DNF at 40%. I had a lot of trouble understanding the plot of this as well as the worldbuilding. I don't know if it would help more if I knew the source material better, but I could not keep track of anything that was happening or why it was happening and that really took away from the experience of the book.

When I added this book on Goodreads, I noticed the author's other books were rated quite low. Now I know why, because this was terrible. Dumb, even. Absolutely nothing made sense. The main characters are turning into animals, people get fed into guns, and everyone is practically bouncing off the walls with how the plot pivots so much. Whimsy can be done well (Stephanie Garber excels at it) but this felt like a cringy Candyland Narnia, and I should have stopped reading at 50%.

firstly, thank you to the publisher for an alc!

unfortunately dnf @30% — i feel like i was dropped into this story with the expectation i would know the world’s lore; granted while i am somewhat familiar with the story of the nutcracker, there was more to this world i wish was explained before diving into the plot

as for the audio — i did enjoy the narrator! they did an excellent job

As a past ballerina who danced The Nutcracker every Christmas, this was such a wonderful fun read to begin the Christmas season. I loved this retelling and new take on the story and really enjoyed the audiobook!!

Thank you to NetGalley for this Audiobook eARC in exchange for my honest review.

*No Better Than Beasts* by Z. R. Ellor offers a dark and mesmerizing twist on the Nutcracker, with siblings Nabik and Drakne entangled in a frozen kingdom ruled by the ruthless Rat King. Caught between loyalty, magic, and survival, Nabik is drawn north to break a curse, while Drakne’s need to escape their controlling brother drives her to side with the tyrant king. Max Meyers’ narration powerfully captures the story’s eerie atmosphere and emotional stakes, enhancing Nabik’s inner conflict and Drakne’s fierce resolve. Though the pacing occasionally lags, the unique plot and complex sibling bond make it a gripping listen for fans of dark fantasy and cursed folklore.

The lyrical prose in this novel helped to capture the imaginative world that the author created. The ambiance was dark and the effects of the curse on the land were well thought out and conveyed to the reader in an effective manner. I especially liked the gradual animal mutation. The political machinations in this one were intriguing and a bit complex, which may be why I was a little lost until things were beginning to wrap up. IVdradir reminded me of Ratigan from The Great Mouse Detective - I felt like he should have been the rat, not the lion. To put it another way, this is not the kind of story where you become sympathetic to the villain.
I enjoyed the overall atmosphere that was created, but struggled a bit with feeling the emotion behind the story and the actions of the characters. The motivations behind the characters decisions and drive were clear to me, but I had a hard time feeling their conviction.
It was a beautifully written story, but I did find it difficult to follow at times. The narrator for the audiobook did a fantastic job of bringing the characters to life and the variations in his voice lent well to character differentiation. What made the book difficult to follow at times, was the sudden switch in character point of views. It often took me a moment, usually a name being said, to figure out which POV I was listening to. I typically enjoy multiple POVs, but this one was tough for me. I think even section breaks in print form would still have made it difficult to keep track.
I think there is a lot of potential in this story, since without the confusing (to me) elements, it really is beautifully written.
I recommend this book to people looking for a fantastical nutcracker retelling.
Many thank to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for an early listening copy of this story. The opinions expressed are honest and my own.

This is a dark nutcracker retelling, so please keep that in mind when reading. And I mean dark. There is violence and abuse. The sibling relationships portrayed are all about toxicity, trauma, control, and betrayal. The turns are never ending in this one and something will keep surprising you around every corner. Despite its darker themes Nabke and Drakne will still have you holding on to hope for better and gentler times for the people.

The prose of the story and some of its elements may not connect with some readers who prefer less of a poetic style in their stories.

I was pleasantly surprised by the queer rep as well! Love to see it!

Curses, candy magic, a villain by choice, a world in need of something better, and all the winter vibes are present in this one.

*Please check triggers for this one.

This was such a pleasure to listen to. The narrator, Max Meyers, gives life to all these characters. I loved the whole Nutcracker retelling aspect of this story and how it went from a children's story to a dark tale reminiscent of The Brother's Grimm. The power struggle between siblings and the coming into one's own really captured my interest. The magical elements and how the author really used them to make this story his own hooked me in to this retelling. I was skeptical at first as to whether I'd like a Nutcracker retelling, but this was written so well that I had no choice but to fall in love with these characters and their growth.

