The people of Orléans are born with grey skin and red eyes, cursed – according to legend – by the God of Sky to eventual madness. In every generation a group of Belles are born, young women who have the power to change how people look and how they act. Trained from an early age, their sixteenth birthday sees them entering service to the Queen, earning big money granting the wishes of the world’s richest people. Camellia Beauregard is one such Belle. Named as the Queen’s favourite following the disgrace of her most beloved sister, Camille finds herself caught in the midst of a titanic struggle, the Queen and her comatose daughter on one side and the demanding Princess Sophia on the other, generations of rules and customs the only thing standing between her and exile or death.

It’s safe to say that Dhonielle Clayton’s latest novel, The Belles, is not my usual cup of tea, but there was something about the story outlined in the book’s blurb that drew me to it, and made me want to visit the world of Orléans. Clayton has created a beautiful, opulent world and peopled it with a cast of oddballs and eccentrics whose very lives are driven by the ideal of beauty, regardless of how deep, or otherwise, it may go. At the centre of the story is Camellia – Camille – Beauregard and her five Belle sisters, who we meet as they are introduced to society and given their assignments by the Queen. The coveted post, that of “favourite”, will eventually come to Camille, though she finds herself in one of the lowlier posts first, which gives Clayton the opportunity to tease us with half-glimpsed secrets that are obviously kept from the Belles as they grow up and train for this honour.

As the favourite, Camille finds herself in direct contact with Princess Sophia, a spoilt young woman whose actions ask the perennial question: in a world where beauty can be bought for any price, how does one stand out from everyone else? It soon becomes apparent that Sophia knows more of the Belles’ secrets than anyone is comfortable with, and a short hop from there to the realisation that she is completely unhinged. While Camille attempts to stay on the right side of the young princess, she discovers that the Queen is interested in more than just her ability to make people beautiful, asking of the young woman something that will not only put her life at risk, but will also go against everything that she has been taught.

Clayton’s creation is certainly attention-grabbing. It’s a fantasy novel with steampunkish notions and a distinctly dystopian feel. There’s a dark edge to the story, not only in the guise of Sophia and her madness, but also in the conceit at the story’s heart: the ability to buy beauty, and for beauty to be the defining feature of the inhabitants of this world. In a world where the laws concerning how one can look are more important than those governing one’s actions, the Belles are treated almost as gods, their continued existence the only thing keeping the world of Orléans going and, more importantly, the only thing allowing the haves to stand out from the have-nots. In the end, the moral of Clayton’s story is a simple – and obvious – one: true beauty lies not in how we look, but in how we treat those around us.

To say I’m pleasantly surprised by The Belles would be an understatement. There’s a lot more going on than the gaudy, girlish cover might suggest, a dark and substantial core at the story’s heart that takes the reader by surprise, and carries them onward. The first book in a proposed series, it spends much time on world-building and character development, promising much meatier fodder for future volumes. But there’s enough here to satisfy, and to ensure that the reader will come back for more. It’s worth a brief trip out of your comfort zone if for no other reason than Dhonielle Clayton has a way with words that verges on the magical. I’ll definitely be along for the next book in the series, and hope more people will look beyond the façade of The Belles to the engaging fairy tale that lies within.

This book put me through my emotions. I really enjoyed this book and found it was quite quick to read once i got into it. The concept of this book i was really intrigued in with the belles being able to change people whether it be their physical appeareance or their manners, it was something i havent seen before in books so it was something new to read. I liked how each belle had their own personalitiy and i love the main character Camellia. What shined for me with her was that she didnt play by the rules and she was willing to not follow them for the good. Her character development was great and i like who she was by the end. There was a bit of a love triangle but i like that romance wasnt a big part in this book even though it was there. I definitley have my prefernce of love interest and im glad he kind of came out on top at the end. Right back to my emotions. There were some characters that made me so mad in this book with their personailty and who they were and i just wanted to jump into the pages and punch them. The main one being the princess sophia, she was just horrible and cruel, there are no other words to describe her. The queen to begin with also made me cross but come the end i grew to like her when i began to understand why she was doing what she was doing.
Content warning: minor fat shaming, negative LGBTQIA+ tropes, torture of humans and animals, unhealthy beauty standards.

