In the Vanishers' Palace

In the Vanishers' Palace reimagines Beauty and the Beast in a post-apocalyptic Vietnamese-inspired setting. Failed scholar Yên is given to a dragon named Vu Côn as payment for healing services to Yên's village. The world has been devastated by the mysterious Vanishers, who left behind both physical ruins and lingering magical contamination that causes terrible diseases. Vu Côn tasks Yên with tutoring her two children while living in an ever-shifting palace filled with strange rooms and dangerous magic. The relationship between Yên and Vu Côn develops against the backdrop of survival in a broken world. The story incorporates Vietnamese folklore and mythology throughout the narrative. This retelling examines power dynamics, consent, and colonialism through the lens of a dark fairy tale setting. The text challenges traditional fantasy tropes while exploring themes of healing from collective trauma.

Readers describe this Beauty and the Beast retelling as atmospheric and unique in its Vietnamese-inspired fantasy setting. The female/female romance and dragon shapeshifter elements resonated with many reviewers. Readers appreciated: - The original take on colonialism and power dynamics - Rich descriptions of magic and healing - Complex mother-daughter relationships - LGBTQ+ representation in a fairy tale context Common criticisms: - Pacing felt rushed, especially the romance - World-building needed more explanation - Some found the consent dynamics problematic - Several readers wanted more character development Ratings: Goodreads: 3.7/5 (2,800+ ratings) Amazon: 4/5 (150+ ratings) "The prose is beautiful but the plot moves too fast to feel invested," noted one Goodreads reviewer. Another praised "the creative magic system and Vietnamese cultural elements," but wished "the relationship had more time to develop naturally."

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🔮 The novel reimagines Beauty and the Beast with Vietnamese-inspired fantasy elements, featuring a female Beast who is a dragon and a scholar as Beauty. 🌏 Aliette de Bodard draws from her Vietnamese heritage to incorporate elements of Asian mythology and colonialism themes into the story's post-apocalyptic setting. 📚 The book features a unique magic system based on calligraphy and written characters, reflecting the importance of language and writing in Vietnamese culture. 🏰 The Vanishers' Palace itself is a shape-shifting structure that defies physics, with rooms that rearrange themselves and corridors that lead to impossible spaces. 🌈 The story features positive LGBTQ+ representation through its f/f romance, which was notably uncommon in fairy tale retellings at the time of its publication in 2018.