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Bonded
What happened after Cinderella married her prince? How did the evil sorceress in Sleeping Beauty turn evil in the first place? Discover these stories and a world filled with magic, forbidden love, elves, sprites, dragons, and the most powerful creatures of all— the fairies —in Bonded, a collection of three fairy tale inspired novellas.
CINDERS: A Cinderella sequel. Money can’t buy love, but magic isn’t a sure bet either. Cinderella, now officially a princess, finds royal life is not what she once dreamed. When a mysterious elf from her past stirs up long-suppressed passion, Cinderella begins to wonder if there really is love beneath the spell that captured her husband’s heart. But undoing magic can be harder than casting the initial spell, and the results are even less predictable.
THIRDS: A retelling of the Grimm’s fairy tale, One-Eye, Two-Eyes, Three-Eyes. Issina is surrounded by magic, yet none of it belongs to her. Despised and abused by her mother and sisters, she finds comfort when she meets the beautiful elves living in the nearby woods. The elves want to help her discover her own magic, but it’s not the kind of power she hoped for, and she learns there is more to magic than getting what you want.
SCALES: A Sleeping Beauty prequel. The sun never sets in the realm of the fairies. When the young fairy Serina looks into her sister’s eyes, she sees darkness for the first time. After her mother is murdered, Serina defies fairy law to follow her sister to the human realm. There she discovers the strength of a bond, the weight of a promise, and the darkness in her own heart.
CINDERS: A Cinderella sequel. Money can’t buy love, but magic isn’t a sure bet either. Cinderella, now officially a princess, finds royal life is not what she once dreamed. When a mysterious elf from her past stirs up long-suppressed passion, Cinderella begins to wonder if there really is love beneath the spell that captured her husband’s heart. But undoing magic can be harder than casting the initial spell, and the results are even less predictable.
THIRDS: A retelling of the Grimm’s fairy tale, One-Eye, Two-Eyes, Three-Eyes. Issina is surrounded by magic, yet none of it belongs to her. Despised and abused by her mother and sisters, she finds comfort when she meets the beautiful elves living in the nearby woods. The elves want to help her discover her own magic, but it’s not the kind of power she hoped for, and she learns there is more to magic than getting what you want.
SCALES: A Sleeping Beauty prequel. The sun never sets in the realm of the fairies. When the young fairy Serina looks into her sister’s eyes, she sees darkness for the first time. After her mother is murdered, Serina defies fairy law to follow her sister to the human realm. There she discovers the strength of a bond, the weight of a promise, and the darkness in her own heart.
365 pages, Hardcover
First published October 20, 2012
3 people are currently reading
1766 people want to read
About the author
Michelle D. Argyle
20 books418 followersMichelle lives and writes in Utah, surrounded by the Rocky Mountains. Michelle mainly writes contemporary fiction, but occasionally branches into other genres.
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Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
October 30, 2015
Bonded are three likeable NA novellas based of Grimm fairytales. However I did find that the novellas had a much slower pace than I was expecting.
Cinders **
Cinderella is now a princess but life is not as perfect as she imagined, as a mysterious man from her past is stirring in the back of her mind and she begins to wonder if her marriage is real or just magic? Cinders is a twist on Grimm’s Cinderella as we get to see what happens after the happily ever after. I really could not connect with Cinderella as she was very indecisive and selfish, and I really did not like how she acted about the people her choices affected. The ending was rushed and left me feeling unsatisfied and is definitely not a HEA.
Thirds ***
Issina is abused and hated by her mother and sister as she has no magic, and only finds comfort with her animal friends and the elves living in the woods, however the elves have a plan for her but does she want to do it? Thirds is my favourite novella in this book as it was faster paced and has more mystery than the others. It was also based on the Grimm’s story One-Eye, Two-Eyes, Three-Eyes, I did not know this fairytale but it did have a bit of a Cinderella feel to it. Issina is a kind character, who is lonely and looking for affection, but I did feel she was way to forgiving. This novella has a happier ending than the others.
