Instant New York Times and Indie Bestseller!New York Times bestselling author Renée Ahdieh returns with a sumptuous, sultry and romantic new series set in 19th century New Orleans where vampires hide in plain sight.In 1872, New Orleans is a city ruled by the dead. But to seventeen-year-old Celine Rousseau, New Orleans is a safe haven after she’s forced to flee her life as a dressmaker in Paris. … safe haven after she’s forced to flee her life as a dressmaker in Paris. Taken in by the sisters of the Ursuline convent in the middle of the carnival season, Celine is quickly enraptured by the vibrant city, from its music to its fancy soirées and even its danger. She becomes embroiled in the city’s glitzy underworld, known as La Cour des Lions, after catching the eye of the group’s enigmatic leader, Sébastien Saint Germain.
When the body of one of the girls from the convent is found in Sébastien’s own lair–the second dead girl to turn up in recent weeks–Celine battles her attraction to Sébastien and suspicions about his guilt along with the shame of her own horrible secret.
After a third murder, New Orleans becomes gripped by the terror of a serial killer on the loose–one who has now set Celine in his sights. As the murderer stalks her, Celine finally takes matters into her own hands, only to find herself caught in the midst of an age-old feud between the darkest creatures of the night, where the price of forbidden love is her life.
At once a sultry romance and a decadent, thrilling mystery, master storyteller Renée Ahdieh embarks on her most potent fantasy series yet.
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I read this book as Renee wrote it, which meant that she sent me sections of it, I read them and then got really upset because I didn’t have more, and then pestered and bothered her until she gave me the rest. I finished it recently and it is FANTASTIC. An incredibly ornate, lush New Orleans; characters who imprint themselves on your memory forever; a story that is nail-biting and swoony and satisfying and tense ALL AT THE SAME TIME. And of course…VAMPIRES.
This is a one of a kind book, by a singularly original author. Add it to your TBR because you won’t want to miss it.
I was really surprised by this one.
I start reading it as a buddy read with a friend of mine, otherwise it wouldn’t even have made my TBR list. And I would be missing something.
It’s the traditional story. A young girl from Paris, Celine, meets a mysterious young man, Sebastien, and his strange “family” when she moves to New Orleans in the 1800s. We see early on that there’s something supernatural about them and that is even more apparent when strange deaths start happening. As the story follows its course we meet the other characters: Michael the young police officer, possible love interest and Sebastien’s bitter rival since childhood; Odette, Celine’s benefactor in the New Orleans society; Pippa, another girl that comes to the New World from Europe and turns into Celine best friend; among others.
We will follow them through the streets of New Orleans and accompany them to Masquerade Balls, and witness some pretty violent murders… who would say no to such a journey?
I won’t delve much into the type of supernatural that the story revolves around but I will say that Renée Ahdieh adds a twist to it. And one that I can live with, considering my love for them.
Also, other than who the killer is, there is a greater mystery. The one that deals with a kind of secret layer of society that exists in the shadows.
To conclude, despite being in the Young Adult spectrum of fantasy/supernatural,the slightly darker tone that permeates the whole story makes this a great and enjoyable read.
And one that I will be sure to follow.
So, this book turned out to be a bit of rollercoaster for me.
It started out a bit slow for me, or I had issues getting into it at first.
Then I liked it and enjoyed it for most the book, but towards the end it declined again for me.
There is stuff I loved about this book but also stuff I didn’t care much for, overall, it was okay….
Let’s see if I can break it down a bit.
I liked Celine I really liked her and for the time she lived in it was pretty forward for a “lady”.
I liked that she stood her own but also was pretty flawed and struggled a lot throughout the book. She was risky and fun and made me laugh sometimes even though overall she is a bit of a darker character.
I also liked Bastion, he was funny and also had his own struggles and problems.
I liked that racial and gender issues of the time period are addressed and are very much in the story.
I really loved the story overall, and most of all I loved the setting. It was beautiful and beautifully written and made you feel like you are right there with them and often made you hungry.
