This is my post during the blog tour for Scarred Beauty by Jennifer Silverwood. Scarred Beauty is the second book in the Young Adult Fantasy Fairytale series Wylder Tales.
This blog tour is organized by Lola's Blog Tours and the tour runs from 1 till 14 April. You can see the tour schedule here.
By Jennifer Silverwood
Genre: Fairytale/ Fantasy
Age category: Young Adult/ New Adult
Release Date: 31 March 2024
Blurb:
When the Beast wakens, nothing will stop him from claiming his bride, even if it means destroying everyone she loves.
Vynasha is certain of two things: she is forever bound to the monster who loves her, and she can never return to Castle Bitterhelm again. Escape has come at a high cost, and though Vynasha freed the imprisoned beasts, she has awakened an ancient evil that now stalks her. For the curse is unfinished with the one the prophecy spoke of, and Grendel continues to haunt her dreams.
This time she won’t fight the oncoming darkness alone.
Ceddrych may not be her brother by blood, but their bond has only grown stronger. When the wolves they’ve found refuge with threaten them, Ceddrych and Vynasha must fight together to overcome enemies around them. Danger lurks at every corner, and only by playing the pack alpha’s games can they survive the winter.
One thing rings true in the waking world and her dreams: Grendel won’t sleep forever.
Only by claiming her powers can Vynasha protect her newfound family and prevent the ruination of Wylderland. A dark tale of enchantment and woe, perfect for fans of Margaret Rogerson and Holly Black, Scarred Beauty is the second installment of the epic Wylder Tales Series!
Links:
- Goodreads
- Amazon
- iBooks
- Barnes & Noble
- Kobo
- Books2Read
Craving Beauty by Jennifer Silverwood
A dark tale of enchantment and woe. Become the beast's bride or become a monster herself.
Links:
- Goodreads
- Amazon
- iBooks
- Barnes & Noble
- Kobo
- Books2Read
Jennifer Silverwood has been involved in the publishing world since 2012 and is passionate about supporting the writing community however she can. After studying traditional art at university, she began helping Qamber Designs bring authors’ books to life. In real life, she’s a mom of two, a passionate reader, and an occasional artist. Jennifer is the author of three series—Wylder Tales, Heaven’s Edge Novellas, and the Borderlands Saga—and the stand-alone romance titles Stay and She Walks in Moonlight.
Author links:
- Website
- Website book page
- Goodreads
- Books2Read
- Newsletter
Michelle, The Book Critic: What initially sparked your interest in writing the Wylder Tales Series?
Jennifer Silverwood: Hi, Michelle, thanks so much for having me here! I fell in love with folklore and fairytales from a young age, but especially the masterful retellings of Robin McKinley. When approaching Wylder Tales, I knew I wanted to take the fairy tale of Beauty and the Beast, but bring in more folklore and dark fantasy elements. I honestly can’t recall now what first sparked the first draft of what became Craving Beauty since I wrote it over fifteen years ago, now. But
MTBC: How do you balance the dark themes of enchantment and woe with the elements of romance and fantasy in your writing?
JS: Wylder Tales is a gothic romance at its heart. While I pull inspiration from folktales and the original tellings of Beauty and the Beast (which could be argued as a gothic story as well), I also looked to classic favorites like Wuthering Heights and Jane Eyre. Both of these are brilliant examples of taking horror and tragedy but blending them romance. Often, the romance is the driving force behind the plot, and what leads characters like Cathy and Heathcliff to their doom. When writing Scarred Beauty, I tried to bring these elements together, but also give readers (and Vynasha) moments of light. While our tale is darker fantasy fare, I think having those moments of light, of the love Vynasha shares with her family in particular, helps us back from the edge of the abyss.
MTBC: Can you describe the evolution of Vynasha's character from the first book to "Scarred Beauty"?
JS: Vynasha is driven to desperation fairly early on in Craving Beauty, but by the beginning of Scarred, her foundations have been shaken. Who she was can’t overcome the obstacles ahead of her. So she spends most of the sequel discovering who she needs to become, and discovering surprising allies along the way.
MTBC: What role does Grendel play in this installment, and how does his presence impact Vynasha's journey?
JS: Grendel made a blood bond with Vynasha, and that bond keeps their minds linked throughout Scarred Beauty. He attempted to do the right thing in letting Vynasha go, to be free with her family. But there were consequences, and over the course of the story, Grendel’s resolve to leave her be is replaced by an increasing need to have Vynasha by his side. For Vynasha, she is torn between desire for Grendel, and fear that their magical bond is the true reason behind her desire.
MTBC: The relationship between Vynasha and Ceddrych is a central focus in "Scarred Beauty." How did you approach portraying their bond and dynamics?
