Desecrated
Beauty
Twisted
Fairy Tales
Book
One
Kyleigh
Castronaro
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Date of Publication: July 6th
Number of pages: approx. 180
Word Count: 58,883
Cover Artist: Kyleigh Castronaro
Book Description:
Once upon a time, that’s how most
of these stories start. But this isn’t one of those stories… Sure, it has the
heroine and the hero but they’re not as you would expect them. Both of them
have a bloodlust, one different from the other.
Quill was born and raised as a
cold killer who takes enjoyment from the kill. Nero is the son of a Viking and
a 1500-year-old vampire whose never been denied his pleasures before.
Until he meets Quill. He forces
her to exchange her life for Rose’s, his indentured servant and Quill’s little
sister. Drawn by her fearlessness and strength he has to have her but such a
woman cannot be possessed. Both must learn to give up their carefully afforded
control to let the other in. Only then may they have their happily forever
after.
Sink
your teeth into this dystopic re-telling of Beauty and the Beast and satiate
your booklust.
Excerpt:
“I thought I might choke and die
on your blood, but because I’ve already ingested some I would come back to
life… like you.” She looked up at, her eyes wide with the panic that had
gripped her before looking down at her feet again and taking a deep breath. She
hated feeling vulnerable in front of him like this. But most importantly she hated
not having all the answers like he seemingly did.
“The process is a little more complicated
than that, but you would be temporarily held in a state between beings until I
decided to claim you.”
“And would you have?” She looked up, her
voice quiet as she spoke. There was an underlying fear in her question. A part
of her was repulsed by the idea and yet the rest of her longed to know he would
have her. She needed to know he would keep her even if she weren't the feisty
human woman he claimed he was so intrigued by. When had she decided that his
opinion of her was that important? When had she decided at all to allow a man
to determine her fate?
Nero looked back at her unflinchingly as he
moved closer to her, reaching out and tracing her lips gently before bringing
his hand up along her jaw toward her ear. His fingers toyed with the hair
tucked behind her ear before he shook his head at her.
“I would have to, I’m afraid to admit.”
She stared back at him in surprise, unsure
of what she was supposed to say. She was far too distracted by his lingering
fingers and how they gently caressed her skin, moving along it and forcing it
to blossom into gooseflesh.
Bringing herself back to the moment she
swallowed hard, forcing some kind of sound from her lungs, “why?”
“Because you have enraptured me in the most
illogical way. Never before has a human woman been able to hold my attention
for so long. Something about you calls to me like a familiar lullaby I once
knew.” He paused, seeming to gather his thoughts. “My life will last forever
but trifling with a mortal can feel like an eternity in hell. Humans by nature
are far too slow, uncultured, undomesticated and someone my age doesn’t have
the time to break something like that. But then I met you… You, curious you,
who fights back, who questions me, who doesn’t want me in the way all women who
have ever looked at me have. I don’t understand it, but I want to and worst of
all I want you in a way I have never wanted anyone. I don’t need others, but I
need you. I feel myself longing for it and whether it would be against your
will or not I would change you because I cannot live without you.”
“One day you will have to.” She whispered
quietly, staring at him with a bewilderment he had grown so accustomed to.
“Not today.” He whispered back, his voice
much lower than hers as he leaned in and caught her lips with his. It was a
bruising kiss that she felt all the way down into her toes. It ached in a way
that touched her heart and soul. She felt it flow through all her veins and
consume her like a fire.
It took me a bit to get into this story, probably because the way it started, it seemed like it was a continuation from a previous book. But once I began to understand who some of the key players were, I was able to really let go and just enjoy the story and I was pleasantly surprised by how much I liked it.
I realize this is supposed to be loosely based on the Beauty and the Beast fairy tale, but I really didn't get that much of a vibe from this story, probably because there really wasn't anything beastly about Nero, other than the fact that he's a vampire. He doesn't do anything that would warrant that label assigned to him. And the only information about Quill is how much of a badass she is.
I was surprised to learn about who was behind all of the events that led up to this book, and even how far back the plan was implemented, but I would have liked to have learned more about the plan that was enacted, instead of the summary we get at the end of the book when the evil plan was revealed. And while I liked both Quill's and Nero's actions after the big reveal, nothing more was mentioned regarding the third member who was present when Quill learned the truth. Not to mention what happened to Quill's friends from the beginning of the book. I only hope that the next book in the series will answer those questions.
I realize this is supposed to be loosely based on the Beauty and the Beast fairy tale, but I really didn't get that much of a vibe from this story, probably because there really wasn't anything beastly about Nero, other than the fact that he's a vampire. He doesn't do anything that would warrant that label assigned to him. And the only information about Quill is how much of a badass she is.
I was surprised to learn about who was behind all of the events that led up to this book, and even how far back the plan was implemented, but I would have liked to have learned more about the plan that was enacted, instead of the summary we get at the end of the book when the evil plan was revealed. And while I liked both Quill's and Nero's actions after the big reveal, nothing more was mentioned regarding the third member who was present when Quill learned the truth. Not to mention what happened to Quill's friends from the beginning of the book. I only hope that the next book in the series will answer those questions.
Book provided in exchange for honest review.
About
the Author:
Kyleigh Castronaro is the author
of the debut series Grace of Gods. She is a self-published author who tackles
many of her projects entirely on her own. She designed the cover of her first
novel, self-edited and prepared all formats of the book for publication.
Originally from Milton, Ontario, she currently lives in Nottingham, England
with her husband and their adorable miniature dachshund Hera.
When not writing Kyleigh enjoys
spiritual development, crafting, travelling, spending time in nature, going to
the movies, cooking and baking (and then eating), working on self-improvement
and spending time with friends and family.
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