Fairytale News | 5 Upcoming Fairytale Retellings.

I know I disappeared for some time – again – but I guess I just have to deal with the fact I will not be able to be a consistent blogger anymore. I've been really busy with other hobbies and taking care of the wedding, so for now I will just put up random posts when I feel like it. Today I decided it was time to bring back one of my favorite features: sharing upcoming fairytale retellings in my Fairytale News. There are many new books that will be published in 2018 and sometimes it's hard to keep track of them, so it is my pleasure to show case them! Here are the first five books:

Blanca & Roja. by Anna-Marie McLemore.
Pitched as: Snow White and Rose-Red meets Swan Lake.

Expected publication: October 9th 2018 by Feiwel & Friends
The Cerceta girls have never just been sisters; they’re also rivals. They know that one day, they’ll find themselves drawn into a dangerous game to determine which sister will stay a girl and which will be cursed to live as a swan. But when two of their childhood friends become drawn into the game, the curse threatens to decide the fate not just of the sisters, but of all four of them.

Extra information:
After some spy work I found this tweet from the author:
So Blanca & Roja are Latina sisters, one queer, one straight. The two boys who get drawn into the woods' magic with them are a non-binary boy & a boy adjusting to a disability. So Blanca & Roja & those 2 boys are the 4 POVs you'll see in the book. The non-binary boy uses he/him & she/her pronouns. There's also a f/f couple who are not POV characters, but who might be 2 of my favorite characters I've ever written.
You can find an excerpt on the Bustle website.

The Orphan's Wish by Melanie Dickerson.
Pitched as: Aladdin retelling.

Expected publication: June 26th 2018 by Thomas Nelson.
From the streets to an orphanage in a faraway kingdom, Aladdin has grown up alone. Until he meets Kirstyn. With a father who is the duke of Hagenheim and a mother who is the patroness of the orphanage where Aladdin lives, Kirstyn is a member of the most powerful family in the land . . . and way out of his league. Despite the difference in their stations, Aladdin quickly becomes Kirstyn’s favorite companion for taking walks in the forest, and their childhood friendship grows along with them.

Extra information:
This is the 8th book in the Hagenheim series. These are Christian historical fiction books.

The Surface Breaks by Louise O'Neill.
Pitched as: Feminist Little Mermaid retelling.

Expected publication: May 3rd 2018 by Scholastic.
Deep beneath the sea, off the cold Irish coast, Gaia is a young mermaid who dreams of freedom from her controlling father. On her first swim to the surface, she is drawn towards a human boy. She longs to join his carefree world, but how much will she have to sacrifice? What will it take for the little mermaid to find her voice?

Extra Information:
Here is a tweet from the author where you can read the first page!

The Queen Underneath by Stacey Filak.   

Pitched as: Loose retelling of Sleeping Beauty.

Expected publication: May 8th 2018 by Page Street.
The Above and the Under have a tenuous truce that is shattered after the death of both their respective rulers. Gemma, the new queen of Under, must throw history aside and team up with Tollan, the heir to the Above throne, in order to take down a power that seeks to rule them all.
Their group of rebels is comprised of an assassin, a sex worker, and a palace servant from Above, and we follow their unique perspectives as they are forced to question previously held beliefs. But even with war looming, romance still grows. Challenging gender roles and the expectation that every prince must have a princess, Tollan discovers love with Elam—a young man, a sex worker, and one of Gemma’s closest friends.

Extra information:
This is the blurb on the Stacey's website:
In the city-state of Yigris, a secret pact has maintained the peace for over a hundred years. The King of Above rules over the nobles and the merchants, while the Queen of Under controls the thieves, assassins, and whores. The peace is shattered when both monarchs are murdered on the same day, leaving their heirs apparent to deal with the consequences.
Gemma Antos, the new Queen of Under, has only just begun to understand her new role when she is faced with a city under seige -- strange brambles erupt throughout the city, fires rage, and a mage rebellion threatens everything she cares about.

And you can read an excerpt on YA Books Central.

Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik.
Pitched as: Rumplestiltskin retelling.

Expected publication: July 10th 2018 by Del Rey
Miryem is the daughter and granddaughter of moneylenders... but her father isn't a very good one. Free to lend and reluctant to collect, he has loaned out most of his wife's dowry and left the family on the edge of poverty--until Miryem steps in. Hardening her heart against her fellow villagers' pleas, she sets out to collect what is owed--and finds herself more than up to the task. When her grandfather loans her a pouch of silver pennies, she brings it back full of gold.  But having the reputation of being able to change silver to gold can be more trouble than it's worth--especially when her fate becomes tangled with the cold creatures that haunt the wood, and whose king has learned of her reputation and wants to exploit it for reasons Miryem cannot understand.

Extra information:
This was actually a short story in an anthology called The Starlit Wood, but she decided to explore the story and expand it into a full novel!

Review | Marissa Meyer - Heartless.

Marissa Meyer - Heartless.
Published November 8th 2016 by Feiwel & Friends.

