Customer Reviews

The Beautiful Being

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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.

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