Curses! A F**ed up Fairy Tale

Title: Curses! A F**ed up Fairy Tale
Author: J.A. Kazimer
Genre: Fantasy,
Source: Library Paperback
Rating: 2 out of 5 paws.


RJ is pulled into a mystery surrounding the death of a princess: Cinderella.  Her sister: Asia asks RJ for his help in finding her killer, and he cannot help but assist her.  But RJ is a villain who has been suspended from his villain duties.  Once RJ begins his search he discovers too many family secrets and mysteries for one villain to solve including a curse placed on each of Cinderella's step-sisters.  This is not your average fairy-tale.

I admit there were times when I struggled to get through this book.  I love fairy tale retellings and I thought this one would be a funny one to read, a villain gone good or sort of good.  interesting right?  Wrong, so very wrong.  I was disappointed in this book and wanted to give up on numerous occasions but stuck with it to the end.


 There were a lot "humorous" things (not laugh out loud humor, more like...oh ha that's cute humor) that ended up getting played out too much and there was too much emphasis on RJ wanting to get Asia into bed.  I get it he's a villain and she's a pure damsel princess who needed help, but it was overdone way too much.  The readers are consistently reminded that Asia is fat, but RJ still finds her beautiful...um really?  It was mentioned that she weight about 150 lbs...if that is fat in this author's mind, many a female readers will be offended, this one included.  And Dru is ugly, we get that, but it is drilled into the reader and the idea that no one could love her based on her looks...is that all that matters?  We are also reminded time and time again about how he is a villain forced to be good...but we never actually see it other than his desire to swear or get Asia into bed.


I expected more of a mystery, but the novel was more about him trying to get to Asia and win her over so he can get her into bed.  Don't get me wrong, sometimes i indulge in the steamy romance, but this wasn't even steamy, it was more stalkerish creepy than sexy.  The author seems to try hard to be witty and raunchy, but falls epically short.  How many times can one reader read the words "villain, fat, and ugly" before it becomes annoying and trite?  Tthere were things included in the story, that didn't fit with the tale or made no sense why they were included such as red riding hood towards the end, it had no baring on the story nor did it supply anything worth while to the plot...but the plot wasn't really there either.


I am glad I borrowed the book rather than buying it.  I wouldn't recommend it.

Frog Prince

Title: Fairy Tale Collection: Frog Prince
Author: Jenni James
Genre: Fairy Tale
Source: Amazon, ebook
Rating: 3 out of 5 paws


Prince Nolan has spent the last few years writing letters to his betrothed.  The image he gets of the woman is less than desirable, a spoiled princess.  He decides to best determine her quality he disguises himself as a frog and spends a month with her.  He needed to see who she was outside of written letters.  Could he actually marry such a woman?  The only way to break the spell prior to the 30 days is for Blythe to kiss him in his frog state.  Will Nolan learn to look past his judgements and find the woman beneath the letter.  The true merit to Blythe.

I am kind of on the fence with this one.  It was a lot shorter than I thought, more of a novella instead of a novel.  Maybe have it included in a bigger book with two other stories.  I have not read any of the other books in the series and I am on the fence if I do.  I have her Sleeping Beauty one to read in the future.  It is a quick read and while I am familiar with the classic Frog Prince tale, I never actually read it so I don't have much to compare this to as I have with some of the other re-tellings I have read.  There were a few things that seemed a little off center like being called to tea time with a triangle, is that how royalty were called to tea?  The way the do on ranches.  While the setting is in a European castle (we aren't given an idea of a country), but the names felt more American, more modern than something that would have fit the time period.


The characters don't grow, they don't evolve much.  We see Blythe being a sweet young woman teaching children in the village when there is no schoolteacher, but she still remains quick to judgement.  He doesn't evolve at all beyond realizing what a jerk he is and self centered he is.  He remains this way, and even tells her he is still the same.  From the first moment he believed she was different than she thought simply because she said she mimicked his letters and she was pretty.


The writing was fair enough, but at times it was confusing and the sentence structure didn't seem to flow well together.  Not that it was bad, but that it could have been written differently.  I think more younger audiences would like this, younger than the young adult market.  It definitely wasn't something a woman in her 30s would turn back to time and time again.  But it does make me want to read what the original story was like.

The Wishing Spell

Title: The Land of Stories: The Wishing Spell
Author: Chris Colfer
Genre: Children's book, Children's Fantasy
Source: Library Hardback
Rating: 3.5 out of 5 paws




Twins, Alex and Connor Bailey have just celebrated their 12th birthday, one year after the death of their father.  They both struggle in school and their mom is working hard to make ends meet.  For their birthday their grandma comes to visit and gifts them with a story book: The Land of Stories.  Alex becomes obsessed with the book and locks herself in her room.  One day she confides in Connor about the book making sounds and glowing.  Then they fall into the book and go on an epic quest to find the ingredients for the Wishing Spell so they can go home.  But this is not going to be an easy task as they have to travel to different kingdoms to get items that are rather sentimental to their owners such as Cinderella's glass slipper or bark from Red Riding Hood's basket.  But the Evil Queen is also hunting for these books as well as the Bad Wolf club out hunting for the kids to stop them.  Will the twins find the items they need before the Evil Queen?  Will they find their way home in time or are they trapped inside the Land of Stories forever?

I am a fan of Glee and when I saw the Chris Colfer who played Kurt had written a book of course I wanted to read it.  It is a book that tends to be up my alley with taking a different look at classic fairy tales that we have grown up with and know so well.  Colfer takes a very different look at these tales and comes with explanations for things that sometimes don't add up such as how can Snow White, Aurora (Sleeping Beauty), and Cinderella all marry Prince Charming??  Easy they are brothers!!




This was a fun book to read and the world he creates is beautiful.  He fills it with interesting and charming characters and gives fairy tale fans a different view of these characters.  The writing could be a little...simplistic at times, but then again this was a book geared towards middle school children not 30 year old women.  He tells the story rather than showing the story that some readers would be more used to, but again the way he tells the story gets a younger reader interested and entertained.  Longer sentences with a lot of description may not appeal to a reader of that age.  There is a certain beautiful quality to Colfer's writing that brings the tale to life.  You can tell there is a talent for story telling within these pages.

Colfer has a lot to offer within his book; it is an enchanting, enthralling tale that sends it's main characters on a magical scavenger hunt.  There is something new in each chapter.  I thought I had the small mystery solved, and I was only half right, but it was still entertaining to find out certain twists and turns to the tale.  I enjoyed how he gives the Evil Queen a small back story and makes her not so evil after all. 

While there were many things great about this book, there were some things that dropped the rating down a bit such as the over use of the same description: Steam coming from ears/nose/mouth, oddly placed similes, rigid dialogue.  Despite all that overall I thought it was a good book, and am interested to see where he takes the series. I felt it was a cute story that I can a younger reading and enjoying.  I think this is a great book that would get children not only using their imagination, but interested in reading on a bigger level.  It draws on stories they already know and can get them thinking about the stories they are reading.

Wintersong

Title: Wintersong
Author: S. Jae-Jones
Genre: YA, Fantasy
Source: Library Hardback
Rating: 2.5 out of 5


Liesl grew up on the tales of the Goblin King, Lord of Mischief and Ruler of the Underworld. Since childhood he was also the muse to her music, the inspiration for her compositions. As she grows older and puts aside childish memories, the Goblin King and all her fantasies must be forgotten in favor of being the daughter she needs to be.  When her sister Kathe is taken by the goblins, Liesl challenges the king to a game, she wins he lets Kathe go.  He wins, he gets Liesl as his bride. But there is a catch, the life of a maiden must be given to the land in order for it survive according to the old laws. There is not rebirth, no death, nothing will grow and flourish. Liesl then offers herself in marriage to the Goblin King.  As time goes Liesl discovers her passion for music remains within the Goblin King and she realizes she loves him.  But the longer she remains in his bride, her life fades.  Will she pay the ultimate sacrifice so that the world above may live?  Will she choose love of her husband over love of her family?

I have seen this book around everywhere and had it on my list for a little while.  Then one of my best friends recommended it, so I grabbed it.  Once I started reading it I got the feel of many different folklore and fairy tales mixed into this story.  It is not a cutesy fairy tale, it has its darker moments which is reflective of Goblin Market by Christina Rossetti.  Goblin Market is basically a tale of goblins in a market trying to lure young women into their realm with fruits like peaches.  Once the girls eat the fruit nothing can satisfy their hunger until they are once again with the goblins.  Soon because they cannot get the fruit again, they die.  There is more to it, but that is the gist of it. 

First I will say my Goblin King will first and always be David Bowie as Jareth in Laberynth so every time he was in a scene, that is who I pictured.  I don't think this was Jae-Jones' intention, but that's what happens when a Laberynth fangirl reads a book with a goblin king right?   Granted a lot of things about this Goblin King did remind me of Jareth, down to the mismatched eyes (really?). I wanted his image to be different, but I couldn't shake Bowie from my mind.  I have read people thinking this book will be like the Laberynth, but it is not.  Do not go into this book with that expectation.  I enjoyed the mystery around the Goblin King and that there seemed to be more depth to him that what meets the eyes, to both the readers and Liesl. 

The writing for this novel is eerily beautiful and chills you to the bone at times.  The words Jae-Jones is beautifully chosen and create quotes that are endless. Liesl is a spitefire willing to do anything to save her sister, she fights and sacrifices, even giving herself up for marriage to the King so Kathe may live. The Goblin King is ever the trickster, changing thing up, saying one thing but meaning something else.  But then they marry and everything changes.  He becomes a submissive, almost weak being, and apparently a Christian.  Not that I dislike that, but it didn't fit with a character such as a goblin king who would honor the old laws rather than God's laws.  And Liesl becomes cruel and angry.  All she wants to do is "consummate" their marriage and is angered when he rejects her body stating he wanted her soul, her heart.  But she will have nothing of it, and borderline forces herself on him or tries to guilt him into it.  I am not a fan of that.

There was no romance building other than the two discussing music and playing music together.  We don't see them exploring caves together or them sharing the inner parts of themselves which granted that's what the king wanted but we don't actually see the actions to lead to that other than the sex scenes.  I did like the use of music throughout the book, and how he wanted the music within, the part of her she hid from everyone else.

I would continue to recommend this book.  It felt more meh to me than fantastic.  I will continue to read the series to see how things will play out.

Queen of Hearts

Title: Queen Of Hearts
Author: Colleen Oakes
Genre: Fantasy, Fairytale Retelling
Source: Paperback
Rating: 3 out of 5


Dinah is the princess of Wonderland, destined to role beside her father until the day she marries or when he dies.  She longs to have her distant father's approval and hopes she will achieve it until one day he brings in another child, one born out of wedlock, a duchess of Wonderland.  He dotes on Vittorie and gives her the love and devotion Dinah wishes.  When she receives a mysterious note, she begins to dig deeper into the dark secrets Wonderland holds.  The more she secretly discovers the more in danger she becomes.  This is not the cheerful Wonderland we all know, but one with a darker, sinister side.

