From the Bookshelf of Nothing But Reading Challenges…

Cruel Beauty

Rosamund Hodge

Start date: September 22, 2015

Finish date: September 30, 2015

Discussion: Books of the Month

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Books of the Month

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* The Covenant of Water by Abraham Verghese - Sep 25 Theme BOM - South and South East Asia (Starts 5 September)
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What Members Thought

Sep 06, 2019 Susan rated it liked it

Not sure how I feel about this book. I didn't love it enough to give it 5 stars and I spent a lot of time rereading or starting a whole chapter over because I was bored I fell asleep or I was so lost I had to start the chapter over just to try to make out what was happening. It wasn't hard to read or confusing I just think there wasn't enough there to keep me focused on the books and therefore I dozed off or my mind wandered

The MC Nyx was being sacrificed to the Gentle Lord but really he was a d Not sure how I feel about this book. I didn't love it enough to give it 5 stars and I spent a lot of time rereading or starting a whole chapter over because I was bored I fell asleep or I was so lost I had to start the chapter over just to try to make out what was happening. It wasn't hard to read or confusing I just think there wasn't enough there to keep me focused on the books and therefore I dozed off or my mind wandered

The MC Nyx was being sacrificed to the Gentle Lord but really he was a demon due to a bargain her father struck with this Gentle Lord. He had to offer up one of his daughter when she turned 17 and her father offered up her to marry this evil demon when she turned 17. He thought himself as helping whe really he sent people to their deaths more often the not. Her father went to him and bargained that his wife be able to have children and he was granted that wish so long as he offered one of them up when she turned 17. He was so thrilled he was giving his wife what she always wanted and that they were going to have twin daughters but what he didn't know was she was never going to make it out of childbirth alive. The last child born was the one that took her life and therefore the child in his eyes who should be sacrificed on her 17th birthday.

The other sister was doted on and led a very pampered life where Nyx was always treated with indifference and told she was giving up her life to avenge her mother and for the city of Arcadia that fell into darkness because of the Gentle Lord. He held the city hostage and it was up to Nyx to free them all. The day Nyx was going to be leaving her family her sister pulled her aside and gave her a knife so she could kill the Lord and hopefully make it back to them. That was the first bit of a backbone we got to see of the sister. Otherwise she was always in tears over her sister having to go and always so worried. Meanwhile Nyx developed a hatred toward her, she got to plan a future with a real man and plan on a family, her father moved on as well with his wife's sister and all this hatred built up in Nyx.

This was a Beauty and the Beast retelling (one of my favorite kind of retellings to read) but I didn't love this one. I wanted to and being it was one of my favorite type of retelling I was ready to love it. Of course she fell in love with the Gentle Lord and she had a choice to make. Stay with her husband and betray her family or betray her husband. The first person she felt truly loved her and trusted her.

The book wasn't horrible I think maybe I have read a few to many Beauty and the Beast retellings and maybe I need to step away from this type of book for a little while. Others I have read have just made such a last loving impression on me and this fell short.

If you haven't read that many Beauty and the Beast retellings then you might find this a 5 star read. I'm not saying don't read it because it was a good book. It just didn't stand up to the other 3 books I've that were the same style of retelling. I do plan on reading the rest of the books and see what happens. ...more

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Sep 01, 2015 Karen rated it it was amazing

Dreamlike prose that reminded me a bit of Alice Hoffman's style. Intriguing fairytale premise that I won't say too much about lest I give away the story. I really enjoyed the two main characters, their sometimes mocking interaction with each other, and their surrealistic setting. I'll be checking out other titles by this author.
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Apr 12, 2014 Morgan rated it really liked it

Shelves: fiction, young-adult, paranormal, tales-retold, mythology-and-folklore, demons, kindle-read

Beauty and the Beast + Greek Mythology + other little bits and bobs thrown in for good measure.

There were some moments it went over the 4 star mark...and then came back down again...but still an entertaining read.

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