Camellia Beauregard is a Belle. In the opulent world of Orleans, Belles are revered, for they control Beauty, and Beauty is a commodity coveted above all else. In Orleans, the people are born gray, they are born damned, and only with the help of a Belle and her talents can they transform and be made beautiful. But it’s not enough for Camellia to be just a Belle. She wants to be the favorite-the … favorite-the Belle chosen by the Queen of Orleans to live in the royal palace, to tend to the royal family and their court, to be recognized as the most talented Belle in the land.
But once Camellia and her Belle sisters arrive at court, it becomes clear that being the favorite is not everything she always dreamed it would be. Behind the gilded palace walls live dark secrets, and Camellia soon learns that the very essence of her existence is a lie-that her powers are far greater, and could be more dangerous, than she ever imagined. And when the queen asks Camellia to risk her own life and help the ailing princess by using Belle powers in unintended ways, Camellia now faces an impossible decision.
With the future of Orleans and its people at stake, Camellia must decide: save herself and her sisters and the way of the Belles, or resuscitate the princess, risk her own life, and change the ways of her world forever.
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A exquisite, gorgeous fantasy about a world where the Belles control beauty — but what is the price they pay for this power? This novel completely drew me in and I just couldn’t put it down. All the characters were so wonderfully written, never becoming predictable, and there’s several twists and turns that will surprise you! Highly recommend.
This book is like a piece of hard candy – brightly colored and sweet and dangerously sharp-edged once you bite into it. The writing is lush and utterly indulgent, and I don’t think I’ve ever seen colors and tastes used to describe a world this lavishly. It was almost Oz-like, and it was easy to get swept up in the sugar-coated world of floral pinks and dessert-inspired skin tones. While I wanted to understand the magic of this world so much more, and while I wasn’t really bought in to the romantic subplots, I loved the mystery and intrigue of this book and enjoyed every moment I spent sinking into the stunning palette of Clayton’s storytelling.
I really, really enjoyed this book. While it started off a bit slow for me it sure picked up ¼ through the book and from there on it is pretty fast paced.
I absolutely love the world Dhonielle Clayton created, it was magic and real. I really wouldn’t mind to see it on the screen someday. Everything was well described but not overdone.
If you think this book is all about beauty and vanity, you are wrong there is so much more that is taking place. I don’t want to give anything away and it really dosent if I say to be a faviorte is not a necessarily good thing as Camille things in the beginning. She learns quickly that being a favorite may just mean a bigger and better golden cage. There are a lot of secrets and lies to be uncovered and Camille being a bit of rule breaker and rebel means to find out what all it hidden behind the nice golden and royal façade.
This book is full of surprises and has some nice plot twists that I did not see coming. Also be warned it does end with a cliffhanger.
I really enjoyed Camille for the most part of the book, she did have some annoying parts but she learned quickly and I ended up really liking her. Another favorite for me was Remy and I wish we could have had more of him.
Overall, this was a fast paced, full with some action, betrayal and many twists and turns read that I really enjoyed.
I rate it 4 ½ because it was a bit slow in the beginning for me but otherwise a great read with an awesome world.
I’m not even sure where to start with this book. I loved every word of it. Dhonielle Clayton brings the life of Camellia and the other Belles to fruition with exquisite details and imagery. Underneath the beautiful lives of the Belles is a world of cruelty and darkness. The mystery behind the royal family and the Belles had me hooked. The Belles was everything I expected and more.
If this is the type of book Freeform is going to keep publishing, I may have a new favorite publisher. Part of me hopes this will be made into a movie or TV show, but part of me doesn’t because they never live up to the book.
Original, thought-provoking dark fantasy! The Belles are held in high regard, just below the royal family. They train, from childhood, to control beauty, shaping beauty in others. Raised in solitude, vying for the coveted spot of “favorite” ( Belle to the royals), Carmellia and her sister Belles arrive in Orleans naive and unaware of the trials they’ll face. Extremely descriptive of fashion / beauty and slow moving, at times. Good book for book clubs and schools about social issues. First book in a series. Waiting to see where the next book takes us! 3 1/2 stars.
Voluntarily read ARC, thru Netgalley and publisher, for honest review.
Camellia is a Belle, a girl with the gift of Arcana. And with her Arcana, she can turn the dullest person into the most beautiful. The Belles are seen as precious for their beauty rejuvenates while others must purchase treatments. Without the Arcana of a Belle, a person will revert to grey skin and straw hair. But only those who can pay for the exclusive treatments can be made beautiful. Every generation of Belle dreams to be the Queen’s favorite, but it isn’t just lavish living and parties. Dark secrets are lurking in the palace and truths that Camellia may wish she never found out.
