I felt for her in this struggle, and I appreciated that the romance underscored this. The struggle for good. Rachelle struggled to see herself as “good” after the choice that she made to become bloodbound – she sees no future for herself and has no sense of self-worth.Hodge has a gift for weaving dark and desolate circumstances using beautiful words.

Even though the story was often dark and intense, the writing never felt heavy – it was often almost lyrical. Beautiful writing. From the very beginning, I was captivated by Hodge’s lush storytelling.And Hodge brought it all together beautifully. I loved the fantastical elements to this book – the literal knitting of spells, the progression from human to bloodbound to forestborn (and how that occurs), the creation of the weapons that were capable of defeating the Devourer – there were so many unique and elaborate elements to the folklore. She has a rich magical (and almost mythological) history for her world with very distinct elements such as the Devourer, who wants to spread darkness over the world.

Rich worldbuilding. Hodge certainly doesn’t skimp on the worldbuilding.

Fans of Cruel Beauty will not be disappointed in Hodge’s new book, which has the same dark tone and complex folklore (though the worlds and characters are not the same). (This is a standalone novel, not part of the Cruel Beauty Universe.)Ĭrimson Bound is a dark, gritty fairy tale, set in a world where darkness just may overcome the light. Inspired by the classic fairy tale Little Red Riding Hood, Crimson Bound is an exhilarating tale of darkness, love, and redemption. In a palace built on unbelievable wealth and dangerous secrets, can Rachelle discover the truth and stop the fall of endless night? As the two become unexpected allies, they uncover far-reaching conspiracies, hidden magic, and a love that may be their undoing. When the king orders her to guard his son Armand-the man she hates most-Rachelle forces Armand to help her find the legendary sword that might save their world. Three years later, Rachelle has given her life to serving the realm, fighting deadly creatures in an effort to atone. After an illicit meeting goes dreadfully wrong, Rachelle is forced to make a terrible choice that binds her to the very evil she had hoped to defeat. But she was also reckless- straying from the forest path in search of a way to free her world from the threat of eternal darkness. When Rachelle was fifteen she was good-apprenticed to her aunt and in training to protect her village from dark magic. My content rating: Mature YA (Characters have sex, though it's not shown Some violence)

Crimson bound