You need to sign in or sign up before continuing.
Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.56 AVERAGE
3.56 AVERAGE
I definitely enjoyed this book better than the first one. I was surprised to find that they are completely different stories. It took me a while to sink into the story because of that.
This was a story with a lot of potential bogged down by a middle full of romantic angst and distrust. The ending was great; the rest of the story was just . . . kinda frustrating, to be honest.
This had a lot of promise. I don't think the execution was as successful as Hodge's first book, and I couldn't really find Little Red Riding Hood in there, but I do admire the way Hodge set up her fantasy world. I especially appreciated her description of the Forest, given how abstract the world is.
While I am generally a fan of romance, I don't think this is Hodge's strength; I would have preferred not to read about any romantic subplots in this book. As with Cruel Beauty, the romance was tiresome--of the love triangle, one of the characters was totally unnecessary.
While I am generally a fan of romance, I don't think this is Hodge's strength; I would have preferred not to read about any romantic subplots in this book. As with Cruel Beauty, the romance was tiresome--of the love triangle, one of the characters was totally unnecessary.
loved loved loved the setting, however, the story was so slow for the most part and only peaked in the last 10%
At the beginning of this book I was really, really disappointed.
The beginning of the year when I read the synopsis, I thought wow, this sounds like it could be cool, a Red Riding Hood with a twist.
But except for the part were Rachelle -wearing a red Cloak - steps of the path and talk to a stranger, there is very little that truly has anything to do with Red Riding Hood.
Also the writing style annoyed me some; the writer 'stole' so many punch lines from other hit books, it was like guess what book this is from.
The main character worked on my nerves for a great deal of the book, being so pathetically caught up in herself and what she did and how she would rectify it, but never trusting herself enough to go all-out and do what she needs to do.
But then there comes this very unexpected twists that makes the book so worth reading. The main character gets to a point where she shot of grow up, but in the end you realise she was so true to her character, that if she matured earlier in the book, the ending would totally be ruined.
I can't claim this book is brilliant, but it's worth a try.
The beginning of the year when I read the synopsis, I thought wow, this sounds like it could be cool, a Red Riding Hood with a twist.
But except for the part were Rachelle -wearing a red Cloak - steps of the path and talk to a stranger, there is very little that truly has anything to do with Red Riding Hood.
Also the writing style annoyed me some; the writer 'stole' so many punch lines from other hit books, it was like guess what book this is from.
The main character worked on my nerves for a great deal of the book, being so pathetically caught up in herself and what she did and how she would rectify it, but never trusting herself enough to go all-out and do what she needs to do.
But then there comes this very unexpected twists that makes the book so worth reading. The main character gets to a point where she shot of grow up, but in the end you realise she was so true to her character, that if she matured earlier in the book, the ending would totally be ruined.
I can't claim this book is brilliant, but it's worth a try.
Even though I am legitimately crushed that this wasn't as good as Cruel Beauty, this was still a fairly solid read.
My biggest issue with this was its pacing. There would be long stretches of what seemed like little to nothing happened, and then very quick, explosive bursts of actions or events that made things advance haltingly, as if the book wasn't quite sure it was allowed to have a progressing plotline.
I also didn't find the characters nearly as charming as anyone from Cruel Beauty, which is a damn shame! I did like Eric, actually, and in my twisted Ignifex- and Darkling-loving brain, I kept expecting him to be the main love interest, so when he wasn't, I was legitimately disappointed!
Even though I liked Armand, I had a really hard time becoming fond of him until very deep into the book, which is not a short or breezy read. I don't mind a slow burn, but I didn't really even feel like I knew him enough to have an opinion on him until the story had begun to draw to a close.
Don't even get me started on Rachelle. She was the very stereotypical "badass female heroine" archetype and almost anything to do with her and her development felt very stale and overdone. She is easily the least likable character here, which is a shame, considering she's our main character.
The prose was still very sharp and lovely as far as descriptions and imagery went, I just would have liked a much tighter storyline with a clearer through line and more interesting and likable characters.
However, this hasn't turned me off Hodge's writing at all, so I really hope to get around to Bright Smoke and Cold Fire sometime soon, hopefully before the end of 2020!
My biggest issue with this was its pacing. There would be long stretches of what seemed like little to nothing happened, and then very quick, explosive bursts of actions or events that made things advance haltingly, as if the book wasn't quite sure it was allowed to have a progressing plotline.
I also didn't find the characters nearly as charming as anyone from Cruel Beauty, which is a damn shame! I did like Eric, actually, and in my twisted Ignifex- and Darkling-loving brain, I kept expecting him to be the main love interest, so when he wasn't, I was legitimately disappointed!
Spoiler
He did make a pretty splendid villain, though.Even though I liked Armand, I had a really hard time becoming fond of him until very deep into the book, which is not a short or breezy read. I don't mind a slow burn, but I didn't really even feel like I knew him enough to have an opinion on him until the story had begun to draw to a close.
Don't even get me started on Rachelle. She was the very stereotypical "badass female heroine" archetype and almost anything to do with her and her development felt very stale and overdone. She is easily the least likable character here, which is a shame, considering she's our main character.
The prose was still very sharp and lovely as far as descriptions and imagery went, I just would have liked a much tighter storyline with a clearer through line and more interesting and likable characters.
