Silvia Moreno-Garcia has mastered many styles and genres, from Lovecraftian horror, to magic realism, to vampire noir. Now she moves into the field of Regency romance, the novel of manners...but with a twist. The two main characters are telekinetics, although that magical element only affects one plot point late in the book. Vivid characters, sparkling dialog, and evocative prose that sets the scene and mood. Recommended.

So this is sort of a historical romance novel with a bit of a fantasy twist to it. I'm going to get my frustration out about that first before I move on to the more positive elements so that we can end on a high.

There is no point to the telekinetic powers. I'll grant they are an interesting addition to the story in that they elevate it from being merely a historical romance novel to something more than that. But with regards to the plot it would have been just as easy to pick an obscure talent that is actually possible and the plot would have been entirely the same. So it feels a bit like that element was added to pull in those who would normally avoid historical romance but like a fantasy novel but won't actually be satisfied by the level of fantasy in this book (maybe you could call it science fiction...I'm not sure). So the fact that there seemed to be no purpose behind it other than a small amount of character development (which could have been achieved with other means) just annoyed me a little.

Having said that, this is a well written story. What I liked most was Moreno-Garcia's way of creating thoroughly unlikeable characters. I remember when I read Anna Karenina a few years ago and I just ended up so bloomin' frustrated with Anna I didn't want her to last through the novel. In this case there is an equally irritating aristocratic woman but she isn't the main character of the piece so it's fine to spend the entire book hating her.

In contrast Nina is an excellent character to read, she's intelligent, kind, inquisitive and while she isn't world-weary nor is she naive. I was rooting for Nina from page 1, seeing a lot of myself in her I suppose.

This isn't an earth shattering book. It doesn't add anything particularly groundbreaking to this genre but it is still a very enjoyable book. There are well conceived characters and a well written plot that did on occasion have me gasping and exclaiming 'what a bitch' which Tom definitely found amusing!

My rating: 4/5 stars

The Beautiful Ones is releasing on the 24th of October so order your copy now if it sounds like it might be for you!

by the way, I received a digital advanced review copy of this book from the publisher via netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

The writing and world in this book were really beautiful.

This book came across as way more of a historical romance than I was expecting. Yes, it did have slight hints of fantasy with the telekinesis, but this was by no means the focus of the story. I had a really hard time with the characters because they came across as naive and weak. They couldn't make up their minds about who they loved or who they didn't love. Hector was your classic male lead who had a bad habit of leading females on and not making up his mind on who he truly wanted to be with. Nina, the female lead, was a naive girl who allowed men to manipulate her. It was just a relationship disaster waiting to happen. I was hoping for more about Nina's journey and discovery about her telekinetic powers and how to control them. It really just wasn't what I was expecting.

A psychologically and sociologically insightful paranormal romance set in an alternate world vaguely inspired by French Louisiana. Full review in a forthcoming issue of Brins d'éternité (ISSN 1710-095X). I would have given it 3.5 stars if the system allowed it.

Review will be posted 1 week before release date: www.geeklyinc.com/the-beautiful-ones-review-roses-damasked

To say that The Beautiful Ones is different from all Silvia Moreno-Garcia's works does a disservice to her: everything she has done is remarkably and admirably different. She is a chameleon of genre, taking on YA coming-of-age (Signal to Noise), sexy urban vampires (Certain Dark Things), and now Regency drama with skill and subversion.

The titular Beautiful Ones are the ruling aristocracy of a country not of this world, but one that exists in most of our imaginations, the Britain we know better from BBC dramas than history books. The only addition is a bit of magic—telekenesis, but of a minor sort, and mostly accepted as a parlor trick, and certainly not the right sort of parlors. The Beautiful Ones do not care for magic that comes so easily; they prefer the magic that money, titles, and gossip can produce. Generally unwilling to be useful, these Beautiful Ones satisfy themselves with intrigue, and the greatest among them is Valerie Beaulieu.
Valerie's circle is stained, however, by the presence of Antonina and Hector, who come to her for very different but equally perilous reasons. Reading this is a bit like reading a long letter to an advice column with no reply. Everyone can see what needs to be done except for those involved, only there's no Dear Abby or Prudence or Sugar to tell them so. Friends give as much advice as friends are able to do, but that is—as I think we all find—never enough and too much all at once. People rarely heed good advice, and this triangle is no different.
It's not stupidity, though, that wrecks everything; it's tragedy. The very best qualities in each character are the things that set them up for the fall: Valerie is passionate, Hector is noble, and Nina is innocent. They mean well, choose poorly, and suffer.

