Retellings

To Kill a Kingdom by Alexandra Christo
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

To Kill a Kingdom by Alexandra Christo might just be my favourite Little Mermaid retelling I’ve yet to read. I’ve already re-read this wonderful standalone a few times now, and each time was just as exciting as the last! I loved the dynamic between our couple and how everything isn’t sunshine and roses as most fairytales tend to be! Really recommend this novel!

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Betrothed To Jack Frost by Alex Gedgaudas
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Betrothed to Jack Frost is a really underrated trilogy. I first discovered it on Wattpad, and was content to follow the author’s journey to being published! If you like greek mythology, fairytales, romance, danger, witty comments/ banter, and retellings, then I suggest you pick up this book to try! Be aware though, maybe it’s just the copy I have, but there are a few spelling and grammar errors.

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Betrothed To Jack Frost 2 by Alex Gedgaudas
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I have to say, this second part to the Betrothed to Jack Frost trilogy is more engaging than the previous book. Here we get to see a bit more personality and warmth (lol) from Jack in regards to Elle. I don’t want to spoil anything, but there is a bit cliffhanger at the end of the book, and you really don’t guess the plot twist throughout the book.

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Descendants Academy by Belle Malory
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I thought Descendants Academy by Belle Malory (the first book in the series), was full of action-packed fun. Who doesn’t love magic, friendships/romantic interests, Greek mythology, and every page something happens? Seriously, this first book grabs your interest really fast. Even the secondary characters have enough time in the spotlight with how the author wrote the storyline. This was fun, engaging, and well, quite addicting!

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Deviant Descendants by Belle Malory
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Wow, this second book of the Descendant Academy series is even better than the first book. What a great continuation of the story with a lovely set-up for the next book! It’s just as action-packed as the first book, as well as diving deeper into the plotline for the sisters. Belle Malory gives you plenty of situations between the two of them that brings you on an emotional rollercoaster ride, in the best of ways. I’m really looking forward to the next book!

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Lord of Eternal Night by Ben Alderson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Lord of Eternal Night by Ben Alderson was utterly charming. I loved the Beauty and the Beast Re-telling mashed with queer themes. Though I loved the characters and their dynamic, there were moments when I wished there was a bit more sparks or danger, or lives on the line. It was really sweet to see their slow-burn romance bloom when they were clearly interested in each other.

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A Study in Charlotte by Brittany Cavallaro
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I have to say, I quite enjoyed this book. The beginning felt a bit slow for my tastes but once you get about halfway, everything starts to happen in a good way. I thoroughly enjoyed the idea of taking well-known, Sherlock Holmes stories and crafting them to match the modern-day. Even the choice of characters (Charlotte Holmes and James Watson) are descendants of the famous Sherlock Holmes and John Watson. The storyline was interesting since these particular characters are from London, but are doing a university degree out in the Americas. At times the writing felt a bit silly and I didn’t connect much with Charlotte, but I did overall enjoy this read. I look forward to how the story progresses in the next book.

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Dance of Hearts: a Cinderella Regency Romance Retelling by Byrd Nash
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Wow, you just can’t go wrong with a fairytale re-telling PLUS a Regency England time period setting. For those who know me personally, Cinderella is actually my most hated Disney princess, but this book really made me see her in a new light. I grew awfully fond of Melinda Wychwood (Cinderella) as she continued to deal with the shit that comes from the culture and life of that period. I thought the story was well written, clear, and had great character development for a re-telling.

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Price of a Rose: A Beauty & Beast Tale by Byrd Nash
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

If there’s one thing I love, it’s fairytale retellings and Price of a Rose definitely fit the bill. Since this isn’t the first book I’ve read from this author, I have to say that I’m really enjoying their works. Just like Byrd Nash’s other stories, this one was really well written, entirely unique in its own way, and I swear that I was actually able to ‘see’ the book play out from how clearly it was written. The characters were all really strong and well developed and I loved the historical romance aspect as well.

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Siren Daughter by Cassie Day
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Siren Daughter by Cassie Day is an amazing first book to the Olympian Exiles series. If you love greek mythology and fantasy as I do, then I highly suggest you try out this novel! I thoroughly enjoyed how Cassie had woven many different Grecian figures, creatures, and mythos settings into the story. Everything was easy to understand and yet was complex and detailed at the same time. I also enjoyed that this novel isn’t as fast-paced as what I would normally read, allowing me to really sit back and slowly enjoy the story unfolding in front of me.

