A Ruin of Roses

Set in an alternative fantasy world populated by shifters (beings that change between human and animal forms), demons, and other supernatural creatures, A Ruin of Roses retells Gabrielle-Suzanna Barbot De Villeneuve’s classic tale Beauty and the Beast through a modern lens. Originally published in 1740, Beauty and the Beast has been retold countless times across several mediums, most famously as an animated Disney movie and a later live-action remake. A Ruin of Roses borrows heavily from both the Disney versions and the original tale while expanding to make political intrigue, personal trauma, and the exploration of relationships a central part of Breene’s narrative. As in both the original and Disney versions of the story, a girl from a poor village ventures forth to help her father, only to be imprisoned by an ill-tempered beast in an enchanted castle where she is cut off from the world. Here, similarities to the original tale wane as Breene borrows from the Disney version to make Finley a book-loving outcast in her village who longs for a better life. Breene expands upon