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4.21 AVERAGE
4.21 AVERAGE
adventurous
emotional
funny
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
lighthearted
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
funny
lighthearted
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:
Complicated
This was a fun read. Took a bit longer than I’d like to get hooked, but once Her Deliciousness Cecily of the Ash Fairies, Most Benevolent Mistress with the Resplendent Tits made her debut, I cruised through it. Laughed out loud multiple times, loved the FMC wit and snark. Will continue the series.
funny
lighthearted
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:
Yes
I would like to thank Orbit Books, NetGalley, and the author for an advanced copy. All opinions are my own.
Read if you like:
🪄 Fairytale retellings
🥿 Cinderella
👯 Books about friendship
🥹 Redemption
1️⃣ POV
📍 Fictional kingdom
“If a fairy godmother can get one sister into a marriage, getting another out of one should be easy…”
Lady Theodosia Balfour, Theo (or to some, one of the wicked stepsisters), finds herself betrothed to a Duke. She’s not happy about it though, he’s old, bad-tempered, and only interested in Theo to bear him spare heirs. Theo is desperate and finds instructions for how to summon the fairy godmother in her step sister’s things. Since the fairy godmother got her step-sister married to a Prince, she begs her to get her out of her impending marriage. However, this fairy godmother isn’t the altruistic kindhearted fairy of legend. She requires Theo to prove herself good with the help of her familiars and Theo starts to question where she really wants to be.
This was such a fun take on Cinderella. I loved Cecily, the fairy godmother, and that she was a little bit devious. It’s always nice to get to read a fairytale from a different perspective and I particularly liked that this one kept the Cinderella story but added nuances from Theo’s perspective. The addition of the familiars, Kas and Phineas, was also great and I hope we get more of their stories in later books. The beginning is a little bit slow but it’s well worth it!
Read if you like:
🪄 Fairytale retellings
🥿 Cinderella
👯 Books about friendship
🥹 Redemption
1️⃣ POV
📍 Fictional kingdom
“If a fairy godmother can get one sister into a marriage, getting another out of one should be easy…”
Lady Theodosia Balfour, Theo (or to some, one of the wicked stepsisters), finds herself betrothed to a Duke. She’s not happy about it though, he’s old, bad-tempered, and only interested in Theo to bear him spare heirs. Theo is desperate and finds instructions for how to summon the fairy godmother in her step sister’s things. Since the fairy godmother got her step-sister married to a Prince, she begs her to get her out of her impending marriage. However, this fairy godmother isn’t the altruistic kindhearted fairy of legend. She requires Theo to prove herself good with the help of her familiars and Theo starts to question where she really wants to be.
This was such a fun take on Cinderella. I loved Cecily, the fairy godmother, and that she was a little bit devious. It’s always nice to get to read a fairytale from a different perspective and I particularly liked that this one kept the Cinderella story but added nuances from Theo’s perspective. The addition of the familiars, Kas and Phineas, was also great and I hope we get more of their stories in later books. The beginning is a little bit slow but it’s well worth it!
I had such a good time reading this book, loved this retelling and focus on an "evil' stepsister! Such a good story and I can't wait for the sequel!
This book was an absolute joy to read. That’s the only way I know how to describe it. Based on the description, I knew I would enjoy this and I was so right. The way this retelling was executed was flawless. The banter was excellent, the writing was superb (I was shocked to find out this is the author’s debut novel), and the message behind the story is wonderful. If you enjoy retellings from the view of the “villains” or even if you don’t, this book is worth picking up. This story is told from the viewpoint of one of Cinderella’s wicked step sisters and it dives into the psyche of that sister. It’s a fresh and meaningful take on a well known story and I loved it.
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
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
adventurous
lighthearted
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:
Yes
Theodosia might be the wicked stepsister to Princess Beatrice, but when her mother tries to marry her off to an ancient duke, she knows she has to save herself. She finds Beatrice's notes for summoning a fairy, and make her own deal to escape her upcoming marriage. Of course nothing is easy when you're wicked, so Theo is tasked with completing three selfless tasks to prove that's she's worth of fairy magic.
I really loved the narrator and the way she brought Theo's attempts to be a good person to life.
I really enjoyed this book. I thought the twists and turns were so good, and I cannot wait to see where the next book takes Theo.
Thanks to netgalley and orbit for an early copy.
I really loved the narrator and the way she brought Theo's attempts to be a good person to life.
I really enjoyed this book. I thought the twists and turns were so good, and I cannot wait to see where the next book takes Theo.
Thanks to netgalley and orbit for an early copy.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death
Moderate: Violence
adventurous
challenging
funny
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:
Yes
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Loved reading from the step-sisters point of view. I feel like it took me a while to see the whole picture and when it clicked it was brilliant!! I can't wait for the second book!