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Beautiful
Beautiful is in three parts. Part one follows the pattern of the fairy tale, though the central character is not the white bear prince or the intrepid young woman who travels east of the sun and west of the moon to save him from a curse. Our narrator, whom I named Hulde, only had a bit-part in that original story. The novel-length version takes Hulde way out of her comfort zone as she heads off into the unknown world beyond the glass mountain, to find out what it means to make your own story.
7 pages, Audible Audio
First published May 30, 2019
19 people are currently reading
840 people want to read
About the author
Juliet Marillier
76 books12.1k followersJuliet Marillier was born in Dunedin, New Zealand and grew up surrounded by Celtic music and stories. Her own Celtic-Gaelic roots inspired her to write her first series, the Sevenwaters Trilogy. Juliet was educated at the University of Otago, where she majored in music and languages, graduating BA and Bachelor of Music (Hons). Her lifelong interest in history, folklore and mythology has had a major influence on her writing.
Juliet is the author of twenty-one historical fantasy novels for adults and young adults, as well as a book of short fiction. Juliet's novels and short stories have won many awards.
Juliet lives in a 110 year old cottage in a riverside suburb of Perth, Western Australia. When not writing, she tends to her small pack of rescue dogs. She also has four adult children and eight grandchildren. Juliet is a member of the druid order OBOD (the Order of Bards, Ovates and Druids.)
Juliet is the author of twenty-one historical fantasy novels for adults and young adults, as well as a book of short fiction. Juliet's novels and short stories have won many awards.
Juliet lives in a 110 year old cottage in a riverside suburb of Perth, Western Australia. When not writing, she tends to her small pack of rescue dogs. She also has four adult children and eight grandchildren. Juliet is a member of the druid order OBOD (the Order of Bards, Ovates and Druids.)
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 162 reviews
August 21, 2019
3.5 Stars
Juliet Marillier has done something unusual here. She has taken an old fairytale and told it from the perspective of the one taken advantage of, used for some evil purpose and then left so the original couple can get their Happily Ever After.
Hulde lives in a castle cut off from the rest of the world. There are no mirrors and the servants are not allowed to speak to her. Hulde has exactly one friend, a bear who only visits for a summer every three years. The Bear teaches Hulde about stories, writing and chosing her own path. Although she loves him, he is someone else’s prince and she is completely forgotten when the Bear’s wife come to save him from having to marry Hulde on her 16th birthday.
But sometimes the end of one story is the beginning of another and what if in the original tale of East of the Sun and West of the Moon the story was from the PoV of the daughter who was jilted at the alter instead of stopping with the reunion of the happy couple. This shows how when one door closes, one part of a story ends, it is just the beginning of a new story and just an opportunity to find the next door to walk though.
Hulde learned on her wedding day of the curse put on the Beautiful Prince by her mother in a rage. She also found the courage to leave the only life she knew to journey into the world and learn about herself, her people and what it would take for her to be a good Queen. Like any journey they are plenty of bumps and bruises to be had along the way.
Hulde learns that she might not be beautiful to everyone but to those that know her best she is more than beautiful. She is brave, kind and shows great perseverance. Hulde learns how to love and finds friends on the road to help build her new story as Queen of the Trolls
This is a cute fairytale and I enjoyed most of it. It did feel a little more like a kid’s tale than Juliet Marillier’s other works though and didn’t have the bite that I’ve come to expect from her special kind of storytelling. But there is magic, bravery and steadfastness to the story and I liked getting a new spin on an old tale
Juliet Marillier has done something unusual here. She has taken an old fairytale and told it from the perspective of the one taken advantage of, used for some evil purpose and then left so the original couple can get their Happily Ever After.
Hulde lives in a castle cut off from the rest of the world. There are no mirrors and the servants are not allowed to speak to her. Hulde has exactly one friend, a bear who only visits for a summer every three years. The Bear teaches Hulde about stories, writing and chosing her own path. Although she loves him, he is someone else’s prince and she is completely forgotten when the Bear’s wife come to save him from having to marry Hulde on her 16th birthday.
But sometimes the end of one story is the beginning of another and what if in the original tale of East of the Sun and West of the Moon the story was from the PoV of the daughter who was jilted at the alter instead of stopping with the reunion of the happy couple. This shows how when one door closes, one part of a story ends, it is just the beginning of a new story and just an opportunity to find the next door to walk though.
Hulde learned on her wedding day of the curse put on the Beautiful Prince by her mother in a rage. She also found the courage to leave the only life she knew to journey into the world and learn about herself, her people and what it would take for her to be a good Queen. Like any journey they are plenty of bumps and bruises to be had along the way.
Hulde learns that she might not be beautiful to everyone but to those that know her best she is more than beautiful. She is brave, kind and shows great perseverance. Hulde learns how to love and finds friends on the road to help build her new story as Queen of the Trolls
This is a cute fairytale and I enjoyed most of it. It did feel a little more like a kid’s tale than Juliet Marillier’s other works though and didn’t have the bite that I’ve come to expect from her special kind of storytelling. But there is magic, bravery and steadfastness to the story and I liked getting a new spin on an old tale
May 30, 2019
4 of 5 stars at The BiblioSanctum https://bibliosanctum.com/2019/05/30/...
