Review: Crimson Bound by Rosamund Hodge

Title: Crimson Bound
Author: Rosamund Hodge
Genre: fantasy, retelling
Series: None
Pages: 448
Published: Expected May 5, 2015
Source: Publisher via Edelweiss
Rating: 4.5 out of 5

When Rachelle was fifteen, she was good—apprenticed to her aunt and in training to protect her village from dark magic. But she was also reckless— straying from the forest path in search of a way to free her world from the threat of eternal darkness. After an illicit meeting goes dreadfully wrong, Rachelle is forced to make a terrible choice that binds her to the very evil she had hoped to defeat.

Three years later, Rachelle has given her life to serving the realm, fighting deadly creatures in an effort to atone. When the king orders her to guard his son Armand—the man she hates most—Rachelle forces Armand to help her find the legendary sword that might save their world. As the two become unexpected allies, they uncover far-reaching conspiracies, hidden magic, and a love that may be their undoing. In a palace built on unbelievable wealth and dangerous secrets, can Rachelle discover the truth and stop the fall of endless night?

Inspired by the classic fairy tale Little Red Riding Hood, Crimson Bound is an exhilarating tale of darkness, love, and redemption

[LITTLE RED RIDING HOOD]
Mother said,
"Come what may,
Follow the path
And never stray."

[WOLF]
Just so, little girl-
Any path.
So many worth exploring.
Just one would be so boring.
And look what you're ignoring…1

Rachelle strayed off the forest path when she was fifteen. She thought she could outsmart the monster she met, but instead she ended up marked, bloodbound to serve the Devourer of the sun and moon. Rachelle pledges her service to the king instead, fighting the monsters that cross over from the Devourer’s realm, the Great Forest that exists alongside her world. She knows she’s destined to end up a forestborn, the same as her maker, and thus beyond redemption, but when she finds out the Devourer is going to return by summer’s end, she’s willing to try to do one good thing in the world.

Instead, she’s assigned to play babysitter to a false saint, the king’s bastard, Armand, who supposedly met a forestborn and survived marked but not bound. This is hogwash, of course, as Rachelle knows what it means to be marked. Armand lost his hands to the Forest, becoming a saint and martyr to the common people. As rebellion swirls, it’s Rachelle’s job to keep him from being assassinated or raised up.

Like Hodge’s first book, Crimson Bound is a lot more than a fairy tale retelling. Rachelle’s story starts very similarly to Red Riding Hood, true, but it ends with far more in common with Persephone. While Armand is a spin on The Girl Without Hands, there’s also a healthy dose of Hansel and Gretel in Tyr and Zisa, legendary twins who trapped the Devourer. Instead of feeling disjointed or derivative, Hodge’s world building and magic system blend them all into something new and surprising.

Unfortunately, also like Cruel Beauty, there are some plot holes that are hard to overlook, particularly in regards to the difference between the bloodbound and the forestborn they become. There’s also a love triangle that I found less than effective.

Hodge’s writes amazing, complex and unlikeable women that I can’t help falling in love with, and Rachelle is no exception. While the love interest is no Ignifex, the world is tighter, the magic more focused, and the action well integrated. The influences are diverse and blend together to build a truly one of a kind experience. Cruel Beauty was one of my best books of last year, but Hodge has outdone herself in her sophomore effort.

1. Sondheim, Stephen. Into The Woods. 1987

Review Take Two: Cruel Beauty by Rosamund Hodge

Title: Cruel Beauty
Author: Rosamund Hodge
Genre: young adult, fantasy, retellings, supernatural
Series: N/A
Pages: 352
Published: expected January 28 2014
Source: publishers via edelweiss
Rating: 5/5

Based on the classic fairy tale Beauty and the Beast, Cruel Beauty is a dazzling love story about our deepest desires and their power to change our destiny.

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? 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 strangely charming lord beguiles her, and his castle-a shifting maze of magical rooms-enthralls her.

As Nyx searches for a way to free her homeland by uncovering Ignifex's secrets, she finds herself unwillingly drawn to him. Even if she could bring herself to love her sworn enemy, how can she refuse her duty to kill him? With time running out, Nyx must decide what is more important: the future of her kingdom, or the man she was never supposed to love.

