Cruel Beauty (Cruel Beauty)

by Rosamund Hodge

If you're excited about the upcoming Disney film Beauty and the Beast, starring Emma Watson, don't miss Cruel Beauty. The romance of Beauty and the Beast meets the adventure of Graceling in this dazzling fantasy novel about our deepest desires and their power to change our destiny. Perfect for fans of bestselling An Ember in the Ashes and A Court of Thorns and Roses, this gorgeously written debut infuses the classic fairy tale with glittering magic, a feisty heroine, and a romance sure to take your breath away. Betrothed to the evil ruler of her kingdom, Nyx has always known that her fate was to marry him, kill him, and free her people from his tyranny. But on her seventeenth birthday when she moves into his castle high on the kingdom's mountaintop, nothing is what she expected-particularly her charming and beguiling new husband. Nyx knows she must save her homeland at all costs, yet she can't resist the pull of her sworn enemy-who's gotten in her way by stealing her heart.

• ISBN10: 0062224743
• ISBN13: 9780062224743
• Publish Date: 1 December 2016 (first published 28 January 2014)
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: US
• Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers Inc
• Imprint: Balzer and Bray
• Format: Paperback
• Pages: 368
• Language: English

Reviews

[cornerfolds]

If we're being completely honest with each other, my buying Cruel Beauty was kind of a happy accident. See, I had gotten a promotional gift card to Barnes and Noble and had gone in to buy a different book. Unfortunately, there were only two copies of that one and both were in pretty poor condition. So I looked around and spotted this one, which had been on my to-read list for close to a year. I'm not sure why I hadn't picked it up sooner. Perhaps it had something to do with my Beauty and the Beast obsession and not wanting to hate it. After I bought this book, I stared at it on the shelf for about a week before I finally decided to open to chapter one. I am so glad I did!

Rosamund Hodge has created a world in Cruel Beauty that was 100% not what I was expecting. The story is dark and creepy and the characters are not the kind that you would want to love. I knew from the very first page that this book would be different. Arcadia was such a mystery but I felt like I could picture it completely in my head! I've never even heard of hermeticism, but Hodge did a fantastic job of explaining it and keeping it interesting. This is definitely one of those books that makes me sit back and think every time I close it and wonder where in the world the author could have come up with such an amazingly unique story. The combination of mythology and fairy tale, while complex, worked so well and, as a classics buff, I was totally intrigued. Rosamund Hodge really knows her myths, unlike some other authors who have tried similar techniques.

The romance between Nyx and Ignifex, The Gentle Lord, was kind of strange. Then again, so was everything else. I couldn't put my finger on the moment when Nyx started to love Ignifex and I'm not entirely sure that it was love in the beginning. Like I said, these aren't characters that make you want to love them initially. Nyx was a bitch, but in a way that was totally sympathetic. Ignifex was mysterious, sometimes a little frightening, and charming for reasons I really can't identify, but I love him! Shade was equally mysterious and exciting. The love triangle in the book also worked for me, and they can definitely be pretty hit or miss.

I loved the subtle nods to Beauty and the Beast - the mirror Nyx used to see her sister, the witch's (Kindly One's) curse, the rose(s), the Gentle Lord's cat-like eyes (okay, maybe that's just me wanting to see him as the Beast). I also really loved that it was nothing like what I was expecting!

As each piece of the mystery was revealed, I felt confused at first. Once I let it sink in though, I didn't have any issues understanding what was happening. I really appreciate that everything wasn't overly spelled out or dumbed down. There was a terrifying moment near the end when I thought it was over and was ready to throw the book across the room, but then Rosamund Hodge graciously softened the blow.

Cruel Beauty was a totally amazing book. Now that it's over, I'm not sure if I should be happy that it was wrapped up at the end or sad that it isn't a trilogy. I know that I definitely want to read more from this author and soon! I highly recommend this book to... anyone! Everyone should read this book!

