A monster is holding me hostage inside a chateau. The world is plagued by creatures called the Dread. And he’s their king. I’ve tried to run. I’ve tried to hide. But there’s no escaping him. He wants to turn me into one of the creatures. Unless… I find a way to break the curse. A curse that has turned him into the monster that he is.He wasn’t supposed to destroy cities. He’s one of the Celestials … monster that he is.
He wasn’t supposed to destroy cities. He’s one of the Celestials meant to save humanity.
As I uncover the truth and break his curse, I wonder if I’ve lost myself in the process.
Can I still escape him?
Or has he taken my heart forever?
Book One in the Celestial series by USAToday Bestselling Author Emma Hamm
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Highly enjoyed this retelling. Had a darker edge compared to many of the ones I’ve read but it wasn’t too dark it was difficult enough to process it required a few sessions to get through, making it a refreshing take. The characters are likeable (or become so as they develop) and their development was great. Some of the self aware comments from the characters made me chuckle.
It’s a low heat rating when it comes to the romance, which isn’t part of my usual reading. That didn’t hamper my enjoyment of the story, but if you were looking for something on the medium to higher heat side, this one won’t be it.
I consumed this story through the audio version, which was well done. I only have some minor gripes when the narrator was speaking as the male characters and using French words. She was really hard to hear a lot of times when that happened and that made me feel like I missed some things in the story.
My only biggest gripe would be the ending. It felt a little too open. There were a number of things left unanswered and from the looks of it, the next book doesn’t follow the same characters, so I don’t know if we’ll get all those answers. The lack of answers won’t stop me from grabbing the next books of course, I just hope a few things do get answered.
she is being held by a beast. this is a twist on the tale of beauty and the beast. you will fall in love with this one as the original one other though this may be a little bit darker
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Love Beauty and the Beast re-imaginings! This one has some cool, unique ideas. The first 20-25 percent was slow going; maybe too descriptive at times, but things start picking up after that. Amicia’s town was just ravaged by Dreads; grey skinned, horned scary beings that can fly, the King of Dreads turns people into Dreads against their will. After her father gives Amicia some horrible advice; he tells her to pull some lever that burns everyone in their village alive, so after she unknowingly burns her whole town down, she’s all alone and on the run from the Dreads. It’s annoying that Amicia kept blaming herself for killing people; it was your pops, so chill about it. Amicia ends up at some creepy, cool amazing castle; love all the cool hidden crawl spaces in the walls! Fun idea! At this fortress type place, she meets the King of Dreads; things don’t quite go smoothly at first, but things start looking up for Amicia. The King has a beast mentality; he needs to control his anger, he needs to go against his nature to show anything besides aggression. He also has a spotty memory, so it’s tough going for Amicia and Him. Amicia is brave though; she’s a bit naive, but she’s a survivor. Some interesting ideas to this Beauty and the Beast re-imagining that make an old story new! Some awesome world building; the magical elements and the whole setting were wonderful! Sweet romance too! No steam, but still a heart-touching connection! This one ends in a satisfying way, but there’s more story to tell! Excited to see where the story goes!
A fantastic read that grabs you from the first page to the last. Its a edge of your seat read, with epic scenes, the scenes are written so well that I can picture them in my minds eye. This is a real page turner with twists and turns that keeps you enthralled with this read. I definitely recommend this captivating read. Its a must read.
Shauna Joesten
It is always interesting to read a retelling of a classic tale. I liked that it wasn’t a typical retelling but still kept me interested all the way.
I liked the style, the characters and their interactions throughout the story.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I fell in love with the cover first. Yes, I knew this book would be good because of the cover and author. I have read and listened to several of Emma Hamm’s books and I have not been disappointed. Who wouldn’t love a retelling of Beauty and the Beast? This story had me when I read the words “claws scraped along the stone floor” and as I continued to read, I knew that Gilded Rose was not your typical fairy tale retelling and I was about to be taken on an interesting book adventure.
This book is awesome. It kept me on my toes. With mystery, suspense and adventure all mixed together in the perfect combination that wouldn’t let me put it down! I’m typically not into ‘Beauty and Beast’ type books but this one wasn’t like the others I’ve read! I highly recommend this to those who love a good adventure, kick ass heroine and bad guys who have many layers and so much mystery you want to learn their secrets too.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Ive always loved the story of Beauty and the Beast and this retelling was perfect!!!! I loved Amicia (great name BTW). Her character was spunky, strong and loved her curious nature. King of the Dread was a cool character also, he was gruff, harsh but underneath it there was a yearning to know his past. Loved the original storyline even with the Beauty and the Beast origins. Cant wait to find out who the Alchemists are and where theyre from!
Looking forward to more!
This is my first book from this author and I thoroughly enjoyed the story. It’s a unique and darker twist on the classic Beauty and the Beast fairytale. I enjoyed the slow burn romance and the way this author writes. I look forward to continuing on with this series.
Gilded Rose is the first book in the Celestials series.
Final Rating: 4 Stars
Very different take on Beauty and the Beast. One of my favorite fairy tales, and I am always interested to see different versions of this tale. I was not disappointed at all. Amicia doesn’t just sit back and let things happen around her. Her daughter taught her better than they. I enjoyed this version and would be interested in reading more from this author in the future.
