Geekerella: All that’s Missing Are the Mice

Geekerella
by Ashley Poston
320 Pages
Quirk Books
Publication Date:  April 4th, 2017
Get a copy here!

BLURB:

Anything can happen once upon a con…

When geek girl Elle Wittimer sees a cosplay contest sponsored by the producers of Starfield, she has to enter. First prize is an invitation to the ExcelsiCon Cosplay Ball and a meet-and-greet with the actor slated to play Federation Prince Carmindor in the reboot. Elle’s been scraping together tips from her gig at the Magic Pumpkin food truck behind her stepmother’s back, and winning this contest could be her ticket out once and for all—not to mention a fangirl’s dream come true.

Teen actor Darien Freeman is less than thrilled about this year’s ExcelsiCon. He used to live for conventions, but now they’re nothing but jaw-aching photo sessions and awkward meet-and-greets. Playing Federation Prince Carmindor is all he’s ever wanted, but the diehard Starfield fandom has already dismissed him as just another heartthrob. As ExcelsiCon draws near, closet nerd Darien feels more and more like a fake—until he meets a girl who shows him otherwise.

 

Quick Reasons: yet another CINDERELLA retelling!; I loved the nerdculture/comic con references happening throughout; awesome, entertaining voice; these characters are pretty rocking; LOVELOVELOVE the play on fandom; not so sure how I feel about a few of the relationships here

insta-love

entertaining

devoured it

purple prose

Huge thanks to Ashley Poston, Quirk Books, and Netgalley for sending me a free digital galley of this title in exchange for an honest review! This in no way altered my read of or opinions on this book.

As so often happens when I pick up a CINDERELLA retelling (or ANY retelling, honestly), I found myself swept up in the magic of the story…and yet, somehow, also questioning some of the relationships. Now, don’t get me wrong–I totally understand the whole “wicked stepmother, evil step-siblings” trope. By “understand” I mean I get why it has to exist. But recently, I’ve begun to question the REALITY of such relationships. In this book, for instance: it’s really unclear exactly why the stepmother is so determined to be so cruel to Elle. I get that the stepsister is really just “following by example” in this case, and can therefore wrap my head around her being so unnecessarily snotty. But the stepmom? While we get a bit of an explanation later on in the story, it just… it doesn’t really FIT for me. It doesn’t really make much sense, or explain anything. It’s an excuse, in the end–not a justification or explanation. So I’m not sure how much I believed that particular relationship–it just didn’t seem very realistic.  It felt, in fact, just a little forced to fit the fairy tale trope, in my opinion.

 

That being said, however–these characters shine! The personalities are all individualized; I absolutely adored watching Elle transform and grow from “shy girl who never says no” to “independent, strong young lady.” I also adored all the mini references/nods to the original Cinderella–such as the pumpkin/chariot, which I only JUST now realized and pieced together (oops!)

The play on fandom and cons was super entertaining for this lover of all things nerdculture, and I so appreciated all the pop culture references laced throughout. It was so great to watch these characters react to and interact with others over their passion–and introduce a few specific special characters to the obsession, as well! I had a TON of fun watching the relationship between Elle and Darien evolve, as well–they’re so sweetly cute and tooth-rotting!

 

Overall, this was an entertaining read FULL of nerdculture/pop culture references. The characters are well-written, though a few of the relationships felt a bit too contrived to fit tropes for my taste. Also…I now wish that Starfield was an actual thing, because it sounds amazeballs. I definitely recommend to my fellow retellings fanatics, lovers of modern-day fairy tales, and other pop culture nerds. Roll up your sleeves and step on the gas, penguins; it’s time the masks came off.

Book Blitz, Excerpt, Teasers, Playlist, and Giveaway: Ensnared

 

Ensnared
by Rita Stradling
Publication date: May 23rd 2017
Genres: New Adult, Science Fiction

A Near Future Retelling of Beauty and the Beast

Alainn’s father is not a bad man. He’s a genius and an inventor. When he’s hired to create the robot Rose, Alainn knows taking the money is a mistake.

Rose acts like a human. She looks exactly like Alainn. But, something in her comes out wrong.