Of course you can expect at least 1 Wonderland retelling from me this year, and I am glad this one is one story that I started the year with.  I finished it within a day.  Oakes did a great job at reinventing Wonderland in a way that looked at the Queen of Hearts rather than Alice herself.  This is the first in a series, so we will see what happens to Dinah in the next few books, we begin to see how the Queen became the queen whether it is Vittorie or Dinah readers don't know yet (but since Dinah is the lead most likely her HA).  It isn't the cheery colorful Wonderland of Carol's story, but one with a dark, political side.


There were points where the story dragged on and you wished it got to the point, when it finally gets to the real action and Dinah begins discovering things you wonder why it took so long to get to this point.  There is a point in the book where I believe it's Dinah's father (I could be wrong) states "Listen to me Dinah," he hissed. "Things are going to change for you child, and you had better be made of stronger stuff than the whiny brat you seem now." This doesn't exactly happens instead of following her resolve to become stronger and fierce the way her father wants to be she remains this whiny brat who wants everything her way and complains when it doesn't happen.  She blames other people for the way things are rather than taking action and focusing on her studies or the things that would make her an excellent queen.  All she keeps saying is "when I'm queen" but she doesn't really show that she has what it takes except for a few moments when she does use her power. Moments where she is feisty and full of anger (which is a lot, maybe leading up to why she is the way she is when she meets Alice).


The end of the book does make it feel a little unfinished, questions were raised throughout the story, but none of them were answered and readers are left wondering what is happening.  There are elements that aid in a good story and show readers it is leading to something, but we don't know what it is yet.  I hope those get resolved in the next book which I do plan on reading.  It is very evident that this is the first book, it's meant to build up to something but rather than having some sort of resolve at the end we are left hanging without any answers or anything to hold on to.


I would recommend this book, but do not go into it expecting a fantastical novel.  Be prepared for a whiny main character than is difficult to like at times, and a story line that takes a while to get to the point.  While there were things that would be a hindrance to the novel, I did enjoy it and look forward to what the next novel in series holds.

Woodcutter

A man known as The Woodcutter stumbles upon a maiden's dead body, with no trace of foul play, nor who could have caused her tragic fate.  The only thing left behind were her glass slippers.  The Woodcutter seeks to find her killer before other maidens suffer the same fate.  The Woodcutter is not your average man, he is the keeper of peace between the kingdoms of man and the realm of the faerie.  He searches the realms for clues to the mysterious events happening around the kingdoms and the forest, along with three axes blessed by the River God, he begins to find clues to lead to the truth.  Shortly into his search he discovers information that is troubling: one of Odin's hellhounds has escaped, a nefarious mansion appears and disappears and princes and princesses along with it, pixie dust being turned into a drug ring, and more young woman proceed to go missing without a trace.  The Woodcutter must find the truth to all of these before it is too late, as task proven more difficult with an evil queen lurking in the shadows intent on stopping his every effort.  Will he be able to stop the queen before she destroys the kingdoms and the fae or will it be too late?

I love fairy tales.  Everything about them brings me back to my childhood.  I love reading retellings and other author's takes on the different stories.  When I picked this book up I expected it to be along the lines of the woodcutter in Snow White or Red Riding Hood, but was pleasantly surprised when it turned out to be something completely different.  I love the idea of a mysterious protected of the realms that no one knows his name, his name never gets revealed and leaves the read in as much a mystery as the characters.  It almost makes you as frustrated as the queen in not knowing his name.  That adds an air of mystery around this character, and at the same time the reader knowing he cannot bear children but must wait until the fates bring a child to him and his wife makes your heart break especially after he comes across young children.  You can almost feel the fatherly desire in his heart.

Danley creates a world where the characters come to life, without specifically referring to the characters by name or tale, readers can get an idea of who is supposed to be who based off minor descriptions such as the glass slippers left behind when the maiden was killed.  Readers get the idea that someone harmed Cinderella without specifically being told.  It was also interesting that Danley incorporated some mythology in the tale with the use of Odin and the hellhounds.  That was a great touch though I wanted more from that storyline, it almost takes a backseat to the other events of the tale. This was a great story, one that I finished in a few short days.

I highly recommend this novel if you enjoy fairy tales, fantasy, young adult, and a good story.  As for a rating I will give this a 5 out of 5, pick it up today.  You won't regret adding this to your book shelf.

Heartless

All Catherine wants for her life is to open a bakery with her best friend Mary Ann. But her parents have a different plan. For her to marry the King of Hearts. Cath believed her life to be boring and without excitement. That is until the new court jester, Jest, arrives on the scene. In the middle of a grand ball before the king makes a announcement the ball is attacked by a monstrous creature known as the Jabberwock. Since that night, Cath's life is forever changed as she tries to figure out how to open her bakery, avoid the king's advances, falls in love with Jest and evades the attacks of the Jabberwock.  All she wants to do is live the life she wants, but there are obstacles in her way at every turn.  Soon fate reveals itself and Cath learns sometimes you cannot outrun fate.

As many of you know I am an avid reader of Alice in Wonderland retellings, and absolutely love anything Alice in Wonderland related, so when I seen Marissa Meyer (Lunar Chronicles) wrote an Alice in Wonderland adaptation, of course I had to read it.  I have to say this was not what I was expecting, but I enjoyed reading it immensely.  There wasn't an "Alice" character per-say, but Catherine is a representation of the Queen of Hearts.  This novel is almost a backstory of how she became who she is and the way she is. We see some of the same beloved characters like Hatter, March Hare, Cheshire, but we also see different characters that seem to always take a backseat to some of the other characters like the Mock Turtle or the Walrus. It was interesting to see these characters in a different light than what we see in the classic tale.

