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A review by laughlinesandliterature
The Beast Is an Animal by Peternelle van Arsdale
4.0
*I received this book from the publisher and Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review*
The Beast is an Animal is an absolutely chilling, dark, and captivating read. I haven’t had that anxious pit in my stomach for a fantasy book in a long long time. The writing was very, and the descriptions were rich and lush, especially given the fact that the people in the village of Defaid were such a staid, prudish, fanatical bunch. It’s not often that you read a story that intertwines the goodness and badness of people like Van Arsdale does in this novel. The main character Alys is a perfect example of that, she is like the “soul-eaters” but she is NOT like them in ways that matter more. Alys is so refreshing to read about because she is not the perfect girl, but neither is she one of those characters that have a minor flaw that makes them a “terrible person” by the standards of the book. Alys has a darkness that she is constantly battling, the same as the soul-eater twins, but unlike them she had more than a mother who cared about her and she was not removed from the village. This meant that she has a compassion and sense of justice that the other girls don’t have, and that sets her a part.
The pacing in this book is slow, there are no epic battles and sword-fights, but there is a finale that took my breath away. You may feel like you’re constantly waiting, but it’s a delicious kind of waiting that builds intensity and tension until it finally reaches the climax of the story. That being said, there were a few times that the story felt like it jumped ahead without much warning, I think that had more to do with the fact that this book spans like 10 years, but it was jarring at times. As I mentioned earlier in this review, this subject matter is dark. This is not for the faint of heart or younger readers. These girls eat souls, and the descriptions that accompany that are absolutely terrifying although they are brilliantly written. I honestly can’t rave enough about this book, it was just what I needed to read after so much fluff, and a few duds. This book was absolutely wonderful, and I would give it 4.5 out of 5 stars.
This review was first posted to Moonlight Gleam Reviews http://moonlightgleam.com/2017/05/the-beast-is-an-animal-by-peternelle-van-arsdale.html*
The Beast is an Animal is an absolutely chilling, dark, and captivating read. I haven’t had that anxious pit in my stomach for a fantasy book in a long long time. The writing was very, and the descriptions were rich and lush, especially given the fact that the people in the village of Defaid were such a staid, prudish, fanatical bunch. It’s not often that you read a story that intertwines the goodness and badness of people like Van Arsdale does in this novel. The main character Alys is a perfect example of that, she is like the “soul-eaters” but she is NOT like them in ways that matter more. Alys is so refreshing to read about because she is not the perfect girl, but neither is she one of those characters that have a minor flaw that makes them a “terrible person” by the standards of the book. Alys has a darkness that she is constantly battling, the same as the soul-eater twins, but unlike them she had more than a mother who cared about her and she was not removed from the village. This meant that she has a compassion and sense of justice that the other girls don’t have, and that sets her a part.
The pacing in this book is slow, there are no epic battles and sword-fights, but there is a finale that took my breath away. You may feel like you’re constantly waiting, but it’s a delicious kind of waiting that builds intensity and tension until it finally reaches the climax of the story. That being said, there were a few times that the story felt like it jumped ahead without much warning, I think that had more to do with the fact that this book spans like 10 years, but it was jarring at times. As I mentioned earlier in this review, this subject matter is dark. This is not for the faint of heart or younger readers. These girls eat souls, and the descriptions that accompany that are absolutely terrifying although they are brilliantly written. I honestly can’t rave enough about this book, it was just what I needed to read after so much fluff, and a few duds. This book was absolutely wonderful, and I would give it 4.5 out of 5 stars.
This review was first posted to Moonlight Gleam Reviews http://moonlightgleam.com/2017/05/the-beast-is-an-animal-by-peternelle-van-arsdale.html*