Reviews by Tag: fairytale retelling

Cinderella is Dead by Kalynn Bayron is a twisted sapphic fairy tale. Sophie lives in a land where Prince Charming and Cinderellas’ story is true, but Cinderella and Prince Charming are dead and she lives in a controlling society where women must find husbands and be quiet. Sophie doesn’t want a husband, she’s in love with her best friend but they know they can’t be together. On the night of a ball for women to find husbands Sophie runs and defies the current king.

The Land Of Stories: A Grimm Warning
This is the 3rd book in the series “Land of
Stories”. This book is one of my favorite
books in the series since this is when
things start to drastically change for the
main characters in the book. The first two
books' main purposes are to set the scene
and enable the reader to emerge into the
world of the stories. This book is what
starts to set the theme for how the rest of
the series will play out. This book is the

Fairest of All, by Serena Valentino, is the story of what drove the Evil Queen to poison
Snow White. The Queen is happy, she has her husband, her daughter, and her best
friend. Sadly, the happiness doesn’t last. The king is killed in action. The Queen is
heartbroken, her only solace is her magic mirror. As time goes on, The Queen slowly
loses herself to the man in the mirror. The Queen tries to kill Snow White, but is she
really lost, or is there still goodness in her?

In this twisted fairy tale, Marissa Meyer reveals the backstory of the Queen of Hearts in her book Heartless. Set in Wonderland, main character Catherine must decide what life she wishes to lead. Catherine is the daughter of a Marquess, however, she wishes she could own a bakery with her maid Mary Ann. Unfortunately, her societal role prevents this career and her parents wish for her to marry the King. Her life is turned around when she meets the court jester and must choose if she wants to be the perfect daughter or choose the path that makes her happy.

The disease, Letumosis, is eating away at the shining city of New Beijing. Kai, the Prince, of New Beijing is holding a ball in a few days. And the Lunar Queen Levana is plotting. Meanwhile, Cinder, part metal and full-time mechanic, is facing her malicious family, prejudice, and mounting chores with only her tools and her android with a “flawed personality” Iko...

Soman Chainani’s Quests for Glory is the fourth book in The School for Good and Evil series; however, it begins a new trilogy. Students of the School for Good and Evil are on their required fourth-year quests, Sophie is the acting Dean of Evil, and Agatha and Tedros are trying to return Camelot to its former glory. As the reader revisits some of their favorite characters, Chainani introduces a new cast, including a villain who tries to take Tedros’ throne.

Princess Talia, who is woken by Jack, comes to the future. She realizes that she has slept for three-hundred years and does not know what the new world is.  Princess Talia believes that she can escape her village and live with Jack, whom she must seduce to fall in love with her. However, she must do so before the witch takes her away.

The third book in The School for Good and Evil series by Soman Chainani, The Last Ever After, was surprisingly unpredictable. While Agatha and Tedros are transported back to Gavaldon, Sophie is living with the School Master. Although the girls’ story was supposed to be closed long ago, their separation causes their story to be opened once again as evil takes over and old villains return from their graves.

A retelling of the Goose Girl, Khanani introduces us to Princess Alyrra who is soon to be betrothed to the Crown Prince Kestrin. She travels to his kingdom with her handmaiden where the Lady, a fae folk, switches their appearances and uses this to capture Kestrin. Distraught, Alyrra has to warn him of the fake princess and the soon coming danger to his life. She soon realizes that he’s aware of this, and Alyrra comes to accept her new life. She takes on the position of a goose girl and the new name of Thorn.

Blue de la Cour is a talented alchemist with a dangerous secret: she is a witch. In Balavata, magic is both feared and hated, so the magic in Blue’s blood could very well lead to her death. After her father’s sudden death, she is thrown into turmoil, finding herself the ward of Lady Chauveau, a powerful councilwoman. What’s more, strange things are happening in the kingdom — orphans are being kidnapped, daughters of influential families are being murdered, and screams of monsters echo through the streets.