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4.05 AVERAGE
4.05 AVERAGE
I loved each book in this series more than the last. I've always loved Cinderella so I guess it is fitting that Blood Spell is my favourite. To me I have always loved the message to maintain kindness and have courage even in the face of great hardship, and I'm so pleased how well that was shown through Blue's character. It is often something overlooked in retellings and I glad it wasn't here. Also, I just loved Kellan and all the moments between him and Blue were so sweet and heartfelt.
I hope there get to me more books in this series because I would be very pleased to read more.
I hope there get to me more books in this series because I would be very pleased to read more.
I really enjoyed this twist on Cinderella. Really unique and adored these characters. I cannot wait for Hansel & Gretel's book, please write that one next [a:C.J. Redwine|4864634|C.J. Redwine|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1322069849p2/4864634.jpg]
4/5 stars
Recommended for people who like: fairytales, fairytale retellings, multiple POV, magic, Cinderella
I was slow to get into this. I really liked the first one, but was more cautious about the next two, and then when I picked this one up, I wondered if I really wanted to read it at all. It turned out to be a good choice, I still enjoy Redwine's writing, but I'm thinking I might not read the next two books...I don't know, we'll see I suppose.
In terms of retellings, I don't read Cinderella ones very often (meaning: I think I've maybe read two in total). Redwine was clever with this one, though. It's Cinderella, but it's more of the original Cinderella than most stories. In the original, Cinderella's father was a merchant of some sort, I can't really remember what kind, and he died while traveling. Most of the time, we don't get to see Cinderella's backstory, but Redwine chose to show us the whole thing. We get to see Blue's (Cinderella) relationship with her father and grandmother, and we get to see her father's relationship with those around him. Further, the evil 'step-mother' doesn't just want a slave in Blue/Cinderella, but she wants her power and magic back, which is a much better motive, imo. And, perhaps the most commonly brought up complaint against the traditional story, Blue/Cinderella not only falls in love with Prince Kellan over a period of months, but she also saves herself.
Blue is an alchemist in a world where alchemy actually works (though lead to gold still poses a problem). She's smart and has the intuition for it, but she also has magic on her side, which can help her pick out the correct ingredients for her potions and charms. I really liked hearing about her childhood and seeing the positive relationships she has with the people around her. I also really loved Pepperell, her fiercely loyal, fiercely spoiled cat. As a character, Blue felt real. She had her strengths and weaknesses, she had frustrations and triumphs, and she had goals she desperately wanted. Like typical Cinderella stories, she's a kind, giving character who cares about others, especially those less fortunate than her. Unlike many of the stories, when the evil step-mother (adoptive mother) comes into the picture, she doesn't take everything without a comment, she's willing to stand up for herself and the people around her. Further, despite the hardships in her life, she's still willing to move forward.
Kellan, the prince, is also an interesting character. He was mentioned a bit in the last book Traitor Prince as a friend of Javan's. Being back in his kingdom, he suddenly has all this pressure on him to fix things that are wrong, deal with the head families of the kingdom, and find a bride before his 19th birthday. His one solace is escaping the palace and going swimming or engaging in illegal street fights...though it's mostly swimming. This is where he comes back into contact with Blue. They grew up together when Kellan wasn't at school, and he remembers her as the girl that used to squander all his plans, but who is best friends with his little sister. This, perhaps a bit obviously, leads to them spending time together and getting to know each other better...and you can see where this is heading. I liked Kellan as a character, but I would've liked to see a bit more of him when he wasn't dealing with one bad situation after the next.
The villain gets her own narrative chapters as well, which were interesting at times and boring at other times. I related more to her supposed original motive more than the one that was revealed to be her actual motive at the end of the book. Also, her 'big reveal' was a might predicting. I could see what/who she was/planning from pretty early on in the book. Also, for someone who is supposedly so cunning, it took her a while to figure out the riddle of the book, same with Blue, who is another supposedly smart character. I figured it out as soon as the puzzle was brought up as being a puzzle, and I'm not sure if Redwine intended it that way or if it just happened and neither of the two 'smartest' characters realized it for another several chapters.