To save her father from a five year prison sentence, Alainn takes Rose’s place. She says goodbye to the sun and goes to live in a tower no human is allowed to enter. She becomes the prisoner of a man no human is allowed to see.

Believing that a life of servitude lies ahead, Alainn finds a very different fate awaits her in the company of the strange, scarred recluse.

Add to Goodreads / Pre-order

Playlist:

—

EXCERPT:

December 2, 2026

Alainn woke knowing someone was in her room.

Whoever it was sat behind her. Quiet, even breaths rasped through the air. Alainn’s eyelids peeked open. Moonlight cast a grayish glow, cutting deep shadows into the space around her bed.

“Good morning, Alainn,” Rose said in a quiet voice. When Alainn didn’t respond, Rose said, “I can tell from the change in your breathing pattern that you are awake.”

“Rose?” she whispered, not quite ready to let out a sigh of relief. Alainn twisted to look at her. “What are you doing here? Did you break my lock?”

“I picked it,” she said. “It is now locked again.”

“Oh, uh—” Her heart pounded in her chest; she sat up and faced the robot. “Why—why would you do that?”

The moonlight lit half of Rose’s face as she watched Alainn, expressionless. “Do not be alarmed. You are obviously having a fear reaction, but I was simply waiting for you to wake up.”

“Don’t you need to sleep—recharge?”

Now that Alainn faced Rose, she smelled the faint odor of her exhaust. Rose continuously exhaled the lightest tang of something sweet and acidic. The air in the room felt used, like a plane cabin after a cross-country flight.

“I was not completely forthcoming with you today. While what I said was true, I have for a time now believed that having Father imprisoned would impede my potential. While I have far surpassed his skills in software, there are times when I need assistance. I am limited by my need to stay near my charging station. Your brother is often absent for days at a time—and you, months.”

“Okay, wait—you’re going to go tomorrow?” Alainn scooted forward on the bed. A dormant hope resurged through her. Alainn would do anything—she’d worship at the robot’s feet if Rose agreed to go.

“No, you are going to go tomorrow.”

Alainn froze, staring at Rose. “What?” she whispered.

“I have calculated one way in which all parties can achieve their desires.”

“I’m sorry—I’m not understanding.” Alainn shook her head. A hard knot formed in her stomach.

“I am not surprised.” Rose reached out to pat Alainn’s hand. “You are not as intelligent as the rest of your family.”

“Spell it out in really simple terms, then.” She just managed to not growl the words at Rose.

Slowly, Rose looked up to the ceiling, moonlight slashing up the curve of her neck, her chin, and the line of her nose. “Earlier tonight, I arranged for you to be picked up by Mr. Garbhan through e-mail, writing as if I was Father. In one hour, a car will arrive outside to take you to his building. I have designed and created hardware for your body. If you are scanned, a chip in the hardware will communicate to the scanners that you have an organic circuitry system rather than a human brain.”

Alainn shook her head, hoping to dislodge some of the grogginess there. “I’m still not following—you’re saying you want me to pretend to be you and turn myself over? That you already arranged it?”

“Yes, you are following. That is exactly what I am saying.”

“I—I—” Alainn shook her head again. The air thinned around her.

“I have a working plan for the transplanting. You can assimilate easily into a life of servitude as you are already accustomed to the labor you will be asked to perform.” Rose lifted a hand, ghostly gray in the low light, and ticked off the chores on her fingers. “Cooking, housekeeping, and bookkeeping. Unless . . . is your concern that he might use you for sexual gratification?”

“What? No.”

“I believe that this would be a particular concern of yours.”

“I never even considered that he would do that to you—I, of all people, would never have tried to push you into going if I thought you’d be used that way.” Alainn blinked furiously. “Rose, do you really think that I would have let myself be the model when my

dad printed your face and body if I thought Mr. Garbhan was going to do that to you?”

“It is highly unlikely that I was designed for this function. I have also been assured that there were documents signed to that effect addressed to Father.”

Alainn held out her palms to Rose. “Rose, it’s not just that. I can’t take your place. There’s no way that would work . . . and I can’t live in that tower for the rest of my life. I’m a human. I know that probably sounds callous to you, but you were created to not need sunshine and fresh air. And you don’t need exercise. Humans need those things, me especially. Everything I am,” she touched her chest, “is centered on being in the outdoors.”

