Title: Charmed Beast

Series: The Favored’s Curse #2

Author: M.K. Felix

Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Retelling, Romance

Rating: 5 stars

Review:

A cursed princess. An anxious duke. A courtship to conquer the darkness. 

Adara

I didn’t think accepting the present intended for my betrothed would be a problem until I got cursed with fangs and claws. Now a rage-inducing darkness has snuffed out my light magic, and I avoid society to maintain my relationships and keep everyone safe from my anger. But what’s not safe? My heart after stumbling upon my brother’s best friend fishing in the woods.

Evander

Two years ago my father died, and I’ve been drowning in grief ever since–unable to work up the courage to fight for the right to inherit the duchy. But my malicious uncle and annoying cousins are running the estate into the ground. It takes everything in me to keep us afloat. The horses I can magically connect with have been my only solace… until I meet the cursed princess in the woods. Now there’s something–or someone–worth fighting for. – summary from Goodreads

*I received an ARC from the author, and all opinions are my own.

Charmed Beast is a gender-bent Beauty and the Beast and Cinderella retelling with romance and magic!

I loved this book so, so much! Definitely one of my favorites for this year!

For anybody who has been following me for the last year, you know that I love Melanie Cellier and her Four Kingdoms world. It’s one of my all-time favorite universes. This book felt like Melanie Cellier’s world, and I am so happy with that! There is a magical world, with interconnected fairytales, and amazing characters, plus Christian themes!

This book is in the same world as Fairest Hunter and Lady Scarlett, and brief appearances were made by Rowena and Alvor. I loved those snippets so much, and seeing them married and happy brough me a lot of joy.

I loved the previous two books quite a bit, but I feel that the author really found her footing with this book. Things were still being set up in Fairest Hunter, but things, especially the magical side of things, were settled in this book. There was a little bit more flow, and I really sank into the story.

I loved how Beauty and the Beast and Cinderella were melded together. And I love that it was gender swapped. It made the story really intriguing, and I loved these different explorations. The author did an incredible job of including the aspects of both stories in unique and different ways. There was magic, but no fairy godmothers, and that was one of my favorite aspects. Instead of having an unknown fairy help Evander, it was old family friends, which I found much more meaningful.

I love how the author set up Adara and her story of being cursed, as well. It was well done, and I loved the exploration of anger and feeling alone. Adara had a wonderful storyline and character arc. She had to work to control her anger (a side effect of her curse), as well as accept that people still love and care for her. She also had to work to let the light in. It was a beautiful storyline, and one I really enjoyed.

The characters were absolutely amazing! Adara was such a sweet character, and like I mentioned above, she had a wonderful character arc. I loved how hard she tried and how much she cared for those around her.

Evander was also a lovely character! His story had some harrowing moments, and I loved how hard he tried to take care of those around him. I love hardworking main characters, and Evander was incredibly hard working. He also had anxiety, which I relate to, and I loved this representation. I loved how honest this representation was, and I really love how those around him that cared for him tried to help him with this. Through Evander there was also grief exploration and representation. The author handled both of these beautifully and I love the inclusion in the story.

The side characters were also amazing, especially Caladen, who is Adara’s older brother and Evander’s best friend. He was absolutely amazing, and I loved how much he cared for those around him. He also brought some levity to the story at times, especially in his interactions with Adara! In this book we have some wonderful positive sibling relationship representation!

The animal companions in this book were horses! I love animals, and I loved these horses! They were so sweet, and I really like the way we got to see them through Evander.

The magic in this book was very interesting. I like how the author has been setting it up and the way it manifests. It is very intriguing and I am excited to see more of this system in the future.

The ending was everything! I love these characters so much, and I was so happy with the ending! It was everything I could have wanted it to be and it wrapped up the story beautifully!

My only complaint, and this is the most minor of complaints of all time, is that I have to wait a year for the next book! I love this world and these characters so much, and I am so excited for Caladen’s story!

Charmed Beast is a fantastic Beauty and the Beast and Cinderella retelling with amazing characters, a sweet romance, and an intriguing magic system! This book brought me so much joy and I highly recommend reading it!

Charmed Beast is releasing on September 3, 2026.