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4.21 AVERAGE
4.21 AVERAGE
Thank you to NetGalley and Orbit Books for providing this book, with my honest review below.
I love a good spin on a fairy tale (more geared to adults than the simple fantasy of our youth) and was eager to see if How to Summon a Fairy Godmother would appeal to those interests. It absolutely does, spinning on Cinderella by looked at her ugly stepsister Theodosia and approaching the classic fairy tale by adding some color to what happened with Beatrice, our Cinderella, and then taking us on a bit of an adventure to what happens to everyone else after the neat wrap up from our youths.
Theo is a shallow and rather ugly person on the inside, as are her mother and sister, but shunned due to their treatment of Beatrice the family has to change their fortunes. For Theo this means a marriage to a far older than her and rather disgusting in his viewpoints duke (and his not so fond of her family). Scrambling for an out Theo summons Beatrice’s fairy godmother Cecily (and her posse), and we quickly take off with her on her quest to prove she’s a good person while also getting hints that there is more afoot than Cecily or Beatrice has said.
This was a true adventure fantasy and I loved the growth of Theo and the vivid universe that is introduced in this story. While it’s not all happy endings after all here, it rang true for who Theo discovers she really is and proves that sometimes the real fairy tale doesn’t need to wrap up so cleanly. My only hope is that book 2 still focuses on Theo as I know I’m not done seeing what happens with her next.
I love a good spin on a fairy tale (more geared to adults than the simple fantasy of our youth) and was eager to see if How to Summon a Fairy Godmother would appeal to those interests. It absolutely does, spinning on Cinderella by looked at her ugly stepsister Theodosia and approaching the classic fairy tale by adding some color to what happened with Beatrice, our Cinderella, and then taking us on a bit of an adventure to what happens to everyone else after the neat wrap up from our youths.
Theo is a shallow and rather ugly person on the inside, as are her mother and sister, but shunned due to their treatment of Beatrice the family has to change their fortunes. For Theo this means a marriage to a far older than her and rather disgusting in his viewpoints duke (and his not so fond of her family). Scrambling for an out Theo summons Beatrice’s fairy godmother Cecily (and her posse), and we quickly take off with her on her quest to prove she’s a good person while also getting hints that there is more afoot than Cecily or Beatrice has said.
This was a true adventure fantasy and I loved the growth of Theo and the vivid universe that is introduced in this story. While it’s not all happy endings after all here, it rang true for who Theo discovers she really is and proves that sometimes the real fairy tale doesn’t need to wrap up so cleanly. My only hope is that book 2 still focuses on Theo as I know I’m not done seeing what happens with her next.
Loved the beginning and the end but I just couldn’t focus on the middle. I think that was a “me” issue and my rating will be higher with a second read/listen.
adventurous
funny
hopeful
medium-paced
This is a Cinderella retelling and it was pretty good. My issue is that the middle of the book moved a little too slow, but by the end I was satisfied. I didn't realize this was a series until the end of the book...guess I'm going to have to pick up the next book to learn more about Theo's journey.
3.75 Stars
Stunning cover!
This retelling of Cinderella is captivating and offers a fresh perspective on the classic tale. I especially enjoyed how the story explores not only the life of the stepsister but also the fairy godmother's world, revealing complex motivations and interactions that add depth to the narrative. While I initially found Theo's character a bit challenging to connect with, I appreciated her growth throughout the story, which made her ultimately more relatable and endearing. Overall, this retelling is a delightful and imaginative take on a beloved story, and I eagerly anticipate the next installment to see where the journey goes from here!
***Thank you to NetGalley, Laura J. Mayo, and Hachette Audio for graciously sending me the audiobook to review. As always, all thoughts are my own.***
Stunning cover!
This retelling of Cinderella is captivating and offers a fresh perspective on the classic tale. I especially enjoyed how the story explores not only the life of the stepsister but also the fairy godmother's world, revealing complex motivations and interactions that add depth to the narrative. While I initially found Theo's character a bit challenging to connect with, I appreciated her growth throughout the story, which made her ultimately more relatable and endearing. Overall, this retelling is a delightful and imaginative take on a beloved story, and I eagerly anticipate the next installment to see where the journey goes from here!
***Thank you to NetGalley, Laura J. Mayo, and Hachette Audio for graciously sending me the audiobook to review. As always, all thoughts are my own.***
Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!
I fully appreciate the unique premise for this book, but I think the execution of the main character made it difficult to enjoy. I struggled to get through the first half because I found her SO insufferable. I will say it improves, but I wanted to DNF. It's also possible this book just wasn't for me, and I respect that many readers will love the redemption arc ❤️
I fully appreciate the unique premise for this book, but I think the execution of the main character made it difficult to enjoy. I struggled to get through the first half because I found her SO insufferable. I will say it improves, but I wanted to DNF. It's also possible this book just wasn't for me, and I respect that many readers will love the redemption arc ❤️
Can't remember when the last time was that I was so totally bored by a book... And I'm a student who reads textbooks on library classification systems. The set up for this story is so dry and unpleasant and loooong. There has so far been one amusing moment and one intriguing one, and the rest of the words have been used to rehash Cinderella's life story from her sister's perspective.
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I loved this book, my first book of 2025 and it is a 5 star!!!! CRAZY!!!! This is a Cinderella retelling focused on the persepective of one of the other “evil step-sisters”. If you’ve read the book, you understand why that is in quotations. It gives the perfect formulations of moral of the story, and this is how you become a better person. I think the characters in this book were super enjoyable even though the main antagonists are the main characters. The line in which characters are the protagonist are rather obvious, but with who they are pre-character development- they can easily be classified as the antagonist in the beginning of the book. The world in this book is actually so beautiful. I obviously enjoyed the fantasy world, and the dark cottage core vibes in my head. But even the duke’s estate sounded absolutely gorgeous. It’s so mystical and just so beautiful read. The author’s writing was extremely easy to read. The writing flowed nicely and made a lot of sense to me, even with
End up being a really great take on the "what about the other people in those fairy tales?" genre, focusing on one of the stepsisters, and on what healing from your family's past looks like, along with some neat finding yourself and fae subplots. There's apparently going to be more in the series, and I'm at least interested in the next one.