Review: The Shadow Queen by C.J. Redwine

The Shadow Queen by C.J. Redwine

Publisher- Balzer + Bray 

Released- Feb 16th 2016

Purchase- Amazon / B & N

Lorelai Diederich, crown princess and fugitive at large, has one mission: kill the wicked queen who took both the Ravenspire throne and the life of her father. To do that, Lorelai needs to use the one weapon she and Queen Irina have in common—magic. She’ll have to be stronger, faster, and more powerful than Irina, the most dangerous sorceress Ravenspire has ever seen.In the neighboring kingdom of Eldr, when Prince Kol’s father and older brother are killed by an invading army of magic-wielding ogres, the second-born prince is suddenly given the responsibility of saving his kingdom. To do that, Kol needs magic—and the only way to get it is to make a deal with the queen of Ravenspire, promise to become her personal huntsman…and bring her Lorelai’s heart.But Lorelai is nothing like Kol expected—beautiful, fierce, and unstoppable—and despite dark magic, Lorelai is drawn in by the passionate and troubled king. Fighting to stay one step ahead of the dragon huntsman—who she likes far more than she should—Lorelai does everything in her power to ruin the wicked queen. But Irina isn’t going down without a fight, and her final move may cost the princess the one thing she still has left to lose.

My Thoughts:

Queen Irina is an evil magician who tricked the King of Ravenspire and it's people with gleaming red apples with innards of rot. She spelled her way into lands with her cursed magic, but Princess Lorelia has magic of her own and stopped the Queen long enough to break the spell over her family and the guards. Though it was too late for the King, Lorelia and Leo managed to escape with Gabril, one of the palace guards. Nine years later, Lorelia, Leo and Gabril is planning to avenge the Kings death and challenge the Queen for the lands that has been destroyed by her toxic magic.

In the neighbouring kingdom of Eldr, Kol was celebrating his latest infraction and awaits his father disapproval when he was met with the news that his parents and older brother has died by an ogre attack. Now, as the second prince in line for the throne, Kol is the new king of Eldr and is faced with the great task of leading his people from the magic wielding ogres that threaten their kingdom. But Kol can't fight them with mere weapons. He needs magic and he knows just where to find it.

To tell you the truth I wasn't sure I wanted to read this book. Don't get me wrong, I love fairy tale retellings, but in ways it all feels the same. So while reading this book I was searching for something to standout and looking to see how C.J Redwine would put her own spark to the much loved classic story of Snow White, and I found it...with Dragons! Yup, poison, powers and dragons people, now this is one fairytale fantasy that was impressive, consuming and a blast to read. I really enjoyed Redwine's take on this story. Sure it did have a lot of the same aspects of the original fairytale and it also reminded me a bit of the movie, but It was interesting from the start and then it just grew to be more fascinating as the story plays on. I think this has a lot to do with the dragons part of the story. I absolutely loved this lore and it really does bring an explosive element into the mix and was my favorite moments in this world.  But I also really enjoyed Redwine's writing and storytelling, it's delivered quite smoothly, loving the pace and flow that was always kept moving, intriguing and suspenseful. 

All of these characters are wonderfully developed with strong chemistry and crisp voices. Even the evil ones. Lorelia is a fierce girl that is incredibly determined to winning back her rightful throne. I loved watching her embrace her power and was so proud of how she helped Kol. Leo is such a loveable, clever and protective brother while Gabril is a wonderful man and a father in all the ways that matter. As much as I loved the family closeness that Gabril, Leo and Lorelai share, I think that Kol and the Draconi's stole this book for me. Kol is a dragon with two hearts. One human, one dragon, but they both beat with passion and strength. Did he make mistakes? Yes, yes he did. But he did it with the best of intentions and wasn't always in his right mind, plus, his proven actions and inner struggles more then made up for it. I also loved Kol's friends Jyn and Trugg. They are so loyal, kickass and brought a lot of comedy to the story. The romance came a little late, but it was still very sweet and made me smile. I liked the ending but my heart broke with the fate of one of the characters.

Bottom line, I really enjoyed The Shadow Queen, more then I thought I would which is always something I appreciate in a book. I like to be surprised and entertained and this book delivers just that. Great world building, stunning and terrifying magic. Action punched with heart and soul characters that I was attached to and invested in from start to finish. A great fairytale fantasy!