Book one in the Celestials series and I want to read the next book, a well written retelling of A Beauty and the Beast, that kept me turning pages. This is Alexandre and Amicia’s story of suspense, drama, danger, Dread, evil alchemists, twists, turns, curses, and romance. I enjoyed reading this story by a new Author to me. I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
This is my first book by Emma Hamm. This isn’t my first fairytale retelling, but it was definitely one of the best I’ve read. Emma is a fabulous storyteller, the world she built and the characters she portrays entertaining to read about. The romance between the hero and heroine was believable and unfolded at a good pace. This book was well written, fascinating story that kept my interest throughout.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Beauty and the beast is a tale that has been remade many times however it can be hard to find one that is more unique and adult. Gilded Rose by Emma Hamm is unique, definitely a bit on the darker side but an excellent retelling of as “Tale as Old as Time”. Amica lives in a village that is in a safe haven from the Dread, creatures who overtake surrounding villages. In the beginning of the story, her village is attacked and she is the only survivor. She flees the into the forest, only to find herself in on the grounds of an immense Chateau, which happens to be the Dread stronghold. The King of the Dread is the unquestioned leader whose goal is to wipe out all of the surrounding villages and humans. What follows in an action packed tale with many twist, turns and surprises.
Characters:
Amica: Amica starts as a peasant girl but throughout the story grows into a strong, independent woman of action who begins to write her own future. She is not your typical heroine, relying on the male figure to save her, but is capable and determined. I really enjoyed watching her growth throughout the story.
The King of the Dread: He begins as your typical Beast with small glimpses of something more. Most of the story is told from Amica’s POV however we do see about 25 – 30% of the story from the King’s POV, which definitely added to the backstory.
World building: The storyline of the Celestials and the large world is very intriguing. There is magic, danger and intricacy throughout the story that just breaks the surface and shows so much potential. I did feel satisfied with the answers we received from this story but definitely feels that there is more to discover in her subsequent books. I can’t wait to learn more about the Celestials themselves.
Plot: There is where this book was very unique. It very loosely followed the storyline of Beauty and the Beast that we are all familiar with however was definitely a unique take and had unexpected twists and turns. There is (obviously) a romance and a HOA, which I thoroughly enjoyed. There are hints of more to explore in future books and I do hope we find out what happened to our original characters in sequels.
If you like reading Sarah Mass, Laini Taylor or Leigh Bardugo, you must read this book!. If you grew up watching Disney princess stories or reading fairytales like I did, but want a more adult and darker fantasy spin on the same tales, then you will also love Gilded Rose. It is well written, has deep/well developed characters and is very fast paced with a satisfying ending. I can’t wait to read the next book!
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I loved this book so much!! I love all the characters connection to each other! I love how the story flows so smoothly, and I love how the cover of this book! I feel like the cover shows how are two main characters would really look like.
One of my favorite parts of the story is how the beginning is really bad. I like story’s where it’s all tragic and kinda sad.
4 1/2 stars..
I have not read Emma Hamm before, but was pleasantly surprised. I like her storytelling style, the ingeniously fresh retelling of B & TB, and the slow burn romance she had going with Alex and Amicia.
The only thing that caused a cringe and not so sexy feelings for the main H was when he threw her off a roof and she had bones jutting through her skin.
Um, I’ve read some pretty dark s**t, but that was pretty hardcore mean.
He slowly redeemed himself but that may put some readers off.
But all in all, I am looking forward to the rest of this series and recommend this book.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Sweet Retelling of Beauty and the Beast comes complete with a strong heroine. This book will enchant you. I love it! This sweet book was safe to read around my young relatives and students without any problems
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Wow! I loved the world created here! I was invested in the characters and cared about them from the start! The world was similar to what we know, with enough differences to keep it interesting! The only reason I gave this book 4 out of 5 (should be 4.5) was because the ending fell a little flat for me. I know this book is the first in a series and I’m so glad it didn’t end on a cliffhanger, I just felt that all the pain and struggle was wrapped up in the last 5 pages. I’m excited for the rest of the series though!
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I believe that this book is one of the most interesting Beauty and the Beast retelling that I’ve ever read. It had the author’s unique brand of storytelling while also keeping some of the main aspects of the fairytale.
And if I’m getting this right then the Celestials will be a clever way of interconnecting future retellings of other stories. Brilliant.
Now, for the problems I’ve had with this book.
Until I got to 20% I had to tell myself it gets better. I love this author and her books. Surely this wont’t be the exception. Fortunately it does get sooo much better! After that I could barely put it down.
The main character of this book , no, it’s not Belle, it’s Amicia . A strong and resilient girl.
You can see how much she matures and learns throughout the book. But she is also the reason for my frustration for the first part of the book.
She kept talking to herself. Out. Loud. While running and hiding from beings with sensitive hearing! I understand that she was scared but she could reassure herself in her mind and not whisper it! God, this annoyed me to no end.
I really liked the Beast. No surprise there.
The villains of the book were a little weird. And their motives kind of cliché.
So. I do recommend this book. It has a beautiful story about redemption, love, forgiveness and sacrifice. Worth it.
A remake of beauty and the beast. With Godly undertones. An enjoyable read. Strong female characters. A wonderful read. I received a free copy of this book via Booksproutand am voluntarily leaving a review.
Gilded Rose is one of the better rewrites of Beauty and the Beast I have ever read. I love where the writer, Emma Hamm, took me with her imagination of the Dread, beings that terrorized and killed people from her small village. The heroine’s mad escape to save herself and the hidden mysterious chateau she escaped to where it is alway winter. Running right into the enemy where the King of the Dread resides along with his followers. Can she find out why he is cursed along with his army of Dread? Can she break the curse or will she be turned too. The ending is different too, but I won’t tell. I really enjoyed the twist of characters and the world building she created, quite different from Bella and her beast or any beast out there. This is a fast and easy read and kept me entertained the whole time, never lagging. If you enjoy Beauty and the Beast stories I am sure you will also enjoy this different exciting take on the tale.
I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.