*"With wonderfully descriptive language, Clayton builds a grand and
lavish world, carefully chipping away at the veneer to reveal its dark,
sinister interior... A refreshingly original concept, this substantial
fantasy...is an undeniable page-turner." --Kirkus Reviews, starred
review
A twisted world. A beautiful power.
Camellia Beauregard is a Belle. In the opulent world of Orléans, Belles
are revered, for they control Beauty, and Beauty is a commodity coveted
above all else. In Orléans, the people are born gray, they are born
damned, and only with the help of a Belle and her talents can they
transform and be made beautiful.
But it's not enough for Camellia to be just a Belle. She wants to be the
favorite--the Belle chosen by the Queen of Orléans to live in the royal
palace, to tend to the royal family and their court, to be recognized as
the most talented Belle in the land.
But once Camellia and her Belle sisters arrive at court, it becomes
clear that being the favorite is not everything she always dreamed it
would be. Behind the gilded palace walls live dark secrets, and Camellia
soon learns that the very essence of her existence is a lie--that her
powers are far greater, and could be more dangerous, than she ever
imagined. And when the queen asks Camellia to risk her own life and help
the ailing princess by using Belle powers in unintended ways, Camellia
now faces an impossible decision.
With the future of Orléans and its people at stake, Camellia must
decide: save herself and her sisters and the way of the Belles, or
resuscitate the princess, risk her own life, and change the ways of her
world forever.
