Cursed by Marissa Meyer

Information

Goodreads: Cursed
Series: Gilded #2
Age Category: Young Adult
Source: Library
Published: 2022

Official Summary

Before the Endless Moon, when the Erlking means to capture one of the seven gods and make a wish to return his lover, Perchta, from the underworld, Serilda and Gild attempt to break the curses that tether their spirits to Adalheid’s haunted castle. But it soon becomes clear that the Erlking’s hunger for vengeance won’t be satisfied with a single wish, and his true intentions have the power to alter the mortal realm forever. Serilda and Gild must try to thwart his wicked plans, all while solving the mystery of Gild’s forgotten name, freeing the ghosts kept in servitude to the dark ones, and trying to protect their unborn child.

Romance, danger, and Serilda’s journey to find her power as a woman, a mother, and a storyteller make this reimagining of Rumpelstiltskin one that Meyer fans—old and new—will treasure.

Review

Marissa Meyer has done it again! The sequel to Gilded brings readers on a breathtaking journey full of romance, mystery, suspense, and danger–one fans will find difficult to put down. The atmospheric worldbuilding and the intertwining of folklore and fantasy will draw readers in. But the empathetic characters and the high stakes they face will capture readers entirely. A must-read for fans of YA fantasy and fairy tale retellings!

Gilded ended on a dramatic cliffhanger, so I was only too eager to see where Meyer would take the story next. I loved that the narrative did not keep the characters safe, but repeatedly put them in untenable situations. The Erlking and his court are meant to be monsters, and it was imperative for the integrity of the story for this to be true. Fairy tales such as this are meant to be dark, meant to show that humans can persevere beyond all reasoning. And, maybe, just maybe, triumph. But that question of whether triumph is even possible anymore is the part that makes this story so gripping.

I also really loved that Serilda is a mother in this story. Motherhood is not often explored in YA books, even though it is a part of life and even something some teens might experience. Granted, I felt at times that Serilda read more like a young twenty-something than a teen, but readers do not need to only read books with protagonists exactly their age. And the motherhood element made this book feel more unique, as well as adding higher stakes to Serilda’s struggle for freedom.

Cursed is that rare thing, a sequel that lives up to its predecessor. More mythology, more intrigue, and more romance all come together to create an unputdownable read that will leave readers wishing for more. Fans of Meyer’s will not want to miss out on this stunning conclusion to the duology!

Scarlet by Marissa Meyer

Information

Goodreads: Scarlet
Series: Lunar Chronicles #2
Age Category: Young Adult
Source: Library
Publication Date: 2013

Summary

Cinder is on the run. The Lunar Queen, Levana, wants her dead, but she has no plans to wait around in prison to let that happen. Meanwhile, in France, Scarlet Benoit is searching for her grandmother. But so are the Lunars. Her grandmother, it seems, just might have information about the missing heir to the Lunar throne. Scarlet will have to team up with a mysterious stranger named Wolf if she wants to learn the truth. But she is not sure Wolf is a man she can trust.

Review

After giving Cinder another chance, I jumped right into Scarlet, finally determined to find out what all the hype over the Lunar Chronicles was about. Sadly, however, Scarlet suffers quite a bit from second book syndrome. The ending of Cinder suggested that a high stakes political game was about the begin, probably culminating in some sort of epic battle. Scarlet, however, just spends a couple hundred pages working to get Cinder and Scarlet together. It is a bridge book, not a really interesting story of its own.

Strangely, even though Scarlet should, by rights, be Scarlet’s story, I quickly decided that Cinder was the more interesting character with the more interesting plotline. Had Cinder’s story not been intertwined with Scarlet’s, I do not know if I would have finished reading the book. Scarlet spends a lot of time simply traveling from point A to point B. And, even though she has a fiery spirit, and I initially thought she might be an equal for the strong, enigmatic Wolf, at the end of her journey, all Scarlet does is break down in tears and wait to be rescued. How disappointing.

Cinder takes a bit more agency in her part of the book, escaping from prison and teaming up with the foppish Thorn, who provides quite a bit of comic relief. I felt a bit of gratitude each time her chapters appeared. I enjoyed that she takes no nonsense from Thorn and that, even though she is on the run with no overall plan, she at least has a series of actionable steps to complete while she figures things out. Unlike Scarlet, who kept waiting for Wolf to protect her, Cinder has to take charge herself–and it looks like she will probably end up rescuing Kai, instead of the other way around.