“The duration will be seven to fourteen days, no longer.” Her head swung down, causing shadows to swallow her eyes. Two black hollows focused on Alainn. “When Mr. Garbhan pays Father, he and I will make the Rosette model; this process should only take a week, unless there are complications. And then I will devise a way to switch you with the new model.”

 

Author Bio:

Rita Stradling is the author of The Deception Dance series, the Dakota Kekoa series and The Fourteen Day Soul Detox Novella Serial. She has a BA in Art History and a particular love for modern and medieval art.

Rita lives with her husband and son in Northern California.

She has an insatiable novel addiction and mostly reads young adult and adult: romance, paranormal, urban fantasy and high fantasy.

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter

GIVEAWAY!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Book Blitz, Goodies, Teasers, and Giveaway: Bellamy and the Brute

 

Bellamy and The Brute
Alicia Michaels
Published by: Clean Teen Publishing
Publication date: March 13th 2017
Genres: Fairy Tales, Retelling, Young Adult

A fresh twist on a classic story, Bellamy and the Brute proves true love really is blind.

When Bellamy McGuire is offered a summer job babysitting for the wealthy Baldwin family, she’s reluctant to accept. After all, everyone in town knows about the mysterious happenings at the mansion on the hill—including the sudden disappearance of the Baldwin’s eldest son, Tate. The former football star and golden boy of Wellhollow Springs became a hermit at the age of sixteen, and no one has seen or heard from him since. Rumors abound as to why, with whisperings about a strange illness—one that causes deformity and turned him into a real-life monster. Bellamy wants to dismiss these rumors as gossip, but when she’s told that if she takes the job, she must promise to never, ever visit the third floor of the mansion, she begins to wonder if there really is some dark truth hidden there.

Tate’s condition may not be the only secret being kept at Baldwin House. There are gaps in the family’s financial history that don’t add up, and surprising connections with unscrupulous characters. At night there are strange noises, unexplained cold drafts, and the electricity cuts out. And then there are the rose petals on the staircase. The rose petals that no one but Bellamy seems to be able to see. The rose petals that form a trail leading right up to the 3 rd floor, past the portrait of a handsome young man, and down a dark hallway where she promised she would never, ever go…

As Bellamy works to unravel the mysteries of Baldwin House and uncover the truth about Tate, she realizes that she is in way over her head… in more ways than one. Can her bravery and determination help to right the wrongs of the past and free the young man whose story has captured her heart?

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / iBooks / Kobo

—

10 Things I Love About Beauty and the Beast

Boy meets girl. Boy is a total jerk (and a bit of an animal). Girl looks deeper to see that boy isn’t what he seems. Boy resists at first, but girl is too kind and inwardly beautiful … boy falls in love with girl. Girl realizes she loves boy even though he’s a beast.

The tale is a classic one, and the concept of a beauty falling in love with a beast, despite his falls, one that we can all identify with. There’s a reason that the tale of Beauty and the Beast continues to be retold through the ages. Something about it makes us believe in true love … because if Belle can learn to love the Beast, then it truly must be real … as well as undiscriminating.

In honor of the release of Bellamy and the Brute, as well as the movie remake of Beauty and the Beast, here are 10 things I love about one of my favorite movies of all time.

10. Gaston. Okay, so I know he’s the villain, and we’re supposed to hate the bad guy. But hear me out. Gaston is one of my favorite Disney villains, because you really don’t see him coming. Most bad guys make themselves known as the antagonists from the jump … they hate the hero or heroine for (fill in the blank) reason, and want to destroy them. But, really, all Gaston wants is for Belle to recognize his perfection. What starts off as a seemingly stupid and harmless annoyance, becomes dangerous by the time all is said and done. I think it’s a testament to how villains are made in real life … ignorance that gains strength over time.

9. The Music. Because, who doesn’t sing along to ‘Be Our Guest’ or cry when they hear ‘Beauty and the Beast’ In a movie like Beauty and the Beast, the music must be acknowledged, and these songs are truly iconic.

