Indulgence Designs #5: Winter Wallpapers From A Magical Setting

January 16, 2017 by Aila J. | Books, Indulgence Designs

What better way to celebrate this delightful, Russian-inspired Beauty & the Beast retelling than having winter wallpapers that reflect the setting of the story? In Hunted by Meagan Spooner, the courageous heroine Yeva follow her father’s path to track a Beast… but may end up being hunted by it instead. A Beauty & the Beast story through and through, Hunted celebrates the magic of Russian folklore through a well-known fairy tale with descriptive settings and a poetic atmosphere that travels beyond the “Little Town” the characters start off in. With an empathetic Beast whose character grows a phenomenal amount and intriguing side characters that will constantly mystify you, I fell in love with this story. It’s nothing too special, as it doesn’t offer anything especially unique or mind-blowing, but the quiet, magical fairytale-like qualities made it a favorite in my heart.

Just click on the image to save. HA my Dropbox totally ran out of data. *forlorn face* It was fun while you lasted.

Some rules:

  • All rights go to Meagan Spooner, the author of the book and quotes.
  • The only thing I own is my creativity.
  • For personal use only.
  • Happy reading!

Fun fact: the bird I used in this photo was from a watercolor pack called “Russian Birds.” I don’t know the exact type, but I thought that was a cool coincidence.

Isn’t it interesting that this quote has “we” in it? There is a very well-thought, creative explanation as to why the Beast refers to himself as “we” in this book sometimes. Wishing is a big part of the story as well. The wish to find a father, the wish to receive more and more, the wish to be happy… but when is it not enough to wish on something? When is the time past longing and instead the time for enjoying the stuff and experiences we have now? I thought this raised a very great message and had an overall very memorable effect on the story.

Ooh lala, what does this quote mean? It’s not only a battle of the wills between the two main characters, but a battle of hunting. A battle of fear. A battle of emotions – who will win and who will lose? The heroine Yeva is very quick-witted and always has a plan; she is no damsel in distress. The Beast is an extremely mysterious figure though, and really tough on her in the beginning of the book. But as she slowly unravels his layers, she finds that there is more to the Beast than his at-first-glance wild personality.

I really liked the atmosphere of the book, and the author is always a plus (I adored her These Broken Stars trilogy that was co-written by Amie Kaufman and am extremely excited about their new scifi series coming out later this year). I hope you guys pick it up and/or enjoy the wallpapers!

Will you be reading this fairy-tale retelling? I hope you’re having a cozy winter! Look out for my review of this book on the blog in a month.

 

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Aila is a young adult reader who loves to transport herself to new dimensions through reading. She's currently an undergraduate student at university in the US. Let's talk about our obsessions on Twitter @aila_1woaa!

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17 responses to “Indulgence Designs #5: Winter Wallpapers From A Magical Setting

  1. Absolutely gorgeous designs, Aila! I especially love the one with a bird. You got me intrigued with you “Russian-bird” comment. In truth I hadn’t recognize this bird right away. After some research I finally found out that it is in truth a Russian bird. It calls oriole or hangbird.

    I plan to give Hunted by Meagan Spooner a try, because I love Beauty & the Beast retellings and loved Starbound series that she wrote in collaboration with Amie Kaufman. I admit I have some trepidations, I’m a little bit weary of Russian-inspired stories, because as a Russian I tend to pick up even minor inaccuracies in portraying my culture. I hope this wouldn’t be the case here.

    • Wow, you know more about this bird than I do! Haha, I'll be sure to remember that it's an oriole/hangbird. :))

      Ooh Ksenia, I can see why you'd be conflicted about this book. But I really hope it lives up to your expectations and more, with A+ Russian representation.

  2. Bec

    I am DEFINITELY checking out Hunted as soon as I possibly can! I can never resist a Beauty and the Beast retelling. Your quotes have me even more intrigued! Plus your wallpapers are gorgeous

  3. I haven't read Hunted yet, but these are GORGEOUS AS USUAL. No surprise. Oh and I also have the Russian Birds watercolor pack! I haven't used them yet but I think they are really pretty!

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