Find the author:

Goodreads / Website                              4 Snowflakes

Review: Reign of Shadows by Sophie Jordan

Reign of Shadows by Sophie Jordan

Publisher- Harper Teen

Released- Feb 9th 2016

Pre-Order- Amazon / B & N

Seventeen years ago, an eclipse cloaked the kingdom of Relhok in perpetual darkness. In the chaos, an evil chancellor murdered the king and queen and seized their throne. Luna, Relhok’s lost princess, has been hiding in a tower ever since. Luna’s survival depends on the world believing she is dead.But that doesn’t stop Luna from wanting more. When she meets Fowler, a mysterious archer braving the woods outside her tower, Luna is drawn to him despite the risk. When the tower is attacked, Luna and Fowler escape together. But this world of darkness is more treacherous than Luna ever realized.With every threat stacked against them, Luna and Fowler find solace in each other. But with secrets still unspoken between them, falling in love might be their most dangerous journey yet.

 My Thoughts:

On the night the eclipse descended and a blanket of darkness washed over the kingdom was the exact moment Princess Luna was born. It was a time of great terror for with the black night came dark dweller monsters breaking through the grounds hunting for sport and blood. In the confusion and chaos Luna was taken to safety by her nurse Perla and one of her fathers royal guard, Sivo, deep into the cursed forest and to the hidden tower where Luna will live away from the dangers and shadows of evil. Now 17 years old, Luna may be the rightful queen of Ranhok, but she hungers for freedom, for companionship, for life away from the tower walls. This can not be her fate, she needs more, but she never dreamed it would be at the hands of a young archer named Fowler that will lead her to her freedom, to the outside world, nor did she ever guess what it would cost them both.

Ohhhh this was so goood!! I have always enjoyed Sophie Jordan's books, so when I heard that she was writing a retelling of my favorite fairytale, Rapunzel, I couldn't wait to get this in my greedy little hands. Jordan does not disappoint! Reign of Shadows is a thrilling, dark and a romantic reimagining story that I absolutely devoured in one sitting! I almost forgot just how amazing Jordan can do fantasy. I absolutely adore her writing and how she developed this wicked and wonderfully imaginative world. The pacing and flow of the story moves at a pulse pounding race. The characters are sharply put together and completely easy to invest in from minute one. The atmosphere is potent with terror and trouble. The setting was so vividly rich and detailed it may as well be it's own character. From the tower, to the Black woods where creatures breath fear and venomous monsters attack the night, everything in this world is crisp and crackles with pure excitement and thrilling adventure.

Luna was such a fascinating character and I loved that added twist that Jordan gave her. We learn about this revelation within a few chapters into the story, but I never saw it coming. I'm not sure why it felt so profound to me, but I think it was because it gives it that extra conflict that makes the impossible seem so possible and I loved watching Luna thrive. But besides that twist, I just absolutely adored her. She is such a free spirited girl, brave, determined, daring with a strong mind and a fierce heart. She can more then handle her own and I loved how she handled Fowler.

When we first meet Fowler, he isn't exactly friendly. He comes off as bitter, unfeeling and cold. Only the selfish survive, but there is something about him that kept nagging me to trust him and I found myself anticipating his real story. Turns out that Fowler is more then he seems and the lost he's suffered and the secrets he's kept only makes me love him more. Together  Luna and Fowler make such an exceptional team, it wasn't easy at first, but the hard journey ahead and the need to keep each other safe can bond even the emptiest heart. I loved their endless spunk, witty banter and sarcastic dance. It may have took awhile to get there but the romance was incredibly swoon-worthy. This wasn't an all consuming insta-love, but a slow burning bubbling attraction and connection that was undeniable and inevitable and I loved every second of it.

Now, about that ending? Evil! Evil I tell you! I'm in need of the next book right this second and it kills me just thinking about waiting a year to find out what happened after that evil as hell cliff-hanger! Gah!! Bottom line, this was an amazing book my friends. It's adventurous and wondrous and filled with action, suspense and the fantasy thrills you want in an escape. I seriously can't wait for more! Fans will need this book in their life. Instant love and my favoite Sophie Jordan book evah! 

