Scan barcode
A review by alyson7
Owl Eyes: A Fairy Tale by Molly Lazer
3.0
I was very surprised by how Owl Eyes: a Fairy Tale diverged from the original Cinderella tale. The first part of the novel is devoted to Nora's quest to find who her parents were. Nora has spent her life as a kitchen servant under the harsh brutality of Lady Portia and Lord Alcander. When Nora discovers that she is of noble birth, Nora tries to redefined herself and take back her birthright that was stolen away from her.
In many Cinderella retellings, there is a huge focus on romance. Owl Eyes has very little romance, which I found slightly dissatisfying. What I did enjoy about the novel was the world building. Nora's world is a world of magic and spells with strange plants and a rich history. I really liked the descriptions of the odd food Nora would have to serve to Lord Alcander and Lady Portia's guests.
Nora herself is an unremarkable character. Although she narrates the story, I never had a good sense of what she is like as a person. Her desire to find out who her parents were and to get revenge on those who wronged her, seemed to be her only motivation. Nora's relationships with the other characters were quite shallow. The secondary characters seemed to have more personality and to be more of interest than Nora herself. If the story would have been through Jack's point of view (Nora's friend), I probably would have enjoyed the story more.
There were moments of great potential, and some interesting changes to the original Cinderella fairy tale. This one certainly breaks the mold of the original beloved tale. My disinterest in Nora and the overall slow pacing of the story made this novel largely forgettable and not as enjoyable as I would have liked.
I would recommend this book to those who enjoy Cinderella retellings and are looking for a novel with very little romance, and a bit of magic.
* I received an advanced copy of Owl Eyes: A Fairy Tale from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review*
In many Cinderella retellings, there is a huge focus on romance. Owl Eyes has very little romance, which I found slightly dissatisfying. What I did enjoy about the novel was the world building. Nora's world is a world of magic and spells with strange plants and a rich history. I really liked the descriptions of the odd food Nora would have to serve to Lord Alcander and Lady Portia's guests.
Nora herself is an unremarkable character. Although she narrates the story, I never had a good sense of what she is like as a person. Her desire to find out who her parents were and to get revenge on those who wronged her, seemed to be her only motivation. Nora's relationships with the other characters were quite shallow. The secondary characters seemed to have more personality and to be more of interest than Nora herself. If the story would have been through Jack's point of view (Nora's friend), I probably would have enjoyed the story more.
There were moments of great potential, and some interesting changes to the original Cinderella fairy tale. This one certainly breaks the mold of the original beloved tale. My disinterest in Nora and the overall slow pacing of the story made this novel largely forgettable and not as enjoyable as I would have liked.
I would recommend this book to those who enjoy Cinderella retellings and are looking for a novel with very little romance, and a bit of magic.
* I received an advanced copy of Owl Eyes: A Fairy Tale from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review*