Delightful Steampunk Version of Beauty and Beast

Melanie Karsak takes the fairy tale Beauty and the Beast and puts a steampunk twist to it. The beautiful Isabelle and her father are tinkers; people who work on the delicate mechanical innards of all things clockwork. They create exquisite clockwork-artwork and it is on their way to deliver some of this artwork that they are shipwrecked during a Tempest (Shakespeare anyone?). They find themselves on an island with inhabitants under a curse. Like the fairytale, Isabelle puts her father before herself and he leaves to bring back help.

I’ve avoided steampunk in the past worried no writer could bring justice to such an amazing genre. Within a couple hours of listening to Karsak’s Beauty and Beastly, I was on Facebook and telling my friends about this audiobook. Karsak rocks this genre! Her detailed fantasy world is full of airships, mechanical clockwork devices, automatons and all things steampunk. I love her intelligent heroine, Isabelle who often has gear grease smeared on her hands and face. Peppered within the book were references to the Disney version of Beauty and the Beast, Celtic myths, the faery folk and King Arthur. The chapter names were alternatingly whimsical and witty. I read Karsak’s biography and the English instructor in her is wonderfully apparent and I geek-squeaked each time I caught one of her nods to Shakespeare.

Don’t get me wrong, I liked Disney’s version just fine but Melanie Karsak’s steampunk version takes the cake in my opinion. Her Beauty is a great role model for young women. Unlike the Disney version, her “Beast” is more of a gentle soul and even Gerard isn’t cruel but just loud and flirty. An added bonus is the inclusion of some of the characters from Karsak’s other books. I can easily see this being made into a fantastic movie.

I particularly love the narrator, Lesley Parkin. With her British accent, her narration fits with the United Kingdom setting of Karsak’s novel. She is a skilled narrator who is able to switch between several different dialects and voices so that each character is distinct. Parkin’s performance just added to this outstanding novel. I really think that Karsak and Parkin make an ideal combination and I wholeheartedly recommend this wonderfully imaginative audiobook to anyone who loves steampunk or Beauty and the Beast.

This is an excellent audiobook with clean romance, no sexual content or frightening scenes.

Audiobook was provided for review by the author/narrator/publisher.
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4 people found this helpful

More than just pasted on gears.

Somethings call themselves steampunk when it's just gears and goggles on the cover of the book.

From a clockwork beast to a fairy with an environmental agenda. The steampunk aesthetic of Beauty and Beastly goes deeper than just Disney's Belle in a corset. Though there are plenty of Disney call backs to make you want to watch the classic film again.

I always say a beauty and the beast retelling relies on the characterization of the Beast, and this one is no different, by making the curse punishment for environmental sins instead of social ones, Karsak makes her Beast truly sympathetic and in the readers eyes undeserving of what is truly a curse. Also Bonus points for giving him a name.

The performance of Lesley Parking was amazing and her English accent was a joy to listen to. Not only did she bring the first person narrator of Isabelle to life, she managed to give every other character their own distinctive voice. To the point that it sounds like a full cast audio drama not just an audiobook.

1 person found this helpful

Good Overall fantasy novel with some steampunk on the side

Yes the steam punk theme was thrown in there but not overtly. The main character is a tinkerer and they talk about airships but besides that it’s just a fun take on the old fairy tale of beauty and the beast. Definitely worth the listen, I enjoyed 😍

1 person found this helpful

Beauty and Beastly

This is an interesting retelling of one of my favorite fairy tales. The steampunk idea gave it a nice twist, but the story moved a bit to slow for me and the ending seemed rushed. I really enjoyed the Celtic folklore that was included in this and the reasoning for the curse. The best part is that the women are strong and are the heroes of this tale. Narrator Lesley Parkin does a nice job of keeping the story flowing and keeping the listener engaged.

A familiar story with an unfamiliar twist

This is not the first book that I’ve read from this author, but it is definitely my favorite! I’m a huge beauty and the beast fan and this retelling was beautiful! I loved the steampunk twist which made this tale even more fascinating.

As a bonus, the narrator’s voice was lovely.

A Clockwork Tale as Old As Time

Beauty and the Beast is not usually one of my favorite fairy tales but I loved Karsak's retelling in this steampunk version. Nothing like Uprooted or A Crown of Thorns and Roses, this still breathed new life into a story as old as time.

Isabella is a tinker, just like her father. She makes beautiful clockwork music boxes. On their way to a wedding their airship crash lands on an island and Isabella must stay with the strange clockwork lord while her father races home to rescue her.

Uniquely reimagined, this was a great listen of a familiar fairy tale.

amazing story

this was such an amazing story. I won this book in a giveaway but I'm glad I did. the story was amazing and the world I love it. this retelling of beauty and the beast was something new to me because it was steampunk and never had read anything like that. I'm glad I give this book a chance if you like retelling I would really recommend this book.

A unique twist to an a well loved story.

Reviewer: Teresa Fallen Angel

Summary:
This was a fascinating twist to the original Book adding a steampunk feel. I loved how the old characters were altered into mechanical beings who lived on an island where everything was changed in the same way. Isabelle and her father are known for their beautiful mechanical items. On the way to a wedding they find themselves stranded on a mysterious island.

This story takes the original story in a unique and fascinating way. I loved how Isabelle found everything on the island both unique and wondrous. Add a fae being to the mix giving you a wonderful story where the audiobook format brought the story to life for the reader.

A tale as old as time, as old as steam

A tale as old as time. A tale that has been told more times than anyone would dare to count and yet we are all still fascinated with it.
This fairytale retelling is a solid mix of the Disney and Celtic versions of the story but with a few fun twists of its own. To begin with the Beast is a clockwork automaton and the Beauty is a tinker.
Hello Steampunk! I have a huge affinity to anything steampunk. I love working with metal, talking about different kinds of metal and reading about creative ways to repurpose metal.
When Isabella and her father ship wreck on their way to show off their inventions and find themselves on an island where everything, even the flowers, are made of clockwork only one of them can escape. Isabella investigates the automatons and the island they are hidden on.
Set in 1814 Regency England, the narrator's accent adds to the illusion beautifully. The characters seem to each have a rich background and history but as the story progresses there is a bit of rushing and suddenly they are in love. A little more development to the character's would've added a lot after so much world building had been done.
I plan to listen to the other Steampunk retellings by Melaine Karsak eventually when I need something light and predictable to lift my spirits.

A BEAUTIFUL RETELLING

There are so many "retellings" out there, but this one was definitely worth it. A beautiful story, that was so well written, and detail oriented. I felt like the narration was wonderful and really added value to the story, allowing listeners to be whisked into this land and really understand what was happening with the characters physically, but also mentally.