Kill the Beast

By Serra Swift

Book Overview

The Witcher meets Howl's Moving Castle in this debut original faerie tale of revenge, redemption, and friendship--for fans of T. Kingfisher, Naomi Novik, and cozy fantasy with a dash of gritty adventure.

The night Lyssa Cadogan's brother was murdered by a faerie-made monster known as the Beast, she made him a promise: she would find a way to destroy the immortal creature and avenge his death. For thirteen years, she has been hunting faeries and the abominations they created. But in all that time, the one Beast she is most desperate to find has never resurfaced.

Until she meets Alderic Casimir de Laurent, a melodramatic dandy with a coin purse bigger than his brain. Somehow, he has found the monster's lair, and--even more surprising--retrieved one of its claws. A claw Lyssa needs in order to forge a sword that can kill the Beast.

When the witch Ragnhild decrees that Alderic and Lyssa must gather the other ingredients to forge the weapon together, or else the spell will fail, Lyssa gets more than she bargained for. Alderic is ill-equipped for the task at hand, and almost guaranteed to get himself killed.

But as the two of them search for the materials that will be the Beast's undoing, Alderic reveals hidden depths: dark secrets that he guards as carefully as Lyssa guards hers. Before long, and against Lyssa's better judgment, they begin to forge a blooming friendship--one that will either lead to the culmination of Lyssa's quest for vengeance, or spell doom for them both.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1250373786
• ISBN13: 9781250373786
• Release Date: October 2025
• Publisher: Tor Books
• Length: 320 Pages
• Weight: 0.90 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.3" x 5.6" x 8.3"

Customer Reviews

Wonderful

Just about everything you want in a story, well-written. Read it!

cozy and refreshing

This was so a refreshing read. The characters were vibrant and the dynamic between Lyssa and Alderic was so much fun to read. I was genuinely rooting for them (in the most platonic way as this is not a romantic love story). The reflections on grief are thoughtful and we really see our mc look inward and embrace a new beginning.

Fantastic rendition

At first I thought that this was just going to be a retelling of Beauty and the Beast, with the roles reversed, in that the Beast was kind, and Beauty was beastly. Nope, it was so much more than that! I loved the message of this tale, about how all of us has a bit of the beast in us, and we need to recognize it as part of us but also choose how to use it. Alderic is so sweet! a bit too flamboyant for my taste (though I would love to see what his different waist coats look like, or his socks!) but it contrasted perfectly with Lyssa and her troll skin coat and her clothing choices for durability rather than fashion. Attire aside, this is a wonderful and heartbreaking journey for both Alderic and Lyssa having to relive the past and their choices back then as they search for the ingredients to make the lethal blade for the Beast. You have interesting characters along the way from a previous love of Lyssa's now working for the faeries, to the witches in the forest that she works for as a blacksmith and help her out along the way. Plus Brandy! She is the best dog ever! Lots of good themes in this book from healing and forgiveness for past transgressions, found family that sticks with you no matter what, friends that take an arrow for you, and love that transcends all (even if it is mostly friendship love that inches towards something more by the end). It is lovely and played with my emotions and I had so much fun listening to this audiobook! The narrator, Moira Quirk, did a fabulous job in bringing this world to life and all the wonderful characters and their journeys. Such a good story and audiobook and I am glad I got the chance to listen to it.