The Rose and the Balloon by Kristen Fichter is a great twist on my favorite fairytale, Beauty and the Beast. It came out in 2016, so I’m a bit late here, but it was so worth the read. It is book 1 in a (currently) 5-book series, Once Upon a Twist Tales.

For brief context, The Rose and The Balloon follows Janelle Roux when her home is destroyed by her queen’s latest experiment. Janelle is strung into being a fake betrothed to Crown Prince Dmitri, an arrogant young man whose temper can be downright beast-like. And you can probably guess the rest, with a few twists! (No spoilers below!)

Ratings for The Rose and the Balloon

Story: 4/5

Worldview: 4/5

Just from the premise, I knew I was getting into something completely new on Beauty and the Beast. I loved the steampunk vibes of the hot air balloons and tech. I also loved the family dynamics between the royal twins, Nicolas and Nicoline, but I did think Queen Maeva was a lost opportunity, with being a “demented” caricature instead of a genuine character. I did think Janelle at some point was downright mean to Dmitri, where she basically became the beast herself, but she repented, so I can forgive her for it. I liked her dynamic with Dmitri at the end, but ahhh, I wish we would see more of them together! (Without arguing, of course)

The worldview is 4 because God exists in this fairytale, and the characters reflect on how God turned all things for good. I did think it was a lost opportunity, though, that the characters didn’t pray for guidance or patience or help or anything else. They only called on God if it was to complain or vent their frustrations. Janelle did repent at the end, though, and that was a highlight for me as a reader seeing how Jesus came in and helped a character with a big flaw.

Overall Thoughts

My overall rating is 4 out of 5 stars. It was a solid debut novel from Fichter and I’m excited to see the series through to the end!

If you’re interested in fairytale novels, you can check out other ones here! I personally loved Sugar Plum Princess by Tayler Marie Brooks, but I love anything Nutcracker!

Note: I know the characters are young adults here (20+), but the tone and style was definitely MG and very cute.