Okay now some things I didn’t care for much, there were a lot of people and things to keep track of, there were too many POV and the back and forward from first to third and back at first or so worked at first but then just annoyed me.
The romance…. ugh I just couldn’t get into it really it just didn’t feel right and I’m not even sure why. I liked them together but not as a couple
Overall, I enjoyed it but didn’t love it, I loved her and her overall arc and the story the rest was ugh .. to okay.
I probably will read the next book just sure when.
I rate it 3
I adored this new take on vampires in NOLA. This historical YA has a whole lot of my catnip. A mysterious hero who is part of a found family, all who are equally mysterious. A heroine who’s Seen Some Shit and is coming to terms with the fact that she wants power and all the things girls aren’t supposed to strive for. A creepy mystery getting closer and closer to home…
I one-clicked the sequel as soon as I set this book down!
First of all, I am happy that vampires are back; I missed those suckers. I was very excited to pick up The Beautiful because I enjoyed Renee’s other books and of course this book being about vampires, I had to read it. Overall, I enjoyed it with some reservations. The first part of the book was very slow-paced, the second half was more action-packed and captivating. It took me a while to get through the first half because not a lot was happening, while I was inpatient for some action.
I loved the sultry historical setting of New Orleans, and I found the characters interesting but underdeveloped. Sebastien and Celine have great chemistry, and their romance has potential, but I wanted to see more interactions between them. I cannot wait to see their relationship grow and develop in the next book. I also want to learn more about La Cour des Lions and all its members. The Beautiful ended on a cliff-hanger and whetted my appetite for more. I am very much looking forward to the next book.
I won my arc copy bookish first it was a very first author for me as I have never heard of her before but I am so glad that I got it it was a wonderful read she grabs your attention and is there an amazing storyteller I felt like I was walking the streets of New Orleans ride along all the characters definitely a great read for young readers indefinitely sharing with my daughters as well. Absolutely love stories that have a little haunting with history all the same time and you get both was New Orleans
This was my first time reading a book by Renée Ahdieh, and it won’t be my last. I was immediately hooked by the premise of the book, which follows a young woman as she flees to New Orleans from Paris. The promise of romance, mystery, and the supernatural sealed the deal for me.
While I went in very excited to read this one, it did take me a little bit to become invested in the story due to a somewhat slow start, overly formal/stiff language (which could be attributed to who the characters are and the time period), and third person POV. However, once the momentum picked up, I was interested again. It’s a slow-burn romance meets whodunnit (ish) that really shone in the last third of the book.
I enjoyed the diverse cast of characters and New Orleans setting. I prefer a strong romantic subplot, and while I would’ve preferred a little less slow burn between Celine and Bastien, I’m curious to see how things progress in the next book.
Overall, this was an enjoyable, character-driven read that started off a little slow but ended up capturing my interest; it just wasn’t my favorite. I look forward to reading The Damned, and if it keeps the momentum The Beautiful had toward the end, it’s sure to be a great read.
You know when you finish a book a d you just sit back thinking ‘what is life?’
That was me at 2:30am.
Ahdieh writes with heart. There’s a sense of immersion, of walking the streets of New Orleans with Celine and Bastien. She writes fear, makes your heart speed up as you wonder how the hell it’ll all work out. It’s got the romance, the intrigue, the supernatural. Everything you want in YA fantasy.
Man. I’m still processing this book. I did not pick the villain, at all. Couldn’t even fathom where it’s end up. And when it happened, boooooy was I floored.
I loved this. The setting, the characters, the plot. There’s nothing I could say against it. It’s that good.
Audiobook-First: (2.5 stars) The narrator was horrible. My dislike in this book may all steam from the narration. The big evil and the vampires she gave them this weird drunk teenageer woble slow drawl it was so offputting. The evils all had the same voice, male and female, and the bad guy never shuts up yes that drunken teenager with endless inner dialog so I got an earful.
Now let’s talk about my pet peeve in books, inner dialog marathons. This big bad never shut up, it felt like it drawled on for days, he loved to dwell in his own drama. Pet Peeve #2 Drama Queens, I think you get who I’m talking about.
