Review: Crimson Bound (SPOILERS)

You can read my non-spoiler here on goodreads! But this review does contain spoilers so stop reading if you haven't read this book! Or continue reading, your choice! LET'S DISCUSS!

This is the second book by Rosamund Hodge that I've read! Her first book, Cruel Beauty, is a retelling of Beauty and the Beast while this book is a retelling of Little Red Riding Hood. However, I must mention it is very light on the retelling of LRRH, I found that Hodge used a few pieces from the fairy tale and the rest was very much original and I loved it.

I really just loved everything about it, especially the characters. Rachelle was a great heroine and her constant struggle of accepting herself was interesting to watch. While most humans who become bloodbound welcome the change and want to kill and eventually become fully forestborn, Rachelle does not want this. She rather kill herself before she turns forestborn than continue living. Unlike Erec who fully embraces the Forest and the evilness that surrounds them, Rachelle refuses to do this. Because of this she is weaker than Erec and can never defeat him.

"Erec could use the power of the forest to make himself perfect and she never could."

I LOVED Erec, ok. And I'm sorry about this but he's just one those characters that you want to hate but you loved instead (hello Aaron Warner anyone? AND WE ALL KNOW HOW THAT TURNED OUT). When we find out he's actually been Rachelle's forestborn who turned her into a bloodhound I WAS SHOCKED. And I really shouldn't have been because there was a hint that he was only a hundred pages before when Armand and Rachelle followed her crimson thread to get back to the castle. I don't know why I didn't think of it then, probably because Hodge just brushed it off and I really didn't think about it too much. But that was a great reveal! I was really upset when Erec chose to stay with the Devourer. Erec was evil, obviously, but if he had chosen to go back to world with Rachelle, he could have redeemed himself. However, he chose a fate worse than death and that was really upsetting for me. And even though Rachelle says she didn't love Erec, I KNOW SHE DID! She wouldn't have cried for him at the end if she didn't! Say what you want but I loved Erec and there was room for him to change!

"Erec, you fool. There was a whole world waiting for us."

Then there's Armand....I didn't like him as much I could have. I just thought he was boring and I really couldn't connect with him. I felt bad about his hands and the fact that his father was just using him as a vessel for the Devourer and as a saint to keep the people happy. And then when we find out that it was EREC that cut off his hands, I got really upset. But the relationship between Rachelle and Armand just didn't connect with me, it didn't seem like they were compatible to me. And Rachelle's love for Armand seemed to come about way to quick. I probably just have hard feelings that Rachelle chose Armand over Erec but despite that I still don't like him all that much.

Amelie was also an interesting character because she was a perfect contrast to Rachelle. Amelie is everything Rachelle was supposed to be, the picture of innocence and purity. Their friendship is important to this book because it shows that Rachelle isn't the evil murderer that she believes herself to be. Even after she becomes a forestborn she still able to love because she remembers Amelie and Armand. I also really liked Amelie as a character because of her influence over Rachelle and her unwillingness to give up on her as well.

The forest was so interesting to me. That's one thing that I wish Hodge went deeper into. The descriptions of it and the forestborn who lived there was so interesting and I would love to have read more about it. This is why I can't handle stand-alone fantasy books because I always want MORE! No matter what I always want another book.

Rosamund Hodge is a just a really talented writer. So far I've LOVED everything she's written. What were your thoughts on this book? Did you like it, not like it? Hope you enjoyed my little discussion here!