Shhhh.....do not Wake the Beast!
Do you need to buy the starter pack with this product or does it contain everything you need also do you add other products to this. Hey Mags, This Game includes the following: Everything required to play the game. The responses from Argos colleagues are accurate at the time of publishing. For the latest info, you should check the product page.
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Shh! Don't Wake the Baby!
Sshh Don't Wake Dad! There is only one way to undo the curse: In the present, in the city of Yuan, the blood sacrifices are still being practiced. The current sacrifice is princess Isra - and she is aware that one day she will be dead in order for her city to live.
Isra is also blind - blind from the day her mother died due to injury she suffered. And ever since she was 4 years old, she found her sight only with the roses. A little blood for them, and they would show her something. So she went into the garden of the roses. But she was not alone. They say they feel watched here, as if the roses have eyes.
They have no idea. The roses have more magic than anyone, even my father, understands. I am the only one who knows their secret, who knows that they are more alive than other flowers, that they see and hear more than anything else on our world. A Monstrous is hiding in the garden - Gem, as is his name, had only one mission. Get the roses and return to their home. They know that roses are a reason for the prosperity. And his people - the Desert people - are dying from starvation. He and his family entered Yuan by digging the tunnel, but when Isra noticed him because of the roses, she raised the alarm.
He failed, and the only thing that kept him alive is Isra insisting that his claws had poison in them as was believed by Smooths and that he can help her stay alive. But there is no poison, and Isra doesn't know that. Green for her eyes. In the meantime, The King was found dead and Monstrous were to blame. And Gem's father and brother were captured, and later released by Isra by leaving Gem in their captivity - as a gesture of a good faith.
Isra believes that they might not be as savage as they thought and that there could peace. The only one they have now is Gem Which is a lie, but it gave Gem time to get the roses - even if it means months in captivity. At first, they don't get along - they are on each others necks, and it's not pretty. Yet they hold all the power.
They hold me prisoner. I smear the tears on my chest away, but some have already soaked into my skin. I can feel them, as if she has marked me, infected me with Smooth Skin weakness. Junjie and the other advisors tell me, but you do not. Your own father left you here. For the rest of your life, you are mine. She has realized that the slightest twitch will open her throat. I tighten my grip. The five puckers on her throat deepen.
A little more pressure, and her blood will flow. And with time, a long time, they realize that things are not how they seem, that nothing is as it seems, and that they are not so different, even if they look so. And then there is how each of them see the other race: Our only hope is to keep the mutants out. If they make it inside, the city will fall.
The Monstrous are bigger, stronger, with poison seeping from their claws, and skin as thick and hard as armor. They can see in the dark and live on nothing but a daily ration of water and cactus fruit. They are brutal beasts determined to destroy humanity and take our cities for themselves. No women or children.
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They are as soulless as a sandstorm. We know the power of transformation. This planet has changed us, but its magic is good magic. They are the murderers. Their domed cities rob the surrounding lands of vitality. She is blind, but that is not the only problem. She is convinced that she is tainted by monstrous traits, and that that is why her people don't want her. She knows that if she wasn't a queen, she would have been thrown away with other Banished people with monstrous traits.
But that's not even worst of it. She has been locked away for so long, her only comfort Needle and the garden of roses. People always controlled her life, but acted as if she was also mentally unstable and weak. My people are horrified by their queen. Yuan has never had a tainted ruler. Her insanity almost cost the people their lives, and now her tainted daughter sullies their throne.
My king will be able to remarry, and the poor noble girl forced to wed him will take on the mantle of sacrifice. And when she found out her father was killed by Monstrous, she begins her cruelty to Gem After a while, she starts finding comfort in Gem, who keeps telling her that she should stand up for herself, screw the rules, screw everything, because she is their ruler and people should listen to her. She is also precious - her POV made me smile - like with: I am a soldier, this is my song, and I shall scuff it all the day long.
I am a soldier and these are my boots, the biggest shoes for the biggest brutes. And meeting Gem makes her understand that her society is indeed wrong - that they are more more monstrous than the ones they call such. The thoughts make me feel sour inside. They make me wish I could have a moment alone with Gem to speak frankly. Only with him is it safe to be the ugly thing I am. Also, I will never see Pelican Beak the same way again I am not an it. I am a Desert Man. I have nineteen years.