Juliet Marillier’s Beautiful, aptly titled, is a gorgeous three-part narrative about a very special young woman who embarks upon an adventure to find herself and save her people. A standalone novel expanded from the author’s novella of the same name, this story is currently available only as an Audible Original, which means it is an audiobook exclusive until print and ebook editions come out at a much later date. I would like to thank Audible Studios for providing me with an advance listening copy for review purposes, and the following is my honest opinion.
But first, a bit of background. I have not read the original tale upon which this book was based, but one would be able to find it in the collection Aurum: A Golden Anthology of Original Australian Fantasy edited by Russell B. Farr from Ticonderoga Publications. From what I’ve gathered in my research though, it would appear that this version of Beautiful is a lot more detailed at approximately 77,000 words, which is almost five times the length of its inspiration, itself a retelling of a Norwegian fairy tale called East of the Sun and West of the Moon about a young woman who marries a prince trapped in the form of a white bear. In it, the heroine must free her beloved from a terrible curse, and in order to do that, she undertakes a perilous journey to the ends of the earth where the Troll Queen has imprisoned him in her castle. The heroine then uses her wits to defy all kinds of odds, saving her man from marrying the Troll Queen’s daughter.
However, the star of Beautiful is a very different kind of protagonist. Hulde is what you would call the bit-parter, the forgotten one. Not the bold and indomitable heroine, nor the girl who gets the guy, she is in fact the troll princess, the quiet and unassuming daughter of the power-hungry Troll Queen. Marillier has described Hulde as “rather hard done by” in the original tale, so her novel was a chance to explore the character and her viewpoint in more detail. The first part of Beautiful tells of her childhood high in the mountain castle, growing up under the thumb of her temperamental and ambitious mother. Hulde is told that when she reaches age sixteen, she will be married to the most handsome prince in the land, though having been sheltered and isolated all her life, our protagonist isn’t really sure what to make of that. Her only friend—and the only one she’s ever had those kinds of feelings for—is Rune, the kindly white bear who only visits the castle every three years.
Well, knowing the gist of the original fairy tale, you can probably guess what became of that relationship and how Hulde took it. Hard done by, indeed. After the introduction, I began to better understand the author’s fascination for the forgotten troll princess’ role in the story as well as her motivation to come up with the next chapter for her character, and I was glad to see that parts two and three of Beautiful did just that. Following Hulde after she finally steps out from the shadow of her mother, this book chronicles the epic journey of her self-discovery. Along the way, we have action and adventure, challenges and pain, love and friendships as our protagonist learns about the world and where she fits in it. What we have here is the best kind of fairy tale-inspired fantasy featuring an evocative setting full of magic and enchantment, as well as an incredibly deep message behind our heroine’s quest to overcome her insecurities and blaze her own trail.
Speaking of which, Marillier is in her element writing about Hulde, a compelling protagonist I found irresistible and endearing. Growing up as she did with her overbearing and manipulative mother, Hulde has a rather unconventional personality for a fantasy heroine, but this only made her even more interesting to me. Not to mention, her upbringing also made her later relationships feel even more significant and poignant, especially when she realizes she is not as alone as she thought, that she friends and supporters in her corner. I also loved the bond she had with her very special dog, cat, and bird!
The three parts of the book are also very distinct, each engaging in its own themes and following its own structure. That said, the way they fit together is perfection, and the transitions make sense as each section sees Hulde reaching another stage of her development. This self-realization theme is tightly woven into every aspect of the novel, making Beautiful a joy to read if you love character studies and stories that focus on characters first.
Once again, I am reminded of why Juliet Marillier is one of my favorite authors, and why I think her books are absolutely required reading if you enjoy these types of stories. While she may be a master at writing the tragically beautiful story arc, her main characters often do overcome their hardships in heartfelt, meaningful endings. Beautiful was no exception. Read with feeling and eloquence by narrator Gemma Dawson who gave vitality and charm to Hulde, this is an audiobook I would highly recommend.
Juliet Marillier’s Beautiful, aptly titled, is a gorgeous three-part narrative about a very special young woman who embarks upon an adventure to find herself and save her people. A standalone novel expanded from the author’s novella of the same name, this story is currently available only as an Audible Original, which means it is an audiobook exclusive until print and ebook editions come out at a much later date. I would like to thank Audible Studios for providing me with an advance listening copy for review purposes, and the following is my honest opinion.
But first, a bit of background. I have not read the original tale upon which this book was based, but one would be able to find it in the collection Aurum: A Golden Anthology of Original Australian Fantasy edited by Russell B. Farr from Ticonderoga Publications. From what I’ve gathered in my research though, it would appear that this version of Beautiful is a lot more detailed at approximately 77,000 words, which is almost five times the length of its inspiration, itself a retelling of a Norwegian fairy tale called East of the Sun and West of the Moon about a young woman who marries a prince trapped in the form of a white bear. In it, the heroine must free her beloved from a terrible curse, and in order to do that, she undertakes a perilous journey to the ends of the earth where the Troll Queen has imprisoned him in her castle. The heroine then uses her wits to defy all kinds of odds, saving her man from marrying the Troll Queen’s daughter.
