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3.72 AVERAGE
3.72 AVERAGE
This book felt like it was banking on the success of Marissa Mayer's Lunar Chronicles series. It has many of the same elements -- androids/robots, space travel, a princess in exile. What it doesn't have is the same heart.
The characterization just feel flat to me, and a somewhat throwaway plot thread about incest/sexual abuse was poorly handled. I didn't love the whiff of Stockholm syndrome that permeated the romance, which especially rubbed me the wrong way because I ended up reading TWO books at the same time in which young women fell in love with men who kidnapped them. Also, one of the more interesting aspects of this retelling -- the replacement of the seven dwarfs with robots -- felt underutilized, as you only ever really got to "know" a couple of the robots, and Snow's relationship with them didn't have the kind of emotional resonance that would have made it worthwhile. The worldbuilding was also weird, with random magical abilities akin to the Lunar's "glamor" in Mayer's books, but, again, executed poorly.
All-in-all, pretty much felt like the off-brand of a much-beloved (for good reason) phenomenon. Three stars because there aren't enough sci-fi retellings, and it was an easy read that held my interest well enough.
PopSugar Reading Challenge Item: A book that takes place on another planet
The characterization just feel flat to me, and a somewhat throwaway plot thread about incest/sexual abuse was poorly handled. I didn't love the whiff of Stockholm syndrome that permeated the romance, which especially rubbed me the wrong way because I ended up reading TWO books at the same time in which young women fell in love with men who kidnapped them. Also, one of the more interesting aspects of this retelling -- the replacement of the seven dwarfs with robots -- felt underutilized, as you only ever really got to "know" a couple of the robots, and Snow's relationship with them didn't have the kind of emotional resonance that would have made it worthwhile. The worldbuilding was also weird, with random magical abilities akin to the Lunar's "glamor" in Mayer's books, but, again, executed poorly.
All-in-all, pretty much felt like the off-brand of a much-beloved (for good reason) phenomenon. Three stars because there aren't enough sci-fi retellings, and it was an easy read that held my interest well enough.
PopSugar Reading Challenge Item: A book that takes place on another planet
4.5 stars
2014 is really a jackpot year for fantasy and sci-fi. I can't believe how many great books there have been this year. And Stitching Snow is another one to add to the list. If you are not a fan of insta-love, I dare you not to like this one. The romance is so sweet, so slow-building, so fantastic! I'm not a big romance fan, but this one was definitely worth reading.
I loved the Snow White story set in space. (Playing Risk with her father based on Earth from long ago was a nice twist to where we are in space and time.) Essie lives in an incredibly hostile environment when we first meet her - and she thrives. She is such a fighter and independent. I loved her from the first chapter. So often, main female characters are described as being tough, but turn out to play the damsel in distress. Essie is no such heroine. She's smart, resourceful and hard as nails.
The story wrapped up nicely so I don't know if there will be a sequel, but if there is I will definitely be reading it.
2014 is really a jackpot year for fantasy and sci-fi. I can't believe how many great books there have been this year. And Stitching Snow is another one to add to the list. If you are not a fan of insta-love, I dare you not to like this one. The romance is so sweet, so slow-building, so fantastic! I'm not a big romance fan, but this one was definitely worth reading.
I loved the Snow White story set in space. (Playing Risk with her father based on Earth from long ago was a nice twist to where we are in space and time.) Essie lives in an incredibly hostile environment when we first meet her - and she thrives. She is such a fighter and independent. I loved her from the first chapter. So often, main female characters are described as being tough, but turn out to play the damsel in distress. Essie is no such heroine. She's smart, resourceful and hard as nails.
The story wrapped up nicely so I don't know if there will be a sequel, but if there is I will definitely be reading it.
this being a sci fi fairy tale retelling i was worried it wouldn't be as good as Cinder but i was very surprised! this was a great book!!!
I was a little bit skeptical about this book, but it was a worthwhile read! If you like female engineers and genderless droids, then you will be hooked immediately. If you like a strong princess, then you will love this heroine. If you like space and real human conflicts, then this book will satisfy all of your reading needs. It's a short novel, but the world is well-developed and the story is entertaining, and it will leave you feeling content.
I love retold fairy tales, and as long as they're decently written, I'll give them a shot. I like the scifi element of this story, but I wasn't feeling the romance. I felt it was a bit forced. I loved the dwarves/drones, and I liked Essie's strong, willful character.
Thanks to the publisher via Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.
Thanks to the publisher via Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.
