Wolf’s Beautiful Beast by Suzanna Lynn
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Lycus is a werewolf, he was cursed to live  this life by a witch and for 18 years he was a man by day and a wolf by night, all to protect the girl in the tower called Rapunzel, but all that changed the day that Red, a girl living near the cursed woods and the only one brave enough to hunt in there despite the woods, came along and rescued Rapunzel and vows to help her return to her home in Oz.

This is how the three unlikely allies and friends end up leaving all they have known all or most of their lives and Red leaving her last living relative behind to board a ship heading to Brackengulch, however the journey is not going smoothly when they are hit by a terrible storm and shipwrecked. Fortunately Lycus is able to transform into his wolf and swim to safety with the two girls in his back, but although they are back on land, they’re not safe as they are told that they have landed in the Kingdom of Bruen, the ones who cut off the cursed Blakx forest in order to save themselves.

They are politely questioned by a soldier who knows about the shipwreck and as they try to warm up in a local tavern, it is announced that they have been invited up to the castle as the King and Queen’s guests, this is not wholly welcomed, but it is grudgingly accepted. While they are travelling in the horse drawn covered wagon, they briefly look out of the wagon to see what the Kingdom is like and all they see are wary subjects and threats are given freely to anyone when things are discussed which should not be, but try as they might they get no more answers apart from there is a curfew at sunset because the dark is dangerous. They eventually arrive at the castle and are offered rooms to freshen up in, clean clothes and an invitation to dine with the King and Queen that evening, but Lycus manages to upset the King with a careless question, which is unexpected as it is normally Red who would do something that, especially with her grave dislike of the royalty and kingdom in question. After dinner they return to their rooms where Lycus talk with his serving boy and asks him for more information about why the villagers are scared and what of and although he gets answers, they just being more question, but manages to get some time with Red and Rapunzel so they can discuss these facts in relative secrecy, followed by Lycus slipping out of the castle to see what he can find out on his own, but he runs into more trouble and ends up having to join in a hunt for this “Beast” everyone is scared of, or his sisters as they have been assumed to be, will be imprisoned.

Will Lycus be able to play his part in the hunt and ensure that Red and Rapunzel are allowed to remain free, or will he find that his inner beast finds a kindred spirit when he is captured by the beast and will this make his choice between his friends and a princess be his downfall? This is another fantastic retelling of an untold story which keeps you just as interested in finding out the differences between them.

Review by @roxsannel

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