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acogna 's review for:
Cruel Beauty
by Rosamund Hodge
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
An otherwise interesting retelling of a Beauty and the Beast classic with original lore (with Greco-Roman mythology sprinkled in with local folklore, I really liked that touch), that has great narration and even poetic lines on occasion, falls intensely flat at the lack of chemistry between the two leads of Nyx and Ignifex, with just banter back and forth and nothing too substantial to propel what I believed was a forced relationship forward. And despite the very unique and flawed protagonist, herself full of hatred that her selfishness becomes a driving point to the themes in contrasted to her purpose as having to be selfless, some lines are rushed, descriptions bland, and the writing outright clunky and forced at times.
Disappointing to say the least, because I was told this was a good retelling and it was not at all. A retelling it was, but not a good one.
Disappointing to say the least, because I was told this was a good retelling and it was not at all. A retelling it was, but not a good one.