(As is usual in YA fiction.) Go you, Rachelle. She is ruthless and sticks to her goals, and doesn’t stray from her path – even for a guy. “Rachelle would have her chance to fight then, and she would kill him. She does not let herself get sidetracked by hot princes (if there are any), court gossip, or flashy makeup. When Rachelle gets more involved in the palace life, she sticks to her goals.

Despite this event, she is a strong character who wants her revenge on the forestborn who marked her and the Devourer of the forest itself. Obviously this brings a lot of strife in Rachelle’s life. These creatures are heartless and inhumane – they have no morals and are only guided by a future ruled by the Devourer. Being marked means a lot of things, and it basically ends with the person becoming a forestborn themselves. In an unfortunate event, Rachelle was marked by a forestborn – one of the servants of the Devourer, who is the god of the Great Forest. They protect the village with charms and help the sick, as Rachelle’s aunt did. Rachelle (aka Little Red Riding Hood) was raised to be the woodwife of the village she was raised in. The only thing you’ll have to lose is a little of your mind.”īasically the song describes this book except you replace “gardens” with “forest.” Because the Great Forest in this book? Hella creepy, and hella awesome. “In the dark side of the gardens, there’s so much you will find. Remember that one Busch Gardens Howl-O-Scream song? (This is a standalone novel, not part of the Cruel Beauty Universe.)

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.

Crimson bound