Of Beast and Beauty

For Cinder fans, a fantasy retelling of Beauty and the Beast with a flipped script in which the Beauty becomes the Beast . . .
 
It’s pointless. Hopeless. Even if she weren’t afraid of me, we’ll always be enemies at the core. . . .

In the city of Yuan, the blind Princess Isra is raised to be a human sacrifice. Her death will ensure her city’s vitality.
 
In the desert, a mutant beast named Gem fights to save his people, known as the Monstrous, from starvation.
 
Neither dreams that, together, they can return balance to their worlds.
When Gem is captured for trying to steal Yuan’s enchanted roses, he becomes a prisoner of the city. Isra enlists his help, and soon begins to care for him—and to question everything she has been brought up to believe. . . .
 
She’s a queen; I’m her prisoner. I am her monster and she is mine. . . .
 
“The bones of the classic Beauty and the Beast story are all here, imaginatively fleshed out with tropes from science fiction, fantasy, and even political drama.” —The Bulletin, Recommended
 
“Jay’s characters are well-realized . . . [the] setup is intriguing and her writing assured.” —Publishers Weekly

“Engrossing tale . . . [an] intense love story.” —Kirkus Reviews
 
“Revelations and plot twists keep the action flowing and romance growing. . . . A satisfying read for fans of romantic fantasy.” —School Library Journal