★★★★☆
Book: Fallen Beauty by Astrid Scholte
Rating: ★★★★☆ (4/5)
Source: NetGalley ARC
This was a lush, dark little fairytale of a book, and honestly, I ate up the concept immediately. Fallen Beauty has that gothic, wintery, slightly unhinged magic that makes a fantasy feel like it should be read by candlelight while wearing a fluffy murder robe, heeled slippers and jewels. We have a girl trapped in a tower, magical portraits, immortality, court secrets, a dangerous prince, and art that is beyond art. It’s a whole ethical nightmare. The world sucked me right in.
What worked best for me was the atmosphere. The whole book has this eerie, romantic, painted-in-shadow quality that made the world feel beautiful but also deeply wrong in the best way. Thorelea’s power is fascinating, and I loved the way the story tied art, beauty, control, and survival together. It gave me fairytale retelling energy without feeling like it was simply copy-pasting something familiar and putting a new dress on it.
That said, this was a four-star read for me because there were a few places where I wanted more depth. Some of the emotional beats and character dynamics had so much potential, but they did not always hit as hard as I wanted them to. I also found myself wanting a little more time with the darker edges of the world and the consequences of the magic. The setup was so strong that occasionally I was like, “Wait, come back, I wanted to emotionally spiral about that for three more pages.”
What worked for me:
– The concept felt fresh, gothic, and immediately compelling.
– The magical portrait element was so good and gave the book a really strong visual identity.
– The atmosphere was dark, wintery, romantic, and very easy to sink into.
– Thorelea’s power felt unique and tied beautifully to the themes of art, freedom, and control.
What didn’t fully work for me:
– Some emotional moments felt like they could have gone deeper.
– I wanted more development in a few of the relationships and character motivations.
– The world had so much potential that I occasionally wanted more detail and texture.
– A few scenes moved faster than I wanted, especially when the stakes were high.
– Basically this book could have easily been longer and kept me locked in.
Tropes and vibes:
Gothic fantasy
Dark fairytale
Forbidden-ish romance
Beauty with a body count energy
Who should read it:
Read this if you like dark fairytales, gothic fantasy, magical art, morally questionable royal courts, and romance that feels like it’s happening under the worst possible circumstances. Fallen Beauty is atmospheric, creative, and beautifully eerie, with a concept that immediately pulled me in. I wanted a little more depth in certain places, but I still really enjoyed the ride and would absolutely read more from Astrid Scholte. Four stars for the vibes, the portraits, and the deeply relatable fantasy problem of wanting freedom but accidentally getting tangled up with a prince.
