Review of The Beloved by Genevra Thorne A Faerie Tale, Book Two

​Lord Ashton of Aethyria is enticement, seduction, temptation–born with the power to strip even the most modest woman of her gown, her will, and her virtue. With the glamour of being born a half Daoine Sidhe faerie comes the sad fate that once a woman has gazed into Ash’s eyes, she forever loses the ability to see anything other than his ravishing beauty, and can certainly never glimpse into his soul. Ashton’s allure is so raw and enchanting, in fact, that he has exiled himself from even the human side of his family, lest his own aunts be tempted by him, and lives a life of solitude and fleeting passions. But he is part human as well, and it is his human blood that makes him long for a magic no faerie spell can equal. It is his deep desire for true love that leads him to keep his magnificent face hidden from the woman who captures his heart. 

Eden is certain her nightly visitor is as disfigured as she, since he keeps his visage shrouded in shadow when he comes to her room. Scarred by fire, she believes herself ugly until Ashton’s tender kisses and gentle touch begin to teach her that true beauty comes from within. It’s an important lesson, since Ash knows that soon he must reveal himself to her. He prays that she can look beyond his unearthly beauty and see the heart of a man.

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Genevra Thorne

I live in the beautiful city of New York with my three amazing offspring, six little chihuahuas, three small parrots, two rabbits, and an occasional lizard. It's a full house where love and grace abound!

My Faerie Tale Series takes place in historic Wales and other, less worldly kingdoms. You'll meet a sacred tree with the power to speak, an evil siren with the power to seduce, and a tiny water sprite with the courage of an army. You'll travel to castles and brothels and realms where magic abounds, hearts will be tested, and true love, tried. 
But only if you believe

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Apparently this is Book Two in an ongoing Faerie Tale Series by Genevra Thorne. THE BELOVED is an enchanting stand-alone faerie tale with characters that appeared in the first story, though it’s not necessary to have read the first book in order to thoroughly enjoy the second. I can attest to that, as I have not read the first (though if it’s anything like the second, I’m sure it’s a wonderful read and would add enjoyment to one’s appreciation of the characters and their world).

I was delightfully surprised by how well written and charming this Young Adult faerie tale turned out to be. It was metaphorically themed after the traditional Beauty and the Beast tale.  The author has a keen sense of mood and tone and her use of language ranges from light-hearted and witty to intense and gripping. She carries the reader with her on a fanciful journey through a world within a world, peopled with many different types of faeries.

The hero of this book is Ashton. Ash is the offspring of a half-human, half-Tylwyth Teg father and a Daoine Sidhe mother. The Daoine Sidhe faeries have "allure" glamour. Unfortunately they are also unable to fall in love. It makes him virtually irresistible to women, but also leaves him feeling unfulfilled and lonely and makes him a lot of enemies, especially male enemies when wives and girlfriends fall for his charms, whether he wants them to or not.  He does have one very good friend, however, and I would love to learn more about her. As a toddler he was abandoned by his enchantress mother and was raised by Shara, a tiny faerie who becomes his protector.

The heroine is Eden, who works in a bordello in order to survive because she is a beautiful human who has been horribly disfigured in a fire and much of her body bears terrible scars, though they are of course much more damaging on the inside. And this is where the Beauty and the Beast analogy takes place.

Eden falls into Ash’s arms, literally, and he is smitten, but he refuses to let her see him and fall under his spell. He wants her to love him for his own sake. Can he really be in love? Can his human side overcome his faerie side’s inability to love?  And will she be able to forgive him once she discovers his duplicity?
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There’s the difficulty and when you add to that problem the fact that he uses forbidden spells to keep her in the “dark,” and her own low self-esteem issues won’t allow her to believe he could love her for her “beauty” you have all sorts of problems and angst to sort through--the stuff young adult lives are made of. Let’s hear it for young love and great young adult romance novels. Thorne has a winner on her hands with this one. At last, something different this way comes in a fast, fun read! Move over Ella Enchanted!

Book Bling gives this a rare Five Stars!