One of The Belles‘ strongest aspects is its writing style. The writing is opulent, seductive, and decadent. It was a touch too flowery at times, in my opinion, but overall it was intriguing and distinct. I nearly thought I may acquire a cavity from reading it since it is so sweet and full of thorough descriptions of vivid and sugary images. The pacing did seem to be fairly sluggish at first, in my opinion. It dragged a little at first since there was so much in this magical world to build up, but the pace sped up once the story picked up and more important events started happening.
The world is full of unique people. A group of ladies known as the Belles restore beauty to the kingdom of Orleans in this fantasy New Orleans where people are born grey. Color is beauty, and it changes as quickly as any other fashion trend even if there is no current idea of race or racial conflicts. It offered a unique perspective on the numerous discussions on equality that are now taking place. Regarding the Belles, I did find it difficult to fully comprehend how their magic operates at first, but at the conclusion of the novel, it felt well developed, and I am eager to see how their abilities evolve more in the upcoming volumes.
I liked reading The Belles in general. This book is for you if you want a playful yet grim fantasy read.
By Teen Reviewer, Maheen