It's not tiresome or even tired, this story, but it is sometimes tiring to read: yet another set of lives ruined by money, by propriety, and by a woman's need to marry instead of make her own way in the world. Their indecision is likewise exhausting, arising as it does from genuine opposing forces rather than mere dithering. Any choice will plunge them into personal or public catastrophe, and the weight of that knowledge is burdensome to us as well as to them.

Yet it's mainly thrilling and urgent to read this period drama without the self-consciously bloated language of those who want to imitate Austen. Moreno-Garcia writes deftly, maintaining a sense of forward progress even when all her characters are thoroughly stuck.
Valerie is a dog in the manger, and despises her niece for desires she herself once had. She is cruel, but her life and her family have made her that way, and so it is hard not to also feel pity and admiration for her iron will and the tiny measure of independence she has clawed out for herself. She becomes, in the end, a little villainous and therefore a little less complex, but until then she is a woman defying morality in her deep complexity. Judging her is difficult; appreciating her is easy.

She is both beautiful and a cultivator of beauty, but not a hedonist and not even an aesthete. Rather she uses and clings to beauty as one of the few weapons in her arsenal. So often people enjoy and dismiss the sumptuous design of period pieces (especially televised ones) in the same breath, loving it only as a marker of temporal exoticism. It is costume, it is merely pretty or merely a tool to expose details of plot or character. No. What I love about this book is what it draws attention to aesthetics as a central aspect of power, not just an adornment on it.

Aesthetics are a neglected aspect of so many other domains, politics and economics and theology, but never mind. That's another essay. What Moreno-Garcia does here is nudges it more toward the fore, exploring how the "Beautiful Ones" assert (or fail to assert) their rule over each other by way of aesthetic captivation.

Hector is single-minded in his pursuit of all things: success, love, and the perfection of his art. He uses each in turn to achieve the others, but like Valerie, enjoys none of it. The elegance of his manners and the attractiveness of his face are able to secure what wealth alone cannot; Valerie's husband, moneyed but not nearly so attractive, had to marry Valerie to secure power. Titles and wealth, those are important, but taste, taste is the all-important pillar that stabilizes the whole pedestal on which they all rest.

Antonina lacks the focus of the other two main characters. She does not bother much to be conventional--to be attractive—and instead pursues what she finds attractive: entomology, telekentics, and Hector. She acts out of emotion and not calculation, and loves the jewel-toned beetles of her wild country home more than real jewels. Her inability to understand or accept conventional standards makes her profoundly unfit for keeping company with the Beautiful Ones.

Valerie and Hector are devoted to appearances, willing victims of it, while Antonina is only a dupe. Yet only Antonina is willing to risk actual enjoyment, and this contrast makes yet another interesting conflict for the characters to knot themselves in.

The whole book is a magnificent tangle of unspoken words and feelings. Nothing is tepid; everything, even the absence is feelings, is charged with danger and heartache. The tension by the end is unbearable. Keeping up appearances goes from an uneasy means to a deadly end. Which is as it should be: when trafficking in beauty, we do well not to forget that it is anything but frivolous.

I received an advanced copy of the Beautiful Ones from Net Galley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

