Once: Before Midnight / Golden / Wild Orchid

by Cameron Dokey

Read happily ever after with this magical repackage that includes three enchanting, retold fairy tales.

In this value-priced bind-up of three beloved retellings, readers will journey to faraway fairy tale lands. Before Midnight revisits Cinderella's story in France, Golden puts a new spin on Rapunzel's romance, and Wild Orchid reimagines the Chinese tale of Mulan. With so much real-life drama in today's busy world, Once allows readers to escape into whimsical realms where every story has a happily ever after.

Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult, Romance, Fairy Tales, Retellings, Fairy Tale Retellings, Fiction

640 pages, Paperback

First published February 7, 2012

About the author

Cameron Dokey is an American author living in Seattle, Washington. She has a collection of over 50 old sci-fi and horror films. Cameron was born in the Central Valley of California. Cameron grew up reading classical literature and mythology, perhaps due to her father, Richard, being a teacher of Philosophy, Creative Writing, and Western Literature.

Cameron has one husband and three cats, and is the author of over a dozen young adult novels. Her favorite read is J.R.R. Tolkien's trilogy, "The Lord of the Rings." Her favorite TV show is "Buffy the Vampire Slayer."

When she's not writing, Cameron likes to work in the garden and is learning to quilt.

Reviews

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

These are the best books ever! They were always surprising me with twists in the plots. Can't wait to get the other books by this author.

[Melissa · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wish I had read these stories when I was younger. I'm sure I would have liked them more then, before I was married with a child on the way. I rolled my eyes so many times while reading this collection.

Before Midnight:
My least favorite. I read these stories out of order. If I had read it first, I might have liked it better. These stories are all very similar, to be honest. By the time I got around to reading this one, I had to force myself to sit long enough to finish it.

My main problem? Nothing is fleshed out properly. For example, Anastasia is a horrible, selfish little brat. She is awful. Then she finds out that Cendrillon is not a servant, and she is nicer to her? So...... That means that suddenly we're supposed to like her and understand why Raoul is in love with her? If she "changes" as a character, it needs to be realistic. Not a sudden-- oh, so I can't treat you like a servant anymore? Better be nicer! Yay! She's still the same awful person, isn't she? We just aren't seeing it anymore. And for that matter, Raoul really does have awful taste. I would not want to be anywhere near someone who would treat others the way she treated ANY of them.

And the ending... So, Cendrillon's father takes her back to the house, and this suddenly implicates the queen more than, I don't know, the initial reveal of there being a second prince? THAT'S what sparks her to be kept from the public? What? And, what, just because they all care about Cendrillon, Raoul isn't going to worry about whether to be king or not? Which, by the way, is a perfectly valid thing for him to consider. Why did Cendrillon try to make him feel bad for thinking about it? Maybe Prince Pascal should be the one to reconsider to avoid war? Nothing makes sense. It's all tied up in a pretty bow, and we're told that it all works out. It all works out because...uh. Because of happily-ever-after, so there!


This is pretty much my review for all of the books. I did like Golden well enough, and at least the romance was built up a little bit. I've never read a Mulan retelling, so at least that was something new. But, seriously, this whole "true love" and "love at first sight" stuff really annoys me. Sorry, that's not how life works. That's certainly not what love is. And this is coming from someone who met a guy, went on a date with him three days later, made it an official relationship on that first date, and started talking marriage within months. Sometimes you meet someone and you KNOW they are special. That is very, very different than thinking that you are instantly in love with that person. Love is something that grows. It's based on dedication, commitment, trust, etc. None of that can just happen in a moment.

The problem with these books is that they spend so much time developing the central character and her relationships growing up, that the "romance" seems to be tacked on and completely unbelievable. I think I would have actually liked these books a lot if they had just skipped the romance altogether.

[Nicole · Rating 5 out of 5]

AHHHHH!!!! Just bought it at B&N's!!!! I love this book (or books, I should say, heh heh) and I LOVE THE AUTHOR!!!

P.S. Saving tip, guys. Each of these three books cost 7 bucks on its own. But all three in one book cost 9.99!!! Whoop whoop!!!

[Delaney (flairforfiction) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I LOVED these stories. I'm such a huge fan of fairy tale retellings and WOW these were some of the most creative and well done retellings I've read!

This collection includes a retelling of Cinderella, Rapunzel, and Mulan and man they were all so different and so creative!