[Angie]

Cruel Beauty is an intriguing mix of Beauty and the Beast and Greek mythology. It seems like a bizarre combination, and it kind of is, but it also really worked for me. Nyx has been raised to be the bride of the Gentle Lord after her father agrees to a bargain with him: two healthy daughters in exchange for one. However, Nyx's mother died giving birth to her twin, Astraia, so she was the one their father chose to save. Nyx's heart is full of hatred and resentment toward her family, but she's willing to do her duty for her village. She's not only raised to be a bride, but she's also trained to kill their demonic ruler and set their world free.

The world of Cruel Beauty is simultaneously fascinating and confusing. There's a huge info-dump early on, which I did find interesting, but I think it raised more questions than it answered. Arcadia is trapped under a paper sky, cut off from the rest of the world. No one remembers why, since it was 900 years ago, but they all blame the Gentle Lord. Everyone worships the Greek gods, and some made up peasant gods, so their culture is steeped in mythology. There's also magic and demons! However, I could never tell if this was suppose to be a strictly fantasy world using real mythology, or if it was an alternate history which deviated when Arcadia was cursed. This nagged at me the entire time, although it wasn't really important in the grand scheme of things. I loved how the world worked, so where it was ultimately didn't matter much.

Of course, there's a romance at the center of Cruel Beauty. It's a love triangle, and I really liked how it was handled. Nyx's husband doesn't remember his name so he tells her to call him Ignifex. Then she meets his shadow, Shade. Unlike her husband, Shade is kind to her, so naturally she falls for him. And fast. It was actually way too fast, and I felt like I missed something, since they went from one sudden kiss to being in love. Then Nyx and Ignifex slowly start to grow close, once he starts being honest with her instead of just taunting her all the time. While I did like how the triangle was set up (and I figured out the Ignifex/Shade connection pretty early and was happy to be correct), I wasn't sold on either romance. I didn't feel any chemistry between any of them. I was more focused on Nyx helping to free her lovers as well as her home, which was pretty great.

Cruel Beauty is full of twists and turns, and not just in the Gentle Lord's house. Aside from the one twist, I never figured out where the story was going. I was completely hooked, since this world and plot was unique. But by the end, I was just super confused. I think there were a few too many twists and reveals along the way, so it kind of lost me. I was also really bothered by Nyx's sister getting a personality transplant out of nowhere. Other than that though, I really enjoyed it.

Read more of my reviews at Pinkindle Reads & Reviews.

[girlinthepages]

Actual Rating: 4.5 Stars

I picked this book up on a whim. I had never given it more than a passing glance, seeing as fairy-tale retellings are quite trendy these days and some of them are not executed that well, and I didn’t want to read another mediocre retelling. Boy, did this book blow me away. It surpassed all of my expectations and more, and wove a darkly beautiful tale inspired not just by Beauty and the Beast, but inspired also by Greek and Roman mythology (Persephone, Pandora, Cupid and Psyche, etc), Bluebeard, and more. It was beautiful, it was clever, and I’m heartbroken to have finished it, because I just keep wanting more.

What really solidifies a good story for me is if I like the protagonist, and Nyx, the seventeen year old daughter of a man foolish enough to bargain with a demon lord, was an instant favorite for me after just the first chapter. She has spent her life knowing she would be wed to the Gentle Lord due to her father’s foolish bargain, but instead of a being a bitter bride or a damsel in distress, she is a wonderfully complex character, who does her duty but recognizes her resentment and ironic fate. She’s resourceful but not too perfect to be unrelateable, and just like any girl in her position gets overwhelmed by the reality of her task and the direness of her situation, but her sharp tongue and intellect prove her to be able to hold her own against the demon lord who keeps her imprisoned.

