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.