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4.21 AVERAGE
4.21 AVERAGE
The characters' actions and reactions quickly went from false to cartoonish, but without enough depth or wit to make this comic fantasy actually funny. Beyond that, the really strong, immediate turn-off for me was the monotonous writing. Every sentence had the same detached, ironic tone, leaving me with the impression that the main character didn't care about what was happening, or really feel anything beyond vague annoyance that her outfit was ugly.
adventurous
funny
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This book was addicting! I LOVED this so much. The characters were so perfectly crafted, the love triangle was so steamy, and the challenges that Theo had to face were so fun! Everything was so well crafted. Not to mention the cover is gorgeous! I had so much fun with this book and can’t wait to get my physical copy in. Highly recommend ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
In a Nutshell: A clever retelling of Cinderella’s tale from the point of view of one of her “wicked stepsisters”. Doesn’t stop at being a retelling but goes much beyond. Snarky, funny, magical. Excellent character and plot development. First of a planned duology(?) but no cliffhanger ending. A fabulous debut. Much recommended!
Plot Preview:
Lady Theodosia Balfour (Theo) has long hated her stepsister, the beautiful Beatrice who snagged the prince at the ball. Now that she is the princess, Beatrice has revealed to everyone her travails at the hands of her wicked stepfamily who treated her like a slave. Theo knows that the truth is *slightly* different, but who will believe her? Worse, Theo’s mother has forced her to be engaged to the Duke of Snowbell, an old curmudgeon with atrocious behaviour.
When Theo discovers the secret means that Beatrice used to go to the ball, she immediately plans to follow the same method: summon a fairy godmother and ask for her help. This should be easy, right? Wrong! What follows involves plenty of magic, mischief, mishaps, and mayhem.
The story comes to us in Theo’s third-person perspective.
Bookish Yays:
🧚🏻 A Cinderella retelling that begins with the fairy tale and spins off to so much more! I loved the twist on the original, and more than that, I loved how it doesn’t just invert the traditional tale (turning the good into bad and vice versa), but deepens the whole experience with new layers. BTW, I love how the word “Cinderella” is never used in the book.
🧚🏻 The initial quarter or so, which serves as a foundation for the main plot by recounting the well-known Cinderella story from Theo’s perspective. I enjoyed the wittiness of this section, as well as the glimpse of Theo’s frustration with the unfairness of it all. It establishes the key characters’ personalities well.
🧚🏻 Theo. Such an amazing and complicated character! Just like some people see the good in everyone, Theo sees the bad in everyone. Her selfishness and obnoxiousness is obvious from the start. But as she is the protagonist, I also wanted to root for her. Seeing her character grow in maturity as the book proceeds is a delight. Those who want likeable characters in the lead might find her annoying, but I love such grey characters, all the better when she has a strong spine and an equally strong mouth.
🧚🏻 Fairy Godmother Cecily is everything you would wish for in a fairy tale, and more. With her familiars Kaz and Phineas (both fabulous characters), Cecily ensures that her role isn’t limited to the typical fairy-godma job profile of providing boons and then disappearing. She’s one of the best fairy godmothers I’ve read in fiction.
🧚🏻 The character development of all “Cinderella” characters, whether the two stepsisters or the wicked stepmother or even Cinderella (“Beatrice” in this book) and her dad. Each has a novel trait that distinguishes them from their fairy-tale versions. Not a single one of these characters is a hundred per cent good or bad and each holds many secrets. Loved the depth of the detailing!
🧚🏻 Plenty of magic and plenty of magical beings as well. The magic is delightful; the magical beings are complicated but entertaining!
🧚🏻 Excellent humour throughout, with plenty of tongue-in-cheek comments, witty repartee, and pseudo-slapstick scenes.
🧚🏻 Though overall light in tone, there are many scenes where sadder emotions dominate the narrative. These are sombre and thought-provoking. But when the story gets heavy, the fun quotient keeps things balanced.
🧚🏻 I loved the way the plot stressed on the importance of “breaking the cycle” on the path to happiness. So very necessary!
🧚🏻 While I am usually not a fan of chapter titles, this book has some really amusing and quirky titles that further add to the lightheartedness.
