Cruel Beauty

Cruel Beauty is by debut author Rosamund Hodge.

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 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 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 suppose to love.

The Breakdown:
1. If you haven't guessed by now, I am a fan of the re-telling of classic fairy tales.  Hodge does a fantastic job with her spin on Beauty and the Beast.  She adds in elements of Greek mythology, which is another thing I love. I love the enchanted castle with secrets behind every door, and tale that Hodge spins in it to reveal the curse and how to break it.

2. I find Nyx and intriguing character because she is not your typical fairy tale heroine. She does not believe that there is a happily ever after for her, and she resents being the one chosen to break the curse.  I like how she slowly learns to love without the underlying resentment she has always felt toward her family.

3. I loved Ignifex.  He reminded me a lot of The Erlking from Jenna Black's Faeriewalker series.  He is generally perceived as evil, but he is more than Gentle Lord who people bargain with. He has this easy charm to him, and a little bit of sarcasm that is wonderful. I feel for him at times that the people blame him for the bargains, but it is not he that seeks them out and it is their own hearts that bring about their sorrows.

4.  Shade is an interesting character.  He is the shadow servant of the Gentle Lord, but there is more to him than just a servant.  He definitely knows more about the curse than he can say but there is also something a little devious about his motives.

5. Hodge does a fantastic job of being about to wrap up this story in a stand alone novel.  I really loved the ending, it was just perfect for the story she has created.

To Read or Not to Read:
Must Read

Currently Reading:
Strange Sweet Song
by Adi Rule