[Book Review] The Belles by Dhonielle Clayton & Peri Coffee Pixie Dust Blend

Title: The Belles
Series: The Belles #1
Author: Dhonielle Clayton
Publication date: February 6th 2018 (og), February 14th 2023 (paperback re-release, new cover art)
Page Count: 448 pages
Age Range: YA (death, blood, minor violence)
How I got my hot little hands on it: received a review copy
Publisher’s page: The Belles

A twisted world. A beautiful power.

Camellia Beauregard is a Belle. In the opulent world of Orleans, Belles are revered, for they control Beauty, and Beauty is a commodity coveted above all else. In Orleans, the people are born gray, they are born damned, and only with the help of a Belle and her talents can they transform and be made beautiful.

But it’s not enough for Camellia to be just a Belle. She wants to be the favorite, the Belle chosen by the Queen of Orleans to live in the royal palace, to tend to the royal family and their court, to be recognized as the most talented Belle in the land.

But once Camellia and her Belle sisters arrive at court, it becomes clear that being the favorite is not everything she always dreamed it would be. Behind the gilded palace walls live dark secrets, and Camellia soon learns that the very essence of her existence is a lie, that her powers are far greater, and could be more dangerous, than she ever imagined. And when the queen asks Camellia to risk her own life and help the ailing princess by using Belle powers in unintended ways, Camellia now faces an impossible decision.

With the future of Orleans and its people at stake, Camellia must decide: save herself and her sisters and the way of the Belles, or resuscitate the princess, risk her own life, and change the ways of her world forever.

My Review

The Belles explores the dark side of beauty and excess with the over-the-top decadent aesthetic of Marie Antoinette’s Versailles and the fantastical magic of Harry Potter.

In the world of The Belles, the legend goes the God of the Sky fell in love with the Goddess of Beauty, and from their union came the people of Orléans. But Beauty spent too much time with her children and Sky, in his jealousy, cursed them to be sad and grey, with straw-like hair and red eyes. In return, Beauty sent the Belles to the Orléansians, so that through their magic, beauty might return to the world.

In current day Orléans, Belles have been commodified, their gifts only available to those with money and favor, while the lower classes live grey lives. Raised at Maison Rouge de la Beauté under the care of Madame Du Barry and presented to the public when they come of age, Belles are quickly installed in teahouses where they use their magic to bring color and beauty to the elites of Orléans.

Camellia Beauregard is one of the new season’s Belles. She’s determined to be named the Queen’s Favorite, a coveted position at the opulent royal court, and prove she’s the best. This desire leads her down a dark path of taking her magic to the extreme and doing things she never imagined doing.

It’s definitely a be careful what you wish for situation; while Belles are taught their entire lives they are treasured sources with a sacred duty to bring beauty to the world, they are not told about the darker side of things. How they are seen more as tools than people, worked until every last drop of their magic is squeezed out and dripped into someone’s desire for a more perfect figure or pinker lips. How constant beauty treatments only leave the recipients wanting more, in constant competition to be the most beautiful at any cost.

Beauty treatments are only skin deep; the rot of jealous envy pierces the heart.

The descriptions in the book are lavish and extensive, painting a picture of an opulent candy-colored gilded world dripping in fragrant blooms and the richest of fabrics. A picture of Rococo Versailles dialed up to an 11, hiding the sinister machinations of court under layers of powder and perfume. Animated ink portraits and papers, communication delivered by glittery post-balloons, beauty-scopes, and more add little bits of everyday magic to the world giving a Hogwarts-meets-Marie Antionette feel.

I will admit it feels like most of the words on the page are world-building over plot, but in a world where appearance is valued above all else, it seems very fitting. It’s a not-everything-is-as-it-seems fantasy plot set in a magically opulent Versailles-like court, gradually getting darker and darker as secrets are revealed. While there is a slight romance subplot, the emphasis is really on sisterhood and friendship, which I loved. Camellia spends much of the book reminiscing about growing up with her Maman and sister Belles, missing her sisters, and worrying about them.

Overall, I found The Belles really easy to fall into. From beginning to end, I was drawn in by the rich world-building and intriguing plot. It does end on a cliffhanger, but all three books of the trilogy are already out (the final book in the series, The Beauty Trials, came out Feb 2023, along with a paperback rerelease with new covers for the first 2 books in the series The Belles and The Everlasting Rose ), so you don’t have to wait to find out what happens next. If you love beautiful settings, royal court fantasy, or twisted worlds, I definitely recommend this series.

I chose this coffee for two reasons. One, the Belles in the book wear their hair up in a signature style called “Belle-buns”, which immediately reminded me of Tinkerbell and her signature high bun. The second is the author mentions on her website being fascinated and inspired by Marie Antoinette. Marie Antoinette was very fond of oranges and orange blossom water in particular, using it in her beauty toilette and adding it to her hot chocolate. Peri Coffee Pixie Dust Blend has beautiful notes of orange blossom and berry set against a rich background of cinnamon and caramel, making it the perfect indulgent coffee to pair with a chocolate croissant.

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