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A review by thebookphile
Crimson Bound by Rosamund Hodge
4.0
Crimson Bound was a fantastic fantasy novel. It's dark and magical and oh so deliciously beautiful.
I wasn't sure what to expect from this Little Red retelling, but the twist Hodge puts on the story beats many other retellings, simply because it was not at all predictable with a very unique take on old familiar characters. And I loved it.
The writing and the world building is what made me love the book the most. This medieval France like world is rich and vivid with detail, full of it's own history, folklore, and of course magic that's about to bring their world to an end.
I liked the characters well enough, although Rachelle was sometimes a little too indecisive for me. But overall, she was an intriguing character who was dealing with trauma of what she has done and at the same time not sorry for having done what it took to survive. She did not attempt to excuse her actions and was quiet adamant at rejecting pity.
I did not enjoy the love triangle. I know Rachelle never had any romantic feelings for Erec, whom she kept at arm's length and was determined to remain friends. Erec was a great character, but I was honestly shocked by his final decision. Armand was just okay to me, a little too simpering, but it not often that you meet a character with a disability where it's simply part of the plot but is not being exploited. He handles it with dignity as he learns to live with it. I didn't quiet buy their romance either, although Rachelle very slowly beings to like him after so thoroughly hating him.
Overall, this is a fantastic fantasy novel. Much better than Cruel Beauty in the way it's written and in terms of characters. I recommend it greatly.
I wasn't sure what to expect from this Little Red retelling, but the twist Hodge puts on the story beats many other retellings, simply because it was not at all predictable with a very unique take on old familiar characters. And I loved it.
The writing and the world building is what made me love the book the most. This medieval France like world is rich and vivid with detail, full of it's own history, folklore, and of course magic that's about to bring their world to an end.
I liked the characters well enough, although Rachelle was sometimes a little too indecisive for me. But overall, she was an intriguing character who was dealing with trauma of what she has done and at the same time not sorry for having done what it took to survive. She did not attempt to excuse her actions and was quiet adamant at rejecting pity.
I did not enjoy the love triangle. I know Rachelle never had any romantic feelings for Erec, whom she kept at arm's length and was determined to remain friends. Erec was a great character, but I was honestly shocked by his final decision. Armand was just okay to me, a little too simpering, but it not often that you meet a character with a disability where it's simply part of the plot but is not being exploited. He handles it with dignity as he learns to live with it. I didn't quiet buy their romance either, although Rachelle very slowly beings to like him after so thoroughly hating him.
Overall, this is a fantastic fantasy novel. Much better than Cruel Beauty in the way it's written and in terms of characters. I recommend it greatly.