Showing posts with label fairy tale retelling. Show all posts
Showing posts with label fairy tale retelling. Show all posts

Monday, 28 February 2022

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Review: The Bone Spindle by Leslie Vedder (#Ad)

A proof of The Bone Spindle by Leslie Vedder laying on it's open pages, so you can see front and back cover. It's laying on a navy scarf with metallic silver moons and stars. It's surrounded by dried, stringy, green foliage, with three dried roses and two rose petals.c

I received this eProof for free from Hodder Children's Books via NetGalley for the purposes of providing an honest review.

Links with an asterisk (*) are Ad: Affiliate Links, which means if you make a purchase through them, I'll make a small commission at no extra cost to you.

The Bone Spindle by Leslie Vedder


Published: 3rd February 2022 | Publisher: Hodder Children's Books | Source: Publisher
Leslie Vedder’s Website

Filore, a treasure hunter with a knack for riddles, is busy running from her own deadly curse, when she pricks her finger on a spindle. Bound to the sleeping prince Briar Rose with the spindle’s magic – and chosen as the only person who can wake him – Fi is stuck with the prince’s ghost until she can break his ancient curse and save his kingdom.

She’s going to need a partner. A warrior huntswoman with an axe to grind (literally), Shane couldn’t care less about curses and ancient texts. But instead of riches, the two girls find trouble.

Dark magic, witch hunters, nightmarish beasts – and of course, curses – all stand in their way as Fi and Shane undertake the dangerous journey into a forgotten kingdom where the sleeping prince’s body waits.
From The StoryGraph.

Purchase from Bookshop.org*
The StoryGraph | Goodreads


Continue reading Review: The Bone Spindle by Leslie Vedder (#Ad)

Saturday, 12 February 2022

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Review: Gilded by Marissa Meyer (#Ad)

A close up photo taken from above of the paperback of Gilded half on, half off a circular gold tray, which is on a light grey duvet cover. The top of the book facing the top left, and the bottom facing the top right. Over the top right corner of the book is a small, gold, heart-shaped locket. A unclasped snake chain is laid across the top left corner of the book, with the rest of the chain coiling on the tray. A tiny jar of gold leaf is laid on it's side on the middle of the left side of the book, with a child's gold ring just above it, and a spool of metallic gold thread on the middle of the right side of the book, with the thread coiling over the bottom of the book.

I was received this eProof for free from Faber & Faber via NetGalley for the purposes of providing an honest review.

Links with an asterisk (*) are Ad: Affiliate Links, which means if you make a purchase through them, I'll make a small commission at no extra cost to you.

Gilded by Marissa Meyer


Published: 2nd November 2021 | Publisher: Faber & Faber | Source: NetGalley
Marissa Meyer’s Website

The look he was giving her. Serilda had never been looked at like that before... the intensity. The heat. The raw astonishment. He was going to kiss her.

Cursed by the god of lies, a miller’s daughter has developed a talent for storytelling - but are all her tales as false as they appear?

When one of Serilda’s stories draws the attention of the devastating Erlking, she finds herself swept away into a world of enchantment, where ghouls prowl the earth, and ravens track her every move. The king locks Serilda in a castle dungeon and orders her to spin straw into gold, or be killed for lying.

In despair, Serilda unwittingly summons a mysterious young man to her aid. And he agrees to help her, for a prince.

But love wasn’t meant to be part of the bargain.
From The StoryGraph.

Purchase from Bookshop.org*
The StoryGraph | Goodreads


Continue reading Review: Gilded by Marissa Meyer (#Ad)

Monday, 31 January 2022

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Review: A Spindle Splintered by Alix E. Harrow

A Spindle Splintered by Alix E. Harrow

Links with an asterisk (*) are Ad: Affiliate Links, which means if you make a purchase through them, I'll make a small commission at no extra cost to you.