Long before she was the terror of Wonderland—the infamous Queen of Hearts—she was just a girl who wanted to fall in love.
Long before she was the terror of Wonderland, she was just a girl who wanted to fall in love. Catherine may be one of the most desired girls in Wonderland, and a favorite of the unmarried King of Hearts, but her interests lie elsewhere. A talented baker, all she wants is to open a shop with her best friend. But according to her mother, such a goal is unthinkable for the young woman who could be the next queen.
Then Cath meets Jest, the handsome and mysterious court joker. For the first time, she feels the pull of true attraction. At the risk of offending the king and infuriating her parents, she and Jest enter into an intense, secret courtship. Cath is determined to define her own destiny and fall in love on her terms. But in a land thriving with magic, madness, and monsters, fate has other plans.

Cath loves baking and her dream is to open her own store together with her maid, and best friend, Mary Ann. Her mother has even bigger dreams though; the King of Hearts is proposing to Cath. Idonia Pinkerton, Marchioness of Rock Turtle, wants nothing more than seeing Cath become Queen of Hearts, ruler of Hearts. Cath's passion of baking are crushed when even her father refuses to fund her bakery. The only one who seems to accept her for who she is, is Jest, the new court Joker.

From the moment they make eye contact, Cath is obsessed with him. While I loved him as a character, I did not like this hint of insta-love. He also throws in the famous, and one of the most annoying lines if you ask me, that 'she is not like other girls.' Because I did not care enough about this ship, I was also not shattered at the end of the book. I wish I had felt more, because if it had been delivered in another way, it would have been much more emotional.

Jest, together with Hatta, are in Hearts for a reason. We only get to see a glimps of what is going on in the world of Chess, where the Red and White Queen are battling for power. If Cath wasn't so stupid and naive to ignore the advice of the three sisters, we would have seen more of Chess. He was my favorite character for sure.

That was most probably the most problematic aspect of this book. I LOVED every character in the Lunar Chronicles, especially the girls, but I did not give a damn about Cath. She is selfish and without a doubt, stupid. She has captured the heart of the King, reasons still unknown, and she keeps messing with him. The whole I'm-going-to-say-no-or-perhaps-I-will-say-yes-situations kept going on and on and on. I missed a good plot like with the Lunar Chronicles..

The next thing I missed was the truly madness feeling of Wonderland. For some reason it felt rather bland and that's not something I expected from Meyer, who created such a fascinated world before. I wanted to see more strange things! I was looking for the same overly weird experience that I had with the original tale, that almost felt like a plunge into a bad trip. She could have done more and I feel she didn't went overboard enough. She did spend a lot of time into describing food, and I liked it, but at the end of the day I wasn't blown away.

Review | C.J Redwine – The Wish Granter.

Title: The Wish Granter.
Author: C.J Redwine.
Pages: 432.
Publication: February 14th 2017 by Balzer + Bray – I got an eARC from the publisher through Edelweiss. Thanks!

The world has turned upside down for Thad and Ari Glavan, the bastard twins of Súndraille’s king. Their mother was murdered. The royal family died mysteriously. And now Thad sits on the throne of a kingdom whose streets are suddenly overrun with violence he can’t stop.
Growing up ignored by the nobility, Ari never wanted to be a proper princess. And when Thad suddenly starts training Ari to take his place, she realizes that her brother’s ascension to the throne wasn’t fate. It was the work of a Wish Granter named Alistair Teague who tricked Thad into wishing away both the safety of his people and his soul in exchange for the crown. So Ari recruits the help of Thad’s enigmatic new weapons master, Sebastian Vaughn, to teach her how to fight Teague. With secret ties to Teague’s criminal empire, Sebastian might just hold the key to discovering Alistair’s weaknesses, saving Ari’s brother—and herself. But Teague is ruthless and more than ready to destroy anyone who dares stand in his way—and now he has his sights set on the princess. And if Ari can’t outwit him, she’ll lose Sebastian, her brother…and her soul.

RATING:

I fell in love with The Shadow Queen – and hereby I declare it as one of my favorite retellings of Snow White – so I was extremely excited about The Wish Granter. This book is part of the series, but they have separate stories.

Alister Teague is cursed and he uses all his wit to break free. If you come across him and you make a deal with him, it means you are screwed. Alister is a foul player and that is how he manages to use Thad's desperation against him. He forces the boy into becoming King and in return, Alister will keep Thad's sister Ari save from their murderous family. Ari isn't happy with this change of life and together with Sebastian, she tries to come up with a plan to get rid of Alister.

Ari is feisty and intelligent. She knows something is up with Thad and the mysterious Teague and she's not going to wait to see what is going to happen. Instead, she is doing her own research and this leads her in the arms of Sebastian, the new blacksmith with a story of his own. Piece by piece Ari finds out what has transpired between Thad and Teague and what this will mean in the future. Her plan to release Thad is dangerous and shows her loyalty for her family. I adored the fierce love between her and her brother. It was nice to finally have another book with a healthy brother-sister relationship. It was my favorite aspect of the story.

Thad and Sebastian are both solid character. Neither of them are really memorable on their own, but I liked their role in the plot. The blossoming romance between Sebastian and Ari was adorable. It's not one of those I SHIP THIS HARDCORE ship, but I liked their chemistry and how supportive they were.

The plot is fast-paced and the writing-style is so smooth and easy to read. This is the type of book you could read in one sitting. I still liked The Shadow Queen more, but I can't wait to see what more stories Redwine is going to write in this world.

"Sometimes having courage means the hardest tasks fall onto your shoulders."

Review | Christina Henry – Alice.

Title: Alice.
Author: Christina Henry.
Pages: 325.
Publication: Published June 28th 2016 by Titan Books Ltd

In a warren of crumbling buildings and desperate people called the Old City, there stands a hospital with cinderblock walls which echo with the screams of the poor souls inside.In the hospital, there is a woman. Her hair, once blonde, hangs in tangles down her back. She doesn't remember why she's in such a terrible place-just a tea party long ago, and long ears, and blood...Then, one night, a fire at the hospital gives the woman a chance to escape, tumbling out of the hole that imprisoned her, leaving her free to uncover the truth about what happened to her all those years ago.Only something else has escaped with her. Something dark. Something powerful.And to find the truth, she will have to track this beast to the very heart of the Old City, where the rabbit waits for his Alice.

RATING:

Warning: this book contains rape and a lot of violence. It is dark and graphic. I will mention these aspects in my review. I would classify this book as a mixture of horror and retelling.

Alice is trapped in an asylum after she mysterious disappeared and returned – covered in blood with no memories of what happened. She becomes friends with the guy in the next cell called Hatcher. They both manage to escape when the asylum burns down and they have an important mission: find the sword to kill the Jabberwocky.

Alice has no idea what is going on, but she is thrown into dangerous situations alongside Hatcher, who believes she is the one. They meet several characters who are extremely dark and twisted, like the Caterpillar who mutilates girls in his brothel to make them exclusive and the Walrus who eats girls while he rapes them.

This aspect gave me mixed feelings. I've always found Alice to be a pretty messed-up fairytale and this book really plays in on that feeling. It twists it in an even darker version that portrays how sick this 'Wonderland' can be. On the other hand, it is gruesome and quite graphic at times, which made it intense and not exactly enjoyable. This makes it hard to say I liked the book; I did, but not in the way you say you like a contemporary book where everything is fluffy and happy.

The fight against the Rabbit and the Jabberwocky was a bit of a let down. Alice and Hatcher have to make their way through deaths and situations that are harder, so I expected more of it. It felt like they got away easy there, like the author had used up everything in the way leading up to the battle.

When it comes to Alice and Hatcher and their sort-of-romance.. Alice and Hatcher are both unpredictable and highly flawed characters. Alice is a tough girl with a broken mind and Hatcher is unstable. It makes them different from many books I've read so far. I can't say I have fallen in love with either of them, but they do fascinate me. It was nice to see how they support each other and drag each other through the hardship, but I couldn't get on board of their growing feelings. I'm curious about the sequel and how this romance is going to play out.

"If you let grief in, it might consume you."

Let it go | Collection of books.

Patrick Ness- Release. 
RATING: 2/5.
Patrick Ness' books always make me feel stupid. It's like I'm not clever enough to truly grasp his intentions, because I can't figure out how the two stories combine. It felt like I was reading two books at the same time and they didn't mesh together in my head.

The first story is about Adam and how he deals with his homosexuality and his family, who are very religious and believe it is something he can be cured of. They try to avoid the topic, but whenever they can they make it clear they aren't willing to accept him. No matter what he does, it is always wrong. The moment his father tells him that is is hard to love him, but that the tries, my heart completely shattered for Adam. The fact that there are people in the world who think like that is just unbelievable to me. Love = love, no matter what, as long as it makes you happy.

Adam's romantic moments with his boyfriend made me melt and it was good to see he was so supported by him. The sex scenes were nicely done. Also his friendship with Angela! That was one amazing girl.

The other story is about a Queen and a Faun. She is possessed with the spirit of a girl that was strangled to death and she is now on the hunt to get justice. The Faun is hopping along to sort of protect her? The story was really poetic, but I struggled with it. I didn't understand what this story had to do with Adam.. and why it was there in the first place. I just don't see what it adds to the overall story.

So yeah. I'm starting to believe Ness' work is just not for me?

Review | C.J Redwine – The Wish Granter.

Title: The Wish Granter.
Author: C.J Redwine.
Pages: 432.
Published: February 14th 2017 by Balzer + Bray.
Source: Publisher on Edelweiss, thanks!

The world has turned upside down for Thad and Ari Glavan, the bastard twins of Súndraille’s king. Their mother was murdered. The royal family died mysteriously. And now Thad sits on the throne of a kingdom whose streets are suddenly overrun with violence he can’t stop. Growing up ignored by the nobility, Ari never wanted to be a proper princess. And when Thad suddenly starts training Ari to take his place, she realizes that her brother’s ascension to the throne wasn’t fate. It was the work of a Wish Granter named Alistair Teague who tricked Thad into wishing away both the safety of his people and his soul in exchange for the crown. So Ari recruits the help of Thad’s enigmatic new weapons master, Sebastian Vaughn, to teach her how to fight Teague. With secret ties to Teague’s criminal empire, Sebastian might just hold the key to discovering Alistair’s weaknesses, saving Ari’s brother—and herself. But Teague is ruthless and more than ready to destroy anyone who dares stand in his way—and now he has his sights set on the princess. And if Ari can’t outwit him, she’ll lose Sebastian, her brother…and her soul.

I fell in love with The Shadow Queen – and hereby I declare it as one of my favorite retelling of Snow White – so I was extremely excited about The Wish Granter. This book is part of the series, but they have separate stories. While I didn't fall in love with it as much as I did with The Shadow Queen, I think it is a fantastic retelling of Rumpelstiltskin.

Alister Teague is cursed and he uses all his wit to break free. If you come across him and you make a deal with him, it means you are screwed. Alister is a foul player and that is how he manages to use Thad's desperation against him. He forces the boy into becoming King and in return, Alister will keep Thad's sister Ari save from their murderous family. Ari isn't happy with this change of life and together with Sebastian, she tries to come up with a plan to get rid of Alister.

Ari is feisty and intelligent. She knows something is up with Thad and the mysterious Teague and she's not going to wait to see what is going to happen. Instead, she is doing her own research and this leads her in the arms of Sebastian, the new blacksmith with a story of his own. Piece by piece Ari finds out what has transpired between Thad and Teague and what this will mean in the future. Her plan to release Thad is dangerous and shows her loyalty for her family. I adored the fierce love between her and her brother. It was nice to finally have another book with a healthy brother-sister relationship. It was my favorite aspect of the story.

Thad and Sebastian are both solid character. Neither of them are really memorable on their own, but I liked their role in the plot. The blossoming romance between Sebastian and Ari was adorable. It's not one of those I SHIP THIS HARDCORE ship, but I liked their chemistry and how supportive they were.

The plot is fast-paced and the writing-style is so smooth and easy to read. This is the type of book you could read in one sitting. I still liked The Shadow Queen more, but I can't wait to see what more stories Redwine is going to write in this world.

"Sometimes having courage means the hardest tasks fall onto your shoulders."

Beauty and the Beast retellings.

Since I'm on a roll with content that has something to do with Beauty and the Beast, I decided to list down my five favorite retellings for you. These are the books I've read over a couple of years, so believe me when I say these come highly recommended.

Juliet Marillier – Heart's Blood.

Whistling Tor is a place of secrets and mystery. Surrounded by a wooded hill, and unknown presences, the crumbling fortress is owned by a chieftain whose name is spoken throughout the district in tones of revulsion and bitterness. A curse lies over Anluan's family and his people; those woods hold a perilous force whose every whisper threatens doom.

If you know me well, this first pick will be no surprise. I always use every opportunity to show my love for Juliet Marillier. There is something enchanting and magical about the way she writes stories. Her heroins are all strong in their own ways, the romances are so romantic and the plot moves with exactly the right pace. If you haven't picked up any of her books, you are missing out. My review for Heart's Blood.

“With courage and hope, we can conquer our fears and do what we once believed impossible.”

--------

Rosamund Hodge – Cruel Beauty

Since birth, Nyx has been betrothed to the evil ruler of her kingdom-all because of a foolish bargain struck by her father. And since birth, she has been in training to kill him. With no choice but to fulfill her duty, Nyx resents her family for never trying to save her and hates herself for wanting to escape her fate. Still, on her seventeenth birthday, Nyx abandons everything she's ever known to marry the all-powerful, immortal Ignifex. Her plan? Seduce him, destroy his enchanted castle, and break the nine-hundred-year-old curse he put on her people.

I read this book in 2014 and I still can't stop thinking about it. It is definitely time to reread this stunning book. The writing-style is lush, the blend of mythology and fairytales is intricate and the characters are flawed and fascinating. My review for Cruel Beauty.

“Where you go, I shall go; where you die, I shall die, and there will I be buried.”

--------

Naomi Novik – Uprooted.

Agnieszka loves her valley home, her quiet village, the forests and the bright shining river. But the corrupted Wood stands on the border, full of malevolent power, and its shadow lies over her life. Her people rely on the cold, driven wizard known only as the Dragon to keep its powers at bay. But he demands a terrible price for his help: one young woman handed over to serve him for ten years, a fate almost as terrible as falling to the Wood.

This story is a perfect blend of several folktales and Beauty and the Beast. I fell in love with the writing-style, plot and characters. The plot is interesting and has a rather creepy setting. There is a wonderful girl-girl friendship and Agnieszka was delightful. My review for Uprooted.

“There was a song in this forest, too, but it was a savage song, whispering of madness and tearing and rage.”

--------

Meagan Spooner – Hunted.

Beauty knows the Beast’s forest in her bones—and in her blood. Though she grew up with the city’s highest aristocrats, far from her father’s old lodge, she knows that the forest holds secrets and that her father is the only hunter who’s ever come close to discovering them. Deaf to her sisters’ protests, Yeva hunts this strange Beast back into his own territory—a cursed valley, a ruined castle, and a world of creatures that Yeva’s only heard about in fairy tales. A world that can bring her ruin or salvation. Who will survive: the Beauty, or the Beast?

This is the newest Beauty and the Beast retelling I discovered last month and let me tell you this, it was simply the best!  Yeva was fabulous and it didn't take me much time to fall in love with her personality and voice. There is much development into the character of Beast and there was enough time to warm up for the romance. My review for Hunted.

“She wept because she did not know what she wanted, and because she wanted everything.”

--------

Sarah J. Maas – A Court of Thorns and Roses.

When nineteen-year-old huntress Feyre kills a wolf in the woods, a beast-like creature arrives to demand retribution for it. Dragged to a treacherous magical land she only knows about from legends, Feyre discovers that her captor is not an animal, but Tamlin—one of the lethal, immortal faeries who once ruled their world.

I have read a few reviews that talk about the problematic issues in this book and I will not deny that there are definitely aspects that could have been better. That being said, it's still a really entertaining, well-written story and I love Feyre. My review for A Court of Thorns and Roses.

“Don't feel bad for one moment about doing what brings you joy.”

Beauty and the Beast: the movie (Spoilers!)

Before I start this long post where I will gush about my love for this movie, there is one thing I want to say: I LOVED IT SO MUCH. MY HEART IS OVERFLOWING WITH LOVE. I CRIED HAPPY TEARS AND I AM NOT EVEN ASHAMED ABOUT IT.

Now, on to the more serious business about this review. I will talk about different aspects, so I can show you all the reasons why I love this movie more than almost anything else in the world. If you want to go into this movie without knowing anything, please skip this post :)

The Prologue. 

The moment I heard the beginning tunes of the movie, I had shivers. I'm so happy that they kept true to most of the prologue from the animated movie – but what made me even happier is the fact they included more background story. I LOVED the scene that shows off how prosperous and arrogant the Prince lives before he is punished by the Enchantress. I LOVED how they included her more into the story and how she sets everything in motion. The Prologues is tied into a deeper story about the Prince when we see a flashback to his younger self. I thought it was brilliantly done and it gave the Beast more depth as a character. It also takes away some of the questions the animated movie raised.

The Songs.

I would say that the songs always have been the Heart of the movie. They say so much about every character, from Belle's longing to adventure to Gaston's amount of self-love. And Oh My God, did they blow me away with these songs. All the original songs are there and the new songs they included? Absolutely my favorites ones of all time. I can't pick one I loved the most, but Evermore by the Beast has to be one of the best they have added. I never realized I missed a song by the Beast so much until now. Also, Days in the Sun beats Human Again. Goosebumps every time I hear it and How does a moment last forever destroyed me.

The Cast.

I don't think I could have asked for a better suited cast. Every character is simply brilliant and exactly how I imagined them. Okay, Lumière's French accent might have been a little rusty at times, but Dan Stevens (Beast), Luke Evans (hunk Gaston), Josh Grad (Lefou) and Belle (Emma Watson) stole the show. One thing I always find really important is the Beast's voice and Dan NAILED it. Such a warm voice. Luke pulled off the whole crazy-obsessed guy vibes (and damn, he is gorgeous) without making him look like a card board villain. Emma's personality fit so well with Belle, it didn't even feel like she was acting, and her voice wasn't too bad in the songs. Josh was fantastic and his chemistry with Luke made Gaston's song better than the one in the animated version. It's a shame that they skipped the 'covered in hair' part.

The CGI.

The castle was gorgeous. All the characters like Lumière, Cogsworth and Mrs. Pott were beautiful and I loved the Victorian touch. The Beast was done so well and they really made his blue eyes stand out. He was so detailed and real looking. I recently read the Special edition from Entertainment Weekly where they talked about all the work that went into the CGI. How Dan had to shoot his scenes twice; once walking around with a grey suit on stilts, the second time only his face to really capture his emotions - and it shows!

The Changes.

1. Lefou. I know there was a lot of discussion around his character, but wasn't it obvious already that his character was gay? I mean, look at his admiration for Gaston and how he accepts everything he does. The fact that they put more emphasis on this was the best. I also think they did a great job with his portrayal, especially when he starts to question Gaston's methods. He (and Luke) really gave the movie that something special, with their comical touch.
2. The Enchantress. Like I mentioned in the Prologue, she plays a bigger role now and that was a good move. I've always wondered if she would stick around to see if the Beast was able to change and now we get those answers. The fact that they gave the Beast more background story; sublime choice.
3. Gaston. They changed some of the scenes between him and Belle, which worked quite well. I did miss their talk about her book and how she could read anything with no pictures in it, but I'm happy they changed the scene where he is thrown into the puddle of mud. I don't think that would work with a live version. A lot of people talk about the fact that the Beast was punished, but Gaston never was; and I wonder how they can think like that. Gaston was set on marrying Belle, a person who would never marry him, and in the end he died because of it. How is that not punishment? He could have changed, but instead he was consumed by this obsession with 'conquering' Belle, and it was the end of him. LeFou changed before it was too late for him.
4. The book that lets you travel to another world. It was the perfect way to show what happened to Belle's mother and why they are so different from the rest of the town. They were outsiders from a big city with less small-minded people. That's probably why Belle does read - and why people don't accept it when she is teaching another girl how to read.

The Clothes.

I really loved all the clothes Belle wears and how they made minor changes to make it fit to her personality. Also, credits for making her an inventor! I loved that. A lot of people complained about the dress and while it might not be as gorgeous as the original one, I would still wear it and treasure it. I thought it suited Emma and the dancing scene *swoon*

There wasn't anything I didn't love. I'm sorry for overusing all these words to show my excitement, but the fact that Disney delivered again makes my heart happy. Seeing my all time favorite fairytale and animated Disney movie coming alive like this is all I could have wished for.

The Beauty and the Beast.

MinaLima, the award-winning design studio behind the graphics for the Harry Potter film franchise and the creators of the illustrated Jungle Book and Peter Pan, reimagine the beloved French fairy tale The Beauty and the Beast in this deluxe unabridged edition illustrated with stunning full-color artwork and nine 3-D interactive features. 

Generations of readers have been bewitched by the epic love story of a beautiful young girl imprisoned in the magical castle of a monstrous beast.

Gabrielle-Suzanne Barbot de Villeneuve, MinaLima (Illustrator), James Robinson Planché (Translator). Published January 31st 2017 by Harper Design (first published 1740)


The moment I laid eyes on this book, I knew I had to get it and I was not disappointed by it. My love for Beauty and the Beast knows no limits, but this book reminded me of the fact I never read the original tale *gasp*

It was interesting to see the story Disney worked with and I must admit that I am happy with the changes they have made. They turned every character into a more likable figure, but what I did love in this book is the background story of the Beast. It felt like I was reading another story inside a story, which is something I missed in the animated movie. It made him a more solid character. We all have to admit that the time line around Beast's life in the Disney movie is a bit flawed and that is no problem in this book.

I really missed the talking objects though. There is no Lumière, Mrs. Potts or Cogsworth. Instead there are different themed room, like one with Monkeys who become friends with Belle. My image of Beauty and the Beast is so wrapped around Disney that I couldn't stop missing my beloved extra characters.

The best thing about this version is the beautiful leather-bound cover, the illustrations and the interactive features. Those 3d features weren't extremey special, but still added something fun to the story. The illustrations were to die for, especially those at the beginning of every chapter. I spend a lot of time looking at them, soaking in all the details, and it really made the story come alive.

Highly recommend this book if you are a fairytale lover like me.

Review | Meagan Spooner – Hunted.

Title: Hunted.
Author:  Meagan Spooner.
Pages:  352.
Published: March 14th 2017 by HarperTeen.
Source: Edelweiss and publisher, thanks!

Beauty knows the Beast’s forest in her bones—and in her blood. Though she grew up with the city’s highest aristocrats, far from her father’s old lodge, she knows that the forest holds secrets and that her father is the only hunter who’s ever come close to discovering them. So when her father loses his fortune and moves Yeva and her sisters back to the outskirts of town, Yeva is secretly relieved. Out in the wilderness, there’s no pressure to make idle chatter with vapid baronessas…or to submit to marrying a wealthy gentleman. But Yeva’s father’s misfortune may have cost him his mind, and when he goes missing in the woods, Yeva sets her sights on one prey: the creature he’d been obsessively tracking just before his disappearance. Deaf to her sisters’ protests, Yeva hunts this strange Beast back into his own territory—a cursed valley, a ruined castle, and a world of creatures that Yeva’s only heard about in fairy tales. A world that can bring her ruin or salvation. Who will survive: the Beauty, or the Beast?

Rating:

Oh my! You are probably aware of my undying love for Beauty and the Beast, so I'm happy to say this is a worthy retelling. I LOVED every single moment and I already can't wait to buy a hard copy, so I can re-read it.

Yeva's father loses all his money after a stupid gamble for even more money and power. Yeva and her two sisters have to move into his tiny house in the forest, away from town. Yeva is secretly relieved to live in a more quiet place, but her father's fraying mind is starting to worry her. One day he returns, claiming he has to hunt down a monster and Yeva decides to go after him. Yeva is captured by the Beast, but over time the two grow closer and she is torn apart by her feelings for him and her loyalty towards her family.

Yeva was fabulous and it didn't take me much time to fall in love with her personality and voice. I loved everything about her. She is (physically and mentally) strong, wild and stubborn, but never too rash in her decisions. She is so out of place in town, but I like her attempts to fit in to make her father happy. It was clear from the beginning that she was meant for a different life than what he envisioned, but I admired her loyalty to her family to try it anyway. Her restlessness and need for more is how she ends up in the hands of Beast.

Every once in a while you get to see his point of view at the beginning of a chapter and it is clear he has a troubled mind. I liked the jumpy and chaotic writing, because it truly set him apart from the other characters in the book. His background story was fascinating and I was curious to see what the authors was planning to do with his curse; awesome twist! It felt like a fairytale inside a fairytale - and that background story made him a fascinating character.

The plot and writing moved with a fast, yet steady pace. It was the perfect balance between giving things enough time and moving on, so it wouldn't get too boring. The romance had enough time to blossom and I felt it happened subtle and believable. The writing is smooth, absolutely fairytale worthy and filled with details without getting overwhelming. This book definitely shows instead of tells, which made it easy to get swept away. 

Definitely highly recommended.

Retelling December '16 | Giveaway puzzle.

Don't forget to tweet and Instagram with the hash-tag #fairytaleRC.

The end of the year is approaching and I want to thank everyone for joining for a second year. This is also my announcement that I will not host the challenge in 2017. I'm taking a break, so if anyone is willing to host it next year, feel free to let me know in the comments. I might come back in 2018, but I feel uninspired and there has hardly been any feedback, so I'm taking a step back for now.