Find the author:

Goodreads / Website                           5 HUGE Snowflakes 

Review: Gathering Frost by Kaitlyn Davis

Gathering Frost (Once Upon A Curse #1)by Kaitlyn Davis Published
February 17th 2015 by CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform

Will his kiss be enough to revive her frozen heart?
Once Upon A Time meets La Femme Nikita in GATHERING FROST, a dystopian romance from bestselling author Kaitlyn Davis that reimagines the classic fairy tale of Sleeping Beauty.
Jade was only a little girl when the earthquake struck. Before her eyes, half of New York City disappeared, replaced by a village that seemed torn out of a storybook. Horses and carriages. Cobblestone streets. A towering castle. And, above all, a queen with the magical ability to strip emotions away.
Ten years later and Jade has forgotten what it is to feel, to care...even to love. Working as a member of the queen's guard, she spends most of her time on the city wall staring at the crumbling skyscrapers of old New York. But everything changes when the queen's runaway son, Prince Asher, returns. Jade is tasked with an unusual mission--to let the Prince capture her, to make him trust her, and then to betray his secrets to the crown. In return, she'll earn her freedom. But life outside the queen's realm is more than Jade bargained for. Under Asher's relentless taunts, her blood begins to boil. Under his piercing gaze, her heart begins to flutter. And the more her icy soul begins to thaw, the more Jade comes to question everything she's ever known--and, more importantly, whose side she's really on.

My Thoughts

I was immediately intrigued when I was approached by Kaitlyn Davis to review her book Gathering Frost. Retellings are simply my cup of tea and the fact that this is a series with each book focusing on a different tale just tickles my fancy. Gathering Frost is loosely based on Sleeping Beauty and it quite an awesome take on it if I do say so myself. I never watched Le Femme Nikita but I think the blurb grossly undersells this book! There was so much good stuff here between the odd mixed time period setting to the multi dimensional characters.

Jade is the only female in the royal guard known as the Blackhearts, these are the guys who hunt down the heroes and Jade does her best to excel in every way. Jade is great character since she is very honest and knows that she doesn't have s heart of gold. The circumstances in which Jade comes into the queen service were quite unusual. The queen is really evil (most are aren't u they?) and has the ability to "freeze" once heart leaving them pretty much void of all emotion. Even though this was Jade's plight, her sense of self never quite left her and she still yearned to be free. Although it did quite upset me when she left her mother. The Queen of Kardenia is also one of those brilliant villains that has just enough humanity in them that you cant help but feel a bit of compassion towards them or their situation rather. I would actually love to see a story telling how she was cursed. Her son, Prince Asher was quite the gallant man, nothing like his mother. I love it when they have a sense of honor rivaling Jaime Frasiers'.

There romance was a slow kindle but was very sweet at the same time. I liked how he was the sole focus for Jade. He is a brave man to go up against his mother in the rebellion they are waging. He truly wants better for his people. The prose were also simple delightful. gathering a frost was told in s very vivid way and the simplest of phrases really carried a great amount of emotion. I appreciate writer who have this ability so very much. They can portray so much with saying so little. There were also plenty of twisty turns. It kept me on my toes for the majority of the book! I cannot wait to read the best book which is based on Beauty and the Beast called Withering Rose!! This will be a crowd pleaser for both the fairy tale lover and dystopian fan as well. This series is definitely a new favorite of mine.

4 Snowflakes

Review: Spelled by Betsy Schow

Spelled by Betsy Schow
Publisher- Sourcebooks Fire
Released- June 2nd 2015
Purchase- Amazon / B & N

Fairy Tale Survival Rule #32: If you find yourself at the mercy of a wicked witch, sing a romantic ballad and wait for your Prince Charming to save the day.Yeah, no thanks. Dorthea is completely princed out. Sure being the crown princess of Emerald has its perks—like Glenda Original ball gowns and Hans Christian Louboutin heels. But a forced marriage to the brooding prince Kato is so not what Dorthea had in mind for her enchanted future.Talk about unhappily ever after.
Trying to fix her prince problem by wishing on a (cursed) star royally backfires, leaving the kingdom in chaos and her parents stuck in some place called "Kansas." Now it's up to Dorthea and her pixed off prince to find the mysterious Wizard of Oz and undo the curse...before it releases the wickedest witch of all and spells The End for the world of Story.

