The Belles explores the dark side of beauty and excess with the over-the-top decadent aesthetic of Marie Antoinette’s Versailles and the fantastical magic of Harry Potter.

In the world of The Belles, the legend goes the God of the Sky fell in love with the Goddess of Beauty, and from their union came the people of Orléans. But Beauty spent too much time with her children and Sky, in his jealousy, cursed them to be sad and grey, with straw-like hair and red eyes. In return, Beauty sent the Belles to the Orléansians, so that through their magic, beauty might return to the world.

In current day Orléans, Belles have been commodified, their gifts only available to those with money and favor, while the lower classes live grey lives. Raised at Maison Rouge de la Beauté under the care of Madame Du Barry and presented to the public when they come of age, Belles are quickly installed in teahouses where they use their magic to bring color and beauty to the elites of Orléans.

Camellia Beauregard is one of the new season’s Belles. She’s determined to be named the Queen’s Favorite, a coveted position at the opulent royal court, and prove she’s the best. This desire leads her down a dark path of taking her magic to the extreme and doing things she never imagined doing.

It’s definitely a be careful what you wish for situation; while Belles are taught their entire lives they are treasured sources with a sacred duty to bring beauty to the world, they are not told about the darker side of things. How they are seen more as tools than people, worked until every last drop of their magic is squeezed out and dripped into someone’s desire for a more perfect figure or pinker lips. How constant beauty treatments only leave the recipients wanting more, in constant competition to be the most beautiful at any cost.

Beauty treatments are only skin deep; the rot of jealous envy pierces the heart.

The descriptions in the book are lavish and extensive, painting a picture of an opulent candy-colored gilded world dripping in fragrant blooms and the richest of fabrics. A picture of Rococo Versailles dialed up to an 11, hiding the sinister machinations of court under layers of powder and perfume. Animated ink portraits and papers, communication delivered by glittery post-balloons, beauty-scopes, and more add little bits of everyday magic to the world giving a Hogwarts-meets-Marie Antionette feel.

I will admit it feels like most of the words on the page are world-building over plot, but in a world where appearance is valued above all else, it seems very fitting. It’s a not-everything-is-as-it-seems fantasy plot set in a magically opulent Versailles-like court, gradually getting darker and darker as secrets are revealed. While there is a slight romance subplot, the emphasis is really on sisterhood and friendship, which I loved. Camellia spends much of the book reminiscing about growing up with her Maman and sister Belles, missing her sisters, and worrying about them.

Overall, I found The Belles really easy to fall into. From beginning to end, I was drawn in by the rich world-building and intriguing plot. It does end on a cliffhanger, but all three books of the trilogy are already out (the final book in the series, The Beauty Trials, came out Feb 2023, along with a paperback rerelease with new covers for the first 2 books in the series The Belles and The Everlasting Rose ), so you don’t have to wait to find out what happens next. If you love beautiful settings, royal court fantasy, or twisted worlds, I definitely recommend this series.

Books was addicting from start to finish. I couldn’t just stop. I can’t wait for what is more to come.

I read this book ages ago and loved it. It is a great story. I did order it for my library at the time.

Camellia Beauregard is a Belle. Belles control beauty and transform the people of Orléans who are born gray and damned. Camellia and her sisters were raised to be perfect and to abide by strict rules when it comes to changing appearances. Only one of them may be chosen as the Favorite- the Belle recognized by the royal family to be the most talented. All Camellia wants is to be the favorite, even at the expense of her sisters’ feelings. Once the Belles part ways, they soon realize there are secrets being hidden from all of them. Why do they hear crying every night? Why won’t anyone answer questions about the previous Belles? What is everyone hiding?

Very thought provoking on the topic of beauty and what we will do to be beautiful by societies standards. I am curious to know more about he belles and their powers and how they are grown. Can't wait to read book 2.

I admit, I put off reading this one because I was afraid it was going to be another Selection, but I was very wrong. I was surprised at how much I enjoyed it! Excellent world building, and very unique premise, which is very very disturbing. Off to read Everlasting Rose because that ending was abrupt as heck!

