who was caring, smart, fearless, protective, powerful and a fair leader. Despite the abuse Arabella suffered at her father’s hand, it didn’t break her. It only made her determine to forge her own part. However, with her marriage to Felix, this may be difficult. But what she saw as a fate worse than death proved to be her saving grace. The relationship which developed between the protagonists warmed my heart. Under Felix’s tutelage, she learned to harness her magic, making her more powerful than she could imagine. The story delivered moments, which made me laugh, broke my heart and had me cheering for the characters. The scene that had me cheering the most involved Arabella standing up to her father. Wow! Just priceless.
The world building fascinated me, and I enjoyed spending time in this magical world. It was interesting learning about the origin of the curse and the impact it had on both Felix and his kingdom.

Broken Beauty was a beautiful story that enthralled the reader with its magical and romantic moments. Fans of fairy tale retelling and stories set in a world where magic reigns will love what Mauer offers in Broken Beauty. 

Broken Beauty

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