Scales ***
Serina is a young fairy who happily lives in the Realm of the Fairies, but when her mother is killed she defies law and follows her sister into the human realm but is she able to discover the cost of promises and the potential for darkness in her heart. Scales is a prequel to sleeping beauty and was enjoyable but because I knew what was going to happen it was predictable. However, I did feel it was the most action-packed and romantic of the three. I liked Serina as she was sweet and naïve and I felt I could connect with her the most. However, I did not like her sister, Aeline, as she has such a different personality to Serina and emotionally blackmailed her all the time. This novella has a bittersweet ending but I still liked it.
Bonded is an enjoyable collection of novellas and I would recommend to fans of fairytales.
This and my other reviews can be found at Amethyst Bookwyrm
Cinders **
Cinderella is now a princess but life is not as perfect as she imagined, as a mysterious man from her past is stirring in the back of her mind and she begins to wonder if her marriage is real or just magic? Cinders is a twist on Grimm’s Cinderella as we get to see what happens after the happily ever after. I really could not connect with Cinderella as she was very indecisive and selfish, and I really did not like how she acted about the people her choices affected. The ending was rushed and left me feeling unsatisfied and is definitely not a HEA.
Thirds ***
Issina is abused and hated by her mother and sister as she has no magic, and only finds comfort with her animal friends and the elves living in the woods, however the elves have a plan for her but does she want to do it? Thirds is my favourite novella in this book as it was faster paced and has more mystery than the others. It was also based on the Grimm’s story One-Eye, Two-Eyes, Three-Eyes, I did not know this fairytale but it did have a bit of a Cinderella feel to it. Issina is a kind character, who is lonely and looking for affection, but I did feel she was way to forgiving. This novella has a happier ending than the others.
Scales ***
Serina is a young fairy who happily lives in the Realm of the Fairies, but when her mother is killed she defies law and follows her sister into the human realm but is she able to discover the cost of promises and the potential for darkness in her heart. Scales is a prequel to sleeping beauty and was enjoyable but because I knew what was going to happen it was predictable. However, I did feel it was the most action-packed and romantic of the three. I liked Serina as she was sweet and naïve and I felt I could connect with her the most. However, I did not like her sister, Aeline, as she has such a different personality to Serina and emotionally blackmailed her all the time. This novella has a bittersweet ending but I still liked it.
Bonded is an enjoyable collection of novellas and I would recommend to fans of fairytales.
This and my other reviews can be found at Amethyst Bookwyrm
November 10, 2012
When I think about fairy tales, I think about happy endings with true love conquering all. Bonded takes what you've always thought about fairy tales and gives it a major shakeup. There isn't always a happy ending, and evil is not always conquered. Such a unique twist that really takes you places you never considered.
I was able to read Cinders back in 2010 when Michelle originally self-published it. The story was so different from any Cinderella story I'd ever read. It definitely goes against the happily-ever-after idea ingrained in my brain, but it was captivating. Michelle has a way with words, and I didn't want to put it down. I was very excited for Michelle when she announced that Rhemalda Publishing would be publishing it along with two other fairy tale inspired novellas.
The Grimm's fairy tale One-Eye, Two-Eyes, Three-Eyes isn't one I'm familiar with, but I really like what Michelle did with it. Thirds took me on an emotional roller coaster ride. The way Issina's family treats her is heartbreaking. The mystery involved about her past and her power was intriguing, and the romance was sweet. Thirds has a happy ending (yay!), and left me thinking about the importance of familial relationships.
The first thing I noticed about Scales was its sweet dedication. Sleeping Beauty is one of my favorite Disney cartoons, but I will admit that I've never thought about why the evil fairy was evil. Serina's story brought about a lot of emotions. I was left torn between wanting more and just sad because there is nothing left of the Serina we came to know. Even though the hope for Serina was gone, she at least set some things in motion that redeemed her (at least in my mind). A very touching story!