BOOK REPORT for The Belles by Dhonielle Clayton

Cover Story: Fancy Dress
BFF Charm: Yay
Swoonworthy Scale: 4
Talky Talk: Magnifique!
Bonus Factor: Orleans
Relationship Status: Mon Petit Chou

Cover Story: Fancy Dress

It's been awhile since I read a book with a good old fashioned (i.e. 2012) Fancy Dress cover. Remember when EVERY cover was a pretty girl in a fancy dress? The Belles was published in 2018, well after the rise and fall of the fancy dress, so it no longer really feels overdone the way it once did. Plus, I like the color palette, the flowers in her hair, the bokeh - not to mention the girl herself, who is absolutely gorgeous! This cover isn't exacty reinventing the wheel, but I'm still digging it.

The Deal:

Orleans is like if a French patisserie were a country: an opulent, frothy confection filled with gilded details. The only thing about it that isn’t beautiful are its citizens. Born gray and ugly, the people of Orleans depend on the magic power of the Belles to make them beautiful. Beauty is a precious commodity, and each generation, a new group of Belles are born and trained to use their magic to give Orleanites the features, hair, coloring, and bodies they desire. When their training is complete, the Belles compete against one another to become the Favorite, chosen by the Queen of Orleans to live in the royal palace and keep her and her daughters extra gorgeous at all times.

Camilla Beauregard wants desperately to be the Favorite. She has ambition to be more than just a tool. She wants to help rewrite the book on beauty, but the closer she gets to the royal palace and the Queen’s daughter Sophia, the more she realizes that Orleans has a dark, dangerous underbelly that is threatening the lives of her and her sisters.

BFF Charm: Yay






Camilla walks a fine line between appreciating the natural beauty in things and working to enhance them (rather than cover them up) and having the ambition it takes to work the system and achieve her dreams. I liked that she wasn’t this angelic, perfect girl who never screwed up or did anything bad. She knew what she wanted, and she took advantage of the resources that were available to her in order to get it, but that didn’t mean that she didn’t care about her sisters.

Swoonworthy Scale: 4

Camilla meets a handsome, charming stranger who instantly catches her attention, and vice versa. But Auguste is in the running to be married to Princess Sophia, which makes a crush on him both messy and potentially dangerous for Camilla. She's so caught up in Auguste that she hardly registers what a cutie her new bodyguard Remy is. With all the action and drama happening in the book, the romance takes a backseat. But it feels like Clayton was laying the groundwork for more romance between Camilla and Remy in the second book - fingers crossed!

Talky Talk: Magnifique!

Clayton's world-building is decadent and lavish, and her attention to detail saturates and brings to life the story she's telling. The darker parts of Orleans, such as Princess Sophia and some of the people who go overboard with their Beauty work, seem spine-tingly creepy when juxtaposed against the sickly sweet shell of Orleans. It's cotton candy fluffy storytelling with stakes just high enough to keep you turning the pages. The Belles is an entertaining read, and Clayton's writing makes it stand out in a sea of fantasy stories, even if the twists and turns aren't exactly jaw-dropping.

Bonus Factor: Orleans



The details of Orleans were some of my favorite aspects of the story. The whole world feels like an opulent Candy Crush level. The Belles work in teahouses and everyone eats sugary pastry treats. People receive mail via post balloons, and everyone has teacup animal pets - imagine it, a tiny hand-held elephant!

Relationship Status: Mon Petit Chou

I’m not a huge fantasy reader. I can only read so many books with fae and sword fights before they all start to mesh together in my mind. But what I really liked about The Belles was that it felt nothing like most of the other fantasy books I’ve read. The world of Orleans was truly an unforgettable place and Clayton has a talent for incorporating imaginative details. And even though the world of The Belles was super fantastical, Orleans' obsession with beauty managed to feel more than relatable on a real-world level.

FTC Full Disclosure: I did not receive money or Girl Scout cookies of any kind (not even the lame cranberry ones) for writing this review. The Belles is available now.

DNF

Obviously this book has an audience, but I can't take another version of The Selection. I already read that, and it was more than enough. If anything, the world building seems even more unbelievable, which is frankly impressive.

I ended up purchasing a copy of this book years ago and will be reviewing on my own terms this year! I have read about half of it, and it's amazing and customer I recommend it to seem to enjoy it as well!