The Beautiful Ones is a fantasy and romance novel, all in one, blending Pride and Prejudice and the Illusionist (the movie) into an intriguing character driven story. Add a dash of betrayal and revenge and you’ve got a good understanding of the feel of this novel. It is described as a fantasy novel, but in truth it is more of a romance novel, so be sure to be expecting that when you start reading.
I wasn’t really sure what I was expecting when I began this novel (perhaps a retelling of some sort), but it certainly isn’t what I got. While the tones reminded me of many different things, it still managed to stand alone and be its own element.
The Beautiful Ones is a bit lighter on the fantasy than I anticipated, and readers who are not fans of a slow buildup style story will probably find this too dawdling. I personally greatly enjoyed the time spent on character and plot development. Though I’ll admit some disappointment about the minimal use of telekinesis in the story - while brought up frequently, it skirts the line between fantasy and magic tricks. The ability comes into play once during a pivotal moment, but otherwise is relegated to background status.
The characters were minimal in number, but great in depth and development. All were very human, a fact that is especially evident whenever one of them would make a mistake. While I didn’t agree with all the decisions the characters made, it was hard not to sympathize with their reasoning (with the exception of Valerie that is. No sympathy for her). Though Hector blatantly using Nina was a bit tough to swallow – especially when you see just how innocent Nina really is (I was worried that this would permanently alter her outlook, but thankfully she’s stronger than that).
I quickly grew to love despising Valerie, while cheering for Hector to get his life back on track (ideally with Nina). She was the ideal villain for the novel – being the antithesis to Nina in every way while still actively trying to stand in Hector’s way (her inability to share a person with any other being shows how truly conceited she is). I know I should probably have felt compassion for Valerie, being that her predicament is truly just commentary on women in the 19th century (where they were not allowed to make choices for themselves) but her bitter air and complete unwillingness to make changes that would better her life left a bad taste in my mouth. Add in the fact that she was more than willing to set Nina to the same fate and it becomes very difficult to overlook.
Hector is a very complicated character, and while he invariably makes choices the reader won’t agree with, I still found myself hoping he’d find his way. Having his heart utterly broken when he was young turned him into a paradoxical man. On the one hand he was still a hopeless romantic, believing that Valerie would run away with him the moment she had the chance. The other side of him is jaded, not seeing much of a point in trying to find new friends or new love. Watching his character grow and learn was truly a beautiful (if slightly slow) sight to see, and I’m glad it was included (as opposed to a sudden transition).
While I hadn’t been intending on delving into a romance novel this week, I find myself shocked to admit that I did greatly enjoy it. I still wish it had been described more accurately, but it is what it is. It was a nice change of pace, all things considered, and I’m glad I took the time to read it.

This is very much a romance first and fantasy second, which was just what I needed when I read it. Because of that, I also flew through the book. I connected well with the characters, even the really despicable ones, and felt that they all were well developed, not one dimensional. That said, it was also a bit predictable, but I enjoyed it anyway.

The magical elements were good, but honestly could have been any other quirk that two people share, and the secondary world was just a Europe analogue with nothing particularly remarkable about it. Neither aspect contributed to the plot in any significant way.

If you're looking for a fantasy romance, this would probably scratch the itch, but for someone who's looking for a better balance between fantasy and romance, this might not be the book for you. Definitely great for fans of Shades of Milk and Honey by Mary Robinette Kowal.

I'm DNF @ 27%.

Maybe this is going to be one of those novels that I just don't get. I have absolutely no urge to read any more than what I already have. Why? Because the plot is going absolutely nowhere.

The summary is basic enough. Young Antonina Beaulieu is in the big city for her first Grand Season, where she'll mingle and find a husband under the watchful eye of her cousin's wife. The wife, Valérie Beaulieu, is a bit cold, but she's got her connections and usefulness. And lo and behind, a man is interested in young Nina - the handsome, telekinetic performer, Hector Auvray. The more time she spends with him, the more she's in love (she's got a telekinetic talent too & he's intriguing). The problem? Hector's got a big secret that will most definitely get in the way of their courtship.

We find out the secret in the first 30% of the book because the novel is narrated mostly by Hector. He tells us Valérie's back story (and why she's bitter, cold, and heartless). He tells us his own. He doesn't tell us Nina's, but it's as if the author has already put her in backseat since the first page. This story isn't about Nina, the poor thing's sort of caught in the middle of everything. A lot of people are comparing this to a Jane Austen or Charlotte Bronte love story. If those kind of stories are your cup of tea, maybe you'll read more than I did.

Main qualm? This story is slow & predictable. If it had been in Nina's perspective, we could have wondered a little more about character motivations. Seen hints and clues through her eyes as to what this secret is. I already see how Nina, Valérie, and even Hector will grow, and to be honest, do not care. Maybe a big problem is the way the book's marketed. If The Beautiful Ones is a slow, love story driven by character development, don't make the summary sound like a big scandal.

In the end, I just didn't care enough about the characters, the plot, or anything to invest more of my time.

“In a world of etiquette and polite masks, no one is who they seem to be.”

The Beautiful Ones reads like a classic novel with a paranormal twist.

This beautifully written story is all about Hector Auvrey and Nina Beaulieu. Hector is out to exact revenge on the woman who broke his heart. Nina is a socially awkward young girl, who unwittingly falls in love in Hector only to find out that she was being deceived.

The story is told from the perspectives of three very different characters: Hector, Nina, and Valerie. Hector is a telekinetic "talent", previously impoverished, now a wealthy well-known stage performer. He has spent a decade pining for his first love. Valerie, the antagonist of the novel, is a bitter, jealous woman, who was guilted into marriage to a wealthy man by her family. Valerie resents Nina, her cousin by marriage, who has the social freedom she never had. She is naive and somewhat impulsive. Nina, like Hector, is telekinetic, and her uncontrolled displays have rendered her a social nuisance.