In the end, I do not have really strong feelings about Scarlet because it really does seem like a bridge book. It is not a story of its own, but just a way to set up the next stage of Cinder’s journey. I hope that the set-up for action in book three will not disappoint.

Cinder by Marissa Meyer

Information

Goodreads: Cinder
Series: Lunar Chronicles #1
Age Category: Young Adult
Source: Library
Published: 2012

Summary

Cinder is the most gifted mechanic in New Beijing–but only because she has a secret. Cinder is a cyborg, and thus considered a second-class citizen. Her stepfamily mistreats her and she must live with the knowledge that society hates and fears her. Then Prince Kai shows up with a mysterious request. He needs the information hidden in a broken android. Suddenly, Cinder is involved in a most unexpected romance–but also embroiled in interplanetary politics.

Review

I first read Cinder years ago, closer to when it was first released. Although Briana–and most of the bookish community–loved it, I was less impressed. While setting a “Cinderella retelling” in a sci-fi setting was original, the rest of the plot seemed more mediocre to me. I liked the book, but not enough to keep reading the series. Ten years later, however, I have given Cinder another chance. While I still do not find the story breathtaking, I did find it engaging enough to keep on reading.

The most interesting aspect of the book, for me, is Cinder’s identity as a cyborg since cyborgs are looked down upon by the rest of society, and even mandated to enter a draft for medical test subjects since their lives are seen as inherently less valuable. This gives the book plenty of room to interrogate societal injustices and civilians’ tacit involvement, while also making Cinder a relatable teen. Though readers may not know what it is to be a cyborg, plenty probably know how it feels to not fit in, to feel awkward in their bodies, and to long for a place where they will be truly accepted as they are. The intersection of Cinder’s identity with the empire’s politics lies at the heart of the story, raising the question of when or if Cinder will choose to start pushing back.

The bulk of the story, however, is really about the romance between the mechanic Cinder and the prince Kai. The prospect of a rags-to-riches story, with Cinder getting back at all those who treated her poorly by finding acceptance among the elite, is probably what has driven the popularity of the “Cinderella” tale over the years. It’s just so satisfying. Even so, I was glad to see that Marissa Meyer subverts this storyline. Though Cinder may have caught the eye of prince, it is not his favor that makes her special. Cinder is strong and remarkable all by herself–and the ending of the book promises to explore this theme more. I enjoyed the prospect the ending laid out of seeing the prince forced to see Cinder as an equal, one whose favor he might just have to earn in order to redeem himself.

Cinder works as a retelling for me because it takes a familiar storyline and does more than move it to a futuristic setting. Rather, it promises to interrogate social injustices and to subvert readers’ expectations from the original story. While I think that Meyer could do a little more to flesh out her world (all the nations seem kind of the same to me), the tech aspects at least give the story some grounding, while also providing a starting point for Meyer to add more original aspects to her retelling. Ultimately, Cinder is a satisfying YA read, and, this time, I will be checking out the sequel.

Gilded by Marissa Meyer

Information

Goodreads: Gilded
Series: Gilded #1
Age Category: Young Adult
Source: Gift
Published: 2021

Official Summary

Long ago cursed by the god of lies, a poor miller’s daughter has developed a talent for spinning stories that are fantastical and spellbinding and entirely untrue.

Or so everyone believes.

When one of Serilda’s outlandish tales draws the attention of the sinister Erlking and his undead hunters, she finds herself swept away into a grim world where ghouls and phantoms prowl the earth and hollow-eyed ravens track her every move. The king orders Serilda to complete the impossible task of spinning straw into gold, or be killed for telling falsehoods. In her desperation, Serilda unwittingly summons a mysterious boy to her aid. He agrees to help her . . . for a price.

Soon Serilda realizes that there is more than one secret hidden in the castle walls, including an ancient curse that must be broken if she hopes to end the tyranny of the king and his wild hunt forever.

Review

Gilded is a wonderfully atmosphere fantasy that blends darkness and romance to create a tale that feels so immersive, readers will never want to leave. Based on the fairy tale “Rumpelstiltskin,” the book quickly makes the story its own, adding in elements of the Wild Hunt, as well as an original mythology that includes gods and their curses and their gifts. Anyone who enjoys a highly inventive fairy tale retelling is sure to fall in love with Marissa Meyer’s Gilded.

