Synopses & Reviews
Since birth, Nyx has been betrothed to the evil ruler of her kingdom—all because of a reckless bargain her father struck. And since birth, she has been training to kill him.
Betrayed by her family yet bound to obey, Nyx rails against her fate. Still, on her seventeenth birthday, she abandons everything she's ever known to marry the all-powerful, immortal Ignifex. Her plan? Seduce him, disarm him, and break the nine-hundred-year-old curse he put on her people.
But Ignifex is not 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. But even if she can bring herself to love her sworn enemy, how can she refuse her duty to kill him?
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.
Review
“What a stunning debut. This is a book you will want to read as fast as you can for the intricate plot and as slowly as you can to savor the gorgeous world-building and the ravishing love story.” Sherry Thomas, author of THE BURNING SKY
Review
“A completely engrossing tale.” Alex Flinn, New York Times bestselling author of BEASTLY and TOWERING
Review
“A dazzling and clever retelling, CRUEL BEAUTY is delightfully dark, lushly romantic, and utterly spellbinding. I adored it, and cant wait to read Hodges next novel!” Sarah J. Maas, New York Times bestselling author of the Throne of Glass series
Review
“An intricate and arresting tale well worth readers time ... Hodge succeeds in creating a refreshingly human and real protagonist and love interest. They are both strong and flawed, and theyeven more strikinglyembrace those qualities in themselves and each other. Engrossing.” Kirkus Reviews
Review
“The push and pull romance between Nyx and Ignifex is pure fairy tale, but the characters themselves are complex and genuinely human as they struggle with their own culpability in a situation that forces them to choose between selfishness and selflessness.” Bulletin of the Center for Children & #8217;s Books
Review
“An entertaining read for teens who enjoy romantic fantasy.” School Library Journal
Review
“Debut novelist Hodge has created a rich, complete world in this twist on ‘Beauty and the Beast.” Publishers Weekly
Review
“Will have readers clutching the book and flying through the pages.” Voice of Youth Advocates (VOYA)
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“[A] fast-paced romantic fantasy.” Booklist
Review
* "A smart, refreshing alternative to stale genre tropes."
—Kirkus, starred review
"Mechanica has a thoroughly modern theme and teaches young readers to find their passion and become self-reliant."
—VOYA
"Readers looking for an atypical fairy tale will find this refreshing because it relies less on traditional romance or happy endings, and more on living independently and unconventionally, loving freely, and being able to choose your own destiny."
—School Library Journal
"Fans of fairy-tale updates will find it easy to lose themselves in this bright, romantic story, whose hero shows she can not only have it all but also do it herself."
—Publishers Weekly
"Readers who can't get enough of the growing steampunk trend will happily pick this up."'
—Booklist
Synopsis
The romance of
Beauty and the Beast meets the adventure of
Graceling in a dazzling fantasy novel about our deepest desires and their power to change our destiny.
For fans of bestselling An Ember in the Ashes and A Court of Thorns and Roses, this gorgeously written debut infuses the classic fairy tale with glittering magic, a feisty heroine, and a romance sure to take your breath away.
Betrothed to the evil ruler of her kingdom, Nyx has always known that her fate was to marry him, kill him, and free her people from his tyranny. But on her seventeenth birthday when she moves into his castle high on the kingdom's mountaintop, nothing is what she expected—particularly her charming and beguiling new husband. Nyx knows she must save her homeland at all costs, yet she can't resist the pull of her sworn enemy—who's gotten in her way by stealing her heart.
Synopsis
If you re excited about the upcoming Disney film Beauty and the Beast, starring Emma Watson, don t miss Cruel Beauty.
The romance of Beauty and the Beast meets the adventure of Graceling in this dazzling fantasy novel about our deepest desires and their power to change our destiny.
Perfect for fans of bestselling An Ember in the Ashes and A Court of Thorns and Roses, this gorgeously written debut infuses the classic fairy tale with glittering magic, a feisty heroine, and a romance sure to take your breath away.
Betrothed to the evil ruler of her kingdom, Nyx has always known that her fate was to marry him, kill him, and free her people from his tyranny. But on her seventeenth birthday when she moves into his castle high on the kingdom's mountaintop, nothing is what she expected particularly her charming and beguiling new husband. Nyx knows she must save her homeland at all costs, yet she can't resist the pull of her sworn enemy who's gotten in her way by stealing her heart.
"
Synopsis
Ash by Malinda Lo meets Marissa Meyers Cinder: A YA retelling of Cinderella about an indomitable inventor-mechanic who finds her prince but realizes she doesn't want a fairy tale happy ending after all. Fans of Libba Bray's The Diviners and Cassandra Clare's Clockwork Angel will find much to love here.
Synopsis
Nicolette’s awful stepsisters call her “Mechanica” to demean her, but the nickname fits: she learned to be an inventor at her mother’s knee. Her mom is gone now, though, and the Steps have pushed her into a life of dreary servitude. When she discovers a secret workshop in the cellar on her sixteenth birthday—and befriends Jules, a tiny magical metal horse—Nicolette starts to imagine a new life for herself. And the timing may be perfect: There’s a technological exposition and a royal ball on the horizon. Determined to invent her own happily-ever-after, Mechanica seeks to wow the prince and eager entrepreneurs alike.
About the Author
Rosamund Hodge grew up in Los Angeles, where she spent her time reading everything she could get her hands on but especially fantasy and mythology. She is also the author of Cruel Beauty. She received a BA in English from the University of Dallas and an MSt in medieval English from Oxford. She now lives in Seattle, Washington.