Cruel Beauty

In this reimagined story of "Beauty and the Beast," Nyx's father has spent her whole life prepping her to marry and then sacrifice herself to destroy the Gentle Lord, the demon who rules their land. Elizabeth Knowelden narrates with an accent befitting Nyx's education and privilege, and she uses sharp enunciation to convey Nyx's resentment as she moves into the Gentle Lord's castle and finds him to be different from what she expected. Knowelden's subtle inflections add to the mystery and mood as Nyx explores her new home and builds her plans even as she grapples with her growing feelings toward the Gentle Lord and her ambivalence toward her mission. A fantasy that's as much about self-acceptance as it is about the redemptive power of love. A.F. © AudioFile 2014, Portland, Maine

January 27, 2014
Fiery 17-year-old Nyx has always known she is destined to marry the prince of demonsâher father bargained her away before she was born. Even so, she has been trained in the Hermetic principles, and she hopes to use her skills to thwart Ingnifex's power and save her homeland from his control. When she arrives at the ruins of his ancient castle, nothing is at it seems: the rooms constantly change location, and she finds both beautiful magic and chilling horrors behind the countless doors. Also, Nyx cannot deny her attraction to Ingnifex, who is not exactly the monster she dreaded to meet. Debut novelist Hodge has created a rich, complete world in this twist on "Beauty and the Beast"; it can be slow-going (though not unrewarding) to wade through details about the demon's many rooms and the complicated, tragic mythology that brought him there. However, the banter between these well-matched foils is lively and sharp, and the pace picks up toward the end as Nyx first sacrifices for duty, and then for her own heart. Ages 13âup. Agent: Hannah Bowman, Liza Dawson Associates.