Hunted, by Meagan Spooner

I don't have all that much to say about Hunted, by Meagan Spooner, other than that if you were someone who read and reread Beauty, by Robin McKinley back until you almost knew it by heart, and if you desperately wished you hadn't ever read it so that you could have the pleasure of reading it for the first time again, try Hunted. 

That being said, it's not a copy, but it's own retelling. Hunted sets Beauty and the Beast in the woods of late medieval (?) Russia, and Beauty here is a smart, skilled huntress (though she also likes books lots); she's a self-reliant person full of wanting for more than a safe life, married inside walls. It's somewhat grittier than the McKinley version, and less pure wish fulfillment, with more discomfort and pain involved, both emotional and physical.  And in Hunted we also get glimpses from the Beast's own point of view, which makes for interesting reading!  Plus there's a whole magical world just beyond, or inside, or alongside, the snowy woods.

All this was very good, but what made it a personal joy to read is that it also works into the story one of my own most favorite fairy tales--the one where the firebird is stealing the golden apples, and the youngest brother kills the fox when the fox asks him to.  It gives a whole rich additional layer to the story that I enjoyed lots!

So yes, I recommend it!