Cruel Beauty

Summary:
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.

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.

Rating:

Review:
Where can I begin my love for this epic, fantastic fantasy novel?

To say in Beauty and Beast style
                               

Well let me begin with my list  

•  Characters who are complex yet lovable
•  Greek myth
•  Wonderful re-telling 
•  Realistic Romance
•  Kick-ass story

Initially I didn't plan to read this but everything changed when I read the summary. I started to read this with high expectations. And guess what? I'm not disappointed at all.
The story was dark, beautiful, with unexpected twist and turns that made me laugh, cry and actually care for those characters in one book.


Nyx was grown as a their kingdom's hope and mostly as a sacrifice which made her heart bitter, cold and determined but nonetheless she's truly amazing. Mostly she's conflicted between her duty and her feelings from heart. She's a bad-ass, strong character who's truthful about her own nature through out the book. I loved her honesty.

And about Ignifex

He's a demon who make deals and the cause for their kingdom's terrible fate. But.. but he's freaking awesome, romantic, truthful and dark too. The conversation between Nyx and Ignifex is something I always look forward too.


The plot was so interesting that had my eyes and hands glued to the book. It really had many amazing plot twists that made me want to finish it before the suspense starts eating my brain.

One little flaw that I felt is that I couldn't clearly understand the ending(or somewhat before the ending).
Maybe I would give it another try.

But other than that I'm thoroughly in love with this novel.