Gilded immediately draws readers into the story through Serilda’s voice. Blessed by the god of lies (or stories), Serilda is a tricky character to write; readers must be convinced that she really does possess the ability to make a person believe anything, to spin a tale so wondrous that it leaves her listeners enraptured. Meyer writes her beautifully. Serilda is spunky and bold, kind and caring–and one marvel of a storyteller. The tales she weaves, far from interrupting the main story, add to it. They have the feeling and flavor of an old fairy tale, the kind that would draw people around the fire to listen, and then have them checking that the doors are locked, lest the spirits of the dead find a way in.

Meyer moves the story effortlessly from Serilda’s village, immersed in folklore and flavored by the joys and frustrations of life where everyone knows everyone, to the castle of the Erlking, which gives the book a darker note; here, Serilda’s stories are real, and not everyone gets out alive. The worldbuilding is extraordinary, deepened by the world’s history and mythology. Readers will love exploring a world where the magical and the ordinary exist side by side, the veil being pierced on occasions when the Wild Hunt can race across the land of the living, seeking their prey. What is terrifying and what is wonderful are sometimes one and the same–and that is the magic of Serilda’s world.

Readers who enjoy YA fairy retellings will not want to miss out on Gilded, its bold protagonist, and its sweet but sorrowful romance. This is a fantasy sure to ensnare the hearts of readers.

*The sequel to Gilded, Cursed, is currently listed for a November 2022 release.

A Rush of Wings by Laura E. Weymouth (Briana’s Review)

Information

Goodreads: A Rush of Wings
Series: None
Age Category: Young Adult
Source: Library
Published: 2021

Official Summary

Rowenna Winthrop has always known there’s magic within her. But though she hears voices on the wind and possesses unusual talents, her mother Mairead believes Rowenna lacks discipline, and refuses to teach her the craft that keeps their Scottish village safe. When Mairead dies a sinister death, it seems Rowenna’s one chance to grow into her power has passed. Then, on a fateful, storm-tossed night, Rowenna rescues a handsome stranger named Gawen from a shipwreck, and her mother miraculously returns from the dead. Or so it appears.

This resurrected Mairead is nothing like the old one: to hide her new and monstrous nature, she turns Rowenna’s brothers and Gawen into swans and robs Rowenna of her voice. Forced to flee, Rowenna travels to the city of Inverness to find a way to break the curse. But monsters take many forms, and in Inverness Rowenna is soon caught in a web of strangers who want to use her raw magic for their own gain. If she wishes to save herself and the people she loves most, Rowenna will have to take her fate into her own hands, and unlock the power that has evaded her for so long.

Review

I generally love fairy tale retellings, even if “The Six Swans” isn’t one of my favorite fairy tales, but A Rush of Wings never really gripped me. With a plot that seemed to wind in a million directions and prose that too often pulled me out of the story thinking, “Wow, the author tried really hard writing this,” I was underwhelmed. Readers who unabashedly love any and all fairy tale retellings might enjoy it, though.

A lot of the blurbs in the beginning of the book mention the “lyrical” writing, which always gives me pause when I start a book. What others consider lyrical, I often consider ridiculous or nonsensical. That wasn’t the case here, but this was a book where I felt I could see the seams of the writing, so to speak. I could see where the author thought, “I’m going to make the character call the other character ‘Scold’ instead of her name all the time” because, apparently, that adds something to the novel. (She probably wasn’t aiming for me to laugh at it every time because, seriously, no one talks like that.) But I’m just not a fan where it feels like I can see the author making decisions about the writing process; I like things to feel smooth and natural.

The plot is kind of interesting, but there’s a lot going on in it. The reader thinks it’s going one direction, only to go in another, and then another. I’m all for twists, but I didn’t feel surprised so much as jolted around back and forth. And I thought the tension between the existence of actual magic and the existence of some highly devout Christians could have been better explored. There’s a lot to work with there, since Christianity in Europe did have an interesting period of overlap with folk beliefs, where people might have believed one thing or even both simultaneously, but it didn’t feel as nuanced as it could have been.

Overall, my reaction to this was “meh” while I was reading. It’s not actually bad, and I think a lot of readers will enjoy it, but it’s not for me.

A Rush of Wings by Laura E. Weymouth

Information

Goodreads: A Rush of Wings
Series: None
Age Category: Young Adult
Source: Library
Published: 2021

Summary

Rowenna Winthrop has magic in her veins, but her mother, believing Rowenna too headstrong and fiery, refuses to teach her how to use it. Then Rowenna’s mother dies and, in her place, comes a monster wearing her face. Only Rowenna can see the truth, so the monster transforms her brothers into swans, and curses Rowenna to be unable to talk during the day. If Rowenna wants to break the curse, she will have to learn how to use her magic before it is too late, and her brothers remain swans forever.

