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Title: Cruel Beauty
Author: Rosamund Hodge
Publication date: January 24, 2013
Publisher: Balzer & Bray (HarperCollins)
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.
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.
Why I want:
1. I love fairytale retellings. You all know that. But with reoccurring Beauty and the Beast retellings, I love to read the new ones, finding which version I like best. Besides, Beauty and the Beast rocks.
2. Assassin falls in love? Yes, please. She's been training to kill him and then she falls in loooove. Let the swooning commence.
3. That cover.
What are you wishing for this Wednesday?
Had posted this book on one of my previous WW. I can definitely understand why you want it hehe xD Great pick and I hope you'll get as soon as it comes out ^_^
ReplyDeleteThanks for stopping by my WW :)
XX Ner
This book does sound awesome! Beauty and the Beast is one of my absolute favorite fairy tales! And it sounds very different from the original tale! :)
ReplyDeleteGreat choice! It looks so good, I love the cover. I'm really interested in reading more fairytale retellings. Hope you get it :)
ReplyDeleteThis is the second time I have seen this one today. I like the sound of it. I hope you get it soon!
ReplyDeleteMy WW: http://sparetimebookblog.blogspot.com/2013/09/wishlist-wednesday-65.html
Brittany @ Spare Time Book Blog
I desperately want this one to - I just love a good fairytale retelling! Hopefully we can both get our hands on this beauty soon :)
ReplyDeleteThanks for stopping by my WW :)
Such a striking cover! This book sounds perfect for you. Hope you get to read it soon!
ReplyDeleteThis is a brilliant pick Sunny! I agree I always find retellings fascinating too! And Cruel Beauty does sound like it will deliver a brilliant read! Also I've always loved Beauty and the Beast!
ReplyDeleteThis book looks so good. I especially agree with point 2; it's always great when romances are complicated by big, life-or-death things, like, you know, being an assassin. Belle is by far the best Disney princess (she is pretty much the only one who doesn't experience insta-love AND she is a book nerd) and that cover is so pretty. I can't stop staring at the way the stairs intertwine with the rose petals.
ReplyDeleteI hope you love this book! You certainly have the potential to do so.
Oh my gosh, I would do horrible things for this book xD And I especially love your three points, I can totally agree with those. Can't wait for this one!
ReplyDeleteI can't decide what to make of this one. I mean on one hand...
ReplyDeleteBeauty and the Beast. Deepest Desires and their power to change our destiny. - yes to what you said about fairytale retellings and finding the best B&B retelling. This one has also been marketed as Graceling meets B&B so it gets even extra bonus points. But at the same time... fairy tale retellings can be such a hit or miss.
Assassin girl with sucky past. - Hello, Celaena Sardothien! Hello, Ismae! Hello, Nyx! But if she falls in love from the start, what next? The other books had a historical or fantastical world to build upon; will we find out more of the politics or will it fall back onto the PNR settings?
Inevitable romance. Castles. - Swooning and great settings? Yessss. But I also read some weird reviews on GR that are suggesting -- for me at least -- that this might be marketed differently than I imagined.
So: confuzzling.