You'll see everyone comparing this book to Cinder but as is often the case it's only a few things you can move past. Both are sci-fi fairy tale retellings where the princess is now a mechanic who is friends with droids.
That's it.
Any other similarities are because they're both fairy tale retellings and that's what's expected.
Overall the book was okay. Dimwit was adorable and some of the side characters nice but I didn't feel strongly about Essie or Dane. Olivia wasn't a hugely great villain and to be honest the stuff with her father kinda felt like it was thrown in to have an excuse for what happens to him. It just felt unnecessary and if you're going to deal with a topic like that then you need to treat it seriously. in this it didn't feel like that
It was an enjoyable enough book though and I may give others by her a go as I could just be disinterested as I hate Snow White usually.
That's it.
Any other similarities are because they're both fairy tale retellings and that's what's expected.
Overall the book was okay. Dimwit was adorable and some of the side characters nice but I didn't feel strongly about Essie or Dane. Olivia wasn't a hugely great villain and to be honest the stuff with her father kinda felt like it was thrown in to have an excuse for what happens to him. It just felt unnecessary and if you're going to deal with a topic like that then you need to treat it seriously. in this it didn't feel like that
It was an enjoyable enough book though and I may give others by her a go as I could just be disinterested as I hate Snow White usually.
Great concept & hook. Opening with a cage-fighting female MC was pretty awesome, not gonna lie. Also, I loved that this book kept me guessing. OK, it was pretty inevitable that the prince & princess end up together (it's a fairy tale after all), but there were a ton of wrenches thrown in that kept things interesting so it wasn't predictable. Also I appreciated that their relationship developed naturally...so it wasn't a cheesefest of InstaLove. I also thought the darker elements were tastefully done, and they made sense and added depth to the princess' character. overall, a really fun read! can't wait to see what's next!
Solid characters, good start to the story, and would have benefited from a little more length. I'm never one to complain about authors taking their time with world building. I much prefer tidbits that are dropped here and there in the first half of the book that include lore and history to being confronted with a wall of 'once upon a time' that leaves nothing a mystery. Besides that's the way you get to learn peoples stories IRL, so why not in books too?
I loved the first half of the book, but after Essie is taken to everything accelerates and feels slightly off. I would have loved to have spent a bit more time on Windsong, I would have loved for Essie to have dialogue with the populous, and I would have loved a more drawn out 'Final scene' in which she confronts especially with the revelation of . I would have also loved to have become more well acquainted with Essie's mother. As she stood, she seemed more like a pallid plot-point than a .
All in all, while the premise is amazing and the ideas seem original, the execution seems to begin well enough then gets carried away with itself and looses some of it's puff, almost like it was written in a rush to get to the deadline. That said, Essie retained her original character throughout and failed to get overly sappy (until the final chapter) when the inevitable love-interest reared it's shining-perfect-curly-chestnut head, two thumbs up and a third star just for that.
I loved the first half of the book, but after Essie is taken to
Spoiler
CandaraSpoiler
her father and OliviaSpoiler
Essie's sexual abuse at the hands of the KingSpoiler
rebel revolutionary and covert ops spyAll in all, while the premise is amazing and the ideas seem original, the execution seems to begin well enough then gets carried away with itself and looses some of it's puff, almost like it was written in a rush to get to the deadline. That said, Essie retained her original character throughout and failed to get overly sappy (until the final chapter) when the inevitable love-interest reared it's shining-perfect-curly-chestnut head, two thumbs up and a third star just for that.
Okay first of all, I loved this book because it reminded me so much of The Lunar Chronicles, but not enough that I felt like I was reading a cheesy version of TLC. The only think I didn't like about this book was how short it was! I just felt like we could have spent a bit more time with Essie on 42 before Dane arrived, and we could have spent more time with Dane running around the palace, we could have had more in the tea party scene, but I'm probably just being greedy. Also I felt like the relationship moved a bit fast, I loved it all until they got engaged that was a bit much for me. I just felt like he could have made a promise a while from now to propose to Essie, or Essie knowing that they would be together in the end.
Aw man also I wish we had learned WAY more about Essie's robots. I didn't fully grasp that they were "the seven dwarfs" until the very last chapter, I felt like a lot more could have gone into that.
But overall this books was amazing. And every time I got home from a social event these past two days I was so excited to get back to this book and cram in another chapter.
Aw man also I wish we had learned WAY more about Essie's robots. I didn't fully grasp that they were "the seven dwarfs" until the very last chapter, I felt like a lot more could have gone into that.
But overall this books was amazing. And every time I got home from a social event these past two days I was so excited to get back to this book and cram in another chapter.