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elentari7's review against another edition
WWI Cinderella, anti-class structure, vaguely pro-socialism? and full of magic. And with a Cinderella who's allowed to be angry! A good balance of original storytelling and character development with familiar fairytale elements. It should be noted that this book very much wants to be anti-racist but still contains moments of unconscious casual racism.
eoppelt's review against another edition
4.0
I enjoyed this one more than the previous two in the series, but there were lots of parts that just dragged. Long descriptions, tangents, etc. that kind of bugged.
velocitygirl14's review against another edition
5.0
I had seen this book years ago, yet wasn't compelled to pick it up until recently after coming across a copy in the library and I loved it. Lackey did the retelling of Cinderella during WWI so well. She really made it work for the time and with an added bit of magic in the Master of the Elements, made it a great story I stayed up far too late to read.
The Stepmother was believably wicked and the stepsisters wereperfect foils for Eleanor aka Cinderella with fire powers. The prince, landed gentry this time, was brilliant as a flying ace with air powers who was traumatised by combat. The feelings and emotions of everyone during the time, the scheming, the senseless loss of life, the war, changing mores, all of it was done so well. I loved this book and I will read up on more of the series.
The Stepmother was believably wicked and the stepsisters wereperfect foils for Eleanor aka Cinderella with fire powers. The prince, landed gentry this time, was brilliant as a flying ace with air powers who was traumatised by combat. The feelings and emotions of everyone during the time, the scheming, the senseless loss of life, the war, changing mores, all of it was done so well. I loved this book and I will read up on more of the series.
strikingthirteen's review
2.0
This one had its moments. I liked the idea and the way it went about doing Cinderella but I didn't quite buy the circumstances. I find it hard to believe Eleanor's situation as being totally hopeless and inescapable until the wanted moment. The love story was also a bit half baked but, I mean, so is Cinderella's so I can't fault it that much.
llamareads's review
4.0
Lackey's version of Cinderella, set in the Elemental Masters world. One of the more enjoyable EM books by her that I've read.
eak1013's review
3.0
Lackey does much better with the World War One stuff than she does with the "ooooh mixing of cultures" stuff she maunders through in some of the other books. Some of it is quite touching, and I'm such a sucker for the fairy tale hurt/comfort of deprivation/luxury (or even basic creature comforts) that are especially well played in a Cinderella retelling.
janeneal's review
I really liked the idea and originality that went into this re-telling, but the writing and voice became grating as I lost my mood for it. Lackey tells a lot, rather than shows. Sometimes that works for me, other times it doesn't. That's my fault for picking this up at the beginning of a very busy semester!
My other issues were similar to what I felt when watching the live-action Beauty and the Beast. A lot of the dialogue about women who didn't read felt very much like I'm-not-like-the-other-girls, without examining why women in that time period might need to rely on fashion and appearance rather than books. Some of the progressiveness of the characters felt a bit forced. Still, it was a fun escape and a clever way to re-tell an incredibly well-known story.
My other issues were similar to what I felt when watching the live-action Beauty and the Beast. A lot of the dialogue about women who didn't read felt very much like I'm-not-like-the-other-girls, without examining why women in that time period might need to rely on fashion and appearance rather than books. Some of the progressiveness of the characters felt a bit forced. Still, it was a fun escape and a clever way to re-tell an incredibly well-known story.
klreeher's review
4.0
Really like this as a Cinderella re-telling. The "let me explain my magic system now" moment was a little meh, but IC for the character in question.
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