However, this hasn't turned me off Hodge's writing at all, so I really hope to get around to Bright Smoke and Cold Fire sometime soon, hopefully before the end of 2020!
I really enjoyed this book but at times it was difficult to follow. I really liked the main characters, but the side characters were just as interesting! I really loved Eric, he was so annoying but in the end he kind of redeemed himself kinda! I would definitely recommend this!
Well. Never let it be said that Rosamund Hodge can't write a story. I was pleasantly impressed with her dark retelling of Beauty and the Beast, 'Cruel Beauty' so I was pretty excited for this new one inspired by Little Red Riding Hood.
Rachelle has trained her whole life to be a woodwife and hold back the evils of the forest and the creatures who live there. But after a tragic encounter with a forestborn it's clear her life will never be the same. Now well on the way to becoming a forestborn herself, Rachelle works for the king to protect the kingdom until her final transformation. But when Rachelle is given the task of protecting the king's bastard son, who's had an encounter with a forestborn of his own, Rachelle finds herself both falling in love and on a quest to save her kingdom; two things that can not coexist harmoniously.
When I first started reading this the plot was great but the writing felt choppy. I had remembered 'Cruel Beauty' as seamless, but this felt disjointed and I was having a hard time connecting with Rachelle. But as I continued I found both lead character and her world to be endlessly fascinating. This is clearly Hodge's strong suit; creating a world and giving it such vivid life. The mythology was interesting and the reality even more so. I would definitely recommend.
Rachelle has trained her whole life to be a woodwife and hold back the evils of the forest and the creatures who live there. But after a tragic encounter with a forestborn it's clear her life will never be the same. Now well on the way to becoming a forestborn herself, Rachelle works for the king to protect the kingdom until her final transformation. But when Rachelle is given the task of protecting the king's bastard son, who's had an encounter with a forestborn of his own, Rachelle finds herself both falling in love and on a quest to save her kingdom; two things that can not coexist harmoniously.
When I first started reading this the plot was great but the writing felt choppy. I had remembered 'Cruel Beauty' as seamless, but this felt disjointed and I was having a hard time connecting with Rachelle. But as I continued I found both lead character and her world to be endlessly fascinating. This is clearly Hodge's strong suit; creating a world and giving it such vivid life. The mythology was interesting and the reality even more so. I would definitely recommend.
Received a copy from the publisher via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.
First up: it’s worth noting you do not have to read CRUEL BEAUTY, in order to read CRIMSON BOUND. Although, I highly recommend reading CRUEL BEAUTY. As previously mention: it’s a well-written, nicely-paced, and interesting interpretation of Beauty and the Beast.
CRIMSON BOUND is a an epic fantasy which combines parts of Little Red Riding Hood and The Girl With No Hands (I was unfamiliar with the latter). I was surprised to find that I actually ended up enjoying CRIMSON BOUND a bit more than Cruel Beauty. They’re equally great reads, but I simply found this storyline more intriguing! Since I was unfamiliar with one of the fairy tales, there was a bit more mystery and less predictability about where the story would end up.
I love the way Rosamund Hodge writes strong female protagonists. These women are total bad asses. Even better, their love stories are earned. Her main characters are inherently flawed and each has their own story of redemption. The way Hodge explores the concepts of good vs evil is fascinating. She uses these stories (as fairytales do) to highlight the idea that there is no black-or-white view of the world. There’s a whole lot of grey, and that’s okay. Love seems to be the answer to many of the pressing questions. Furthermore, she explores the idea of fate vs. free-will. Can you overcome your destiny? It all depends on the choices…
If you’re looking for a fantasy read with a side of romance, I highly recommend both CRUEL BEAUTY & CRIMSON BOUND.
READ THE REVIEW ON MY BLOG: http://www.royalsocialmedia.com/book-reviews/book-review-cruel-beauty-crimson-bound-by-rosamund-hodge
First up: it’s worth noting you do not have to read CRUEL BEAUTY, in order to read CRIMSON BOUND. Although, I highly recommend reading CRUEL BEAUTY. As previously mention: it’s a well-written, nicely-paced, and interesting interpretation of Beauty and the Beast.
CRIMSON BOUND is a an epic fantasy which combines parts of Little Red Riding Hood and The Girl With No Hands (I was unfamiliar with the latter). I was surprised to find that I actually ended up enjoying CRIMSON BOUND a bit more than Cruel Beauty. They’re equally great reads, but I simply found this storyline more intriguing! Since I was unfamiliar with one of the fairy tales, there was a bit more mystery and less predictability about where the story would end up.
I love the way Rosamund Hodge writes strong female protagonists. These women are total bad asses. Even better, their love stories are earned. Her main characters are inherently flawed and each has their own story of redemption. The way Hodge explores the concepts of good vs evil is fascinating. She uses these stories (as fairytales do) to highlight the idea that there is no black-or-white view of the world. There’s a whole lot of grey, and that’s okay. Love seems to be the answer to many of the pressing questions. Furthermore, she explores the idea of fate vs. free-will. Can you overcome your destiny? It all depends on the choices…
If you’re looking for a fantasy read with a side of romance, I highly recommend both CRUEL BEAUTY & CRIMSON BOUND.
READ THE REVIEW ON MY BLOG: http://www.royalsocialmedia.com/book-reviews/book-review-cruel-beauty-crimson-bound-by-rosamund-hodge