 I still want to reward all of you by giving away a prize. Last year I made a bingo card for December, this year I went with a puzzle to combine with a giveaway! There are two simple rules:

1. You must be a participant of the challenge. Just add a link to your challenge page and you are good to go. (This means you need to have a page made before December)
2. You must figure out the answer to this puzzle.

CLICK on the picture to make it large.

I hope you are all familiar with the concept of a Swedish puzzle, but in case you are not I will explain it. I will give you clues and you have to fill in the answers in the field of the corresponding number in the puzzle. If you’ve managed to fill in all the answers, you must look at the coloured fields and the letter in there. You place these in the coloured line on the bottom of the puzzle and you will get a special word/sentence. As you can see, there are double colours in that line. There are two light blue, purple and light pink squares, because these contain the same letter. The black square is to make the distinction between the different answer fields more clear, because it first looked like 24 was just one huge line.

I think we are good to go! The puzzle is Disney themed (of course)

1 horizontal: “Under the sea.”
1 vertical: Red head who loves brchery.
2: Poisonous fruit.
3 horizontal: a skilled technician, was able to build his own solar surfer.
3 vertical: Grand vizier.
4 horizontal: Black panther.
4 vertical: No wonder that her name means..
5: One of seven.
6: Magic powers. The cold never bothered her anyway.
7: Voiced by Kurt Russell.
8: Disney is..
9: Historical figure. Daughter of Powhatan.
10: Has a fairy godmother.
11: Wreck-it!
12: Forgotten Disney princess.
13: King of Mangani.
14: Took a long nap.
15. Animal that lost his mother.
16. Lives in Neverland.
17: The shadow man.
18: She loves llamas.
19: Son of Esmeralda.
20: Expects misfortune to happen to him.
21horizontal: Robotic genius, lives in San Fransokyo.
21vertical: Rocks blue flames as hair.
22: A Cecaelia.
23: Abbrevation for Gantu’s title.
24: The Walrus and The... (Alice in Wonderland)
25: In love with Evangeline.

If you have any questions you can leave a comment here or leave a message somewhere on my other social media.

a Rafflecopter giveaway Please, make sure you follow the rules. Cheating is off no use and it only takes more time for you and for me. It’s also important you are >18 or you must have permission from your parents to enter the Rafflecopter. Your personal details will be deleted after I’ve send you the prize. The giveaway is international as long as The book depository ships to your country. The price value is 10 euro and it must be a (fairytale) retelling.

Let it go | Rumplestilskin and Castle behind thorns.

Today I'm going to highlight two fairy tales. One is a fun twist on Rumpelstilskin and the other is a not-so-good attempt for a Sleeping beauty retelling.

Jenni James –Rumpelstiltskin. Published September 15th 2013 by StoneHouse Ink. Faery tale collection #3. FINISHED: 3 flowers.

A young prince crippled by a witch— When Fredrico watches his cruel family mourn his false death and announce to the kingdom their cursed prince has died, is the day he truly embraces his new life and new name Rumplestiltskin. How could he be known by anything else? —His skin is completely rumpled and stilted now. He hides away from the king and queen and grows up as a crippled servant in the castle. Years later, his younger brother, Marcus, becomes king and humors Aubrynn’s father when he boasts that his daughter can turn straw into gold. Intrigued Marcus locks the distraught maiden in a tower and declares to the kingdom that if she can transform the straw, he will marry her, but if she cannot he will kill her father. Rumplestiltskin is determined to help Aubrynn save her father and marry the king. Now, if only he can remember to keep his real identity a secret and not fall in love with her himself…

Interesting twist on Rumpelstilskin. I like how he is punished for the crimes of his family in the hope of changing him. His family never embraces him as crippled and they fake his death. Rumpelstilskin takes a new name and hides inside the palace. I felt so sorry for him and his lonely life, but when a desperate father boasts about his daughter ability to turn straw into gold, Rumpelstilskin decides to help her.

He becomes friends with Aubrynn – and they even start to feel more – but he will give up on her when his brother Marcus wants to marry her. Despite everything, he is still loyal to his family and I appreciated that trait in him. Like most stories in this series, the romance is a little fast, but it wasn’t so bad. There was an instant chemistry between them and they are both lonely, so I could understand their strong connection. Aubrynn is a sassy, clever girl and I was rooting for them all the way.

Merrie Haskell – The castle behind thorns. Publication: May 27th 2014 by Katherine Tegen Books (Edelweiss). FINISHED: 2 stars.

When Sand wakes up alone in a long-abandoned castle, he has no idea how he got there. The stories all said the place was ruined by an earthquake, and Sand did not expect to find everything inside-from dishes to candles to apples-torn in half or slashed to bits. Nothing lives here and nothing grows, except the vicious, thorny bramble that prevents Sand from leaving. Why wasn't this in the stories?
To survive, Sand does what he knows best-he fires up the castle's forge to mend what he needs to live. But the things he fixes work somehow better than they ought to. Is there magic in the mending, granted by the saints who once guarded this place? Unexpectedly, Sand finds the lost heir, Perrotte, a girl who shares the castle's astonishing secrets and dark history. Putting together the pieces-of stone and iron, and of a broken life-is harder than Sand ever imagined, but it's the only way to gain their freedom, even with the help of the guardian saints.

