The Beast's Heart - Leife Shallcross

A sumptuously magical, brand new take on a tale as old as time - read the Beasts side of the story at long last.
Utterly Enchanting - Kate Forsyth, author of Bitter Greens and The Wild Girl
A beautiful retelling . . . poetical, imaginative, inventive - New York Journal of Books
5 out of 5 stars . . . magical romance at its best - Sam Hawke, author of City of Lies
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I am neither monster nor man - yet I am both.
I am the Beast.
I know why I was cursed; I know the legacy of evil I carry in my tainted blood. So how could she ever love me?
My Isabeau. She opened my eyes, my mind and my heart when I was struggling just to be human.
And now I might lose her forever.
Lose yourself in this gorgeously rich and magical retelling of The Beauty and the Beast that finally lays bare the beasts heart.
Review
A glorious debut from Australian author Leife Shallcross, The Beasts Heart retells Beauty and the Beast in a compelling and surprising novel filled with peril, darkness, romance and beauty. An utterly enchanting fairytale retelling that breathes new life into a beloved classic. (Kate Forsyth, author of Bitter Greens and The Wild Girl)I stayed up until the small hours finishing THE BEASTS HEART. What a delight! This is a beautifully crafted, deeply romantic reworking of the fairy tale. Leife Shallcross opens a brand new window onto the old story, creating a cast of engaging characters whose fates we really care about (Juliet Marillier, author of the Blackthorn & Grim series)Leife Shallcross weaves her words like a fairytale enchantment. The Beasts Heart is like nothing youve read. Welcome to a glorious darkness (Angela Slatter, World Fantasy Award-winning author of The Bitterwood Bible and Other Recountings)I might have a new favourite Beauty and the Beast! 5 out of 5 stars to Leife Shallcrosss utterly beautiful retelling The Beasts Heart. Gorgeous writing, magical romance at its best. Absolutely loved it (Sam Hawke, author of City of Lies)The best fairy-tale retelling I have read (Read the Write Act blog)This book manages to capture the ancient quality of fairytale without going into the waffle-y vague voice that I tend to associate with some short stories and retellings . . . I had a wonderful time reading this book 5 STARS (Chain Interaction)This beautifully conceived debut from Australian writer Leife Shallcross turns the classic fairytale on its head . . . The love story between the Beast and Isabeau is a delight; a credible, awkward, stilting courtship thats shot through with moments of gentle romance, pathos, and passion . . . a complex, charming, romantic, and richly detailed story about the redemptive power of love (Readings Magazine)Wow oh wow. I was hooked from page one . . . I think I want a Beast of my own! Honestly I think Id give this more than 5 stars if I could (Books and Lemon Squash book blog)This was so beautifully written, I felt like I was reading a classical, melodic, fairy tale with all the feels that really came to life in my mind! An amazing story that developed beautifully, fantastically well-defined characters, the author did such a great job in reimagining the tale thats old as time and really took us deep into the heart of the beast. This is a story no one has heard before and a must read now. Beautiful writing and language, amazing characters you grow to love and a beast who I just want to hug! Oh . . . the love . . . the feels . . . for the first time in a very long time, I found this to be a book I needed to take a moment of silence for right at the end, it was that beautiful. (Read3rz Re-vu Blog)A lovely book . . . I would definitely read it again (My Melody of Words blog)

About the Author
Leife Shallcross lives at the foot of a mountain in Canberra, Australia, with her family and a small, scruffy creature that snores. She has a tendency to overindulge in reading fairy tales, then lie awake at night listening to trolls (or maybe possums) galloping over her tin roof. Ever since she can remember, she has been fascinated by stories about canny fairy godmothers, heroic goose girls and handsome princes disguised as bears. She is particularly inspired by those characters that tend to fall into the cracks of the usual tales. She is the author of several short stories, including Pretty Jennie Greenteeth, which won the 2016 Aurealis Award for Best Young Adult Short Story. The Beasts Heart is her first novel.