This book was something I was super excited about because I knew it was set in New Orleans and it had an interesting storyline however when I started to read it I was just not in the mood for a book like this and because of that it felt like the book was going slow for me so I did put it down so I feel I can't rate this properly.

Dazzling, feminist, and enthralling!! I could not put this book down. Everything about the world is completely spellbinding and original. I felt happy, horrified, hopeful, and was left desperately wanting book 2!

Thank you for the opportunity to read this book for review consideration. I have very mixed feelings about it having read it and as such will not be reviewing it.

Why did I pick it?
I went through a stage of reading lots of books which I thought were similar to this, The Selection series by Kiera Cass and The Lone City series by Amy Ewing being the two that come to mind. But there was something about the books synopsis which made me think this might be a little different.

What I loved about it
I was right to think this would be different. It has all the usual elements, the competition, the ranked society; but it also had a darker undertone. The way in which “beauty” is bought and traded by those with the money and influence to do so may sound ridiculous, but often the storyline wasn’t that far from today’s influencer society and this made elements of it all the more disturbingly close to reality for me.

The setting for the story was also a highlight, rich in detail and description it really helped you visualise the world that Camellia lives in. The world it created in my mind was rich, quirky and if I’m honest, not unlike The Capitol in The Hunger Games, with perhaps more of a French Quarter feel.

After the initial scene setting and introductions the storyline takes on a bit of a mystery and I loved how this evolved throughout the book and Camellia starts to learn the true purpose of The Belles in Orléans. I’m a sucker for any kind of mystery and this certainly turned it into a real page turner for me.

What I loathed about it
If I was to pick at anything it would be the ending. Maybe I read far too many of the genre recently but the twists and reveals you could spot a mile away so after the early mystery it lost a bit of momentum. Saying this it ends on enough of a cliffhanger that I wouldn’t hesitate to pick up the next book in the series when it’s released in March this year.

Thoughts
A rich and descriptive world with enough mystery and intrigue to make it impossible for you to put down until you’ve finished the last page.

I will no longer be reading nor reviewing this title following actions of the author online which seriously offended both me, and other bloggers, and I no longer wish to support her, or this title.

I didn’t manage to download before it was archived so I will not be giving a review for this title.
EDIT: Also since writing that, I've come across some of Dhonielle's rants on Twitter and I just didn't feel comfortable reading and reviewing this title anyway as I felt that the author may be very negative about it.

A book with a unique premise that had me hooked far more than I expected it wouid. Clayton's writing is engaging. I enjoyed the characters and the journey they went on.

This is a book with a lot of hype around it so I will confess I was a little nervous going in particularly when it didn't immediately grab me in the way it seemed to do so many others. There have been a number of reviews saying how they loved it from the very first page and how it hooked them straight away but I'm afraid that didn't really happen for me. It may just have been the mood I was in but while the world Clayton creates is vivid and beautiful there was something very cold and a little superficial about it.

I'm not sure this was helped by my inability to connect with main character Camellia or if I'm honest with any of the Belles in the beginning. This obsession with beauty and their need to be the best at creating it so they can land the coveted spot as favorite really rubbed me the wrong way. And Camellia, who claims to love her "sisters" so much and want the best for them comes across as the most ruthlessly ambitious of them all.

First impressions are however not always correct and appearances aren't always what they seem, and in this book nothing is truly what it seems. With every character presenting the face they want the world to see (literally) it's difficult to tell who anyone really is and it soon becomes clear that life in the palace is not exactly what Camellia thought it would be. She's promised a new and exciting life but instead finds herself worked to exhaustion, under constant scrutiny from the press who're on the hunt for a scandal and caught up in a political power play that could put her life in danger. Add to this the fact that her most important customer is an evil tyrant and a bully (with a pretty face) and there's something she's not being told about how the Belles came to be and what happens to them when they're no longer able to work and you have a very intriguing and engaging story.

There are more than a few twists and turns in this story, some I predicted some I did not, and once it got going I found it an incredibly addictive read. I may not have liked Camellia initially and having finished it I'm still not sure I do (she frustrated me too much) but I did like the way her character developed over the story and I loved the way certain relationships developed and changed. There were a couple of characters who surprised me in the best possible way and a couple I wish the author had developed a little bit further. I do however love a real villain and this story definitely has some truly evil ones (if you're going to be bad be really bad, I think).