🧚🏻 The “romance” in the book never supersedes the main plot. Moreover, while there are two potential love interests, we never see Theo torn between her feelings for them. Her attraction towards both is written equally without any defensiveness or justification. I found this writing choice refreshing. High time a FMC has two beaus and enjoys them equally without wondering about the future! (Her choice at the end made this whole subplot even better.)
🧚🏻 Quite a few well-handled themes and tropes in the book, including found family (with an unusual family), childhood trauma (emotional and reflective), abandonment issues (not a common trope in retellings but excellently handled). There’s even the one-bed trope for those who enjoy it.
🧚🏻 The cover: Irresistibly eye-catching and so well-suited to the plot!
Bookish Nays:
🎃 Some of the hidden plot points were a bit too obvious to me as a reader even though the character was in the dark. This genre is anyway known to be fairly predictable so this isn’t a major issue for the most part. But a couple of the developments were so blatantly leading that I couldn’t accept that the character in question didn’t *understand* what was happening.
🎃 One scene concerning an animal was a bit too gruesome. In a plot that was otherwise mostly sweet and funny, this event felt needlessly dark. Perhaps it should have kept the brutality more subtle because it spoiled the cosy vibe of the book for me.
All in all, this is the kind of book that delivers what it promises. It might not be earth-shattering or literary, but it does complete justice to its genre, and that is a big achievement, all the more if you keep in mind that this is a debut novel.
This is the first book of the ‘Fairies and Familiars’ series, currently planned as a duology. This first book has no cliffhanger and all the key arcs are complete. I am not even sure that a sequel is needed, but I won’t complain as I had loads of fun reading this. Whatever is planned for the next book and whoever it has in the lead, I’m definitely on board. (I have a feeling the narrative will shift to a particular *unfamiliar familiar*; time will tell if my guess is right.)
Definitely recommended to cosy fantasy lovers who enjoy retold fairy tales and grey characters.
4.25 stars.
My thanks to Orbit Books for providing the DRC of “How to Summon a Fairy Godmother” via NetGalley. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.
Plot Preview:
Lady Theodosia Balfour (Theo) has long hated her stepsister, the beautiful Beatrice who snagged the prince at the ball. Now that she is the princess, Beatrice has revealed to everyone her travails at the hands of her wicked stepfamily who treated her like a slave. Theo knows that the truth is *slightly* different, but who will believe her? Worse, Theo’s mother has forced her to be engaged to the Duke of Snowbell, an old curmudgeon with atrocious behaviour.
When Theo discovers the secret means that Beatrice used to go to the ball, she immediately plans to follow the same method: summon a fairy godmother and ask for her help. This should be easy, right? Wrong! What follows involves plenty of magic, mischief, mishaps, and mayhem.
The story comes to us in Theo’s third-person perspective.
Bookish Yays:
🧚🏻 A Cinderella retelling that begins with the fairy tale and spins off to so much more! I loved the twist on the original, and more than that, I loved how it doesn’t just invert the traditional tale (turning the good into bad and vice versa), but deepens the whole experience with new layers. BTW, I love how the word “Cinderella” is never used in the book.
🧚🏻 The initial quarter or so, which serves as a foundation for the main plot by recounting the well-known Cinderella story from Theo’s perspective. I enjoyed the wittiness of this section, as well as the glimpse of Theo’s frustration with the unfairness of it all. It establishes the key characters’ personalities well.
🧚🏻 Theo. Such an amazing and complicated character! Just like some people see the good in everyone, Theo sees the bad in everyone. Her selfishness and obnoxiousness is obvious from the start. But as she is the protagonist, I also wanted to root for her. Seeing her character grow in maturity as the book proceeds is a delight. Those who want likeable characters in the lead might find her annoying, but I love such grey characters, all the better when she has a strong spine and an equally strong mouth.
🧚🏻 Fairy Godmother Cecily is everything you would wish for in a fairy tale, and more. With her familiars Kaz and Phineas (both fabulous characters), Cecily ensures that her role isn’t limited to the typical fairy-godma job profile of providing boons and then disappearing. She’s one of the best fairy godmothers I’ve read in fiction.
🧚🏻 The character development of all “Cinderella” characters, whether the two stepsisters or the wicked stepmother or even Cinderella (“Beatrice” in this book) and her dad. Each has a novel trait that distinguishes them from their fairy-tale versions. Not a single one of these characters is a hundred per cent good or bad and each holds many secrets. Loved the depth of the detailing!