My Thoughts:

I've read my fair share of fairytale retelling but I don't  think I've read anything that came close to making me laugh.out.loud the way this book did. The sheer wit, banter, sarcasm and humor bouncing off these pages was so enjoyable and compelling I just couldn't seem to get enough. But it's not just the laughs that won me over, this book is chalked full of fast paced action and non-stop adventure. I couldn't flip the pages fast enough to see what wickedly strange thing would happen next. So much fun!

My gawd, I'm so in love with Betsy Schow writing! It's smart, cunning and incredible from a line-up of mixed fairytale characters, to the outrageous setting and a wonderful twist on words and objects laced throughout the book, every little thing was so well crafted, rich and vividly detailed making this escape so impressive, absorbing and unique. Even the chapter title names and the little quip-tips at each chapter gave it the perfect little touch to make this such a joy to experience.

I really loved all these characters, they are all so animated and amazing, but it's the three leads that made this book shine.

I really loved Dorthea, she has such a spark in her attitude that I found fierce and infectious. At first she's painted as the spoiled and shallow princess that cares about nothing but her clothes, shoes and jewellery. But really, what else is a girl suppose to do for the last 17 years since she isn't allowed in the real world due to the curse that plagued her family for generations. I think this was a wonderful self discovery story as we see Dorthea grow from spoiled to spectacular. From the moment she wished on the wrong star and every rule in fairy went crazy, Dorthea really owned up to her mistakes and does everything in her power to make it right again. I think she's always been this capable and strong girl inside, she just needed the opportunity to prove it to herself.

Rexi is another great character but she wasn't always easy to love. She's a negative and bitter little thing that tends to be a little to honest from time to time, but I don't think I'd have her any other way. This little klepto has a great personality and I loved her quick wit comebacks.

And as for Kato? I absolutely adored him. Given the two scenes he had as Prince Kato (human) left me infuriated but intrigued, I wasn't sure how to feel when Kato turned into a Chimera (who doesn't talk at first) but my doubts all but vanished within minutes. The way he was written into the story was absolutely brilliant. It was comical and adorable and probably my favorite part.

The romance is rather light in this one, but the moments we did get was very awe-worthy. I'm also thinking sequel which would be amazing since there is still a lot of mess that needs cleaning up and yeah, I wouldn't mind seeing more Dorthea and Kato love.

Bottom line, Spelled really surprised me in the best way possible. The writing is remarkable, the tone and flow of the story was always moving in wonderment and these characters are completely remarkable. Charming, imaginative and crazy fun from the first page till it's gripping conclusion. I can't wait for more!!!! An instant favorite!

Find the author:
Goodreads / Twitter                                   5 Snowflakes

Waiting on Wednesday - Ash & Bramble by Sarah Prineas

Welcome to Waiting On Wednesday here at

 Winterhaven Books!

This is a feature created by Jill at Breaking The Spine where we share some books we are anxiously awaiting.

This week's pick...

Ash & Bramble by Sarah Prineas
Expected publication: September 15th 2015 by HarperTeen

When the glass slipper just doesn’t fit… The tale of Cinderella has been retold countless times. But what you know is not the true story. Pin has no recollection of who she is or how she got to the Godmother’s fortress. She only knows that she is a Seamstress, working day in and out to make ball gowns fit for fairy tales. But she longs to forsake her backbreaking servitude and dares to escape with the brave young Shoemaker. Pin isn’t free for long before she’s captured again and forced to live the new life the Godmother chooses for her—a fairy tale story, complete with a charming prince—instead of finding her own happily ever after. Sarah Prineas’s bold fairy tale retelling is a dark and captivating world where swords are more fitting than slippers, young shoemakers are just as striking as princes, and a heroine is more than ready to rescue herself before the clock strikes midnight.

I love fairy tales. These retellings are my cup o' tea! This one sounds like a fabulous mish mash of all the things I love! Also, COVER LUSTING!! I am just a sucker for these and am reveling in the fact that there are so many out right now!

 

Waiting On Wednesday - Spelled by Betsy Schow

Welcome to Waiting On Wednesday here at

 Winterhaven Books!

This is a feature created by Jill at Breaking The Spine where we share some books we are anxiously awaiting.

