Beauty and the Beast of Paradise Lost vol 2 by Kaori Yuki

Belle is once again tricked by Giselle, who she finally discovers is the sister of the Breast, Prince Cyril. This time, she walks in on a private moment between Cyril and his fiancée, (old) Belle. The former Belle is slowly turning into crystal. Her heart was fragmented and used to make servitors for the terrible Madam La Medium, who cursed Cyril and the people who live in the castle. Belle realizes La Medium may also have her mother, but Cyril doesn't want to take her along in any confrontations because she's useless in a fight. (New) Belle also learns more about the castle's magic - one of Cyril's butlers is using his magic to slow time in the castle, and they are traveling between worlds to keep it ticking even slower in order to hopefully save (Old) Belle. (New) Belle also realizes that despite her better judgment, she is falling in love with Cyril.

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This volumes lays the groundwork for the romantic entanglement that probably every reader will see coming. So far, there's not much reason for Belle to be in love with Cyril other than seeing the way he is devoted to his Belle. It's also revealed that Cyril and (Old) Belle hadn't known each other for very long before the curse was set upon them, so that might work out for (New) Belle in the long run. The part I find most interesting in this story is the villainess and her power to collect faces of other ladies. This, to me, is a nice variation on the trope of bad guys fighting to stay young and vibrant. The illustrations are still absolutely beautiful and really heighten the enjoyment of this story.

Sara's Rating: 9/10
Suitability Level: Grades 9-12

Reviews of previous volumes in this series: vol 1
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Publisher: Kodansha 
Publication Date: November 23, 2021​
ISBN: 9781646512935 (Paperback)

​Tags: Rating: 9/10, Suitability: High School, Manga, Folklore, Fantasy, Suspense, ​Kodansha