🧚🏻 Plenty of magic and plenty of magical beings as well. The magic is delightful; the magical beings are complicated but entertaining!
🧚🏻 Excellent humour throughout, with plenty of tongue-in-cheek comments, witty repartee, and pseudo-slapstick scenes.
🧚🏻 Though overall light in tone, there are many scenes where sadder emotions dominate the narrative. These are sombre and thought-provoking. But when the story gets heavy, the fun quotient keeps things balanced.
🧚🏻 I loved the way the plot stressed on the importance of “breaking the cycle” on the path to happiness. So very necessary!
🧚🏻 While I am usually not a fan of chapter titles, this book has some really amusing and quirky titles that further add to the lightheartedness.
🧚🏻 The “romance” in the book never supersedes the main plot. Moreover, while there are two potential love interests, we never see Theo torn between her feelings for them. Her attraction towards both is written equally without any defensiveness or justification. I found this writing choice refreshing. High time a FMC has two beaus and enjoys them equally without wondering about the future! (Her choice at the end made this whole subplot even better.)
🧚🏻 Quite a few well-handled themes and tropes in the book, including found family (with an unusual family), childhood trauma (emotional and reflective), abandonment issues (not a common trope in retellings but excellently handled). There’s even the one-bed trope for those who enjoy it.
🧚🏻 The cover: Irresistibly eye-catching and so well-suited to the plot!
Bookish Nays:
🎃 Some of the hidden plot points were a bit too obvious to me as a reader even though the character was in the dark. This genre is anyway known to be fairly predictable so this isn’t a major issue for the most part. But a couple of the developments were so blatantly leading that I couldn’t accept that the character in question didn’t *understand* what was happening.
🎃 One scene concerning an animal was a bit too gruesome. In a plot that was otherwise mostly sweet and funny, this event felt needlessly dark. Perhaps it should have kept the brutality more subtle because it spoiled the cosy vibe of the book for me.
All in all, this is the kind of book that delivers what it promises. It might not be earth-shattering or literary, but it does complete justice to its genre, and that is a big achievement, all the more if you keep in mind that this is a debut novel.
This is the first book of the ‘Fairies and Familiars’ series, currently planned as a duology. This first book has no cliffhanger and all the key arcs are complete. I am not even sure that a sequel is needed, but I won’t complain as I had loads of fun reading this. Whatever is planned for the next book and whoever it has in the lead, I’m definitely on board. (I have a feeling the narrative will shift to a particular *unfamiliar familiar*; time will tell if my guess is right.)
Definitely recommended to cosy fantasy lovers who enjoy retold fairy tales and grey characters.
4.25 stars.
My thanks to Orbit Books for providing the DRC of “How to Summon a Fairy Godmother” via NetGalley. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.
3⭐️ | TikTok |
The imagery and prose is fantastic, if you’re looking for an immersive world packaged in a Cinderella spin-off where the FMC is one of the stepsisters, this is that…
However, I was bored. The whole time.
I firmly believe that the first 25% of this book could have, and should have been a single chapter prologue. We all know the Cinderella story and during the first 25% of this book not much is different. I would have loved to see this start at the point where the FMC finds out she’s getting married.
Around the 30% we meet the fairy godmother and things pick up and get a bit more interesting but still a bit bland.
The side characters are a bit cute, the redemption arc is redeeming, and the world is vivid and cozy.
It was good, not great, but if you really love a good Cinderella retelling this could be just the right thing.
p.s. Take what I write with a grain of salt - I’m in a cranky reading mood lately.
Thank you NetGalley and Orbit for sending this book (eARC) for review consideration. All opinions are my own.
The imagery and prose is fantastic, if you’re looking for an immersive world packaged in a Cinderella spin-off where the FMC is one of the stepsisters, this is that…
However, I was bored. The whole time.
I firmly believe that the first 25% of this book could have, and should have been a single chapter prologue. We all know the Cinderella story and during the first 25% of this book not much is different. I would have loved to see this start at the point where the FMC finds out she’s getting married.
Around the 30% we meet the fairy godmother and things pick up and get a bit more interesting but still a bit bland.
The side characters are a bit cute, the redemption arc is redeeming, and the world is vivid and cozy.
