Title: Cruel Beauty
Author: Rosamund Hodge
Publisher: Balzer + Bray
Release Date: 28th January 2013
Source: Bought
Rating: 4 out of 5
Description: 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
Cruel Beauty is dark, elegant and
enticing. Combining a wonderful
mix of Greek myth and Beauty and the Beast, this slow seductive romance and its
perfectly imperfect characters are riveting. Rosamund Hodge’s debut is
everything it boasts to be. An intricate story about finding love in the
darkest of places, when you least expect it. It’s a murderous love sort of a
book and I loved every minute of the “I’m going to kill you but I love you
aspect”.
Nyx’s future was inescapable the
minute her father made a deal with the Demon Lord promising him wife. Nyx is
the chosen one. She is chosen to be the evil rulers wife and tasked with the
mission of killing him in order to obtain freedom for her people who have been
oppressed by demons. However Ignifix, the Demon Lord is not who he seems and
Nyx runs the risk of falling in love with him. The story and mythology are
intricate. This isn’t a happy romantic story. it’s a story that walks the fine
line between evil and good and black and white.
The sitting is gothic and
beautiful. The house of The Demon Lord keeps changing with rooms that can be
beautiful or cruel. It truly captures your imagination. Cruel Beauty is filled with
complex characters that are in my opinion imperfectly perfect. Nyx is not your
typical heroine. She isn’t the supportive, loving and caring type. She is not a
shining beacon of goodness. She’s more the antihero. Nyx is bitter, vengeful
and mean. She has a bit of darkness in her and it’s easy to understand why. She is basically put on a platter and
handed to the devil but she learns to find happiness and love in the most
unexpected place.
Nyx’s task of killing her husband
and saving everyone is a big burden to carry and one she struggles with when
her feelings for her husband and duty are tested. Nyx has to make a
heartbreaking decision and you can’t but admire her for her strength. Nyx was also a refreshing as she has no
illusions about her situation and what she’s capable of. She acknowledges the worst
parts of her and tries to be a better person. It’s her struggle of becoming the
person she thinks she should be compared to who she really is that makes her relatable.
Ignifex is a mystery. Right from
his introduction it is difficult to figure out who he is and what he wants. He
has a bad side but is also cheeky and loving. I loved all the banter and the
slow romance that develops between Nyx and Ignifex. These two are nothing but
honest with each other. They never pretend to be something they are not. Nyx is
always trying to kill him and defeat him. I loved all her plans to take him
down; in fact there were some of my favourite scenes.
Hodge also plays with
perceptions. Perceptions of humanity and love are challenged. The book gives
meaning to the old saying that things not always what they seem. Nyx falls in
love with a demon who does not exactly act like a demon and trusts someone she
should not trust. There is always more to the story. Hodge also discusses the
consequences of one’s actions. As Nyx learns, no one person is to blame and there
are always consequences, which are brilliantly discussed in the book’s
mythology and stories about various deals made with demons. Nyx’s story is not
black or white but complicated and painted with many shades of grey.
A dark romantic tale of true
love. If you like Greek myth and Beauty and the Beast, then this book is worth
checking out.