One of my favorite thing about these stories was how they changed the familial relationships. In Before Midnight, instead of the stepmother being evil and awful, she's actually just a heartbroken woman who ends up developing a really loving relationship with her stepdaughter. It was so refreshing to see a story where the stepmother wasn't actually evil. I wish there were more stories with decent step parents.

In Golden, the evil witch is actually just a misunderstood sorceress who takes Rapunzel as her own child. I don't want to reveal too much about her reasoning behind it because of spoilers but she treats Rapunzel wonderfully and I adored seeing their dynamic.

And in Wild Orchid, Mulan's father at first doesn't have a relationship with his daughter, but that changes once he returns home from war. They become really close and I loved seeing such a strong relationship between a father and daughter. I also loved how Mulan's relationship with her stepmother played out; I'm glad they developed a strong bond.

I also just loved the romance in each of these books. They were sometimes unexpected and sometimes predictable but they were so beautiful and I loved them.

Overall these were such lovely stories and I want to read more from this author!

[Jenny Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hmmmmmm Dokey

[Jackie · Rating 3 out of 5]

BEWARE OF SPOILERS

Before Midnight:
(CINDERELLA)
Okay so this was a pretty good read. It only took me a day to complete. I thought it was cool the whole wishing thing. The twin princes was a amazing spin on it whole royals thing. Oh, and I loved how only one stepsister was 'evil' and the mother was nice. I like that the glass slipper was kept in it. Annnndddddd.....oh! I love the whole Soulmates thing <3

Golden:
(RAPUNZEL)
This was cool. Rapunzel was bald and gave her name to the girl she saved from a forever life in a tower (this is the 'Rapunzel' we all know and love) and names herself Susan and falls in love with Harry.

Wild Orchid:
(MULAN)
Okay guyssss, this was my favorite. But hey, Mulan is my favorite fairytale anyway.....I just loved it


----->>>>>> I didn't like how it had all these 'I wish is could tell you.....but actually....

And they like hardly EVER showed the princes and they kissed ONCE (if we were lucky)

[Jennifer (DigiWrit) · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF after Golden.

After Golden, I blanked out. White noise. I'm giving up on Dokey. If Before Midnight and Golden were letdowns, I have no expectations of Wild Orchid. It's a shame; I love the legend of Mulan. But if Dokey mishandled Cinderella and Rapunzel, I can only imagine how she mangled Mulan. Movin' on!

[Morgan Schmidt · Rating 3 out of 5]

“Love so joyfully and freely given can never be taken away. It is never truly gone.”

This was a cute collection of stories. I love re-tellings, and these ones had such a unique spin. I absolutely loved the Cinderella story, but the other two had me a bit bored at times. There were lots of excellent quotes and little gems in these stories and I am excited to read more.

[Pseudonym Phoebe · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love these re-tellings!

[Alixendra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Out of all the fairy tales I have read, including the Brothers Grimm, these have to be some of my favorite retellings of Cinderella, Rapunzel, and Mulan. My favorite was Mulan in Wild Orchid, then Cendrillon in Before Midnight, and finally the bald Rapunzel in Golden.

Cendrillon's, french for Cinderella, story is unique when the author wirtes it the original way; the way that the Grimm Brothers and those before them wrote it...her father is alive, but not a part of her life. Dokey writes it her way with her stepmother and sisters being kind and caring, where as her father is the bad guy who doesn't want anything to do with her since he blames her for the death of her mother when she was born. Not only that but in steps a few political twists that her father is a part of, and it is up to Cendrillon to make her wish come true on her own. Though there is hidden magic in the story, it is more that of 'love' and she doesn't have a Fairy Godmother, but rather just a Godmother.

Rapunzel is bald. She was born with NO hair and has no hope of ever growing any...what-so-ever. When her mother doesn't want her, for she doesn't have her golden haired beauty, Rapunzel is taken in by the Sorceress and lives with her in a cottage and helps her in the garden. As Rapunzel grows older she starts to realize the Sorceress's true agenda for Rapunzel, and that not only does she need her help, but she also has a daughter who was accidentally locked in a tower by a powerful wizard!! This version of Rapunzel is far different than any other one, and the reason whey the author wrote thus is truly inspiring and wonderful.

