Cruel Beauty

Cruel Beauty

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.From School Library JournalGr 9 Up-Nyx Triskelion has known for most of her life that she must marry Ignifex, the "Gentle Lord" who terrorizes her world, due to a bargain her father made before her birth. She also knows that once married, she must destroy the evil despot and the demons under his command. For years, Nyx has been training in the Hermetic Arts, the method by which she is supposed to kill her husband. Yet when the time comes, she cannot shake the desire she develops for him. It does not help that she was raised as barely more than a sacrifice, unused to the idea of love. Despite her attraction to Ignifex, Nyx makes several attempts on his life (all of which are easily thwarted). Hodge's story infuses elements of Greek mythology and classic fairy tales. The plot moves quickly, and the characters are well formed; their transgressions make them interesting and authentic. The complex relationship between Nyx and Ignifex is especially engaging. An entertaining read for teens who enjoy romantic fantasy.-Kristyn Dorfman, The Packer Collegiate Institute, Brooklyn, NYFrom BooklistAs part of her father?s ill-considered bargain, 17-year-old Nyx has been betrothed to the ?gentle lord,? the prince of demons who destroyed the line of Arcadian kings and now torments the villagers. Coached by her father and underground patriots, Nyx plans to kill the gentle lord, the beast she comes to know as Ignifex, and release Arcadia from his evil power. Nyx discovers, however, that Ignifex struggles with his own demons, and against her will and steely determination, she falls in love with him. A compelling and convincing narrator, the feisty Nyx mellows and evolves as she relates the story. Based on ?The Beauty and the Beast? and borrowing ancient Greek gods and myths as well as folklore motifs, Nyx?s Arcadia is a fascinating if sometimes confusing, complex fantasy world. Sexuality is never explicit, but confrontations and sexual tension between Nyx and Ignifex propel the fast-paced romantic fantasy. Grades 8-11. --Linda PerkinsReview?A completely engrossing tale.? (Alex Flinn, New York Times bestselling author of BEASTLY and TOWERING)?A dazzling and clever retelling, CRUEL BEAUTY is delightfully dark, lushly romantic, and utterly spellbinding. I adored it, and can?t wait to read Hodge?s next novel!? (Sarah J. Maas, New York Times bestselling author of the Throne of Glass series)?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)?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 they?even more strikingly?embrace those qualities in themselves and each other. Engrossing.? (Kirkus Reviews)?The push and pull r