I don’t want to spoil the story for you. What I can say is that you won’t regret reading this fascinating book. I was enchanted by this elegantly written novel filled with vibrant, captivating characters. I found the tension between the characters gripping and authentic. I didn’t want this story to end!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for providing me with this ARC.

5The Beautiful Ones is categorizes as a fantasy book, but I would have put it in the romance/ drama genre because the book is about Nina Beaulieu and her struggle with a renaissance-ish society she must be part of. At the beginning of the season, she is to attend all the important balls and soirees and therefore comes to the beautiful and high-up city of Loisal and is to stay with her uncle and his wife. Nina actually lives on the country but alas, her strange, uncontrollable talent has kept away any suitors there. She, as many others, can manipulate and move objects with their minds but such actions are not befit a lady.

This is where the story begins… it is basically a love story with the usual love-triangle that seems to be so popular at the moment. At least I meet it all the time. Even though the plot could barely surprise most of the time, I have to say that enjoyed this book immensely.



As so of you might know, for me characters and world-building, and the creating of a ‘realistic’ world are much more important than the actual plot since, let’s be honest, there are not so many original ones around. Almost everything has been told in one way or another.

Nina, Hector, Valerie and a few side characters really sucked me into this story with their cold charm, their melancholic realism and with their sweet naivité that gave me as a reader a refreshing start.



They player together wonderfully, even though the plot was mostly predictable. I enjoyed the world-building, the cultural notes the author made and the lessons of Etiquette a lot. I enjoyed the dialogues between characters and the strolls through town they took, partly because the time really fascinates me. It is the time just when cars begin to emerge and women walk through town in pretty petticoats and carriages.



As I said, the book is mainly about a certain love triangle between the three main characters so I don’t want to tell you any more about that because anything I could tell you would be spoiling the fun. This is a read you should definitely mark as ‘to read’ on Goodreads if you want to have some light reading material this autumn ;)

This was an interesting book. It was not at all what I expected, but I was satisfied when I finished. The character development was good and the story was intriguing. I do feel as though the world building could have been a little better, because I did not have a great understanding of the geography, belief system, or cultural foundations of their society. This book reminded me of an episode of Masterpiece Theater with a little magic thrown in as an afterthought. If that sounds good to you, then I would recommend this book. If you are looking for a YA Fantasy read, I would look elsewhere.

The beautiful ones was beautiful. I've been dying to check this book out for a while now and thanks to netgalley, I was able to.

This book was amazing. Honestly. I couldn't put it down, it was attention grabbing, and there wasn't a moment I wasn't bored - which is always a HUGE plus. Definitely recommend

I read the blurb for this book and completely misunderstood the premise. I was expecting a book full of magic, threats against those with magical abilities and general intrigue.

This book is actually a beautifully written exploration of love, desire, infatuation and machiavellian plots. The triangle of characters that are at the centre of the book are Nina (Antonia), Hector and Valerie. The Beautiful Ones of the title are the monied, titled men and women of society who seem to wield all the power, and play games with those less sophisticated for selfish entertainment and as a means to gain power and influence.

Valerie is one of these women. She is at the pinnacle of society and relishes her power whilst resenting everyone and everything around her. She is expertly brought to life. Even though she is unbelievably cruel and selfish, I still felt pity for her. She is a product of society and has been used herself by her family and husband for their own ends. She is as much a victim of society and Nina is, but where Nina rises to the challenge and cleaves her own path, Valerie becomes consumed by resentment and fury and the bitterness eats away at her.

For me this felt like a modern day Jane Austen novel, and I absolutely loved it. The characters are so well drawn (they are flawed, infuriating, intriguing, funny and brave) that now that I have finished the book I feel bereft, as though I have had friends come to visit me and now they have left.

Thanks go to the publishers St. Martin's Press and net galley for the ARC in return for an honest review.

I admit to being a little bit surprised by Moreno-Garcia's latest--it feels a little more conventional, a little more Western European, than her previous two novels (Signal to Noise and Certain Dark Things). It's set in what seems to be a historical Western Europe analogue, in a world where some people have telekinetic powers--including two of our main characters, a man who makes his living performing magic tricks (but like, actual magic) on stage, and a naive young woman who is interested in the natural sciences--and in him. The third point of this triangle is the performer's first love, a bitter woman who was forced to marry for money--to the naive girl's cousin. I read parts of this with dread because I honestly couldn't tell if it was the kind of book where things were going to work out or not, and I really liked the young girl character and worried about her. This was an enjoyable read, but it didn't feel that different from other books I've read (which means it will probably appeal to fans of like Mary Robinette Kowal). B+.