Finally for my favorite...Mulan. Mulan's story is still the same with saving her nation, however there is a different twist than any one could've come up with. Mulan's mother dies as she is being born and her father names her after the wild, untameable orchids that her mother so loved. For years he does not come home, for he fears the loss of her mother-who she doesn't even know the name of since her father forbids everybody to speak it. Mulan's father is the greatest and legendary Hua Wei, and though Mulan looks identical to her mother, she spends her time secretly learning to read, write, and do what the boys are supposed to be doing. In sum, her father is finally sent home by the Emperor after being gone for so long, and NOT wanting to come home on his own, and he and Mulan have to find a way to let their past go and start over.
In the end, he is starting to get ready for war again when Mulan decides not to risk losing him again. There, she meets her soul mate Prince Jian as she faces the Huns with her skills in archery.

This book was absolutely amazing and if you enjoyed,or still do, reading such tales then this is the book to read!! The author wrote one about Jack & Jill that sounds really good and twisted!!!

[林 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Basically, it was The Wild Orchid: A Retelling of "The Ballad of Mulan" that didn't make it for me, because I grew up adoring Hong Kong martial arts dramas and the characters in the retelling are nearly nothing like the Chinese people I know. Also, I could pick at things being incorrectly used (for instance, Li Po hastily correcting himself when he referred to Mulan as "her" instead of "him" in the army camp - in Mandarin Chinese, both terms sound the same, although they are written slightly differently) but I realise I'm being really harsh here.

Well, for a more accurate portrayal of ancient China, I'd pick my old Hong Kong dramas any time. For now, I don't really know what I like about this retelling. Let someone without my bias review this better.

Golden: A Retelling of "Rapunzel" took me by surprise. Let me quote the part of the synopsis I found:

In GOLDEN, Rapunzel, bald and without hope of growing hair, must break an enchantment to free her heart - and the heart of another. But a sorceress's betrayal threatens to overwhelm Rapunzel, which could leave the two cursed forever if she can't trust in true love.

Well, I expected the narrator to magically grow hair eventually, somehow. But it didn't happen! Well, Rapunzel is one of my favourite characters and I felt very dismayed that she was quite completely stripped of the identity she was given in the Brothers Grimm's version. However, the author added a note, explaining her motivations - a relative suffering from alopecia areata (a skin disease that can cause hair loss) said, "Could you do a version of 'Rapunzel' where she doesn't have any hair?" & it does well to show that beauty is in the heart, not just for the eyes.

(It's my personal preference, but I still like the original tale better than this retelling.)

Lastly, Before Midnight: A Retelling of "Cinderella". Actually, I reviewed this a little in my status here. I think I like this story best out of the three, although I think this retelling still has potential to be further developed. One thing, though: I'm really glad everyone had a happy ending here.

For a young adult book, this is pretty good. But these are not my favourite retellings.

[Nicole · Rating 5 out of 5]

Before Midnight, Golden & Wild Orchid all have something in common that I didn't really like: WHY DOES THE STORY HAVE TO END SO QUICKLY.
Yes, the story fits and everything but a little bit more won't hurt.

Let's start with Before Midnight.
First of all, I loved how in Dokey's version Cendrillon's stepsisters treated her fairly well and tremendously amazing once nearing the end, unlike the original Cinderella. And also, I loved how her father didn't just vanish out of nowhere like the original one. Bringing him into the plot also made the story very interesting and unique! And also, that little twist about Pascal and Rhaul was also shocking. Though I may not have thought about it at first, it all became clear and all the pieces fit together properly like a jigsaw puzzle.

Now on to Golden.
When the tinker first arrived at the front door of their house I immediately thought of him being Rapunzel's father! Imagine my screaming rage when I found out it was entirely true! Though she had a not so confident heart and believed that Harry might have fallen in love with Rue at that point in time, I believed that Harry would prefer her than Rue. Ah, the story was just definitely sweet! Though it had a little twist from the original like how Rapunzel had no hair to begin with, I believe the ending was perfect as how Parsley had said it. That people will remember a girl named Rapunzel that was trapped in the tower and not Rue. A striking thought just came into my mind when I read that. What if that WAS the original story, that there was actually two girls involved and not just one? Well, who knows. I really admire Dokey's work!

Beauty is not merely in the eyes of the beholder, it is in the heart.

Wild Orchid, oh how wonderful this story is! The only downside was that I didn't want that kind of ending for Li Po.
I didn't expect it. (though it should be because he was a soldier in the line of duty) it all just happened so fast and in a blur. But what I loved best of all was that they married out of Love and not because of the family name or traits. I loved how she explained that both her and Jian's heart beat as one. That is truly amazing, I would want to experience that someday. Though it was kinda different as the original like the other two, it wasn't all that bad. I learned that every story has its good and bad whether we like it or not.


