Heart's Blood by Juliet Marillier

Whistling Tor is a place of secrets, a mysterious, wooded hill housing the crumbling fortress belonging to Anluan—a chieftain whose name is spoken throughout the region in tones of revulsion and bitterness. A curse lies over Anluan’s family and his people, and the woods themselves hold a perilous force whose every whisper threatens doom.

Then the young scribe Caitrin appears in Anluan’s garden, admiring the rare plant known as heart’s blood. Retained to sort through entangled family documents, Caitrin brings about unexpected changes in the household, casting a hopeful light against the despairing shadows.

But even as Caitrin brings solace to Anluan, and the promise of something more between them, he remains in thrall to the darkness surrounding Whistling Tor. To free Anluan’s burdened soul, Caitrin must unravel the web of sorcery woven by his ancestors before it claims his life—and their love…

This is how you take a traditional fairy tale (Beauty and the Beast) and make if your own!!

Overall this is classic Juliet Marillier and one of her finer books. Caitrin is running from an abusive household and ends up at Whistling Tor, a place inhabited by the mysterious Anluan and his otherworldly companions.

There is mystery, friendships and a budding romance. Anluan is not a beast under a curse. He is a man afflicted with physical deformities from an illness. Caitrin carries her trauma from her previous household. The otherwordly characters have personalities and are truly fleshed out characters. The story is well thought out, well researched and well implemented.

My only critique was the rushed ending. It felt like the author was backed into a corner on how to resolve all of the plotlines and which took precedence. I wish there was at least an extra 50 pages towards the end that would provide a bit more meat for a solid, less rushed ending.