The Belles takes vanity to a whole new level. As the story unfolds Dhonielle Clayton paints a world of color and majesty. Her descriptions were so vibrant and refreshing. Each new setting is brought to life for the reader and you can’t help but see how beauty has made the upper class desperate. People are constantly comparing themselves to others. Some bordered on the edges of obsession with their looks, willing to pay for daily treatments to try and become the next fashion idle.
The Belles are raised in a sheltered life and taught all the beauty laws before being shown to the people of Orleans. Watching Camellias’ realization of how the world works was captured so well. And as the plot progresses, her reactions to the more horrifying aspects of her new life kept me riveted. While I suspected some of the plot points, I didn’t guess them all.
This was a fascinating read with a magic system I have never encountered before. I can’t wait to see how the story progresses. Camellia’s character development has only begun, and it has already been a worthwhile journey.
This book captured me, held me, and changed me. It’s by far one of the best I have read. It had been on my TBR for a long time and this last winter storm made me pick it up again. It’s a YA novel but honestly, I think any age would enjoy it. The Belles creates a lush fantastical world where “Belles” are exquisite magical women and girls who assist the “Gris” with overcoming a curse of course ugliness that ultimately drives them insane. The book talks about beauty and self-identity and cruelty in a gently probing story that did not let me go until the last page. It is beautifully written and well worth the read. Just about the only good thing about this winter storm has been rediscovering this book on my shelf and reading it straight through in one go. Highest recommendation.
A light read that’s also a thought-provoking examination of the cost of physical beauty.
My thoughts approaching reading this book are that I’m not and never was a “girly-girl book reader” so not sure how I will like this one. Though the blurb makes me think though things may at first look good on the surface that other darker things are at work.
The cover made me think of The Selection Series by Kiera Cass and The Lone City Series by Amy Ewing. The Belles cover certainly caught my interest and held it long enough for me to want to know more about the female on it. It would make me pick it up from a book store shelf to read the blurb.
The genres that I have seen listed for this book are Sci-Fi and Fantasy which fit well but personally I would also add dystopian, and mythology to the list of genres. The part I would describe as dystopian is the alternate “different” world The Belles and the normal citizens live in. The part of the book I would classify as Mythology is all centered around the history of the Gods and Goddesses that created The Belles.
At the beginning of the book I became a little impatient as it was very detailed and descriptive about the God of the Sky and the Goddess of Beauty and I was impatient to learn more about the Belles and their gifts straight away. Though I describe the beginning of the book that it slow but very descriptive start it soon pulls you in as you learn more about each individual Belle. Having said all that you soon realise the early descriptive part is definitely needed and when certain things happen in the book you do remember it and refer back to it. I ended up enjoying the whole backstory, mythology of the Goddess and the God of the Sky etc etc. and appreciating it the further I got into the book. To tell you a little, (though it is told in much more detail and better than I can explain) the Goddess of Beauty ends up truly upsetting the God of the Sky and he curses the normal people making them ugly. However the Goddess of Beauty sends the Belles to help the people. I loved the section n the book where Belles are described as “Roses growing out of a dark ravaged soil”
Belles have a special gift, they can use something called their arcana to create different images for the normal citizens. They can give the citizens that pay for their services any colour skin, hair, eye colour if choice as well as body shape etc. However different ruling Queens have passed laws with the help of the Beauty Minister putting limits on certain things such as waist size.
This year there are just six new Belles, Edelweiss, Padma, Hana, Ambrosia, Valeria and Camellia. They all have their individual flowers to represent them twined in and around the carriages they are to be presented to the royal and the “common” citizens watching the parade. The Belles have been trained by Madam Du Barry, her family ancestors have held the same position for many years and she intends this to be a handed down position for many more years! The book then begins with the Beauté Carnaval, the festival that happens just once every three years. Though we discover further into the book that this festival was a more regular occurrence and usually had many more Belles taking part. There are the usual multitude of vendors selling sweet in honor of the Belles such as small mountains of shaved ice topped with strawberries the colour of the Belles lips, intricate teacakes shaped like the different Belles signature flowers, sweet puffs molded like the Belles hair buns and colourful strings of sugar pinwheeled around sticks to mirror our traditional waist sashes and dresses. There are Imperial guards that are in charge of pushing the crowds of people back so that the procession has space to pass through. The Belles are individually presented to the Royals, they are given a subject/person to make beautiful. The Belle that impresses the Royals the most will work at the Palace whilst the other Belles get to work in the different tea houses. Being the Queens favourite is all these young Belles have dreamed of. Camellia is convinced it will be her as her mother was a Queens favourite before she had her. To be honest you could say she does our perform the others but maybe the Queen has other requirements that perhaps Camellia doesn’t suit. Who will be the Queen favourite and why?