However, the star of Beautiful is a very different kind of protagonist. Hulde is what you would call the bit-parter, the forgotten one. Not the bold and indomitable heroine, nor the girl who gets the guy, she is in fact the troll princess, the quiet and unassuming daughter of the power-hungry Troll Queen. Marillier has described Hulde as “rather hard done by” in the original tale, so her novel was a chance to explore the character and her viewpoint in more detail. The first part of Beautiful tells of her childhood high in the mountain castle, growing up under the thumb of her temperamental and ambitious mother. Hulde is told that when she reaches age sixteen, she will be married to the most handsome prince in the land, though having been sheltered and isolated all her life, our protagonist isn’t really sure what to make of that. Her only friend—and the only one she’s ever had those kinds of feelings for—is Rune, the kindly white bear who only visits the castle every three years.
Well, knowing the gist of the original fairy tale, you can probably guess what became of that relationship and how Hulde took it. Hard done by, indeed. After the introduction, I began to better understand the author’s fascination for the forgotten troll princess’ role in the story as well as her motivation to come up with the next chapter for her character, and I was glad to see that parts two and three of Beautiful did just that. Following Hulde after she finally steps out from the shadow of her mother, this book chronicles the epic journey of her self-discovery. Along the way, we have action and adventure, challenges and pain, love and friendships as our protagonist learns about the world and where she fits in it. What we have here is the best kind of fairy tale-inspired fantasy featuring an evocative setting full of magic and enchantment, as well as an incredibly deep message behind our heroine’s quest to overcome her insecurities and blaze her own trail.
Speaking of which, Marillier is in her element writing about Hulde, a compelling protagonist I found irresistible and endearing. Growing up as she did with her overbearing and manipulative mother, Hulde has a rather unconventional personality for a fantasy heroine, but this only made her even more interesting to me. Not to mention, her upbringing also made her later relationships feel even more significant and poignant, especially when she realizes she is not as alone as she thought, that she friends and supporters in her corner. I also loved the bond she had with her very special dog, cat, and bird!
The three parts of the book are also very distinct, each engaging in its own themes and following its own structure. That said, the way they fit together is perfection, and the transitions make sense as each section sees Hulde reaching another stage of her development. This self-realization theme is tightly woven into every aspect of the novel, making Beautiful a joy to read if you love character studies and stories that focus on characters first.
Once again, I am reminded of why Juliet Marillier is one of my favorite authors, and why I think her books are absolutely required reading if you enjoy these types of stories. While she may be a master at writing the tragically beautiful story arc, her main characters often do overcome their hardships in heartfelt, meaningful endings. Beautiful was no exception. Read with feeling and eloquence by narrator Gemma Dawson who gave vitality and charm to Hulde, this is an audiobook I would highly recommend.
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March 26, 2020
One day, Hulde is going to marry her prince. Her mother has assured her, that once she marries her prince all will be well. But Hulde isn't too sure she wants to marry—she's too young, and she's not entirely keen on marrying someone she only just met. Plus, her bear friend Rune isn't going to be at the wedding, and she just doesn't know what she can do about that.
This is a retelling of East of the Sun, West of the Moon, retold not from the perspective of the cursed prince or the woman who travels to the ends of the earth to rescue him from the troll queen, but from the point of view of the troll queen's daughter who was to marry the handsome prince.
It...works.
I'll be honest, I absolutely hated Hulde.
I understood her, but I still abhorred her.
She's an emotionally stunted 16-year-old princess who thinks and acts like an 8-year-old because of the emotional abuse and neglect from her controlling troll queen mother. When she finally gets her agency upon the death of her mother, she decides (wisely) that she's not ready to be queen and that she does not want to be a queen like her mother.
So how does she decide to fix that?
Well, she'd been watching whats-her-face's long journey to rescue Rune and decided that hey, that's a good idea for me!
So she spends probably 3 hours (it felt like it took 3 hours for her to actually get the door) talking about how she must go on this journey alone because she must find herself and she must do it all by herself without any help dammit and nevermind the fact that she has never done a single thing for herself before.
So Bad Idea Bear goes on a journey into the wilderness and lands of untrustworthy humans, and discovers, Oh Shit, This Was a Bad Idea.
Me, at this point in the book:
Anywho, she's rescued by two troll brothers who's names I can't remember since it's been over a month since I listened to the book, and they teach her pretty much everything she needs to know, and she ends up uniting the troll clans and actually being a good leader because she listens to people.
I think there was a battle or something because someone tried to overthrow her but I honestly can't remember. Hulde does grow (a lot) as a character and as a person with agency who learns to think for herself (and also undo the mistakes and trauma of her parent), but the decentness of the last third didn't overcome my irritation from the first third.
It's a solid two-star read (due to annoying MC and really bad narrator voice), but I bumped it up to three stars because it has a very positive polyamorous relationship and I was so pleased (and surprised) to see that!
This is a retelling of East of the Sun, West of the Moon, retold not from the perspective of the cursed prince or the woman who travels to the ends of the earth to rescue him from the troll queen, but from the point of view of the troll queen's daughter who was to marry the handsome prince.
It...works.
I'll be honest, I absolutely hated Hulde.
I understood her, but I still abhorred her.
She's an emotionally stunted 16-year-old princess who thinks and acts like an 8-year-old because of the emotional abuse and neglect from her controlling troll queen mother. When she finally gets her agency upon the death of her mother, she decides (wisely) that she's not ready to be queen and that she does not want to be a queen like her mother.
