Cruel Beauty

By Rosamund Hodge

Cruel Beauty is an adaptation of Beauty and the Beast with some Greek Mythology thrown in. Our main character, Nyx, since birth, has been betrothed to the evil ruler of her kingdom, because of a bargain struck by her father. Also since birth Nyx has been training to kill her future husband, Igniflex. On her seventeenth birthday, Nyx has to leave her home to marry the all-powerful, immortal Ignifex. She has to not seduce this awful man as well she must destroy the enchanted castle to break a 900 year old curse, this will help set her people free. But it turns out that Ignifex is quite charming and sort of wins over Nyx. She starts falling for him.

note: this one takes a bit to get into as the author Hodge is creating a whole new world for the reader to become immersed in.

I liked the way that even though this is a fantasy the main character Nyx reacts very realistically, she is not perfect and not always likable but she is very real.

Book of the Month - February: Clariel

By Garth Nix

Sixteen-year-old Clariel is not happy about the move to the city of Belisaere in the Old Kingdom. She misses her old life where she could roam the forests, and be on her own. City life is busy, crowded, and surrounded by ugly stone walls. All Clariel wants to do is find a way out so that she can start to live her own life.

However, she soon realizes that things are not all that they seem. A dangerous creature is loose in the city and someone wants to harm the King. Can Clariel find a way to regain her freedom and prevent chaos from descending on Belisaere? Or is it too late?

The book Clariel is a prelude to The Old Kingdom series by Garth Nix (Sabriel, Lirael, Abhorsen, and Across the Wall). I love this series. Clariel takes a little bit of time to get into it, but once you do the story really takes off!

The Accidental Highwayman

The Accidental Highwayman: being the tale of Kit Bristol, his horse Midnight, a mysterious princess, and sundry magical persons besides.

By Ben Tripp

Readers are taken to eighteenth-century England and into the life of Kit Bristol. He is a simple servant of a nobleman, or so he thinks. One day when his master arrives home Kit is brought into a world of highway robbery, magic and mystery. The full title of this book tells us a lot about what to expect. When his master arrives home, badly bleeding, after another one of his outings; Kit dawns his masters garb and ventures off into the night.

This is a new take on fairy tales and is filled with every aspect of the fantasy world. There is romance, intrigue, and some humor for good measure. I particularly enjoyed the vocabulary, accents and vernacular of some of the characters. Some are comparing this book to the Princess Bride, while I would not go that far I would say there are elements that are similar.