I know many will love this darkly magical story! The story will pull them in right away with the world-building.

I loved the world-building in this book! Glittery and immersive, the flowery writing style also suits as you’re pulled into the mesmerising, opulent world of the Belles. But hidden underneath the beauty lies a rotten core...

Apologies for being so late with this. The Belles was an absolutely brilliant read, and I recommended it in a New Orleans magazine for teen girls that I contribute to in Spring 2018. In my recommendation, I said:

The writing is engrossing, vivid, and lush, and the exploration of beauty and its price is incredibly thought-provoking. The world is inspired by 18th & 19th century New Orleans, along with Japan and France, specifically Marie Antoinette’s court. The Belles is the first part of a planned duology, so keep an eye out for the sequel.

If only the first 80% of the book could have been even just a little bit as gripping as the last 20%.

One word to sum up The Belles: frivolous. The glitz, glam and unhealthy obsession with beauty was trivial. I understood the ‘monster’ Clayton made from a world where beauty is a commodity (and the very meaning of life), but after 350 pages of continual references to how ugly everyone felt about themselves or children, bullying comments to those that aren’t deemed beautiful, and anti-queer and anti-feminist plot points, it was a slog to read through. I was quickly over all the different ways to describe the color of someone’s skin, dresses, hair, etc. Done with the inane drama of royalty. I was yearning for plot twists and character development. Everything about the book felt superficial, and that included the characters. A bit of insta-love here, a peppering of just wanting to be the best or most beautiful there, a dash of overall pointless conversations with others that go nowhere, and you’ve got yourself almost a whole book.

The world building and magic system are infuriating if you seek to understand them. Random bits of magic blood or technology are referenced, seemingly pulled out of thin air. Silkworms that change color? Don’t ask how. Petite animals? Of course 5 pound elephants exist. With so much detail given to how women look and what they’re wearing, there wasn’t much room to bring the world to life (outside of everything being covered in flowers and gold dust). Hoping we see more world building and get to understand Arcana in the next book.

My ratings and overall thoughts on The Belles was saved in the last 75 pages or so. Fucking brilliant. Heightened drama, plot twists, harrowing decisions - it had everything I was looking for and was eagerly anticipating from the beginning. But are the final couple chapters worth the grind? Meh, I’m still undecided. Loved the end and all the potential going forward, but it required some serious effort to pick the book up the couple times I stopped reading.

I’m actually really excited to read the next book to see what comes next. Feels like we’re getting somewhere and a lot could unfold!

Clayton has crafted a spellbinding and unique young adult fantasy that lifts up underrepresented characters from diverse backgrounds.

Any good story will keep you wanting more. This one delivers that in spades. What is this strange new world Camellia lives in? Does it only include the rose shaped islands she knows of, or does it expand to encompass continents unknown to her? The island people are consumed with beauty and changing themselves just like those who live in the Capitol in The Hunger Games. Does the attitude of the girl Camellia is tasked with changing reflect a large population of others who do not wish to be "beautiful"? Why did Camellia's Maman die before her charges were presented at court? What happens to the Belles after they leave? So many questions need to be answered and I can't wait to see what happens next!

An extremely interesting and diverse take on dystopia. The aesthetics in the book made me constantly hungry and like I wanted to be dressed up in very fancy attire (even tho I’m a sweatpants and hoodie kind of person).

Definitely a must-purchase for my high school library. Dhonielle Clayton does a wonderful job at world-building and creating characters you care about. Will definitely be purchasing the next book in this series.

I loved the attention to detail in this book; it helped to create the world for me and add to the feel of luxury in the novel. I wanted to try the foods, see the dresses, and experience it all myself! I enjoyed that the world was so diverse and that the book tackled issues of beauty that are important to teens today. While ultimately the story and characters weren't for me, I think this first book set up the second book well and will leave interested readers ready for the next installment!

Interesting concept, but the execution was confusing. The worldbuilding was lacking in a way that made working out how this world worked not an interesting exercise, but a frustrating concept to understand.

Like reading about Rococo Versailles on crack but also with magic. It's awesome! I suspect we're going to find out precisely what allows the nobility to live so lavishly in book 2. Want more please.