I was able to read Cinders back in 2010 when Michelle originally self-published it. The story was so different from any Cinderella story I'd ever read. It definitely goes against the happily-ever-after idea ingrained in my brain, but it was captivating. Michelle has a way with words, and I didn't want to put it down. I was very excited for Michelle when she announced that Rhemalda Publishing would be publishing it along with two other fairy tale inspired novellas.
The Grimm's fairy tale One-Eye, Two-Eyes, Three-Eyes isn't one I'm familiar with, but I really like what Michelle did with it. Thirds took me on an emotional roller coaster ride. The way Issina's family treats her is heartbreaking. The mystery involved about her past and her power was intriguing, and the romance was sweet. Thirds has a happy ending (yay!), and left me thinking about the importance of familial relationships.
The first thing I noticed about Scales was its sweet dedication. Sleeping Beauty is one of my favorite Disney cartoons, but I will admit that I've never thought about why the evil fairy was evil. Serina's story brought about a lot of emotions. I was left torn between wanting more and just sad because there is nothing left of the Serina we came to know. Even though the hope for Serina was gone, she at least set some things in motion that redeemed her (at least in my mind). A very touching story!
Read
November 14, 2012Michelle Davidson Argyle has stopped by A Backwards Story twice with guest posts about BONDED!
The first, "A Different Sort of Fairy Tale," talks about how she came up with the idea for CINDERS, the Cinderella tale in her collection that was first self-published before making its way into the BONDED collection.
The second, "A Darker Collection of Fairy Tales," gives readers a sneak peek at the three tales used for the BONDED anthology!
I've been anxious to read BONDED since first hearing about the collection, having already read the first book in the anthology, CINDERS. I didn't know much about the fairy tale One-Eye, Two-Eyes, Three-Eyes, and was intrigued that it also included Sleeping Beauty, a tale I know well. None of the tales in BONDED is one you'll be completely familiar with, since Davidson-Argyle adds her own unique spin to everything, and takes two of them outside the traditional timeline.
I reviewed CINDERS earlier this year, so I won't go into full details on that one, but I'm always impressed by the fact that it occurs after Happily Ever After. What happens after Cinderella marries her prince? Is she happy? What if she isn't? CINDERS stems from this concept, and you can find out more in my full review!
THIRDS was probably my favorite story in the collection, perhaps because I was unfamiliar with the tale. I didn't pick up my volume of the Brothers Grimm to compare the two tales until I'd finished reading the novella. While Davidson-Argyle still puts her unique spin on things and it reads differently from the original tale, THIRDS follows the original the most closely out of the three stories in BONDED. There is also a lot more focus on the world the characters live in, as well as a larger focus on magical creatures such as elves and fairies and sprites, who are much more integral to the plot of all three stories than you might imagine on first glance. While THIRDS is a darker tale that reminds me in small ways of Cinderella, it's also a story of hope and survival.
I also really enjoyed SCALES, which is a prequel to Sleeping Beauty from the perspective of a water fairy, Serina. She and her sister are both able to control one of the four elements, and when her sister Aeline begins controlling a second element, fire, and escapes into the human world, everything spirals out of control. Watching the pieces fall into place and seeing the way everything aligns and paves the way for the tragedy of Sleeping Beauty is breath-taking and takes on twists and dimensions I never imagined possible!
BONDED brings together three self-contained fairy tales, where, while the characters never meet or know of one another, they all live in the same magical world, with the same rules of bonding and magic and life. Each story is a little over a hundred pages, novella length, so they're fast to get through, but never feel too short. I would recommend this one to any fairy tale lover!
The first, "A Different Sort of Fairy Tale," talks about how she came up with the idea for CINDERS, the Cinderella tale in her collection that was first self-published before making its way into the BONDED collection.
