Tale as old as time

So this is a 'Beauty and the Beast' story, even though Bryony would not describe herself as a beauty.

There's a Beast, a rose and a girl who stumbles across an enchanted mansion during a storm, it's definitely not the Disney version and whilst I liked all the characters, the story didn't draw me in, it was enjoyable enough but not enough happens to really appreciate the bond Bryony and the Beast form.

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Enjoyable long novella

Mixed reviews about the narrator but I’m glad I gave it a go because I enjoyed this and thought the narrator's voice fit the story well. Lovely gentle story of Bryony the gardener and her encounter with the beast and magic.

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What does T Kingfisher have against roses?

The narrator has a very theatrical style and I can see why some would find it annoying but I thought it suited this story very well. A very fun and surprisingly romantic 5 hours. Gardeners will love this especially.

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Excellent, clever retelling

I love the work of T Kingfisher and this did not disappoint. Great story. I liked the narration as well.

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cute witty story , great narrated

soon realised it was a retel of beauty and the beast but was so well told that made me want to stay to find out

I really don't understand why it is so low rated on the narration , is absolutely superb, the narrator is phenomenal x enjoy !

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Good plot, awful narration

I really liked the plot of this story.
This is a retelling of Beauty and The Beast, with Bryony, a gardener, as the protagonist. Without giving too much away, she wanders into an enchanted manor, and the beast is there too, but all is not as it appears....

A little slow at places, but the dialogue was witty, and the twist was clever. I thought the horror elements were really well done too.

The next part of my review is purely subjective. So this may not be the case for all listeners.

I regret to say that I found the narration nauseatingly terrible. I do not use these words lightly. I get carsick often, and the way Ms Eyre narrated sounded like travel sick groans. It's the glottal fry and the drawl at the end of almost every word, and every single sentence. It gives the impression that the narrator is sickened and wearied by what she is reading. The thing is, when she is saying the speech of the characters, her voice is clearer and not unpleasant. But the first time I listened to this, I started feeling light headed and nauseated too. It took a long time for me to be able to tolerate it. I fully recognise this may be a personal idiosyncrasy but I felt it would be dishonest to omit it, since it affected the entire experience.


Overall, I would definitely recommend the story to people who like fairy tales, gardening, even horror. I will be checking out more of T Kingfisher.
I cautiously recommend this audiobook to those who aren't sensitive to voice styles.

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10 people found this helpful

Beauty and the beast but make it witty

Such a nice take on the story. I love Kingfisher's way of meandering to the point. very lovely way of telling the story and oh... this beast 👌
I would quite honestly fall for him too.

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Oh dear, the narrator..

It’s lucky that I’m a real fan of TJ Kingfisher because the narrator would have made me give up long ago. Her odd inflection and emphasis on certain syllables just spoiled this book for me. The story appears to be a standard Beauty and the Beast, but the characters are vivid and relatable. Once you get past that voice!!

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3 people found this helpful

Loved the story

Not my usual type of book but it was an interesting retelling. I really liked the characters.
The narration was a struggle.

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just a reworded original.

If you want a fun and witty Beauty and the Beast story that barely strays from the original, then this is the perfect book for you. The dialogue is funny, the pace is fast enough.
But if you are looking for a retelling that's a bit different, then carry on searching.
This is a fab book, but much as i love the story, it bored me to death so stopped the audiobook halfway through. It's just too exact to the original fairytale, and i saw no point in rereading that.

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