As for side-characters, I really liked Grand-mere and Nessa. Grand-mere, Blue's grandmother, was sympathetic and strong. She rages at injustices and is determined to protect her family, but she also understand the reasoning behind waiting and biding her time. For most of the book, she acts as the mothering figure and mentor to Blue, helping her with her hair and providing a shoulder to cry on while also helping her with her alchemy and magic. Nessa is Kellan's sister and Blue's best friend. She's an important person to both characters, and she's relatively funny and quick-witted. Despite still being young, she shows an interest and talent in alchemy and has the same streak of stubborn strength the other 'good' characters possess. It was enjoying to read her interactions, especially since she used sign language, which I've only seen used a few times in books, particularly in this genre.
There were some really obvious things I think either 1) shouldn't've been so obvious, or 2) the characters should've picked up on sooner. Also, the switch in villain's motive, or Redwine not plainly stating it, whatever, was a bit of a throw-off for me and I'm not sure I particularly enjoyed it. Of course, there's also the fact that, like the other books in this series, we get cameos from characters from other books. However, unlike the other books, the cameo characters literally just drop out of the book. Sure, they aren't the MCs, or the focus, but I'm not sure what happened to the Prince and Princess from Wish Granter and I'm kind of annoyed that we didn't get to see Hansel and Gretel come back to help with the wraith or at least show up to be told the wraith had been vanquished. Even a short line about it would've been nice, but instead they just leave and are never mentioned again. The arrival of them and the other two characters felt sloppy and mostly like fan-service instead of something Redwine fully thought through. Overall, I thought the book was pretty good, though.
Recommended for people who like: fairytales, fairytale retellings, multiple POV, magic, Cinderella
I was slow to get into this. I really liked the first one, but was more cautious about the next two, and then when I picked this one up, I wondered if I really wanted to read it at all. It turned out to be a good choice, I still enjoy Redwine's writing, but I'm thinking I might not read the next two books...I don't know, we'll see I suppose.
In terms of retellings, I don't read Cinderella ones very often (meaning: I think I've maybe read two in total). Redwine was clever with this one, though. It's Cinderella, but it's more of the original Cinderella than most stories. In the original, Cinderella's father was a merchant of some sort, I can't really remember what kind, and he died while traveling. Most of the time, we don't get to see Cinderella's backstory, but Redwine chose to show us the whole thing. We get to see Blue's (Cinderella) relationship with her father and grandmother, and we get to see her father's relationship with those around him. Further, the evil 'step-mother' doesn't just want a slave in Blue/Cinderella, but she wants her power and magic back, which is a much better motive, imo. And, perhaps the most commonly brought up complaint against the traditional story, Blue/Cinderella not only falls in love with Prince Kellan over a period of months, but she also saves herself.
Blue is an alchemist in a world where alchemy actually works (though lead to gold still poses a problem). She's smart and has the intuition for it, but she also has magic on her side, which can help her pick out the correct ingredients for her potions and charms. I really liked hearing about her childhood and seeing the positive relationships she has with the people around her. I also really loved Pepperell, her fiercely loyal, fiercely spoiled cat. As a character, Blue felt real. She had her strengths and weaknesses, she had frustrations and triumphs, and she had goals she desperately wanted. Like typical Cinderella stories, she's a kind, giving character who cares about others, especially those less fortunate than her. Unlike many of the stories, when the evil step-mother (adoptive mother) comes into the picture, she doesn't take everything without a comment, she's willing to stand up for herself and the people around her. Further, despite the hardships in her life, she's still willing to move forward.
Kellan, the prince, is also an interesting character. He was mentioned a bit in the last book Traitor Prince as a friend of Javan's. Being back in his kingdom, he suddenly has all this pressure on him to fix things that are wrong, deal with the head families of the kingdom, and find a bride before his 19th birthday. His one solace is escaping the palace and going swimming or engaging in illegal street fights...though it's mostly swimming. This is where he comes back into contact with Blue. They grew up together when Kellan wasn't at school, and he remembers her as the girl that used to squander all his plans, but who is best friends with his little sister. This, perhaps a bit obviously, leads to them spending time together and getting to know each other better...and you can see where this is heading. I liked Kellan as a character, but I would've liked to see a bit more of him when he wasn't dealing with one bad situation after the next.