A Spindle Splintered by Alix E. Harrow


Published: 5th October 2021 | Publisher: TorDotCom | Source: Bought
Alix E. Harrow’s Website

It's Zinnia Gray's twenty-first birthday, which is extra-special because it's the last birthday she'll ever have. When she was young, an industrial accident left Zinnia with a rare condition. Not much is known about her illness, just that no-one has lived past twenty-one.

Her best friend Charm is intent on making Zinnia's last birthday special with a full sleeping beauty experience, complete with a tower and a spinning wheel. But when Zinnia pricks her finger, something strange and unexpected happens, and she finds herself falling through worlds, with another sleeping beauty, just as desperate to escape her fate.
From The StoryGraph.

Purchase from Bookshop.org*
The StoryGraph | Goodreads


Continue reading Review: A Spindle Splintered by Alix E. Harrow

Wednesday, 21 April 2021

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Most Anticipated 2021 Retellings

Most Anticipated 2021 Retellings

Ad: Titles with an asterisk (*) were gifted to me by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Links with a circumflex (^) are 
Ad: Affiliate Links, which means if you make a purchase through them, I'll receive a small commission at no extra cost to you.

Most Anticipated 2021 Retellings


As regular readers will know, I'm a huge fan of retellings, and I've recently discovered a few coming out this year that I'm super excited about.

I know, I know; it's April, and we're over a quarter of the way into the year, so I'm quite late in writing this post. But hopefully there'll be a few titles to add to your TBR here, so you'll forgive my lateness. On with the list!
Continue reading Most Anticipated 2021 Retellings

Sunday, 11 April 2021

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Review: Thorn by Intisar Khanani (#Ad)

Thorn by Intisar Khanani

I received this eProof for free from Hot Key Books via NetGalley for the purposes of providing an honest review.

Thorn by Intisar Khanani


Published: 24th March 2020 | Publisher: Hot Key Books | Source: NetGalley
Intisar Khanani's Website

A princess with two futures. A destiny all her own.

Between her cruel family and the contempt she faces at court, Princess Alyrra has always longed to escape the confines of her royal life. But when she’s betrothed to the powerful prince Kestrin, Alyrra embarks on a journey to his land with little hope for a better future.

When a mysterious and terrifying sorceress robs Alyrra of both her identity and her role as princess, Alyrra seizes the opportunity to start a new life for herself as a goose girl.

But Alyrra soon finds that Kestrin is not what she expected. The more Alyrra learns of this new kingdom, the pain and suffering its people endure, as well as the danger facing Kestrin from the sorceress herself, the more she knows she can’t remain the goose girl forever.

With the fate of the kingdom at stake, Alyrra is caught between two worlds and ultimately must decide who she is, and what she stands for.
The StoryGraph


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Monday, 5 October 2020

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Blog Tour: Deirdre Sullivan Introduces Savage Her Reply + Mini Interview

Savage Her Reply by Deirdre Sullivan on a black background with white and grey polka dots in circle patterns.

Deirdre Sullivan Introduces Savage Her Reply + Mini Interview


Titles marked with a (^) are ad: affiliate links, which means if you make a purchase through them, I'll receive a small commission at no extra cost to you.

Titles marked with an asterisk (*) were gifted to me by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Today is my stop on the blog tour for Savage Her Reply* by Deirdre Sullivan. It's a feminist retelling of the Irish legend The Children of Lir, from the persepctive of Aífe, the story's villain. For us bloggers, this blog tour was arranged a little differently, and we got something super special. We were invited to an exclusive private Zoom meeting with Deirdre and publicist Nina, where Deirdre told us about Savage Her Reply, and we also got to ask her a few questions each, for our own exclusive element of our posts. Unfortunately, I was on holiday when the meeting took place, but it was recorded and Nina was kind enough to ask Deirdre my questions on my behalf.
Continue reading Blog Tour: Deirdre Sullivan Introduces Savage Her Reply + Mini Interview

Monday, 9 March 2020

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Review: The Winter of the Witch by Katherine Arden

The Winter of the Witch by Katherine Arden

The Winter of the Witch by Katherine Arden

Published: Del Rey | Publisher: 3rd October 2019 | Cover Design: Head Design | Cover Illustrations: Aitch | Source: Bought
Katherine Arden's Website

Following their adventures in The Bear and the Nightingale and The Girl in the Tower, Vasya and Morozko return in this stunning conclusion to the bestselling Winternight Trilogy, battling enemies mortal and magical to save both Russias, the seen and the unseen.