So how does she decide to fix that?
Well, she'd been watching whats-her-face's long journey to rescue Rune and decided that hey, that's a good idea for me!
So she spends probably 3 hours (it felt like it took 3 hours for her to actually get the door) talking about how she must go on this journey alone because she must find herself and she must do it all by herself without any help dammit and nevermind the fact that she has never done a single thing for herself before.
So Bad Idea Bear goes on a journey into the wilderness and lands of untrustworthy humans, and discovers, Oh Shit, This Was a Bad Idea.
Me, at this point in the book:
Anywho, she's rescued by two troll brothers who's names I can't remember since it's been over a month since I listened to the book, and they teach her pretty much everything she needs to know, and she ends up uniting the troll clans and actually being a good leader because she listens to people.
I think there was a battle or something because someone tried to overthrow her but I honestly can't remember. Hulde does grow (a lot) as a character and as a person with agency who learns to think for herself (and also undo the mistakes and trauma of her parent), but the decentness of the last third didn't overcome my irritation from the first third.
It's a solid two-star read (due to annoying MC and really bad narrator voice), but I bumped it up to three stars because it has a very positive polyamorous relationship and I was so pleased (and surprised) to see that!
April 13, 2021
I'm waffling on the rating for this one -- I guess 3.5 stars is about right, rounding up.
The first part of this story is a retelling of a Nordic fairytale about a prince under a curse and an evil troll queen who tries to force him to marry her daughter, while the second and third parts show us what happens after the fairytale ended; instead of the prince or the queen, the troll queen's daughter is the MC throughout. It's very YA in tone -- full of wide-eyed naivete and simple, clear storyline and messaging -- and it even has a love triangle. But it's all done with Marillier's graceful prose, so it's mostly endearing instead of grating. And, surprisingly for a YA-type story, . Also, I frequently complain that not enough happens in Marillier's books to justify all the beautiful prose she writes, but I can't say that about this book -- there is plenty of plot development to fit the story's length, and it never has a chance to get boring.
All in all, this is a nice read if you want to relax with a sweet fairytale all about growing up and believing in yourself; not so much the thing to jump into if you want deep meaning or lots of complications.
Gemma Dawson did a good job narrating the dialogue, but I thought her narration of the narrative portions was rather monotonous.
The first part of this story is a retelling of a Nordic fairytale about a prince under a curse and an evil troll queen who tries to force him to marry her daughter, while the second and third parts show us what happens after the fairytale ended; instead of the prince or the queen, the troll queen's daughter is the MC throughout. It's very YA in tone -- full of wide-eyed naivete and simple, clear storyline and messaging -- and it even has a love triangle. But it's all done with Marillier's graceful prose, so it's mostly endearing instead of grating. And, surprisingly for a YA-type story, . Also, I frequently complain that not enough happens in Marillier's books to justify all the beautiful prose she writes, but I can't say that about this book -- there is plenty of plot development to fit the story's length, and it never has a chance to get boring.
All in all, this is a nice read if you want to relax with a sweet fairytale all about growing up and believing in yourself; not so much the thing to jump into if you want deep meaning or lots of complications.
Gemma Dawson did a good job narrating the dialogue, but I thought her narration of the narrative portions was rather monotonous.
Want to read
March 21, 2019
January 24, 2023
I did not anticipate this ending with the troll queen heroine 😅 Read via audio (narrated by Gemma Dawson).
January 21, 2020
Mini-Review:
4 Stars for Narration by Gemma Dawson
4 Stars for Hulde
3 Stars for Plot Progression
I loved the first segment of the story. It was a fresh take of a well known tale. I adore the three pets she is given and the parts they played. The weakest part of the story was the journey Hulde takes to create a story of her own. It was not as well structured and lost some of the fairy tale glow. Overall, cute story and heartwarming. I wanted more development & awareness from Hulde but that could be me being greedy.
4 Stars for Narration by Gemma Dawson
4 Stars for Hulde
3 Stars for Plot Progression
I loved the first segment of the story. It was a fresh take of a well known tale. I adore the three pets she is given and the parts they played. The weakest part of the story was the journey Hulde takes to create a story of her own. It was not as well structured and lost some of the fairy tale glow. Overall, cute story and heartwarming. I wanted more development & awareness from Hulde but that could be me being greedy.
June 20, 2019
The heroine annoyed me partway through the beginning - she is very young and sheltered and comes across as weak and babyish. This changes, which is central to the story. I'm surprised at how much I enjoyed this read.
October 30, 2022
3.5/5
Lovely Juliet Marillier book. Wish it was a full-length novel. And that there was a physical version I could add to my shelf.
Lovely Juliet Marillier book. Wish it was a full-length novel. And that there was a physical version I could add to my shelf.
June 20, 2019
This was supposed to see me through several more car journeys and workouts this week. Instead, I listened to an hour on the way home yesterday and then gorged myself on the rest of it today. (So I guess I'll be listening to something else now.)
Marillier has been an automatic 'buy straightaway' author for me for over twenty years. I love her blend of folklore and history, and I've always enjoyed her fairytale retellings. East of the Sun, West of the Moon has been a favourite fairytale of mine for a long time and I was excited to see what Marillier would make of it.
