I did enjoy the story and I did have to know what happened, so that would suggest that the book was good. And it was . Despite frequent instances of key words being missed out of sentences, it was well written. I've already downloaded the Fire King to read. There were however, a few bugbears for me with this.The most realistic characters were the servants. They had layers and dimensions. A nice touch in a Beauty and the Beast retelling where they are often relegated to being invisible or even literally furniture (thank you Disney!)On the whole I liked the two MCs. But they didn't so much have fatal flaws as desperately need therapy and then we'll see if you can finish the story flaws. Calia bugged me by crying over EVERYTHING. It was literally her first response. And she is neither stupid, nor unfeeling or unkind. Her constant sense if inferiority was grating and while I am glad she found her gumption and started standing up for herself, I feel it should have happened much earlier. The King was intriguing. I like the mask idea and I can see that 300 years of lonely immortality might make you lose touch with your humanity. However I couldn't get around his need for his servants to develop Stockholm syndrome before they were considered loyal. He was also vain, self obsessed and occasionally cruel. This was only just balanced by his usually clear judgement and kindness. Perhaps the really clever touch, whether intentional on the author's part or not, was the way in which these two characters strengthened and brought out the best in each other, stopping either of them from becoming fundamentally unlikeable.Anyway there's plenty of (at times inexplicable) action. Some fun moments - usually with the servants - and ultimately a satisfying ending. 3.5 stars and a must read for Beauty and the beast fans. So fricking awesome~~~!!!This book kept me on the edge of m seat until the end. The king was a cold-hearted bastard but he was very considerate (sometimes.) Anyway, you could instantly tell that Calia is a nice and caring girl, she cares about the people around her. i am so pissed at her mom for her bad treatment. Anyway this is what i think:Calia, a peasant girl who has been like a slave to her family all her life was chosen as the new servant to replace the Cold king's dead servant. The king, a rumored cold hearted man is said to kill whoever tries to escape. Abandoned and shunned by her family and fellow townsmen, she has no choice but to accept her new life. Working as the king's servant might not be so bad, even though he treats her coldly and is an asshole by first impressions only. Calia longs for her freedom, but with the king staring at her under those hateful masks of his, it's impossible to tell what he's thinking or feeling. With the help of fellow servants and a few life risking maneuvers, Calia will attempt to change the king, even at the risk of her life.So, yeah, it has a classical Beauty And The Beast feel to it. (My favorite!)Also the part where the main character thinks she's ugly is kind of like a part of The Ugly Ducklings.But overall, the book is swoon worthy and it's definitely on my Awesome! shelf.
What do You think about The Cold King (2000)?
Je mi jedno, že jsem na pohádky už velká! I need more of this!
—Stryck19
one of the best retellings i have read in a long time
—Draft
An absolutely captivating read from start to finish!
—iamraclette
The premise was good, but it was kind of boring
—anacvet
