Krista Reviews: Rosamund Hodge’s – “Cruel Beauty”

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.

Hardcover, 342 pages Published January 28th 2014 by Balzer + Bray  0062224735 (ISBN13: 9780062224736)

I was surprised by how dark this story turned out to be. I knew to expect some similarities to the Beauty and the Beast fairytale, but found this book to be so different that it really stood out on its own. Rosamund Hodge brings out the darker side of an already dark story; Nyx is trapped in a never-ending mansion with a demon for a husband. Either one could lose their life at any time, yet they bide their time together, sizing each other up, as well as the situation they are in.

The story focuses on Nyx and Ignifex and their relationship. There are few side characters as the majority of the story takes place in the mansion. Nyx is mostly left alone, especially at night, and wanders through the locked-up house. The doors are locked for good reason, as she finds throughout the story, but with nothing else to spend her time on, that is what becomes her focus when she is alone—discovering the demon’s secrets.

There is, surprisingly, plenty of world building and back story to this book, even though the actual setting is inside one house. There are many twists, and storylines unravel to reveal more depth than what is originally presented. I did not come to love any of the characters as they all had their faults, and this particular story does focus on the darker aspects of their lives. Nyx spends a lot of her time feeling put upon, jealous, and angry, and has a hard time focusing on where to put that anger. So instead of lashing out, she bides her time, finding out more about her peculiar situation, trying to stay alive, and making plans to free her father from his bargain.

As this is the first book in a series, we do not get to see all the characters and plot fully fleshed out yet. What we do get to see is this weird kind of understanding and connection between the two personalities of Ignifex and Nyx. Many secrets are revealed and there is some adventure as we find out what is behind the locked doors.

As the story developed, I started to really enjoy where it was going—the idea of learning about yourself and finding connections to others even in the darkest of circumstances, and a feeling of constantly being on guard, yet developing a sense of comfort and expectations from your surroundings. I am excited to see where the story continues to go and it’s a book I recommend. Those who enjoy reading darker fairy tales that don’t end up with happily ever after should pick this one up!