A Beautiful Disaster (2024)

So I marked the book I wrote as read because technically speaking, I did read it.
From a certain point of view, my logic works.

So I read my own book.... technically. I'm not going to rate it, but I am going to say-

that was a wild ride.

A thousand years is not that long ...
A thousand years is far too long.

A Beautiful Disaster is a very original fantasy story. It's fairly short, clocking in at around 40 pages, so it's really more of a novella/short-story (I'm not actually sure of the distinction here? Anybody actually know what counts as what? xD) than a full length novel.

Some bones that I have to pick with the smol thing:
- I'm finding out I don't actually like reading third person present tense that much?? xD I always thought I would love it but personally it doesn't actually work that well for me, which is saaad.
- It was so short! (a'ight i say this on literally every novella and shorter story but bear with me at least im consistent) The story arc felt complete but I personally I was hoping for more twists and turns along the way

Some things I must admire:
- The characters were lovellly. I think the third person present tense thing and my preference diminished this a bit but still, Wither was hilarious and epic (I need more of him xD), Aspin was completely smol and needs protecting, and I loved the relationship between Wither and Sliver.
- The world was fantasy (which I don't read enough of) and complex but didn't feel like everything was being info-dumped? Which I love. And I dislike about a lot of other fantasy. xD I really wish I knew more about the war and why that happened (why was the king so prejudiced that he'd assume his precious daughter was committing treason just on the sight of the Faeries? I feel a backstory here and I'm aching to know more) but I loved the differences between the Pyxies and the Faeries (the eye color thing was cool)

Overall, it was a fairly sweet and simple story. I was hoping for something a little more complex, personally, and I really wish that my brain actually liked third person present tense like I thought it would, but I really enjoyed it! :D

A Beautiful Disaster is by Daisy Paquet.

An interesting and unique fantasy story by my good friend Daisy. It was a pleasure to beta-read. Review to come when published!

3.5 stars

MY STAR RATING:

5 stars - Books that blew my mind and that I'll definitely reread/recommend.

4 stars - Not quite as mind-blowing as my favorite books, but still worthy of a reread.

3 stars - Pretty good books that I enjoyed but aren't in my list of top favorites. May reread.

2 stars - Books that are anything but great, but that I'll give more than one star.

1 star - This is reserved for truly awful books that I would never, ever recommend or reread.

A Beautiful Disaster by Daisy Paquet was a short but entertaining story. I was expecting something quite a bit longer, and I was somewhat surprised by how quickly the book ended - there were many times when I noticed a detail or point in the plot that could have been made much longer and more in-depth. Despite this, it was an enjoyable read and I loved the concept and characters! The author is extremely talented, and I was very impressed by the detailed world of the faeries and pyxies. It was so well-described that I could see a clear picture of it in my head. The characters were unique and funny, and I loved their different personalities. Overall, this was an interesting and enjoyable book, though somewhat shorter than what I was expecting. 3 stars. :)