It is the first in a series and I feel like I should warn you it does leave you hanging at the end (I'm gonna have to read the next book aren't I) but it's a great story and I think the next one just might be even better.

I received a copy from Netgalley.

I read this book twice in a relatively short few months space of time and even after two reads I’m still unsure how I feel about it. This is one of those uber hyped books that I saw all over my Twitter feed and Goodreads. Needless to say it very high up on my highly anticipated reads.

So I was very excited when my review request was approved. Only to find that…I wasn’t blown away by it as I had hoped. There was something about the world building that made me very uncomfortable, and I didn’t particularly like the main character much. I found her annoying and childish, the villain cartoony and the barely there romance was completely unnecessary in my opinion.

I didn’t feel comfortable reviewing after the first time I read it since I couldn’t put enough thoughts together on whether or not I really liked the book or not. I did wind up buying a finished copy (cover love among reasons) and reading it again a few months later. It’s still taken me months later to finally put a review together.

The novel is set in a fictional kingdom where above all else beauty is the most prized thing in the world. There’s a really interesting origins story at the start of the novel explaining about the Goddess of Beauty and her spurned jealous husband and how the people of the kingdom came to be, and how they were all born grey and ugly. As a gift to the people the Goddess created Belles, who have the power to make people beautiful. Belles are born into each generation. They are revered and worshipped, when the Belles reach sixteen they are presented to society, and Royal Court. In each generation of Belles one is announced as a Favourite and she works at the Palace for the Royals.

In this generation, there are 6 Belles we meet on the eve of their presentation into Society. The heroine, Camellia yearns to be chosen as Favourite. It’s all very opulent and glamorous. The excitement is evident in the writing. One thing I really liked was how close all the Belle girls were, they were sisters who adored and loved each other – no obvious dislike or rivalry. They’ve grown up together, learned their gifts together, and support each other. There’s arguments of course, it’s not all harmonious, but the camaraderie between the girls was lovely.

Once the Belles make their debut, votes are cast and the Favourite is announced. Not the result anyone expected, the girls are sent to different Tea Houses where they will perform their services. Belle services are highly prized, and the girls live in extravagant luxury. However, there are very strict rules they must live by – one is they are not to be alone with a male outside of beauty appointments. They cannot fall in love. Yet in a brief moment of weakness when Camellia is caught alone – she finds herself talking to a handsome young man. Someone she finds herself meeting again and again at odd moments. Feelings start to develop.

I think it’s supposed to hint at Camellia’s curiosity – she’s never been alone with a boy before, there’s new emotions to explore. The banter between them is amusing, the boy, Auguste, is quick witted, handsome and appears intelligent. He’s bringing out new ideas in Camellia she’s never thought about. To this reader, it was eye rolling, annoying and unnecessary. She finds herself rather lose lipped about him as well. Things she’s not supposed to tell anyone have a strange habit of spilling past her lips before she can stop herself.

While the world building is certainly glamorous, rich and elegant, and with hints of some fancy technology mixing in with the fantasy setting there was something very uncomfortable about it, at least in my opinion. I just couldn’t get on board with a society that is just obsessed with looks. People go to Belles to get themselves beautified anyway they want – though there are trends and rules and endless amounts of Belle products to make the client’s beauty dream come true. Though it appears Belle treatments are not without pain. People don’t seem to care. Though I must admit – if I had the option of a Belle – hell, I would probably take it.

Camellia settles into her own new routine, she’s worked very hard. Though she learns things in the new tea house she’s assigned to. There’s secrets about the Belles from the generations before her, she hears strange crying in the night and no one will answer her questions. One thing I liked about Camellia was she didn’t take things at face value – she asks questions, she investigates when things are off and she doesn’t let things drop. She’s definitely strong willed and inquisitive. On the other hand though, she’s very rash and impulsive, also bull headed and stubborn. Normally impulsive and stubborn is a trait I admire in my heroines, but there were some of Camellia’s actions that just irritated the hell out of me and came across as childish more than anything. After all, she has lived a very sheltered life and probably doesn’t know how to control herself in certain situations.

Something else about the Belles also bothered me – even though they have the most sort after gifts in the kingdom, their power is beholden by everyone – even Royalty doesn’t have the magic the bells do. Yet the Belles are not…free. They live their lives according to the strict rules set out by others – they are not allowed to use their magic as they see fit. They are worked until they are exhausted. They don’t get to make their own choices in a lot of things. Services are bought and paid for. They may live in the lap of luxury but it seems to come at a price. And as the plot progresses, some of this seems to sink into Camellia. Is being a Belle really all it’s cracked up to be?