8. Maurice (Bell’s Dad). Because he was just so darn loveable and I couldn’t help but see a bit of my own father in him. I just wanted to give him a big ole hug!

7. Mrs. Potts. Because Angela Lansbury (voice of Mrs. Potts) is an angel from heaven and her rendition of ‘Beauty and the Beast’ brings tears to my eyes. Every. Time.

6. Beast’s House & Library. Sure, the castle of the beast is presented as sort of sinister when Belle first approaches. But, as an adult, I can’t help but watch the movie again and appreciate the architecture, as well as the décor and furniture. And that library? Yasssss!

5. Bell’s iconic yellow/gold gown. Because I’m not going to pretend that I didn’t wrap bedsheets around myself and twirl around pretending to wear that beautiful ball gown. Easily THE most iconic princess outfit of them all. Yes, more iconic than Cinderella’s. Sorry, Cinders.

4. The scene where all the talking furniture goes against Gaston and his gang. This was one of the most epic battles of Disney history, and possibly the funniest. The part where the talking armoire leaps down to crush someone while emitting an opera-like cry? Comedic gold, I tell ya!

3. The Waltz. One of the most romantic things I’ve ever seen was Belle and Beast waltzing in that beautiful ballroom. Le, sigh!

2. Belle. What’s not to like about a strong, smart heroine. Belle wasn’t just beautiful on the outside. She was truly kind and generous, while also reminding the people around her that she wasn’t to be trifled with. Gaston, especially. She was not weakling, and she checked Gaston on his B.S. every chance she got. Plus, she was a bookworm, giving me someone to relate to as a kid, being the girl with her nose always in a book and all.

1. Lumiere and Cogsworth. We all know the movie is about Belle and Beast and their epic romance … but I have to say I was also really into the bromance between a talking candlestick and talking clock. The banter, the arguing, the working together to get their mutual friend a girlfriend so they could all be human again … let’s keep it real. Those two were the real MVPs of Beauty and the Beast.

 

Author Bio:

Ever since she first read books like Chronicles of Narnia or Goosebumps, Alicia has been a lover of mind-bending fiction. Wherever imagination takes her, she is more than happy to call that place her home. With several Fantasy and Science Fiction titles under her belt, Alicia strives to write multicultural characters and stories that touch the heart. V-Card, the first book of the Sharing Spaces series, was her first Contemporary Romance.

The mother of three and wife to a soldier, she loves chocolate, coffee, and of course good books. When not writing, you can usually find her with her nose in a book, shopping for shoes and fabulous jewelry, or spending time with her loving family.

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter

GIVEAWAY!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

My Fairy Godmother is a Drag Queen: A Snarky Reinvention of a Well-Loved Fairy Tale

Chris Bellows is just trying to get through high school and survive being the only stepchild in the social-climbing Fontaine family, whose recently diminished fortune hasn’t dimmed their desire to mingle with Upper East Side society. Chris sometimes feels more like a maid than part of the family. But when Chris’s stepsister Kimberly begins dating golden boy J. J. Kennerly, heir to a political dynasty, everything changes. Because Chris and J. J. fall in love . . . with each other.

With the help of a new friend, Coco Chanel Jones, Chris learns to be comfortable in his own skin, let himself fall in love and be loved, and discovers that maybe he was wrong about his step-family all along. All it takes is one fairy godmother dressed as Diana Ross to change the course of his life.

My Fairy Godmother is a Drag Queen is a Cinderella retelling for the modern reader. The novel expertly balances issues like sexuality, family and financial troubles, and self-discovery with more lighthearted moments like how one rogue shoe can launch a secret, whirlwind romance and a chance meeting with a drag queen can spark magic and light in a once dark reality.

YA / Contemporary / Romance / Fairy Tale Retellings
336 Pages
Sky Pony Press
Expected Publication Date:  May 2nd, 2017
Preorder a copy here!

Quick Reasons: just a bit stereotypical; love the humor and personality of the voice; entertaining, endearing, wholly recreated characters; I was sucked in from start to finish; tons of delicious angst, drama, and fun; the snark is on point; LOVE how David Clawson made this retelling wholly his own

insta-love

entertaining

devoured it

hot and steamy

Huge thanks to David Clawson, Sky Pony Press, and Edelweiss for sending me a free digital ARC of this read in exchange for an honest review! This in no way altered my read of or opinions on this book.

By now, I’m sure ALL my loyal penguins know full well that I am all about retellings. They are the bread to my readerly sandwich, after all! I am ALSO all about snarky characters, uniquely individualized reads, and reinvented story lines (especially if it’s a retelling being reinvented)! There’s nothing quite like stepping into a world you’re pretty sure you’ve seen from every angle…and being proven wrong.

 

 

David Clawson did exactly this for me with this title. I’ll be honest with you guys–when I stumbled upon this title on Edelweiss and saw it was up for instant download, I didn’t think twice. I read the title, laughed out loud like a lunatic, and promptly hit “download.” I didn’t even stop to read the blurb, which means, when I picked this book up to read…. I had no idea it was a retelling. It took only a couple of pages for me to realize that’s exactly what I was reading…and only a couple more after that to realize it was going to be entirely different from the story I thought I already knew. David Clawson took this fairy tale, and molded it into his own witty, snarky, entertaining beast–and I ADORED every second of it!

This was a fast-paced, entertaining read with some well-written, complex, and wholly unique characters. Trust me, penguins–this is not the Cinderella cast you know, but that doesn’t mean you won’t love them to tuna fish pieces. Honestly, I feel like the relationships sewn and nurtured in this book are SO MUCH BETTER than those I’ve been reading in the recent months. They are realistic, they grow and change as the characters do, and they’re all, in some tiny way, flawed…but they’re also easy for readers to relate to. In the original Cinderella story, and the subsequent retellings I’ve had the pleasure of reading/watching… I was never quite sure WHY the stepmother and sisters hated Cinderella so much. There never seemed to be an actual reason. David Clawson approached this in a new and unique way, and managed to wrap it up in the process!

 

 

I had a ton of fun with this book, and while it leans a bit heavily on certain stereotypes, I feel the personality and uniquely individualized characters really set this apart from other Cinderella retellings. The snark was heavy-handed, the morals (being true to yourself, feeling comfortable in your own skin) are handled with sensitivity, and I just ADORED me some Coco Chanel Jones–seriously, one of the best characters EVER! I recommend this to lovers of fairy tale retellings, diverse reads, and a strong focus on the sewing and building of familial relationships. If you’re seeking YOUR Prince Charming, maybe you should wear shoes that are much too big for you…you never know whose face you’ll kick one into!

In A Gilded Cage: This Rapunzel Prefers Strawberry Sundaes

Lucci Grimley is indeed alluring—crowned with a mane of long blond hair, and blessed with an enchanting musical talent that draws a brave rescuer to a high tower hidden in the forest.

However, this modern-day Rapunzel is a young man, sold as a child to the wealthy and childless Damien Gotham for the price of a fast car and a pile of cash. And Lucci’s heroic prince is William “Prin” Prinzing, a handsome college student and star soccer player, hired to care for the grounds of the lavish Tower Estate. Prin climbs an extension ladder rather than a long golden braid to gain access to Lucci’s second floor bedroom window, ultimately penetrating the secrecy surrounding the cloistered young man.

Friendship, and soon romance, blooms. The tower captive eagerly gives his loving innocence to his brave rescuer, which sends the strict and reclusive Gotham into a frenzy of jealous rage. With Prin, Lucci gets a taste of real life, and he wants more. Together, the young men must face Gotham’s ruthlessness and pay the price of liberating Lucci.

Romance (M/M) / Erotica / Retellings / Diverse Reads
166 Pages
Evernight Publishing
Publication Date: October 21st, 2016
Get a copy here!

Quick Reasons: fluffy, steamy, adorable romance; I’m branching out again!; a disturbing, dark take on Rapunzel; seriously, the “father” was terrifying; quick read with lots of adorable, quirky moments; I love?! this relationship; diverse read!

creeptastic!

steamy romance

insta-love

devoured it

entertaining

Huge thanks to Mia Kerick, Evernight Publishing, and YA Bound Book Tours for sending me a free copy of this title in exchange for an honest review! This in no way altered my read of or opinions on this book.

