Druid’s Moon by Deniz Bevan #BookReview #Fantasy #ParanormalRomance #FairyTale #Myths @DancingLemurPre @DancingLemurPressLLC — Rain’n’books

My Rating

Rating: 3.5 out of 5.

The first line in the blurb was enough for me to accept this ARC request.

I have lost count of all the retellings based on the tale as old as time that I have gobbled up so far. Druid’s Moon has the basic concept of Beauty and Beast but the author has interwoven a legendary curse thru the tale thus providing an exciting unique story.

Lyne Vanlith has no time for any distractions in life other than gaining the credits for her work in the archeological dig at the Afanc cave in Cornwall. The discovery of a crumbling paper that talks about Beauty, Beast and a monster called Octopus has the team intrigued but what Lyne doesn’t foresee is her role in the drama that is being played out for centuries.

Alternating between the POVs of Lyne and the Beast or Frederick, the story takes an interesting turn as Lyne refuses to believe what’s in front of her eyes. As truth and fiction blend together Lyne is left with no choice but to take up the mantle and be the Beauty who slays the Octopus. The author has also brought in the flower ‘ROSE’ as a mark of Lyne’s origin and the entire sequence of events that leads to the finale was a thrilling joyride. I loved how the author brings forth the voice of Frederick in Beast form and how he struggles to maintain his man thoughts and not be overpowered by the beastly version.

The greed that forces one family to sacrifice a member of other to appease the monster was conceived brilliantly. However, there is a lack of detail that describes how the curse was formed and the family tie-ups that link Lyne with Frederick, it almost felt like a sequel needs to be written for the historical aspect of it to be clearer. The reluctance of Lyne’s mother in giving any freedom to Lyne, and the role of the council in maintaining the cave’s status quo, these things felt incomplete. A couple of times the Council is being mentioned in the story but nothing about their part in enforcing the curse is elaborated. Hence my 3.5 rating for this story which has a unique plot woven thru the fairy tale but fell short of that enthralling experience.

Many thanks to the publisher and the author for a chance to read and review this book. All opinions are expressed voluntarily.

Beauty to his Beast…

Lyne Vanlith, an archaeologist who seeks a logical explanation to any mystery, discovers an ancient Druidic curse on her first dig. When the signs foretold by the curse descend on her, Lyne can’t find a reasonable interpretation.

And that’s even before a Beast rescues her from a monstrous sea-creature. She drops a grateful kiss on the snout of the Beast, who transforms into a man, Frederick Cunnick, Baron of Lansladron. Lyne is meant to be Beauty to his Beast-and break the curse forever.

Now both spellkeeper and monster are targeting Lyne. She must take up her legendary role, to defeat the curse and save Frederick-and herself. Instead of logic, for the first time, Lyne must trust her heart.

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Originally published at https://rainnbooks.com on April 5, 2022.