Doorgaan naar hoofdcontent

Cruel Beauty & Crimson Bound – Rosamund Hodge


*These books are not translated to Dutch*

Cruel Beauty – Rosamund Hodge 
 This is my first retelling of  fairytale. I wasn’t what to expect. I knew it would be darker than the tale we’re used to. As in the Disney Beauty and the Beast story. I liked it. The first sentence was for me the trigger to read it. “I was raised to marry a monster”

In Arcadia the people live under the rules from the Demon Lord, The Gentle Lord. He strikes bargains. But with every bargain there is price you have to pay. 

Nyx’s father strikes a deal with the Gentle Lord as his wife couldn’t bear children. He wanted to make her happy and having children would make her more happy than anything else. The price to pay is his daughter to marry him when she’s 17 years old. 
Her sister Astria is the reason that her mother died at childbirth. Their father wants to keep her and loves her because she reminds her so much of his beloved wife. Nyx hates her. She doesn’t want to be the one who has to be sent away and she never wanted be raised as a killer. Nyx’s is supposed to kill the Gentle Lord as soon as she arrives at his castle. But when she arrives at the home of the Gentle Lord, it isn’t as she expected…
While reading this book you recognise a lot of names from the Greek Mythology, I really like that! I really think it’s nice when, while reading a story, you’ll learn about other stories too. Some stories don’t change, no matter what world you are in. 
I liked this book, as I said I liked the Greek Mythology aspect to the story and I like it that you don’t know more than Nyx does, you are Nyx while reading this book. Also I like that is a bit darker story, cause the original Grimm fairytales are dark too. The cover is beautiful and I also like the ending, maybe it was to be expected, but it had a different twist than I thought it would. 

Four stars.

Crimson Bound – Rosamund Hodge

This book is a retelling of Little Red Riding Hood, but much darker. When Rachelle was fifteen years old she was apprenticed to her aunt, training to protect her village from dark magic. Dark magic that will lead the world to eternal darkness. Fifteen years old and still reckless she strayed from the path in the forest. There she had a meeting with one of the most evil beings in the world. She made a deal that turned her in a Bloodbound (like a bloodhound) and now she works for the king. Killing the other Bloodbounds, to save the world from evil.

The king wants to travel to his summer estate and he wants to take his son with him. He puts his son under the protection of Rachelle. Together they want to defeat the dark, but at what cost? And will they be on time?


The story is set in France, as I read about how they dress I think it is set in the 18th century. And I like that, and I looked up where the story is set and it is origin form Italy, but it is told many times in different versions in Europe. ‘

In this version “Little Red” turns into a “wolf” and I like that aspect of it! In the TV-show Once Upon A Time she also turns into a wolf.

I had high hopes for this book, because I really Red Riding Hood story and I thought it would be a thrilling story. But it was kind of disappointing. I had thought that it would be more mysterious and more exciting. It started kind of slow and I had some trouble with that. I like to be dragged into a story and not so much leading to it.

Three stars

Reacties

Een reactie posten

Populaire posts van deze blog

Spindle Fire by Lexa Hillyer

This is not just a retelling about Aurora, but also about another girl, never been told. About her sister Isabelle. These two sisters are very different, but grew up together in the castle. And while Malfleur is getting stronger, the kingdoms are divided. And the girls get separated. This story is different from what I expected, I thought it would be more excitement. But although I was disappointed, it did read like a fairytale. It had a slow pace and that suit the story, the story about Sleeping Beauty. Because the writing wasn’t that fast paced I took my time reading, I even went three days without reading because I didn’t was drawn to it that much. I wish the story would have contained more excitement, more mystery and maybe folklore? I love Folklore and especially in fairytale books! This is definitely a fairytale retelling that reads like a real fairytale, like Hunted by Meagon Spooner. Next year Hillyer will bring out another book “Winter Glass” I think that this will ...
Een reactie posten
Meer lezen

The Queen of the Tearling Series by Erika Johansen

When Kelsea Glynn is 19 years old, a group of men appear at her doorstep and take her to the Keep. There is her castle, because Kelsea isn't just some 19 year old girl. She is the Queen of the Tearling. With every book in this series I needed some time to get into the story, because the chapters are very large and it sometimes switches between POV's. Which is totally fine, but it sometimes distracted me too much. I really like this world building, I had some difficult with understanding when the story takes place (future) but after a while I got it and that made the books better. Although I did not like every aspect of Kelsea, Johansen is such a great writer. I liked how Johansen wrote the mysteries and made it all come together. I often was blown away by the revelation of some aspects of the stories! Kelsea is a strong young woman with a strong mind, but sometimes she does not think her actions through...and that has consequences. I also have a big dislike about her attit...
Een reactie posten
Meer lezen