Rhiannon
I really enjoyed this unique and fully engaging reimaging of the Cinderella fable. It comes at it from the POV of the ‘evil’ stepmother as she and her daughters (and stepdaughter) suffer bad luck, misfortune, and worse.
Etheldreda had a contented life when tragedy struck and left her and her two young daughters adrift without support and under threat of being separated. When Ethel remarries to save her family, she thinks she has found a happy medium with her tolerable second husband and his aloof, pompous and prim stepdaughter who has been raised to believe she is of much better quality than those around her.
But then that second marriage is doomed as well, and Ethel finds herself nearly destitute and responsible for not just her own children, but her stepdaughter as well, who refuses to contribute to their survival. As she scrabbles to provide safety and stability for her daughters and stepdaughter with misfortune shadowing her every move, a sudden fortuitous opportunity arises for the young ladies to be debuted at a Royal ball. Ethel is determined to do everything she can to ensure they all have a fair shot at it.
The drama amps up as a possible royal marriage may not be all that beneficial, as Ethel is tied to the current queen with an unfortunate history and knowledge of royal secrets that must not be discovered. Ethel is torn between a future of security for her daughters and the monstrous secrets they will be forced to keep to hold on to that future.
I loved the strong fierce, female lead of Ethel – all the female characters were compelling and fully realised, really – as the author has ensured they are all complex, imperfect creatures trying to survive in a world that favours men and consistently treats women as chattel to be married off. None of them are perfect, and all, even the minor ones, are multi-dimensional.
The prose was dramatic and well done with beautifully rendered settings and the compelling plot didn’t have a single boring moment. And while I was content with how the family eventually makes out, the ending was perhaps just a little too neat and tidy after all that transpires (without giving away spoilers here.)
Overall, a strong, engaging read of female strength, family, loyalty and resilience that turns the old fable into a rich, immersive tale. A fantastic debut from an author that I will want to read more of!
My thanks to NetGalley and St. Martins Press for the ARC. I am leaving this review voluntarily and all opinions are my own.
Originally posted at www.instagram.com.
I really enjoyed this unique and fully engaging reimaging of the Cinderella fable. It comes at it from the POV of the ‘evil’ stepmother as she and her daughters (and stepdaughter) suffer bad luck, misfortune, and worse.
Etheldreda had a contented life when tragedy struck and left her and her two young daughters adrift without support and under threat of being separated. When Ethel remarries to save her family, she thinks she has found a happy medium with her tolerable second husband and his aloof, pompous and prim stepdaughter who has been raised to believe she is of much better quality than those around her.
But then that second marriage is doomed as well, and Ethel finds herself nearly destitute and responsible for not just her own children, but her stepdaughter as well, who refuses to contribute to their survival. As she scrabbles to provide safety and stability for her daughters and stepdaughter with misfortune shadowing her every move, a sudden fortuitous opportunity arises for the young ladies to be debuted at a Royal ball. Ethel is determined to do everything she can to ensure they all have a fair shot at it.
The drama amps up as a possible royal marriage may not be all that beneficial, as Ethel is tied to the current queen with an unfortunate history and knowledge of royal secrets that must not be discovered. Ethel is torn between a future of security for her daughters and the monstrous secrets they will be forced to keep to hold on to that future.
I loved the strong fierce, female lead of Ethel – all the female characters were compelling and fully realised, really – as the author has ensured they are all complex, imperfect creatures trying to survive in a world that favours men and consistently treats women as chattel to be married off. None of them are perfect, and all, even the minor ones, are multi-dimensional.
The prose was dramatic and well done with beautifully rendered settings and the compelling plot didn’t have a single boring moment. And while I was content with how the family eventually makes out, the ending was perhaps just a little too neat and tidy after all that transpires (without giving away spoilers here.)
Overall, a strong, engaging read of female strength, family, loyalty and resilience that turns the old fable into a rich, immersive tale. A fantastic debut from an author that I will want to read more of!
My thanks to NetGalley and St. Martins Press for the ARC. I am leaving this review voluntarily and all opinions are my own.
Originally posted at www.instagram.com.