Beauty and the Werewolf (Five Hundred Kingdoms, #6)

by Mercedes Lackey

The eldest daughter is often doomed in fairy tales. But Bella--Isabella Beauchamps, daughter of a wealthy merchant--vows to escape the usual pitfalls.

Anxious to avoid the traditional path, Bella dons a red cloak and ventures into the forbidden forest to consult with "Granny," the local wisewoman. But on the way home she's attacked by a wolf--who turns out to be a cursed nobleman. Secluded in his castle, Bella is torn between her family and this strange man who creates marvelous inventions and makes her laugh--when he isn't howling at the moon.

Bella knows all too well that breaking spells is never easy. But a determined beauty, a wizard (after all, he's only an occasional werewolf) and a little Godmotherly interference might just be able to bring about a happy ending....

• ISBN10: 0373803281
• ISBN13: 9780373803286
• Publish Date: 18 October 2011
• Publish Status: Out of Print
• Out of Print: 8 February 2021
• Publish Country: US
• Imprint: Luna Books
• Edition: Original ed.
• Format: Hardcover
• Pages: 336
• Language: English

Reviews

[EBookObsessed]

Fairytales with a new spin.

This is the 6th book in the Five Hundred Kingdoms series.

This is a fractured fairy tale. The story is about Isabella (Bella) Beauchamps who lives with her father, stepmother and two stepsisters. She goes off one afternoon to visit and bring a basket of treats to Granny, the local old woman who sells potions and gives advise. Along the way she meets up the Woodsman, Eric, and on her way home after dark is attacked by the wolf or in the case werewolf. Starting to sound familiar??

After Bella is bitten by the werewolf, she is sent by the King and local Fairy Godmother to stay with Duke Sebastian, who is a scholarly and shy sorcerer, and who is also cursed to change into a werewolf during the full moon. The King determines that the needs to stay secluded with him for three months until they can determine if she will also start to turn at the full moon.

While Bella assists Sebastian in his spells, as he tries to break the curse, she talks to her Fairy Godmother through her magic mirror, and she learns that everyone in the City is pushed by The Tradition which is an underlying force that tries to fit everyone into a fairytale storyline.

This is an interesting spin on the usual fairytales that we all know and love. I found the invisible servants and Bella’s attempt to identify and work with them very entertaining.

Received advance copy from NetGalley, courtesy of the publisher. Thank you.