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 | 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."

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."

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.

Review 271. | My Lady Jane – Ashton, Hand, Meadows.

Title: My Lady Jane.
Author:  Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton + Jodi Meadows.
Pages:  491.
Published: June 7th 2016 by HarperTeen
Source: Edelweiss and publisher, thanks!

The comical, fantastical, romantical, (not) entirely true story of Lady Jane Grey. In My Lady Jane, coauthors Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, and Jodi Meadows have created a one-of-a-kind fantasy in the tradition of The Princess Bride, featuring a reluctant king, an even more reluctant queen, a noble steed, and only a passing resemblance to actual history—because sometimes history needs a little help. At sixteen, Lady Jane Grey is about to be married off to a stranger and caught up in a conspiracy to rob her cousin, King Edward, of his throne. But those trifling problems aren’t for Jane to worry about. Jane is about to become the Queen of England.

Rating:

This book gave me mixed feelings. When I started it I thought it was simply brilliant. But, the further I got into the story, the more I fell out of love with it. In the end, it became simply one of those enjoyable stories that was nothing special. Perhaps I had too high expectations, because I was expecting a lot from these three authors.

I was, and still am, a big fan of Jane though. The way the authors created her character was brilliant and she was my spirit animal. She loved reading, tried to stay away from parties and when she had to attend, she was not a social butterfly. I could totally see myself become friends with her, so we could rave about books and be awkward in groups together.

Edward shows great progress throughout the story. He grew up with the same knowledge as every man in that time period; girls were pretty much useless. Their only worth was marrying them off to someone powerful and rich - and that is exactly what is going to happen to Jane. Edward needs to secure his line on the throne, because he is dying, so if Jane gets children in time they can be put on the throne.

Her mother has tried to marry off Jane on multiple occasions and all of them failed, so Jane is not scared in the beginning. But the further we get, the more serious it is starting to become - and Jane really dislikes Gifford and his reputations. The problem for Gifford is that his special condition makes it hard to get to know him better. He is unable to control his powers, but at the same time, it is something that connects them when Jane finds out what she is able to do. The two of them grow together and that was definitely the highlight of this book.

It was fun, it was good, but not as mind-blowing as it was in the beginning. I am, however, still looking forward to the upcoming retellings from these three.

“He wanted to tell her she'd have more room if she'd just get rid of her books, but he supposed that in her case, it would be like telling a mother she'd have more room if she threw out her children.” 

Review 269. Rosamund Hodge – Bright Smoke, Cold Fire.

Title: Bright Smoke, Cold Fire (Untitled #1)
Author:  Rosamund Hodge
Pages:  448 pages
Published: September 27th 2016 by Balzer + Bray
Source: Edelweiss and publisher, thanks!

When the mysterious fog of the Ruining crept over the world, the living died and the dead rose. Only the walled city of Viyara was left untouched. The heirs of the city’s most powerful—and warring—families, Mahyanai Romeo and Juliet Catresou share a love deeper than duty, honor, even life itself. But the magic laid on Juliet at birth compels her to punish the enemies of her clan—and Romeo has just killed her cousin Tybalt. Which means he must die. Paris Catresou has always wanted to serve his family by guarding Juliet. But when his ward tries to escape her fate, magic goes terribly wrong—killing her and leaving Paris bound to Romeo. If he wants to discover the truth of what happened, Paris must delve deep into the city, ally with his worst enemy . . . and perhaps turn against his own clan. Mahyanai Runajo just wants to protect her city—but she’s the only one who believes it’s in peril. In her desperate hunt for information, she accidentally pulls Juliet from the mouth of death—and finds herself bound to the bitter, angry girl. Runajo quickly discovers Juliet might be the one person who can help her recover the secret to saving Viyara. Both pairs will find friendship where they least expect it. Both will find that Viyara holds more secrets and dangers than anyone ever expected. And outside the walls, death is waiting.

