Cruel Beauty (Cruel Beauty)

by Rosamund Hodge

[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.