Break the Beast: A Beowulf Retelling by Allison Tebo (A Classic Retold book 1)

Grendel is a beast, a monster who terrorizes the land. Driven by a hellish master, she takes vengeance on those who rejected her.

When the golden beast-slayer Beowulf arrives on her shores, the ages-long battle between good and evil is brought into sharp focus. Grendel must decide if she is brave enough to take the first steps into the light.

“It is the people who call me a monster.” … “Why do you think they are right?”

This question is so central to the plot of this story — what makes a monster, and who gets to decide if we are or aren’t? 

But this isn’t a story about identity. It’s a beautiful allegory of Christ, written in the most lyrical prose. Beowulf, a golden son to defeat the dragon, is a symbol of Christ. This isn’t a romance. Far from it. Break the Beast is a tale of a savior, a servant, and a never-ending gratitude.

“So I stand on the edge of a bluff, a lonely figurehead on a lonely promontory, surveying a domain that I do not own and that has no place for me.”

Tebo writes in a very introspective voice, one that is full of imagery and metaphor. First person present isn’t my favorite POV to read, yet Tebo showed incredible wisdom in choosing it for this book.

5 Roses
No romantic elements. No swearing. A few intense battle scenes, but the violence is not glorified in any way.

(Thank you to the author for the ARC of this book. This is my honest review.)