Starred Review ALA Booklist (Tue Feb 28 00:00:00 CST 2023)

Starred Review Clayton returns to the world of Orléans with this spin-off follow-up to the Belles duology. The conniving and murderous young queen, Sophia, has been dethroned and imprisoned. In her place, her older sister Charlotte, the former heir to the throne, rules. However, Charlotte doesn't intend to remain a monarch. Putting the good of Orléans above all else, she invokes an old tradition, the Beauty Trials, to select the next rightful ruler of Orléans. The always-ambitious Edel Beauregard, who helped save Orléans from Sophia's tyranny, decides to enter the competition. Edel vows to bind her arcana magic to make the trials fair for all competitors. But when Edel is attacked and has to use her arcana to stay alive, she's faced with possibly losing her shot at the throne if she can't expose a wider conspiracy. The Beauty Trials immediately plunges readers into the lush, whimsical, and insidious world of The Belles (2018). Clayton excels at placing heavy subjects, such as loyalty, duty, ambition, and what gives one the right to govern others, against a fantasy backdrop. Edel and the large supporting cast are vividly drawn and immediately compelling. Their struggles, goals, tenacity, and rich, nuanced personalities will resonate with readers and leave them on the edge of their seats as they follow Edel, her friends, and her enemies on this final journey.

Kirkus Reviews

Now that Regent Queen Sophia is locked up, her sister, Queen Charlotte, decides to revive an ancient tradition: the Beauty Trials, a deadly competition to be the next Queen of Orléans.This stand-alone fantasy picks up three years after the events of The Everlasting Rose (2019), with the point of view shifting from Camille to her spirited sister Edel. The Belles, who have magical arcana powers and a range of skin tones, are expected to provide beautifying services to the gray-skinned, red-eyed Gris. However, Sophia and her lackeys have little regard for the Belles, seeing them as property to be auctioned off. Having Sophia imprisoned is not enough; the next queen of Orléans should be committed to freeing the Belles from servitude and bloodletting for their arcana. When Queen Charlotte announces the Beauty Trials-a lethal contest that will allow the Goddess of Beauty to choose Sophia's successor-Edel enters, hoping she can win and liberate the Belles. Edel is tenacious and brave, but the line between bravery and foolishness is fine. Both Camille and Edel's love interest, Gaelle, urge her to rein in her outspoken ways and try to charm others during the competition. An intriguing relationship develops between Edel and the Trials' Gamekeeper Quentin, tempting her into a love triangle. This atmospheric novel delves into social and political issues, although the worldbuilding feels less deliberate than in previous entries. The plot intensifies quickly, with dangerous tasks and an earthshaking twist that leaves Edel scrambling.A reflective and gripping return to an imaginative world. (Fantasy. 12-18)

School Library Journal (Thu Jun 01 00:00:00 CDT 2023)

Gr 8 Up— This spinoff of "The Belles" duology plunges Edel Beauregard into a series of contests to become the next Queen of Orl&3;ans. Queen Sophia has been imprisoned, and the tradition of the Beauty Trials—a potentially fatal series of tests that allow the Goddess of Beauty to choose the next queen—has begun to pick her replacement. Edel is not a Belle (though she has always wanted to be), but the revelations she'll confront in the games may shake her resolve. This spin-off relies on readers' familiarity with the original duology to understand and appreciate the worldbuilding, but Clayton crafts excellent romance and political machinations to entice her readers back to the fold. VERDICT Worth purchasing if your collection owns "The Belles," but it does not stand alone.