Rating:

The thing about this book is that the blurb pretty much tells you the entire story. It only fails to deliver the message that this is written from the point of view of Runajo and Paris Catresou – two characters that both failed to make an impression on me.

The tale starts, and has several flash backs, at the moment where Romeo and The Juliet meet and decide to be together. The Juliet (because this is not her actual name, but a title) is bound to her oath to kill her enemies, but she decide to sneak her way out of it with Romeo so they can get married. Things all fall apart when Paris throws himself in the middle of the situation, which ends up with The Juliet dead and him bound to Romeo.

Runajo is part of the Sisters, who oversee the feeding of the magic around the city that protects them from zombie-like people. She has the idea she could save the only city that is left in the world, by diving into the Archive of the Library that is overflown by the Ruined (although I'm not sure if that's what you call them. I must admit that I was pretty bored at that point) She does something stupid and she ends up saving The Juliet from dead, which binds the girl to her.

Both storylines never meet at the end of the story, which made it all feel pretty pointless, and the switching distracted me. The author also threw in a Necromancer with an evil plan, where The Juliet apparently needs to play a big role, and there are also different terms like Mahyani. At some point I could not keep track of who belonged where and what every title meant.. This was definitely not helpful, because I also couldn't care less about any of the characters. They were bland and especially Romeo got on my nerves. Runajo and The Juliet had the most potential, but failed to fully deliver.

Shame, shame, shame, because I still count Cruel Beauty from this author as one of my favorite books and I hoped I could add this story to that list. Now it will go on the DNF-series pile. The ending might have been interesting enough to make me want to pick up the sequel, but based on how bored I was.. I don't think I will remember much of the story once it is published. 2 stars for the gorgeous cover, the fact I did finish the book and the approach of the original tale.

Once upon a time, she believed she was only a sword. Now she fears she is only a girl.

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.

Review 263. Claire Legrand – Winterspell

Title: Winterspell.
Author: Claire Legrand.
Pages: 454.
Published: September 30th 2014 by Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers.
Sort: Stand-alone

The clock chimes midnight, a curse breaks, and a girl meets a prince.. but what follows is not all sweetness and sugarplums. New York City, 1899. Clara Stole, the mayor's ever-proper daughter, leads a double life. Since her mother's murder, she has secretly trained in self-defense with the mysterious Drosselmeyer. Then, on Christmas Eve, disaster strikes. Her home is destroyed, her father abducted--by beings distinctly nothuman. To find him, Clara journeys to the war-ravaged land of Cane. Her only companion is the dethroned prince Nicholas, bound by a wicked curse. If they're to survive, Clara has no choice but to trust him, but his haunted eyes burn with secrets--and a need she can't define. With the dangerous, seductive faery queen Anise hunting them, Clara soon realizes she won't leave Cane unscathed--if she leaves at all.

Rating:

There was something about this book that kept me from completely falling in love with it. I felt a certain disconnection from the story and the characters. It also doesn’t scream nutcracker retelling to me, but my overall opinion is that it’s a good book. The writing-style was superb, although not something everyone will fancy, and I was absolutely blown-away by the villain.

Retelling August '16 | The Importance of LGBTQIA+ Retellings - Chiara.

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

UPDATE  @ your name/blog name. This is your master post, like your challenge page.
REVIEW – book title @ your name/blog name.

Hello my dear retelling participants. Today I want to show you a really exciting post. I decided to team up with a few other bloggers and let them write guest posts about retellings. One of the first names I had to think of was Chiara from Books for a Delicate Eternity. She is THE blogger when it comes to LGBTQIA+ books, so I was excited when she accepted my offer to write a guest post about it! Here is her brilliant post:

The Importance of LGBTQIA+ Retellings – Chiara @ Books for a Delicate Eternity

There is, as always, a great need for LGBTQIA+ books. Everyone deserves and needs to see themselves in the media they are consuming. Seeing yourself in literature is incredibly important – it can assure you that you are not the only person who feels a certain way, can assure you that you are not ~other~, and can validate your existence and your feelings (and these are just three quick, tiny things that seeing yourself in books can do for someone).