Review

I have conflicted feelings about A Rush of Wings. The opening begins slowly, and the prose tries just a little too hard to sound lyrical. I set the book aside for awhile while I focused on reading other books that did not take as much effort for me to pretend I was enjoying myself. Eventually, however, a library due date convinced me to finish the book so I could return it. I found that the ending brings a lot more action than the start, and that kept me reading, even as I found the characterization to be wavery and the romance to be lackluster. Fans of fairy tale retellings will likely enjoy this one, but readers looking generally for YA fantasy might be rewarded with a more solid story if they look elsewhere.

Before I begin to piece together my thoughts on this book, we should give credit where credit is due. I think A Rush of Wings is an improvement over Weymouth’s last book, The Light Between Worlds, which certainly possesses more cringe-worthy prose as well as too many purposeful (and thus distracting) parallels to C. S. Lewis’s Narnia. Even though the story is a retelling, it feels bold, as if the author really wanted to make her own mark on the story. The Scottish setting helps with that, as does the character of Rowenna, who is apparently hot-tempered and untameable–but who loves her family with a fierce passion (that they often do not deserve). After the slow slog at the start of the book, I eventually did find myself really wanting to know what would happen.

Still, the book feels uneven at times, which is, I think, part of why I feel uncertain in trying to pin down what I really thought of the story. Rowenna’s character seems more fierce and proud at the start than she does at the end, when it would seem that an evil king maybe really did beat her down, at least a little. Readers are, I assume, supposed to feel as if Rowenna has found herself, because she refuses to keep doing harm, and thus controls herself and her magic. That does require strength! But Rowenna’s distinctive voice, and her fierce love for her (kind of mean) brothers fades away as the book starts speaking hand-wavy magical things like “being the light.” Rowenna supposedly finds herself at the end, but I the reader was not as certain I knew who she was.

Additionally, the romance is spectacularly weak in this book and, I have to admit, just a little uncomfortable. The love interest is a boy just as fierce and proud as Rowenna, and sparks fly when the two clash. Even so, they somehow fall in love (it is not really described how or when) and this is shown by Rowenna giving the boy orders and the boy, instead of arguing, meekly following. Um… true love is being ordered about by your lover without complaint? I cannot help but think how much more uncomfortable this would look to readers if the genders were reversed, and the protagonist were a male telling the girl to do things and her meekly obeying because she has been tamed by her love, or whatever. Sorry, but ew.

Finally, the magic system is not fully explained here. This will bother some readers, but not others. Just be aware that, aside from some vague explanations about certain people being connected to certain elements, the rest seems made up on the fly. Wards, blood sacrifices, and curses also appear, with no real reason why or how they work. Rowenna also seems tied to more than one element? She can hear the wind, but her name throughout the book is “saltwater girl,” so apparently she also has some affinity to the sea, which is why she feels darkness inside. Or something. Maybe I was not reading closely enough, but it seemed confusing.

The real strength of A Rush of Wings is Rowenna, and her desire to overcome all obstacles to protect her family. She willingly sacrifices herself in order to save them, even when they turn against her, even when they give her no thanks. There are good parts in this book, but also plenty of room for improvements in the next.

The Wickeds by Gayle Forman

Information

Goodreads: The Cleaners
Series: Faraway Collection (Amazon Original)
Age Category: Adult
Source: Free with Prime trial
Published: December 15, 2020

Official Summary

The reviled villainesses of Snow White, Cinderella, and Rapunzel team up to set the record straight in a subversively funny short story by the #1 New York Times bestselling author of If I Stay.

Envious queen? Evil stepmother? Kidnapping hag? Elsinora, Gwendolyn, and Marguerite are through with warts-and-all tabloids, ugly lies, and the three ungrateful brats who pitted them against each other and the world. But maybe there’s more to the stories than even the Wickeds know. Is it time to finally get revenge? After all, they’re due for a happily-enough-ever-after. Even if they have to write it themselves.

Review

One of 5 Amazon-exclusive short fairy tale retellings from beloved authors, The Wickeds is the only one in the collection I really felt was worth reading. (You can read my review of The Cleaners by Ken Liu here.) To start, The Wickeds is a bit longer than some of the authors, giving a little more time for character development; it also has an interesting premise– trying to make readers wonder if the wicked stepmothers of classic fairy tales might have been misunderstood or even sabotaged (Who made the magic mirror say mean things anyway?). Did they really behave badly? If they did, perhaps their position was understandable?