THIS BOOK. When I finished this, I couldn't talk in non-caps for at least half an hour. I sent massive amounts of emotionally flailing DMs to Blythe from Finding Bliss in Books. This is not a book that can be accurately reviewed. It must be experienced. And take my word for it -- you will need a flail buddy. Not since Crown of Midnight has a book had me reeling this much. Epic book-hangover with a side of excessive fangirling to go, please.

This book right here. HOLY CRAP. You want to know what Cruel Beauty has that others don't? Grand worldbuilding. Intricate, subtle plotting and authorial sleight of hand. A romance that takes tropes EVERYONE hates and makes them work. Characters that have personal growth and individual character arcs. Nuance -- both in plot and characters. Imperfections that make the characters more real and interesting. Inventive new approach to magic and magical systems.

Wow. This book is a mindfuck. A dark, twisted, lovely little piece of fiction masquerading as young adult literature. It takes Beauty and the Beast, adds some Agamemnon/Iphigenia influences and some Hamlet vibes, tosses in some mythology and then creates a convoluted, crazy plot that cohesively ties everything together. Needless to say, it's an ambitious project but damned if Hodge isn't the perfect author for it. Her style is eminently suited to this strangely engrossing and creative story.

When I heard Cruel Beauty was a "Beauty and the Beast" retelling, I was sold.  When I started hearing Greek/Roman myths (Oh hey there Kindly Ones!) being tossed around in connection with the title as well, it shot up my anticipated reads for 2014. Despite the hype and attention and absolute flailing surrounding this book, this is one that deserves all the attention it's garnered. It's more than a good story. It tells a great story while being creative, original, fun, creepy, full of allusions to other literature, and boasting a cast of complex, intriguing characters. The story of La Belle est la Bête has been around in pop culture for decades, in various incarnations (you could say it is a tale as old as time) but without a doubt, Rosamund Hodge has put a distinct spin on her version.

Think of Disney's version of this story. Picture their sweet, kind, smart Belle. Then picture her almost exact opposite: sullen, resentful, raised as a weapon, destined for death and loneliness. That's Nyx, our antihero heroine. Like her counterpart and love interest Ignifex, there's both beauty and beast in her. She's smart and bookish, but girl has a major attitude. It's understandable (for the most part...), but Nyx is a piece of work. And I loved every minute of her messed-up and awkward narration. She grows and evolves and learns through the book. TRhe Nyx we leave is not the same one we started with.  And Hodge tosses her some truly awesome scenes through the story. Though I love both her husband and their banter - it reminds me a lot of Ismae and Duval from Grave Mercy - Nyx is the crux of the entire novel. If you don't like her, this book might be a struggle.

If you're like me and find her sass and snarkiness something to be commended, Nyx is your new favorite YA protagonist. Ignifex is her foe, her foil, her love, her enemy and her friend. Their relationship is so atypical for this type of book, it really ought to be relished. Their relationship follows the hate-to-love plot device, but it is so fun watching these two smart, complicated people grow from separate to parts of a whole. The romance is a focal point of the novel and it drives a lot of the plot progression, but Hodge sells it. You care about these two and you want to see if and how they make it work.

There is so much to love about this book -- I haven't even touched on half of what I thought or found in the text. This is a narrative with layers and meaning, hints and allusions. It pays to pay attention in Cruel Beauty. For a debut author, Hodge displays an incredible amount of reserve and knowledge about when to twist the plot or reveal pivotal information. She is clearly a clever author and the maturity and scope of her first novel easily show that. Cruel Beauty is impressive and far-reaching; a risk. But it is one that definitely paid off. It's not for everyone, but those that love it will REALLY love it.

I am a big, big fan of this book. It's like Cinder/Scarlet/Cress's darker, twisted, more selfish older cousin.  For all Nyx and Ignifex (Ignifeeeeeeeex)'s flaws and problems, they are characters it is easy to care about. It is easy to get sucked into this complete world that Hodge has built. It is easy to love Cruel Beauty because it's amazingly well-written, original, memorable, and fun. It's early in 2014, but this will be one of the books I push on people all year. 

Read it. 

