Book Review: Cruel Beauty by Rosamund Hodge

Cruel Beauty by Rosamund Hodge, is based on the classic fairy tale Beauty and the Beast. Since birth, Nyx has been betrothed to the evil ruler of her kingdom - all because of a foolish bargain struck by her father. And since birth, she has been in training to kill him. With no choice but to fulfill her duty, Nyx resents her family for never trying to save her and hates herself for wanting to escape her fate. Still, on her seventeenth birthday, Nyx abandons everything she's ever known to marry the all-powerful, immortal Ignifex. Her plan is to seduce him, destroy his enchanted castle, and break the nine-hundred-year-old curse he put on her people. But Ignifex is not at all what Nyx expected.

The cover on this book is amazing and draws your attention to the the twist and turns that you know that will be in this book. It was one reason how this book drew it's attention from me. Another reason is that I love the story of Beauty and the Beast. This take on the famous fairy tale is quite different in it's start. On how Nyx (Beauty) was raised to be the one to kill the beast but also to marry him. How her father really didn't love her but adored her twin sister. You start feeling sorry for Nyx and wonder why she was staying with this crazy family when all they want to do is for her to be killed by the beast, Ignifex. I wanted to so much to like this book but I could not fall in love with the main character Nyx at all. I wanted to but she was such a flat character in her way of thinking. The book was in her view so you knew every single thought she did. Perhaps the book would have been better if it was on the outside not looking into her mind. She bored me half way through and I dragged my feet to finish reading this story. I just could not get into enjoying this book. I don't recommend reading this book if you love the original fairy tale of Beauty and the Beast because for me it wasn't like it at all.

If you like this book check out:
Gilded Ashes 
Crimson Bound