In the scope of Beauty and the Beast retellings, I think this one has skyrocketed to my favorite. I absolutely love how the core elements of the original fairytale and even little moments reminiscent of the Disney animated movie are maintained while this novel presents something entirely new and utterly compelling.
I really loved the characters and the dynamic between Zaina and Einar. Their misconceptions about each other, all fueled by burns from the past, were believable and worked through with such incredible flow. I thoroughly adored how they grew together by finding out small details about each other as their facades slipped.
I'm not usually a fan of the arranged marriage trope, but this one was executed very well. I'd also like to note that the book is clean. There's some nudity, but it's very well done and clearly necessary. There's nothing gratuitous here.
Another thing that really resonated for me is how well these authors have illustrated the culture clash between Zaina and Einar. The cultures are vivid, the cultural baggage the characters have is present and the push and pull of past and present, of "tradition" and "the new" is extraordinary. Even though this is a topic that ought to feature in pretty much all fantasy novels, it rarely does, and I appreciate Mahle and Madison for this brilliant exposition of what culture clash, homesickness and cultural integration can look like.
It was also refreshing to have hints of our human cultures peek out from behind the veneer of the fantasy cultures. Zaina's Indian background and the traditions such as henna tattooing was such fun, especially when Einar's Viking-influenced culture couldn't grasp the meaning and misinterpreted it. There were some really wonderful moments where the culture clash contributed to the antagonism between the two main characters, which I enjoyed a lot.
I'll definitely be reading the rest of this series. I might not be a big fan of long series, but this one is definitely worth it.
