Review: Crimson Bound by Rosamund Hodge

Crimson Bound

by Rosamund Hodge 

Published May 5th 2015 by Balzer + Bray

When Rachelle was fifteen she was good—apprenticed to her aunt and in training to protect her village from dark magic. But she was also reckless— straying from the forest path in search of a way to free her world from the threat of eternal darkness. After an illicit meeting goes dreadfully wrong, Rachelle is forced to make a terrible choice that binds her to the very evil she had hoped to defeat. Three years later, Rachelle has given her life to serving the realm, fighting deadly creatures in an effort to atone. When the king orders her to guard his son Armand—the man she hates most—Rachelle forces Armand to help her find the legendary sword that might save their world. As the two become unexpected allies, they uncover far-reaching conspiracies, hidden magic, and a love that may be their undoing. In a palace built on unbelievable wealth and dangerous secrets, can Rachelle discover the truth and stop the fall of endless night?
Inspired by the classic fairy tale Little Red Riding Hood, Crimson Bound is an exhilarating tale of darkness, love, and redemption.

My Thoughts

I adored Cruel Beauty so as soon as i heard there would be another likeness written by Rosamund Hodge I was thrilled. I can say I wasn't disappointed in the least!! Not only do I love her twisted take on some classic tales but I love me a good stand alone. I like the feeling of getting to the satisfying end in one sitting.

My favorite thing about this series (even though it's not a series) is that the lore is so detailed. There is a ton of history and it is nicely blended with the plot line so I never ever felt lost. Rosamund has this unique ability to reimagine and expand stories to such incredible heights. There is so much complexity in her work. She really has planned things out and it shows by her attention to detail. This lore was so unique,The evil lurking in the woods called the Great Forest and the curse of the forestborn. I'll give you quick rundown. If you are marked by a forestbound you can either become one by killing or you die yourself. Rundown over.

The characters are also very complex. Rachelle was so interesting to read about. I was on Team Rachele from the first pages. She is a very determined girl but also weighs her choices and what they do to her and her families future. I love the intelligence behind that. There is nothing worst then a hasty M.C. Well there is but you know what I mean. Let's talk about the boys. Okat so there is a teeny love triangle thingy BUT fear not for it is one that works for this story, very well if i do say so myself.

Erec who is in the same boat as Rachelle being a bloodbound, is charming and witty and most of the time a complete jerk off. For some reason he just rubbed me the wrong way. I don't like when people twist your words around and use them against you and Erec was the king of this particular manipulation of words. I was much more of a fan or Armand, who is one of the king's illegitimate children. I always tend to cheer for the underdog. 

I think that if you like a bit of a darker fairy tale with some serious world building and break neck plot twists then, you should read Crimson Bound. 

5 Snowflakes

Review: Cruel Beauty by Rosamund Hodge

Cruel Beauty by Rosamund Hodge
Publisher-Balzer + Bray
Released-Jan 28th 2014
Pre-Order- Amazon / B & N

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.

My Thoughts: 
Well, this was different.

Cruel Beauty is by far one of the most bewildering and strangely enchanting fairytale I've ever read. This was a book that I was very excited for. Just look at that cover! Plus, I also love fairytales and Beauty and the Beast is a classic and a favorite. Only…this one felt a little too outlandish for my taste. What was supposed to be a retelling of sorts ended up mostly being about the mythology and fantasy elements that were entwined within these pages. I’m usual a pretty open reader and can go with just about anything and while I like the idea of combining genres, this one sadly didn't seem to work the way I hoped and ended up feeling scattered and overwhelming to process.

I had a hard time connecting with a lot of these characters. I felt their actions and thoughts were going everywhere and nowhere at once.

Nyx Triskelion, was probably the most conflicting character I have ever read. She had a twisted inner battle between right and wrong, want and need happening throughout the entire novel which made me want to shake her straight a few times and demand she make up her confounded mind. I could understand where she’s coming from and even sympathize with the situation she’s in. It’s not fair that she was chosen to end the darkness surrounding her kingdom and her resentment, hatred and hostility was even justified, but with her every repetitive wicked thought she became more bitter and selfish. She is not a happy character and her constant complaining, hot and cold demeanor and back and forth inner banter throughout the entire novel proves just that.

The Gentle Lord, had his moments where we can see the true demon he is but shows some compassion, if only just a glimpse. This was a character that I was at least interested in continuing to learn about and I felt he was slightly better developed. He may be a monster who acts in monstrous ways, but his story and curse goes deeper, which is where the mythology comes into play and I found myself intrigued by his back-story.

The love story for this particular novel is very strange. I’m not even sure I can call this romance since it reads like toxic more then anything else. I’m all for insta-love in books, but this is one time where it just wasn't believable nor likable, even in a fairytale setting. I’ll give the love triangle between Ignifex and Shade points for unique, but it was oddly approached, way too abrupt, forced and felt very awkward given the situation.

With that said, this may not have been a story that worked for me, but this is probably just me. The writing is strong and stunningly passionate and I have to give props to Hodge’s imaginative vision in her fairytale retelling with a mythology and fantasy edge that will surely entertain readers who are looking for something fresh, bold and at times, even compelling. I just wish I could have loved this one.

Find the author:
Goodreads / Website                                2.5 Snowflakes