Magic is long dead in Twelve Realms, a peaceful kingdom where the dark arts were once as normal as the seasons. At least this is what most believed until the life of a princess becomes the obsession of a man who defies time by stealing the one thing that sustains his life: true beauty.Princess Caityn is more than a pretty face. Her beauty runs soul deep, and because of this, her life is priceless … is priceless to the thief. On the eve of her wedding to the high prince, Caityn is attacked by his powerful dark magic, leaving her a wretched hag with a soul so empty even she barely recognizes herself.
But it’s not too late. Her betrothed and a group of loyal knights might be able to save her from a living death, but it will take more than a kiss to rescue this princess. Love means sacrifice.
What will those who profess to love Caityn be willing to sacrifice to save her life? Time is not on their side. Doubt is a strong enemy, and the thief knows exactly how to use it to his advantage.
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Want a story that shares the true meaning of beauty? Look no further.
Princess Caityn is beautiful–inside and out. Unfortunately for her, there is a being, a beauty thief, that has his sights set on her. Her depth of beauty will sustain his life for many more years to come.
The thief succeeds in capturing her beauty in an amulet, leaving her ugly and heartless. But her betrothed, high prince of the realm, made her a promise he won’t break. He intends to keep his promises to her and will stop at nothing to ensure her safety and see her beauty restored.
The Beauty Thief is reminiscent of a fairy tale with a beautiful princess, a curse, and a loyal prince who loves her and is willing to sacrifice for her. And, like many fairy tales, the good people are nice and the bad people are mean…it’s pretty black and white. While not true to life, the story makes a point.
If you enjoy fairy tales and want a story that captures the true essence of beauty in a fun, unique way, be sure to read The Beauty Thief.
I really enjoyed The Beauty Thief. It ticked all the boxes for me – a curse, a fairy tale feel to the narrative and a great villain! I appreciated the reflective, thoughtful aspect to the novel – how beauty is more than skin deep – that there is a beauty within the soul that one can’t see but this unique essence makes the person beautiful.
I would say the strongest character was the Beauty Thief himself. He might be diminutive in size but don’t let that fool you. He has an ugly soul! My only slight reservation with regards to characterisation is I wanted more! And perhaps less characters – there were so many! I wanted more feels, particularly with regards to the main characters Caityn and Theiandar. I felt that the beginning of the novel the main characters came across as being a bit stereotypical – a bit too good to be true, too nice, too loving. This even extended to the sibling relationships between Caityn and her brother and Theiandar and his sister. Perhaps this was the writer’s intention to create a fairy tale beginning with these perfect people and then introduce the shock factor in the form of the evil Beauty Thief. It worked to a degree but I personally would have engaged more with the characters if they had been a little different.
The novel became more engaging and exciting as the narrative progressed. There is a short Epilogue with a quieter pace after the excitement and thrills.
Overall an enjoyable book. I look forward to reading more in the series.
The Beauty Thief is a middlegrade and YA fantasy novel that is very much like a fairytale.
The beautiful Princess Caityn is robbed — not of gold or jewel, but of her beauty, both inside and out.
I enjoyed The Beauty Thief very much. One of the first things I remember about it was the writing. It was simple, making it appropriate for younger readers.
The second thing I remember most was the concept of beauty. Caityn had her beauty stolen, but it wasn’t just her external beauty but her internal beauty. She became bitter and selfish, unkind to the friends and family who loved her very much. She was also unwilling to help herself, and so those around her stepped in to get her beauty back and return her to the women they knew. (Even in her unlovely state they loved and sacrificed for her, but they did want to catch the thief.) I really appreciated how the author portrayed beauty. That it wasn’t only a beautiful appearance but a beautiful heart and actions. I’m glad there are authors who portray this so vividly to the teen and preteen girls who might read this.
I really enjoyed this book and recommend it to teen and preteen girls who like fairytale-like stories.
I received a complementary copy of this book. All opinions are my own, and I am not obligated to provide a positive review.