The second, "A Darker Collection of Fairy Tales," gives readers a sneak peek at the three tales used for the BONDED anthology!
I've been anxious to read BONDED since first hearing about the collection, having already read the first book in the anthology, CINDERS. I didn't know much about the fairy tale One-Eye, Two-Eyes, Three-Eyes, and was intrigued that it also included Sleeping Beauty, a tale I know well. None of the tales in BONDED is one you'll be completely familiar with, since Davidson-Argyle adds her own unique spin to everything, and takes two of them outside the traditional timeline.
I reviewed CINDERS earlier this year, so I won't go into full details on that one, but I'm always impressed by the fact that it occurs after Happily Ever After. What happens after Cinderella marries her prince? Is she happy? What if she isn't? CINDERS stems from this concept, and you can find out more in my full review!
THIRDS was probably my favorite story in the collection, perhaps because I was unfamiliar with the tale. I didn't pick up my volume of the Brothers Grimm to compare the two tales until I'd finished reading the novella. While Davidson-Argyle still puts her unique spin on things and it reads differently from the original tale, THIRDS follows the original the most closely out of the three stories in BONDED. There is also a lot more focus on the world the characters live in, as well as a larger focus on magical creatures such as elves and fairies and sprites, who are much more integral to the plot of all three stories than you might imagine on first glance. While THIRDS is a darker tale that reminds me in small ways of Cinderella, it's also a story of hope and survival.
I also really enjoyed SCALES, which is a prequel to Sleeping Beauty from the perspective of a water fairy, Serina. She and her sister are both able to control one of the four elements, and when her sister Aeline begins controlling a second element, fire, and escapes into the human world, everything spirals out of control. Watching the pieces fall into place and seeing the way everything aligns and paves the way for the tragedy of Sleeping Beauty is breath-taking and takes on twists and dimensions I never imagined possible!
BONDED brings together three self-contained fairy tales, where, while the characters never meet or know of one another, they all live in the same magical world, with the same rules of bonding and magic and life. Each story is a little over a hundred pages, novella length, so they're fast to get through, but never feel too short. I would recommend this one to any fairy tale lover!
Want to read
August 1, 2012OMG This is exactly the type of book I have been waiting for! Something to answer the millions of questions in my head. I cant wait to read this;)
November 6, 2012
I was very excited to read the latest book by Michelle Davidson Argyle as, not only am I almost always impressed by the fresh and unique writing that she always seems to release, this one is about fairytales. Before I go any further I should warn you that these are not the happy, fluffy ‘happy ever after’ fairytales of Disney (although I think one of them gets fairly close to it), so if you’re looking for endings where everything is wonderful and fine, this is probably not the book for you. However, if you enjoy having your ideas and perceptions challenged through unique stories, then I would definitely recommend Bonded.
I read Cinders shortly after Michelle first self-published it about a year ago (you can read my review here). While I could remember parts of it, I was surprised at how much I hadn’t remembered and so it felt as if I was discovering it for the first time. I have to say that Cinders is my least favourite of the three novellas in Bonded, but at the same time I cannot imagine the stories without it as a foundation.
Because, not only are these novellas all based on fairytales, they are all based in the same world with the same species (elves, faeries, sprites) with the same rules. I wasn’t expecting this, and have to say that it only created a richer reading experience for me. I brought the knowledge from the previous stories to the third one ‘Scales’ and I believe that without that prior information the world which Michelle weaves probably wouldn’t have been so easy to understand and believe in.
Scales, without a doubt, is my favourite of the stories, though I am still unsure about how I feel about the ending. I was totally taken off-guard as the story seemed to suddenly turn about completely unexpectedly. This was the story that I wanted to continue reading, but of course, it is a prequel to Sleeping Beauty so I guess in a way I already know the ending (though I would love to read a continuation of Sleeping Beauty from Michelle).
Despite being set in a ‘faerie world’, the characters all felt completely real, regardless of what species they were (Cinders and Thirds are told from the point of view of humans and Scales is told from the point of view of a faerie). The world Michelle created felt so realistic to me that I could imagine these stories as fables the magical folk tell each other as legend, in the same way that we pass down fairytales in our own world. This gave all three novellas a feeling of reality and believability even though all of them involve magic and magical beings. I would, however, love to know which order these stories happened, as I am unsure if they are told chronologically or not (I don’t think they are, though this didn’t affect my reading of them).
I really enjoyed these new versions of well-known (and not so well-known) fairytales and believe that pretty much anyone would find enjoyment from reading them, except those that need a happy ever after ending (though I would say that the endings of these stories are completely subjective to whether you see them as ‘happy’ or not); and that they will be particularly well received by anyone who loves fairytales or fantasy stories involving magic and magical beings.
[Disclaimer: I received a free digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]
This review can also be found on my book review blog - http://captivatedbybooks.wordpress.com
I read Cinders shortly after Michelle first self-published it about a year ago (you can read my review here). While I could remember parts of it, I was surprised at how much I hadn’t remembered and so it felt as if I was discovering it for the first time. I have to say that Cinders is my least favourite of the three novellas in Bonded, but at the same time I cannot imagine the stories without it as a foundation.
Because, not only are these novellas all based on fairytales, they are all based in the same world with the same species (elves, faeries, sprites) with the same rules. I wasn’t expecting this, and have to say that it only created a richer reading experience for me. I brought the knowledge from the previous stories to the third one ‘Scales’ and I believe that without that prior information the world which Michelle weaves probably wouldn’t have been so easy to understand and believe in.
Scales, without a doubt, is my favourite of the stories, though I am still unsure about how I feel about the ending. I was totally taken off-guard as the story seemed to suddenly turn about completely unexpectedly. This was the story that I wanted to continue reading, but of course, it is a prequel to Sleeping Beauty so I guess in a way I already know the ending (though I would love to read a continuation of Sleeping Beauty from Michelle).
Despite being set in a ‘faerie world’, the characters all felt completely real, regardless of what species they were (Cinders and Thirds are told from the point of view of humans and Scales is told from the point of view of a faerie). The world Michelle created felt so realistic to me that I could imagine these stories as fables the magical folk tell each other as legend, in the same way that we pass down fairytales in our own world. This gave all three novellas a feeling of reality and believability even though all of them involve magic and magical beings. I would, however, love to know which order these stories happened, as I am unsure if they are told chronologically or not (I don’t think they are, though this didn’t affect my reading of them).
I really enjoyed these new versions of well-known (and not so well-known) fairytales and believe that pretty much anyone would find enjoyment from reading them, except those that need a happy ever after ending (though I would say that the endings of these stories are completely subjective to whether you see them as ‘happy’ or not); and that they will be particularly well received by anyone who loves fairytales or fantasy stories involving magic and magical beings.
[Disclaimer: I received a free digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]
This review can also be found on my book review blog - http://captivatedbybooks.wordpress.com
December 11, 2012
Bonded was a magical, enchanting, and captivating read! It is comprised of 3 short novellas all relating to fairy-tales. Cinders is a sequel to Cinderella, Thirds is based on a Grimm fairy-tale called One Eyes, Two Eyes, Three Eyes, and Scales is a prequel to Sleeping Beauty.
I thoroughly enjoyed all three novellas in Bonded, but in particular I absolutely loved Scales, (prequel to Sleeping Beauty). I didn't want it to end. It was such a wonderful story I wanted to keep on reading after I had finished. I know how the Disney version of Sleeping Beauty ends, but would love to read Argyle's version of that as well! I loved the fact that it is quite a dark story, yet related so well to what I know of Sleeping Beauty, it made me like the original fairy-tale even more, because I feel I know how it all began. Totally my favorite!
