Cruel Beauty

by Rosamund Hodge

Overview

Since birth, Nyx has been betrothed to the evil ruler of her kingdom—all because of a reckless bargain her father struck. And since birth, she has been training to kill him.

Betrayed by her family yet bound to obey, Nyx rails against her fate. Still, on her seventeenth birthday, she abandons everything she's ever known to marry the all-powerful, immortal Ignifex. Her plan? Seduce him, disarm him, and break the nine-hundred-year-old curse he put on her people.

But Ignifex is not 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. But even if she can bring herself to love her sworn enemy, how can she refuse her duty to kill him?

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.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780062224736
Publisher:	HarperCollins Publishers
Publication date:	01/28/2014
Series:	Thomas Prescott , #1
Pages:	352
Sales rank:	121,590
Product dimensions:	5.90(w) x 8.30(h) x 1.20(d)
Lexile:	HL820L (what's this?)
Age Range:	13 - 17 Years

Editorial Reviews

01/27/2014
Fiery 17-year-old Nyx has always known she is destined to marry the prince of demons—her father bargained her away before she was born. Even so, she has been trained in the Hermetic principles, and she hopes to use her skills to thwart Ingnifex's power and save her homeland from his control. When she arrives at the ruins of his ancient castle, nothing is at it seems: the rooms constantly change location, and she finds both beautiful magic and chilling horrors behind the countless doors. Also, Nyx cannot deny her attraction to Ingnifex, who is not exactly the monster she dreaded to meet. Debut novelist Hodge has created a rich, complete world in this twist on "Beauty and the Beast"; it can be slow-going (though not unrewarding) to wade through details about the demon's many rooms and the complicated, tragic mythology that brought him there. However, the banter between these well-matched foils is lively and sharp, and the pace picks up toward the end as Nyx first sacrifices for duty, and then for her own heart. Ages 13–up. Agent: Hannah Bowman, Liza Dawson Associates. (Feb.)

Publishers Weekly

Will have readers clutching the book and flying through the pages.

Voice of Youth Advocates (VOYA)

Twin sisters, Nyx and Astraia live in the kingdom of Arcadia, an island ruled by the Gentle Lord, a demon. Before their birth, desperately wishing to give his wife the children she wanted, their father makes a deal with the demon lord. In exchange for the mother conceiving two daughters, one daughter must become the demon's wife. But, as the kingdom knows the Gentle Lord never plays fair and the wife dies after Astraia is delivered with difficulty. Wish granted the bereft father is left to raise his daughters, and select which one is to be sacrificed. While Astraia is coddled and loved, Nyx is treated with cold detachment by her father—who decides to raise her with the sole purpose of defeating the evil beast and save the kingdome. Now, upon her seventeenth birthday, Nyx must meet her destiny and marry Ignifex. Though resentful and bitter, Nyx has always pretended to be good and happy for the sake of her sister. She dislikes that her heart is secretly full of hate. The truth, Nyx discovers waits in her husband's castle. But with this truth she comes to save the kingdom in a twist that will surprise and thrill readers. This adaption of Beauty and the Beast combines Greek mythology, particularly the myth of "Cupid and Psyche," with fairy tale lore to weave together a complex fantasy that is rich in detail, action, and hidden meanings. Nyx comes to embrace the darkness and the light that is within her and those she loves. Though some layers of the story unravel rather confusingly, this is a clever debut novel that delivers plenty of intrigue and romance. Reviewer: Emily Griffin

Children's Literature - Emily Griffin

Since her birth, Nyx has been betrothed to the Great Lord Ignifex, evil ruler of her kingdom, an arrangement made by her father. She grows up with resentment for her position, but also a burden to fulfill the bargain. She struggles with her feelings of hatred for her family for not trying to change this destiny, and she also feels ashamed for wanting to escape her fate. Nyx decided early on that the solution to this would be that soon after she married, she would kill him and destroy his castle, freeing her country of his tyrannical rule and breaking the curse put on her people. But Ignifex is not what Nyx expected. She soon sees that he is kind and compassionate and she is intrigued by his charms and enthralled by his castle—the shifting maze of magical rooms all for her to explore. Nyx begins to solve the mystery of the powerful curse her people are plagued by in order to free her homeland. As she unravels each mystery, she becomes more engrossed in Ignifex, and is beginning to feel love for him. In a powerful clash between sworn duty and allegiance, and the unmistakable influence of love, Nyx must decide what is more important: the future of her kingdom, or her future with Ignifex. This young adult fantasy-fairytale will have readers clutching the book and flying through the pages. Filled with mystery and romance, readers can connect to the story and feel the conflict, as well as the love. With roots in the classic fairytale, Beauty and the Beast, and mythological elements from the stories of Cupid and Psyche, this book is a well crafted, modern rendition that will resonate with a wide audience. Love is cruel, but also beautiful, and Hodge has created a story around that theme that readers will devour. Reviewer: Susan Redman-Parodi; Ages 12 to 18.

VOYA, February 2014 (Vol. 36, No. 6) - Susan Redman-Parodi

02/01/2014
Gr 9 Up—Nyx Triskelion has known for most of her life that she must marry Ignifex, the "Gentle Lord" who terrorizes her world, due to a bargain her father made before her birth. She also knows that once married, she must destroy the evil despot and the demons under his command. For years, Nyx has been training in the Hermetic Arts, the method by which she is supposed to kill her husband. Yet when the time comes, she cannot shake the desire she develops for him. It does not help that she was raised as barely more than a sacrifice, unused to the idea of love. Despite her attraction to Ignifex, Nyx makes several attempts on his life (all of which are easily thwarted). Hodge's story infuses elements of Greek mythology and classic fairy tales. The plot moves quickly, and the characters are well formed; their transgressions make them interesting and authentic. The complex relationship between Nyx and Ignifex is especially engaging. An entertaining read for teens who enjoy romantic fantasy.—Kristyn Dorfman, The Packer Collegiate Institute, Brooklyn, NY

School Library Journal

2013-11-02
An absorbing, beautifully complex retelling of the "Cupid and Psyche" myth. Nyx Triskelion has been raised to marry and defeat the Gentle Lord, the tyrant held responsible for sundering her land from the rest of the world and controlling the demons that haunt it. Nyx is distressed to find herself attracted to her beautiful new husband, Ignifex, whom she has been taught to loathe, while simultaneously developing feelings for his servant, Shade. But this is no fairy-tale romance, and Nyx remains true to her promise, making several attempts on Ignifex's life that only succeed in entertaining him and eliciting flirtatious responses. As Nyx unravels the truth behind the isolation of her land, as well as the very existence of both Ignifex and Shade, it becomes clear that only when she accepts her feelings can she face the truth: She must choose between following her heart and fulfilling her duty. A rather dramatic first encounter between Nyx and Ignifex belies what comes after—an intricate and arresting tale well worth readers' time. Twining themes of self-awareness and the duality of human nature, Hodge succeeds in creating a refreshingly human and real protagonist and love interest. They are both strong and flawed, and they—even more strikingly—embrace those qualities in themselves and each other. Engrossing. (Fantasy. 14 & up)

Kirkus Reviews