Now, I don’t think the story succeeds 100% at making the evil characters sympathetic. Many of them did, in fact, actually do things that were pretty horrible! But it was fun following them on their journey to unravel exactly how things played out in the lives, what parts were under their control and what parts weren’t, and which people were actually cruel to them but got away with having a clean reputation.

As with The Cleaners, I’m also not convinced the story is distinctly YA. After all, it follows a bunch of characters who must be in their fifties, and one of the defining characters of YA is that the story has a teen protagonist; however, there’s a lot of crossover appeal here. I see no reason why a YA reader wouldn’t enjoy it.

So, this is fun. It doesn’t quite hit the mark with its message because things aren’t neatly separated into boxes of, “This person was nice and never did something cruel” and “This person was mean for no reason,” but it gives the reader a lot to think about, and the execution of the idea feels pretty original. I do hate that the book fell into the trap where an author seems to believe that a good short story has an ambiguous ending, though.

For the Wolf by Hannah F. Whitten

Information

Goodreads: For the Wolf
Series: Wilderwood #1
Age Category: Adult
Source: Purchased
Published: June 1, 2021

Official Summary

The first daughter is for the Throne.
The second daughter is for the Wolf.

For fans of Uprooted and The Bear and the Nightingale comes a dark fantasy novel about a young woman who must be sacrificed to the legendary Wolf of the Wood to save her kingdom. But not all legends are true, and the Wolf isn’t the only danger lurking in the Wilderwood.

As the only Second Daughter born in centuries, Red has one purpose-to be sacrificed to the Wolf in the Wood in the hope he’ll return the world’s captured gods.

Red is almost relieved to go. Plagued by a dangerous power she can’t control, at least she knows that in the Wilderwood, she can’t hurt those she loves. Again.

But the legends lie. The Wolf is a man, not a monster. Her magic is a calling, not a curse. And if she doesn’t learn how to use it, the monsters the gods have become will swallow the Wilderwood-and her world-whole.

Review

Reading For the Wolf was a bit of a letdown because most readers seem to have been raving about it since its release in June 2021; it was also nominated for 2021 Goodreads Choice Award. However, I found the book repetitive and don’t think it offered much of a new take on a old tale.

For the Wolf is essentially a “Beauty and the Beast” retelling, set in a magical woods and more enmeshed with the larger-scale politics of the surrounding kingdom than a lot of fairy tale retellings. Normally I love reading “Beauty and the Beast” books, but because it’s a common tale to base a retelling on and because I’ve read a large number of variations on the story, it’s often hard for me to think that any of them stand out. For the Wolf simply . . . doesn’t.

One of its main points seem to be the ~atmospheric~ setting of the magical, dangerous, sentient forest, but I have to say a lot of books that center themselves on having an atmospheric woodsy vibe also sound the same to me. The reader goes on about trees (often in a nonspecific way that doesn’t convince me they truly know that much about trees) and the oppressive, mysterious feeling of the trees, and the characters walk around the trees and discuss their fear of trees and . . . it kind of gets monotonous. That’s even truer in For the Wolf, which has some truly repetitive prose. I think it was supposed to add to the character of the book and really get readers into the minds of the main character, but it was odd feeling like I was reading a passage for the fourth or fifth time in the book.

That said, I didn’t think For the Wolf was terrible or anything. It’s a pretty solid “Beauty and the Beast” retelling with some mystery and romance, and the author works hard to add in the political, historical, and religious aspects that are meant to differentiate it from other retellings. I do wonder if those things will come more to the front in the sequel (which I am not planning to read). A lot of people love this book, and I can kind of seem why, but to me it just felt long and like dozens of other books I read before.

Little Thieves by Margaret Owen

Information

Goodreads: Little Thieves
Series: Little Thieves #1
Age Category: Young Adult
Source: Purchased
Published: October 19, 2021

Official Summary

Once upon a time, there was a horrible girl…

Vanja Schmidt knows that no gift is freely given, not even a mother’s love–and she’s on the hook for one hell of a debt. Vanja, the adopted goddaughter of Death and Fortune, was Princess Gisele’s dutiful servant up until a year ago. That was when Vanja’s otherworldly mothers demanded a terrible price for their care, and Vanja decided to steal her future back… by stealing Gisele’s life for herself.

The real Gisele is left a penniless nobody while Vanja uses an enchanted string of pearls to take her place. Now, Vanja leads a lonely but lucrative double life as princess and jewel thief, charming nobility while emptying their coffers to fund her great escape. Then, one heist away from freedom, Vanja crosses the wrong god and is cursed to an untimely end: turning into jewels, stone by stone, for her greed.