As many people might say that fairy tales are bull and all, I will never stop believing and I definitely will experience a fairy tale of my own. Maybe not as how it is in stories, but surely something better!

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have always loved fairy tales and have recently been studying the re-tellings of Cinderella from across the world. Specifically looking for how her character is an archetype of true beauty. In my searching for stories, (of which there are LOADS!) I came across this book. It is a compilation of three fairy tale re-tellings: Cinderella (Before Midnight,) Rapunzel (Golden) and Mulan (Wild Orchid.) Such a fun read! Perfectly appropriate for all ages to read, Cameron Dokey puts her own fun spin on these traditional tales. She actually holds true to the majority of the traditional stories, but fills in the details with such creativity. If you are a "happily, ever after" lover like me, you will love this book. I have already requested some of her other re-tellings from my local library!

[Lizzie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I had high hopes as I love twisted tales. The writing was good but the plots were just too “nice”. Everyone was too “good” in the stories. There were no major antagonists which made them fairly boring in the end. I did not read wild orchid as I assumed it would be more of the same.

[Charity U · Rating 4 out of 5]

First story was my favorite; third was my least favorite. I do enjoy a good fairy-tale retelling, and this included three!

[Bilbo-Maggins · Rating 4 out of 5]

Once Upon a Time...

Once was a fantastic collection of fairytales wonderfully retold with such beautiful creativity! I was blown away and found myself in love with Dokey's worlds and characters. These stories, though written in recent times, had the feel of those old and famous fairytales that we know and love. I enjoyed almost every moment and I'm very happy to add this collection to my collection. This is a book I can definitely see myself reading again and again in the future.

***SPOILERS BEYOND THIS POINT***

4.5 stars.

There were only a couple things I didn't like about the stories.

In Before Midnight I was a little disappointed that prince Pascal and Raoul were twins. I knew almost from the moment Cendrillon's father brought Raoul home that he was gonna end up being a long lost prince or something, and then when prince Pascal appeared I knew they were going to end up being brothers. I was, however, surprised by the boys being twins. It just kind of rubbed me the wrong way, and I thought it was a little clichè. I was thinking Pascal would be older by a bit or something, and that he and Raoul would look similar, but being twins? I don't know, I was a little disappointed by it, but it wasn't a huge deal.

As for Golden, the only thing I didn't like about it was that when Melisande revealed that she had another daughter, Rapunzel blew it kind of out of proportion. I understand it's hard when a family member hides something from you, but I thought Rapunzel handled it badly and made it more of a big deal than it was. I also thought it a little weird that this "act of unkindness" that Melisande committed was just buying a ribbon. She explained it well, but at the sane time I didn't think it warranted the punishment that Rue received. I understand that Dokey probably didn't want her to do something horrible that would change the way Rapunzel would feel about her, but I really thought the buying of the ribbon was too gentle of a "crime". Perhaps if she had stolen it that would have made more sense.
I loved the fact that Rapunzel was bald though. That really took the cake for me. I was so exited when I read that she didn't have hair. Not only was it an incredible and unique twist to the story, but it gives girls who don't have hair, for whatever reason (cancer, alopecia areata, or other hair loss related illness), a way to relate to the strong and confident Rapunzel.

I don't have much to say about Wild Orchid, it was probably my favorite. I loved the story and was so saddened by Li Po's death. I wanted to cry!

Overall the stories were amazing and beautifully written!! I loved them!!

[Vivian Chen (Vivian's Book Pavilion) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Behold, another fairytale retelling!!! The first time I’ve heard about this book was when a website was voting for the fairest dress among the book cover. (Of course…those which were popular get more vote, I remember the top five books includes all of The Selection series. And of course, I voted for Entwined.) and then recently when I visit bookstore, I found this book on sale, so…it turns out that Once become one of my book collection. But it is worth reading, from the moment I started this book, I hadn’t found a bit of emotion called “regret.” This book is almost like fairy tales! Not just merely retelling! Now, let’s enjoy the three stories form this book: Before Midnight, Golden, and Wild Orchid.
So, what’s special about this book? From the moment I finished Entwined till now, I’ve read a lot of fairytale retelling. Such as The Twelve Dancing Princess series + Sun and Moon, Ice and Snow by Jessica Day George, The Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer, Fairytale Romance series + Medieval Fairytale series by Melanie Dickerson… All of them have their own unique, and this book has its own advantages as well. To me, like I’ve mention above, Once is so great that it could be fairy tales which can be list beside Grimm’s fairy tale or Anderson’s fairy tale. The story I love in this book most is Cendrillion, a retelling of Cinderella. Cendrillion is the French name of Cinderella, and with the author’s own unique point of view. Unlike other Cinderella retelling, Cendrillion focus on true love, but not just limit in “Prince Charming” or “True Love Kiss.” Instead, its love involve family, sisterhood, and of course, couple. As we were told in the original Cinderella story, she was cruelly treated by her stepmother and stepsisters. In some stories, her father died not long after he re-married or he didn’t know anything about the cruelty. (How come that’s possible? Did you ever care for your child?) However, we have a twist in Cendrillion. Cendrillion’s father wasn’t died, nor did he even live with Cendrillion. Since Cendrillion’s mother died from giving birth, her father blamed her for that. Besides ignoring Cendrillion, her father also brought home a boy called Raoul. Both of them were forbidden to leave the estate. And after years past, her father re-married, and he sent his new wife to the estate, along with her two daughters. Now, that’s when the interesting part began. The new stepmother wasn’t cruel, she simply neglected everything around her and put herself in deep sorrow. Why? Read the story yourselves. However, the two stepsisters, one rude, and the other nice. And more, when they first came to the estate, none of them knew Cendrillion’s true identity, they simply thought her as a servant. Interesting? Weird? There’s more. Love was what connected the entire story. From the first time Cendrillion’s father abandon her and wept at her mother’s grave, the place became unfertilized. Not a single plant can grow. Then, it was also love that brought the land a glimpse of hope, and brought her stepmother some happiness. And love also broke the tension in the house. (What was that? An interesting twist in the story.) Last, it was also love that Cendrillion’s mother’s tree started to grow again. Oh! And most of the things happen “before midnight.” I just love this story so much! It is my favorite stories in the book. I love how the characters grow and their relationship change, how they found love and hope, and how they confront every problem.
Now, how about the Rapunzel story? Well…Golden is totally a complete different retelling. As we all know, Rapunzel had a shiny golden hair, as bright as the sun, as smooth as the stream. But then, in Cameron Dokey’s story…our dear Rapunzel was bald. Shock huh? From the moment she was born, she was dislike by her mother and fed by the sorceress. And actually, not until the last part of this story will you know what really happen. It is totally unexpected, but great. We follow Rapunzel ‘s childhood, and her relationship with the sorceress. Then, with the company of two other men, one includes her childhood sweetheart. (Or…perhaps only a close friend? I don’t know…find out yourselves.) But one day…she would find her life was a lie…she was only a chess of others. So…the narrator was Rapunzel herself, yet it wasn’t her at the same time…well…I’m also a bit confuse. But well twist, I love this kind of version very well. In this story, Rapunzel ‘s saver wasn’t Prince Charming, nor she was locked in the tower. Haha! I’m sure that you have no idea what I’m saying. So…let’s move on!
The last story is the retelling of Mulan. This is the first time I’ve read retelling about Mulan. She was one of my favorite heroines among all Disney princesses, I think that’s because she is a Chinese? Or perhaps there are other reasons that I don’t know… What’s more, she is known by every Chinese. In one chapter in our Chinese book, the poet of Mulan is what all junior high school students must learn. (Is that what it’s called? Hum…something like that…) And in this retelling, a totally different version from Disney’s Mulan. Well…Cameron Dokey really like mother died from giving birth…Mulan’s mother was also died because of that. So, her entire childhood was through without parents. Where was her father? Due to the reason that he was the general of Emperor…he couldn’t come home at all, for more than ten years. Such a great reason huh? Mulan’s childhood was mostly past with the company of Li Po, her neighbor. Well…don’t be exciting yet, they were not childhood sweetheart at all. Although Li Po’s mother kept worrying it from happening. Then…Mulan’s father came back and found that his daughter had grown into a boy… And after months, his father re-married, and his relationship with Mulan had also improved. But then, here came the Emperor’s order that every family should send one man to serve the army. Mulan knew how much her father and stepmother was in love, especially they were expecting a child. So knowing her father wouldn’t survive in normal soldier, she disguised in boy and joined the army. And because her perfect skilled of archery, she was noticed by the third prince, and was chosen in the archery team. And…no more spoiler!!! Hahaah! I really like this retelling of Mulan, although the end had some sadness and… but still…not all stories came with perfect ending, that’s life, after all. I love how Mulan gain her father’s permission to be herself and not to marry, especially in that period. (Well…unfortunately, that only happened in well-known family in China…it was impossible for normal girl to be like that.) But still, her spirit was worth cheering for.
It is so great that I find myself another fairytale retelling! And now I have more to read!!! It’s a bless, but also a burden to find what you love…right?
This is post originally on my blog
Vivian's Book Pavilion
http://viviansbookpavilion.blogspot.com/

