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rebeccazh's review against another edition
3.0
i liked the feel of the book a lot; dark fairy-tale with evocative descriptions.
ellieg2604's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.25
I had a really hard time connecting this book with the first. I wouldn't even say they had that much to do with each other. You could read one without the other and be completely fine.
haileereads's review against another edition
5.0
This book surprised me! I loved Cruel Beauty but I think Hodge outdid herself with Crimson Bound. It’s a dark new take on Little Red Riding Hood. If this ever became a movie then it probably would be too scary for me to watch but the book did a good job of making it creepy but in a bearable and fascinating way. I loved it!!!
ambeesbookishpages's review against another edition
2.0
The full review can be found at The Book Bratz!
**Please note that I received an e-arc of this book from the publisher through Edelweiss. All thoughts are my own***
I won't lie Hodge is a beautiful writer, her words are gripping and descriptive and all around wonderful to read. With that alone I will read Cruel Beauty. But sadly Crimson Bound wasn't something I liked. I am not all to familiar with Little Red Riding Hood so I can't complain whether it matched up or not.
The characters in this novel weren't black and white. They were complex and developed. Which overall added to the enjoyment I did manage to have with this book. But I still managed to have issued with Rachelle, She was snarky which I liked but then she was whiny. She went on and on about horrible Bloodbounds are, how much she resents herself, how she hates the court, and how she can't find the sword. I found it incredibly annoying and just made me dislike her.
Crimson Bound didn't hold my attention well. I could only manage to to read for about a half hour before I would put it to the side. Mostly the reason for that is was how there were quite a few words that I had no clue about (actually, there were A LOT of words) and that pisses me off, especially when the plot line is majorly confusing to begin with. Plus, as beautiful as Hodge's writing was the whole Forest aspect was very cloudy for me. Overall I was dissapointed in Crimson Blood.
**Please note that I received an e-arc of this book from the publisher through Edelweiss. All thoughts are my own***
I won't lie Hodge is a beautiful writer, her words are gripping and descriptive and all around wonderful to read. With that alone I will read Cruel Beauty. But sadly Crimson Bound wasn't something I liked. I am not all to familiar with Little Red Riding Hood so I can't complain whether it matched up or not.
The characters in this novel weren't black and white. They were complex and developed. Which overall added to the enjoyment I did manage to have with this book. But I still managed to have issued with Rachelle, She was snarky which I liked but then she was whiny. She went on and on about horrible Bloodbounds are, how much she resents herself, how she hates the court, and how she can't find the sword. I found it incredibly annoying and just made me dislike her.
Crimson Bound didn't hold my attention well. I could only manage to to read for about a half hour before I would put it to the side. Mostly the reason for that is was how there were quite a few words that I had no clue about (actually, there were A LOT of words) and that pisses me off, especially when the plot line is majorly confusing to begin with. Plus, as beautiful as Hodge's writing was the whole Forest aspect was very cloudy for me. Overall I was dissapointed in Crimson Blood.
jacq_benoit's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
So I absolutely adored this book, much as I adored her earlier fairy tale book, Cruel Beauty. I’ve never been a huge reader of fantasy, but her books have always been so amazing to me, so unexpected. It’s one of the few books where I truly never know where the plot is going and every twist blindsides me in the best way.
That being said, I just learned that Rosamund Hodge is staunchly anti-abortion, which is *not* a good look, and so I will be unable to read any of her books in the future or recommend her books to others, which is a bummer.
That being said, I just learned that Rosamund Hodge is staunchly anti-abortion, which is *not* a good look, and so I will be unable to read any of her books in the future or recommend her books to others, which is a bummer.
rlstrayer1's review against another edition
3.0
I picked up this book for one reason alone...the main character's name is Rachelle, and she is an assassin. I was like, "OH HELL YES". I told all my friends and family about this book, I got myself all pumped up and excited, I posted about it on Facebook, and I squealed when it finally made it's way to my Kindle through the library. It took me a couple of days to finish (silly thing called work got in the way), so I couldn't binge like I was hoping to.
Overall, a decent book. I had previous read Cruel Beauty , and thought it was okay. It was a bit dark for my taste, but the story was intriguing. I was hoping that Crimson Bound would be different, but it wasn't. It had the same dark overtone that permeated Cruel Beauty. One thing I did enjoy about this book is that it is based on the myth of werewolves and the Beast of Gévaudan. My little Teen Wolf heart leapt for joy at this.
I have a friend who is currently reading this, and she loves it, but her brand of book is dark fantasy. So if that is your thing, this is the book for you. Sadly, it wasn't for me.
Overall, a decent book. I had previous read Cruel Beauty , and thought it was okay. It was a bit dark for my taste, but the story was intriguing. I was hoping that Crimson Bound would be different, but it wasn't. It had the same dark overtone that permeated Cruel Beauty. One thing I did enjoy about this book is that it is based on the myth of werewolves and the Beast of Gévaudan. My little Teen Wolf heart leapt for joy at this.
I have a friend who is currently reading this, and she loves it, but her brand of book is dark fantasy. So if that is your thing, this is the book for you. Sadly, it wasn't for me.
keberwick's review against another edition
3.0
I wasn't overly fond of this book. Admittedly, I did have the audiobook edition, and that may have had something to do with it. I found some of the book a little hard to follow and not as well thought-out as other fantasy novels I've read. This was my first Rosamund Hodge novel, and while I did enjoy Rochelle as a character, I was rather unimpressed with the love triangle, as well as Amelie's character. I felt that Amelie could have added so much more to the story than just being Rochelle's damsel in distress.
I found the writing to be very descriptive, but not overly so, which was a huge plus. Hodge did an excellent job of creating images with her words, even though I feel that it was a little convoluted. I would recommend this book, but with reservation. I wouldn't recommend it if you are tired of shallow characters and love triangles, however, if you can get past those two aspects, the storyline was very interesting and was very entertaining.
I found the writing to be very descriptive, but not overly so, which was a huge plus. Hodge did an excellent job of creating images with her words, even though I feel that it was a little convoluted. I would recommend this book, but with reservation. I wouldn't recommend it if you are tired of shallow characters and love triangles, however, if you can get past those two aspects, the storyline was very interesting and was very entertaining.
linwood's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
This book has an interesting magic system, a dark forest with evil trickster beings. However, I found it confusing at times and lacking descriptions that would have made it more enjoyable to imagine.
indigoivee's review against another edition
1.0
I’m aware that this was meant to be another fairytale retelling, but to be honest I had trouble figuring out which story it was. It had a lot of similarities to Red Riding Hood, but also Robin Hood and the overall magic world of witches. The only part of this universe I found exciting was that it was based in Gevudán. (I love Teen Wolf).
Aside from that, the story was rather boring and didn’t have one direct story line, it was quite literally only when the book was near the end when it got most exciting and all those loose ends tied together. But still, I wanted to enjoy the entire book, not just three quarters of it.
It was a let down from the previous fairytale book of Rosamund Hodge, but still bearable.
Favourite quote: “He grinned at her, and it felt like there was no space or barrier at all between them, like his smile was happening inside her heart. Without meaning to at all, she smiled back. They were both fools, perhaps.”
Aside from that, the story was rather boring and didn’t have one direct story line, it was quite literally only when the book was near the end when it got most exciting and all those loose ends tied together. But still, I wanted to enjoy the entire book, not just three quarters of it.
It was a let down from the previous fairytale book of Rosamund Hodge, but still bearable.
Favourite quote: “He grinned at her, and it felt like there was no space or barrier at all between them, like his smile was happening inside her heart. Without meaning to at all, she smiled back. They were both fools, perhaps.”