The Winternight Trilogy introduced an unforgettable heroine, Vasilisa Petrovna, a girl determined to forge her own path in a world that would rather lock her away. Her gifts and her courage have drawn the attention of Morozko, the winter-king, but it is too soon to know if this connection will prove a blessing or a curse.

Now Moscow has been struck by disaster. Its people are searching for answers—and for someone to blame. Vasya finds herself alone, beset on all sides. The Grand Prince is in a rage, choosing allies that will lead him on a path to war and ruin. A wicked demon returns, stronger than ever and determined to spread chaos. Caught at the center of the conflict is Vasya, who finds the fate of two worlds resting on her shoulders. Her destiny uncertain, Vasya will uncover surprising truths about herself and her history as she desperately tries to save Russia, Morozko, and the magical world she treasures. But she may not be able to save them all.
From Goodreads

My other reviews of The Winternight Trilogy:
The Bear and the Nightingale (#Ad) | The Girl in the Tower (#Ad)

WARNING! I cannot review this book without spoiling the others in the series. Read no further if you're planning on reading this series and don't want it spoilt for you.

Continue reading Review: The Winter of the Witch by Katherine Arden

Monday, 24 February 2020

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Review: The Girl in the Tower by Katherine Arden (#Ad)

The Girl in the Tower by Katherine Arden

I received this eProof for free from Ebury Publishing via NetGalley for the purposes of providing an honest review.

The Girl in the Tower by Katherine Arden

Published: 25th January 2018 | Publisher: Ebury Publishing | Cover Design: Head Design | Cover Illustrations: Aitch | Source: NetGalley
Katherine Arden's Website

For a young woman in medieval Russia, the choices are stark: marriage or a life in a convent. Vasya will choose a third way: magic...

The court of the Grand Prince of Moscow is plagued by power struggles and rumours of unrest. Meanwhile bandits roam the countryside, burning the villages and kidnapping its daughters. Setting out to defeat the raiders, the Prince and his trusted companion come across a young man riding a magnificent horse.

Only Sasha, a priest with a warrior's training, recognises this 'boy' as his younger sister, thought to be dead or a witch by her village. But when Vasya proves herself in battle, riding with remarkable skill and inexplicable power, Sasha realises he must keep her secret as she may be the only way to save the city from threats both human and fantastical...
From Goodreads

My other reviews of the Winternight Trilogy:
The Bear and the Nightingale (#Ad)

WARNING! I cannot review this book without spoiling the others in the series. Read no further if you're planning on reading this series and don't want it spoilt for you.

Continue reading Review: The Girl in the Tower by Katherine Arden (#Ad)

Monday, 10 February 2020

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Review: Fierce Fairytales by Nikita Gill

Fierce Fairytales by Nikita Gill

This post contains Ad: Affiliate Links - marked with an asterisk (*) - which means if you make a purchase through them, I'll receive a small commission at no extra cost to you.

Fierce Fairytales by Nikita Gill

Published: Trapeze | Publisher: 11th September 2018 | Cover Designer: TomásAlmeifa | Source: Bought
Nikita Gill on Twitter and Instagram

Poet, writer, and Instagram sensation Nikita Gill returns with a collection of fairytales poetically retold for a new generation of women.

Traditional fairytales are rife with cliches and gender stereotypes: beautiful, silent princesses; ugly, jealous, and bitter villainesses; girls who need rescuing; and men who take all the glory.