I won’t reveal who is the favourite as the “winner” should be revealed at the correct time in the book!
Quite naturally as Camellia is both one of main characters in this book and was also one that I loved the most. You do end up really rooting for her as she face many tests within the book that need to be overcome. When she is asked to use her arcana to do something that is forbidden her first reaction is to obey the rules. However when the person asking the favour is someone very important and her decision could affect the whole kingdom how long can she say no. . . The other Belle I instinctively adored was Edelweiss or Edel as her Belle sisters call her. Edel is rebellious and doesn’t really care who knows it! I honestly wasn’t sure of Ambrosia, she initially seemed to be caring but when she assumed she would win and her behaviour during the ceremony made me wary of her.
The character I enjoyed not liking was Princess Sophia, she is a brilliant brat! It’s awful how power and the possibility of being the next Queen can go to someone’s head. So sad and a shame that an outwardly beautiful person can be so ugly inside. Princess Sophia shows more care and affection to her teacup animals. You really see an evil side to Princess Sophia. Those in favour with Sophia have to agree with her all the time, as if they fall out with Sophia she can be a very dangerous enemy.
There is certainly a lot going on in this book such as the mystery of who is crying at night. Also why is the true heir to the crown Princess Charlotte in a deep coma like sleep? Then there are Princess Sophia’s suitors. One in particular goes out of his way to befriend the Queens favourite Belle. What could he possibly want from a Belle?
The writing style and plot style reminded me of a couple of other series I have read some of. The society reminded me a little of Gennifer Albin’s Crewel series (though I have read very little of the series.) The other book series the society and the upper class society attitudes towards the Belles was The Lone City Series by Amy Ewing. So if you have read and loved either of these books you need to read this book! Even if you haven’t read those series this book seriously is a must read book!
I really loved some of the phrases within the book, such as “Beauty Is In The Blood” and the way the phrase “May You Always Find Beauty” is used in the book. In fact “May You Always Find Beauty” made me think about the Hunger Games and the whole “May the odds be in your favour”
My immediate thoughts upon finishing the book were Wow! Absolutely amazing read. I highly recommend reading this one. Please tell me it’s book one and there’s lots more to come in this series?
My final thoughts on the book are that it was a fantastic read that kept me hooked really wanting to learn more all the way through. This book is a great start to a possibly brilliant series. I can’t wait for the next book!! I would be reading it right now if I could.
A little hard to get into at first, but by the end you are sucked into the world of the Belles and I didn’t want it to end!
I picked this book on a whim. I had heard good things about it but I’ll be honest I mostly fell in love with the cover. I didn’t read it right away but once I started I basically devoured it. I love speculative fiction or anything that asks the question “what if?’ I also have a soft spot for fiction that deals with women’s issues and social injustice in general. The Belles didn’t disappoint.
The world depicted in this book is not as different from ours as it first appears. Within its pages we watch the powerplays of those in charge and the ones who want to be. We see the darker, decaying underbelly of society hiding behind beautiful colors and fine fabrics, secrets lurking beneath flower-scented clothes and a deceptive sense of joy and contentment.
Yes, some things were predictable, some didn’t quite made as much sense as I’d hoped they would, but I really enjoyed reading it and I’m looking forward to reading book 2 and I hope it was as gripping as the first.
didn’t finish
Fun face paced story
So, I think this book was trying to make a statement about how much our society reveres beauty. And how dangerous this could be when taken to the extreme. There are many issues tackled in this book including gender equality, male privilege, the way woman warp their bodies to be “perfect,” and the idea that beauty is not just what we see on the outside. It does a good job of raising the issues without seeming preachy. The audio was very well-done but the language is overly flowery with too much imagery.
I can’t wait for a sequel!
Dhonielle Clayton has produced a beautiful story about an ugly truth. The use of colors in her writing is enthralling and I enjoyed reading about this interesting world. The truth is that beauty comes at a cost, and it is hard to tell sometimes if we really know what it means to pay it in full.
Camellia is a character that is relatable in a wonderful way. She is strong and unique, even amongst her sisters, yet her indecision about the challenges she is issued proves that she is only human, if you can consider Belles humans. Everything about this story, from her relationship with her sisters to her feelings about her work and her Maman are etched into your mind and you feel her confusion and her love for everybody around her. Camellia truly tries to see the beauty in everybody, no matter their natural shapes, which is something that other people could truly strive to do.
This book should be read by those of both sexes so that men can see the damage they have the power to inflict upon the women in their lives. Women should read it to see the high cost of beauty and why it might not be wise to pursue it doggedly. I’d say that teens and young adults should read this book, too, so that they might learn the hard truths more easily. It is an engaging read, and I look forward to the sequel.