Scan barcode
A review by jmstarr018
Cruel Beauty by Rosamund Hodge
5.0
At its core, it is a retelling of the classic Beauty and the Beast story that we all know. But it's almost utterly unrecognizable (in a great way) behind all of the different story elements and character development. It's because of this that this book held its own. It felt like its own original story and not a retelling.
The basic character premise is that our narrator Nyx Triskelion has known almost her whole life that she was essentially born to die. She was to be married off to the demon that ruled over the land and that there was no way out. All of his previous wives had died, so what was there saying this time would be any different? This demon lord, Ignifex, is a cruel and hideous monster and she only sees him as the THING that is going to take her away from her family and kill her.
But of course, she's wrong. They always are. Yes, he's a demon, but no, he isn't hideous and not necessarily even cruel. While she can't leave his castle/mansion, he never makes an attempt to harm her either. He lets her work at her own pace and warm to him a little at a time. He really is my favorite form of demon/devil. I love the idea of the handsome, charming evil because it's not always suspect and very easy to fall for. (Find a gorgeous portrayal of Lucifer in the media and I can almost guarantee I will fall for him).
I really don't want to give away too much, but there are so many aspects of Ignifex that differ from the original Beauty and the Beast story and it really gives a lot of life to this book. But it does come back to the idea that the "beast" you see before you might not be a true beast. There is a lot of evil in the whole world and a lot of what people do is a side effect of that.
Anyways, definitely recommend this for any YA lovers. It's well-written with romantic/horrifying language and a style that will grip you by the throat and wait until you beg for mercy. I cannot wait for Hodge's next release, which I believe is based on Red Riding Hood.
Official Rating: ♥♥♥♥1/2
Afterthought: Can we seriously please get Ian Somehalder to play Ignifex in a movie adaptation? I would die.
The basic character premise is that our narrator Nyx Triskelion has known almost her whole life that she was essentially born to die. She was to be married off to the demon that ruled over the land and that there was no way out. All of his previous wives had died, so what was there saying this time would be any different? This demon lord, Ignifex, is a cruel and hideous monster and she only sees him as the THING that is going to take her away from her family and kill her.
But of course, she's wrong. They always are. Yes, he's a demon, but no, he isn't hideous and not necessarily even cruel. While she can't leave his castle/mansion, he never makes an attempt to harm her either. He lets her work at her own pace and warm to him a little at a time. He really is my favorite form of demon/devil. I love the idea of the handsome, charming evil because it's not always suspect and very easy to fall for. (Find a gorgeous portrayal of Lucifer in the media and I can almost guarantee I will fall for him).
I really don't want to give away too much, but there are so many aspects of Ignifex that differ from the original Beauty and the Beast story and it really gives a lot of life to this book. But it does come back to the idea that the "beast" you see before you might not be a true beast. There is a lot of evil in the whole world and a lot of what people do is a side effect of that.
Anyways, definitely recommend this for any YA lovers. It's well-written with romantic/horrifying language and a style that will grip you by the throat and wait until you beg for mercy. I cannot wait for Hodge's next release, which I believe is based on Red Riding Hood.
Official Rating: ♥♥♥♥1/2
Afterthought: Can we seriously please get Ian Somehalder to play Ignifex in a movie adaptation? I would die.