But there is a need beyond just having LGBTQIA+ books in general. There is a need beyond seeing yourself in new stories. There is a need to see yourself in the stories that everyone knows. That you grew up with, but never saw yourself in. There’s a need for LGBTQIA+ retellings.

There are a few that already exist, but compared to cishet (cisgender and heterosexual) retellings, they are sadly few and far between. We need more of these stories that everyone knows and loves to see reimagined time and time again with LGBTQIA+ characters at their heart. So the transgirl can be the one that everyone falls head over heels in love with, so the bisexual prince can find his one true love, so the asexual princess can kick butt and take names. We need these fantastical and traditional and world-known stories to exist for everyone, not just cishet readers.

This year, there are three upcoming LGBTQIA+ retellings, and I infinitely excited for all of them:

First up there is As I Descended by Robin Talley, which is a retelling of Shakespeare’s Macbeth, with an f/f (female/female) couple at its heart. Macbeth is an incredibly intense and macabre story, and I cannot wait to see how the author brings it to life with a modern twist as well as LGBTQIA+ characters.

Secondly, there is Beast by Brie Spangler, which is a retelling of Beauty and the Beast. I cannot even express how incredibly excited I am for this story. For a retelling of one of the most popular fairytales ever to have a transgirl in the role of Beauty is just amazing. I really hope that she gets her happily ever after in this book.

Lastly, there is Marian by Ella Lyons, which is a retelling of Robin Hood. However, in this version of the tale Robin Hood is a badass girl, and the romance still exists between her and Marian. As soon as I found out about this book I had a MIGHT NEED for it, because badass lady knights are everything, and we totally need more of them.

I really hope that these upcoming LGBTQIA+ retellings get the love and attention they deserve, so that even more are written and published and devoured. If you’re looking for backlist LGBTQIA+ titles to read and support, here they are:


And I Darken by Kiersten White (retelling of Vlad the Impaler’s life, with a gay MC with POV chapters)

Ash by Malinda Lo (retelling of Cinderella – most say this is a lesbian retelling, but personally I read it as bisexual)

Beauty Queens by Libba Bray (all girl retelling of Lord of the Flies, with lesbian, bisexual, trans, and queer characters with POV chapters)

Love in the Time of Global Warming by Francesca Lia Block (retelling of Homer’s Odyssey with a bisexual girl protagonist – and also the rest of the cast are LGBTQIA+, as well, which is A+)
Lyra by Erica Crouch (retelling of the story of Orpheus, but with two boys)

Mad About the Hatter by Dakota Chase (retelling of Alice in Wonderland where Alice is a guy and falls in love with the Mad Hatter)

If you have always seen yourself in almost any of the books you decide to pick up, it might be hard to understand why this representation is so important. LGBTQIA+ characters are most often found in contemporary stories. And while these stories have great importance (because they can be reflective of the experiences and lives that LGBTQIA+ teens and young adults are living), there is a need for LGBTQIA+ novels in any genre. Including retellings. Retellings are often magical, and fantastical, and you are transported to a different time and place, and it provides a kind of escape in a way that contemporary novels can fail to do. Retellings are often super romantic, with high stakes attached and battles to be fought for this love to happen. Retellings are a reinvention of tales that we grew up watching and hearing, and make them something new to discover, but that still retain the essence that we have always loved.

Cishet readers see themselves in the original fairytales and myths and legends, and also their retellings. What LGBTQIA+ retellings do is take that beloved story that did not represent anyone except cishet characters, and bring them to life for LGBTQIA+ readers. I cannot stress how important it is to see yourself in the books you are reading. And LGBTQIA+ retellings do that, but also do it in a way that makes age old stories new and relatable and representative of the world we live in now. It says to the reader: yes, you can be the princess. You can be the knight. You can be the apple’s eye of the kingdom. Because you are real and worthy and important. You exist.

Do you have any recommendations when it comes to LGBTQIA+ (retelling) books? And how do you feel about this topic?

Review 254. Megan Morrison – Grounded.

Title: Grounded.
Author: Megan Morrison.
Pages:  384.
Published: April 28th 2015 by Arthur A. Levine Books
Sort: Part one of Tyme.
 

In all of Tyme, from the Redlands to the Grey, no one is as lucky as Rapunzel. She lives in a magic tower that obeys her every wish; she reads wonderful books starring herself as the heroine; her hair is the longest, most glorious thing in the world. And she knows this because Witch tells her so---her beloved Witch, who protects her from evil princes, the dangerous ground under the tower, even unhappy thoughts. Rapunzel can't imagine any other life. Then a thief named Jack climbs into her room to steal one of her enchanted roses. He's the first person Rapunzel's ever met who isn't completely charmed by her (well, the first person she's met at all, really), and he is infuriating-- especially when he hints that Witch isn't telling her the whole truth. Driven by anger at Jack and her own nameless fears, Rapunzel descends to the ground for the first time, and finds a world filled with more peril than Witch promised ... and more beauty, wonder, and adventure than she could have dreamed.

Rating:

This book did not turn out to be as epic as I thought it would be in the beginning. After a couple of pages I declared on Goodreads that this book would definitely end up in my top 10 of 2016. After finishing, I'm not sure if it will get a place, but it was highly enjoyable and I do recommend it. Also: the map is at the end of the book. No idea who came up with that idea, but all the way through the book I was thinking: I need a map to visualize this world! So, imagine my surprise when I found it at the end.. I'm happy they have one, but it is a strange placement.

Rapunzel has a quiet life in her tower, where she is cared for by Witch, the only mother she knows. Witch makes sure she is safe from the scary outside world, where princess try to marry her for her looks. No one has been able to reach to Rapunzel, as far as she knows, until Jack climbs into her tower. Jack only wants to find a cure for the fairy realm, so in return they can help him with his Giant problem. He helps her find out that there is more behind Witch than Rapunzel thought and she ends up leaving her tower for a quest.

Rapunzel was terribly naive and while I get that she might be more innocent than the average girl, at some point it started to get on my nerves. I liked how she cared for Witch, despite finding out what she has done. It was understandable and I always appreciate it when people can find something good in others. I also think she had a point when it comes to her birth parents.

Jack was a nice boy and I liked his mission to save his family. He had a hard time putting up with Rapunzel and I loved their bickering. The best thing about Middle Grade is always the fact they portray friendship between girls and boys without feeling the need to turn it into a romance. I think this book will appeal to younger girls who will be less distracted by Rapunzel's naive behavior.

Let it go | Fairytale edition.

John Connolly – The book of lost things.
RATING: 5 out of 5.
This book was fantastic and I highly recommend it to everyone. Such a gorgeous writing-style. It sucked me in from the beginning and it blew me away with some of its wisdom and word choices. I already shared one of his quotes in one of my monthly recaps, so here is another one:

“Without a human voice to read them aloud, or a pair of wide eyes following them by flashlight beneath a blanket, books had no real existence in our world. Like seeds in the beak of a bird waiting to fall to earth, or the notes of a song laid out on a sheet, yearning for an instrument to bring their music into being. they lie dormant hoping for the chance to emerge.They want us to give them life.”

The author made it really easy to connect with the young boy David, which is not an easy task. There was not a moment where I felt the voice was too young or too old; it was simply perfect.
The subtle use of the fairytales and how they are not the perfect happily-ever-after characters, the emotions throughout the story, the character development; I loved it all. David misses his mother and he has a hard time accepting the fact that his father has a new woman in his life; and that he has a little brother. His behaviour felt realistic and I liked the aspect of his family and how he slowly starts to accept his new life.

Gah, this is one of those books I want to reread very soon.

Margaret Peterson Haddix – Just Ella.
RATING: 2 out of 5.
I started this book with high hopes, but it turned out to be a disappointment. The author managed to use a creative spin on the original tale, but that’s pretty much all I liked about it. The tale of Cinderella and the fairy godmother turned out to be a simple gossip; Ella’s real story is less magical. That was interesting – and also the way her happily-ever-after evolves was a nice addition.

Ella was okay. I had a feeling I SHOULD have loved her, but in the end I didn’t. She stands up for herself, she manages to escape out of prison and in the end she realizes there is no such thing as love-at-first-sight, so she had all the right aspects to turn into a great heroin. She just felt too flat and I had no connection whatsoever.

Brianna Shrum – Never Never.
RATING: 3 out of 5. I received an eARC from the publisher on Netgalley.

I’ve always had my doubts about Peter and a feeling there was more to Hook than the information we’ve been given. This is one of those books that made me feel sorry for Hook. James is an innocent boy who wants nothing more than growing up. One day he meets Peter and the boy promises him that he can take him to Neverland for a vacation. Instead, James is dumped there with no way to return to his old life. He turns bitter and starts to see Peter for the hateful, childish boy he is. We also see glimpses of Wendy and Tiger Lily. This book went on for too long; there are many repetition and it started to get boring, but the ending was worth it.

Have you read any of these books? Interested in one of them?

Let it go | Massive edition.

Let it go is my feature, where I will spotlight all the books I DNF and the ones I've read and just want to talk about. The name is based on the wonderful song from the movie Frozen, hence the the reindeer. This feature is based on several other DNF features.

I want to get rid of all the reviews I have yet to post on my blog before 2016 starts, so I'm going to throw them all together in this post. You can scroll through all the categories and select what you want to read. They go from best rating –> worst rating. There are no spoilers for the books or sequels in the series. Here we go:

Fairytale retelling.

Marissa Meyer – Winter.
RATING: 4.5 out of 5.
It was fantastic and I read more than 500 pages in one sitting, but the ending still left me with a little disappointed feeling of I want more. It feels like there was still some story left to tell. Perhaps in the novella bind-up with the Epilogue to Winter? I HOPE SO. The main story is wrapped up neatly, so perhaps it's because I'm just not ready to let go of all the characters I fell in love with throughout the series. I could read about them forever and I'm satisfied with all the ships and the overall conclusion of the story. My only problem was the fact I didn't like how villainous Levana was and how I couldn't care about her 'reasons' for all the things she did.

Shannon Hale – Princess Academy.
RATING: 4.5 out of 5.
Miri lives in the valley near the mountain where everyone works to collect linder (stone). The prince is looking for a new bride and she will be picked from the girls in her village. They are all sent to a special Academy to be trained, so they can impress him. Miri is spunky, yet a bit insecure and she has a quick mind. She has a way with words and she is definitely not waiting to be trained for a prince. I loved how her family played a role in the story and how it stays away from the cliche story line. Don't let the promise and the fact that it is middle grade fool you.

Virginia Boecker – The witch hunter.
RATING: 2.5 out of 5.
This book caught my attention when it was pitched as magic from Graceling meets political intrigue from Game of thrones. While I don’t agree with those comparisons, I sort of liked it. Elizabeth is one of the best witch hunters. until she is accused of witch craft herself. She is sentenced to death, but saved by someone who was her biggest enemy: the powerful wizard Nicholas.
Elizabeth was okay. She is by no means a perfect character and I think I will forget about her soon, but being able to look in her head wasn't so bad. She is trust into a confusing time and I liked how she dealt with the situation. She is struck between her old life and the new information. I could understand how hard it was to change her believes, but she switches rather quickly. The writing-style was engaging. I don't know what it was, but it made me keep reading. I also think I ended up liking this book more because of my low expectations. I was left to believe it would be a boring, terrible book, but I don't think it was THAT bad.

