The Belles (the Belles Series, Book 1) by Dhonielle Clayton

The Belles (the Belles Series, Book 1) (Belles, #1)

by Dhonielle Clayton

Camellia Beauregard is a Belle. In the opulent world of Orléans, Belles are revered, for they control Beauty, and Beauty is a commodity coveted above all else. In Orléans, the people are born gray, they are born damned, and only with the help of a Belle and her talents can they transform and be made beautiful.

But it’s not enough for Camellia to be just a Belle. She wants to be the Favorite—the Belle chosen by the Queen of Orléans to live in the royal palace, to tend to the royal family and their court, to be recognized as the most talented Belle in the land. But once Camellia and her Belle sisters arrive at court, it becomes clear that being the Favorite is not everything she always dreamed it would be. Behind the gilded palace walls live dark secrets, and Camellia soon learns that the very essence of her existence is a lie—that her powers are far greater, and could be more dangerous, than she ever imagined. And when the Queen asks Camellia to risk her own life and help the ailing princess by using Belle powers in unintended ways, Camellia now faces an impossible decision.

With the future of Orléans and its people at stake, Camellia must decide—save herself and her sisters and the way of the Belles—or resuscitate the princess, risk her own life, and change the ways of her world forever.

Reviewed by shannonmiz on

4 of 5 stars

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The premise of The Belles is A+. I also loved the characters, and the strong female friendships that develop. I was fascinated by the girls being able to change appearance, and all the rules that accompanied it. Obviously, the wealthy and those in power had a lot of control and there was a lot of crappy stuff happening that Camellia didn’t know before she officially became a Belle. Camellia herself is a really strong main character, and I absolutely loved her passion and strength in the midst of tons of adversity. My only real complaint with the book was that it seemed longer than it needed to be, and was often more descriptive than it needed to be. I’ll definitely be reading book two though! Also, can we talk about that cover?! So much pretty!

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  • Started reading
  • 27 September, 2017: Finished reading
  • 27 September, 2017: Reviewed