Beautiful is not a direct retelling. It starts when the original tale begins to draw to a close, and instead of following the girl who struggles through so much hardship to win back her bear-prince, this is told from the POV of Hulde, the troll princess who was going to marry the kidnapped prince. With the original story forming a sort of prologue, Marillier then takes us on a journey with Hulde as she strives to find out who she is and how to be a good queen, rather than becoming her mother. It's a great plot that follows a lot of the classic quest and hero tropes, but unlike the bog standard 'boy is handed a sword and a destiny' storyline, here we have a princess who has always been undervalued and oppressed but is striving to become better. The journey is as much internal as external, and all the more satisfying for it.
What Marillier always delivers on, is a strong understanding of human (or in this case, troll) nature. To be kind, someone needs to have shown you kindness, for example. It's a rare person who comes to it naturally with no example. The story also takes a grim look at mother-daughter abuse patterns, at childhood conditioning affecting how you view your place in the world and how you can break out of the pattern and make the story your own. As a added bonus, a burgeoning poly-amorous relationship is depicted in the story too. At it's heart Beautiful is a book about learning to value yourself and the transformative and lifesaving power of storytelling.
At present this is only available via audio book as an Audible original. The narrator was brilliant however, so if you like audio books at all, give it a try. If you really can't get into audio books, I think this is being released in ebook and paperback later in the year.
This completely made up for the disappointing mess that was Echo North. Highly recommend.
Marillier has been an automatic 'buy straightaway' author for me for over twenty years. I love her blend of folklore and history, and I've always enjoyed her fairytale retellings. East of the Sun, West of the Moon has been a favourite fairytale of mine for a long time and I was excited to see what Marillier would make of it.
Beautiful is not a direct retelling. It starts when the original tale begins to draw to a close, and instead of following the girl who struggles through so much hardship to win back her bear-prince, this is told from the POV of Hulde, the troll princess who was going to marry the kidnapped prince. With the original story forming a sort of prologue, Marillier then takes us on a journey with Hulde as she strives to find out who she is and how to be a good queen, rather than becoming her mother. It's a great plot that follows a lot of the classic quest and hero tropes, but unlike the bog standard 'boy is handed a sword and a destiny' storyline, here we have a princess who has always been undervalued and oppressed but is striving to become better. The journey is as much internal as external, and all the more satisfying for it.
What Marillier always delivers on, is a strong understanding of human (or in this case, troll) nature. To be kind, someone needs to have shown you kindness, for example. It's a rare person who comes to it naturally with no example. The story also takes a grim look at mother-daughter abuse patterns, at childhood conditioning affecting how you view your place in the world and how you can break out of the pattern and make the story your own. As a added bonus, a burgeoning poly-amorous relationship is depicted in the story too. At it's heart Beautiful is a book about learning to value yourself and the transformative and lifesaving power of storytelling.
At present this is only available via audio book as an Audible original. The narrator was brilliant however, so if you like audio books at all, give it a try. If you really can't get into audio books, I think this is being released in ebook and paperback later in the year.
This completely made up for the disappointing mess that was Echo North. Highly recommend.
August 8, 2019
Hulde aches with loneliness, a kindness her mother considers her undeserving, isolated in their castle upon the mountain. Hulde will be forced to marry on her sixteenth birthday to a man who has been cursed. Her only companion is Rune, a bear that visits each third summer, teaching Hulde kindness through their friendship. Her only solace from her wicked mother, the Troll Queen. Hulde is the Troll Princess and while her human servants fear those who are different, Hulde is a gentle, intelligent young woman who, despite outwardly appearances, is the epitome of beautiful.
Under her oppressive rein, her mother instilled in Hulde the importance of beauty, obsessed with humans while ensuring her daughter remained obedient. On her sixteenth birthday and as Hulde learns of her mother's deception, she decides that she no longer cares for her stories of adventure and heroic young women, she wants to become one and journeys alone to find her place in the world and new friends to discover.
Inspired by the Norwegian fairytale East of the Sun and West of the Moon, the original story follows the journey of an impoverished young woman and her family, who are invited to live in a castle by a white bear in exchange for the devotion of their youngest daughter but her beloved is cursed and will now unwillingly marry the princess, the daughter of his miserable stepmother. Beautiful is the narrative of the princess who will marry the cursed white bear on her sixteenth birthday, except Hulde is determined to forge her own path into the world.
Hulde is a quiet and unassuming young woman, a princess and daughter of the Troll Queen who is consumed with human beauty. Hulde's journey is an extraordinary and lyrically beautiful narrative, following the journey of a courageous and captivating young woman on a journey to discover the world. Simply exquisite.
Under her oppressive rein, her mother instilled in Hulde the importance of beauty, obsessed with humans while ensuring her daughter remained obedient. On her sixteenth birthday and as Hulde learns of her mother's deception, she decides that she no longer cares for her stories of adventure and heroic young women, she wants to become one and journeys alone to find her place in the world and new friends to discover.
Inspired by the Norwegian fairytale East of the Sun and West of the Moon, the original story follows the journey of an impoverished young woman and her family, who are invited to live in a castle by a white bear in exchange for the devotion of their youngest daughter but her beloved is cursed and will now unwillingly marry the princess, the daughter of his miserable stepmother. Beautiful is the narrative of the princess who will marry the cursed white bear on her sixteenth birthday, except Hulde is determined to forge her own path into the world.