Alethea Kontis – Dearest.
RATING: 2.5 out of 5.
Naked guys are sleeping in a room. Friday finds them and falls in love with one of them right away. Because…. Not for that reason ;) but I thought it was rather strange that she is standing there, observing this boy and wondering what color his eyes are. Okay guuurl. I am left disappointed by this series. The first book was stunning. I loved the combinations of fairytales and how it made me guess which stories she included. The second book was already less interesting and I found myself a little bored by this book. The characters in this book were a bit bland, although I did like the approach of Six Swans. I have high hopes for the next one, because I think I will like Princess Thursday much more.

Dakota Chase – Mad about the hatter.
RATING: 1 out of 5.
This book was simply too much. The author tried SO hard to make everything sounds funny and hilarious, that it felt too forced. I understand that she tried to copy the whimsical feeling from Alice in Wonderland, but to me, she failed to deliver it. I loved that the romance is between Hatter and Henry, brother from Alice, but it went incredibly fast. Hatter went from 'what an annoying boy' to 'oh, such luscious lips, I want to kiss them!' The same with Henry, who went from 'I must be crazy, this can't be real' to 'what a delicious man.' The story itself is also pretty much wandering around Wonderland, because Hatter must take Henry to the Queen of Hearts. I liked the addition of the King of Hearts and the talk about abusive relationships.

Review 244. Renee Ahdieh - The wrath and the Dawn.

Title: The wrath and the dawn.
Author: Renée Ahdieh.
Pages: 388.
Published: May 12th 2015 by G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers
Sort: Part 1 of the duology The wrath and the dawn.

One Life to One Dawn.
In a land ruled by a murderous boy-king, each dawn brings heartache to a new family. Khalid, the eighteen-year-old Caliph of Khorasan, is a monster. Each night he takes a new bride only to have a silk cord wrapped around her throat come morning. When sixteen-year-old Shahrzad's dearest friend falls victim to Khalid, Shahrzad vows vengeance and volunteers to be his next bride. Shahrzad is determined not only to stay alive, but to end the caliph's reign of terror once and for all. Night after night, Shahrzad beguiles Khalid, weaving stories that enchant, ensuring her survival, though she knows each dawn could be her last. But something she never expected begins to happen: Khalid is nothing like what she'd imagined him to be. This monster is a boy with a tormented heart. Incredibly, Shahrzad finds herself falling in love. How is this possible? It's an unforgivable betrayal. Still, Shahrzad has come to understand all is not as it seems in this palace of marble and stone. She resolves to uncover whatever secrets lurk and, despite her love, be ready to take Khalid's life as retribution for the many lives he's stolen. Can their love survive this world of stories and secrets?

Rating:

The wrath an the dawn is inspired by A thousand and one nights and it is all I could have wished for. I fell in love with both characters, their chemistry and the true reason behind the sacrifices Khalid makes. The ending definitely leaves you hanging and wanting for more. This is one of the best books I’ve read this year and I am so happy this is a hyped book that truly lived up to my expectations.

Review 239. Betsy Cornwell – Mechanica.

Title: Mechanica.
Author: Betsy Cornwell.
Pages: 320.
Published: August 25th 2015 by Clarion books.
Sort: Stand-alone, fairytale retelling.
Source: Netgalley and publisher.

Nicolette’s awful stepsisters call her “Mechanica” to demean her, but the nickname fits: she learned to be an inventor at her mother’s knee. Her mom is gone now, though, and the Steps have turned her into a servant in her own home. But on her sixteenth birthday, Nicolette discovers a secret workshop in the cellar and begins to dare to imagine a new life for herself. Could the mysterious books and tools hidden there—and the mechanical menagerie, led by a tiny metal horse named Jules—be the key to escaping her dreary existence? With a technological exposition and royal ball on the horizon, the timing might just be perfect for Nicolette to earn her freedom at last.

Rating:

LOOK AT THAT COVER. This has to be the most disappointed book I’ve read this year, because I was expecting so much. Even after some negative reviews I kept holding on to the hope that I might like it after all, because we all know how much I love my fairytales. And again, that cover is stunning, so I was hoping the story would live up to it. Now let me go sit in a corner and weep, while you read my review of this book with potential - and managed to blow it.

September retelling link-up | In defense of Disney Princesses.

September has started. Are you still on schedule? It the end of this post you can put links to your challenge page/post and every review you post on your blog. Please make this easy to navigate by putting it like this:

UPDATE  @ your name/blog name.
REVIEW – book title @ your name/blog name.

Don't forget to tweet with the hashtag #fairytaleRC

I often hear people complain about Disney princesses and how they give ‘the wrong image and idea to younger children.’ I talked a little about it in my discussion posts whether fairytales and Disney are done. Today I want to go ahead and defend my beloved Disney princesses.

Belle suffers from Stockholm syndrome, where you fall in love with your kidnapper. I say bull shit. Let’s go back to the basic of this story: her father is lost and enters someone else’s castle. The Beast thinks he is only there to gloat at him, so he locks him away. In the original tale it’s because Maurice steals one of his precious roses. If someone comes into your house, would you accept that? I know that Maurice had no wrong intentions, but I can see where the Beast comes from. He doesn’t kidnap anyone and Belle only comes into his life because she trades her life for her father. He never truly mistreats her and over time they grow a friendship that blossoms into something more. I don’t think it’s unnatural of Belle to fall in love with him. I was applauding when I read this article about Why beauty and the beast isn’t about the Stockholm syndrome. This story is all about finding beauty inside. Yes, the beast was an unkind person in the beginning, but he developed into a likable person.

Cinderella is often portrayed as spineless and stupid, but I honestly understand where she comes from. I think we all want to feel accepted and loved by the people around us. I know I always look for that feeling of belonging, like I said in my I am socially awkward post and my bullying story. Imagine you have lost two of the most important people in your life and suddenly you have three new people left. You look for their appreciation and that makes you vulnerable. So yes, Cinderella is abused and horribly treated and she doesn’t do anything against it, but spineless? I see it as a way of her to TRY to be loved by them. She wants them to notice her and that does mean she accepts their treatment, but is it really that strange? She always try to maintain her kindness. I think that it’s a beautiful trait, even when it’s a little naive. To always try to see the good side of someone can be a strength too. In the end she does stand up for herself and realize how strong she was. She managed to survive and she was still able to see the beauty in others.


Ariel is portrayed as that stupid girl who fell in love with a guy after one glance and she traded everything to be together with him. The first thing we must remember is that she longed for a life on land even before she met her Prince Charming. I think meeting him, finally seeing a human up close, was just the last push she needed. I think she was struck by the fact he was the first one she met and that gave a special connection to her. I think it was brave of her to go through the transformation and to go after something she wanted. I would be terrified to leave everything I know behind. Even if that decision meant that her story ended unhappy in the real tale, I think Disney gave her a strength by showing that fighting for what you want pays off in the end. This story is NOT about a girl changing herself for the love of her life. She changed herself to become part of a world she ached for and Eric happened to be there too (not to mention the fact Eric never said he wouldn’t have loved her if she was a mermaid. This also shows in the sequel with their daughter Melody).

I think these Disney princesses shaped me and I am welcome I had them in my life while growing up. I still love them, because they all have their good features and flaws. I loved this article that explains, with some examples, why Disney princess are NO bad role model and also this second article does a good job at portraying why Disney princesses rock. I also applaud this article for showing why Disney princesses are great role models.

How do you feel about Disney princesses? Do you think they are good or bad role models and why?

Review 236. Stacey Jay – Princess of thorns.

Title: Princess of thorns.
Author: Stacey Jay.
Pages: 400.
Published: December 9th 2014 by Delacorte Press.
Sort: Stand-alone.

