Review Detail

What I Loved: I was initially drawn to the fact that Cruel Beauty is supposed to be a Beauty and the Beast retelling. I don’t think I’ve read any of those so it was nice to see how this author would tackle it. I really loved Hodge’s writing. It was very elegant, vivid, and imaginary. I liked the world she created and the magic and mystery behind it all. I also enjoyed the dialogue. Nyx, although not a particularly positive protagonist, has her “Quick wit” moments and I actually enjoyed her interactions with Ignifex. I don’t want to give anything away, but just know that it was rather amusing seeing them together.

Left Me Wanting More: I’ll admit, it wasn’t exactly what I was expecting and the “retelling” part was a bit out there. Things didn’t really come together until a little after halfway through and that’s when I started to see more bits and pieces that resembled the B&B storyline. I also wasn’t too fond of the romance. While I did like their interactions, I didn’t believe their love. Things were a big rushed in the emotion department and I honestly preferred them as friends and cohorts rather than lovers.

Final Verdict: I think if people go into this with an open mind and maybe even, not knowing it’s a Beauty and the Beast retelling, maybe they might enjoy it more. This is definitely one of those “slow burn” reads that you have to really be invested in. There were parts I really enjoyed and parts that were a bit confusing, but overall, it was a decent read. I’d say read this more for the uniquely magical world as opposed to the romance.