Review: Cruel Beauty

I received this book for free from FTC: Exchange for honest opinion, Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

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.

Hands down. I. LOVE. THIS. BOOK.

Plot: I’m all for classic re-tales. In fact, I’m always looking for the next great read in this area. And then this book fell in my lap and OMG, it’s amazing. If you read the synopsis then you know that this is a re-tale of Beauty and The Beast. I think the creativity for this story, the development of the characters and the world around it is an success.

Love: This is the part that captured me the most. The reader is introduced to the Gentle Lord, who is cursed. I enjoyed the way the reader got to know this guy. At first he is all business making snide remarks, but then his shell starts to peel away one by one, and were left with a guy who is not who we thought he is. I also really enjoyed Nyx’s growth as well. She is funny, strong, and her snarky comments kept me snickering through out the book. She too begins to understand that her plan will not go through as expected. She things differently and it changes her.

Ending: I love the ending. I like how Nyx stood up and fought for what she believed in. She took everything in with stride, throwing it back out at others. She captures the readers pulling them along for a ride that is different and unique.

Overall, I’m very happy and impressed with this story. I can totally go back and read it again. Smart and sophisticated, Cruel Beauty is an memorable read. Crafted with the beauty of deception, magic, and love, the story is an never-wavering inspiration. Profounding and engaging, Cruel Beauty steals the show!

I give it 5 BITES!

Happy Reading!