Rating: 4.5⭐️
This is an excellent first book by this author. Kill the Beast by Serra Swift, a fantasy adventure novel, is a remarkable tale of revenge, found family and redemption.
Situated In lands where humanity has expanded into lands once shared with Fae, the forward movement of humans and their developments have disastrous consequences when they encounter the otherworldly creatures and the monsters that the fae have created and left behind.
The fae, fleeing from the iron technology of humanity and losses of their forests or just insults to their superior species, ensured their revenge against humans is often deep and brutal.
For one woman, Lyssa Cadogan, now Lyssa Carnifax, the Fae’s brutality has been incredibly devastating, the loss of her beloved brother who was murdered by a faerie-made monster known as the Beast. She made an oath on his grave to revenge him and kill the Beast. And that’s been her life’s goal and work since then.
A warrior/hunter consumed by her hatred for the Fae and need for revenge. She is hired by a wealthy, sort of dandy Alderic Casimir de Laurent, who has knowledge of the Monster and hires her to kill it.
And it’s not just as simple as that.
So many interesting and tragic layers to the story and of these people. Multiple losses, deep emotional scars, slowly bonding with each other and with the scary found family that Lyssa has gained over the years. This includes an enormous bullmastiff called Brandy.
There’s no romance. A past relationship is mentioned and there is a possibility of a future romance. But this is about dealing with trauma, the tragedy of your past, revenge and forgiveness. And finally being able to move forward.
An absolutely fantastic book by a first time author. I can’t wait to see what they write next.
Highly recommended.
Love the cover.
Cover design by Shreya Gupta
Cover illustration by Kelly Chong
Buy link
Amazon.comhttps://www.amazon.comKill the Beast: Swift, Serra: 9781250373786
Blurb
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.
Alderic is ill-equipped for a hunt and almost guaranteed to get himself killed. But as the two of them search for the rest of 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, an unlikely friendship begins to bloom—one that will either lead to the culmination of Lyssa’s quest for vengeance, or spell doom for them both.
Tor Books
Publication date
October 14, 2025
Language
English
Print length
309 pages
Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words 