Saturday 18 July 2015

Review : Cruel Beauty by Rosamund Hodge

Title: Cruel Beauty

Author: Rosamund Hodge

Publisher: Balzer + Bray

Release Date: January 28th 2014

Goodreads Summary: Graceling meets Beauty and the Beast in this sweeping fantasy about one girl's journey to fulfill her destiny and the monster who gets in her way-by stealing her heart.

Based on the classic fairy tale Beauty and the Beast, Cruel Beauty is a dazzling love story about our deepest desires and their power to change our destiny.

Since birth, Nyx has been betrothed to the evil ruler of her kingdom-all because of a foolish bargain struck by her father. And since birth, she has been in training to kill him.

With no choice but to fulfill her duty, Nyx resents her family for never trying to save her and hates herself for wanting to escape her fate. Still, on her seventeenth birthday, Nyx abandons everything she's ever known to marry the all-powerful, immortal Ignifex. Her plan? Seduce him, destroy his enchanted castle, and break the nine-hundred-year-old curse he put on her people.

But Ignifex is not at all what Nyx expected. The strangely charming lord beguiles her, and his castle—a shifting maze of magical rooms—enthralls her.

As Nyx searches for a way to free her homeland by uncovering Ignifex's secrets, she finds herself unwillingly drawn to him. Even if she could bring herself to love her sworn enemy, how can she refuse her duty to kill him? With time running out, Nyx must decide what is more important: the future of her kingdom, or the man she was never supposed to love.

REVIEW

"If you start wondering how this house works, you'll likely go mad. That could be amusing, I suppose. Especially if it's the kind of madness that causes you to run naked through the hallways. Do feel free to indulge in that anytime."

This book was quite entertaining, and I look forward to read another book by this author. But, this didn't blow me away or anything, and I have quite a few issues with this book.

At first, I found the world to be really interesting, and I was eager to learn more about it. But as it turns out, it was really complicated and sometimes, it didn't make much sense, mostly for the magic system. Anyway, it was hard to wrap my mind around it, and I know some people had similar issues. I loved the castle though, it was a good setting.

For the retelling part of the book  I think it was well done, how Ignifex was more a beast because of his actions. He was really flirty and made me laugh quite a few times.   Moreover, this book was like Beauty and the Beast meets Hades and Persephone meets Bluebeard. Yes, yes, yes. It's not a secret, I loooove retellings.

Nyx's character was really interesting, how she wasn't powerless and everything. She has darkness in her heart, because she resents her father for her fate, and she's right to. Still, I didn't like that she was the One just like that. I won't start on the ending because it was too easy: she just remembers and finds him again, when it has never happened and everything, but well, I think it's the saying "Love is the most powerful thing of them all" or something.

The romance was enjoyable, yes. Still, it was a little insta-love and the love triangle was unnecessary because come on, it's already a Beauty and the Beast retelling. We already knew who she would end up with, so I didn't really  like it. However, I liked how no matter how much Nyx loved Ignifex, she chose to save her world, even if she regrets it after because the lords of bargain (I don't remember how they're called) tricked her, like everyone.

The atmosphere of this book was deliciously creepy and I really liked that aspect, just like my experience of this book, because I enjoyed it for most parts. I knew there were mix reviews about this one, I didn't know if I wanted to pick it up, but even if I had issues with it, it is worth the read, and I want to remind everyone that it was a debut novel, so of course it wasn't perfect. I'll read Crimson Bound soon to see how Rosamund Hodge evolves as an author.

Rating: 3/5 

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