I have a son. I might have had a mate if there were no Yuan, no tunnel to dig, no scouting missions to take me away from my tribe over and over again. Now my son will die and be burned without ever knowing my face. He spends weeks behind the bars, in delirium and in pain. Even worse is the fact that they treat him like an animal, as an it not he and that his family abandoned him.
- The Space Between Trees.
- Healing Words August.
- O Fantasma dos Canterville e outros contos (Portuguese Edition);
And Isra is no better. But the little advantage they gave him earned him just a little bit of freedom to move. And so, Gem is forced to swallow his hate and work with Isra in the garden while constantly being watched by the others, and shackled so he can't escape. And he hates them, even Isra, for smiling when they met when she told him his people would continue to starve, he hates her, because she could change things, but she doesn't do anything.
But then, he understood the only way he can get what he wants is to manipulate, lie and deceive. Manipulate Isra into becoming his friend, his ally, by telling her the stories of his people - which began their bond. But after a while, he starts to realize that he doesn't need to keep acting anymore. That Isra is the only one worth saving. Gem doesn't look exactly like a beast - he has scales, fangs and claws and is actually a lot like a human.
I swallow the cry pushing at my lips. It would do no good to tell her. I must show her. Tomorrow, I will serve and obey. I will be on my very best behavior. I will use only Yuan words and keep my claws sheathed. But tonight I will close my eyes and pretend I am not her prisoner. I want to be back with people I know, in a world I understand. I resent her and she fears me, and there are times when I fear her, too. I am her monster, and she is mine. He also goes from woman and woman and sleeps with them without hesitation ugh, respect He and his father Junjie plot to make Isra Bo's queen - because Junjie is the most respected man in Yuan and Bo is fitting candidate.
So he tries his "best" to be kind to her instead, he treats her as if she is not only blind, but mentally unstable, and that he would be doing her a favor and would be a fitting and kind husband. There are no feelings of love on his side - he believes what he is doing is right and that there is nothing to discuss about their future relationship. But all he wants is absolute control over her - dominance, ownership, whatever he can do.
With the King dead and princess ready for marriage, he will stop at nothing but marrying off his son to her.
But Needle and Isra developed a language they can understand and Needle is always supportive, willing to help and cover for Isra whenever she needs to. Isra feels sad that Needle has to take care of her, but she appreciates it, as Needle is the only true friend she had. Don't worry, the love triangle here is almost none existent. Even though it seems like it, it's well done and I appreciated it. There is also a slow burn romance, also quite believable, which I also enjoyed. There was no insta-lust, only insta-hate developing slowly to friends, then to love. Story is well done, fast paced, world building is nice, I wish there was more to the Desert People though there was enough, but I needed more , but still well done.
And the epilogue was wonderful! You know what I loved the most? I loved how complex Isra is. I loved how she developed through the book and started making her own choices. I also loved Gem because he didn't give up on his people, even for love, but how he realized that sometimes words can be enough to help someone else - that sometimes you need words to make someone see the truth about themselves. And I loved how view spoiler [ Bo made choices at the end hide spoiler ] and what I loved the most was that little twist at the end is it little though?
I was wondering why it was only queens and when I found out it made so much more sense. Of course, just imagine how many women could have been spared that fate: One bound by oath. Not a woman bound by oath. A king would serve just as well. It feels like proof that there is nothing good within the human heart. How could there be? I will show her that loving her is my greatest truth, and the most beautiful thing I have ever known. If we are brave. I swear I would have. He looks down, catching my eyes, the emotion in his making my heart beat faster.
First POV, 3 characters. View all 12 comments. Mar 18, Ari rated it it was amazing Shelves: If you are into animation movies, then I'll easily describe this as some sort of 'Shrek' meets 'Tangled' I don't know about you, but I loved them both! And I won't even bother with the other end of the 'if': Why didn't I know about it sooner?
Ever since the Lumatere Chronicles my heart roots for this type of stories, sometimes I find something that I like, sometimes the search If you are into animation movies, then I'll easily describe this as some sort of 'Shrek' meets 'Tangled' I don't know about you, but I loved them both!
