A review by littlebookishinkblot
Le destin de la Bête by Mallory Reaves
5.0
Let me just say that as a long-time lover of everything Disney related and an avid reader of manga, these books just blew me out of the water!! A perfect blend of artistic talent, creative expression, and storytelling. While most Disney stories are usually are told from the point of view of a narrator, a manga spin on a well-loved classic is able to pull the reader through the divide and enjoy the story straight from the horse's mouth, in this case from that of Belle and the Beast. (I am doing a review for the twin novels in this series.)
No details were spared in the making of this piece of art. The attention to detail was astounding, and while it may have been based on the newly released movie rather than the cartoon itself, it is noteworthy to point out how the artists were able to add their own touches in recreating the multitude of scenes from the movie. As suggested by the illustrators, I had the movie soundtrack playing in the background while reading. While it was quite fun flipping through the pages, especially during the Be Our Guests panels it became a bit of a distraction as the story went on. Belle as a well-loved character is as familiar to us as the enchanted rose that started this story and giving her thoughts a voice was a new and wonderful take on such a beloved tale. Belle was hand-drawn in the typical shojo manga art, and the artists were able to capture her expressive eyes and little quirks. As I revisited familiar scenes from the movie, I found myself still laughing at her internal monologues and appreciating just how wonderful she truly is.
The best part about this reading experience was the Beast having his own platform to share his story. It was such a good idea, as readers are able to appreciate his thoughts and not just make educated guesses based on his frowns, growls and eyebrow wiggles. The Beast's Tale, a twin companion to Beauty and the Beast Manga tells us how the Prince was able to realize just how much love he had inside of him for Belle, for himself and for those around him. Between the two books, I liked the Beast's tale better because it had aspects of the story that was not focused on in the regular telling. I enjoyed reading about his frustrations with the staff, and with Belle. In the story, you are able to experience how the love begun to develop, first as admiration towards his beautiful, smart and feisty prisoner, then awe at her strength, wit, and courage. His internal dialogue as he sent her away to help her father was truly heartbreaking, but happiness in his "voice" at the end more than made up for that. Kudos to the manga artists who was able to capture the essence of the character and draw him in typical manga fashion by keeping true to the look in the movie. The end result is visually appetizing.
My only wish was that I hoped to have read the books without the watermark, and in full color, as I believe it will be even better. While shojo manga typically focuses on producing content for a young female audience, by doing two versions of the story, Mallory Reaves and the team at Tokyopop was able to make it a more enjoyable experience to a wider range of readers. I would definitely recommend these for fans of fairy tales, manga, kick-ass heroines, soulful heroes learning life lessons.
● I received a Free Copy of the Ebook in exchange for my honest opinion ●
No details were spared in the making of this piece of art. The attention to detail was astounding, and while it may have been based on the newly released movie rather than the cartoon itself, it is noteworthy to point out how the artists were able to add their own touches in recreating the multitude of scenes from the movie. As suggested by the illustrators, I had the movie soundtrack playing in the background while reading. While it was quite fun flipping through the pages, especially during the Be Our Guests panels it became a bit of a distraction as the story went on. Belle as a well-loved character is as familiar to us as the enchanted rose that started this story and giving her thoughts a voice was a new and wonderful take on such a beloved tale. Belle was hand-drawn in the typical shojo manga art, and the artists were able to capture her expressive eyes and little quirks. As I revisited familiar scenes from the movie, I found myself still laughing at her internal monologues and appreciating just how wonderful she truly is.
The best part about this reading experience was the Beast having his own platform to share his story. It was such a good idea, as readers are able to appreciate his thoughts and not just make educated guesses based on his frowns, growls and eyebrow wiggles. The Beast's Tale, a twin companion to Beauty and the Beast Manga tells us how the Prince was able to realize just how much love he had inside of him for Belle, for himself and for those around him. Between the two books, I liked the Beast's tale better because it had aspects of the story that was not focused on in the regular telling. I enjoyed reading about his frustrations with the staff, and with Belle. In the story, you are able to experience how the love begun to develop, first as admiration towards his beautiful, smart and feisty prisoner, then awe at her strength, wit, and courage. His internal dialogue as he sent her away to help her father was truly heartbreaking, but happiness in his "voice" at the end more than made up for that. Kudos to the manga artists who was able to capture the essence of the character and draw him in typical manga fashion by keeping true to the look in the movie. The end result is visually appetizing.
My only wish was that I hoped to have read the books without the watermark, and in full color, as I believe it will be even better. While shojo manga typically focuses on producing content for a young female audience, by doing two versions of the story, Mallory Reaves and the team at Tokyopop was able to make it a more enjoyable experience to a wider range of readers. I would definitely recommend these for fans of fairy tales, manga, kick-ass heroines, soulful heroes learning life lessons.
● I received a Free Copy of the Ebook in exchange for my honest opinion ●