Title: Charm
Series: Tales From The Kingdoms #2
Author: Sarah Pinborough
Published by: Gollancz (2013)
Pages: 224 pages
Why this book: Because I needed to know what happens next and the ending of Poison owes me some serious explanations.
Why you should read the trilogy: If you enjoy fairytale retellings and want to read a dark, bold, sexy one, this trilogy is at your service.
Synopsis:
Charm is a beautifully illustrated re-telling of the Cinderella story which takes all the much-loved elements of the classic fairytale (the handsome prince, the fairy godmother, the enchanted mouse, the beautiful girl and, of course, the iconic balls) and puts a modern spin on the characters, their motives and their desires. This is fun, contemporary, sexy, and perfect for fans of ONCE UPON A TIME, GRIMM, SNOW WHITE AND THE HUNTSMAN and more. This edition contains 15 original pen and ink illustrations by Les Edwards.
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My review:
What pops in your head when you hear the word 'Cinderella'? A pair of breathtaking glass slippers, The wicked stepmother and the two ugly stepsisters, the magnificent ball where Cinderella arrives and captures the heart of the prince, a pumpkin and mice magically turning into a carriage, footmen and horses with the help of a certain fairy godmother? You're still getting all of that in Charm... Just not the way you expect them to be. All magic comes with a price and everyone has a motive behind their actions.
We come around a variety of characters in Charm and not just the ones in the original tale of Cinderella. There are quite a few cameos from other fairytales such as Robin Hood, The witch in Hansel and Gretel and others who are playing a double role but I don't want to spoil it for you. If you read Poison, you'll surely notice who I'm referring to.
Let's talk about Cinderella; She is not your typical sweet, lovable orphan who's accepting her pathetic fate and silently suffering the mistreatment of her stepmother and stepsisters. She is a young ambitious woman who knows what she wants from the beginning and will do whatever it takes to achieve her dreams and get out of her miserable situation. She spends most of her time fantasizing of a better life in the castle with the handsome prince by her side. A prince she knows nothing about and she fell in love with only because of his picture. When she's not fantasizing, you'll find her blaming her family for her despicable life and seeking refuge in the arms of her friend Buttons and in the little naughty games she plays with him. Upon her request.
This novella doesn't only focus on Cinderella. We get to know her family but not as she sees them. As who they really are. The stepmother isn't evil or mean to her stepdaughter but nostalgic to her previous life in the castle before falling in love with Cinderella's father and escaping with him. She only wants the best for her family even if it costs her everything. The stepsisters aren't ugly or rude to Cinderella, they are plain looking and truly care for her and look after after her. One of them is already married so we don't know a lot about her but the other , Rose, has a very important role and she is surprisingly my favorite character in Charm. She is wise, down-to-earth and filled with determination. She's truly found of Cinderella and will sacrifice a great deal of things for her loved ones.
As I said, Cinderella dreams of a life in the castle with the prince as her husband and this dream come true. With the help of a certain someone's magic, a one she made a deal with; Cinders went to the ball, captured the heart of the prince and moved into the castle. Wishes do come true. But people should be careful for what they wish. Later, she realizes that the price she paid was too high and the kind of life she fantasized about was a shallow, unworthy one. A life so different from reality. She will see everything around her with a different perspective and realize that her previous life style was not too bad after all. The most important thing is that she will learn the truth about everyone around her and become aware of the pain she used to inflict on her family. Our heroine will go through a serious character development and get rid of her naive image.
Now let's discuss my favorite part of this novella: The Ending. This series is a dark one in which bad things happen to good people but that doesn't mean the characters don't deserve a happy ending. Unlike Poison, Charm's ending is so very happy that you probably will never see it coming. It's so surprising that I consider it as the highlight of this novella. It blew my mind honestly. This ending is the best plot twist I've ever read and I don't think anything will top it. I've finished the series a few months ago and I still get feels whenever I remember what happened in those few last pages of Charm. I start giggling every time I think about it and I truly want to spoil it for everyone but I know I can't.
Charm is a novella packed with unexpected events, love-hate relationships, strong-willed characters with actual personas, steaminess, boldness and darkness all wrapped in a layer of magic without missing any of the original fairytale details.It is just too realistic and rational that I will never think of Cinderella the same. This is how it should have been told. Not the crap Disney have been fooling us with for decades.
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Perks:
There are just too many but I'm going to mention a few. I loved the interconnection of various fairytales in Charm and specially that some characters are playing a double role. That was pure genius. Also staying the bleep away from the stereotypical brainwashing movies about disempowered females that only exist for the sake of their prince charming to save them from their despicable lives. And the ending was so mind blowing, I'm already giggling.
Cons:
Are you actually expecting cons? Hell No. This novella is my definition of flawlessness.
Quotes:
"Beauty is easy with money and these people have the finest of everything. But court life isn't all dancing and music and love, Cinderella. The gentle don't survive well while everyone is after power. Everyone is using other people to shuffle into a position where they have the king or the prince's ear. It's a place full of wolves in disguise."
"Magic and bitterness could be a terrible combination"
"No amount of magic could guarantee you happy ever after."
"You can't have everything in life, it doesn't work that way. You have to decide what the important parts are."
“We’re being invited to reevaluate our own prejudices and preconceptions"
"I know your hair looks prettier free than trapped,' he said. 'Like most things. I also know princes are just men. mainly not very good ones. And a castle can't give a girl like you what the woman inside will want."
Rating: 5/5
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