Things for Camellia change and she finds herself voted the new Favourite and shipped off to the palace to work for the Royal family – the Queen and her daughter, Princess Sophia. The Queen is getting ready to announce her Royal Heir – the oldest daughter – Princess Charlotte has been in a coma for several years. No one knows why and no one knows what causes it. Torn between the desire to be the best Favourite she can be and the burning questions about what happened to the previous Favourite, Camellia finds herself getting to grips with the pressures of living in the Palace. Princess Sophia appears to be rebellious and rule breaking – she can be very very generous – but she can be a viper.

There are more mysteries and the Queen has a special mission for Camellia regarding saving Princess Charlotte. Princess Sophia is to be announced as Heir if Charlotte can’t be woken, and no one wants Sophia as Queen – she’s manipulative and cruel to an almost cartoon villain level of giddy evilness, and her crowd of Ladies in Waiting and court friends are forced to go along with her, no matter how mean or awful. They are punished terribly if not.

Nothing is simple and there’s more mysteries to solve. And it doesn’t help matters when the truth about who Auguste really is comes to light as well. The more Camellia learns about Sophia the more horrified she becomes. The mystery of Princess Charlotte is begging to be solved as well – I certainly have my theories about that one! More questions, hardly any answered. And Camellia is not the only Belle who has been digging into things.

Things take a bad turn before the end. The plot is a little slow in the middle but picks up towards the end.

There’s also a really interesting author’s note about the end which explains a little bit about the inspiration behind the story and helped tremendously in making sense of the fact that the world building made me so uncomfortable. I understand a lot more now about the overall message behind the book.

I can’t say even after two reads I particularly liked this book, but I am very interested to see where this is going to go story wise. Camellia irritated me a lot throughout the book but she did show enough growth over all that I want to know what happens next.

Thank you to Netgalley and Orion Publishing Group for approving my request to view the title.

THIS BOOK! THIS FANTASTIC BOOK! Hands down of the best fantasy novels ever, it is gripping from start to finish.. This is a book for everyone it makes you think about the concept of beauty while pulling you along on Camille's journey full of plot twists. I will be recommending this book to everyone I come across. This needs to be on your tbr right at the top!

The Belles was yet another book that was on my YALC TBR pile. I was in such a massive reading mood during July because of how many books I needed to read for YALC. I had my apprehensions about this book because I'd heard so many mixed things, but I really wanted to get my book signed by Dhonielle, so I decided to take the plunge and start reading.

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 grey, 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 favourite 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.

I have very mixed feelings about this book... On one hand, I thoroughly enjoyed it, but then there are also definite flaws that are very very prominent. So I'm going to try my very best to voice these opinions as best as I can.



“Dreams remind us of who we are and how we feel about the things around us.”

― Dhonielle Clayton, The Belles



If you follow me on Goodreads, you will know that quite a lot of the updates that I put whilst reading the beginning of this book was me stating that it was boring and that the characters were unlikeable. Camellia was our main character and honestly? She was just terrible at first. She was so uptight and up her own arse, and she had a crazy superiority complex. Throughout the beginning of the book, all we heard off of Camellia was how amazing she is and how much she deserved to be crowned the favourite by the Queen. I just have the feeling that if she was a real person, I wouldn't like her that much. Because of the protagonist being boring, the start of the book ended up being very slow and tedious. It took about 100 pages for the book to properly kick off and for the mysteries to finally present themselves to the reader.

Just before I go onto the positives of the book, I would like to point out that there are a few reviews of The Belles that state that the book uses the trope of 'burying your gays'. Elise at the Bookish Actress talks about the trope of burying your gays in a very detailed blog post that I suggest reading. There were several times that Clayton could have driven the plot by building upon the lesbian/bisexual characters that were in the book. There were the Queen and her female lover, there was also Sophia's lady-in-waiting who had a secret love affair with another female servant, and then there was also a mention of Sophia taking a female lover. However, as you can see, these characters were all side characters and were either mad or ended up being killed. This is just SO annoying and hurtful. It's 2018. When are we going to get a CORRECT and not-harmful representation of lesbians, gay people and bisexual individuals? It's not that hard to create a character who is queer, and it's not hard to make that representation unharmful.