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Stalks of Gold by Celeste Baxendell
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I truly love fairytale re-tellings and this one didn’t disappoint! Stalks of Gold by Celeste Baxendell is a mash-up of Repunzel and Rumpelstiltskin. Being the first book in the Bewitching Fairy Tales series, it really sets the bar high for the next book in the series. I personally loved how this author tackled two fairytales into one story which makes it that much more different than many other re-tellings. I found the story engaging with a lovely writing style and loveable characters!

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Mirrors of Ice by Celeste Baxendell
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

What a wonderfully crafted novel! There were so many aspects that just made this amazing. The beautiful writing style, the detailed and well-developed characters (and not just the main leads, but also the side characters), the alluring romance, and the idea of ‘found family’. Seriously, I have thoroughly enjoyed reading Mirrors of Ice and I don’t normally like stories related to ‘snow white’. I think I even enjoyed this more than the first book in the Bewitching Fairy Tales series, Stalks of Gold!

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Beasts of Beauty by Celeste Baxendell
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This book had sent me a whirlwind. (It has a happy ending as most fairytales do, but in order to get there, you have to go through a lot of tragic, sad, hurt first). Honestly, I was pretty invested in this series. Celeste Baxendell’s writing style has a way of capturing your interest quickly and holding it until the very end of the book. Each one of her Bewitching FairyTales, do not shy away from deeper/ stronger displays of emotions; ones you wouldn’t normally find in fairytale retellings in general. This book makes you dive into the theme of identity crisis, morally grey situations and characters, good versus evil, the idea of forgiveness and literal psychological pain that the character experiences. Truly, go check out this author. Each one of the books in the series could be read as a standalone, but you want to read all three!

I received this book as an ARC for an honest review. Everything written above is 100% my own thoughts and opinions.

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Between the Sea and Stars by Chantal Gadoury
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I thought this little mermaid retelling was quite charming. I loved the simple and yet interesting fantasy world-building around Lena and her story. I personally thought it was quite entertaining to read about such an innocent main character (Lena) as she dives headfirst into the land culture and gets caught in the villain’s net. (see what I did there :D). The way how the author writes, allows you to really connect with Lena and go through all sorts of emotions and feelings as she is feeling them throughout the book.

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Queen of Hearts by Colleen Oakes
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I’ll be honest, I didn’t have very high hopes for this book with how the first few chapters started off with. I thought Dinah, the soon-to-be queen of hearts, was too childlike. But I’m quite happy to say that by the time I was reaching the 5th chapter, she was really growing on me. There was a lot of secrets (darkness) lurking in the background and I was delighted to find the plotline a lot more appealing and interesting than I originally thought. What was just a book I picked up on a whim, is now one of my favorite short reads! I’m really looking forward to the next book in the series and I’m happy I gave this book a chance. Trust me, it’s worth it!

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Blood of Wonderland by Colleen Oakes
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Blood of Wonderland is the second book of the Queen of Hearts trilogy. What a ride this one was! Compared to the first book, this one really stepped up its gain! I really enjoyed how the author is twisting the classic tale of Alice in Wonderland into her own, very unique story. Since it’s a short book, I managed to read the first two books in the series within a day! I’m really looking forward to the next book!

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War of the Cards by Colleen Oakes
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

War of the Cards, was such a great ending to the trilogy. I felt quite satisfied with how all the loose ends finished. Including the cute appearance of LEWIS, the original author of Alice in Wonderland. Lovely touch.

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Of Thorns and Beauty by Elle Madison
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I am a huge fan of retellings of classic fairytales. Of Thorns and Beauty, is a re-telling of the story of Beauty and the Beast with the main cast as, Zaina (Belle) and King Einar (Beast). I really loved this retelling because unlike the classic, the ‘beast’ isn’t seen as some monster humanoid but actually a proper gentleman that dotes on his subjects. The ‘Belle’ character is kind of a badass, with a wicked mouth (sass and witty comments for days), and fighting/spy skills that’s quite interesting. Even Zaina’s appearance in nothing like what you would envision a “Belle” to look like with the whole punk vibe going on (nose piercing, ear cuffs.). I really enjoyed this book, and I’m highly looking forward to the next one in the series!

