I would’ve finished this in one sitting if I hadn’t begun it so late in the night…but at 4am, my stupid brain decided that it wanted sleep for some odd reason, ugh. Seriously, I don’t know why it isn’t getting more hype!!! What an underrated gem! Do yourselves a favour and give this retelling a go! This magical book had me spellbound and held me captive as I turned page after page, desperate to see what would happen next. “I held him like the world had spun away beneath me, and I was left to dance with the stars, not mortal any longer but a creature made of moonlight and magic.” i definitely recommend it to any ‘beauty and the beast’ fans. i love the new fairy tale quality of this that enhances an old story i enjoy so much. sometimes less is more, you know? a convoluted story doesnt necessarily mean its better than a simplistic one. ive seen this in her other book where its just nonstop in terms of people and magic and world-building and information and plot and it can be a bit much. however, even though the prose is simply a thing of beauty, sometimes JRMs storytelling can be a bit crowded with different elements. its magically lush - i dont know how else to describe it. it provides such a wintery atmosphere and a different view of magic than i have read before.Īdditionally, the writing is gorgeous. yes, the backbone of the story is familiar, but the norwegian influence present in this is just so lovely.

i imagine retellings are some of the hardest books to write because the story needs something fresh and unique to make it stand out from other retellings. and although this isnt the best one ive read, there is still so much to adore.įirstly, the scandinavian folklore that is intertwined with this story is something to live for.

I will never not read a ‘beauty and the beast’ retelling.

As the year ticks by, the rooms begin to disappear, and Echo must solve the mystery of the wolf’s enchantment before her time is up, otherwise Echo, the wolf, and Hal will be lost forever. When centuries-old secrets unfold, Echo discovers a magical library full of books-turned-mirrors, and a young man named Hal who is trapped inside of them. In his enchanted house beneath a mountain, each room must be sewn together to keep the home from unraveling, and something new and dark and strange lies behind every door. But there is more to the wolf than Echo realizes. The wolf presents Echo with an ultimatum: If she lives with him for one year, he will ensure her father makes it home safely. Believing he is lost forever, Echo is shocked to find him half-frozen in the winter forest six months later, guarded by a strange talking wolf-the same creature who attacked her as a child. Echo Alkaev’s safe and carefully structured world falls apart when her father leaves for the city and mysteriously disappears.

Echo north joanna ruth meyer