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A review by maggieha
Crimson Bound by Rosamund Hodge
3.0
“Every day for the last three years, she had thought she deserved to die. She still didn’t want to. She wanted to live with every filthy desperate scrap of her heart.”
Coming into this book, after so many bad reviews, I honestly expect the worst. And while I definitely think Cruel Beauty was way better (4 stars from me), I surprisingly enjoyed reading this book as well. I wasn't quite (at all) as connected to the story and its characters as I was in Cruel Beauty, but I found many aspects of this story new and intriguing.
Rosamund Hodge has such a beautiful, fairy tale-like prose. The way she spins her retellings is enchanting, elegant and appealing. Weird and unusual. Some aspects of her stories remind me of old fairy tales but with new twists.
The author's world buildings are always something new and dark and twisted. I have to say I have a bit of a love-hate relationship with Hodge's worlds, both in Cruel Beauty and Crimson Bound. She has always such an intriguing ideas, the concepts of her fantasy worlds are fascinating and new in this genre, but I feel like the actual execution of her worlds could be much better. It has always such a potential - and I do still love her imaginative worlds - but I feel like the world building in her novels is more often than not confusing, the inner workings of it not explained enough. It's always such a wonderful idea, but the exacution could be a bit better.
“I think sometimes there is no right thing.”
I've also heard a lot about her books being boring, but I personally never had such problem with either of her books yet. Hodge's plotlines are rather slow paced, definitely, but it has just the right amount of darkness and intrigue and I was never once bored.
As for the characters, I 100% preferred the ones in Cruel Beauty. Hodge's Beauty and the Beast retelling was very much romance centered, obviously, while Crimson Bound is more centered on the MC herself, the romance takes secondary place in my opinion. I definitely loved Nyx (Cruel Beauty) better than Rachelle (Crimson Bound). I liked how dark Rachelle's character was - she could be twisted and cruel and messy - but I simply did not love her as much as Nyx. At the very beginning, she basically made one huge, naive mistake that got her into the whole mess in the first place. But all in all, I know that Rachelle is not supposed to be a likeable heroine, so despite some moments, she was quite fascinating, dark heroine nonetheless.
“Speechless?” asked Erec. “Don’t be ashamed. I bring all ladies to that state sooner or later.”
“Too bad for you,” she said, “I’m not a lady.”
Armand, the love interest, was likeable and nic and fun enough. And I definitely could see why the author paired Rachelle with him of all people - because she had enough of darkness in herself and needed some goodness in her life as well. But it just simply couldn't compare with my love of the sexy, dark and mischievous Ignifex (Cruel Beauty). I liked the romace in Crimson Bound all right, but never felt quite as compelled with it as in the previous novel.
It can be also said that there is a love triangle here of sorts, but I personally wouldn't call it that. There is love, and then there is lust and Hodge shows us that they are not the same thing at all.
All in all, though I can see why Crimson Bund wouldn't work for everyone, and though it's not quite as good as Cruel Beauty, I honestly liked it much more than I though I would. I very much enjoy the way Hodge spins her enchanting, dark and lovely retellings.
Coming into this book, after so many bad reviews, I honestly expect the worst. And while I definitely think Cruel Beauty was way better (4 stars from me), I surprisingly enjoyed reading this book as well. I wasn't quite (at all) as connected to the story and its characters as I was in Cruel Beauty, but I found many aspects of this story new and intriguing.
Rosamund Hodge has such a beautiful, fairy tale-like prose. The way she spins her retellings is enchanting, elegant and appealing. Weird and unusual. Some aspects of her stories remind me of old fairy tales but with new twists.
The author's world buildings are always something new and dark and twisted. I have to say I have a bit of a love-hate relationship with Hodge's worlds, both in Cruel Beauty and Crimson Bound. She has always such an intriguing ideas, the concepts of her fantasy worlds are fascinating and new in this genre, but I feel like the actual execution of her worlds could be much better. It has always such a potential - and I do still love her imaginative worlds - but I feel like the world building in her novels is more often than not confusing, the inner workings of it not explained enough. It's always such a wonderful idea, but the exacution could be a bit better.
“I think sometimes there is no right thing.”
I've also heard a lot about her books being boring, but I personally never had such problem with either of her books yet. Hodge's plotlines are rather slow paced, definitely, but it has just the right amount of darkness and intrigue and I was never once bored.
As for the characters, I 100% preferred the ones in Cruel Beauty. Hodge's Beauty and the Beast retelling was very much romance centered, obviously, while Crimson Bound is more centered on the MC herself, the romance takes secondary place in my opinion. I definitely loved Nyx (Cruel Beauty) better than Rachelle (Crimson Bound). I liked how dark Rachelle's character was - she could be twisted and cruel and messy - but I simply did not love her as much as Nyx. At the very beginning, she basically made one huge, naive mistake that got her into the whole mess in the first place. But all in all, I know that Rachelle is not supposed to be a likeable heroine, so despite some moments, she was quite fascinating, dark heroine nonetheless.
“Speechless?” asked Erec. “Don’t be ashamed. I bring all ladies to that state sooner or later.”
“Too bad for you,” she said, “I’m not a lady.”
Armand, the love interest, was likeable and nic and fun enough. And I definitely could see why the author paired Rachelle with him of all people - because she had enough of darkness in herself and needed some goodness in her life as well. But it just simply couldn't compare with my love of the sexy, dark and mischievous Ignifex (Cruel Beauty). I liked the romace in Crimson Bound all right, but never felt quite as compelled with it as in the previous novel.
It can be also said that there is a love triangle here of sorts, but I personally wouldn't call it that. There is love, and then there is lust and Hodge shows us that they are not the same thing at all.
All in all, though I can see why Crimson Bund wouldn't work for everyone, and though it's not quite as good as Cruel Beauty, I honestly liked it much more than I though I would. I very much enjoy the way Hodge spins her enchanting, dark and lovely retellings.