Not my type of book, I tried to start it but just couldn't get into anything about this book!

I have mixed feelings about this. It wasn't face paced, but I didn't want to stop reading either. The writing was good enough that I still liked it despite being aggravated at some of the things going on. The first half was so good. I wanted to know what would happen next because it was obvious whatever goal Hector was trying to achieve was going to blow up in his face. Nina was so innocent. I felt bad for her. I didn't like what Hector was doing, but I understood it.

Things changed about halfway through. I liked Nina and Hector much better then. They both grew and matured. The amount of drama that ensued was too much. It was frustrating and not in a good way. The one thing this story had not needed was another love triangle thrown in in the second half especially since it was obvious Nina did not have feelings for the other guy. Nina's behavior was aggravating at times and seemed somewhat out of character compared to the earlier part of the novel. She had always been the type to do what she wanted regardless of whether or not others approved. Some of that defiance disappeared. Most of the truly dramatic parts towards the end could have been completely avoided if Nina would have been honest with herself and spoke her mind. The end was satisfying, but I wish there had been less angst in the process of getting there.

I received an e-arc of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to the publisher!

5 stars

I would like to start with that fact that this is not a fantasy novel – it has some fantastic in it but it is mainly a romance. A gorgeous Pride and Prejudice meets Downton Abbey romance. It centers around a young woman, Nina, who comes to the city of Loisail for the Season to meet an eligible match with the help of her cousin’s wife. Nina is very wealthy but she is a free spirit and not what you would call a conventional lady. Not only is Nina a free spirit, but she is also telekinetic and interested in telekinesis – something that is frowned upon in the high society of the Beautiful Ones. At her first soiree Nina meets Hector, a recently arrived famous telekinetic performer. Their meeting is best described like that of Mr. Darcy and Lizzy’s meeting. However, Hector soon learns that Nina’s cousin is married to Valerie – the love of Hector’s life. Feeling betrayed and spurned after Valeirie broke off an engagement in their youth – Hector starts courting Nina to exact revenge upon Valerie.

I could not put down the book. While it is not a fast-paced book – the emotions of each character are written so well that I just couldn’t tear myself away. Miss Moreno-Garcia writes emotions and motivations extremely realistic and I honestly could relate to a lot of them. Even Valerie, who is one of the cruelest characters I have encountered can be understood when reading her POV. Furthermore – the character grown in this novel is palpable and so gratifying – there is nothing I hate more than no character growth, and Miss Moreno-Garcia does not limit this to just her main characters.

Furthermore, Miss Moreno-Garcia examines some extremely poignant social issues – such as what is the worth of a woman, what role does a family play and how love can be measured. All of which make this novel, not just a pretty tale, but an important examination of women’s social status. Miss Moreno-Garcia is clearly asking some very fundamental questions and expects her readers to dwell on them.

If you like gorgeously written romance, with loads of drama, women’s issues do yourself a favor and read this gorgeous book!

It's a 4.5 for me because I have to take in the transitions that lagged a bit for me, but otherwise, I fell on the right side of the star rating. I loved this so much, I'm surprised. I was expecting to fall for the fact that they knew about and somewhat encouraged mental talents in the ballgowns-and-carriages era, but instead I fell for the romance that failed and the romance that survived. When I first started this, I wasn't sure where it was going because I'd forgotten about the blurb. It was a nice surprise, then, when the first young woman I was introduced to ended up being the outsider. I loved how the story changed to the different POVs, how each character saw the other in such a different light. It was heady. And disheartening. And often times maddening when it came to a certain viper. The drama and romance and the changes of the human heart were fascinating and had transfixed the whole way. I stayed up til four in the morning, I was that hooked.

The writing style was very simple and I liked that. A little hard to get into at first with their different speech-thought patterns, but it wasn't hard to love it. The three characters were different for me; a venomous woman who chose left, a man who chose to follow, and a young woman who'd yet to move. I don't want to spoil anything so all I will say on them is that they were very complex, one more than others, and I also appreciated the supporting characters in their life. The whole thing was an unusual obsession for me. Where I usually fawn over dragons and magic, I ended up crying and laughing and crying (I was mostly crying, alright?) over three people who'd been blessed and cursed with knowing what love was. It's an absolute recommend.