"A Curse of Shadows and Ice"

 So there are a few things that are always a sure thing for me. 

Oreos, movies from the 80's and 90's, and "Beauty and the Beast" retellings. 

I have lost count of how many "Beauty and the Beast" retellings I have read in my life, but I never fail to enjoy them.

I actually didn't realize that "A Curse of Shadows and Ice" was a "Beauty and the Beast" retelling until I was a couple of chapters in. I had purchased the book some time ago on my Kindle and just got around to reading it this week. 

Arabella is the oldest princess of a kingdom that has outlawed magic. Unfortunately for Arabella, magic runs through her veins courtesy of her sorceress mother who was executed when her magic was discovered by the king. Arabella's life is only spared because the King's blood runs through her veins as well. Her whole life the nobility, the staff, and even peasants have whispered about her "curse" and shunned her, while favoring her younger, magic-less half-sister. After a lifetime of the whispers and her father's treatment, Arabella truly begins to believe she is cursed. 

Her fear is confirmed when the Shadow Emperor turns up in her father's kingdom and demands Arabella's hand in marriage in exchange for the Shadow Emperor's army leaving their kingdom in peace. After a hasty marriage ceremony, Arabella is whisked away to cursed land of ice and snow, and nothing is as Arabella thought it would be. Arabella's "cursed" magic may be the only thing that can save the Shadow Emperor's frozen kingdom, and the Shadow Emperor himself may just be the man Arabella needs. 

Overall, I enjoyed the story and the romance between Arabella and Felix. One of my favorite things about this retelling is that Arabella wasn't some weak damsel who simply had to wait around to fall in love with the beast in order to break the curse. She was powerful on her own, and within the beast's kingdom, she was respected for that power. Arabella's character growth over the course of the story was great to see as well. One of my favorite parts was when she returned to her home kingdom and had the chance to right some wrongs from her past. Loved it!

However, some parts of this book made me cringe. Some of the forced intimacy in the early chapters really put me off the story, but it smoothed out and got much better as the story went along.

Also, some parts of the story were just too rushed. I definitely think the climax of the story needed some more attention and detail. ESPECIALLY the part about Felix's mom and her role in the story. There was unexplored potential there that just seemed like a missed opportunity. 

Overall, I did enjoy the story, and I think this author will continue to grow with each book. I look forward to the next one.