The Beautiful

By Author / Illustrator

Renee Ahdieh

Genre

Adventure

Age range(s)

11+

Publisher

Hodder & Stoughton

ISBN

9781529368130

Format

Hardback

Published

08-10-2019

Synopsis

#1 New York Times bestselling author Renee Ahdieh returns with a sumptuous, sultry and romantic new series set in 19th century New Orleans where vampires hide in plain sight.

'Incredibly ornate [and] lush . . . nail-biting and swoony and satisfying and tense all at the same time' Sabaa Tahir

In 1872, New Orleans is a city ruled by the dead.

But to seventeen-year-old Celine Rousseau, it's also a safe haven after she's forced to flee her life in Paris. Quickly enraptured by the vibrant city, from its music to its extravagant soirees and even its danger, she soon becomes embroiled in the city's glitzy underworld, and particularly the group known as La Cour des Lions.

But when a body is found in their lair, Celine is forced to battle her attraction for the group's enigmatic leader, Sebastien Saint Germain, and suspicions about his guilt, along with her own secrets.

As more bodies are discovered, New Orleans becomes gripped by the terror of a serial killer on the loose - one who seems to have Celine in his sights. But when she finally takes matters into her own hands, she finds herself caught in the midst of an age-old feud between the darkest creatures of the night, where the price of forbidden love is her life.

Reviews

Welcome back to the Vampire novel, set in the sultry, mysterious streets of New Orleans... 17 year old Celine Rousseau has had to flee from her home in Paris after she kills a man who attempts to rape her. She plans to start a new life in New Orleans, but little does she know that the city is ruled by beautiful people that have strange magical powers! She is taken to stay at the Ursuline Convent with six other girls until the nuns can find a 'suitable match' for them. Celine soon finds herself caught up in the intoxicating sense of the city and soon gets to meet Sebastian Saint Germain, a very beautiful young man, who is the leader of the mysterious La Cour Des Lions - an underground society of people with special abilities. When bodies drained of blood begin to appear, Celine can't help but believe it is all linked to this mysterious group of characters. She, however, seems to be the centre of attraction for the creature that's committing these crimes. Why does it want her? Who can she trust to help her find this creature of the night? The other man in Celine's new life is detective Michael Grimaldi, who she meets after the first murder is committed. There is an immediate attraction between them as there was with Sebastian... a love triangle, who will win her heart?& The Beautiful is set during 1872, I'm not sure why the author has chosen this era, but it does add to the magical side of the story as people during that time were very superstitious. The novel has similarities with the TV series 'The Originals' and the wonderful novel 'Interview with the Vampire'. Ok, so it's not an original setting, New Orleans has been used by many authors of this genre due to its supernatural, mysterious surroundings, but it doesn't detract from it being a good Vampire story that is well worth a read if you love this genre. Expect 425 pages of an ageless vampire plot, told through a duel narrative. The Beautiful is suitable for the 15 + reader due to content including sexual references, violence, gore, the occasional use of bad language and of course the sinister creatures of the night. It's a page turner with a bite(!) that YA readers will enjoy. Book 2 - The Damned - will, I believe, be released later this year and I will be eager to see how this story evolves. 448 pages / Ages 15+ / Reviewed by Linda Brown, librarian