I also love the romance aspect of this fairy-tale retelling, and found Nyx’s feelings to be complex and intriguing rather than corny or cliché. Like Belle in Beauty and the Beast, Nyx cannot help but have opposing opinions when it comes to the Gentle (Demon) Lord Ignifex, as she’s been brought up to hate him in her small world trapped under a dome of parchment sky (the imagery is amazing in this novel!), but she also assimilates some of his points of view as well, such as the disdain which he views those who come to bargain with him, who he insists are never “pure of heart” but rather those desperate or vain enough to think they can cheat fate. She learns that being a demon does not grant absolute power, but rather makes one a servant to darkness, and while her devotion to her initial mission stays, I loved seeing her forming her own opinion about Ignifex rather than accepting the facts shoved down her throat by her elders her whole life. I’m not even going to try to hide my adoration for Ignifex, as he didn’t try to hide his darkest parts, but also didn’t try to hide his goodness either.

And the castle. I love that the building was a character in itself, with its shifting rooms and revolving doorways, making itself a labyrinth of child-like whimsy and dangerous consequences. I was almost disappointed in any scene that didn’t take place within the castle because I was so captivated by trying to figure out its secrets and rooms, and the myriad of strange keys the Gentle Lord was the guardian of. The novel made constant use of the idea of the Hermetic arts, in which (from what I gathered from the story) everything is made up of elements and is thus alive, and everything exists in a cyclical state of being. Seeing Nyx find the “hearts” of the house was so interesting, as she is at war not just with the Gentle Lord but with the structure itself.

So why didn’t this book reap five stars from me? As much as I loved this novel, it was really confusing at some points. I loved the various myths woven into the plot, but sometimes it got to be too much, and there was a lot of info-dumping with characters telling different folk myths here and Grecian myths there and each had a certain significance to a plotline IN the book and it got difficult to keep them all straight after a while. To be honest, I’m still not completely sure what happened at the end, and there are so many pantheons and bargains and parallel universes that take place that I feel like I need someone to sit down and clarify the last thirty or so pages to me. It’s still brilliant though, so don’t be deterred from reading it from some confusion at the end!

Overall: This was a brilliant and intelligent retelling of not only Beauty and the Beast but of various other mythologies and the world building was really incredible. The tale of Nyx and Ignifex captivated me not because it’s one of happily ever after, but because it’s about two individuals who are no where near perfect, yet embrace the flaws in themselves and each other. I’m always saying that there are too many series and that there should be more fantastic stand-alone novels out there, but the fact that there’s NOT a sequel to this (as far as I know) literally shatters my heart because I want so bad to return to Arcadia and follow Nyx and Ignifex’s fate. Read it, read it, read it, so I have someone to try to decode the ending with!

This review was originally posted at Girl in the Pages

[Terri M. LeBlanc]

Cruel Beauty by Rosamund Hodge was the second of several audiobooks I downloaded this summer via the SYNC Free Downloads event. As I have mentioned before, I don’t listen to many audiobooks as my commute is 20 minutes each way, but the idea of a retelling of Beauty and Beast and striking cover caught my attention.

Right from the start of the audiobook I was captivated. I loved Elizabeth Knowleden’s narration. Her voice set the tone for the dark sad tale that unfolded over several weeks on my drives to work.

My favorite parts!

Nyx. She minces no words. She’s honest about her situation and her father’s motives for “selling” her to Ignifex. She is not some angsty, woe-is-me character. It was quite refreshing.
The world of Arcadia. Hodge does a beautiful job of painting this world that lives apart of everything else. It is trapped in a sort of purgatory. I imagined this snow globe of a world about the size of Wicked Witch’s in the The Wizard of Oz movie—clouds swirling—just barely being able to see the city.
The vivid history. All through the story, I wanted to know more about the shadows, the Resurgandi and the Hermetic arts. Knowing the world had existed for several thousand years, I feel like the history that Nyx was familiar with may not have been the whole truth. There’s definitely more and I’m dying to learn more of what’s in the books in Ignifex’s library!
My least favorite part

It was the ending. I think, maybe, that partly has to do with the fact that I was listening to the book while driving. It was confusing. I wonder if the ending would have made more sense if I could have read it at my own pace–going back, as needed, to reread sections.
Overall, I enjoyed Cruel Beauty by Rosamund Hodge. I loved the spunkiness of the main character and the world that she lived in. I enjoyed it so much that when I found there was a companion novella I purchased it the first chance I could. (Thanks to Tanja and Glass for alerting me that it existed!) I give Cruel Beauty a thumbs up!