But in this rousing new prose and poetry collection, Nikita Gill gives Once Upon a Time a much-needed modern makeover. Through her gorgeous reimagining of fairytale classics and spellbinding original tales, she dismantles the old-fashioned tropes that have been ingrained in our minds. In this book, gone are the docile women and male saviors. Instead, lines blur between heroes and villains. You will meet fearless princesses, a new kind of wolf lurking in the concrete jungle, and an independent Gretel who can bring down monsters on her own.

Complete with beautifully hand-drawn illustrations by Gill herself, Fierce Fairytales is an empowering collection of poems and stories for a new generation.
From Goodreads.

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Book Depository* | Wordery*
Goodreads

Continue reading Review: Fierce Fairytales by Nikita Gill

Monday, 3 February 2020

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Review: The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden (#Ad)

The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden

I received this eProof for free from Del Rey via NetGalley for the purposes of providing an honest review.

The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden

Published: 5th October 2017 | Publisher: Del Rey | Cover Design: Head Design | Cover Illustrations: Aitch | Source: NetGalley
Katherine Arden's Website

At the edge of the Russian wilderness, winter lasts most of the year and the snowdrifts grow taller than houses. But Vasilisa doesn't mind—she spends the winter nights huddled around the embers of a fire with her beloved siblings, listening to her nurse's fairy tales. Above all, she loves the chilling story of Frost, the blue-eyed winter demon, who appears in the frigid night to claim unwary souls. Wise Russians fear him, her nurse says, and honor the spirits of house and yard and forest that protect their homes from evil.

After Vasilisa's mother dies, her father goes to Moscow and brings home a new wife. Fiercely devout, city-bred, Vasilisa's new stepmother forbids her family from honoring the household spirits. The family acquiesces, but Vasilisa is frightened, sensing that more hinges upon their rituals than anyone knows.

And indeed, crops begin to fail, evil creatures of the forest creep nearer, and misfortune stalks the village. All the while, Vasilisa's stepmother grows ever harsher in her determination to groom her rebellious stepdaughter for either marriage or confinement in a convent.

As danger circles, Vasilisa must defy even the people she loves and call on dangerous gifts she has long concealed—this, in order to protect her family from a threat that seems to have stepped from her nurse's most frightening tales.
From Goodreads

Continue reading Review: The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden (#Ad)

Monday, 14 October 2019

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Review: House of Salt and Sorrows by Erin A. Craig

House of Salt and Sorrows by Erin A. Craig

House of Salt and Sorrows by Erin A. Craig

Published: 6th August 2019 | Publisher: Delacorte Press | Cover Designer: Alison Impey | Source: Won in a giveaway
Erin A. Craig's Website

Four of Annaleigh Thaumas's eleven sisters have returned to the Salt, the brackish water that surrounds their lonely island home, their lives cut short, each more tragically than the last. Whispers throughout the Highmoor estate say the girls have been cursed by the gods.

When Annaleigh finds out that her sisters have been sneaking out to attend glittering midnight balls and dance until dawn, she's not sure whether to stop them--or join them. And when she begins to see a series of horrific, ghostly visions and more sisters die, she realizes she must solve the mystery--with the help of Cassius, a sea captain who knows much more about her than he should--and unravel the Thaumas curse before she descends into madness or... it claims her next.
From Goodreads.

Book Depository | Wordery | Goodreads

Continue reading Review: House of Salt and Sorrows by Erin A. Craig

Monday, 3 June 2019

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Review: Forest of a Thousand Lanterns by Julie C. Dao

Forest of a Thousand Lanterns by Julie C. Dao

Forest of a Thousand Lanterns by Julie C. Dao

Published: 10th October 2017 | Publisher: Philomel Books | Source: Bought
Julie C. Dao's Website

An East Asian fantasy reimagining of The Evil Queen legend about one peasant girl's quest to become Empress--and the darkness she must unleash to achieve her destiny.

