All her life, Nyx knew she would be married to the demon,
Gentle Lord, and die. Her father made a deal with that
master of bargains, and she got the small straw. Once she
marries, it is her duty to kill him even if it costs her her
life. But when she gets to the castle, things are not as
they seem, especially her new husband. She will have to
decide if her heart is worth more than her whole country.
CRUEL BEAUTY by Rosamund Hodge can be summed up in one word
for me: wow. One of my favorite things in the world are
fairy tale retellings/spin-offs/etc., particularly those of
Beauty and the Beast. Because of that, I have read several
Beauty and the Beast retellings, but this one has now become
my favorite. The insane, incredible imagination to create
this story is spell binding. CRUEL BEAUTY takes one of the
most unique expressions of Beauty and the Beast that I have
ever read, and I love ever bit of this story.
Our two main characters, Nyx and Ignifex (the Gentle Lord),
are without a doubt in my top three favorite literary
couples. Nyx is feisty and brave, while also being a little
under confident. Ignifex is sarcastic and witty, and no
matter how many times you want him to get slapped, you can't
help but want to kiss him too. The beauty in the two of them
is how well they know their own personality and each
others'. Nyx is not selfless or the tragic heroine. She
knows she has some cruelty in her, just as she suspects
there might be something a little more than cruelty within
Ignifex. The banter in their dialogue is hilarious and high
in tension. I couldn't have asked for a book with better
character development, humor, and darkness.
If you like books along the lines of Graceling, Throne of
Glass, Beastly, or anything with high levels of fantasy,
romance, and adventure, then I cannot recommend CRUEL BEAUTY
enough. I know I can see myself going back and rereading it
over and over again.
The romance of Beauty and the Beast meets the adventure of
Graceling in a dazzling fantasy novel about our deepest
desires and their power to change our destiny.
Betrothed to the evil ruler of her kingdom, Nyx has always
known her fate was to marry him, kill him, and free her
people from his tyranny.
But on her seventeenth birthday, when she moves into his
castle high on the kingdom's mountaintop, nothing is as she
expected—particularly her charming and beguiling new
husband.
Nyx knows she must save her homeland at all costs, yet she
can't resist the pull of her sworn enemy—who's gotten in her
way by stealing her heart.
For fans of bestselling authors Kristin Cashore and Alex
Flinn, this gorgeously written debut infuses the classic
fairy tale with glittering magic, a feisty heroine, and a
romance sure to take your breath away.