So, I didn't understand the intent of the book. Okay, it's a retale of Beauty and the Beast, but for what? It seems as though the author was trying to sell me a villain (because it seems to be a trend now) and forgot about absolutely everything else in this story.
Her writing style is really great, but I think is idiotic placed. Some descriptions - the important ones - were poorly and it filled the reads with stuff that weren't necessary.
The lead character, Nyx, was bloody confusing, and her actions weren't at all explained.
For me, it only worth for the last 30 pages.
I'm giving it, actually, 2.5 stars, just because the mythology is stunning.

[ladygrey]

I was hesitant to read this book because of the comparisons to Graceling (which I didn't like much and even less after book club). But then I read an interview with Hodge where she discussed how she handled the romance and I was intrigued.

I think this book has the potential to be a 4 star book after a reread because there's a lot of depth in it and a lot of allusions you don't catch the first time around.

But also the pacing was a bit difficult. In some places (where there's dialog and character interaction) it's very good. Ignifex is awesome because he's both cruel and charming but he's so blithe about it that you kinda have to love him. And Nyx keeps up with his banter so well. And I really liked how honest each of them are about themselves and their flaws. It kept seemingly unredeemable characters from being unlikable. But at the same time there were huge swaths of scenes of just Nyx wandering around the house or their entire being in love rolled over montage style. And there was a lot of information repeated over and over. So, better pacing could have sharpened what's already a good story.

It was also a little obvious but then not really predictable which was cool (and bad but true to this book. The thing is even though bad things happened they never felt awful or anything really at all. They were unique and almost lovely in their description but they weren't painful to read so the reader doesn't have to pay the price with the characters).

The whole section after she's at his house felt a lot like [b:Til We Have Faces|17343|Till We Have Faces|C.S. Lewis|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1381692105l/17343._SY75_.jpg|2072983] in tone and Nyx's character was a lot like Orual. I was really struck by the similarity between the stories so it was gratifying for Hodge to recognize that in the acknowledgement and let me know I wasn't totally off base. Also because I kept thinking, this isn't Beauty and the Beast it's Eros and Psyche. And I've always though Beauty and the Beast is kind of a rip off of the Greek myth so it was fun and unexpected to see a YA novel take that approach. There's a lot of other mythic elements and Hodge is wrangling some serious folklore elements, very well I might add. Which is why I think I'd like it even more after reading it again.

[nitzan_schwarz]

2014 cleaning my shelves challenge

3.5 stars

[e_rodz_leb]

3.5 stars
Well, that was not what I expected. Cruel Beauty was pitched at a Graceling meets Beauty and the Beast and that it was not. Instead, the book is a mix of a Greek mythology fantasy, romance, and magic.

I love Beauty and the Beast and retellings based on the story and thus I was eager to read this book. Cruel Beauty was confusing, which is not something I like to feel when reading. At first, the world that was introduced to is very strange. It is based on Hermetic principles – four elements that create or destroy everything – that are studied by the people of the island of Arcadia. It is believed that the island has been isolated from the rest of the world by magic created by the Gentle Lord. Nyx, our protagonist, was raised to destroy the Gentle Lord upon marriage (more about that later), and trained on Hermetic principles and other useful things, since birth. Are you with me so far?

Let me try to explain something really quickly: the book can be divided in two parts that I will call Before and After. When Nyx marries the Gentle Lord, which is called Ignifex, is when my confusion starts. What ensues next is a series of encounters with the very handsome demon and his shadow. Nyx spends a lot of time searching the castle for clues and trying to steal keys to said rooms from Ignifex. At the end the ‘Before’ part Nyx does the unthinkable, bound by a promise that she made to her sister. I didn’t like this ending at all. I think it was precipitous and disjointed.