JS: The phrase “it’s complicated” is an understatement. They grew up together, and Ceddrych made a promise to Vynasha’s mother to protect her always. He ultimately failed and this is part of what drives him, along with his newer “wolfish” instincts. Vynasha could only rely on Ceddrych from a young age, and the love she has for him is what pushes her to bring her nephew on a mad journey to Wylderland. But they’ve both been changed so much by the time they reunite, and things aren’t so black and white anymore. While they love share a deep unconditional love, they’re also pulled in different directions by outside forces.
MTBC: In what ways does the setting of Wylderland contribute to the overall atmosphere and tone of the story?
JS: When I was younger, I was lucky enough to take a trip to Romania, and deep into the Carpathian Mountains. The people I met and the stories they shared, about wolves coming down from the mountains to steal sheep, and the long winters, made a deep impression on me. It’s the inspiration for Wylderland, only I imagined a land is locked in a perpetual winter or “death,” with very little variation. The mountains, caves, and forest surrounding Castle Bitterhelm create a constant sense of isolation and fear of the unknown. For our characters, this is also what pushes strangers and enemies to band together against the ever-present threat of nature and beasts alike.
MTBC: Could you share some insights into the mythology or lore behind the curses and ancient evils in your book?
JS: As I mentioned before, I pulled from both classic Gothic fiction as well as European and Eastern European folklore and witchcraft while creating the world of Wylder Tales. And from my time in Romania, I saw how much the land and the past continues to shape their present, especially in the isolated villages. Superstition and belief in curses and blessings is a firm part of life, not something to laugh at. Only in Vynasha’s world, curses are all-too-real, and the gifts she could mask in the “real world” are part of the everyday in Wylderalnd.
MTBC: How do the themes of family and loyalty manifest in "Scarred Beauty," especially considering Vynasha's newfound family?
JS: Vynasha’s love for her family is the main driving force behind nearly all her actions in this series. But this is challenged when Ceddrych leaves her to look for their nephew, and she forms unexpected bonds with children in the village she has healed with her magic. Vynasha is resistant and closed-off to them at first, but over time she realizes many of these children have been abandoned, just like she was. And she chooses to guard and protect them as fiercely as she would her nephew.
MTBC: The prophecy mentioned in the book seems pivotal. Could you elaborate on its significance and how it shapes the characters' choices?
JS: I love how in classic fairy tales, every spell or curse has a catch. When Soraya cast her curse on Wylderland, she tells her son (the cursed prince) that only a maid with blood from both sides of the “mirror” can break it. With a war having been fought between both sides for so long, she believes this assures her son’s failure. To the wylderfolk living in the forest beyond the castle, including Balos and his family, the prophecy is something both feared and revered. They believe the maid will free them from tyranny, but they fear the maids in their village being pulled to the castle and its evil prince. Grendel believes the maid will be his salvation and his future queen, but becomes jaded over time with each failure. Everyone has an ideal in mind of what “the one” should do or be. Vynasha doesn’t believe in prophecies, and subverts their expectations because she chooses to believe in her family instead.
MTBC: Looking ahead, what themes or developments can readers anticipate in future books of the Wylder Tales Series?
JS: In Bound Beauty, Vynasha begins her journey to properly learning how to wield her magic. She also forms more unexpected alliances, while navigating her tensions between her exiled family and the wylderfolk. Battle lines will be drawn, and the line between love and hate will be explored. Expect more action, more magic, beasts, and steam! Hope to see you there 😉
Book Excerpt: Bang! Bang!
They jumped as the barred door rattled in its frame.
“Come out, Wanderer,” a harsh voice called from the other side. “Come and see the cost of harboring your witch!”
Vynasha wrapped her arms around her curled legs. Her awareness spiked as her new beastly senses took over. “Ceddrych?”
He spoke with the village council. What else has been said?
Ceddrych met her gaze and a flash of guilt burning behind his gaze.
The voices on the other side of the wall grew louder.
“My boy is ill because of your witch, Wanderer!” a woman shouted.
“Yes,” growled an older male, “we know you took her outside the village, no doubt to practice her dark magick.”
“Who knows what she summoned from that infernal castle!”
“—not one of us!”
“She’ll murder our children!”
Vynasha dug her forehead into her knees and placed her hands against her ears as the villagers continued to jeer beyond the walls. Until Ceddrych’s hands tugged at her wrists until she surrendered to his hold. His smile transformed his world-weary face to the boy she remembered.
A sob caught in her throat as he pressed his forehead to hers, at his acceptance, at the reminder that he had claimed her regardless. He would always choose her.
Ceddrych’s eyes flashed wolfish green as he pulled away, the only outward sign of his internal fury. He squeezed her wrists briefly in comfort as he released her. Only then, with his back turned, did he seem to grow taller. Magick of the forest, of loam and pine, snow and moss, filled the cabin as her brother crossed the cabin to unbar the door.