It was good, not great, but if you really love a good Cinderella retelling this could be just the right thing.
p.s. Take what I write with a grain of salt - I’m in a cranky reading mood lately.
Thank you NetGalley and Orbit for sending this book (eARC) for review consideration. All opinions are my own.
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
What a delight this book was! How To Summon A Fairy Godmother is not exactly a retelling; it’s more like “what happened to one of the stepsisters after Cinderella got married.” And it’s a lot of fun!
The Cinderella figure here is named Beatrice and Lady Theodosia Balfour is the younger of the two “evil stepsisters.” Her sister Flo is getting married to someone she really likes but Theo doesn’t have any real prospects - until their mother (and ugh, what an unappealing character she is!) arranges for Theo to marry a duke, which will help out their dire financial situation. BUT it turns out that this duke is extremely old and cranky. And once Theo meets him, she becomes desperate to get out of this marriage arrangement. While searching in Beatrice’s old room for something, she discovers some torn out pages with instructions on “how to summon a fairy godmother.” And Theo gets to work on collecting what she will need.
However, Cecily is not the kind of fairy you may be expecting - or that Theo was expecting. She agrees to help Theo, but in return, Theo has to do three tasks that won’t benefit her, that will be altruistic, more or less. And then Cecily will get the marriage called off. Cecily’s two familiars are humans that can change into animals: a fox (Kasra or Kaz) and a mockingbird (Phineas). I just loved all these characters - Kaz and Phineas have distinct personalities so you never mix them up. There’s also a very handsome fairy named Locklan or Lock. The three tasks for Theo are hard to accomplish and she has to use her brains and her snarky tongue. Her skills on the harp also come in really handy at a fairy party.
Gradually we come to understand what made Theo the way she is - her childhood experiences with Beatrice and Bea’s father were not happy ones, turning Theo bitter. I loved seeing Theo gradually realize that she is worth something.
I loved the chapter headings - two examples:
Chapter 8: Where Theo Gets Instructions From a Cranky Fox - or -
Chapter 12: Where A Garden Trowel is Either a Great or a Terrible Weapon Depending on Whether You’re on the Wielding or Receiving End.
The ending sets us up for a much anticipated sequel, but it’s not a cliffhanger ending, which pleased me.
Thank you to Orbit and NetGalley for the opportunity to read a review copy of this book. All opinions are my own.
The Cinderella figure here is named Beatrice and Lady Theodosia Balfour is the younger of the two “evil stepsisters.” Her sister Flo is getting married to someone she really likes but Theo doesn’t have any real prospects - until their mother (and ugh, what an unappealing character she is!) arranges for Theo to marry a duke, which will help out their dire financial situation. BUT it turns out that this duke is extremely old and cranky. And once Theo meets him, she becomes desperate to get out of this marriage arrangement. While searching in Beatrice’s old room for something, she discovers some torn out pages with instructions on “how to summon a fairy godmother.” And Theo gets to work on collecting what she will need.
However, Cecily is not the kind of fairy you may be expecting - or that Theo was expecting. She agrees to help Theo, but in return, Theo has to do three tasks that won’t benefit her, that will be altruistic, more or less. And then Cecily will get the marriage called off. Cecily’s two familiars are humans that can change into animals: a fox (Kasra or Kaz) and a mockingbird (Phineas). I just loved all these characters - Kaz and Phineas have distinct personalities so you never mix them up. There’s also a very handsome fairy named Locklan or Lock. The three tasks for Theo are hard to accomplish and she has to use her brains and her snarky tongue. Her skills on the harp also come in really handy at a fairy party.
Gradually we come to understand what made Theo the way she is - her childhood experiences with Beatrice and Bea’s father were not happy ones, turning Theo bitter. I loved seeing Theo gradually realize that she is worth something.
I loved the chapter headings - two examples:
Chapter 8: Where Theo Gets Instructions From a Cranky Fox - or -
Chapter 12: Where A Garden Trowel is Either a Great or a Terrible Weapon Depending on Whether You’re on the Wielding or Receiving End.
The ending sets us up for a much anticipated sequel, but it’s not a cliffhanger ending, which pleased me.
Thank you to Orbit and NetGalley for the opportunity to read a review copy of this book. All opinions are my own.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Animal death
adventurous
funny
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
adventurous
emotional
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes