Princess of Glass by Jessica Day George

(I had the worst time trying to write my own summary.)

From Goodreads:
Hoping to escape the troubles in her kingdom, Princess Poppy reluctantly agrees to take part in a royal exchange program, whereby young princes and princesses travel to each other’s countries in the name of better political alliances—and potential marriages. It’s got the makings of a fairy tale—until a hapless servant named Eleanor is tricked by a vengeful fairy godmother into competing with Poppy for the eligible prince. Ballgowns, cinders, and enchanted glass slippers fly in this romantic and action-packed happily-ever-after quest from an author with a flair for embroidering tales in her own delightful way.

Christian couldn't help laughing as he guided their steps toward a severe-looking figure in judge's robes with a noose tied to his waist.  For one thing,... it was just like Poppy to be jealous that her weapon was smaller.  p.198 ARC

As you may or may not know, I am a lover of all things fairy tales especially reimaginings of the classics so Princess of Glass is right up my alley.  It is definitely not the same old Cinderella tale and borrows a bit from the Twelve Dancing Princesses since Poppy was one of those same princesses.  But all that happened in the first book, Princess of the Midnight Ball which I have yet to read, but definitely will soon.  They call this one a companion to the first book, but it is more of an indirect sequel.

Poppy is a feisty and fun princess and I admired her willpower to be free and yet be a princess at the same time.  I felt so sorry for her and her sisters for what they endured and I was tickled by her friendship with Christian.  They are such a cute couple and I liked how their romance was allowed to grow naturally.

The twist on the Cinderella story was interesting and it felt more like an original fairy tale before the Grimms took hold.  It was darker and much eerier.  The Cinderella character, Ellen, had a similar background but there were no ugly stepsisters.  She is taken in by an evil witch who uses her to exact a revenge of sorts.  It was all very cool and the glass slippers were really horrible.  That was a great idea.

I look forward to reading more by Jessica Day George if all her books are like this one.

Provided by Traveling ARC Tours
Publish Date: May 25, 2010
Hogwarts: Charms
YA

Ash

In a modern telling of Cinderella, Ash is subjected to the humiliations of becoming a servant to her stepmother when her father dies.  In her grief and desolation she wishes to be taken away by the fairies, but when she meets the King's Huntress, her wishes begin to change.

"As the people swayed and stamped and sung their way around the bonfire, Ash knew that this was what the fairies were always hunting for: a circle of joy, hot and brilliant, the scent of love in the deepest winter...How it must disappoint them; that they would never be human." p.247

Honestly, you know, the Cinderella tale has never been one of my favorites¹.  She is usually so weak and pathetic, very accepting and tra la la about her situation, just putting up with her stepfamily's abuse.  But Ash gave me a different insight.  It is about an abused girl who can't just walk away.  She has no one else and is usually young when her father dies so there is no where to go.  Abused children are helpless because they have no idea how to save themselves.   While Ash is not physically abused (well, not really) she is definitely mentally abused by her stepmother once her father dies.  Made to work in the kitchens and become their servant to pay off her father's debts, Ash has no way to escape this situation.  So she wishes and prays for the fairies in the forest to take her away where it would be better to serve them for many lifetimes than to serve her stepmother for one human lifetime.  So she actively seeks out the fairies, when conventional wisdom tell her that it is a dangerous thing to do and meets Sidhean, a beautiful fairy who befriends but does not take her into his world.  It is when she meets Kaisa, the King's Huntress, that she begins to change her world for herself. 

The Stepsister Scheme (Princess Novels #1)

Danielle (aka Cinderella) has married her prince and is living happily ever after. That is until her stepsisters decided to take revenge on her for messing up their plans. They kidnap her husband and take him to Fairytown and try to assassinate her. It's up to Danielle and the Queen's "special forces," Talia (Sleeping Beauty) and Snow (White), to help her rescue her prince.

The stories of the princesses is based on the old school stories, not the cleaned up for the kids versions you hear today so expect some darker tones. You don't have to know exactly how those stories go, but I knew what had really happened to them before it was explained in the book. I wasn't sure how much I was going to like this book, but I raced through it. I loved how the princesses are portrayed and how Talia is such a badass. I loved the little details like Snow's snowflake shaped throwing disc and her mirror magic. And I loved how the dwarfs are fitted into the story. This was definitely a good read and I can't wait for the next book, The Mermaid's Madness.