Eighteen-year-old Xifeng is beautiful. The stars say she is destined for greatness, that she is meant to be Empress of Feng Lu. But only if she embraces the darkness within her. Growing up as a peasant in a forgotten village on the edge of the map, Xifeng longs to fulfill the destiny promised to her by her cruel aunt, the witch Guma, who has read the cards and seen glimmers of Xifeng's majestic future. But is the price of the throne too high?

Because in order to achieve greatness, she must spurn the young man who loves her and exploit the callous magic that runs through her veins--sorcery fueled by eating the hearts of the recently killed. For the god who has sent her on this journey will not be satisfied until his power is absolute.
From Goodreads.

Book Depository | Wordery | Goodreads

Trigger Warnings: This book features animal death, problematic physical and emotional abuse, problematic ableism, mention of suicide, someone being whipped, someone being stabbed, murder, and cannibalism.
Continue reading Review: Forest of a Thousand Lanterns by Julie C. Dao

Tuesday, 21 May 2019

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Once Upon a Retelling: No Place Like Here by Christina June

Once Upon a Retelling

This post contains affiliate links.

Welcome to Once Upon a Retelling! I'm a huge fan of retellings, and I'm really interested in hearing about authors' own love of the original stories, and what inspired them to retell those stories. And so Once Upon a Retelling was born, a feature in which I interview authors about their versions of well-loved tales.

Today, I'm really excited to have Christina June stopping by the blog to discuss her Hansel & Gretel retelling, No Place Like Here.

Christina JuneCan you tell us a little about No Place Like Here? What kind of a retelling of Hansel & Gretel is it?

NO PLACE LIKE HERE is what I’d call a contemporary novel inspired by Hansel & Gretl. While it’s not a strict retelling, readers will be able to recognize many of the familiar elements of the story transformed in clever ways. My books are also companions, so while they can certainly be read as stand-alones, it’s also fun to read them all and see how favorites pop back up.
Continue reading Once Upon a Retelling: No Place Like Here by Christina June

Tuesday, 14 May 2019

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Once Upon a Retelling: Beauty Sleep by Kathryn Evans

Once Upon a Retelling

This post contains affiliate links.

Welcome to Once Upon a Retelling! I'm a huge fan of retellings, and I'm really interested in hearing about authors' own love of the original stories, and what inspired them to retell those stories. And so Once Upon a Retelling was born, a feature in which I interview authors about their versions of well-loved tales.

I'm really excited to have Kathryn Evans stopping by the blog today to discuss her YA retelling of Sleeping Beauty, Beauty Sleep, as part of her blog tour.

Kathryn EvansCan you tell us a little about Beauty Sleep? What kind of a retelling of Sleeping Beauty is it?

It’s ‘Inspired by’ I think. I was brought up on fairy tales and I think I just absorbed them. If you’re an author, the stories that are woven into your childhood all feed into the writer you become. I call it book soup.
Continue reading Once Upon a Retelling: Beauty Sleep by Kathryn Evans

Monday, 13 May 2019

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Review: Stepsister by Jennifer Donnelly (#Ad)

Stepsister by Jennifer Donnelly

I received this eProof for free from Hot Key Books via NetGalley for the purposes of providing an honest review.

Stepsister by Jennifer Donnelly


Published: 14th May 2019 | Publisher: Hot Key Books | Source: Publisher
Jennifer Donnelly's Website

'In an ancient city by the sea, three sisters - a maiden, a mother, and a crone - are drawing maps by candlelight. Sombre, with piercing grey eyes, they are the three Fates, and every map is a human life . . .'

Stepsister takes up where Cinderella's tale ends. We meet Isabelle, the younger of Cinderella's two stepsisters. Ella is considered beautiful; stepsister Isabelle is not. Isabelle is fearless, brave, and strong-willed. She fences better than any boy, and takes her stallion over jumps that grown men fear to attempt. It doesn't matter, though; these qualities are not valued in a girl. Others have determined what is beautiful, and Isabelle does not fit their definition. Isabelle must face down the demons that drove her cruel treatment of Ella, challenge her own fate and maybe even redefine the very notion of beauty . . .