I am a huge fan of Meyer's Lunar Chronicles and I came into this novel with high hopes, and this book met every one of my expectations.  I wanted to see more of Jest and Raven, and hope to see them more in the future maybe if there happens to be more novels, maybe one about the kingdom of Chess or the white kingdom.  Meyer has a certain style to her writing that paints the picture vividly, it is easy to envision everything happening from the turtle turning into the Mock Turtle or the Jabberwock attacks, even smell the delicious tarts that Cath makes.  I enjoyed the use of the Fate sisters and treacle, as well as many element from Carol's tale.  It was still very much a Meyer story, but held some of the traditional elements we would find in Alice in Wonderland.

I would highly recommend this novel for anyone who enjoys Alice in Wonderland, fairy tales, Lunar Chronicles, and young adult novels.  Even if those may not be genres/topics that are your typical go to novel, break out from the norm and check out this book.  You will not regret it.  I give this book a 4 out of 5 star rating.

Getting Inside the Mind of Rita Stradling!

I could not be anymore excited about this post.  Recently I had read Ensnared by Rita Stradling, a sci-fi retelling of Beauty and the Beast.  It was beautifully written and a unique concept that I hadn't read in other re-telling with the use of AI units.  It can be describe as something akin to the movie Ex Machina. Why does this have me super excited?  I got to have an interview with the woman herself: Rita Stradling!  Complete fan-girling over here, so let's get right to it!

Falcor, Harley and Orion wanted me to get the most important question out of the way first…Do you have any “Literary Cats” or Literary Pup?

I have a literary dog named Stewie and two literary chickens named Katy and Boo (my son named them). They fight over territory on my lap as I read or write. However, at almost seventy pounds, Stewie, as cute as he is trying to sit on my lap, sometimes makes my legs fall asleep.

What inspired you to write “Ensnared”?

A combination of things, really. I love retellings of the original Beauty and the Beast fairy tale, and I’ve always been tempted to write one. Also, I’ve been mesmerized and terrified by the new breakthroughs in humanoid robots and AI being developed right now, and the new world change that might be right on our doorstep. These two fascinations merged together to form this story.

What was the hardest thing about writing it?

The science. 

Hands down, the science. 

Even though I really tried to keep the technical elements of this book underplayed, I wanted every technological element to be both theoretically feasible and imaginably achievable. Basically, I wanted you to believe it without for a second going, ‘huh?’

I am no scientist. Actually, if there was an anti-scientist, that would be me. But, thankfully, I happen to know a scientific genius who summoned the patience to turn my abstract ideas into something that would theoretically work. I am leaving this science fiction experience with a new awe for hard science-fiction writers. I just dipped my toes in, and it was quite the experience!

What was the easiest?

I’d have to say that it was the romance. Lorccan and Alainn really just fell in love on their own. They wouldn’t be rushed; they had too much internal stuff to work out. 

What has been your reaction to the reviews you have gotten so far for Ensnared?

To be honest, the reviews for this book have been quite a bit more mixed than I’m used to, but such is life. Many readers seem to truly connect with the story, and that’s something I’m really excited about. Almost all of the reviews that are posted now are for the ARC version of the book, and I’m curious to see the change when the finished version is available – for good or ill. Two editors had their hands on the book since the ARC version. It’s almost exactly the same, but there were a couple cut sections (particularly one of the longer “sexy” passages) and some stylistic changes throughout. 

Truthfully, when I listed this book on NetGalley and it rose to #1 most requested in New Adult and #7 most requested in Sci-fi/Fantasy in less than a month, the experience was a little overwhelming. I’m used to about two hundred reviewer downloads, and with this book some days it was nearly two hundred a day. But, I have to say that I appreciate the time and interest so many have devoted to this book already!

Do you currently have anything in the works?

I actually just finished a book titled Colorless. 

Kind of a funny coincidence, the reason I wrote Colorless was because of another interview I did for Ensnared. A little over a month ago, I interviewed on the “This is Lit” blog, and the interviewer asked me if I had any never-published works. I told her that I wrote a book eight years ago that I loved, but it was my first book ever and it needed a lot of TLC. Unfortunately, I abandoned it and never planned to pick it up again. 

But . . . 

After the interview I just couldn’t stop thinking about how much I loved the story of Colorless, and how the world I had created had just passed into the ether, unread. 

It took me a month, but I rewrote the whole thing. And, I mean the WHOLE thing. It has the basics of the story, characters, and world but all of the words are freshly written. 

Did you publish anything prior to Ensnared?

Yes. I have eleven other books out, among them a young adult urban fantasy series, young adult/new adult paranormal series, women’s fiction serial, and a new adult romance.

When did your love of books/writing develop?

The answer to that is a little complicated. My passion for books came from, perhaps, infancy. My father would read aloud to my sister and me every night, from The Cat in the Hat to Bunnicula to The Hobbit. It was my favorite time of the day. I also created many stories of my own, some of which I wrote out to the best of my ability. However, I had an unusually hard time learning to read and write due to a myriad of learning disabilities (including dyslexia). Also, unfortunately, this was during a time (late 80s, early 90s) where there was this lingering attitude that you could humiliate a learning disability out of a kid by having them do things like struggle through long passages in front of their peers. So, while the passion and love of the written word remained, I truly thought it something that I was too incompetent to master. It wasn’t until my last years of High School when several of my teachers asked to read my essays aloud to the class or to save the essays for examples, that I started to think that maybe I wasn’t all that inferior to the rest of the world at writing. Fifteen years later, I write full time (and have an awesome editor).

What are some of the ways that you manage writer’s block?

