Enchant: Beauty and the Beast Retold (Romance a Medieval Fairytale Book 1)

Enchant is a retelling of Beauty and The Beast, I have always enjoyed the innocence of fairytales and most retellings, however as it came to light early on, this is not a retelling for a younger audience. There is a rape scene at the beginning and an intimate wedding night scene at the very end.

It was an interesting spin on the favourite tale, lots of differences but there were hints of the original in it. It was darker but magical.
I liked the main characters, and the story flowed at an even pace.
Overall it was a good audiobook, it was fairly short, and the narrator kept me listening. The storyline was in the most part good, and if you are looking for a retelling with some adult content then you will like it.

This retelling of beauty and the beast lacks credibility. It is impossible to believe anyone is stupid enough to cast a curse, arrive at an island and believe this is the work of someone else. Her curse was meant to affect the king’s enemy and his household, to show his true nature. His enemy would be beastly in appearance, the entrance to his land and all those loyal to him would disappear. Even if she did not pick up all the clues, it should have been obvious when she saw the mirror.

There are a lot of chapters and changes of scene which make this feel a little disjointed in places. ‘Belle’ is very naïve in some ways which fits in with her youth and character and Vardan sometimes has difficulty holding his temper, which again show more fits with the theme. Fleshing out the minor characters may have improved the scenes and although the evil king is a foreboding threat, he is not well developed. As Vardan gives Belle a tour we learn something of the island and its economics, but again this is a little thin.

The ending takes a bit of a turn with blood needing to be shed in order to break the curse, but the couple live happily ever after like all good fairy tales. It is a nice story, but not original. There is also no moral in this story, which is generally present in all fairy tales, since they are aimed at teaching children. The fact that she possesses magic of her own and not just a ring which transports her to see her father, is a little different, but not sufficient, and twinned with the lack of development in the story and character, this becomes a poor imitation. show less

3.75 stars is what I would truly give this book. It is a funny at times, but there is a vague rape of the main character and at the end of the novel a slightly vague consummation of the marriage.
There is magic, but it would be hard to tell the story without some.
I enjoyed it for the most part, but it is not a book I would recommend to my current friend group.

This is the first book in the Romance a Medieval Fairytale Series and is an intriguing retelling of Beauty and the Beast. It was not my first book in the series that I have read and each story in the series has connections to another and share a world but they don't need to be read in chronological order to be enjoyed. I look forward to reading more of this series.

Series Character and Story Connections for Enchant: Beauty and the Beast Retold
Zuleika’s adventures as a fairy godmother continue in the next book in the series Dance: Cinderella Retold (Book #02)
That prince she turned into a frog continues in Kiss: Frog Prince Retold (Book #14)
The tale of Margareta, Vardan’s grandmother is in Silence: Little Mermaid Retold (Book #05)