Title: Cinderella is Dead Author: Kalynn Bayron Rating Out of 5: 3 (On the fence about this one) My Bookshelves:LGBTQI, Retellings, Romance Pace: Slow Format: eBook, Novel Year: 2020
I really wanted to love this story. Everything about it drew me in. The premise, the storyline, the writing style. But, very quickly, something became a little same same for me about the reading. And, eventually, even though I kept on reading, I eventually got to a point where I wasn’t excited to open the book anymore and dive right in. Which is generally when I know this isn’t one of my favourite books.
Cinderella is Dead isn’t a book that I would suggest to others. I really struggled to love it as much as I wanted. And I really struggled to connect strongly with the characters and the overall story line. I have read so many amazing books lately, that this one just didn’t quite measure up.
Tower of Thornshad some pretty major Mother Gothel vibes to it, and because of this, I most definitely figured out who the culprit / bad guy in the story was. But, even though I 100% knew what was coming, I still loved going on the journey. Probably because it was still fun, still had a lot of emotion, and I loved how the story unfolded.
Rapunzel’s strength of self and forethought into how her prophecy might come true were beautiful things. I love that, although she wanted to trust her mother, she still decided to put things in place for just in case. I mean, the idea that she has this great strength of will and willingness to not let “fate” determine her future was beautiful. Particularly when there are so many retellings that have historically painted Rapunzel as a victim.
As much as I enjoyed Tower of Thorns, I really wanted to know more about Gavin’s prophecy. I mean, both of them have prophecies involving love. They both fall in love knowing that it will probably trigger their prophecies. You can understand how Rapunzel’s unfolded and what happened (plus, Greenwood brilliantly uses the more violent original of the fairy tale). But there is no hint about Gavin’s prophecy beyond the fact that he has one. And it is about being in love.
I really loved how Greenwood utilised the original Rapunzel fairy tale (which was slightly more violent and gruesome than Tangled). Which just means that I’m absolutely dying to jump into the rest of the series. I wonder if she will use the Grimm-style versions of the fairy tales, rather than the sweeter Disney ones… now onto Spindles and Spells, a Sleeping Beauty retelling.
Clemeny’s love triangle with Edwin and Lionheart gains a little traction in Bitches and Brawlers, plus, I love that it brings in a few more of the characters from Wolves and Daggers. Both the love triangle and other characters help to tie up some loose threads and drive Clemeny’s adventures and personal journey forwards. I love that Clemeny is able to visit with her old partner and her Grandmere takes a lot of the spotlight in this story. Then, there’s the fact that, although I really want Clemeny to end up with Lionheart, she’s leaning towards Edwin – something that just makes me want to dive into Howls and Hallows all that much quicker.
Alodie is a not-very-nice villain, one that it was incredibly easy to detest – I love the ending that she meets. Very much create by her own decisions and evil. Yet, as with everything in Bitches and Brawlers, her death throws everyone and everything into turmoil. Plus, I just really, really disliked her. I mean, she’s a power hungry bitch who won’t stop at anything to get what she wants. It’s always nice to have a villain who is totally detestable, and impossible to like. As much as I also love those that are slightly relatable, I also love when it is just all too easy to hate a character and wish nothing but the worst for them. Just like Alodie.
I can’t wait to start to understand more of Clemeny’s history – there have been so many teasers and hints throughout this series, and Karsak manages to tease out just a little bit more in Bitches and Brawlers. Little Red finds herself one step closer to who she truly is, and all those moments of (what I think are) supressed power feel like they’re soon going to come to fruition. A great little lead into Howls and Hallows. Or at least, it is to my mind, since I haven’t actually read Howls and Hallows yet…
Not only did I really enjoy cavorting through London with Clemeny and fighting crime, the secondary characters in this series, and Bitches and Brawlers in particular are fantastic. This is a steampunk world which is wonderfully multifaceted and gives you insights into so many different lives and individuals. Then, there’s the tie ins to the Steampunk Fairytales series that make me want to dive across to those books as well. So much to read, so little time!