This week's pick...

Spelled by Betsy Schow 

Expected Publication: 

June 2nd by Sourcefire Books

 Fairy Tale Survival Rule #32: If you find yourself at the mercy of a wicked witch, sing a romantic ballad and wait for your Prince Charming to save the day. Yeah, no thanks. Dorthea is completely princed out. Sure being the crown princess of Emerald has its perks—like Glenda Original ball gowns and Hans Christian Louboutin heels. But a forced marriage to the brooding prince Kato is so not what Dorthea had in mind for her enchanted future. Talk about unhappily ever after. Trying to fix her prince problem by wishing on a (cursed) star royally backfires, leaving the kingdom in chaos and her parents stuck in some place called "Kansas." Now it's up to Dorthea and her pixed off prince to find the mysterious Wizard of Oz and undo the curse...before it releases the wickedest witch of all and spells The End for the world of Story.

I really don't need much more than the promise of Wizard of Oz & Hans Christian Louboutin heels!! I have been awaiting a story like this. I didn't enjoy the last one so I'm hoping this lives up to my expectations!

Review: A Wicked Thing by Rhiannon Thomas

A Wicked Thing by Rhiannon Thomas
Publisher- Harper Teen
Published- Feb 24th 2015
Pre-Order- Amazon / B & N

One hundred years after falling asleep, Princess Aurora wakes up to the kiss of a handsome prince and a broken kingdom that has been dreaming of her return. All the books say that she should be living happily ever after. But as Aurora understands all too well, the truth is nothing like the fairy tale.Her family is long dead. Her "true love" is a kind stranger. And her whole life has been planned out by political foes while she slept.
As Aurora struggles to make sense of her new world, she begins to fear that the curse has left its mark on her, a fiery and dangerous thing that might be as wicked as the witch who once ensnared her. With her wedding day drawing near, Aurora must make the ultimate decision on how to save her kingdom: marry the prince or run.Rhiannon Thomas weaves together vivid scenes of action, romance, and gorgeous gowns to reveal a richly imagined world … and Sleeping Beauty as she’s never been seen before.

My Thoughts:
A Wicked Thing, is a really cool take on this retold fairy tale. We all know the story of Sleeping Beauty. She pricks her finger, falls into a deep sleep and awakens with true loves kiss. But, what happens after Princess Aurora wakes up? Well, in Rhiannon Thomas version, it ends up a little something more then happily ever after.

First off, I have got to say that I'm in love with Thomas's writing style. It's pitch perfect, crisp and beautifully enchanting. I love the dialogue- so quaint, formal and eloquent and the setting makes me want to reach in the pages and live in the story. I have loved fairy tales since I was a little girl and always thought the story of Sleeping Beauty was such a grand romantic idea of finding your one true love, but in A Wicked Thing, I was entertained with the idea that Aurora could possibly want something more. After all, she doesn't even know who Prince Rodric is and is mourning the lost of her family and adjusting to the fact that it's been a hundred years past. Overwhelming is an understatement. Thomas paints a beautifully imaginative world where our dear Princess dares to be something else then the role of smile-and-be-silent. Aurora has fire and magic in her veins. She's daring, adventurous and full of sass. My heart really goes out to her and the confusion that is her life. Being pulled in so many directions between Prince Rodric, Prince Finnegan, Tristan and the evil witch Celesine, it's no wonder Aurora is a very lost creature that is tangled in a political game with so much death and despair, and yet she still remains ever kind hearted and compassionate. 

All of these characters are so incredibly well written. Each with a voice and personality that blends wonderfully with the tone and setting of the entire length of the story.

Rodric is kind, caring, thoughtful and very sweet. He's awkward and maybe a little naive, but he is very loyal to his family and his kingdom and believes that fate will guide him through.

Finnegan is your typical charmer. Arrogant, overconfident and presumptuous, but it's his mischief nature that draws me to him the most.

But I think it was dear Tristan who surprised me the most and I'm not sure I liked the direction his character took. At first he seems so playful, enthusiastic and full of life, but at last, he wasn't who I though he was.

Now, don't let the list of boys fool you into thinking we have multiple love stories, each want something from Aurora, some motives pure, while others are not, but love was never a real big factor in this book, or at least not yet. However, I did have a great time learning about each character and what they brought into Aurora life and this beloved fairy tale.

