Review: Cinderella (As Retold by Mike Klaassen)

About the Book

Cinderella as retold by Mike Klaassen

Published by BookBaby on February 15, 2018

I received an eARC of this novella in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

GoodReads Description

An Orphaned Domestic Slave Discovers the Magic Within Herself.

On Cinderella's eighteenth birthday, the king announces a series of three grand balls in which Prince Willem will select a bride. Cinderella attends the first ball but flees when she realizes that she is a witch. Accused by her stepmother of being a dreaded temptress, Cinderella flees the second ball.

Determined to gain Willem's love, Cinderella attends the third ball only to flee again when she foresees imminent invasion by barbarians. Is the kingdom doomed, or can Cinderella use her newfound powers to save the day?

Cinderella is part of the Klaassen's Classic Tales collection of ancient stories first published in the early 1800s, now enhanced for the 21st century.

If you liked Hansel and Gretel and The Frog Prince, you'll love this novella. Rediscover the enchantment of Cinderella today!

My Thoughts

Although I enjoy reading retold fairy tales, they are often difficult for me to review.  After all, the plot and characters that I'm enjoying are not creations of the author's imagination.  The challenge, then, becomes to judge how well an author is able to make the story their own.  In this case, Klaassen met the challenge.

Klaassen's retelling of Cinderella is chock full of vivid descriptions.  He makes sure to provide every detail of Ella's surroundings as she goes throughout her home as well as to and from each of the balls.  He masterfully describes the scenery, the other characters' attitudes, and even the animals' behavior.  Of these descriptions, I believe the most beautiful is Klaassen's description of Ella getting ready for the first ball.  I won't spoil it here, but it is a definite treat!

Unfortunately, not all of Klaassen's descriptions were as beautiful as his descriptions of scenery, animals, and attitudes.  In each novel/novella that I read, I look for the connections and relationships between characters.  I understood why Ella and her stepmother were at odds, but the relationship between Ella and her stepsisters needed to be better defined.  The reader should want to hate them as much as the stepmother, if not more!  Klaassen was also wary about truly setting the scene for his retelling.  Laws and beliefs of the time period it is set in are brought up, but never explained.  Therefore, there are sections that should frighten the reader that just fall flat. Even worse, however, are the sections that Klaassen wanted the audience to feel Ella's pain and apprehension, but the audience does not have the information to do so.  

Overall, I enjoyed this story.  I definitely recommend it to fairy tale fans!

My Rating

Book Blitz: Keeper by Kim Chance

Review: The Apostate Prince

About the Book

The Apostate Prince (Godswar Chronicles #2) by C. J. Perry

Published by Art of the Arcane on October 1, 2017

GoodReads Description

Eighteen years have passed since Justin’s mother broke the God of Light’s curse, freeing humans from the bonds of slavery. Justin is heir to the throne of the Dark Empire his mother built from the ashes, but he is a Red Wizard, an order opposed to the war between the religions of darkness and light - an apostate.

But when a beautiful red-haired knight comes for vengeance, prophesying return of the storm dragons and wielding a sword of light, the fuse of war is lit. To stop it, Justin can no longer sit on the sidelines. Torn between family and love, he will have to make a choice, and put his faith in someone or something other than his magic.

My Thoughts

After reviewing Dark Communion, I was ecstatic when Perry asked me to review The Apostate Prince.  Now, I'm excited to share my review with you.

Just like in Dark Communion, Perry spends a lot of time creating fantastic characters.  I loved that he was able to build not only shape shifting characters, but characters who struggled so much with their identity.  Justin became more realistic as the story progressed.  My favorite character, however, was Celia.  I admire her dedication to her father after his death and appreciated her bravery.  I absolutely died at the end of the book because of her actions.

Perry outdid himself when he described each of the battle scenes.  I felt like I was part of the action and found myself waiting for the characters to burst out of my Kindle.  Way to go, Perry!

Unfortunately, there were a few places where I thought Perry could have done a better job.  Even though I had read Dark Communion, it was difficult to remember enough to make sense of this story in certain places.  Too often, Perry made references to the first book without giving a reader enough information to truly recall the event.  Therefore, this is not a standalone novel and should be read immediately after finishing the first installment.

Additionally, Perry waited far too long to get into the meat of the action.  I know that there was a lot of information he wanted to share with the audience, but I felt that this could be done alongside the action.  In my opinion, he waited because he wanted the audience to really get to know Justin before the information started.  I just wish he had found a different way to do so.

Overall, I truly enjoyed this book.  I'm not sure if there are plans for a third book, but I hope there are and I hope it gets here soon!

My Thoughts