The Beautiful

1st février, 1872
aboard the CGT Aramis

Not What It Seemed

The Aramis was supposed to arrive at first light, like it did in Celine s dreams.
 
She would wake beneath a sunlit sky, the brine of the ocean winding through her nose, the city looming bright on the horizon.
 
Filled with promise. And absolution.
 
Instead the brass bell on the bow of the Aramis tolled in the twilight hour, the time of day her friend Pippa called the gloaming. It was in Celine s mind a very British thing to say.
 
She d begun collecting these phrases not long after she d met Pippa four weeks ago, when the Aramis had docked for two days in Liverpool. Her favorite so far was not bloody likely. Celine didn t know why they mattered to her at the time. Perhaps it was because she thought Very British Things would serve her better in America than the Very French Things she was apt to say.
 
The moment Celine heard the bell clang, she made her way portside, Pippa s light footsteps trailing in her wake. Inky tendrils of darkness fanned out across the sky, a ghostly mist shrouding the Crescent City. The air thickened as the two girls listened to the Aramis sluice through the waters of the Mississippi, drawing closer to New Orleans. Farther from the lives they d left behind.
 
Pippa sniffed and rubbed her nose. In that instant, she looked younger than her sixteen years. For all the stories, it s not as pretty as I thought it would be.
 
It s exactly what I thought it would be, Celine said in a reassuring tone.
 
Don t lie. Pippa glanced at her sidelong. It won t make me feel better.
 
A smile curled up Celine s face. Maybe I m lying for me as much as I m lying for you.
 
In any case, lying is a sin.
 
So is being obnoxious.
 
That s not in the Bible.
 
But it should be.
 
Pippa coughed, trying to mask her amusement. You re terrible. The

Renée Ahdieh is a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. In her spare time, she likes to dance salsa and collect shoes. She is passionate about all kinds of curry, rescue dogs, and college basketball. The first few years of her life were spent in a high-rise in South Korea; consequently, Renée enjoys having her head in the clouds. She and her family live in Charlotte, North Carolina. She is the #1 New York Times and international bestselling author of the Wrath and the Dawn series, the Flame in the Mist series, and The Beautiful series.

Praise for The Beautiful:

The Beautiful, which kicks off a new series, returns the vampire novel to popular form, evoking the style of Anne Rice and breathing fresh life into the genre.   Entertainment Weekly

It's true: Vampires are back, and they're more seductive than ever.   Bustle

Ahdieh brings New Orleans vibrantly to life, particularly when exploring the complicated racial and gender restrictions of high society through main and supporting characters of mixed-race origin. Sure to please fans of the author and of the vampire-romance genre. Kirkus

The first in a series, this mystery novel shines when it focuses on Celine and her struggle to fit into society while trying to be true to herself. School Library Journal

An action-packed third act and a final reveal will have readers grasping for the sequel. . . Vampires never stay dead for long, and best-selling Ahdieh's approach part homage to the classics, part fresh-eyed revitalization will intrigue all but the most committed skeptics. Booklist

Darkly glamorous . . . Compelling.   The Bulletin of the Center for Children s Books

Ahdieh s New Orleans is lushly atmospheric, permeating this series opener with an undercurrent of violence within a seductive underworld around Mardi Gras. . . Readers will champion Celine s wit and incredible grit even surrounded by powerful, supernatural protectors, Celine fights for herself and those she loves. . . Fans will clamor for the continuation to this captivating volume. Publishers Weekly

An incredibly ornate, lush New Orleans; characters who imprint themselves on your memory forever; a story that is nail-biting and swoony and satisfying and tense ALL AT THE SAME TIME. And of course . . . VAMPIRES. Sabaa Tahir, New York Times bestselling author of An Ember in the Ashes

It's intoxicating. The Beautiful has