Cinderella is about a girl who was bullied; Stepsister is about the bully. We all root for the victims, we want to see them triumph. But what about the bullies? Is there hope for them? Can a mean girl change? Can she find her own happily ever after?
From Goodreads.

Trigger Warning: This book features discussion of considering suicide, threat of sexual assault, dead bodies, and war.
Continue reading Review: Stepsister by Jennifer Donnelly (#Ad)

Tuesday, 9 April 2019

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Once Upon a Retelling: The Boy Who Steals Houses by C. G. Drews

Once Upon a Retelling

This post contains affiliate links.

Welcome to Once Upon a Retelling! I'm a huge fan of retellings, and I'm really interested in hearing about authors' own love of the original stories, and what inspired them to retell those stories. And so Once Upon a Retelling was born, a feature in which I interview authors about their versions of well-loved tales.

I am so very, very excited to have C. G. Drews (aka Cait of Paper Fury!) stopping by the blog today to discuss her Goldilocks and the Three Bears retelling, The Boy Who Steals Houses.

C. G. DrewsCan you tell us a little about The Boy Who Steal Houses? What kind of a retelling of Goldilocks and the Three Bears is it?

The Boy Who Steals Houses is a reimagining of Goldilocks in a contemporary setting and it’s by the perspective of a boy instead of a female Goldilocks. It was really fun to take the bare bones of the original tale and fit them into a modern setting.
Continue reading Once Upon a Retelling: The Boy Who Steals Houses by C. G. Drews

Monday, 1 April 2019

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Review: Girls Made of Snow and Glass by Melissa Bashardoust

Girls Made of Snow and Glass by Melissa Bashardoust

Girls Made of Snow and Glass by Melissa Bashardoust

Published: 31st December 2018 | Publisher: Flatiron Books | Source: Bought
Melissa Bashardoust's Website

Sixteen-year-old Mina is motherless, her magician father is vicious, and her silent heart has never beat with love for anyone--has never beat at all, in fact, but she'd always thought that fact normal. She never guessed that her father cut out her heart and replaced it with one of glass. When she moves to Whitespring Castle and sees its king for the first time, Mina forms a plan: win the king's heart with her beauty, become queen, and finally know love. The only catch is that she'll have to become a stepmother.

Fifteen-year-old Lynet looks just like her late mother, and one day she discovers why: a magician created her out of snow in the dead queen's image, at her father's order. But despite being the dead queen made flesh, Lynet would rather be like her fierce and regal stepmother, Mina. She gets her wish when her father makes Lynet queen of the southern territories, displacing Mina. Now Mina is starting to look at Lynet with something like hatred, and Lynet must decide what to do--and who to be--to win back the only mother she's ever known...or else defeat her once and for all.

Entwining the stories of both Lynet and Mina in the past and present, Girls Made of Snow and Glass traces the relationship of two young women doomed to be rivals from the start. Only one can win all, while the other must lose everything--unless both can find a way to reshape themselves and their story.
From Goodreads

Trigger Warning: This book features child abuse; neglect, lack of love, manipulation, verbal abuse.
Continue reading Review: Girls Made of Snow and Glass by Melissa Bashardoust

Monday, 18 February 2019

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Review: A Curse So Dark and Lonely by Brigid Kemmerer (#Ad)

A Curse So Dark and Lonely by Brigid Kemmerer

I received this eProof for free from Bloomsbury YA via NetGalley for the purposes of providing an honest review.

A Curse So Dark and Lonely by Brigid Kemmerer


Published: 29th January 2019 | Publisher: Bloomsbury YA  | Source: Publisher via NetGalley
Brigid Kemmerer's Website

Fall in love, break the curse.