Also, I didn’t particularly liked Nyx. Before she was cruel, hateful, and insecure. She did have some redeeming qualities though, she was smart, fearless, and learned to love. On the other hand, Ignifex was more straightforward. He didn’t remember how he ended up the way he did, but he was unapologetically good and bad at the same time and more importantly, he was happy that way. I like them both better when they were together.

After the ‘first ending’ (confused yet?), we get to meet the same characters, but they are different. Not only is the world itself altered, but the story takes a different turn. This second part (the After) is much shorter, the last three chapters, and that might be why I was taken aback. This Nyx is easier to like and much braver. Ignifex is weaker and we don’t get to spend any time with him to even get to know him.

Astraia is Nyx’s twin sister and it seems like the only purpose for her being in the story is for Nyx to have someone to hate. Nyx’s father and aunt were horrible as well (at least Before) and expected Nyx to figure out how to defeat the Gentle Lord and fix everything, even though it was an impossible task. These are very minor characters because

The setting is weird. Most of the story takes place while Nyx is inside the castle. True to the B&B story, it is enchanted and changes all the time. Another similarity is the mirror that Nyx uses to look to the outside. The world building is good and heavily based on Green mythology. The writing is straightforward and easy to read.

Overall, I enjoyed Cruel Beauty, but unfortunately I didn’t love it. I’ll still read the next book settled in this universe and hope that they improve with time.

Some quotes for you:

“If you start wondering how this house works, you'll likely go mad. That could be amusing, I suppose. Especially if it's the kind of madness that causes you to run naked through the hallways. Do feel free to indulge in that anytime.”

“You deserve all that and more. It made me happy to see you suffer. I would do it all over again if I could." I realized I was shaking as the words tumbled out of me. "I would do it again and again. Every night I would torment you and laugh. Do you understand? You are never safe with me." I drew a shuddering breath, trying to will away the sting of tears.
He opened his eyes and stared up at me as if I were the door out of Arcadia and back to the true sky. "That's what makes you my favorite." He reached up and wiped a tear off my cheek with his thumb. "Every wicked bit of you.”

“Why is he scared of the dark?"
I meant the words for a joke, but Shade nodded seriously. "Like all monsters. Because it reminds him of what he truly is".”


About the cover: It’s gorgeous, and one of the things that had me reading the book in the first place. The roses have a very deep meaning in the Beauty and the Beast story, but not so here. Also, the spiral stairs emphasize the confusion of the ever-changing castle.

[lizarodz]

3.5 stars
Well, that was not what I expected. Cruel Beauty was pitched at a Graceling meets Beauty and the Beast and that it was not. Instead, the book is a mix of a Greek mythology fantasy, romance, and magic.

I love Beauty and the Beast and retellings based on the story and thus I was eager to read this book. Cruel Beauty was confusing, which is not something I like to feel when reading. At first, the world that was introduced to is very strange. It is based on Hermetic principles – four elements that create or destroy everything – that are studied by the people of the island of Arcadia. It is believed that the island has been isolated from the rest of the world by magic created by the Gentle Lord. Nyx, our protagonist, was raised to destroy the Gentle Lord upon marriage (more about that later), and trained on Hermetic principles and other useful things, since birth. Are you with me so far?

Let me try to explain something really quickly: the book can be divided in two parts that I will call Before and After. When Nyx marries the Gentle Lord, which is called Ignifex, is when my confusion starts. What ensues next is a series of encounters with the very handsome demon and his shadow. Nyx spends a lot of time searching the castle for clues and trying to steal keys to said rooms from Ignifex. At the end the ‘Before’ part Nyx does the unthinkable, bound by a promise that she made to her sister. I didn’t like this ending at all. I think it was precipitous and disjointed.

Also, I didn’t particularly liked Nyx. Before she was cruel, hateful, and insecure. She did have some redeeming qualities though, she was smart, fearless, and learned to love. On the other hand, Ignifex was more straightforward. He didn’t remember how he ended up the way he did, but he was unapologetically good and bad at the same time and more importantly, he was happy that way. I like them both better when they were together.