Hulde is a quiet and unassuming young woman, a princess and daughter of the Troll Queen who is consumed with human beauty. Hulde's journey is an extraordinary and lyrically beautiful narrative, following the journey of a courageous and captivating young woman on a journey to discover the world. Simply exquisite.
June 2, 2022
This one started stronger than it ended, with the first quarter being really enjoyable but then slowing up as it went. What pulled you in on this one was the uniqueness of the tale (a norse retelling basis) and the concept of beauty. The good narration kept me going. Definitely not my fav JM.
October 11, 2019
Now, if you’re at all familiar with East of the Sun, West of the Moon, you know that the troll daughter is one of the antagonists of the original tale. Obviously, here, the story has been flipped a bit and she’s a much more sympathetic character, and our protagonist. If you’re not familiar with the original story I highly recommend it! It’s a story similar to Cupid and Psyche and Beauty and the Beast so if you like those, you’ll probably love it as well.
Our story starts off with Hulde, a young girl raised in a castle on top of a mountain. There are no other children to play with and her mother is cruel. The servants are all human and she knows her mother is different somehow but she doesn’t know that’s she’s a troll because no one tells her, although the servants cower away from her. One summer a bear named Rune comes to the castle and they become friends, he tells her stories and teaches her to read. There are no mirrors and Hulde becomes a bit obsessed with trying to look at herself, wondering if she’s beautiful like the people in Rune’s stories. After the summer Rune goes away and she’s lonely once more until he returns three years later. This repeats until Hulde is fifteen, on the verge of turning sixteen. The only thing Hulde’s mother ever seems concerned with, regarding Hulde, is her marriage to the prince of the far isles when she turns sixteen, someone Hulde has never even met before. As her sixteenth birthday draws near, Hulde learns the truth about Rune and her arranged marriage and decides to take her destiny into her own hands.
Of all the things I love about this book, most of all, I love Hulde’s character! She very much reminds me of Maia from The Goblin Emperor. Here’s a character who has known nothing but abuse and loneliness their entire life. She could choose to be horrible like her mother, it would be so easy, but time and again she makes the decision to be a better person. She says she has Rune to thank for that, and perhaps that’s true as he was the only one to give her any scrap of affection when she was growing up, but I also think it’s something Hulde had inside her all along. It takes Hulde time to overcome her anxieties, but she starts with that first decision and doesn’t look back (too much). Eventually Hulde is less obsessed with beauty, and bravery, kindness, and wisdom become more defining for her. It’s so very easy to feel for Hulde, because we’ve all had times when we felt like we weren’t good enough, or right enough, or outsiders–times when we were lonely or wanted to be loved.
This is very much a story about self-discovery, which is one of my favorite things. Hulde sets out on a journey, and along the way she learns who she is. It’s a literal journey and a metaphorical one as well. I love how this works on many levels when you sit down to think about it. This story also tells us, that if you choose to do the right thing then then you’ll be repaid when you need it. I think that’s a lovely message and even if it doesn’t always work out that way in real life, it’s still always better to be kind. There is such an current of hopefulness that runs through this story that even when things are going bad, you know they’re somehow going to work out in the end.
After reading several books by Marillier she’s come to be one of my favorite authors, and she’s really done fantastic things with this tale. Of course she’s a master of fairy tale retellings, not to mention how fantastic her prose is, but the direction she’s taken with the story and the themes here is great, how she’s flipped things from the source. If you go into this expecting a straight retelling you may be disappointed because it’s really not, it’s so much more it’s own thing and I love that.
There are other things I’d love to say about this book, but won’t mention because spoilers so, in short, I loved this story and I hope you’ll all read it. Right now it’s only available through Audible, but I do hope a print version comes out eventually because it deserves to be shared with more people than those who have access to Audible. 5/5 stars.
Our story starts off with Hulde, a young girl raised in a castle on top of a mountain. There are no other children to play with and her mother is cruel. The servants are all human and she knows her mother is different somehow but she doesn’t know that’s she’s a troll because no one tells her, although the servants cower away from her. One summer a bear named Rune comes to the castle and they become friends, he tells her stories and teaches her to read. There are no mirrors and Hulde becomes a bit obsessed with trying to look at herself, wondering if she’s beautiful like the people in Rune’s stories. After the summer Rune goes away and she’s lonely once more until he returns three years later. This repeats until Hulde is fifteen, on the verge of turning sixteen. The only thing Hulde’s mother ever seems concerned with, regarding Hulde, is her marriage to the prince of the far isles when she turns sixteen, someone Hulde has never even met before. As her sixteenth birthday draws near, Hulde learns the truth about Rune and her arranged marriage and decides to take her destiny into her own hands.