~I think my only complaint would be that this was slightly repetitive and that nothing was resolved by the end of the story nor do we know which direction Aurora will go. Still, I enjoyed being introduced into this promising new world and knowing that there is still more to come given the ending we got. 

All in all, I had a lot of fun with this book. It's unique and probably one of the best done retold fairy tale books I've read. The writing is truly lovely and fantastic while these characters captivated me throughout the entire escape. A promising start, an amazing debut, I greatly look forward to seeing more.   

Find the author:
Goodreads / Website                              4 Snowflakes

Review: Crown of Ice by Vicki L. Weavil

Crown of Ice by Vicki L. Weavil

Publisher- Month9Books

Released- Sept 9th 2014

Pre-Order- Amazon/ Kobo

Thyra Winther's seventeen, the Snow Queen, and immortal, but if she can't reassemble a shattered enchanted mirror by her eighteenth birthday she's doomed to spend eternity as a wraith.Armed with magic granted by a ruthless wizard, Thyra schemes to survive with her mind and body intact. Unencumbered by kindness, she kidnaps local boy Kai Thorsen, whose mathematical skills rival her own. Two logical minds, Thyra calculates, are better than one. With time rapidly melting away she needs all the help she can steal.A cruel lie ensnares Kai in her plan, but three missing mirror shards and Kai's childhood friend, Gerda, present more formidable obstacles. Thyra's willing to do anything – venture into uncharted lands, outwit sorcerers, or battle enchanted beasts -- to reconstruct the mirror, yet her most dangerous adversary lies within her breast. Touched by the warmth of a wolf pup's devotion and the fire of a young man's desire, the thawing of Thyra's frozen heart could be her ultimate undoing.

My Thoughts:

Crown of Ice, is a luscious and fantastical retelling of the Snow Queen. In this version, a master mage wizard named Mael Voss conjured the winds and started the avalanche that killed Thyra Winther parents, leaving her orphaned, but he spared her for a purpose. He wants Thrya to be -what many were before her- his Snow Queen, but her magical existence comes at a price, for Voss demands each of his Queens to piece back a magical mirror before her eighteenth birthday.With only five months left, Thyra is desperate and will do anything to find the missing shards and piece back the mirror before she lingers as a ghostly wraith for the rest of her days.

This was a really fun book! I really enjoyed Weavil's writing style. The story itself is a classic tale, but I liked the unique twist and turns that Weavil included to keep the story moving at a determined pace. I also thought it was quite smart to apply mathematics logic to solve the puzzling equation. I've never seen that particular element before and it intrigued me. I also loved the rich setting that made me shiver, the enchanting spells and all the animated animals and characters that brought this book to stunning life and wild entertainment.

Thrya is a rather conflicting character, one I can easily sympathize with but can't help be disappointed by her actions at the same time. To be fair, she doesn't really mean to be this cold, selfish, unflinching jaded girl and we see clearly through her memories and back-story that she wasn't always this way, but the fear of a fate worse then death prompts her to do unforgivable things if she wants to survive. Still, behind every wrong, I can still feel the struggle in her throughout the length of the novel, which always made me hopeful.

Kai is a very easy character to love from the start. He has a genuine goodness and enthusiasm about him that is infectious. He's warm and caring and thoughtful, but what I found so refreshing about him the most is his intelligence and his love for knowledge and travel. He doesn't believe in marriage before education, which I find an extreme rarity in fictional male characters. I also can't forget to mention Luki and Bae! They were the perfect touch to this already moving and magical story. 

I really enjoyed the romance, it was slow building and tender rather then the swoon-worthy I'm use to. It was never really about that all consuming powerful love, but a steady connection and challenge throughout the story. Still, I thought it was kinda perfect. It really fits the tone of the story and made the sweeter moments stand-out more. Plus, it was really comforting to be able to sink into the fantasy and not be absorbed by the romance for a change.

All in all, I rather enjoyed myself with this one. Crown of Ice, is a clever and solid enchanting adventure filled with magic, love, friendship and self-discovery that was perfectly paced and wonderfully written and I look forward to reading what Weavil has in store next! A fun escape!

Find the author:

Goodreads /Website                                4 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