The story moves about in a pretty predictable way, you can see the “love” interests from the beginning. I liked the supporting characters much more than the main ones. Celine was too puffed up ready to prove what an independant badass she was too often, she made stupid choices. She makes deals that are stupid. I wanted to slap her more than once to use her head. I wouldn’t read more in this series if I wasn’t interested in the future of one character that had a bad ending and one love interest that just isn’t right ! I’ve already got book 2 anyway so off I go.
This book started a bit slow for me, so I did not get through it like I would most books. I took a few days to let it sink in before giving an honest review. This author is amazing with creating a world that you can picture, down to the clothing each character wears. In the dark world of New Orleans in the 1800s, she is able to capture the feel of what it would really be like to live there, with magic and inhuman species all around you. I thoroughly enjoyed this book after I finally got into it, my only complaint is that sometimes the author is too wordy for me. I like a good set up and scene, but going into such detail can derail a reader from what the story is really about. Over all I loved the era and where this book took place. If you do not mind a wordy book, this is definitely worth the read.
This was definitely a darker book than I originally anticipated, but with the way the plot constantly keeps you guessing until the end and the intense push and pull romantic aspect, I’m all in for book 2!
I was given a sample of The Beautiful by Renée Ahdieh from Netgalley and Penguin Young Readers Group, thank you.
The Beautiful is entrancing and Renée Ahdieh has created a New Orleans reminiscent of the work of Anne Rice and I felt as if I were arriving at the docks of ’The Big Easy’ alongside Celine and her friends. You can practically feel the heat from the flames, and draw in the many sights and smells of this notoriously fascinating city due to the talented descriptions of the author.
I have always loved vampire stories especially those that hold onto the classic styles that are depicted so well by Renée Ahdieh and I known that this series will be finding a place on my bookshelves as I am certain I will love these for some time.
It has everything you could want in a story where you can’t stop turning the page and I was extremely sad to find myself with no more pages of the sample to read!
Everything about this book is a plus – if you love a good vampire story that is written so vividly that you can place yourself among the characters?
The Beautiful is for you. Amazing doesn’t seem a good enough word to describe it.
I absolutely love vampires and have always been fascinated by movies, myths and other stories of them.
This book sample was definitely not a disappointment at all, if you love vampires then I 100% recommend this book! I look forward to reading the book in its entirety!
Thank you Netgalley for the ebook sample
Interesting idea but wouldn’t re-read it. Light reading
Loved, loved, loved this one! New Orleans, the supernatural element, a totally badass protagonist who isn’t afraid to speak her mind, and an enchanting romance I’m dying to get more of. Plus, the writing is so good I devoured page after page and had to force myself to put the book down and reenter regular life!
I don’t know if you all know this, but I love vampire books 😛 So when I saw this book, I had to pick it up. Then @PenguinTeen was having a readathon with this book so I had to join.
Taking place in the beautiful area of New Orleans during the 1870s, this gem of a book (with the second book coming out in July) kept reading for hours on end. I needed to know what was going to happen next, and couldn’t put it down. It is gorgeously written and the prose is excellent. Celine is a very witty character and I love all her development. I also loved Bastien and found him to be an awesome character.
The only problem I had with this book was that it didn’t quite explain everything that happened or tie up some loose ends. Although there is going to be a second book, where it left off made sense for the second book, but we don’t have all the answers for what was happening in the first first place.
I definitely recommend this book if you love New Orleans and vampire stories. I definitely can’t wait for the second book!
I was in need of beautiful writing and gripping storytelling and I knew that Renée Ahdieh would deliver. I love her writing, I was sucked into the story from the beginning.
I know there have been quite a few reviews complaining that there were not vampires until the end of the book. So I want to address this first, this isn’t really the case. Now hear me out I think the issue is vampire culture has changed over the years (twilight onward). I’m not criticizing the change so don’t come after me, but this book relies on old vampire lore knowledge. They are everywhere in the book if you know how to look for them.