[houseoflavender · Rating 4 out of 5]

(Book Review): Once by Cameron Dokey

(Disclaimer: This will contain spoiler!)

'Once' is kind of like an onmibus; there are three different stories in one book. The book contains 'Before Midnight' (a retelling of Cinderella), 'Golden' (a retelling of Rapunzel), and 'Wild Orchid' (a retelling of Mulan).

'Before Midnight' is a clever and creative take on Cinderella. I love all the characters. Since Dokey took a lot of liberty with the plot, I was kept on the edge pretty much all the time. I love what Dokey did with the novel. It doesn't focus much on romance, instead, it focuses on Cendrillion's growth as a person throughout the years. In fact, all the romance pretty much hits you in the face with how fast things go.

'Golden' tells the story of our beloved Rapunzel sans the hair. The story is just so pure it should be wrapped in a cinnamon bun. I love the twists and developments, I love the characters. This doesn't feel like a YA novel, it feels like a real fairy tale, just with more depth and plot development.

'Wild Orchid' is a retelling of Hua Mulan, the famous female warrior. This has been retold splendidly. I love the dynamics between the characters; from her relationship with her father, to Li Po and General Yuwen. I felt like I was reading a full-fledged Chinese novel, with the vibe that I was getting, especially when the princes were introduced. I think, this is my favorite story out of the lot. The only bone I have to pick is the pacing. Or the lack thereof, when it comes to romance (as is the case with the other two). I wish the romance were given more time to develop, perhaps it'd be even better to have no romance at all.

Verdicts:
Before Midnight: 4
Golden: 4
Wild Orchid: 4.2 (make it longer and sell it as a different book and I'd def be the first in line to buy it)

[Maaike · Rating 5 out of 5]

A long time ago, when I was in my early twenties, I read all three of these novels by Cameron Dokey. They cemented themselves in my brain so much that they influenced me any time I read a retelling about Cinderella, Rapunzel, or Mulan (and, inevitably, I would end up mixing up the plot of the book I had recently read with the one I had read previously!). But I couldn't remember the Author or the titles, and that plagued me. Because I loved them so much!

Fast forward to this year when, between ThriftBooks and Goodreads, I rediscovered the series. While also realizing that there was a whole other slew of books within the same series! So I am happy to say that I got the chance to reread these favorites of mine in the Omnibus that is "Once."

Especially as, upon meeting a new friend in Japan (as I served a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints) my first internal response to her having Alopecia was, "OH! Did you know that there's a version of Rapunzel in which she is bald?" :D With that experience in mind, I think that Dokey has done her job right.

Thank you for writing a different sort of story for all three characters, so that those of us who have problems with our fathers (and not stepmothers) and who don't quite fit in with the crowd (either in appearance or interests) can find a place for themselves.

[Michelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book contains three stories, all different takes on classic fairy tales. Before Midnight is a re-telling of Cinderella. In this version, the father is not dead, but rather away all of the time. Cendrillon is surprised by the arrival of a stepmother and two stepsisters. They are unused to being in such a remote location and Cendrillon tries her best to make them feel welcome and show them the joys of their home. Magic abounds and Cendrillon hopes that one day her birthday wish will come true and she will be able to grow plants on her mother’s grave, an area cursed by her father’s grief. Her companion since childhood, Raoul also has a mystery behind him and his banter with both her and her new stepsister, Rilla is amusing. This was a clever revision to the classic. The second story, Golden, is a version of Rapunzel, but mixes it up by giving us a Rapunzel with no hair. The author does a very clever job of adding a twist that makes the story work. The third tale is a retelling of Mulan and does a nice job in developing the relationship between Mulan and her father on his unwilling return home after injury.