Of all the things I love about this book, most of all, I love Hulde’s character! She very much reminds me of Maia from The Goblin Emperor. Here’s a character who has known nothing but abuse and loneliness their entire life. She could choose to be horrible like her mother, it would be so easy, but time and again she makes the decision to be a better person. She says she has Rune to thank for that, and perhaps that’s true as he was the only one to give her any scrap of affection when she was growing up, but I also think it’s something Hulde had inside her all along. It takes Hulde time to overcome her anxieties, but she starts with that first decision and doesn’t look back (too much). Eventually Hulde is less obsessed with beauty, and bravery, kindness, and wisdom become more defining for her. It’s so very easy to feel for Hulde, because we’ve all had times when we felt like we weren’t good enough, or right enough, or outsiders–times when we were lonely or wanted to be loved.
This is very much a story about self-discovery, which is one of my favorite things. Hulde sets out on a journey, and along the way she learns who she is. It’s a literal journey and a metaphorical one as well. I love how this works on many levels when you sit down to think about it. This story also tells us, that if you choose to do the right thing then then you’ll be repaid when you need it. I think that’s a lovely message and even if it doesn’t always work out that way in real life, it’s still always better to be kind. There is such an current of hopefulness that runs through this story that even when things are going bad, you know they’re somehow going to work out in the end.
After reading several books by Marillier she’s come to be one of my favorite authors, and she’s really done fantastic things with this tale. Of course she’s a master of fairy tale retellings, not to mention how fantastic her prose is, but the direction she’s taken with the story and the themes here is great, how she’s flipped things from the source. If you go into this expecting a straight retelling you may be disappointed because it’s really not, it’s so much more it’s own thing and I love that.
There are other things I’d love to say about this book, but won’t mention because spoilers so, in short, I loved this story and I hope you’ll all read it. Right now it’s only available through Audible, but I do hope a print version comes out eventually because it deserves to be shared with more people than those who have access to Audible. 5/5 stars.
December 26, 2019
Different from my other beloved stories by Marillier as it lacked the romance that I love, but it was still a beautiful fairy tale.
July 18, 2021
A sweet fairytale that reminds me slightly of Shrek. Introduces the concept of the birds and the bees in such a wholesome way.
March 27, 2020
As always, an enjoyable read from Juliet Marillier. Her books are always beautiful, pleasant, feel-good stories.
The beginning was a story within a story with Hulde being the help the hero needed to break the curse and win his true love. I thought Hulde getting together with the hero was going to be the end, but that wasn't her story. Her story begins when she decides to discover it on her own. I love this!
The beginning was a story within a story with Hulde being the help the hero needed to break the curse and win his true love. I thought Hulde getting together with the hero was going to be the end, but that wasn't her story. Her story begins when she decides to discover it on her own. I love this!
August 19, 2019
I found it difficult to stay interested in this story. Hulde was, frankly, fairly annoying in her stubbornness and her constant “woe is me, people are using me when I thought they were my friends”. The plot was also a bit simplistic in comparison to the other book I’ve read by this author. Slightly disappointing, unfortunately.
November 28, 2020
3.5 stars
Part One was a lovely, enticing fairytale. Part Two was reminiscent of Shrek and The Hobbit. Odd combination of comparison, yes. But, them's my thoughts. On that note, it wasn't as exciting (or humorous) as those two. Part Three lost some of that fairytale sparkle.
A pleasant listen with a great narration. In the end, not as exciting as I had hoped. I'm thinking this book would have been much more enjoyable had I read it. Unfortunately, I started the audiobook during a hectic time and could only manage fifteen - thirty minutes of scattered listening. Limited-listens never work well for me. I'm unable to connect. Part One was great because I had an hour and a half to devote to the story and was able to engage. I hold Juliet Marillier to high standards because she IS an excellent storyteller. BEAUTIFUL is good...maybe not her best. That's OK though. It was worth the listen.
Part One was a lovely, enticing fairytale. Part Two was reminiscent of Shrek and The Hobbit. Odd combination of comparison, yes. But, them's my thoughts. On that note, it wasn't as exciting (or humorous) as those two. Part Three lost some of that fairytale sparkle.
A pleasant listen with a great narration. In the end, not as exciting as I had hoped. I'm thinking this book would have been much more enjoyable had I read it. Unfortunately, I started the audiobook during a hectic time and could only manage fifteen - thirty minutes of scattered listening. Limited-listens never work well for me. I'm unable to connect. Part One was great because I had an hour and a half to devote to the story and was able to engage. I hold Juliet Marillier to high standards because she IS an excellent storyteller. BEAUTIFUL is good...maybe not her best. That's OK though. It was worth the listen.
May 19, 2023
2.5. This was a weird one. There were many points where I was interested and engaged in the story, curious what would happen next…and then there were many points where I was really bored or even annoyed with the story. It’s a fairy tale and it has lots of the good fairy tale stuff, but it was missing depth even though it tried to have it. I like the author, another book of hers I read was a lot better than this one. The narration was good. I don’t dislike the book, but I can’t say I really like it either.
March 5, 2020
The story starts with a hook - no mirrors in the castle. The book would have been better without it. It doesn't make sense that Hulde didn't have some idea of how she looked by seeing her reflection in water or guessing she would look like her mother. It's an unusual fairy tale of a young girl going on an adventure. There is some violence towards the end so it's not a fairy tale for children.
October 2, 2022
Juliet Marillier writes some excellent fairy tales. This one was solid enough but didn't really grab me. It was short enough to press on and finish, but nothing special.
November 19, 2022
Juliet Marillier always does such a lovely job interpreting fairy tales.