Vanja has just two weeks to figure out how to break her curse and make her getaway. And with a feral guardian half-god, Gisele’s sinister fiancé, and an overeager junior detective on Vanja’s tail, she’ll have to pull the biggest grift yet to save her own life.

Review

Apparently I like Margaret Owen’s books so much that I have a tendency simply to never review them at all. I loved The Merciful Crow but never reviewed it, and I was going to give up on writing anything for Little Thieves, as well — except I put it on my list of best YA books I’ve read this year, which feels like it merits a full review. Owen’s books are complex, well-written, and unique, the kind of books I remember long after I’ve read them and that I immediately think of when I’m coming up with ideas for books I want to buy as gifts.

Little Thieves is a retelling of “The Goose Girl,” but from the perspective of the girl who steals the rightful princess’s identity. Owen’s talent is such that, while readers have to recognize that Vanja is technically wrong and has a lot of flaws that extend beyond “stealing someone’s identity and practically leaving her for dead,” they’ll also see Vanja’s point of view. In some ways, one wants to believe it makes sense that she does the things that she does, that they might be wrong but . . . are they extremely wrong?

There is, of course, also a lot of action in the book, and anyone who loves complex fantasy that mixes intrigue and magic with a badass skilled protagonist who gets things done that no one else can will find exactly what they want in Little Thieves. Add lushly descriptive writing, some family relationship drama, quotable philosophical bits, and a love interest both clever and a little awkward, and this feels like the perfect read.

If you love fantasy, any fantast (you don’t need to be a YA fan), this is definitely a book to look out for.

Into the Bloodred Woods by Martha Brockenbrough

Information

Goodreads: Into the Bloodred Woods
Series: None
Age Category: Young Adult
Source: Library
Published: November 2, 2021

Official Summary

This is Martha Brockenbrough’s feminist twisting of the Brother Grimms’ stories, Game of Thrones-style.

Once upon a time there was a kingdom and a forest that liked to eat men and a girl who would change everything, but not alone . . .

Except-

There’s no such thing as once upon a time.

In a far away land, populated by were beasts and surrounded by a powerful forest, lies a kingdom about to be sent into chaos. On his deathbed, King Tyran divides his land, leaving half to each of his two children-so they’ll rule together. However, his son, Albrecht, is not satisfied with half a kingdom. And even though his sister, Ursula, is the first born, he decides that as a girl and were bear, she is unfit to rule. So he invades her land, slaughtering her people and most of the were beasts, and claims it for himself. As King Albrecht builds his iron rule and an army of beasts to defend his reign, Ursula is gathering the survivors and making plans to take back the kingdom. Not just her half-the whole thing. Because Albrecht should have never been allowed to sit on the throne, and Ursula is going to take his crown. And if he’s not careful, he might not get to keep his head either.

Review

Into the Bloodred Woods is likely to be a polarizing book. It’s original and gripping, but it’s also extremely gruesome. Readers who aren’t looking for a story with sexual assault and explicitly described bloody violence aren’t likely to rate the book high, but readers looking for something as dark as the Brothers Grimm tales the book is based are will be intrigued.

I personally, was NOT in the mood to read a book where terrible things happen to the characters left and right and the reading experience is almost more stressful than enjoyable, but I tried to look past that while I was reading and while I was reflecting on the book. I don’t WANT to read about people being tortured and bad guys getting away with things, but I have to admit that the book is technically well written. Martha Brockenbrough takes fairy tale stories readers are generally familiar with (Snow White, Hansel and Gretel, Little Red Riding Hood, etc.), mixes them up, and creates something new. Wild, ugly things happen, but it’s hard to look away.

One potential issue is that there is such a large cast of characters that at times it’s difficult to be invested in each one as an individual, and it takes time to see how all their stories are going to fit together. However, this also gives the book something of an authentic fairy tale vibe. Traditional stories aren’t really about characterization and introspection, but more about plot and potential lessons, so having the characters not be 100% fully fleshed out here is not necessarily an issue.

I also have questions about whether this “kingdom” is simply the size of a large town and some surrounding farms but, again, complex geography and world building isn’t really the point here. It’s fairy tale vibes and intersecting stories of woman being abused while trying to wrest the power they deserve from men.

If you like the dark, mature bent YA has been taking in recent years, this book is for you. If you’re looking for something lighter, pass.