Ever since the Lumatere Chronicles my heart roots for this type of stories, sometimes I find something that I like, sometimes the search is in vain, but there are times like this one when I love the characters so much it hurts to say goodbye to them. It makes me happy to get to the last word, to the last page and to want to go back to the beginning and start reading again. The thing is, I fell in love with this world — some sort of futuristic-historical-fantasy, as crazy as that sounds.
That kind of world you would like to live in, only with the condition that you can change the bad things for the good? What I said is true.. Isra is a strong character. Her place in the world has been decided a long time ago, she was to be sacrificed for the wealth of the dome, but she still had the will to go on and change the things that were in her power.
Trapped under the glass walls, with her heart weighted by grieve, feeling like she was nothing to the people surrounding her, Isra found refugee in the company of her monstrous prisoner. They started to connect over stories and hard work. Soon they became friends, even though she had her secrets and he kept his very well.
Being in his mind allowed us to find out more about his own history, his intentions, his quest in saving his people, and also the way he was torn between his duty and his growing feelings. Deep down he was a good guy, too good for a warrior, but goodwill can never save the people you love and he had to make his own sacrifices. I had mixed feelings when it came to Bo. He lacked a bit of a a backbone, was too easy to manipulate and that gave me this strange feeling.
His chapters were contradictory and you could sense his struggle. He could have made a good king, even a good friend, if only he would have had more personality, more strength and a mind of his own. Her writing is beautiful, fluid, natural even, and her story is filled with magic and hope. It sounds strange in my own ears, but even though this is supposed to be a retelling, it is a completely different story: Jan 07, Mlpmom Book Reviewer rated it really liked it Shelves: Beauty and the Beast is by far my most favorite childhood fairy tale.
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Who didn't love the beautiful brown eyed girl who love to read and had a heart of gold? Being a brown eyed bookworm myself, she was the princess I related to the most. And who wouldn't want to marry a handsome prince? Being a lover of both the Beauty and the Beast fairytale and of re-tellings, I couldn't resist Stacye Jay's spin on the classic tale.
Already loving her spin on the classic Romeo and Juliet in her Juliet Immortal s Beauty and the Beast is by far my most favorite childhood fairy tale. Already loving her spin on the classic Romeo and Juliet in her Juliet Immortal series, I just knew I would be in for a treat and a tale that would be darker and definitely one that would keep me on my toes. I was not disappointed in the least. Told in three point of views of Isra, Gem, and Bo, this was done beautifully. With a fantasy world that was easy to envision and a cast of character reminiscent of the fairytale this was a fun take on the classic and something I easily and quickly devoured.
Jay's writing continues to enchant me and I will pick up anything she writes in the future. I just love her twisted take and darker versions of stories that almost have a new like feel and appeal to them. This was another winner for me and after having this one in my TBR pile for nearly three years, I'm glad I finally read and loved.
Mar 18, Daiane rated it it was amazing Shelves: Beauty and the Beast has always been my favorite fairytale What I thought Beauty and the Beast has always been my favorite fairytale.
So I knew I had to give this one a try. This was the most unique retelling of Beauty and the Beast I've read, and I've read many. It was captivating and beautifully written. The emotions in this book were palpable and it just grabs you.
Gem's and Isra's relationship was so complicated and yet so well written it leaves you wanting more. Some parts of this book was slow, and some parts went by too fast, but all I know is that I wanted to sink all of it in. A beautiful retelling of Beauty and the Beast. This review can also be found on my blog: Even the blurb didnt give away the fact that this was a futuristic sci-fi and not a high fantasy.
And it wasnt much of a Beauty and the Beast retelling, either. There was not much left of the original tale. The only similarities I saw was that their love could break a curse, but even the details of that were very different. Besides the drastic change in story and setting, one of the This review can also be found on my blog: Besides the drastic change in story and setting, one of the more major changes is the fact that there is no clear beauty and no clear beast. They were both a little beautiful and both a little beastly, and I really loved that about it.
The whole point of the story is that we are all the same, we are all human in the end, regardless of the differences we see at first glance. It had a lot of darkness, but being a standalone novel, it didnt have time to dwell on it. It had to bring a resolution sooner than in a series, so I am left mostly with feelings of peace, warmth, and happiness. It was a love story, not an adventure. The setting and story itself reminded me a great deal of books such as Under the Never Sky and Cinder.