It once seemed so easy to Prince Rhen, the heir to Emberfall. Cursed by a powerful enchantress to repeat the autumn of his eighteenth year over and over, he knew he could be saved if a girl fell for him. But that was before he learned that at the end of each autumn, he would turn into a vicious beast hell-bent on destruction. That was before he destroyed his castle, his family, and every last shred of hope.

Nothing has ever been easy for Harper Lacy. With her father long gone, her mother dying, and her brother barely holding their family together while constantly underestimating her because of her cerebral palsy, she learned to be tough enough to survive. But when she tries to save someone else on the streets of Washington, DC, she’s instead somehow sucked into Rhen’s cursed world.

Break the curse, save the kingdom.

A prince? A monster? A curse? Harper doesn’t know where she is or what to believe. But as she spends time with Rhen in this enchanted land, she begins to understand what’s at stake. And as Rhen realizes Harper is not just another girl to charm, his hope comes flooding back. But powerful forces are standing against Emberfall . . . and it will take more than a broken curse to save Harper, Rhen, and his people from utter ruin.
From Goodreads

Trigger Warnings: This book features death due to cancer, loan sharks, threats of violence from loan sharks, kidnap, violent death, magical torture, violence, discussion of attempted suicide, threat of child murder and sexual abuse of a child, and a scene of blood, gore and viscera.
Continue reading Review: A Curse So Dark and Lonely by Brigid Kemmerer (#Ad)

Tuesday, 15 January 2019

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Once Upon a Retelling: Echo North by Joanna Ruth Meyer

Once Upon a Retelling

Welcome to Once Upon a Retelling! I'm a huge fan of retellings, and I'm really interested in hearing about authors' own love of the original stories, and what inspired them to retell those stories. And so Once Upon a Retelling was born, a feature in which I interview authors about their versions of well-loved tales.

Today, I'm so excited to have Joanna Ruth Meyer stopping by the blog to discuss her Beauty and the Beast and East of the Sun, West of the Moon mash-up retelling, Echo North.

Joanna Ruth MeyerCan you tell us a little about Echo North? What kind of a retelling of Beauty and the Beast and East of the Sun, West of the Moon is it?

Echo North is a re-imagining of East of the Sun, West of the Moon, starring a girl with a scarred face, a white wolf (instead of the white bear like in the original), and an enchanted library filled with books you can literally step into. The setting and landscapes are inspired by 19th-century Siberia, and I’ve borrowed a big element from the Scottish ballad Tam Lin for the ending!

Continue reading Once Upon a Retelling: Echo North by Joanna Ruth Meyer

Tuesday, 7 August 2018

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Review: Sea Witch by Sarah Henning

Sea Witch by Sarah HenningNetGalleySea Witch by Sarah Henning (eProof) - Everyone knows what happens in the end.
A mermaid, a prince, a true love’s kiss.
But before that young siren’s tale, there were three friends.
One feared, one royal, and one already dead.

~~~~~~~~~~

Ever since her best friend, Anna, drowned, Evie has been an outcast in her small fishing town. A freak. A curse. A witch.

A girl with an uncanny resemblance to Anna appears offshore and, though the girl denies it, Evie is convinced that her best friend actually survived. That her own magic wasn’t so powerless after all. And, as the two girls catch the eyes—and hearts—of two charming princes, Evie believes that she might finally have a chance at her own happily ever after.

But her new friend has secrets of her own. She can’t stay in Havnestad, or on two legs, unless Evie finds a way to help her. Now Evie will do anything to save her friend’s humanity, along with her prince’s heart—harnessing the power of her magic, her ocean, and her love until she discovers, too late, the truth of her bargain.

The rise of Hans Christian Andersen’s iconic villainess is a heart-wrenching story of friendship, betrayal, and a girl pushed beyond her limits—to become a monster.
From Goodreads.

I received this eProof for free from HarperCollin's Children's Books via NetGalley for the purposes of providing an honest review.
Continue reading Review: Sea Witch by Sarah Henning