Kill the Beast

Well this book is absolutely a new favorite. There are so many Beauty & the Beast retellings and reimaginings out there that a new one may sound unnecessary, but Kill the Beast is absolutely worth the read.

This book is not a romance. It is a breath of fresh air to me, to have one of the central themes be friendship and all the forms platonic love can take. Our main character is Lyssa, and she is not your expected Belle. In this tale, she is in fact Gaston: a mighty hunter of the wicked and cruel faeries, and the ferocious monsters they create. She has little time or interest in human connections, wanting only her loyal dog for company. While she has killed many creatures her real goal is to find the Beast of Buxholm, who killed her show more brother and many others years before and hasn’t been seen since.

Then she is hired by a frivolous seeming noble to kill a monster who is none other than the Beast itself. But faerie-made monsters are hard to kill, and Lyssa is forced to work with Alderic the noble to gather supplies and evade the machinations of the pro-faerie group headed by Lyssa’s ex.

Lyssa grows so much through the book, as she is forced to confront her past, and comes to realize the world may not be as black and white as she thought. I also love Alderic, who is an equally complex character, and not the frivolous layabout Lyssa first thinks. I would love to see further stories in this world as well, there are several excellent secondary characters and fascinating glimpses into the world with room to explore.

Now that I’ve finished I want to read it again, and I can’t wait to buy it and put it on the shelf next to Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik and Thornhedge by T. Kingfisher. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for access to the eARC in exchange for an honest review

Content warnings for the following: child death (past) suicide attempt (past) and suicidal ideation (current) show less

I really enjoyed this! I thought the banter between Lyssa and Al was wonderful. It was funny, but also moving and felt real. I thought the monsters were suitably horrific, and I thought that the insights gained by Lyssa in the end added depth and growth in her character. Life is not black and white, and people aren't always what they seem! For a first book, I think Serra Swift hit it out of the park! Highly recommend.

The only reason I read and enjoyed this book is because I didn't read the summary before I was halfway through the book.
This is not a romance, it is a high fantasy adventure with an emphasis on found family.
This is not cozy, it has battles and a strong plot that is the central focus at all times, at no point is there a relaxing time once the main story is introduced.
This is not anything like Howl's Moving Castle, the main character simply goes through doors that open to different locations.
This book is nothing like The Witcher, the main character is just a monster assassin, but there is no political intrigue, there is no deep exploration of the magic system, and the whole story is from the same POV.
If you go into this book show more expecting any of the above, you will be sorely disappointed and have a terrible time. Luckily, that was not my experience and it was a grand old time. show less

I'm not really a fan of the whole 'anger management issues' plotline, but luckily it was tempered by Al's personality. It was paced well and even though it was easy to figure out the Beast's true identity, I enjoyed the buildup.

An interesting fantasy setting, with a premise and plot twists I really liked, but whose main relationship I didn't ever quite fully buy—which is unfortunate, as the resolution of the plot demands that you believe their friendship is life-changingly important. I also found most of the side characters to be very thinly written and their motivations confusing.

A very unusual story, Kill the Beast, offers redemption for sins committed.

Lyssa has one goal: kill the beast that killed her brother. The beast has killed many over the years, but no one can find the beast, much less kill him. Alone comes Alderic. He's a bit of a fop, but he knows the location of the beast and can obtain the necessary objects to create a magicked sword that will kill him.

Lyssa has very few friends because she's very intense. Her witch friend, Ragnhild, provides the magic she needs and watches out for Lyssa as much as can be done. Ragnhild insists that the only way the objects needed for the spell can be obtained is if Alderic and Lyssa gather them together. Lyssa has little patience for a dandy. She's very hardened show more and focused to the extent that she doesn't take good care of herself. Alderic gets along with everyone and has plenty of money. He has something haunting him, but he doesn't let that affect how he treats others. He does all he can to help with whatever needs to be accomplished. Slowly, as they gather the spell ingredients, they see the "real" other person.

Of course, there's a turning point in the novel. Sins are revealed to each other; death is imminent in this quest to kill the beast. Can they both survive? show less

I tried to get into this. Failed repeatedly. Not my cup of tea -- immature bounty hunter drama is just not that interesting.

Advanced Reader's copy provided by Edelweiss.