Kill the Beast was marketed as The Witcher meets Howl’s Moving Castle so of course I had to read it. I had no other choice!
This review was supposed to be published back in October when it released, but it got sidelined as my schedule filled up. I’m on break for the next couple weeks now, so it’s time to catch up on all the little tasks I’ve been putting off. Kill the Beast didn’t end up being exactly what I expected, and it subverts currently popular genre tropes. I think it will be a great read for those looking for something different in the fantasy genre.
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Title: Kill the Beast
Author: Serra Swift
Series: N/A
Genre: Fantasy
Publisher: Tor Books
Pages: 320
Audiobook length: 10 hrs 40 min
ISBN: 9781250373786
Content warnings: Blood, gore, murder, death of parent(s), suicide attempt(s), self-harm, abandonment, alcohol
Blurb
The Witcher meets Howl’s Moving Castle in this debut original faerie tale of revenge, redemption, and friendship―for fans of T. Kingfisher, Naomi Novik, and cozy fantasy with a dash of gritty adventure.
The night Lyssa Cadogan’s brother was murdered by a faerie-made monster known as the Beast, she made him a promise: she would find a way to destroy the immortal creature and avenge his death. For thirteen years, she has been hunting faeries and the abominations they created. But in all that time, the one Beast she is most desperate to find has never resurfaced.
Until she meets Alderic Casimir de Laurent, a melodramatic dandy with a coin purse bigger than his brain. Somehow, he has found the monster’s lair, and―even more surprising―retrieved one of its claws. A claw Lyssa needs in order to forge a sword that can kill the Beast.
When the witch Ragnhild decrees that Alderic and Lyssa must gather the other ingredients to forge the weapon together, or else the spell will fail, Lyssa gets more than she bargained for. Alderic is ill-equipped for the task at hand, and almost guaranteed to get himself killed.
But as the two of them search for the materials that will be the Beast’s undoing, Alderic reveals hidden depths: dark secrets that he guards as carefully as Lyssa guards hers. Before long, and against Lyssa’s better judgment, they begin to forge a blooming friendship―one that will either lead to the culmination of Lyssa’s quest for vengeance, or spell doom for them both.
Review of Kill the Beast
- Format: ebook
- Pacing: Fast
- Plot or character-driven: Plot
- POVs: Third person single POV
- Representation: Bisexual MC
Thank you to Netgalley and Tor for providing me with a free copy of the book in exchange for an honest review. This does not effect my opinion of the book.
I picked up Kill the Beast because it was inspired by two fantasy stories that I love: The Witcher and Howl’s Moving Castle, but the story turned out to be fairly unique. The two main characters, Lyssa and Alderich are unquestionably inspired by Howl and Geralt, but that’s where most of the similarities ended. Kill the Beast is an exciting, monster-hunting revenge story that centers strong friendships. I was reminded a bit of the Percy Jackson novels, which are full of fast-paced little quests that build up to a final battle.
It was interesting to read an adult fantasy novel (with no romance) that still read like a young adult adventure fantasy book. I actually really enjoy this style of stories, so it was fun to read one written for adults.
I was surprised by the emphasis on friendship in Kill the Beast, as I felt the two main characters were going to become romantically involved at any moment. It felt to me like “this could be a romance if we didn’t both have so much shit going on in our lives” which was an incredibly realistic take on relationships in fantasy. Kill the Beast would work well for readers who enjoy character driven stories with meaningful platonic relationships.
One thing that bothered me throughout reading the book, is the writing is very explicit about the characters’ thoughts, the meaning behind their actions, and the overall theme of the story. Other than the core mystery central to the plot, there was nothing left for me to pick up on my own as a reader.
Although most of the core themes are said explicitly, I loved the way the narrator was used to obscure major plot points. The story is told from the perspective of a mercenary with a single-minded focus on revenge, so she misses important clues to what’s going on around her. I love when an author uses the narrator’s limited perspective to change the plot of a story and add a little mystery. Although I picked up some hints, I was still surprised by the end of the book.
I think the ending to Kill the Beast was a perfect conclusion. It made up for a lot of my issue with the writing being a too explicit about the themes and narrator’s internal monologue.
I would recommend Kill the Beast to fans of fast-paced, adventurous fantasy books. This is a great read if you’re looking for creative characterization and a no-romance standalone fantasy story.
You’ll like this book if you enjoy…
- Action-packed monster hunting fantasy stories
- Character-focused narratives that center strong friendships
Where to find Kill the Beast:
Have you read Kill the Beast? Let’s chat in the comments!
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