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Of Beasts and Vengeance by Elle Madison
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Wow wow wow wow! This sequel to the Twisted pages was even better than the first book! The story really dives more into the relationship of Zaina and Einar in the best of ways. I really liked how fast-paced it was and the continuing character growth. We also get introduced to new characters (Zaina’s sister), who also kind of resemble other fairytale princesses! I really can’t wait to read Robin and Elle’s other books!

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Son of Krampus by Ellen Mint
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I’m not usually interested in holiday themed stories, but this one certainly caught my interest! You can’t go wrong with holiday spirit, a bit of romance (ok, its a bit more than a bit 🙂 ) and a strong cast of characters. Emeric (the son of Krampus), is alluring, sexy, and just so interesting as a character as he interacts with Nadire (the daughter of St. Nicholas). This story is new, different and not something you would usually read about in regards to christmas themed books!

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House of Salt And Sorrows by Erin A. Craig
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

House of Salt and Sorrows by Erin A. Craig was just… wow. Seriously. I personally love any kind of fairytale re-telling and this book was all that and more. Being a fairytale re-telling, this novel was much darker, more of a mind fuck than anything. There were ghosts, gothic themes, salt tombs, themes of family and love, and dancing in glittering balls. Reality and nightmares blurred like crazy. Honestly, my review doesn’t do this bok justice, I truly believe you need to try this book out for yourself.

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Hades’ Deception by Erin McDermott
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I love anything mythology, especially greek mythology-based, so it’s no wonder that I found myself enjoying Hades’ Deception (Book one of Athana Chronicles by Erin McDermott). The characters were loveable and relatable enough and I absolutely adored the world-building. It really felt like I was reading to one of the classic mythology tales when in fact this was a fictional story. The writing style is easy to understand and balanced well with monologue and descriptions. Great start to this series!

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Hades’ Cult by Erin McDermott
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Hades’ Cult is the second book of the Athana Chronicles by Erin McDermott. We continue to follow the storyline with the main character Clare while she’s in Athana. Coming from the first book, Hades’ Deception, I personally enjoyed the first story more in terms of plotline and description of characters. That being said, this book left me gasping with the plot twists since they were so unexpected and I enjoyed the smoothness that came between the first book to this one.

What I thought needed a bit of work was Clare’s lack of character development. I understand that she’s a bit naive and is going through so much in a short time span, and yet, I find her choices throughout the story very questionable. Still, an enjoyable read, and I’m looking forward to the third book!

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Beauty’s Daughter by Eustacia Tan
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This book has sent me on a wild ride. Following in the footsteps of the Brother’s Grimm, this twisted story takes on a darker version of Sleeping Beauty. This story is definitely a page-turner with an Asian twist. I liked how there were newly added elements like “Mandarin accents”, and “Eastern” settings. The words flow nicely together and it’s quite a lovely read!

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The Lily Gate: A Retelling of The Frog Prince by Hanna Sandvig
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This short story was cute and an interesting take on the retelling of the frog prince. As a mashup of modern-day life and the fantastical settings of Faerie, it’s surely a cute read!

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Letters by Cinderlight: A Tale of Cinderella by Jacque Stevens
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This was probably my favourite cinderella fairytale retelling. There was so much to unpack in this story. Beautifully designed and developed characters, touch of supernatural (in reference to the fae), quite interesting and likeable romance, a strong and bright heroine that brings hope and inspiration, and of course, adventure. I also quite enjoyed the Slavic mythology touch, which is something that I haven’t normally seen in other mythology-based stories. If you’re looking for the soft and sweet Disney version of Cinderella, this story is not it. There is plenty of dangers, frightening monsters and corrupted villains that sit a lot closer to the original version of fairytales in its raw forms.

I can’t describe how excited I am to read more of this wonderful series by Jacque Stevens. This is not a book/series you want to miss!

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Ariadne by Jennifer Saint
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Ariadne by Jennifer Saint was such a pleasure to read through. I’m a sucker for any kind of mythology, and this novel certainly lived up to any expectations I had. If you loved “Circe”, ” A Thousand Ships”, “Pandora”, “The Silence of Girls”, YOU HAVE GOT TO TRY THIS ONE OUT! The writing style was easy to read through, and yet filled with fine details that created the beautiful storyline. Characters were well-developed, and I loved how close the author kept to the original folklore for “Ariadne”, all the while adding her own little twists. Such a lovely read!

