The Belles

Don’t let the gorgeous cover fool you into thinking this story is all about beauty, though the prose and setting certainly have their share of it. I was captivated by the gray royal court where the Belles control beauty. There are no shortages of dark secrets that put them all at risk in a dangerous political game. Fun details, like miniature teacup pets, are woven seamlessly with the darker aspects of this lush world.

I read this book without knowing what to expect and was absolutely enthralled by this stunning world of decadence and illusion. In the opulent world of Orleans, Camellia is a Belle—one of the chosen few who controls the commodity of beauty. When she is summoned to the court of the Queen, Camellia soon realizes the gilded walls of the palace hide dark secrets and creeping treachery. I was blown away by the creativity behind the decadent world Clayton created, and was seduced by both its visions of lavishness and its thoughtful take on the value of beauty and how looks… show more.