I loved this book. I liked that I finally got a vampire book to read that sticks to the old culture, maybe I am just showing my age but oh well. I personally just can not get into the “twilight age” of vampire books. This is going to be either you love it or you hate it kind of book. So I am interested in seeing your thoughts below if you liked it or not.
The next book in this series is supposed to be out on June 2, 2020, and I really hope that the date does not change. I cannot wait to pick it up.
The Beautiful by Renée Ahdieh is a wonderfully haunting tale that eloquently blends historical fiction and the mystique of New Orleans with the paranormal. The story follows Celine Rousseau, who has recently arrived in New Orleans after fleeing Paris under suspicious circumstances. She is almost immediately thrust into the beautiful, dangerous, and otherworldly world of Sébastien “Bastien” Saint Germain and his not so merry Cour des Lions, who have unique and terrifying abilities.
I enjoyed this book immensely (in case you couldn’t tell from the title of this review) and applaud Ahdieh on her lovely depiction of such a strong female character who desires to buck tradition and fight until the very end. I quickly devoured The Beautiful and am beyond excited about the impending sequel, The Damned, which will hit shelves this summer.
I appreciated that, although the book did set the stage for a relationship to form between Celine and Bastien, the story focused more on Celine’s independence and how determined she was to make her own fate. She refused to sit back and wait for Sébastien or anyone else to fix everything and charged headfirst into battle to protect those she loved. All in all, a wonderful read.
I love historical fiction, and I adore New Orleans. I’ve been hooked on vampire stories lately, so with this book mixing all three, I was super excited to read it. The first look showed real promise with some beautiful imagery and dark suspense. But two thirds of the way through the book I felt like there had still been no character development, and little plot development. A few more bodies piled up, but over two-thirds of the way through, you’re still in the dark about pretty much everything. I kept having to make myself push through the story. We know we’ve got some supernatural beings, but don’t know exactly what they are, or what they can do.
At page 292 of 425, I still wouldn’t know for sure there are vampires if I hadn’t been told, and I’m assuming there’s another kind of supernatural being as well? But I don’t know. There’s very little world-building aside from some good descriptions of New Orleans itself. For me world-building for a story with supernatural characters has to include setting some of the rules for what kind of powers they have, how they work, do they have limitations…
I also wouldn’t know there was a love “triangle” if I hadn’t been told. There’s almost no basis for one side of the triangle, just beautiful people drawn to violence and danger, and the other side is practically non-existent. I saw nothing of substance to indicate an attraction on his part, and zero on her part.
I understand this is the first in a series, but I really expected more development in a book that sets the scene. I was disappointed
This review is also available on my blog: Wine Cellar Library
“‘I am not so captivated by the beautiful, monsieur.’ Celine met his gaze without wavering. ‘For I know beauty is only a moment in time.'”
I first encountered this book on Bookish First. After reading the sample provided, I was determined to obtain a copy. The setting is captivating: New Orleans, 1872, right around Mardi Gras. There are festivals and parades and the whole city is bright with celebration, despite the recent gruesome murder of a young girl.
A group of girls from various countries in Europe have landed at port and will come to live at a convent, where they will work and hope to be matched with a husband. All are escaping something in their past, making this their best chance for a good life. Celine’s past is darkest of all and she is desperate to keep it hidden. However, darkness seems to follow her, and she can’t help but admit her increasing attraction to it.
One of the best aspects of the novel is how it challenges the social norms of the era. For instance, minorities have positions of authority and are well-respected, and the fashionable Odette proudly wears trousers. Bastien is a minority and he is widely regarded as the handsomest of devils by everyone who looks upon him.
I had high hopes embarking on this novel. I read it over the course of a week as a buddy read on Instagram with daily discussions. Unfortunately, it wasn’t as spectacular as I had hoped. The storyline is just a little lackluster, as are Celine’s interactions with her two potential love interests. I was left feeling sort of incomplete after finishing the book.
The ending is a cliffhanger, and the way it concluded is compelling enough that I am excited to read the second book in the series when it is published. Overall, this was a good book, and I’m hoping that its sequel will be even better.