Review & Giveaway: The Beautiful and the Cursed by Page Morgan
8:00 AM
Author: Page Morgan (pseudonym of Angie Frazier)
Release Date: May 14, 2013 (hardcover)
Publisher: Doubleday Canada
Pages: 352
Source: Copy provided by publisher
Overall: 4 Stars
Summary:
It was bizarre and inexplicable, and after it happened, Ingrid Waverly was forced to leave her life in London behind. She had to trade a world full of fancy dresses and society events for exile in gothic Paris with her mother and her younger sister, Gabby.
In Paris there are no grand balls or glittering parties, and disturbingly, the house rented by Ingrid's twin brother, Grayson, isn't a house at all. It's an abbey. A creepy, old abbey with a roof lined in stone gargoyles that could almost be mistaken for living, breathing creatures.
And to top it all off, Grayson is missing.
Yet no one seems to be concerned about Grayson's whereabouts save for Luc, a devastatingly handsome servant who has some deep and dark secrets of his own.
There's one secret about the city that even Luc can't keep hidden, though: there's a murderer on the loose. And every day that Grayson is missing means there's less chance he's still alive.
Ingrid is sure her twin isn't dead--she can feel it deep in her soul--but she knows that he's in grave danger, and that it's up to her and Gabby to find him before all hope is lost.
And yet the path to him is more dangerous than she could ever imagine.
My Thoughts:
I was first drawn to Page Morgan's YA debut novel when I saw its gorgeous and haunting book cover. I simply couldn't look away! As an avid fan of the paranormal romance genre, it was refreshing to immerse myself in the unknown and read a novel centered around gargoyles. Because the number of YA gargoyle novels is pretty much nonexistent, it provided the perfect opportunity for Page Morgan to have free reign with their mythology. Set in 1899, readers are also able to explore a Gothic Paris that's familiar, yet also utterly mysterious.
In this world, gargoyles are grotesque beings who, after committing a terrible crime when they were human, were severely punished by angels and forced into servitude. They're now grudgingly compelled to protect the human charges who reside in the buildings they've been ordered to guard. When Ingrid and Gabby's brother, Grayson, suddenly disappears without a trace shortly before they were to officially move into their new home, an old abbey in disrepair, the sisters become entangled in a dangerous plot that threatens the safety of everyone in Paris.
Based on the book description, I initially thought The Beautiful and the Cursed would be solely written from Ingrid's point of view, but it's actually told from three perspectives: Ingrid, Gabby, and Luc. Ingrid and Gabby have very different personalities, but they're both brave in the face of danger and would do anything to find Grayson, desperately throwing themselves into the search when no one else would take them seriously. Gabby is impulsive, loves to use her beautiful looks to attract attention, and yearns to learn how to properly fight with a weapon. In comparison, Ingrid acts much more like a proper English lady, but she has a very curious nature that leads her into just as much trouble as her younger sister. Luc knows it's forbidden for a gargoyle and human to love each other, yet he can't help steadily falling for Ingrid anyways. She warms his cold heart and makes him believe he can find redemption for his past.
Page Morgan's The Beautiful and the Cursed is a thrilling introduction to The Dispossessed series that will leave you anxiously waiting the sequel. I'm already highly anticipating delving deeper into this dark world that Page Morgan has envisioned when The Lovely and the Lost is released next year!
Thanks so much to Random House Canada for providing this review copy!
*****
Giveaway! Thanks to Random House Canada, I'm giving away one signed finished copy of Page Morgan's The Beautiful and the Cursed!
- please fill out the Rafflecopter form to enter
- giveaway is INTERNATIONAL
- giveaway will end at 12:00 a.m. on August 14, 2013
- winner will be contacted by email afterwards
- do not leave your email address in the comments
9 comments
I loved the dark world that Morgan created! The whole concept of the gargoyles and their punishment/curse was so interesting, I cannot wait to continue the series.
ReplyDeleteAshley @ The Quiet Concert
I really loved this story, at times the girls got on my nerves, but the gargoyle storyline was so interesting. I'm excited to see what happens next in this series... especially with the romantic storyline (I think that was not fleshed out enough in this book).
ReplyDeletei've heard good thing about it and beauty and teh beast is my favourite fairytale... so now a gargoyle is something i want to read about
ReplyDeleteBecause I have never read a story about gargoyle !!!!
ReplyDeleteGreat review. And I'm so excited for this book... gargoyles and Gothic Paris - yes please! :)
ReplyDeleteGargoyles! Where else will you find a young adult book focused on gargoyles?
ReplyDeleteLove paranormal romance books and haven't come across Gargoyles yet so I'm curious! Love that cover too! Thanks!
ReplyDeleteI love the cover and the story seems interesting.Thanks:)
ReplyDeleteWhile I love a good supernatural/creature story as much as the next, the idea of Gargoyles really appealed to me. This is a very original and different story with many elements readers love, like love, plot and the supernatural itself. I love the mythology the writer wove around the background of Gargoyles themselves as well as their purpose, to protect, and that she really knows what she's speaking about. Highly recommended, can't wait to read the next in the series!
ReplyDelete