It depends. If I have a deadline, I’ll usually just power through it. If I don’t have any sort of deadline, I’ll put the project away for a while and work on another book until inspiration hits.

How have you been able to handle rejection as a writer?

As Yann Martel says in the Life of Pi, “You can get used to anything”. I think rejection becomes just a part of the day-to-day life for artists of any profession, writers, actors, directors, chefs – as does acceptance. There are the small rejections and acceptances and then the really big ones, but they all pass quickly with more opportunities near on the horizon. 

 What are some of your ambitions and goals as a writer?

My biggest ambition would be to write a book worthy of becoming a movie directed by Hayao Miyazaki.

 **That answer made me squeal as I LOVE Miyazaki's work as well, and can almost picture "Ensnared" being told in his style.**

What is your go to feel good book?  Your guilty pleasure book?

My feel good book(s) would be anything by Ilona Andrews. Growing up my feel-good book(s) was anything by Isabel Allende. Their words are my safety blankets.

For guilty pleasure, hmmm, maybe books more of the Tijan, Penelope Douglas, and Erin Watt variety.

 What is a book you always recommend to other people?

Oh, that’s a hard one because it really depends on the person. However, if you’re looking for an amazing fairy tale retelling, I’d recommend The Goose Girl by Shannon Hale. Shannon Hale just has an amazing rhythm about her writing. I’ve recommended that book to several friends who loved it.

 If you could meet any author, who would it be?

Can I say two people who make up one author? Gordon and Ilona Andrews. I’m just a little bit of an obsessive fan-girl for this pair.

Who has been some of your biggest inspirations?

I have so many favorite authors that it’s really hard to pin down just a few. Definitely the ones I’ve mentioned thus far in the interview along with the movies by Hayao Miyazaki. I also really enjoy studying old folklore, myths, legends and parables – I always want to give even my contemporary stories an authentic, old-world feel.

What advice would you give young writers looking to begin somewhere?

Just write. Just write your first draft without stopping, and you can make the writing good on your many revisions. Fact is that you just need to get all of your ideas out first. Most books go unfinished, and I think that’s because people get so caught up in their individual sentences they lose all momentum. It’s way easier to fix something into becoming amazing than to invent it perfect the first time around.

How can your readers discover more about you and your work?

You can check me out at:

My Website
Blog
Facebook
Twitter
Amazon
Goodreads

Thank you Rita for taking the time out to answer my questions and making this girl's dream come true.  Be sure to check out Ensnared if you haven't yet.  I am going to run over to amazon and hunt for those 11 other books!  Also if you haven't read my review of Ensnared just click the link here.

Alice

Through a hole in the wall, Alice makes her only friend, Hatcher, in the hospital. After days, months, years the two form a bond.  Then one night Hatcher is frantic, the hospital is one fire and he urges Alice that a creature under thr hospital will escape. A creature he feels connexted to, one he calls the Jabberwock.  The two escpae their confinement and emabrk on a quest to find the object that the Jabberwock is searching for.  Their quest takes them throughout different territories of Old Town to Chesire, Caterpillar, The Walrus and ultimately to the one place Alice never wanted to face again, the Rabbit.  They make alliances along the way and Alice learns secrets about herself and Hatcher that strengthens the belief that only they can stop the terror of the Jabberwock.

This book is a retelling of Alice in Wonderlan, a morbid, grotesque version.  Christina Henry has a way of writing some of the most horrific scenes in an utterly beautiful way.  There are topics that might be a trigger for some such as rape,  but Henry does it in a way that gives strength to Alice.

I lived every character in this novel, they dit their roles perfectly and contained aspects from Carrol's characters as well.  I couldn't get enough of them and simply fell in love with Hatcher (a variation of Hatter, which could be why I love him so.) 

Alice is great she starts out weak and unsure of herself and begins to grow into a badass character.  Hatchet was already a badass from the beginning.  Cheshire i wanted to both hug and kill him.  The others...made me crimge and hate the roles they were given, but interested to see them in those roles.  I was able to picture them each as Henry described them. I love how Henry integrates some of the characters like the white rabbit, Dormouse,  and March Hare.

 

I am completely fascinated with retellings especially Alice in Wonderland.  Some have been well done while others have not.  This novel was very well done and had an American McGee's Alice in Wonderland feel to it, and I love that feel.  I couldn't get enough of this book once i began to read it.  Some parts did seem a little bit slower than others but i still flew through it in about a day.  I did not want to put it down, I have read a lot of different Alice in Wonderland retellings, but honestly nothing come close to this one.  This may be my favorite retelling thus far, and I know there is more to the series.

I highly recommend it for those who enjoy retellings or want something a bit different from the normal or thise who enjoy a horrorish (not really horror but grotesque if that makes sense) either way i recommend it.  Rating I would give is a large 5 out of 5.  I cannot wait to pick up Red Queen, the next book in the series and see where Henry decides to take this story.

Ensnared

Alainn's father is a genius when it comes to robotics, he has created some of the most useful AI units around.  He promises a unit to Lorccan, but needs more time to complete the project, time Lorccan declines.    The AI Unit Rose devises a plan of her own to send Alainn in her place and then try to rescue her when another unit is created.  When presented with this idea at the last minute Alainn goes through with it, against her better judgment.  She then spends the next few weeks having dinner with a scarred man, pretending to be a self-actualized AI unit.  Things begin to get cloudy when they begin to fall for each other and Alainn discovers Rose's true plans.  Will Lorccan still love Alainn once he discovers she is not a robot?  Will she be able to put a stop to Rose's plans before it's too late, and save her father from imprisonment.