2⭐️-🌶

The FMC is whiny and doesn't seem to want to do anything for herself. I did not make it far. Not for
me.

No better than beast by ZR Ellor and narrated by Max Myers, Who I thought did a brilliant job. This is a retelling of the Nutcracker a story I am not that familiar with the from what I know I thought the author did a great job although sometimes the story was told almost in an abstract fashion I thought Max Myers gave a great performance and said the perfect tone for the book. With magical realism in the story of siblings who although at once close for many reasons are fractured there’s even an LGBT sibling and Novak who I thought was perfect for that role. His loyalty and sweetness makes the ending that much better. Anyone familiar with the nutcracker I think will love this dark retailing I just really enjoyed this book just thought at times the way the story was told was strange.#NetGalley, #McMillanaudio, #ZREllor, #NoBetterThanBeast, #MaxMyers,

I didn't really know what to expect with this. I don't actually know a ton about the Nutcracker besides watching the Barbie Nutcracker special as a kid. Because of that I went into to this practically blind and I actually really liked it. I will say I was a bit confused as first but that may be due to not know the other story all that well.
I found this to be a really cool and dark story. I enjoyed this greatly as a fantasy book just as it is. I will also say that because I don't know the original story I don't know how this holds up as retelling.

I really enjoyed reading this. The magic was so much fun, and it felt like the perfect magic system for a book based on The Nutcracker! The book felt a lot darker than the ballet, and I loved the vibe. And, the plot, world-building, and characters were all amazing. It’s a very fast-paced book. I was a little confused at the start because there was a lot of information to digest, but I figured out what was happening as I kept listening. And the narrator did such a good job with this book, I was so enthralled by the narration and I think it added to the book.

If you like dark retellings, interesting magic systems, political/war plots, and lgbtq+ characters, you’ll love this book!

Thank you to Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

No Better Than Beasts is a dark, imaginative, and fascinating Nutcracker retelling. To start, the cover is captivating and instantly draws the eye in. This story hits the ground running and never looks back. It’s so fast paced between action and political machinations. I really appreciated the world building and thought Ellor did a phenomenal job setting the scenes. I also thought the characters were well developed and felt Ellor did well exploring the sibling dynamics between them. I love a good morally grey character and Ellor knows how to write exceptional morally grey characters. I read this via audiobook and the narration by Meyers helped bring forth the classic Nutcracker vibes in a new and interesting way. Meyers had me engrossed in the story right from the beginning and I can’t recommend the audio enough.

It was a good book, just not really my style. I do think I would have enjoyed it more if I would have had a better knowledge of the Nutcracker story but it was still enjoyable without knowing much about it. The plot and characters were good, but the writing wasn't my favorite. I know a lot of people who will like this book and I will happily recommend them this book!

the audiobook was great I liked the narrator!

No Better Than Beasts
By Z.R. Ellor
Narrated by Max Meyers
4.5 ⭐️

I had such a good time in this world. This version of The Nutcracker delivers on political plots, untold histories, mysterious magic, psychological impacts of neglect, and so much more. The world building provides vivid imagery from the start. I felt the story was non stop action between actual physical battles, high stress social/political situations, dramatic internal dialog, etc. The beast transformations were an interesting (in a good way) aspect as well. I do think it can be tricky to catch onto the storyline during the first 10% or so of the book. It starts fast right away and definitely took me a while to grasp it all. I read this via audiobook. Meyers was fantastic. I thought they hit this narration out of the park and absolutely recommend it.

Thank you NetGalley, Z.R. Ellor, and Macmillian audio for this audiobook ARC.

I requested this one because it might be an upcoming title I would like to review on my Youtube Channel. However, after reading the first several chapters I have determined that this book does not suit my tastes. So I decided to DNF this one.

The writing was so plain and I found the characters to be incredibly flat. The narration itself was actually decent but it couldn't save the story from being incredibly average. Perhaps this would have worked better for a younger reviewer.

No Better Than Beasts by Z.R. Ellor is such a fantastic dark YA fantasy. The world-building was exceptional and the characters are very well developed. The strain between the three siblings was a main focus point throughout the book and it worked very well for the story and plot. You will find secrets, betrayals, secret loves, folklore, and morally grey characters throughout No Better Than Beasts and I love that it is a standalone! The amount of detail Ellor put into this novel is extraordinary and it had me captivated and invested in the story from start to finish, I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys retellings, morally grey characters, a unique magic system, or lgbtq representation!