Disappointing. I was constantly hoping for me, but this book was never good enough. Sand woke up in a castle surrounded by thorns. His first attempt to escape ends up in being very sick; the thorns seem to be alive. Sand finds out that he has a gift when he wakes up the princess Perrotte. She is a horrible girl in the beginning. Spoiled, arrogant and unkind, but I liked her development. When her past is revealed I could understand her a little better, but I was never connected to them. The plot of the story is also a bit thin, so the book could have used less pages. I sometimes lost my attention.. Shame.

Review 266. Melanie Dickerson – The captive maiden.

Title: The captive maiden.
Author: Melanie Dickerson.
Pages: 302.
Published: November 23rd 2013 by Zondervan.
Sort: Stand-alone, companion to The fairest beauty.
Link: Goodreads.

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 meets the duke's son, Valten--the boy she has daydreamed about for years--and learns he is throwing a ball, she vows 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.

Rating:

I have mixed feelings about this book. I really went in with the idea I was going to love it, but I was a bit underwhelmed by the plot and the writing-style. There is a difference between easy and too simplistic. It was a bit chunky and it prevented me from being swept away in the story.

Gisela grew up with her horrible stepmother and two stepsisters after her father’s death. The only reason she endures the suffer are the horses: she can’t leave them alone. I thought it was sweet from her to care so much about her animals. One day,  she meets the heir: Valten. He invites her to one of his jousts and the end ball – they are practically in love right away.

When you read fairytales, you know that insta-love is hard to avoid. When it comes to retellings, I expect more. These stories are longer and have more opportunities to make it realistic. The fact that he falls in love for her beauty and kindness towards horses is rubbish. Being kind to animals doesn’t define you as a good person right away – but of course, she is practically flawless. There is also no character development and that made the characters feel flat. They were okay, but there is nothing special about them to make them stand out.

Dickerson tried to make the plot more spectacular by introducing another villain. This man hates Valten for winning and he will do everything to defeat him. I didn’t care for it and it made the story drag. There is this part where he bargained with Gisela’s stepmother, so he kidnaps her and wants to force her to marry him. She escapes with Valten, but are captured again and blablabla, it was boring.

Keep in mind that this book is a Christian book. There are random situations where they pray or talk about ‘the ways of God.’ Being someone who grew up with faith, it was still a bit too preachy for me.

Retelling September '16 | Dressing up a villain.

Don't forget to tweet and Instagram with the hash-tag #fairytaleRC.

Hello hello! We are already in September and I hope you are doing great with your challenge. How many retellings have you've read so far?

Today I want to do something I did in the 2015 Fairytale challenge link-up in July and I thought it would be fun to dress up two fairytale villains! This is how I imagine them to look in our time.

I imagine Cruella in a timeless black maxi dress with her red pumps as statement. Of course, a big fluffy coat and a fun necklace.

For some reason I see Mother Gothel as someone who would dress to impress. Really classy and sophisticated look with the color of her plum dress in the movie.

How would you dress up some villains?

Review 265. Liesl Shurtliff – Red.

Title: Red: true story of Red Riding Hood.
Author:  Liesl Shurtliff 
Pages:  288.
Published: April 12th 2016 by Knopf Books for Young Readers
Sort: Stand-alone.
Source: Netgalley and publisher. Thanks!
 

Red is not afraid of the big bad wolf. She’s not afraid of anything . . . except magic. But when Red’s granny falls ill, it seems that only magic can save her, and fearless Red is forced to confront her one weakness. With the help of a blond, porridge-sampling nuisance called Goldie, Red goes on a quest to cure Granny. Her journey takes her through dwarves’ caverns to a haunted well and a beast’s castle. All the while, Red and Goldie are followed by a wolf and a huntsman—two mortal enemies who seek the girls’ help to defeat each other. And one of them just might have the magical solution Red is looking for. . . .

Rating:

Red has magical powers, just like her grandmother, but she is afraid of it. Every time she attempts to do magic, something bad happens and she refuses to use it anymore. When her grandmother gets really sick, Red decides to go away to find a cure. On her way she comes across two new friends: a wolf and Goldie, who wants to find a love potion for her parents.

I really liked how Shurtliff blended different tales into one story and how she switched up the roles of certain characters. It made is creative and fun to explore. There are even some nods to Rump, who was Red's best friend before her moved away. Red herself reminded me of Jack and how they are both brave enough to go on a journey all by themselves.

The best part however, was the growing friendship between Red and Goldie. Red has turned into a bit of a lonely, introvert girl. Everyone in the village is afraid of her and try to avoid her. This has made Red so independent that she first tries to turn Goldie away. Throughout the book we see how Red develops and changes around Goldie; the two become close and start to depend on each other.

The plot itself is interesting enough to keep you occupied. Red catches a dwarf and uses his knowledge to hunt down three cures for her grandmother's sickness, but they all come with a price. There is an important message in this book that Red starts to realize; sometimes the inevitable thing happens and you can't stop it. This makes this book heavier than the previous ones, but it handles it in such a way it is not too dark for children.

Overall, fun story with an unique spin on Red Riding Hood and Goldilocks.