**This is another book I have received through Netgalley for an honest review.  Seriously if you haven't tried it yet..do so soon.**




I have really gotten back into fairy-tale retellings lately and this one is fantastic!  I could not put my kindle down until I finished it.  I wasn't sure how I would feel about it when I began because I am not really one for stories with AI units, but I loved this one.  I loved the Lor has little monkey AI's and that they could communicate or that the tower itself was an AI unit.  Very interesting and different from others.  What I was a little confused on was what did her father do to get himself into this predicament, there were different things mentioned like fraud, gambling, booze.  Were those what got him into such trouble that he could have gone to prison for it?


I have seen shows and things about people falling in love with AI units, such as Ex-Machina movie or the anime Chobits, so this didn't faze me too much.  What I did question a few times was how did Lor not question a lot of things including romantic things.  Regardless, this was a great retelling.  It still had the feel of Beauty and the Beast, but it was it's own story.  It almost had the same feel as Melissa Meyer's Lunar Chronicles, but different as well.  Aliann is an interesting character, its a little uncertain of what she wants in life or even what she expects.  We get little snippets of her past that play a small role in the story, but it isn't heavy like we don't have whole chapters devoted to flashbacks and memories, which I liked.  The novel kept to the story and didn't deviate into something else. 


The descriptions were interesting, I could picture the scar on Lor's face or the feel of the computerized windows.  Something I found very interesting and plausible was the use of 3d printing, it seems this is something that is making headway now and I enjoyed seeing the ideas that Rita took with this concept.  She used a lot of things in her book that I have not seen used before.  The novel is well written, it didn't feel slow or forced, everything flowed well together.


For those who enjoy fairy tales, retellings, Beauty and the Beast, then I highly suggest this novel.  I also suggest it if you like sci-fi, and romance because those elements play a large role in this story.  As for a rating I would give this a 4 because there were still some questions left unanswered.  I look forward to reading more from Rita, maybe a retelling of Aladdin or even Thumbelina *hint hint Rita!**

Healer's Apprentice

Rose is the daughter of a wood-cutter, and has been appointed as the apprentice to the healer.  She tries to her best to do well and make the healer proud, but the sight of blood makes her queasy!  When the prince comes in needing assistance with a gash in his leg, Rose must gather the strength to mend his wound thus beginning an unlikely friendship.  Hamlien encourages Rose to accept his brother Rupert despite his reputation in an effort to get her off his own mind and heart.  Hamlien has other things to worry about such as finding an evil sorcerer so that his betrothed (whom he has never met) may come out of hiding.  Rose and Hamlien struggle to hide their feelings for one another, will they be able to forget their feelings?  Will the prince find his betrothed?  Read on to find out!


I have read Melanie Dickerson's Merchant's Daughter previously and enjoyed her re-telling of Beauty and the Beast.  Healer's Apprentice is her take on Sleeping Beauty.  She does a wonderful job at presenting a new story for these classic fairy tales.   The novel is considered Christian fiction and Dickerson does a great job incorporating those elements into the story without them being too overwhelming, such as the characters praying or encouraging one another with a verse.  It didn't feel overdone or thrown in the readers face.  Perfect execution of this.  Another thing she does wonderfully are the romantic elements.  She develops the romance through friendship and interaction.  Anytime Rupert suggests something scandalous Rose rebukes him informing how inappropriate it would be.  She even flusters at either man kissing her hand in public or being seen unaccompanied with them.


This being the second book of Dickerson's that I have read, I have come to love this author.  She has an outstanding talent for writing and captivating her audience.  While this is a "romance" novel it is not typical romance in that it does not have sex scenes and shows healthy development of the relationship, something young women need to read.  I think this is a great book for a young woman and older women as well to pick up and read on a Saturday afternoon.  I finished it in an evening, okay I may have been  up until 2 am wanting to finish it.  The story really draws you in and makes you eager to know what happens next.  I know there are other books in this series and I certainly will be looking for them.


Healer's Apprentice is the type of book to make young woman daydream about the perfect man.  Every woman wants a valiant man like Hamlien, some may even want a little imp like Rupert.  I am excited and happy to have this book in my collection.  I am giving it a rating of 4 out of 5.  The story of the evil sorcerer seemed to have taken a backside to the romance, I would have liked to see more of that in the story.

Neverland Wars

Gwen is a typical 16 year old girl, dreaming about the boy in her algebra class and hoping he will ask her to homecoming to getting frustrated at her little sister and parents.  Then her little sister goes missing and her parents tell Gwen that Peter Pan has taken her to Neverland, and that magic is real.  She escapes to Neverland to try and bring her sister home only to find out there is a war going on between the two worlds.  Peter Pan is not the child we remember from the stories, but is now a teenager due to his constant visits to reality.  Gwen is faced with a decision of whether or not she will join Pan and his band of children in their war or hurry home to her normal teenage life

I have never been more disappointed in a book than I was with this one.  I had such high hopes for Neverland Wars.  I haven't read a "re-telling" of Peter Pan yet, so when I found this book I was eager to read it.  But when I got to the point where it discussed Peter Pan as kidnapping children and reality engaging a war with Neverland.  I am not sure what exactly I was expecting but that wasn't it.  Granted once Gwen gets to Neverland there is a lot of the Peter Pan elements like flying, child-like imagination, mermaids, the crocodile etc.  It was interesting of reality wanting to harness and utilize Neverland magic, I am not sure if it was executed properly.