But the atmosphere, feelings of peace, HEA, and the focus on the power of undying love reminds me more of For Darkness Shows the Stars. Isra and Gem were amazing characters who had been through so much, had been put through so much by others, and still found the courage in themselves to love without reservation. They were brave, incredibly kind, and capable people whose love was real and tangible, beautiful and selfless.
And it saved the world. And although that leaves me with incredible warm and fuzzy feelings, my blood is not pumping. I am not holding back any emotions that want to burst out. But right now none of it matters. One was white and pale as Queen Isra's skin when she was a girl, the other a luminous orange like King Gem's scales when he sat before the fire.
They were celebrated and named Beauty and the Beast, but none of the King or queens people would ever say which star was which. They would only look kindly on the stranger who'd asked and say, 'Beauty is wherever you find it, and Beast is there when you need to defend it. Gem and Isra are an adorable couple and I will forever ship them for as long as o live. The death of her father cut that part of her away and left her bleeding inside where wounds hurt the most. She was the mother figure that Isra needed and I just loves her character so much.
When the part where someone had slapped her, I nearly lost it. The secret is love. Probably one of my favourite Beauty and the Beast retellings. View all 5 comments. IN the beginning was the darkness, and in the darkness was a girl, and in the girl was a secret. Of Beast and Beauty isn't a book full of sunshine. It is a dark book, a scary fairytale. It has little resemblance to Beauty and the Beast, but that was ok. This book was beautiful in its un IN the beginning was the darkness, and in the darkness was a girl, and in the girl was a secret.
This book was beautiful in its uniqueness. It was a book that reminded me why I love reading. Today I had a conversation here in GRs were I stated that books don't excite me as much any more. I should have held on to that comment. This book made me cry but it also made me smile. This is exactly the kind of story I will remember. The story is dark but it also has light in it. Isra is a girl raised to believe she has no future.
That she should be proud that she will have to sacrifice herself for the prosperity of her people. She is blind and slightly damaged. Gem is a boy, a man almost, raised to become a warrior. Raised to fight for his people. Raised to do anything to ensure their survival. When the time comes he will go to an almost certain deadly mission to help his tribe.
Isra is the Princess of Yuan. When the time comes she has to die for her city to survive. She has long ago accepted her fate. But then one day Gem is captured. A Monstrous boy who isn't a monster at all. He makes her question everything she has been told. How can a city build in blood and despair, founded with tears and misery be healthy?
Is it really something she should fight for? The world building was very interesting in this fairytale. We are in an alternative Universe, possibly many years into the future. The planet has gone under many changes. There are places of prosperity, cities enclosed in glass domes that have plenty of food and water for their people but they can't support everyone. Outside the domes live tribes of people who are mutated in order to survive the hard desserts. The people in the domes believe them to be monsters. The tribes believe the city people to be cruel.
The shock for Isra comes when she finally realises that the reason she would have sacrificed herself is void. That the dome is even more cursed than the "barbaric" Monstrous tribes outside of it. That during her protected, blind existence she always saw just the beautiful side of the city. That there are places in the dome that don't prosper but are full of pain. Will she be able to undo the curse and make her people and the Monstrous whole? Isra's and Gem's lives aren't pretty.
Their course during the book isn't easy. I am not ashamed to say that I cried several times while reading this amazing book. I cried for them and for everyone else. It's been some time since I found myself so much unable to describe my feelings about a book but now I find that anything that comes to mind is insufficient. Isra and Gem grow so much during the book. The Noo-Noo comes up, making his usual noises loudly. Even the Noo-Noo was being quiet. Laa-Laa resumes playing with her ball quietly, and Tinky-Winky and Po shush each other so they don't eat their Tubby toasts loudly. And then, Dipsy woke up.
Be Quiet! Don't Wake Dipsy!
Dipsy wakes up and says, "Eh-oh! So, Tinky-Winky and Po ate their Tubby toast. Tinky-Winky and Po say, "Tubby toast, Tubby toast! Laa-Laa played with her ball. And the Noo-Noo tidied up.