A review by phoenix2
Cruel Beauty by Rosamund Hodge

adventurous dark 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

2.0

Cruel Beauty is a beauty and the beast retelling which incorporates Greek mythology elements. The latter was not nicely blended to the story and it often felt like a foreign body to the story. It was mentioned that the kingdom that was taken under the spell was called Arcadia (if I'm not mistaken), but nothing connected the kingdom to Greece, as it felt more like a medieval central European country. Also, the characters just mentioned the Olympian gods, but it didn't feel organic, more like forced and an afterthought.

Other than that, the story was interesting, though the main character was inconsistent, especially when it came to whom she chose for her love interest. The ending was a bit crooked as well.