After the ‘first ending’ (confused yet?), we get to meet the same characters, but they are different. Not only is the world itself altered, but the story takes a different turn. This second part (the After) is much shorter, the last three chapters, and that might be why I was taken aback. This Nyx is easier to like and much braver. Ignifex is weaker and we don’t get to spend any time with him to even get to know him.

Astraia is Nyx’s twin sister and it seems like the only purpose for her being in the story is for Nyx to have someone to hate. Nyx’s father and aunt were horrible as well (at least Before) and expected Nyx to figure out how to defeat the Gentle Lord and fix everything, even though it was an impossible task. These are very minor characters because

The setting is weird. Most of the story takes place while Nyx is inside the castle. True to the B&B story, it is enchanted and changes all the time. Another similarity is the mirror that Nyx uses to look to the outside. The world building is good and heavily based on Green mythology. The writing is straightforward and easy to read.

Overall, I enjoyed Cruel Beauty, but unfortunately I didn’t love it. I’ll still read the next book settled in this universe and hope that they improve with time.

Some quotes for you:

“If you start wondering how this house works, you'll likely go mad. That could be amusing, I suppose. Especially if it's the kind of madness that causes you to run naked through the hallways. Do feel free to indulge in that anytime.”

“You deserve all that and more. It made me happy to see you suffer. I would do it all over again if I could." I realized I was shaking as the words tumbled out of me. "I would do it again and again. Every night I would torment you and laugh. Do you understand? You are never safe with me." I drew a shuddering breath, trying to will away the sting of tears.
He opened his eyes and stared up at me as if I were the door out of Arcadia and back to the true sky. "That's what makes you my favorite." He reached up and wiped a tear off my cheek with his thumb. "Every wicked bit of you.”

“Why is he scared of the dark?"
I meant the words for a joke, but Shade nodded seriously. "Like all monsters. Because it reminds him of what he truly is".”


About the cover: It’s gorgeous, and one of the things that had me reading the book in the first place. The roses have a very deep meaning in the Beauty and the Beast story, but not so here. Also, the spiral stairs emphasize the confusion of the ever-changing castle.

[bookishzelda]

When I started reading this book I became instantly intrigued. At first it had much to do with the darkness of the main character, I’m not sure why that caught my eye so much but it did. Normally we think of MC’s as these perfect beautifully hearted girls that are going to save the world. The other thing that really caught my attention is that it’s a been a very long time since I’ve read the original Beauty and the Beast and this book was tickling the back of my mind with memories of the original story. Especially the name guessing thing. Anyway the fact of the matter is original fairy tales are darker and it’s one of my favorite things about them. This story definitely embodied that.

There were some different things infused in here. I thought the Greek Mythology add was kind of interesting and is another thing that’s dark of course. It went the route of the tales of the Gods who would vex and use people as playthings. Also the herematic magic was kind of interesting as well. I’m not sure if I completely understood how things worked with the hearts and sigils but I liked that there was the magical element.

I was easily absorbed in Ignifex and Nyx relationship. I loved how they made no apologies to one another right to their bitter end. They each had a purpose and they were both aware of that. Ignifex made deals and that is what he did, had always done and would always do. Nyx was there to kill him and save her world and nothing changed that. Yet they found their way to one another and were connected. I think it was the idea that they had to have impure hearts in order to see the beauty in each other. As far as Ignifex and Shade. I had a Peter Pan moment at the beginning of the book. Shade was intriguing but I wasn’t shocked by some of the outcomes with that.

I loved the elements of the story and how they came together in the plot. I was enamoured with the characters and how each had their own demons. I was intrigued by what exactly happened to their world to get them to having an overseeing “Gentle Lord”.I was delighted by the mythological elements woven in.

As far as fairytale retellings I felt this one was top notch. It gave me that old world fairytale feel with a modern twist. You can’t go wrong with a sexy demon. I also like the world that was created in the house and the characters with their flawed nature. Plus adding the Greek mythology was a nice little kick.