It starts off setting the premise of Gwen being a teenage girl in love with the homecoming king, Jay Hoek.  I honestly thought somehow this would come back to him being somehow related to Captain Hook, but no cigar.  All of this becomes a moot point when Rosemary is taken and everyone is in an uproar, not because she is taken, but because they need to explain to Gwen now about magic and how it is being used to operate things like smartphones.  Ookay, cut the next scene where she runs off with Peter Pan to Neverland and the next large portion of the book feels like nonsense of the kids playing and having festivities.  At times Peter is borderline abusive to Gwen calling her a dumb girl and instead of standing up for herself, she takes it and agrees with him.  Like what the heck? any man calls me dumb and I will fight heaven and hell to prove him wrong.  So far were are about 70% into the story and there is still no sign of a war until suddenly a bombing attack of Molotov newspapers which is almost immediately forgotten.

Finally when there is about 10 - 15% of the story left is when things shift to Gwen going back to the reality (sans Rosemary which was her whole point of going to Neverland) and again nothing remotely close to the original plot line of a war between the worlds, but hey she finally kisses the boy of her dreams before being attacked by a shadow.  Yes a shadow....this is the part when I got completely confused and unsure of what in the world was happening.  I honestly have no idea what happens in this part, to the point where i kept asking WTF. 

The writing was good enough, I think the issue was there is a lot of build up for future novels.  Sometimes when trying to develop a series too much time is spent building up the story in the first book and I think that is what happened here.  I hope the next novel in the series (if there is one) follows the storyline better and provides more to the war between the two realities better.  Unfortunately because it came off as being so laughable, I am giving this a 2 out of 5.

Winter By Marissa Meyer

Winter is the fourth book in the Lunar Chronicles, and probably my least favorite.  I was excited to read this and find out what happens and how the story will end.  Cinder sneaks on to Luna, Cress gets seperated from the group Winter escapes death with the help of Scarlet who finds her way back to Wolf. Everything escalates and ends the way we pretty much expect them too. I am not saying the entire book is predictable nor is the process to getting to the end, but every reader has to expect the Cinder becomes to Queen she is meant to become.

The book is slow to start off and begins to pick up pace as you get farther into the story.  I had a hard time with the slowness of the plot-line and how easy it was to predict some things that were happening in the story. The overall story was great and interesting, I enjoyed the adaptation of Snow White mixed with Rapunzel, Cinderella, and Red Riding Hood.  I haven't seen to many books that weave different fairy tales into one story (Jackson Pearce is one who is doing a great job at it as well).  This is a story that makes all the characters strong on their own without the need for a prince to come save them, but still desire love because really who doesn't desire love?  Meyer's descriptions are great and made me want to visit Luna! I wish I could live there it sounded so gorgeous.

I am not sure entirely why I struggled more with this one than I did the other books, maybe I wasn't in the right mindset to read (I am in the midst of moving and starting a new job, lots going on).  There is a lot that is happening in this novel, I think it is longer than the other three, so there is a lot for the reader to take in as they are reading.  Many of the characters get split up so the story jumps from Cinder, to Cress, to Scarlet and Winter that sometimes it is hard to keep up until they find each other once again.  I could easily see this series made into a movie series, and maybe expand on the story a little, maybe a book after on how things are after Cinder takes back her crown.

Despite me having a hard time with this edition to the series, I enjoyed it and would recommend not just this book but the entire series to those who are looking for an interesting book to read.  I would give this novel a 3.5 out of 5 rating.  I will come back to the book after some time when things have calmed down and re-read it, maybe my feelings towards it will change.

Cold Spell by Jackson Pearce

When I picked up Cold Spell by Jackson Pearce, I originally thought it was a retelling of Beauty and the Beast, but as I read more of the story it is a retelling of the Snow Queen's fairy tale.

Ginny has been friends with Kai since childhood; they even had plans to live in New York for a little while together.  Kai was a genius on the violin and Ginny was still learning her way in life.  When Kai's grandmother died suddenly, their plans and lives changed.  A mysterious girl shows us and puts Kai under and spell.  He leaves town with Mora and Ginny begins her journey find and win him back.  Along the way she learned the things that Kai's grandmother spoke about were real, even comes in contact with a few werewolves.  She does everything in her power to overcome her odds and rescue the man she loves.  Will she be able to defeat Mora and win Kai back?

This story was a little different from the other books in that it wasn't about what the wolves did with the women, but what happened when one of the women escapes the clutches of the wolves.  It really played on the Snow's Queen's themes of acceptance and belonging, not just with Mora, but also Ginny and Flannery.  It ties in with Fathomless in that Mora's ocean girl name was Ry, someone we briefly met in the previous novel.  The story was a little slow going at points, and I don't think this was one of Pearce's better novels, but it also isn't the worst.  It is still an thoroughly entertaining book.

The characters are interestingly strong.  Ginny is a woman who will not allow anyone to come in her way of accomplishing her goal, nor will she allow the man she loves to disappear without sound reason.  There were times when she came off as borderline obsessive, but if an evil woman steals your boyfriend what would you do?    Flannery is a character that I wanted more from, she seemed like she could have been a strong, powerful character as well.  Mora is the villain readers feel compelled to sympathize with.  She was conscious about what happened and wondered why she never felt as if she belonged or why she struggled to hold onto a love she lost. 

I am beginning to be able to see this series turned into a movie series as epic as Twilight or Harry Potter.  Pearce has an ongoing story that entralls readers and draws them in and causes them to crave more.  I personally cannot wait to pick up the next book in the series and see where Pearce takes this amazing story.  I give this book a 3.5 out of 5 stars for a rating.  I am excited to see what Pearce will come up with next and which fairy tale will be next in this roller coaster ride.