I absolutely adored this take on The Twelve Dancing Princesses. As the first book I’ve read in the Grimm Academy series, I love how it set the tone for me and how this world is going to work. Rather than being a story of being punished for going against their fathers wishes, this is all about surviving a curse. It’s also a cute little romance that had me smiling and feeling calm as I turned that final page.
This story is all about Audrey starting at Grimm Academy, falling in love with a boy, fighting to beat her curse, and working on her relationship with her dad. The combination of all of these things meant that it was almost impossible to put down The Winter Ball and left me smiling throughout the entire read through. I was mostly just really intrigued how Audrey’s curse was going to manifest, and just how she was going to overcome the process of dancing herself (and her sisters) to death.
I’m not going to lie, I thought throughout The Winter Ball that Audrey’s dad would end up having some redeeming reason or communication to explain why he doesn’t immediately make her heir. He doesn’t. Honestly, the man is kind of annoying and truly sucky. A fair bit of the interpersonal build up is for Audrey to meet her father face to face and discuss the curse. Not one moment of that ends up happening, and his disjoint from his daughters becomes clear – kind of like the father in the original fairy tale.
Eugene is an interesting love interest for Audrey. He is loyal and supportive, willing to help her with her curse from the very beginning. They also build their relationship in that really organic university / college / academy way – by having a class together and getting to know one another. Ultimately, this story is just the very first blossoms of a romance, and I look forward to them being a more established couple and cameo in later stories within the series.
I read the first chapter of this story, and then kind of put it aside – reading on Kindle Unlimited is a little bit more clunky for me. However, once I got the chance, I read this story from cover to cover. However, even in the interim, I really wanted to dive back into this story. I mean, a Christmas, steampunk red riding hood was always going to pull me in. It also builds beautifully on the stirrings of feelings in Clemeny in Alphas and Airships. I loved seeing how her feelings evolve and she begins to get used to the new status quo within the Red Cape Society.
One of my all-time favourite things about Peppermint and Pentaclesis the fact that the Christmas spin on the adventures of Clemeny is Krampus. I have been absolutely fascinated by the idea and practices of Krampus since my Austrian penpal introduced me to how her village celebrates this. And this was my first ever story that features this. I honestly couldn’t get enough of the darker twist on a Christmas story. Just the kind of tale that I tend to like.
Clemeny and Edwin (Agent Hunter) spend the entirety of this story moving closer to one another. There are still frequent mentions of Sir Richard throughout, and I feel like this is going to be a bit of a future love triangle. I wonder if they are going to work out in the next books in this series. I also loved getting to spend more time with Grand-mere. It was nice to have the characters that surround Clemeny fleshed out a bit. Characters that support her brilliantly, but also make me want to dive right into these books again and again.
There is so much about this series that I’m absolutely loving. And having a Christmas-story featuring Krampus into the mix just makes it all that much better. I can’t wait to read more and more and more of Karsak’s writing. Plus, with every book, there is more world building of the darker, more mystical side of these steampunk retellings.
Daphne was an enjoyable and fun short story. Rather than focusing on the original tale of Daphne, it focuses on what happened after. After her initial gratefulness to escaping Apollo’s unwanted affections, she begins to feel resentment. And I mean, why not? Not only is his attempt at assault and not understanding no the reason why she was turned into a tree, she was then completely forgotten.
I love how Raffel uses a number of different techniques to tell this story. You really get a feel for Daphen’s emotions and her resentment. It also consistently and constantly mocks the men within the Greek pantheon. Describing them as arthritic and impotent at a number of points. Which, I for one found hilarious. Especially when compared with the freedom being older affords Daphne and the other women.
This didn’t quite end the way I anticipated – rather than being a happy ever after with a young and beautiful heroine, it was one in which age is embraced. The freedom that comes with no longer having to conform to a certain standard of beauty and age. I, for one, can’t wait to get to this point in my life!