“Be the best without trying to be better than the others.”

― Dhonielle Clayton, The Belles



Now onto the positives...

For me, the second half of the book was SO MUCH better than the first half. in the second half, Clayton went further into the mysteries (which, in the end, had me completely hooked!) and I had so many questions about what was going on. Luckily, most of these questions were answered by the end of the novel, and I'm guessing that the rest of the loose ends are going to be wrapped up in the next (and final) book of the duology.

I also really enjoyed how the book explored the darker sides of wanting to be beautiful. Clayton said that this book was born out of her own insecurities, and she put all of her anxiety about how she looked into this book, and it's definitely apparent when reading. During the novel, we actually see parents treat their children as dolls. They pay Belles to change how their children look, just so that they can gain social status. It's horrifying. It's scary, but you just have to look at today's society to realise that the world of The Belles isn't really that far off from reality.

I think - and please correct me if I've read completely wrong into this - that Clayton has hidden messages about slavery throughout this novel. The Belles aren't seen as people, they are used for the needs of the upper class, and even though Belles are given food, nice clothes, and a place to sleep, it doesn't mean that they are technically treated like slaves to the hierarchy. Like I said, if I've read into this in the wrong way, please let me know. It's just something that captured my attention whilst I was reading it, and I meant to bring it up to Dhonielle when I met her at YALC, to ask her if I was correct, but I completely forgot...



“You have to decide for yourself. It is you who must live with the outcome.”

― Dhonielle Clayton, The Belles



Other bits worth mentioning:

- The love interest in this book was ridiculous. There was no chemistry between them and it was just annoying.
- The people who lived in Orléans seemed EXACTLY like the people from The Capital from The Hunger Games.
- The Belle’s recovery grossed me out - LEECHES???!!

I think I'm going to read the next book... I think... I'm hoping that Clayton sorts out the whole 'bury your gays' trope, and I hope that she wraps up the rest of loose ends. I did really like the writing in the second half of the novel, and I really did love the mysteries that were portrayed to us... So maybe... Overall, this was a very enjoyable book. It took me a few days to read, and even though there are definitely problematic elements of the novel, it's entertaining.

Trigger warning: an attempt at sexual assault

Disclaimer: this book was sent to me by the publisher in exchange for an honest review

The Belles was a book that had been on my radar for the longest time. A lot of people were interested in it and raving about it and so was. I really enjoyed The Belles as it was an in-depth look at how the world sees the beauty which is so important today.

The Belles plot is definitely interesting and I really was not expecting the plot of the book when I first started reading it. This is obviously not a bad thing and I was definitely intrigued by it. It also did not go in the direction that I was expecting and there were some smaller twists that I found quite unique and unexpected to some extent.

The Belles also deals a lot with beauty and after reading the letter featured in the book I understood how this was really important to Clayton. I do feel like this is really obvious if you go in looking for it which I was also this was one of the key reasons why I kept reading and enjoyed it so much. I also feel like the book can be seen in a way that doesn't take this into account which is good for anyone who doesn't want a message book. It can just be seen as a book that is a fantasy where girls can help beauty.

The characters were often what I problems I had with this book. I often found the characters quite one dimension and especially found her sisters were not developed at all which I didn't really enjoy. As the main character I often also found her quite disposable and there was something that I couldn't connect to.

I feel like although The Belles is a really interesting concept, in general, there was something in general that I just couldn't connect to. I feel like this was just me and that if you do want to read this book then you will probably really like it. It was just the wrong time for me.

The Verdict:

The Belles is a really interesting and unique read that deals with beauty but just did not connect with me but could really interest you.

Wasn’t my favourite YA fantasy I’ve read in the last while. The concept and the world were interesting but I felt like it was too long and drawn out and like I never truly became in invested in the story. Because I like Dhonielle Clayton’s previous books, I’ll likely give the sequel a chance.

This was just too slow for me, and the long & focussed look at physical appearance, beauty and clothes turned me off early in the work. I really wanted to like it, but I didn't, and wouldn't recommend it.