Fathomless by Jackson Pearce

Fathomless is the third book in Pearce's Fairytale Retelling series, and probably my favorite thus far.  In this novel we meet Celia and Lo.  Celia is one part of a set of triplets with unique qualities, they have special powers.  Celia's power is that she can see someone's past, something she doesn't find as exciting as her sisters' powers of seeing the present and future.  Lo is a mermaid, or ocean girl, trying to remember who see previously was and why she wants to become human.  The two cross paths when together they rescue a boy who had fallen into the ocean.  When Celia touches Lo, she sees a past full of screaming.  Lo continues to come to see Celia after learning her true name and the two work together to discover more about Lo's mysterious past.  But soon the two girls are competing for the affection of the boy they saved: Jude.  According to the ocean girls, Lo could get her life as a human back if she can get a human to love her and then she must kill him and steal his soul.  Lo quickly discovers the things she hears about her future are not what they appear to be, and that there is someone who has more sinister plans for the girls of the ocean.

Fathomless seemed to have a little more action and build up to it as Celia tries to help Lo, and hold a relationship with Jude, and become someone separate from her sisters.  Much like Sweetly, Fathomless plays on elements from the previous two novels.  Things we learn about in Sweetly play a major role in this novel, and there is a hint at a connection to Sisters Red.  The continuation of the story in this manner is very interesting and keeps me intrigued at where Pearce is going to take the series, will they all somehow come to a close together in a final book?  I love his descriptions of the ocean girls as having skin tinted blue or green showing they are something different from humans.

This one isn't as slow to develop as the previous two were.  It takes us through the eyes of Celia and Lo which makes for double the action until their story lines become one. It is definitely not the sweet little mermaid tale we remember for Disney as Lo kills a young boy within the first few moments of the story, and then another ocean girls tries to kill Jude.  The character I think developed the most was Lo as she develops back into Naidia and fits for her humanity.  The end is completely surprising and not what I was expecting.  Pearce has developed a way of connecting with her readers and keeps them wanting more from her work.  I know I do!

I give Fathomless a 4.5 out of 5 stars.  The pace of the story is still a little slow going but it doesn't take away from the overall feeling of the story.  It still progresses nicely and keeps the readers wanting more, I look forward to picking up Cold Spell next.

Sweetly by Jackson Pearce

Sweetly by Jackson Pearce is the second book in her Fairytale Retelling series.  This book takes a look at the classic fairy tale of Hansel and Gretel.  As young children Ansel and Gretchen mysteriously lose their sister, Gretchen's twin sister.  Their step-mother basically kicks them out when they turn 18, and the siblings take a trip across the country hoping to find a place where they fit in.  To their dismay, their car breaks down in a small little town, and in order to earn money to fix the car they take odd jobs at a chocolate maker.  One night, Gretchen decides to face her fears of the witch and comes face to face with the thing of her nightmare, only it is not a witch, but a werewolf.  Samuel helps her learn the things she needs to fight these monsters.  All the while she begins to learn that Sophia has been keeping secrets from her and Ansel.  What they discover could change the course of all four of their futures and cause them to face something they never imagined existed.

Sweetly was a good second novel to the series, it played on elements from Sister's Red with things like the wolves picking girls who wear red.  The plot build-up was well done with Gretchen finding different things showing that Sophia was hiding something.  Elements of Hansel and Gretel still remain such as the lore of the chocolate shop and the townspeople being weary of her, as well as the siblings' fear of a witch.  The twist of the witch actually being wolves was well presented and somewhat unpredictable.  I honestly wasn't aware that the two novels would be related, which makes me wonder if the rest of the series will be related as well.  I hope so.

Throughout the book readers don't know what Sophia's secret is and can only speculate.  When it is actually revealed readers are almost caught off guard.  The build-up to this reveal can be a little slow, but at the same time Pearce needed to develop a kinship with the characters and develop their personalities so that it would be a jarring ending.  Through this build-up we see Gretchen growing into her own strength, Ansel being torn between sister and the woman he loves, Sophia being torn apart by her love for the siblings and her secrets.  Pearce does a fantastic job engrossing his readers into a story that will keep them captivated.

I was weary about reading this book, but found it to be a great novel.  I would give it a rating of 4 out of 5 because it does take a while to get to the climax of the story, but when it does the rest of the story flies by.  I am anticipating reading Fathonless next, wonder what Pearce has in store for us now.

After Alice By Gregory McGuire

Yep, another Alice in Wonderland spin off, I've told you I love Alice in Wonderland and anything related to it.  I actually received this one as a gift from my wonderful boyfriend.  After Alice is the story of Ada, a friend of Alice's who had fallen down the rabbit hole after Alice did.  She spends her time in Wonderland looking for Alice so they may return home together.

I have to  say I was a little disappointed in this novel.  There seemed to be more focus on the family in London rather than Ada in Wonderland.  I expected some reference back to London, but not the this extent which included Alice ' s sister fancying a gentleman who came to their home. There were slight mentions of her having a disability, but not further uses in the story.  

There were several other references to other works of literature or nursery rhymes that were completely out of place.  For example  Ada comes to a door with  the inscription "abandon hope all ye who enter here."  That is from Dante's  Inferno, so one wonders in the gates to Hell in Wonderland?

We don't see Ada interacting with many of the known characters for too long, it's all just a brief contact, as she passes through their part in Wonderland.  When she does catch up to Alice it is lacking in  climax.  I think Mr. McGuire  tried to put too much into the story that he lost track of his original idea.  I without say this novel is not for Alice fanatics like myself, but others may find it enjoyable.  I am struggling with a rating while I was completely  disappointed and disheartened by this book it is well written.  I would have to, unfortunately, give this novel a 2 out 5 which saddens me not only because I am an alice fan, but also a Gregory McGuire fan.  This novel seemed to lack a certain quality his other booms have.