BELLES (Belles, 1) - Tapa dura

"Clayton conjures a world both breathtakingly beautiful and deeply unsettling, populated by characters full of strengths and complexities. This is a thought-provoking story that lingers." --Marie Lu, #1 New York Times best-selling author of The Young Elites

"The Belles is a voluptuous, dazzling fairy tale of desire, ambition and unrelenting beauty."--Holly Black, cocreator of New York Times best-selling series The Spiderwick Chronicles and author of Newbery Honor winner Doll Bones

"Clayton dances between the fine lines of glittering, glamorous and gruesome. The Belles is a dazzling exploration of body power and identity, and a must-read for anyone looking for a lot more bite when it comes to beauty." --Roshani Chokshi, New York Times best-selling author of The Star Touched Queen and A Crown of Wishes

"I fell head-over-heels with the darkly lush world of The Belles. A book to read when you want to be transported somewhere dangerous and beautiful, where nothing is as it seems, and secrets abound."--Megan Shepherd, New York Times bestselling author of The Madman's Daughter series, The Cage series, and the forthcoming Grim Lovelies

"The Belles is a powerful discussion about the cost of beauty and what we are willing to do for it. Dhonielle Clayton creates a world both lush and dark, with prose so delectable you will savor every word."--Zoraida Cordova, author of Labyrinth Lost, The Circle Unbroken, and The Vicious Deep series

"From the first page, this book completely mesmerized me. Dhonielle Clayton has written a lush, immersive tale about a world where nothing is as it seems. Where beauty and the magic behind it are painted in sinisterly sexy tones. Her characters are complex, yet relatable. This is a book where you will savor every word."--Renee Ahdieh, author of The Wrath and the Dawn, The Rose and the Dagger, and the forthcoming The Flame in the Mist

"The Belles is absolutely enthralling. Rich with detail and fascinating characters, this book shows us a masterfully crafted world that is both desirable and frightening. I flew through the pages and loved everything they had to offer: an intelligent and talented heroine, mysterious romance, and enduring friendships."--Marie Rutkoski, New York Times best-selling author of The Winner's Trilogy

"A lush and intoxicating world where beauty equals power and darkness lurks in every glittering shadow."--Kami Garcia, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Beautiful Creatures & author of The Lovely Reckless

*"Clayton impressively offers up a series starter that, despite its broad commercial appeal, doesn't shy away from facing uncomfortable truths in our own society. The dual natures of ugliness and shame, the commodification of beauty and of women, the drive for perfection at any cost, the widening of one girl's moral landscape--all of it comes into play here. But even as it does, the action never slows, and the rich, rotting world never wavers. Readers may be almost grateful for that cliff-hanger ending--it means there's more to come."--Booklist, starred review

*"With wonderfully descriptive language, Clayton builds a grand and lavish world, carefully chipping away at the veneer to reveal its dark, sinister interior... A refreshingly original concept, this substantial fantasy, the first in a duology, is an undeniable page-turner."--Kirkus Reviews, starred review

Camellia Beauregard is a Belle. In the opulent world of Orleans, Belles are revered, for they control Beauty, and Beauty is a commodity coveted above all else. In Orleans, the people are born gray, they are born damned, and only with the help of a Belle and her talents can they transform and be made beautiful.

But it's not enough for Camellia to be just a Belle. She wants to be the favorite, the Belle chosen by the Queen of Orleans to live in the royal palace, to tend to the royal family and their court, to be recognized as the most talented Belle in the land.
But once Camellia and her Belle sisters arrive at court, it becomes clear that being the favorite is not everything she always dreamed it would be. Behind the gilded palace walls live dark secrets, and Camellia soon learns that the very essence of her existence is a lie, that her powers are far greater, and could be more dangerous, than she ever imagined. And when the queen asks Camellia to risk her own life and help the ailing princess by using Belle powers in unintended ways, Camellia now faces an impossible decision.

With the future of Orleans and its people at stake, Camellia must decide: save herself and her sisters and the way of the Belles, or resuscitate the princess, risk her own life, and change the ways of her world forever.