Review: Cruel Beauty by Rosamund Hodge

Title: Cruel Beauty
Author: Rosamund Hodge
Genre: young adult, fantasy, fairy tales
Series: None
Pages: 349
Expected Publication: January 28, 2014
Source: Publisher via edelweiss
Rating: 4/5

Graceling meets Beauty and the Beast in this sweeping fantasy about one girl's journey to fulfill her destiny and the monster who gets in her way-by stealing her heart.

Based on the classic fairy tale Beauty and the Beast, Cruel Beauty is a dazzling love story about our deepest desires and their power to change our destiny.

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? 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 strangely charming lord beguiles her, and his castle-a shifting maze of magical rooms-enthralls her.

As Nyx searches for a way to free her homeland by uncovering Ignifex's secrets, she finds herself unwillingly drawn to him. Even if she could bring herself to love her sworn enemy, how can she refuse her duty to kill him? With time running out, Nyx must decide what is more important: the future of her kingdom, or the man she was never supposed to love.

Reviewed by Danielle. 
I hate when I finish a book and know the review is going to be hard to write and come off more critical than I want it to. So let me start with this. Cruel Beauty is a phenomenal fairy tale retelling that isn’t pigeonholed by the original. Its inspiration is obvious, but its story is entirely its own. I found it imaginative, romantic, and endlessly intriguing. As the product of a debut author, I can only hope we’ll get many more twisted tales out of this world.

As I said in a status update, Beauty and the Beast is infinitely improved by giving the beauty a spine. Nyx has been raised her whole life to know that she will marry the Gentle Lord, the king of demons who rules over the land. Growing up with that knowledge hasn’t made her a particularly nice person, especially when she sees her cheerful, happy twin being adored by the family. A female protagonist who is allowed to be selfish, angry, and troubled is rare and refreshing, though an early confrontation pushed the character too far to the “cruel” side and I did have some trouble reigning my feelings for her back to center. Still, Nyx hasn’t just been raised to wed the Gentle Lord, but to kill him with her carefully practiced Hermetic arts, this world’s magic.

Those Hermetic arts are probably my biggest problem with the story. The idea is that all magic combines four base elements, and to remove magic, you must “turn off” the elements. The Gentle Lord and his castle are clearly beings of magic, so to remove them from the land, all one would have to do is enter the castle and nullify the Hermetic arts. This is a HUGE plot point at the beginning as Nyx slinks through the Gentle Lord’s castle, searching for the elemental “hearts”, so that she can deactivate them. But notice I said, “beginning”?

Remember Chekhov's gun? I’m not saying everything must point directly at the endgame, I like twists, too, but the hearts feature so heavily at the start of the narrative, and so little in the conclusion, that I felt like we wasted a lot of plot time searching for them. Same with the Rhyme that foretells how to kill the Gentle Lord. It’s repeated over and over, but it’s not present in the end. Both added to the world building, but they’re just window dressing. And in a very claustrophobic book that sometimes amounts to Nyx wandering through pretty rooms, I could have done with less window dressing and more action.

There are some overall plotting issues I wish I could change, from little things like the magic mirror, (Spoilers: If Shade has taken all of the previous wives though the door, and the door breaks the mirror, then how is the mirror unbroken?) to bigger issues like abrupt characterization changes. Nyx’s growth worked for me, as she slowly turns from the hard-hearted and bitter assassin to someone open to friendship and love, as did Ignifex’s gradual revelation that he too is trapped by circumstance. Shade and Astraia’s, however, came kind of out of nowhere. And while Astraia’s was a bigger difference, Shade’s changes seemed to waffle throughout the rest of the story which was even more jarring.

What did work for me from the first instance to the very end, was the banter between Nyx and Ignifex. Their relationship could easily be written in the same Stockholm Syndrome-y way that other adaptations have taken, but because Hodge makes it clear from the beginning that Ignifex respects Nyx for her spirit, I think they’re able to come to it in a much more equal manner. <end of book spoilers!> Likewise, their happily ever after didn’t change them as characters. They had new life experiences in the new timeline, and learned the value of love and togetherness, but they were still sometimes selfish or mean. Nyx had reservations about whether she could love the prince when she fell in love with the demon, which is totally reasonable!
Again, this review is harsher than I mean for it to sound. Cruel Beauty is an exceptionally fun, fast paced read that made me very happy. It has some plotting issues that don’t stand up to scrutiny, but overall I found it to be a great updating and merging of classic stories.