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4.21 AVERAGE
4.21 AVERAGE
adventurous
emotional
funny
lighthearted
medium-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
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-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
adventurous
challenging
emotional
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 would happen if the cruel step-sister also tried to summon her own fairy godmother to get a happy ever after?
This was so fun! Theo was a great protagonist. The writing was well done and the pacing was perfect. Engaging from start to finish. I will definitely be picking up the sequel when it comes out!
Thank you to NetGalley and Orbit Books for access to this work. All opinions are my own.
adventurous
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
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
A fun read although romance aspects felt a bit flat to me. I think the love interests could have used some more development, especially Kaz, but part of it may be I'm just very tired of love triangles.
The snarky attitude of the narration and magical capers are what shine here.
The snarky attitude of the narration and magical capers are what shine here.
adventurous
funny
reflective
medium-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
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This book was a delightful story. At first it was hard to feel sympathetic for Theo but that changed halfway through. I did deduct a half a point for how the story ended. I hope we get to see more of Theo in the second book.
I discovered How to Summon a Fairy Godmother while searching my library’s catalog for Cinderella retellings, and the premise of this drew me in. And in that regard, it absolutely fulfilled my expectations.
The tone leans toward being fairly light, almost cozy, in places, although there are also some elements that are unexpectedly gruesome. But that mirrors the essence of fairy tales, including being fairly light on the world building. The vibes feel somewhat reminiscent of a Regency or Victorian romance, with a similar aristocratic system and references to things like penny dreadfuls, which put me at ease a bit, given my affinity for the genre.
Theo is an absolute delight to follow, and Laura J. Mayo strikes the perfect balance between making her endearing and sympathetic, while not waving away the fatal flaws, such as her selfishness and spitefulness, that make her one of the evil stepsisters. But that only makes her growth in self-awareness and evolution of character more rewarding.
I also absolutely adored Cecily, for all her quirkiness, although I admit I didn’t see the twist with her coming (even with it being rather obvious in hindsight). Phineas and Kaz were also delightful, and great twists on the “animal sidekick” roles. And I didn’t quite know what direction the book would take Beatrice in as this book’s Cinderella, but I like the nuance to her portrayal, where she is a deeply good person, but also has some secrets. As for the relationship between Theo and Beatrice, I loved the evolution at the end, exploring how each of them were impacted by their toxic family dynamics and working to heal that rift.
In terms of plotting and pacing, it’s a little on the slow side, and your investment at the beginning will depend on how much you can appreciate Theo with all her flaws, plus the potential of her promised arc. However, once you take the plunge and invest that time, it’s worth it, and while the middle lags a bit due to the nature of the sequence of events, the payoff is ultimately worth it.
This is such fun, and I’m excited for what comes next! I recommend this to readers interested in a fun spin on the Cinderella story!
This is fun and witty! I love the cover and I also loved each chapter's name. This is a very interesting take on Cinderella and this moves the viewpoint to one of the step sister's which I do like because I do feel they always had it pretty bad too. If you like fairytale retellings I think you will like this. I will probably buy a physical copy.
Thank you to the author and Netgalley for the ARC!
Thank you to the author and Netgalley for the ARC!