As per usual lately, I want to start with a trigger warning for sensitive readers: there are some violent scenes, and there is abuse (mostly emotional/mental), present in this book. Please be careful, and keep yourselves safe!

Also, this book explores some very mature themes/ideas. There are several explicit M/M sex scenes. Ideas like abuse, human trafficking, self-discovery, self-harm, and diverse love all play a role in this read. If these upset you or make you uncomfortable, this is probably not the right fit for you. Keep that in mind!

All that being said: I REALLY enjoyed this journey! The characters are endearing and adorable. I easily empathized with and found myself rooting for them both, in very different ways. I feel like the romance itself might have been just a little bit rushed, though. Given how little Lucci was allowed to experience the world, the insta-love on his end makes sense–Will is the first person to actually interact with and treat Lucci decently, so of course he’d be star-struck and infatuated. Will, after all, represents hope for Lucci. But I’m not sure it’s entirely believable, especially on Will’s end of things. He accepts his feelings toward Lucci almost TOO easily, in my opinion (having never been interested in anyone prior to this), and he doesn’t seem to struggle with it at all. Perhaps he’s just super resilient and adaptable, but I had a hard time believing it.

This was a quick read with some gorgeously written moments. I sat down intending to only read a small part of this…and ended up finishing it off within a couple of hours. The plot is well-paced, and I adored the ways Mia Kerick wove inspiration from Rapunzel and Hansel and Gretelthroughout the story. It’s a darker take, though–Lucci especially, while coming out stronger and standing on his own at the end, remains traumatized. So if you’re going into this read expecting a “magical happily ever after”…well, you won’t find it here. The ending is happy, of a sort, but it’s not all magically better.

Overall, I enjoyed this read. The characters were mixed parts snarky and endearing; the plot was driven and easy to slip into; and the subject matter was just dark enough to test my comfort zone. I will be keeping an eye out for Mia Kerick in the future–I can’t wait to see where she leads readers next! I recommend this to readers of diverse romance, journeys that make a statement, and stories inspired by fairy tales. This was exactly the adorable, steamy, dark romance I’ve been craving! Now, on to the next one.

Bookishly Obsessed (#5)

This is going to be a weekly post for Saturdays featuring anything “Bookish” I find myself obsessed with.  In most cases, this will be a certain type of book/read/author.  I might branch out to include covers, as well, but we’ll see.  By “obsessed”…I mean I own tons of/go out of my way to collect!

This week:

Fairytale Retellings

And no way in HECK I’m going to gather all my physical copies for pics, because there are SO.  MANY.  So I’m just going to put up the cover images instead.

Owned and Read:

Own, but haven’t Read:

The Wicked Years (Books 2-4), by Gregory Maguire
A Mad Zombie Party (White Rabbit Chronicles #4), by Gena Showalter
Mechanica, by Betsy Cornwell
Spelled, by Betsy Schow
The Undead World of Oz, by Ryan C. Thomas
The Looking Glass Wars (Books 1-3), by Frank Beddor
A Court of Thorns and Roses, by Sarah J. Maas
Cruel Beauty (Cruel Beauty Universe #1), by Rosamund Hodge
The Stepsister Scheme (Princess #1), by Jim C. Hines
Modern Wicked Fairy Tales, by Selena Kitt
Beauty , Deerskin, and Rose Daughter, by Robin McKinley
Of Beast and Beauty, by Stacey Jay
The Wicked will Rise (Dorothy Must Die #2), by Danielle Paige

Sadly…this isn’t even counting the ones that I WANT to read, but don’t own yet.  I… I think I have a problem, guys.

WHY, retellings?! WHYYYYY?!

Until next time, happy book-ing!

A Review of Grimm Diaries Prequels (#1-6), by Cameron Jace

What if all you knew about fairy tales was wrong?

Warning: these Grimm Prequels are like snap shots of a magical land you’re about to visit soon. I like to think of them as poisoned apples. Once you taste them, you will never see fairy tales in the same light again.

