Review: The Beauty of the Wolf by Wray Delaney

Lord Rodermere began writing the curse when he felled the first tree, yet he was only able to read it after half the forest had fallen. As the trees disappeared, Rodermere disturbed more than just the earth – the fury of the Sorceress was unleashed with each saw tooth. A faerie boy will be born to you, whose beauty will be your death. Though he scoffed at this proclamation, he is tempted in the forest by a beautiful maiden, and disappears. A decade later, his wife finds a basket containing the most beautiful baby boy she had ever seen, announced as her husband’s, yet the latter has never returned.

Later, as his wife is to marry anew, Lord Rodermere returns, and amid his arrogance lies the curse. The sorceress returns to witness the murder she foretold, and is unsettled to discover that Rodermere’s son, Beau, is far from the gorgeous but ghastly tool she predicted. Here lie grace, passion and humility, and intervention is necessary to install the murderous rage Beau needs for the task. Unaware of her plans, Beau is occupied by the arrival of Randa; an unseen voice he comes to call his little soul.

Cleverly representing modern themes against old-school artistry, The Beauty of the Wolf marries traditional fairy tales with modern fantasy, creating an impressive, polished story with depth and emotion. This ode to Beauty and the Beast is dark, seductive, and delicious – with prose akin to poetry and vivid and tenebrous imagery, this story is a feast for the imagination. It has added layers of depth, tension, and desperation that are impossible to imagine in the original fairy tale, making it more of an evolution from the story than a retelling. Nevertheless, it delights the inner child through wonder and magic – a dash of witchcraft, a hint of madness, a passionate affair, and a love that transcends form – what’s not to love?

The Beauty of the Wolf by Wray Delaney is published by HQ, an imprint of HarperCollins, and is available in South Africa from Jonathan Ball Publishers.