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Æroreh by Jesikah Sundin
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

There was a lot to love in this book by Jesikah Sundin. Being the first story by this author that I’ve had the pleasure of reading, this book really blew me away. (No wonder Jesikah received so many writing awards. You can easily tell why when you read her works). First off, I really loved the world-building and the ideal of different sects in the fae world controlling how people see the ‘world’. I thought it was quite a unique storyline and not your average read.

There’s just so much to unpack within this story. You want romance? You got it with Aeroeh and Felip. You like fairytale retellings? You got a hint of sleeping beauty with the idea of illusions and dreams throughout the storyline. You like supernatural and fantasy? No problem, it’s set in a fae world but pagan overtones and new technology. This book has it all and will surely peak anyone’s interest! I look forward to reading the next book of this amazing duology.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

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The Hollow by Jessica Verday
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I can’t believe I hadn’t written a review for this one since I’ve read the whole trilogy at least 7 times straight through! This trilogy has easily become one of my comfort reads when I find myself in a reading slump. The characters are so cute together and I liked how there is a hint of a ‘darker’ theme in regards to death lurking in the background. This trilogy is perfect for younger audiences!

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The Haunted by Jessica Verday
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The Haunted is the second book in The Hollow Trilogy by Jessica Verday. Coming from the previous book, the storyline is well on its way in this one and we see a lot more drama and internal struggles that our main female lead experiences to everything. I’ve enjoyed the mythology aspect shared throughout the books and the folklore behind the headless horseman stories!

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The Hidden by Jessica Verday
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

What a lovely ending to this adorable trilogy! This series has definitely become one of my comfort reads as I’ve completely forgotten how many times I’ve re-read it. It’s just so cute and addicting, perfect for the younger audience!

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Stalking Jack the Ripper by Kerri Maniscalco
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

There is a lot to love from this book. Stalking Jack the Ripper does a wonderful job setting up the overall setting, the characters, and their backgrounds without giving out too much information too fast and being quite engaging at the same time. Who doesn’t love a strong female lead in the victorian era that not only ENJOYED but was intelligent when it came to surgeries and opening a body up? I certainly loved how unique and intriguing our female lead was, and the ending of the book was a big surprise as well! Really lovely novel!

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Hunting Prince Dracula by Kerri Maniscalco
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Hunting Prince Dracula by Kerri Maniscalco is the second book of the Stalking Jack the Ripper series. I thought it was a delightfully entertaining read. I thoroughly enjoyed Thomas’ increasing cocky/ confident commentary and Aubery-Rose’s reactions to them. The relationship/ chemistry between them is so adorable, and yet I liked how the book didn’t only focus on the romance aspect but on the murders. The folklore/ history with Vlad the Impaler/ Dracula was was beautifully engraved into the story into a new and exciting story.

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The Sultan and the Storyteller by Lichelle Slater
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

You haven’t checked out Lichelle Slater’s books, this is your sign that you really should. She has a way of writing that just draws in the audience. Plus, who doesn’t love an Arabian Nights/ Aladdin fairytale retelling? I thought the characters have been well thought out/ developed and there was enough character development to keep me satisfied. There were a few spelling errors but I was so attracted to the overall storyline that it didn’t bother me in the slightest. I wish there was more time for the romance to develop more, but again, I was alright with how it was.

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The Twice-Drowned Prince by L.M. Morrison
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Can I just that I love retellings? It’s always so interesting to me to see how an author can take a previously well-known story and mold it into their own. The Twice Drowned Prince by L.M. Morrison does not disappoint! The way how it’s written has so much depth and soul that I found I was flipping through pages faster than I should have 😀 What was truly refreshing about this retelling of the little mermaid, was that the relationship took time. It wasn’t an immediate love at first sight, allowing the characters to really get to know one other and build a sort of friendship first.

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The Girl in the Clockwork Tower by Lou Wilham
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I’m the biggest fan of fairytale retellings, so it’s no wonder that I picked up this book when I saw it offered as an Arc read. First off, I’ve read many cinderellas or the little mermaid retellings but not many Rapunzel ones, which was what first grabbed my interest in this book. The author writes in a way that makes you feel like you are joining the character’s adventures and journey. On top of that, we get hints of the steampunk genre throughout, such as airships/ goggles. I was pleased with the character growth as well and felt that the way the characters were written was also relatable and likable. Honestly, this story was quite charming and I thoroughly enjoyed reading this.

