Cruel Beauty by Rosamund Hodge

Cruel Beauty by Rosamund Hodge

Release Date: January 28, 2014

Publisher: Balzer And Bray

Age Group:  Young Adult

Pages: 352

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.

My Thoughts: I have heard so many good and bad things about Cruel Beauty. It seems like people either love it or hate it. So, I was a little hesitant to read it.  The beginning of it starts off a bit slow. Its hard to get into it. But once it livens up, it sure does liven up.

We are introduced to Nyx who has spend most of her life preparing to kill Lord Ignifex and avenge her mother and her people.

But Nyx meets him, and she is drawn to him. There is another character named Shade. Shade was a bit confusing for me at first. I wasn’t sure what he was or what he was up too. I took a liking to him as well.

Honestly, this one is so hard to describe I’m not even sure where to start. It was a bit confusing but I ended up really liking it. I liked the characters and the plot. It was weird in places but I liked that. I also liked how Nyx went around exploring the castle. Loved that part.

I thought Nyx was brave but she was also kind of naive at times.

Even though this one kind of felt weird, I’m glad I read it and enjoyed it. It was a bit slow but that is ok.

Overall:  I don’t have too much to really say about this one. I enjoyed it more than I thought I would. It was an interesting tale. I felt a little disjointed at times but it easily cleared up and I understood things more.  I can understand why some people will really like it while others won’t.

Cover:  Like it! I didn’t realize she was on a staircase until I really looked. Kind of a complicated cover but at the same time not. haha.

What I’d Give It: