Ash and Bramble-Giveaway

My fourth Cinderella retelling is Ash and Bramble by Sarah Prineas.  I’m also giving away a copy of her book (see the details at the bottom of this post).  Good luck!

This book is a twist on the tale, with the fairy godmother set up as the antagonist. Pin, the Cinderella of the story, must choose between a peasant boy and the prince.  A fast paced story, with all kinds of unexpected twists and turns, it held my interest until the end.  Though is was an unusual spin on the classic tale, it was an enjoyable read and a great addition to any fairy tale collection.

From the inside flap of the book: 

A prince.
A ball.
A glass slipper left behind at the stroke of midnight.
The tale is told and retold, twisted and tweaked, snipped and stretched, as it leads to happily ever after.
But it is not the true Story.
A dark fortress.
A past forgotten.
A life of servitude.

No one has ever broken free of the Godmother’s terrible stone prison until a girl named Pin attempts a breathless, daring escape. But she discovers that what seems to be freedom is a prison of another kind, one that entangles her in a story that leads to a prince, a kiss, and a clock striking midnight. To unravel herself from this new life, Pin must choose between a prince and another—the one who helped her before and who would give his life for her. Torn, the only thing for her to do is trade in the glass slipper for a sword and find her own destiny.

Terms and Conditions for the Giveaway:  You must be a resident of the United States.  I will be giving away one copy of Ash and Bramble by Sarah Prineas.  A winner will be drawn randomly from all entries submitted.  The giveaway runs from Jan. 15th to Feb. 8th.  The winner will be announced on my blog on Feb. 19th.

Ash and Bramble Giveaway

I’ve really enjoyed doing this series of Cinderella retellings, and I may add a couple more posts to the series, as I have few more Cinderella retellings I want to share.  I have a couple of exciting things to share next month, as well as a special project that I will post about later this week.  February is going to be a great month!

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Cinder

My third pick is Cinder by Marissa Meyer.  I had heard a lot of hype about this book and the rest of the series, and it lived up to the hype!  I can’t wait to read the other books!  Set in the future, this is an unique take on the Cinderella story.

From the back cover: Humans and androids crowd the raucous streets of New Beijing. A deadly plague ravages the population. From space, a ruthless Lunar people watch, waiting to make their move. No one knows that Earth’s fate hinges on one girl. . . .

Cinder, a gifted mechanic, is a cyborg. She’s a second-class citizen with a mysterious past, reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister’s illness. But when her life becomes intertwined with the handsome Prince Kai’s, she suddenly finds herself at the center of an intergalactic struggle, and a forbidden attraction. Caught between duty and freedom, loyalty and betrayal, she must uncover secrets about her past in order to protect her world’s future.

Because of the futuristic twists with robot-like androids and space people, I was not sure if it would be a little too ridiculous and crazy, but the characters are well-developed and believable.  The story pulled me in, and I had a hard time putting it down.  However, this book does not end, so you will have to read the rest of the series to find out what happens to Cinder.  If the rest of the books are as good as this one, you will have no problem getting through them all!

Before Midnight

My second Cinderella retelling pick is Before Midnight, by Cameron Dokey.  This is part of the Once Upon a Time series, which is a great series for any fairytale enthusiast.  The book follows the traditional fairytale in that Cinderella’s father is still alive.   She also goes by the French translation of Cinderella, Cendrillion.

The father is so heartbroken over his wife’s death, that he leaves his daughter.  He blames her and vows never to see her again.  When he remarries, he send his new wife and her daughters back to the home where he left Cendrillion.  They don’t realize Cendrillion is his daughter, they just assume she is a servant girl, and treat her as such.  One stepsister is kind to Cedrillion, and the other one is mean to her. The stepmother is indifferent towards Cendrillion until she discovers that Cendrillion is her stepdaughter.  Once the stepmother realizes this, she welcomes Cendrillion as part of their family.

In this version, there is also a boy that is raised alongside Cendrillion, a baby that her father had brought home when Cendrillion’s mother died.  This adds a unique twist to the fairytale, and a surprise at the end.

This book captures the essence of Cinderella.  Wishes play an important role, and Cendrillion is a kind, but human heroine.  I read this book several years ago, and it was still quite memorable.  If you are a Cinderella fan, this is a must read!

The Captive Maiden

For this month, I am doing a series of blog posts.  As I mentioned before, Cinderella is my favorite fairy tale and there are numerous retellings of the story.  I am going to highlight some of my favorite retellings, one each week.  I’m starting with A Captive Maiden by Melanie Dickerson.  I will post twice this week, first will be the feature on the book, and second will be my interview with Melanie Dickerson.  Hope you enjoy the series!

From the back cover: Gisela’s childhood was filled with laughter and visits from nobles such as the duke and his young son. But since her father’s death, each day has been filled with nothing but servitude to her stepmother. So when Gisela learns the duke’s son, Valten—the boy she has daydreamed about for years—is throwing a ball in hopes of finding a wife, she vows to find a way to attend, even if it’s only for a taste of a life she’ll never have. To her surprise, she catches Valten’s eye. Though he is rough around the edges, Gisela finds Valten has completely captured her heart. But other forces are bent on keeping the two from falling further in love, putting Gisela in more danger than she ever imagined.

This is a medieval retelling.  Though there is no magic in this retelling, it is enticing, holding your interest until the last page.  There are knights and jousting and horses.  Gisela has her own horse, and as a horse lover, I really enjoyed the detailed scenes with the horses. The characters are fully developed and relatable.  Unlike in the original fairytale, Gisela and Valten develop a relationship through multiple meetings, not just one dance at the ball.  You feel for Gisela and Valten and cheer for them to find their way back to each other.  I enjoyed this book and recommend you read it if you love fairytale retellings!

What is your favorite Cinderella retelling?  Let me know in the comments.  It might just be one of the books I feature this month:)