“Why have you come?” Ceddrych’s voice cut through the din and stunned the villagers into silence. “Why do you threaten us when Vynasha has not left my side beyond the walls of this cabin?”
“If she is so harmless, why did my Asa’s cough begin the day she arrived?” the woman from before snarled. “Tell me, how is my boy so weakened he can hardly stand from his bed!”
“What if we are all infected with her curse?” someone called.
“Never suffer a witch to live!” another cried.
“Stay back, damn you!” Ceddrych threw his arms to brace against the door frame and began to tremor. “Children fall sick every day. My own sister has been recovering from what those monsters did to her.”
Vynasha cringed at the unspoken implication. Were the villagers somehow right, after all? Had she carried some dark magick with her?
“Our children never fall ill. Our blood has always protected us,” an older male growled. “You have been with us a short time, Wanderer, you do not understand our ways.”
“He is not one of us!” the first woman shouted. “The lone wolf has no place among our pack.”
“Onya is right,” an elderly woman agreed, “you agreed to live among us, but you refuse to protect us.”
“Enough, Gira!” Balos interrupted in his deep voice. “You have said your piece. Wanderer, you know the rules of our pack…”
“Vynasha has done no spell! I would have felt it,” Ceddrych protested.
“And how do you explain Asa’s illness?” Balos asked. “How do you explain the stench of evil infecting our village? We warned you what would happen if she called the beast again. Such magick is forbidden in these lands for a reason.”
Oh, Saints, the amulet, she thought. It had been burning when she woke. Had Grendel called to her dream, or had she called to his? Bile rose to the back of her throat. Was the boy’s illness truly her fault?
“We have survived all these years because we kept noses to the ground and away from the lost city,” Balos continued. “Anyone who breaks our law draws the city’s evil to us. And there is only one punishment for such a crime.”
“You can’t!” Ceddrych cried.
“We cannot suffer a witch to live among us,” Balos snapped back.
“Vynasha is my sister, she is under my protection. And if any of you so much as look at her wrong, I will show you exactly how savage I can be.”
“You cannot endanger our lives like this!” the elderly woman from before cried. “Would you sacrifice everyone in this village for that witch? Mayhap you practice dark magick as well?”
“Better her life than yours,” Ceddrych growled.
The voices rushed together, overlapping with one another.
Vynasha gasped and stumbled forward until her forehead pressed against the door of the cabin. She couldn’t let them harm Ceddrych, she wouldn’t.
Even if I need to become the monster they fear.
The elder male who had spoken before released growling shout. “Silence!”
Vynasha’s claws bit into the wood and she drew in a breath filled with brewing violence as the male continued.
“We took this lone wolf in as one of our own, because he is a protector, by blood right. That is enough claim for him to make his home among us. Let him plead his case, but I warn you, boy, do not threaten or lie to us again unless you seek exile.”
Vynasha peeked through the crack between the wood and the world beyond. The sun blinded her sight at first, masking shady figures in heavy furs. Yet at the edge of her vision she could also see a woman with scales instead of skin and fire-red hair, three men half the size of the other villagers with beards trailing to their knees, and did she imagine a child with wings? The wylderfolk clung to the outskirts, the shadows, watching with solemn faces. But the closest villagers’s eyes were gleaming luminous emerald like the wolves, with the promise of a fight.
Ceddrych’s back was to her, his shoulders heaving as he lifted his head and faced the wolves. “All I know is that my sister was a prisoner in that castle, a victim… just like your missing daughters.”
The crowd shifted and a soft wind carried whispers of ageless sorrow.
Ceddrych straightened to his full height and turned to face a wrinkled male with feathers instead of hair, and the round eyes of a hawk. “Galtis, you and the other council named me a protector. Now you ask me to turn my back on Vynasha because you’re afraid of what you don’t understand. If it were your daughter, your sister standing here, could you abandon them so easily? Would you?”
“Our daughters knew the cost of answering the beast’s call, far better than you, Wanderer,” Galtis replied with a bird-like tilt of his head.
“You speak of what you do not understand,” Gira, the elderly woman from before, snarled and her words shredded with her voice into a wolf’s bark. “Every day she spends is another we risk bringing the wrath of her upon us all!”
The others continued to rave, their protests growing louder, pressing closer. Vynasha closed her eyes and clawed at the amulet burning like ice against her skin.
Balos broke his silence. “Our elders speak true, Wanderer. Whoever your sister was before she entered the lost city is no more. We can all see the marks of her change, the mark of evil. And you know the law. We cannot suffer a witch to live.”
Vynasha shifted on her toes and fought the flare of magick heating her blood. She braced her hands against the wooden door so hard her hands bled.
“You want blood, you’ll have to go through me first!” Ceddrych snarled as he surged forward.
There is a tour wide giveaway for the blog tour of Scarred Beauty. One winner wins a signed hardcover copy of Craving Beauty and Scarred Beauty + swag.
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