Gilded Ashes by Rosamund Hodge

Gilded Ashes (Cruel Beauty)

by Rosamund Hodge

A romantic and fantastical reimagining of the classic Cinderella tale, Gilded Ashes is a novella by Rosamund Hodge set in the same world as the author's debut novel, Cruel Beauty.

Orphan Maia doesn't see the point of love when it only brings pain: Her dying mother made a bargain with the evil, all-powerful ruler of their world that anyone who hurt her beloved daughter would be punished; her new stepmother went mad with grief when Maia's father died; and her stepsisters are desperate for their mother's approval, yet she always spurns them. And though her family has turned her into a despised servant, Maia must always pretend to be happy, or else they'll all be struck dead by the curse.

Anax, heir to the Duke of Sardis, doesn't believe in love either—not since he discovered that his childhood sweetheart was only using him for his noble title. What's the point of pretending to fall in love with a girl just so she'll pretend to fall in love with him back? But when his father invites all the suitable girls in the kingdom to a masked ball, Anax must finally give in and select a wife.

As fate would have it, the preparations for the masquerade bring him Maia, who was asked by her eldest stepsister to deliver letters to Anax. Despite a prickly first encounter, he is charmed and intrigued by this mysterious girl who doesn't believe in love. Anax can't help wishing to see her again—and when he does, he can't help falling in love with her. Against her will, Maia starts to fall in love with him too. But how can she be with him when every moment his life is in danger from her mother's deadly bargain?

Reviewed by Terri M. LeBlanc on

3 of 5 stars

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I've been mesmerized by the World created by Rosamund Hodge since listening to Cruel Beauty last summer. There is something enchanting and heartbreaking about the World ruled by the Dark Lord and his band of demons. "Gilded Ashes" returns readers, via short story, to this World through a sad re-telling of Cinderella.

"Gilded Ashes" is not a lighthearted tale. It's a dark and depressing lesson-filled story about family and the lengths one will go to make sure one's family is happy. I did enjoy it as it seemed much more straight forward than Cruel Beauty—not so many twists and turns. I was also more able to see the parallels, from start to finish, with Cinderella's story.

Being this is a short story it didn't take long to finish it as a good portion of the book is a preview for Cruel Beauty. Besides existing in the same world as Cruel Beauty there's not a direction connect to the novel. Hodge does spend some time explaining the Dark Lord and the rules for his deals so it is not necessary to have read Cruel Beauty to understand "Gilded Ashes." If someone was unsure about Cruel Beauty or is a fan of that universe, I would definitely recommend reading this short story. "Gilded Ashes" by Rosamund Hodge receives a thumbs up.

This review was originally posted on Second Run Reviews.

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Reading updates

  • Started reading
  • 3 January, 2015: Finished reading
  • 3 January, 2015: Reviewed