Review: The Beautiful Ones by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
Photo by James Wainscoat on Unsplash
Synopsis:
They are the Beautiful Ones, Loisail’s most notable socialites, and this spring is Nina’s chance to join their ranks, courtesy of her well-connected cousin and his calculating wife. But the Grand Season has just begun, and already Nina’s debut has gone disastrously awry. She has always struggled to control her telekinesis—neighbors call her the Witch of Oldhouse—and the haphazard manifestations of her powers make her the subject of malicious gossip.
When entertainer Hector Auvray arrives to town, Nina is dazzled. A telekinetic like her, he traveled the world performing his talents for admiring audiences. He sees Nina not as a witch, but ripe with potential to master her power under his tutelage. With Hector’s help, Nina’s talent blossoms, as does her love for him. But great romances are for fairy tales, and Hector is hiding a truth from Nina—and himself—that threatens to end their courtship before it truly begins.
A beautifully written, utterly unique story.
“If you are going to perform a task, perform it properly, Nina. Do not cut corners or give it a halfhearted try.”
I absolutely adore Silvia Moreno-Garcia. She’s such a phenomenal writer that anytime I see a new book of hers, I automatically buy it, and I’m never disappointed. She’s a master at blending genres, and as a result, each of her novels is something completely new. But she always, always has such amazing character development and exquisite prose, and that’s really what keeps me coming back to her work.
I first read The Beautiful Ones in late 2020 when I borrowed it from the library. I had no idea that it was actually out of print until I saw the announcement of the re-release in paperback, and the reveal of that stunning new cover! So I promptly bought my copy, and let myself get swept back into the magic.
The story is set in the fantasy world of Loisail; Moreno-Garcia drew inspiration from La Belle Époque of France, which spanned from 1880 to 1914 (think Moulin Rouge). As I’ve said before, Moreno-Garcia is known for mixing genres, and this book is no different. It’s part coming-of-age, part sweeping romance, part novel of manners, with a dash of fantasy.
"In Loisail, certain things were not said out loud. Secrets were written in the movement of a fan or the gestures with a glove. Innocent words hid the sharpness of knives."
The story shifts perspective between the three main characters: Hector, the now successful telekinetic who comes back to town to try and win back his old love; Nina, the naive, wealthy young woman starting her first Grand Season while struggling to control her telekinetic abilities; and Valérie, the beautiful, bitter, and intensely jealous society dame who was once engaged to Hector. Fair warning though, this isn’t a fast-paced, action-packed novel. Typical of Moreno-Garcia’s novels, she takes the time to set up her character-driven story. But the writing is lush and atmospheric; I could see the crowded ballrooms and handsome city streets of Loisail, and the cool, verdant rivers of Montipouret.
The characters are all so relatable and incredibly well-drawn, even Valérie, who is technically the villain of the story. She was so deliciously antagonistic, she’s exactly the kind of villain readers love to hate. But at the same time, Moreno-Garcia gives her such depth and humanity. By the end, I really felt for her; it was kind of heartbreaking to see how she became the biggest obstacle to her own happiness.
I loved Nina. She’s a character that could have so easily gone the way of the “manic pixie dream girl” because she’s very much an outsider among the moneyed aristocrats of the city. But Moreno-Garcia walks this line well because Nina is intensely relatable. I think every woman can see themselves in her, especially when she’s in the throes of her first love affair and can’t see the truth in front of her. The juxtaposition between Nina and Valérie was definitely a highlight of the book.
The world that Moreno-Garcia created was so compelling that it left me hungry for more. I loved reading about the ostentatious aristocrats and their foppish hobbies. Loisail, with its stifling rules and hierarchies, is the perfect setting for this story. You can see how the norms of society have shaped Hector, Nina, and Valérie in very different ways, and that leads to spectacular character arcs.
I don’t want to give too much else away, but suffice to say, I love this book, and I love Silvia Moreno-Garcia. If you’re looking for something new to read, or are in a bit of a rut, I highly recommend giving this book a try. It’s like nothing you’ve ever read.
“You do not know what it is like to want something for so long, you forget why you even wanted it in the first place, until the only thing left is a gnawing need and there is nothing that can fill it. And even though everything in your body tells you that you are killing yourself wanting it, you cannot stop.”