Beautiful Audiobook By Juliet Marillier cover art

Beautiful

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Beautiful

By: Juliet Marillier
Narrated by: Gemma Dawson
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About this listen

With the Nordic fairy tale East of the Sun and West of the Moon as her inspiration, Juliet Marillier weaves a magical story of a young princess’ search for her true self.

Hulde is a queen’s daughter and lives in a palace. But her life is lonely. Growing up atop the glass mountain, she knows only her violent and autocratic mother and a household of terrified servants.

Then a white bear named Rune comes to visit, and Hulde learns what kindness is.

But the queen has a plan for Hulde. When she turns 16, she will wed the most beautiful man in all the world. Hulde has never met her intended husband, and her mother refuses to explain the arrangement. Hulde becomes desperate to find out more and seeks the help of a magic mirror. Perhaps someone is coming to her rescue.

On her wedding day, Hulde’s existence is turned upside down. For the first time she leaves the glass mountain behind, setting out to be as brave as the heroines in her beloved storybook.

The journey will test Hulde to the limit. Can she overcome her fears and take control of her own life?

©2019 Juliet Marillier (P)2019 Audible Originals, LLC.
Classics Fantasy Fiction Magic Feel-Good Royalty
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Featured Article: 16 of the Best Fantasy Authors Ever


There is no feeling quite like falling in love with a great fantasy listen, doing a little digging, and joyfully discovering that the author has an extensive catalog of audiobooks for you to dive right into. Fantasy as a genre is particularly blessed with a wealth of diverse authors writing all different kinds of stories. From classic epics to standalone novels that were published in the last few years, it's the perfect genre for losing yourself in a full day’s worth of listening. These brilliant fantasy authors will transport you to another world—whether a parallel universe or a post-apocalyptic version of Earth.

Editor's Pick

A Norwegian fairy tale transformed by two huge talents
"You don’t need to know East of the Sun, West of the Moon to enjoy Beautiful, but listeners who remember the fairy tale will appreciate the twist at the beginning of this Audible Original. The plot twist sends the tale spinning in a new—and deeper—direction. With the glass mountain (and other realms), Juliet Marillier—as she did in her Sevenwaters series—creates a world of simple rules but emotional complexity in Beautiful. Gemma Dawson’s artistry brings Hulde to life as a sympathetic heroine." —Christina H., Audible Editor

Unique Fairytale Retelling • Beautiful Writing Style • Excellent Narration • Unexpected Plot Twists • Beautiful Performance
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The text is beautiful and the approach is unique, which is what you expect from this author. I liked the story. it has a meandering quality, but I liked that approach because it was basically a journey of self discovery from a girl who had a very sheltered life. Any other approach wouldn't have worked so well. I found myself hoping that the main character would not have such a harsh experience on her journey that would ruin her beautiful soul that was so naturally kind and caring and willing to believe in the goodness of others. A worthwhile listen if you want something uplifting and not very intense.

If you like Marillier, you'll like this book.

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Juliet Marillier is my favorite author. When I found out that she had released a new book that was only available on Audible, I just had to find a way to listen to it. This book is not at all what I expected. Part I is like a fairy tale and gives the feeling that it could have been written as a stand-alone short story at its conclusion. It reads like a book that could be read to children, especially with all the repetition in the language. After reading Parts II and III, it became clear that it would be better classified as a Young Adult novel, as there are more mature themes in these sections. Overall, I was not a fan of the narrator, and I was not much a fan of the tale. It seems underdeveloped and predictable in comparison to her other works. I really tried to like this book, but there was nothing about it (save for a bit of magic at the end) that I enjoyed. Even so, I will continue to read everything she publishes, for each one of her books brings a little magic into my own life.

This review pains me.

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This is the first novel I’ve read/listened to by this author. I was not disappointed. This book doesn’t just take you from the beginning, but far past where you think would be. I didn’t know nor had I heard of the “East of the sun west of the moon”, but I had seen as a child the movie “the Polar Bear King” which apparently is based of that same folk tale. I like the twist Marillier puts on this. Not only is it a road of discovery of self, but of a kingdom, and of the world. The story doesn’t end with the couple riding off into the sunset, but of the princess who was used, the betrayal by almost all she thought she could trust or love. The main character Huldu drove me crazy, but I had to keep reminding myself that it’s her mothers fault. She’s very naive, almost too innocent, but thankfully she gains friends, survives trials and tribulations, and learns to be a queen both loved and adored.

A twist on old tales

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I am a storyteller, lover of stories and especially fairytales. I love taking old tales and delving deeper into the old story and reimagining what would happen next. Juliet Marillier took the tale of East of the Sun-and West of the Moon and imagined what happened to those left behind. Every detail, every character and every part of this story is and was beautiful. Listen to this and fall in love with the tale.

Definitely Beautiful

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Having listened to the Sevenwaters series and the Blackthorn and Grim series, I found this a story a little simplistic.

Not her most sophisticated work

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It was a little difficult to get into and at first I thought the narrators voice choice odd, but once I learned more about the characters it made sense.

Beautiful story

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The story was so riveting that I could not stop listening. It was heartfelt, and beautifully written.

Love this beautiful journey

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this book was riveting to the end. Juliet, you've certainly done it once again! well done!

shedding a good light on polyamory

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I’m a fan of Juliet Marillier, and this little book was one of my favorites. It’s a different look at a classic story and a fun twist in perspective. My husband and I listened to the whole thing on a long car ride and we’re thoroughly entertained!

Loved it!

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I really enjoyed this little book. It was a cute story. Quite traditional as far as modern fairy tales. The performance was the best part by far. I got a little lost in a couple places but not enough to ruin it for me. I give it 4 stars because the ending was pretty darn cute. Wish it had a tiny more umph to the story though. Just a little something more.

A little scrambled but still a worthy listen

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