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The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I can’t believe I let myself wait so long to start this book. Oh man, The Song of Achilles was everything I could ever wanted in a greek mythology themed novel. Since I knew I was going to love anything by Madeline Miller, I’ve LOVED Circe, I knew this was easily going to be my next 5 star read. There was the perfect amount of drama, romance that was both heartwarming and sexy, and battles, all wrapped up in a perfectly described writing style. I really enjoy how all of Madeline Miller’s books, her writing style replicates a storyteller, which compliments the storyline itself.

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Circe by Madeline Miller
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I originally picked up this book at the height of its release on social media and it turned out to be everything I could ever want in a book. Being a book based on Greek mythology, this one singular novel brings you through a THOUSAND YEARS worth of godly drama, romance, folklore, and adventures. Truly a well-written masterpiece and deserves all the hype.

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Frosted by M.C. Frank
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I am the largest sucker for any kind of enemies to lovers story. Frosted (the second book in the Regency Retold series), is one of the better books that fall under that category (in my opinion). This book has a sort of sexiness and allure in its writing style. The further you get into Lady Stella DeWinter and Captain Timothee Vaughan’s relationship, the faster you will be flipping those pages. There’s so much witty commentary, action, seducing stares and touches, beautiful world-building and background stories, and of course, the feel of Jane Austen, all bundled into one!

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Ruined by M.C. Frank
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I really enjoyed this. Though I read the series out of order (I’ve read Frosted first before this one). I thought the romance was tasteful and not over the top, considering that it was a retelling of sorts (Jane Eyre). Plus there was the whole historical context/ Regency period that really caught my interest. Now, I’ve never read Jane Eyre yet and never really planned to in my life, to be honest, but now after reading this, I’m much more inclined to read it.

I received this book as a free ARC for an honest review!

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Retold by M.C. Frank
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

There is just something to M.C. Frank’s fairytale retellings that easily grab your interest. Retold, the third book in the Regency Retold series is inspired by Peter Pan fairytale, Hades and Persephone, and Rapunzel. This story had a darker tone with three retellings all in one, which I really enjoyed. The characters were odd and unique and dramatic, which I thought was not only entertaining to read about, but made them stand out to me. Frank gave us coming of age story with angst, broken characters that need love, and tortured souls all wrapped up in this glorious story. It was interesting to see how even though each one of the retellings were completely on their own, that there were also cross-overs among them as well adding a connection.

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Soul of Stone by Michele Amitrani
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I really enjoyed this story by Michaele Amitrani. Soul of Stone was the perfect blend of greek mythology tales they teach in school mashed with a new, unique take on Medusa. I’ve never really found this goddess to be truly evil from the original mythology and I was happy to know that reading this novella only encouraged the empathy I felt toward the goddess. I really liked the story building and kept it quite close to the original story.

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Gild by Raven Kennedy
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I had mixed feelings about Gild by Raven Kennedy. I want to start off, that I went into this book with zero expectations and no general knowledge of the storyline besides knowing that it was a King Midas fairytale retelling. I was not expecting to utterly hate the male lead, the King, with how he constantly treated Auren as his perfect golden ‘pet’. Also, his poor wife. How would you feel if he always paraded his golden pet to everyone as his ‘precious’ and yet never gave you a lick of his time? There is clearly Stockholm syndrome themes as Auren can’t actually travel around freely as shes constantly stuck in a cage until three-quarters into the story. Thought the storyline got incredibly interesting when Auren finally got let out of her cage, I felt like I needed to see more development or danger.

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The Fairest by Sam Burns
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

The Fairest by Sam Burns is the first book by this indie author that I have explored. I have to say, that this short Snow White Re-telling was quite adorable with a splash of spice. I liked the dynamic between our ‘snow white’, Carwyn, and his ‘huntsman’, Gareth, as their personalities and appearances were completely different from each other yet, complimented. I wish it was longer. I felt this story could have been written with more world-building and character development, but for what it was, 142 pages, it was quite cute and enjoyable.

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