The Beautiful Being [Paperback]

Jessica Barksdale Inclan (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Inclán (Believe in Me) fails to successfully develop an intriguing concept in this disappointing romantic fantasy. The Cygirians, their home planet destroyed by cruel Neballats, live in exile on Upsilia while struggling to rebuild their culture and rescue their scattered people. Cygirians can only use their psychic powers when paired with a Twin, a spouse and teammate whose psychic ability balances theirs. Reluctant leader Edan Mirav and former prisoner Ava Arganos discover each other after resigning themselves to living Twinless. Once paired, they unite to rescue their people, but Neballats use mind control to force them into betrayal instead. Inclán's refreshingly light hand with romance becomes limp in key scenes, muting conflict and leaving characters flat while piling too much backstory into meandering meditations. (Oct.)
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Product Details

• Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: Zebra; Original edition (October 1, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1420101161
• ISBN-13: 978-1420101164
• Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 5.8 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,871,255 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Jessica Barksdale Inclan's debut novel Her Daughter's Eyes, published in 2001, was the premier novel published under New American Library's new imprint Accent. Her Daughter's Eyes was a final nominee for the YALSA Award for the best books of 2001 and best paperbacks for 2001 and has been published in Dutch and Spanish. Her next novel The Matter of Grace was published in May 2002 and was re-released in a mass market version in May 2004. Her third, When You Go Away, came out April 1, 2003. Her fourth, One Small Thing, was published April 2004, and has been published in Dutch and Spanish. Her fifth, Walking With Her Daughter, was published in April 2005. The Instant When Everything is Perfect was published in February 2006. In June 2006, she published the first in a trilogy from Kensington Books. When You Believe was followed by Reason to Believe and Believe in Me. Being with Him, Intimate Beings, and The Beautiful Being (October 2009) are the novels in her second trilogy. She is a 2002 recipient of the CAC Artist's Fellowship in Literature. Incl'n teaches composition, creative writing, mythology, and women's literature at Diablo Valley College in Pleasant Hill, California, and on-line creative writing courses for UCLA extension. She has studied with Sharon Olds, Anne Lamott, Kate Braverman, Grace Paley, Marjorie Sandor, and Cristina Garcia. Her short stories and poems have appeared in Rockhurst Review, Hotwired, The Salt Hill Journal, Free Lunch, The West Wind Review, The Prairie Star, Gargoyle and many other journals and newspapers. Her short story Open Eyes was given first prize by Sandra Cisneros for El Andar magazine's 2000 writing contest. She co-edited a women's literature/studies textbook Diverse Voices of Women (Mayfield Publishing, 1995). Ms. Inclan has degrees in sociology and English literature from CSU Stanislaus and a Master's degree in English literature from SFSU. Ms. Inclan lives in Oakland, California and is currently at work on her next novel. Find her Kindle books on Amazon, starting with The Wolf at the Window.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Passion and Intelligent Writing, November 23, 2009

By 

Jean Taylor (California) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Beautiful Being (Paperback)

In "The Beautiful Being," Jessica Inclán gives the reader a wonderful, fast-paced, sexy paranormal romance. The novel is the third in Inclán's "The Being Trilogy" (the two previous are "Intimate Beings" and "Being With Him"). You don't have to have read the first two to enjoy this one (although you will almost certainly want to).

Inclán's heroine is Ava Arganos, a strong, lusty, intelligent woman who has recently been freed from "The Source"--a spirit storage unit reminiscent of the Tibetan Buddhist "Bardo" where souls are believed to spend the interval between death and reincarnation. Working in the desert on an alien planet where some of the inhabitants are openly hostile, Ava--who is capable of rapidly growing younger--experiences an intense longing to find her double. She only knows one thing about him: he will be able to age himself with a simple thought. Enter Edan Mirav, the handsome, lonely, brilliant leader of Ava's people who every time he looks in the mirror sees himself growing older at an unnaturally rapid pace.

You might think you can guess the rest, but Inclán is a writer who goes beyond formulas. Ava and Edan deliver all the explosive passion you expect, but Inclán enriches the tale of their romance with myths from numerous religious traditions. For example, in addition to reconfiguring the Tibetan Bardo, she reinterprets Christ's temptation in the desert, not to mention turning a sizeable chunk of the Book of Genesis into the story of the creation of a second Earth.

I thoroughly enjoyed "The Beautiful Being." In my opinion, when you get passion combined with intelligent writing, you get it all.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful, romantic story with vulnerable and likable characters, September 29, 2009

By 

Bookaholics Reviewer (Bay Area, California) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Beautiful Being (Paperback)

The Beautiful Being by Jessica Barksdale Inclan
Paranormal Romance - Sept. 29th, 2009
4 stars


The Beautiful Being is the satisfying conclusion to Jessica Inclan's Being series. In this book the author finishes the absorbing story of the Mirav family with Edan's story. I have really anticipated Edan's book because his character is so appealing and I wondered how the author would resolve his past.

Edan is a tragic and heroic figure. The leader of a people hunted for their special abilities, he carries a terrible burden. Edan's people all have talents and if they are lucky they find their twin or double with the opposite talent that complements and completes them. However, Edan is cursed with a talent that ages him and if he isn't careful it might kill him. He has already prematurely aged himself. Unable to find his perfect match, Edan feels he is destined to die alone.

Ava wishes for the impossible, her double or twin. But time has past and no man pulls to her, nor has she heard of a man with powers that complement her own. She is tortured by dreams of a man who always leaves and always wakes up feeling dissatisfied and unwanted. Although she actively helps in her peoples rebuilding efforts, she feels her actions are empty and meaningless.

I really enjoyed the characters in this story; they were: vulnerable, likable and very easy to relate to. I find the idea of twins that complement each other extremely fascinating. (Wish there was more of this series slated to be published! I feel there are so many different twins with different talents that could be explored.) Jessica Inclan excels at delving into the inner psyche of her creations and bringing them to life. However, areas not related to the relationship between the characters I found somewhat confusing. I still have a feeling of not quite understanding the enemy and the Source which seemed like a spiritual place. However, the general feeling I believe the author wanted to portray, a journey toward peace, forgiveness, and completion was conveyed. As a result, I did find the conclusion of this book filled me with great satisfaction and happiness for the couple.

Reviewed by Steph from the Bookaholics Romance Book Club