Berkley Books
Slashed Beauties
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A gothic feminist body horror in two timelines revolving around three Anatomical Venuses--ultrarealistic wax figures of women--that come to life at night to murder men who have wronged them.
Seoul, present day. Antiques dealer Alys's task is nearly complete. She has at last secured Elizabeth, the final anatomical Venus in a dangerously intertwined trio. Crafted in eighteenth-century London and modeled after real-life sex workers to entice male medical students to study female anatomy, these eerie wax figures, known as slashed beauties, carry unsavory lore. Legend has it that the figures are bewitched, and come to life at night to murder men who have wronged them. Now Alys embarks for England, where she knows what she must do: sever her cursed connection to the Venuses once and for all.
London, 1763. Abandoned and penniless in Covent Garden, wide-eyed Eleanor and another young woman, Emily, are taken under the wing of beautiful and beguiling Elizabeth, one of the city's most highly desired courtesans. But as Eleanor is seduced deeper into a web of money, materialism, and men, it seems that Elizabeth may not be the savior she appears to be.
As past and present begin to intersect, it becomes clear that the women's stories are linked in deeper, darker ways than it initially seems. And that the only method for Alys to end the witchcraft that binds her legacy is to gather all three models in one place and destroy them.
The problem is, Elizabeth is not ready to burn. Far from it. Centuries on, she is determined to rise again, and she will obliterate anything standing in her path. Including Alys herself.
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Book Details
ISBN:
9780593954645
EAN:
9780593954645
Binding:
Hardcover
Pages:
384
Authors:
A Rushby
Publisher:
Berkley Books
Published Date: 2025-23-09
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I adored this book far more than I ever imagined possible. Reading the synopsis things seem…wild. But the depth of emotion and character development is simply unmatched. This is one that I will think of often for a very long time.
Why did I read this book? The cover is beautiful, the title is very evocative and female rage is a genre that I find so interesting.Being a woman is such a dual thing to be, for centuries we’ve always been between two values/meaning. Not beautiful enough or too beautiful, too prude or too slutty, and one of my favorite too sensible or too crazy. This book covers all these adjectives that no matter how much or when, women will ways be seen as an object to either admire or loath.Elizabeth is supposed to be Emily and Eleonor’s savior, however, after disgrace and sickness wreaks havoc in their residence and their reputation gets discredited, they find themselves forced to meet 2 people that might not be quite the help they were hoping for. The Anatomist and his assistant offer the three beauties an attractive sum of money if they decide to pose as a model to make new Venuses for the anatomy student.Things will take a turn after this encounter and we will learn that there is something dark and dangerous behind this offer.This book has many layers that end up interlaced in the most beautiful and flawless way. Dual timelines and a story that will slowly narrate how women have been objectified, abused, sexualized, humiliated, judged and manipulated either for personal gratification or convenience. There is a strong message of friendship, courage and love showing once more that women are resilient and powerful.The vibe of this book is dark and somber and it’s the perfect contrast of the beauty narrated in the story. Definitely a slashed beauty.
This story had me enthralled. The atmosphere, the feminine rage, the unexpected twists!I was expecting more of a horror slasher sort of book, but instead was taken on a historical journey through a time when women were treated as lesser and demonized. Each of the three venuses are harmed by men and/or society in a way very personal to women of that time. And it is this pain and abandonment that eventually brings them to the anatomists door.You are also given snippets from the present, as a woman strives to end the curse upon the venuses forever.The rage, the atmosphere, the yearning, this story truly exceeded my expectations.The one and only complaint I have is surrounding the ending. It felt rushed unfortunately. After the buildup of the book that lead me to believe there would be a big showdown, or atleast an emotional one, the actual ending that was given was pretty...chill?Still a great ending! Just wanted a bit more conflict I suppose.Also, my girl Emily deserved so much better, I specifically wanted more around her situation in the ending!Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!!
Slashed Beauties it set in two timelines. 1763 and the current day. Alys has finally gotten the final Anotomical Venus. Her connection can finally(hopefully) be broken (and as the story progresses, we will learn what that connection is).London, 1763 where we meet Eleanor who falls under the spell of Emily. Emily uses Eleanor in more ways than one, and I have to say I felt so sad for her.These two timelines come together in ways that I did not see coming. I must admit, I had never heard of Anotomical Venus’s, that were used in medical training. The story did not go in the direction I expected. The history behind these Venus’s was heartbreaking and sucked me into their story. It took me a bit longer than usual to become engrossed, but once I did, I had to know how it would end.I received a DRC from Berkley Publishing Group through NetGalley.
If I could give Slashed Beauties more than five stars, I would. I loved absolutely everything about it, from the complex, real characters to the uniqueness of the anatomical Venuses. A. Rushby's latest masterpiece is the perfect spooky season (or anytime) read, but give yourself plenty of time, because you won't want to stop reading until you know, and THAT ENDING! There's a lot in Slashed Beauties that would make a perfect book club choice, but I really want to see this book made into a movie/series!