The villain gets her own narrative chapters as well, which were interesting at times and boring at other times. I related more to her supposed original motive more than the one that was revealed to be her actual motive at the end of the book. Also, her 'big reveal' was a might predicting. I could see what/who she was/planning from pretty early on in the book. Also, for someone who is supposedly so cunning, it took her a while to figure out the riddle of the book, same with Blue, who is another supposedly smart character. I figured it out as soon as the puzzle was brought up as being a puzzle, and I'm not sure if Redwine intended it that way or if it just happened and neither of the two 'smartest' characters realized it for another several chapters.
As for side-characters, I really liked Grand-mere and Nessa. Grand-mere, Blue's grandmother, was sympathetic and strong. She rages at injustices and is determined to protect her family, but she also understand the reasoning behind waiting and biding her time. For most of the book, she acts as the mothering figure and mentor to Blue, helping her with her hair and providing a shoulder to cry on while also helping her with her alchemy and magic. Nessa is Kellan's sister and Blue's best friend. She's an important person to both characters, and she's relatively funny and quick-witted. Despite still being young, she shows an interest and talent in alchemy and has the same streak of stubborn strength the other 'good' characters possess. It was enjoying to read her interactions, especially since she used sign language, which I've only seen used a few times in books, particularly in this genre.
There were some really obvious things I think either 1) shouldn't've been so obvious, or 2) the characters should've picked up on sooner. Also, the switch in villain's motive, or Redwine not plainly stating it, whatever, was a bit of a throw-off for me and I'm not sure I particularly enjoyed it. Of course, there's also the fact that, like the other books in this series, we get cameos from characters from other books. However, unlike the other books, the cameo characters literally just drop out of the book. Sure, they aren't the MCs, or the focus, but I'm not sure what happened to the Prince and Princess from Wish Granter and I'm kind of annoyed that we didn't get to see Hansel and Gretel come back to help with the wraith or at least show up to be told the wraith had been vanquished. Even a short line about it would've been nice, but instead they just leave and are never mentioned again. The arrival of them and the other two characters felt sloppy and mostly like fan-service instead of something Redwine fully thought through. Overall, I thought the book was pretty good, though.
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I had to stop reading this one for a while because it is so incredibly cringey. The political system is so hard to read about and the characters are so insufferable omg it literally was so awful. It was clear by the end that the royals just don’t care enough so it was honestly really really difficult to root for them. I found the enemies-to-lovers so poorly done and most of the Cinderella plot points seemed like they were thrown in as an afterthought. Overall, I found it boring and far too long and the romance was so cringe-worthy. Not enjoyable at all: don’t recommend.
Love this retelling of the story of Cinderella with a magical twist! I love this series and enjoyed the audiobook version of the book. The imaginative twist on the classic Cinderella story was filled with romance as well as action and adventure, and of course magic. Enjoyed the characters, particularly Kellan and Blue. The evil witch is a good villain and one whom you truly despise. Highly recommend this series to all those who enjoy great fairy tale retellings with a twist.
adventurous
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
3.5/5
There's something so comforting about reading a fairytale retelling. You already know the key points, but it's also fun and refreshing. I thought the author was so creative with weaving a well-known story into something new. Some parts definitely felt a bit slow to me, but once the title started to come into play, everything started to piece together and it was so satisfying. I wanted to read this book to begin with because it was described as very "cottagecore" and cozy and I would have to agree with that. Though a tad bit darker.
There's something so comforting about reading a fairytale retelling. You already know the key points, but it's also fun and refreshing. I thought the author was so creative with weaving a well-known story into something new. Some parts definitely felt a bit slow to me, but once the title started to come into play, everything started to piece together and it was so satisfying. I wanted to read this book to begin with because it was described as very "cottagecore" and cozy and I would have to agree with that. Though a tad bit darker.