Though she looks like a mere mortal, Princess Aurora is a fairy blessed with enhanced strength, bravery, and mercy yet cursed to destroy the free will of any male who kisses her. Disguised as a boy, she enlists the help of the handsome but also cursed Prince Niklaas to fight legions of evil and free her brother from the ogre queen who stole Aurora's throne ten years ago. Will Aurora triumph over evil and reach her brother before it's too late? Can Aurora and Niklaas break the curses that will otherwise forever keep them from finding their one true love?

Rating:

”Game of Thrones meets the Grimm's fairy tales in this twisted, fast-paced romantic fantasy-adventure about Sleeping Beauty's daughter, a warrior princess who must fight to reclaim her throne.” Game of Thrones? Not really, but the twisted fantasy-adventure description comes close my thoughts.

Let it go | All the books I read in Spain part 2.

Mackenzie Lee – This monstrous thing. 2.5/5.
This is a retelling of Frankenstein. Alasdair brings his brother Oliver back to life because he feels guilty. I liked how this book gives a different look on bringing someone back. It’s not solely about a crazy professor and Frankenstein didn’t turn out to be the monster we know. The steampunk feeling was nicely done. The rating is based on the fact that it’s not a memorable story and overall, it wasn’t that spectacular.

Nova Ren Suma – 17 & gone. 3.5/5.
Books with unreliable narrations can be so intriguing. I liked The walls around us and I was curious about this book. Lauren has visions of 17-year-old girls who disappeared and she has a feeling they want to tell her something. Lauren believes one of the girls, Abby, is still alive and she is the one to save her. I had a feeling at the beginning of the book that there was something wrong and Nova didn’t let me down. It’s a haunting story and I flew through the pages.

Kelly Barnhill – Iron-hearted Violet. 4/5.
Gorgeous book! It is filled with artwork that really added something to the story. Violet is smart, witty and loved by her people, but she is described as downright ugly. This is starting to become a problem when she wakes the Nybbass, who fills her head with lies. He makes her believe that true princesses are beautiful and he can help her with that problem. I liked the friendship between Violet and Demetrius. I also loved the presence of the dragon and the message in this book.

Gail Carson Levine – Ella Enchanted. 3/5.
I love the movie, so I thought it was time to finally read the book. And I was surprised, because this story is NOTHING like the movie. It’s like they only took the concept and created something entirely new; and definitely more enjoyable. The chemistry between Ella and Charles is much better on screen than in the book – and they made the story much more fast-paced. It’s still a good book, but this is one of those moments where I prefer the movie. (And if you don’t know the story; Ella got a ‘gift’ from a fairy at her birth. Obedience. This brings her in some difficult situations)

Let it go | All the books I read in Spain part 1.

Let it go is my new feature, where I will spotlight all the books I DNF and the ones I read, but don’t want to review. And yes, the name is based on the wonderful song from the movie Frozen, hence the snowflake and the reindeer. This feature is based on several other DNF features.

I read quite some books in Spain and I was planning to review them all separately, but let’s be honest, I’m too lazy at this moment to do so. The only book I will spotlight on itself is The wrath and the dawn (because it is amazing) These reviews feature pictures I made to test my new camera.

Becky Wallace – The storyspinner. 4/5.
SHIP. Johanna’s family is expelled from their troupe when her father falls to death during his performance. They have a hard time earning money, especially with their alcoholic mother. One day she is beat up by Prince Rafi when he catches her hunting a dear on his property. His mother is appalled by her son’s behavior and he has to make an oath that he will make it up to Johanna. I loved the chemistry between Johanna and Rafi, who dislike each other from the moment they meet. Johanna is a strong, smart girl who doesn’t take crap from anyone. The romance was great, there are some shocking moments and I loved the plot, so give me more please! I didn't give it 5 stars, because the overall story isn't very unique.

August retelling link-up | Fairytale recommendations.

September has started. Are you still on schedule? Don't forgot to add the hash tag #fairytaleRC to all your tweets.

I sometimes get questions about fairytale retelling recommendations. Today I’m going to list all the favorite retellings I’ve acquired over the years.