Growing up we all loved Disney, if you didn't maybe you lived under a rock. Its one of the few experiences that still sticks with us. We remember the fantasy and the drama, the colourful characters and the happy endings. You wanted to be the prince or princess, maybe you wanted to be the Genie or Maleficent and I'm OK with that. For me The Belles reads like a Disney film that pushes the moral lines into the adult world. As we grew up we saw behind the fantasy, that happy ever afters don't always come when we want them or the way we want them and that read across the pages of The Belles.

It was a very sensorial journey. From the colours and descriptions, the sounds and the smells, of flowers and food that built up this world so vividly. It all felt very fantastical and this mixed well into it the central crux of the book...

The ideals of beauty and the lengths that people will go to achieve them. "Her eyes glaze over with tears. "I'd do anything to be beautiful"". How many times have you looked in a mirror and thought ugh, today is not my day, or joked with friends about what you could change if you could. Except in a lot of us these fear and feelings are much deeper rooted and in a world where technology is continually developing and making more things than ever before possibly the question of if you could would you becomes even more plausible. Here the girls will change themselves at cost of pound and pain to continually change themselves to the newest and best styles, whether this be in the image of the ladies of society or what the papers say. And with a lack of control whether it be through necessity or social conformity. This was a really interesting exploration here and you wanted to shout at the book. To top this off, beauty is defined and administered by unchanging ideals of perfection - The Belles, who aren't subject to the same rules but who are made, controlled and thus defined by their birth given roles.

As idealistic as the life of a Belle seems, you quickly see the price that it comes at and the cracks that quickly spread when the ideal is shattered. Its like going from uni into the real life and never really being prepared. It was this journey that Camellia takes and we take through her. She was a very relateable character, flaws and all. I could see in her, and indeed in Amber as well, that longing and yearning to be the best, to want to achieve and to want to be validated. There was also this fire in her to want to find out the truth, want to break the rules and do things her way with intuition. That is unless you've got a PSYCHOPATHIC princess in you path. Sophia was crazy, but strangely I kinda liked her. She needs a good slap alright and you definitely wouldn't want to cross her, but she gave you that passion of hate, the grit and spice that kept the book flowing.

For whatever reason I thought this was a standalone, so the end felt to me a little rushed, but then you know that there's greater things to come, and the mind wonders, awaiting the adventures ahead because shizzle is going to GO DOWN and I want to know how.

3.5 stars

In the world of Orleans, beauty is the most important thing. The people of Orleans are born with grey skin, red eyes and straw-like hair, but there are the Belles who can transform people to make them beautiful.
Camellia Beauregard is a Belle. She and her sisters have been training for years and now the time has come for the Queen to decide which of them will become the favourite Belle. The favourite will live at the royal palace and attend to the royal family. Camellia wants to be the favourite more than anything.
As events unfold, Camellia learns that things at the palace are more dangerous than they seem, and that being the favourite might not be such a good thing after all.

When I think of The Belles, cakes and dresses spring to mind. However, there's a lot more to the Belles than those two things!
I liked Camellia. I felt sorry for her when things didn't turn out the way she thought they would. She was maybe a little naive, but given how she had been brought up I thought that was understandable.
I enjoyed the plot. There were several things that I didn't see coming, but I did have a feeling that there was more to a certain character than there seemed.
I did feel that some aspects could have been expanded on a lot more. I'm left with a lot of questions. For example, in The Belles, there are things called teacup animals. The only description that I can remember reading is that they're small. So are they called teacup animals because they fit inside of a teacup? What are they made of? I imagined them as being porcelain. I thought they were a cute idea though.
I loved the concept of post-balloons. Some of the technology was almost steampunk at times.
The way that the people of Orleans were willing to go through so much pain to be beautiful was a bit scary, but I imagine that happens in real life sometimes.
Some of the descriptions were almost magical at times. I found the writing style easy to follow and it made me want to read on.
I'm definitely planning to read the sequel as I want to see what happens next and I'm hoping we'll learn more about Orleans and the Belles.

Overall this was an enjoyable read.

Could have been an okay book were it not for the blatant Kill Your Gays trope at the end. For a black author who seemingly cares about representation, this is a bit too much in the "nope" zone.

An interesting concept but I feel it lacked a little in execution. I'm not sure if the version I read was the final edit but it felt like there were continuity issues in places which took me right out of the story. Which is a shame as it is a brilliant concept and there were flashes of a brilliant book in there