Wednesday, January 1, 2014

Cruel Beauty by Rosamund Hodge

This is a fairy tale that has not been told before.  It's a twisted tale with love thrown in and the odds against a happy ending are astronomical.  After all, if you kill your husband, it's a bit hard to live happily ever after, isn't it?

Edelweiss and Balzer & Bray allowed me to download and read this story for review (thank you).  It will be published January 8th, so check with your local bookstore for a copy.

Nyx has spent her life being prepared to marry the man she was promised to.  He's a monster and she'll die with him if she's successful, but she'll save her family and the village she lives in.  It's her duty...

When she turns seventeen, she's taken to the place where the marriage vows are said and then sent on the castle and her fate.  She's fearful he will force himself on her, but he's not that type.  He is very, very dangerous.  He's also not the only dangerous person in the castle.  Shade is there, too, and he's sweet and nice as well as very, very evil.

She knows nothing about the castle except it keeps changing.  There are doors she's not supposed to open.  We all know how that goes, don't we?  The only thing that keeps her alive is her personal strength; she has a very strong will power.  And while she dances the dance of death, she also finds herself falling in love with her husband.  She reminds herself he's a demon and has captured her world but it doesn't help.

The final standoff with him made me cry.  I couldn't believe she gave up her love for her family.  But the story is not done there.  That strong will takes her even further...

I enjoyed this one so much I'm going to buy a copy for my library.  I love fairy tales and this one is exceptionally good.

Happy reading.

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