[Bailey · Rating 3 out of 5]

I feel like I've read six books in three days, given the multitude of stories within this omnibus. Once differs slightly from Cameron Dokey's Kissed in that the heroines often deal with estrangement from their parental figures, as well as questions/quests only they can answer/conquer. Romance is still there, but it's a lot more wistful, more serendipitous than prophecy fulfilled.

-Before Midnight: 3 stars: Typical Cinderella retelling for the most part. I did enjoy the little twist: stepmom isn't the villain, neglectful father/grief were her real enemies
-Golden: 5 stars: Started out like a normal Rapunzel retelling (expectant mom sends dad over sorceress's wall for herb, sorceress finds out and offers up the trade) but this Rapunzel has no hair to aid her quest and is actually willingly given up by her own vain mother to a very loving sorceress and the twist: Rapunzel is not the damsel in the tower at all, but is instead tasked with rescuing another imprisoned girl.
-Wild Orchid: 2 stars. What a let down. I was looking forward to this one (Mulan doesn't get retold too often), but the story felt rushed. Mulan is too big a story to be condensed down into a mere two hundred pages. Little to no connection with the love interests, and at times, the characters spoke with a dialect of regency England rather than China.

[Destiny Little · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm not used to this writing style, but I was zoned in from page 1. The beginning of each tale starts in the third person of each telling their own story. The timeliness is set where instead of a bunch of stuff happening at once, the author took their characters and spread out and told just the most important memorable details. They are really good short stories. The book is over 600 pages long, but I felt like i got through it so fast. By reading it in about 4 hours. The most important lesson I gather from this is that it's okay to be different. The take on rapunzel with alopecia was so inspiring, and I'm so surprised many people do not know about these alternate versions of these particular fairy tales. I've been so into romance and fantasy here lately it was nice to read something with a more sophisticated writing style. This is a great book to enjoy if you just need a break from the action.

[Kim · Rating 3 out of 5]

So far I've read Golden and Wild Orchid. I think there was a cuss word in Golden, when she, her adopted mom and the boy were getting ready to leave the house for good.

Wild Orchid was a re-telling of Mulan and I loved it. What a great version. Getting the Disney movie out of my head was the hard part! LOL! This Mulan had a very different home life than the Disney movie, and she was a girl determined to be herself, which included knowing archery, reading and writing and even some sword play - but to learn those things from her best friend, Li Po, she also had to master the more feminine arts as well - and she did. There's not a lot in the story about the battle like there was in the movie, but it is a very important part of the story. A re-telling I really enjoyed.

I read the first story in the anthology, Before Midnight. I was enjoying it very much and I ran into a cuss word. I'm sorry Cameron, but I have only gotten to read one entire book by you, the other three all had at least one cuss word in them I won't be reading you any more.

[Kayla Stickney · Rating 4 out of 5]

What makes this book different from other books that I have read is that Cameron Dokey is able to take familiar and popular fairy tale stories like Cinderella, Mulan or Rapunzel and she creates a new story, background and identity for each of the characters that is different than the one story of each fairy tale that everyone knows.
By giving each character a new identity and a new background, it was easier to relate to the characters even though the stories are based around fantasies but instead of Cinderella having an evil stepmother in this book she has a stepmother who at first hesitates when it came to kindness but after learning about each others past they become closer.
I would highly recommend this book for anyone who is looking to be given a different on the classic tale.

[Margaret Chind]

[Elaina · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked these stories much better than some of the other stories that I have read by Dokey. They are fairly good retellings, though they do slightly suffer from the trope of shallow love. The main characters here declare their love after little interaction, though it is a step above love at first sight. There were clever homages to the original tales. Some repeating themes between the stories... I am glad to cross this off of my TBR list and to keep it on my bookshelf!

[Nikki Baugh · Rating 3 out of 5]

They’re cute retellings. Very original in some ways. I felt like we barely scratched the surface of what these stories could’ve been though. So much was glazed over. The Mulan retelling let me down the most, the battles, romance, and secondary character development was really lacking. BUT I’ll still recommend them to anyone looking for light read fairytale retellings.

[storytimesaddness · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great book if you like retellings. They changed enough for it to be unique, but still follow the storyline.

[Madison Ruth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love this collection of Cameron Dokey books

[Annika Dyck · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was okay writing and characters, but there wasn’t enough difference from the original story to make it unique.