December 2, 2023
Of course this was great. JM doesn't miss. I'm glad I found this since it was an Audible Original!
October 7, 2019
A strange and powerful story, that worked well in audio format. If it had been a print novel, I would have liked more detail and character exploration, but as it was I settled into the spoken style and enjoyed the fairy tale aspect and satisfying story arc. The downside was that I thought the narrator spoke too fast, and with too little expression. There were also some parts that felt a bit awkward or too simplistic. But overall, a good experience, and it prompted me to get back into audiobooks a bit!
December 27, 2021
Part 1 of this was pretty dull and hard to get through but the last two parts definitely made up for it. I liked this overall, just wished the beginning would move a bit more quickly.
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September 12, 2024I wish that this book existed in a format other than audio.
I enjoyed the spin on the fairy tale by having the main character be one who is normally seen as the bad guy.
However much of the time I felt that Hulde was overly naive, it made sense as her mother had raised her very sheltered however I really struggle with naive characters in audio.
The story was very sweet and I did enjoy seeing the relationships that Hulde formed with the Hill people and her care for her pets
I enjoyed the spin on the fairy tale by having the main character be one who is normally seen as the bad guy.
However much of the time I felt that Hulde was overly naive, it made sense as her mother had raised her very sheltered however I really struggle with naive characters in audio.
The story was very sweet and I did enjoy seeing the relationships that Hulde formed with the Hill people and her care for her pets
April 3, 2020
This was kind of a retelling of East of the Sun West of the Moon, but only at the beginning. After that story ends, this one carries on with the troll queen's daughter. The story had some good fairy tale elements, but on the whole it felt like it was trying to do too much. It wants to have the emotional realism of something like The Goblin Emperor, looking at how someone survives abuse and abandonment and takes over a kingdom, and it also wants to tell a fairy tale with the rule of threes and archetypal characters. I have also been having a hard time with audiobooks lately, so it might have also been that.
February 2, 2025
In my eyes this author can do no wrong.
I really enjoyed this story, really not what I was expecting by the description but I ended up loving it.
The message that you can take the hand you are dealt with and turn it into what you what, is very powerful.
The found family and the friendships element were just beautiful.
I really enjoyed this story, really not what I was expecting by the description but I ended up loving it.
The message that you can take the hand you are dealt with and turn it into what you what, is very powerful.
The found family and the friendships element were just beautiful.
August 28, 2021
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3.5 stars
In Beautiful subverts fairy-tale storylines by making her heroine a troll princess. Hulde is in fact the sole daughter of a tyrannical queen who terrorises those around her. In spite of its title, the story is not concerned with beauty: Hulde knows that humans are afraid of her. Trolls are seen as hideous creatures and throughout the course of the story's three acts Hulde will have to reconcile herself with her appearance and her position as .
I've read many of Marillier's books and it was refreshing to read of a protagonist who isn't stereotypically beautiful. I also like the way bravery is what Hulde aspires to, rather than beauty. She constantly tries to better herself and ultimately learns that to be brave also entails trusting others.
Marillier pays particular attention to storytelling itself and in her adventures Hulde often draws strength from old tales of brave heroes and heroines.
Although this was an enjoyable read, with some interesting takes on certain tropes, I found the story to be less complex than some of Marillier's other novels...perhaps because this is an audible original so Marillier kept things 'simple' for this type of format or maybe because this was the spin-off of a short story she'd written...longtime fans of Marillier might find this story to be less layered than her usual.
Still, this is a short audiobook and makes for a short and entertaining read.
3.5 stars
In Beautiful subverts fairy-tale storylines by making her heroine a troll princess. Hulde is in fact the sole daughter of a tyrannical queen who terrorises those around her. In spite of its title, the story is not concerned with beauty: Hulde knows that humans are afraid of her. Trolls are seen as hideous creatures and throughout the course of the story's three acts Hulde will have to reconcile herself with her appearance and her position as .
I've read many of Marillier's books and it was refreshing to read of a protagonist who isn't stereotypically beautiful. I also like the way bravery is what Hulde aspires to, rather than beauty. She constantly tries to better herself and ultimately learns that to be brave also entails trusting others.
Marillier pays particular attention to storytelling itself and in her adventures Hulde often draws strength from old tales of brave heroes and heroines.
Although this was an enjoyable read, with some interesting takes on certain tropes, I found the story to be less complex than some of Marillier's other novels...perhaps because this is an audible original so Marillier kept things 'simple' for this type of format or maybe because this was the spin-off of a short story she'd written...longtime fans of Marillier might find this story to be less layered than her usual.
Still, this is a short audiobook and makes for a short and entertaining read.
May 17, 2020
Read for Monthly Motif 2020: Sub-Genre Sound off in March
I enjoyed Part One and Part Three of this book. I have always enjoyed books that tell fairy tales from a different point of view, and that was lovely. However, I wish she had named her two male leads differently. I kept getting them confused. I don’t even remember which is which because they were so similar. Maybe if i could read it instead of listen? Uncertain.
I enjoyed Part One and Part Three of this book. I have always enjoyed books that tell fairy tales from a different point of view, and that was lovely. However, I wish she had named her two male leads differently. I kept getting them confused. I don’t even remember which is which because they were so similar. Maybe if i could read it instead of listen? Uncertain.
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