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(5 / 5)
“This is the human way, she thought. On the edge of destruction, at the end of all things, we still dance. And hope.”
Shivers! The ending of this book is so beautiful, so masterfully crafted, so poignant…it gave me the shivers. I listened to the ending chapters twice just to make sure I got every morsel and tidbit, it was so good. In the loosest sense of the word, Crimson Bound is inspired by the tale of Little Red Riding Hood. But instead of an innocent little girl, Rachelle is a bloodbound; someone once cursed to kill in order to survive, and now forever bound by the dark gifts that curse granted. And instead of a wolf, Rachelle is haunted by the return of the Devourer, an ancient spirit of the forest who wants to devour the sun and moon, bringing a return of eternal darkness…and who is the source of Rachelle’s curse.
From the beginning, Rachelle is filled with purpose. She is going to destroy the Devourer, or die trying! And she is fierce. And her journey is amazing, and heart wrenching, and beautiful. And the other characters are great too. Amelie with her unexpected bravery. Armand with his extreme selflessness and goodness. Erec with his rapier wit and unflinching loyalty. I love them all!
The writing was fantastic! Her words and phrases were crafted so beautifully, in a way that reminded me of Laini Taylor’s Daughter of Smoke & Bone series. Crimson Bound is the rare total package: great writing, great story, and great characters! And it’s rare to find such a wonderful and fulfilling story that is contained to a single, stand-alone book. There is not much more I can say about this book, except that you should read it! I look forward to reading Hodge’s even more celebrated Cruel Beauty.
A quick note that the audio edition, read by Elizabeth Knowelden, was fantastic! There is something about this somewhat creepy but also lyrical story being read in an british accent just that put it over the top. I have to wonder if I would have enjoyed it quite as much had I read it myself.