I’m beginning to realise that if I pick up a story by Roanhorse, it’s probably going to be dark and twisty stuff. And I’m entirely on board with that. So far, I’ve loved everything that I’ve read by her. And A Brief Lesson in Native American Astronomy was no different. A retelling of a myth that I’ve never known (but plan to look up), space and well, I guess a sort of zombie that left me feeling quite uncomfortable. What more could you want?
I really want to read the Deer Hunter and the White Corn Maiden now, as it isn’t one that I actually know. Plus, I want to see what dark elements Roanhorse has added, and what are actually a part of the original. I know that the space elements are definitely unique to this version, I want to know what else is…
At the core of this tale is that we need to sometimes just let people go. It’s all about obsessive love and not being able to say goodbye. And sometimes, if we can’t let them go, we damage ourselves and those around us. I definitely felt like cringing and curling up into the foetal position at the end of this tale, that’s for sure.
Arabian Phoenix is a freaking awesome short story and retelling of Arabian nights! I absolutely loved every moment of it and was so disappointed when it was over. This was a bit of a modern take on an old classic, one in which there really aren’t any bad guys. Just tradition and those who want to change tradition and move into the future. If they’re brave enough to try and grasp the world with both hands.
I love that, rather than evidence of the death of each of the Kings’ wives, they just disappear. At first it seems creepy and as though there is some kind of large secret that no one is going to like. When it’s revealed / figured out, everything works beautifully and makes me smile. Rather the idea of death and mayhem is perpetuated by gossip and bad vibes.
At the conclusion of this story, it really felt like the King was trying to build up his own army of strong, educated women. I love that I could entirely see this working – well educated, loyal women, leading the charge towards change. The fact that this one might be special just made me want more about this tiny kingdom!
You know that a book is absolutely brilliant when you want to keep going back to pick it up. Only to realise that you’ve actually already finished it. And then you get that wonderfully irritating book hangover feeling. The one that makes you reluctant to pick up another book because it probably won’t quite measure up. And then it takes forever to find one that can quite draw you in again. Alphas and Airships was one such book.
Clemeny is a great and very relatable character and I love how driven she is for justice. Alphas and Airshipssets up the idea of a bit of a love triangle for her. And also talks about some of the repercussions and change which Wolves and Daggers bought to her life. I wasn’t sure if I spent more of this book wanting to know about the new relationships which Clemeny was forming. Or whether she was going to get the Viking Werewolf that she was hunting… going forwards, it’ll be very much the love triangle that will drive my reading, but that’s mostly because there will be new hunting challenges to overcome I’m sure.
As far as partners go, I really enjoyed Agent Harper and how her relationship with Clemeny grows. I hope that she shows up again. It was fun watching their connection grow as they tried to stop the bad guys. Harper was also a great balance of innocence and light to Clemeny’s more serious and jaded nature. They’re also both driven by a high moral fibre that makes them entirely compatible.
During Alphas and Airships, it becomes obvious that there are a lot of secrets in Clemeny’s past. Many of which I’m sure she doesn’t actually know herself. Particularly those of her bloodline. I can’t wait to find out more about her history and how this is going to impact her life. I’m assuming heavily, because it feels like it’s being set up to be a huge deal.
This is a great follow on short story from The Wild Heart. In The Wild Heart, the thorns and dangers of Sleeping Beauty were seen from another point of view. But in York’s short story, all of those who tried (and failed) to reach the princess are focused upon. Honestly, this story was a great way to continue this feeling of reimagining. And it hit me from the very first word.
You Wandered Off Like a Foolish Child to Break Your Heart and Mine is a dark story from the very first sentence. It shows those who seriously lost out in the original fairy tale. I mean, ultimately, the princess is freed and there’s a “happily ever after”. But at what cost? Not everyone is a winner and for every story, there is a losing side. Sometimes those losers are actually kind of innocent and it’s a little bit sad.
Yet, with all of the darkness and heartbreak within this story, for me, this story is about a mother’s love for her son. What she’ll give up to try and care for her child, even when he is ungrateful and kind of annoying. Even when all of her efforts are in vain, there is no doubt of this mother’s love for her child.
Earth and Skye 