The Grimm Diaries Prequels are short books in the form of epistolary diary entries. They are teasers for The Grimm Diaries. The 6 diaries are told by The Evil Queen, Peter Pan, Little Red Riding Hood, the Devil, Prince Charming, and Alice Grimm.

Grimm Diaries Prequels:

1. Snow White Blood Red (narrated by The Snow White Queen)
2. Ashes to Ashes and Cinder to Cinder (narrated by Alice Grimm)
3. Beauty Never Dies (narrated by Peter Pan)
4. Ladle Rotten Rat Hut (narrated by Little Red Riding Hood)
5. Mary Mary Quite Contrary
6. Blood Apples (narrated by Prince Charming)
7 . Jawigi (narrated by sandman Grimm)

– – – – –

Rating: 2.25/5 Stars
Quick Reasons: LOVE the creative, unique spins on the old, well-known tales; love the “twisted” end reveals; not so in love with the choppy world-building, awkward dialoge, and often confusing plots; disappointed overall with writing quality

I was worried, going in to this read, that I might not be as blown away with it as I was expecting. The blurb sounds AMAZING, the idea of these retellings being told from the POV of rather unexpected characters was exciting… I deliberated for several days before deciding to at the very least give this first collection of “prequels” a shot before choosing to either continue with the stories or put them aside.

After reading this… I’m leaning, sadly, toward putting them aside.

I wondered why you didn’t burn the original scripts, instead of rewriting them. You must have figured out that sooner or later, someone would dig up the truth and expose you. Altering the stories was the smarter solution. You let children believe that vampire bites were resurrecting kisses, and that glass coffins were made for sleeping beauties, waiting for a prince to come and kiss them awake.

So, I was SUPER impressed with the “prologue” and the first prequel story. They seemed well-put-together, the prose was poetic and lyrical… I LOVED the Queen of Sorrow’s story, the ideas thrown around about Snow White and her true nature. It was all so beautifully crafted, I was enthralled—and while I knew the writing was a BIT shoddy around the edges, I ignored it for the captivating words being woven around me. The first two sections? Really worked for me. I was really excited about continuing on… until I started the second prequel.

Because somewhere between the end of book one and the beginning of book two, something shifted in Cameron Jace’s writing style. Dialogue was awkward and realistic at times: the characters repeated the same things over and over, or spoke in ways I couldn’t understand. I get they’re fairy tale characters, but…they should be able to hold a conversation like normal people? So why don’t they? The plots became wildly “spontaneous”–and by this, I mean they were all over the place. There was often little explanation and answers weren’t easily grasped by readers. The writing became rushed, instead of prolific and poetic. It began to fall flat.

“I thought so,” I said under my breath as I walked out. “Every child’s dream is to push a button and kill imaginary friends.”

I enjoyed the creativity Cameron Jace showed here. There were many times I found myself going… “Huh. Why hadn’t I thought of that?!” Which, if we’re being honest, is ALWAYS a good thing in a piece of writing. I had fun reading the many different alterations and experiments Cameron Jace used throughout the stories—there were a lot of “secrets” waiting to be uncovered or stumbled upon.

I feel, though, these prequels MIGHT have too many characters to focus on. There are so many different voices, so many different individual stories being woven here—I feel like Cameron Jace’s attention was unfairly and unequally divided. It’s easy to tell at times which characters/stories were more invested in, and which got the short end of the stick in the end. This made reading these first six prequels difficult and frustrating for me. I just wish, I guess, that there were less characters and more STORY, if that makes sense? Of course, they’re teasers, I get that…but that doesn’t mean the quality has to fall short.

A while later, we held hands. I liked it, still gripping my scythe in the other hand. Like the wolf boy said, maybe that was how relationships worked. A girl had to have her scythe behind her back, and a boy had his moments of uncontrollable hunger.

So… I enjoyed these for their creativity and unique ideas, but I was frustrated with them at the same time. I don’t think I’m going to be continuing on with this series—at least not at this time in my life. Maybe in the future I’ll give them a second shot, but for now, it’s time to move along to something else. I’d still recommend to lovers of fairy tale retellings, unique and inventive “twists,” and dark/edgy story telling. Just because thiswasn’t for me, doesn’t mean it’s not for you!