I previously had read Cinders and loved it (my review can be read here: http://kiddielitblog.blogspot.com/201...), but while re-reading it, I found myself noticing things I hadn't the first time I read it. I enjoyed reading it again and am definitely a huge fan of Michelle's style of writing.
Thirds is based on a fairy tale that I had never read or heard of, but it was fun to read something different that I had not already read or had some preconceived notion of. It did slightly remind me of a sort of Cinderella type tale at times, mainly because of the mean sisters and mother. I found it to be a magical story that to me had the most "happily ever after" ending of the three novellas.
Overall I loved the variety of Bonded and the charming stories. They were beautiful and well-written and all were interconnected by magic, fairies, sprites, and elves. They can each be read separately and stand their own ground! I definitely recommend this book and hope others enjoy all the stories as much as I did! :)
I thoroughly enjoyed all three novellas in Bonded, but in particular I absolutely loved Scales, (prequel to Sleeping Beauty). I didn't want it to end. It was such a wonderful story I wanted to keep on reading after I had finished. I know how the Disney version of Sleeping Beauty ends, but would love to read Argyle's version of that as well! I loved the fact that it is quite a dark story, yet related so well to what I know of Sleeping Beauty, it made me like the original fairy-tale even more, because I feel I know how it all began. Totally my favorite!
I previously had read Cinders and loved it (my review can be read here: http://kiddielitblog.blogspot.com/201...), but while re-reading it, I found myself noticing things I hadn't the first time I read it. I enjoyed reading it again and am definitely a huge fan of Michelle's style of writing.
Thirds is based on a fairy tale that I had never read or heard of, but it was fun to read something different that I had not already read or had some preconceived notion of. It did slightly remind me of a sort of Cinderella type tale at times, mainly because of the mean sisters and mother. I found it to be a magical story that to me had the most "happily ever after" ending of the three novellas.
Overall I loved the variety of Bonded and the charming stories. They were beautiful and well-written and all were interconnected by magic, fairies, sprites, and elves. They can each be read separately and stand their own ground! I definitely recommend this book and hope others enjoy all the stories as much as I did! :)
October 23, 2012
BONDED by Michelle Davidson Argyle is everything fairy tales should be!
In CINDERS, Cinderella has her happily ever after—or not. Life as a princess isn’t everything she suspected it to be, and now she craves true love, not the magical kind. She must learn where her heart lies. In THIRDS, Issina is special, but not in a good way. One sister has three eyes, her other has one, and she’s stuck in the middle with two plain and ordinary eyes. She lacks magic and is treated a little worse than the average servant in her family. But she longs to find where she belongs ... at any cost. In SCALES, the fairy Serina can’t help but see the darkness residing in her sister Aeline. But when Aeline breaks fairy law and enters the human realm, Serina must find a way to save her sister, even at the cost of her own happiness and life.
The three novella fairy tales in BONDED aren’t your ordinary Disney stories with happily ever after. Each one involves humans, fairies, elves, sprites, and magic. The characters are so real and displayed with all their flaws. The battle for balance between darkness and light plays heavily in the theme as well as the power of choice. Argyle’s prose is so beautiful, almost tragic, the way it tugs on the reader’s heartstrings. These are tales to be savored instead of rushed through. Each sentence has a lush musicality to it. Although I enjoyed each story, I think my favorite is THIRDS. Having not read the original Grimms’ fairy tale of “One Eye, Two Eyes, Three Eyes,” I was able to enjoy it without the knowledge of what the story was about; it became an untainted read, so to speak. Although each story can be read on its own, I love how they blend together and pull from each other.
Michelle Davidson Argyle’s BONDED should be right there with the Grimm Brothers’ fairy tales. They are darkly beautiful and wonderfully well-written.
In CINDERS, Cinderella has her happily ever after—or not. Life as a princess isn’t everything she suspected it to be, and now she craves true love, not the magical kind. She must learn where her heart lies. In THIRDS, Issina is special, but not in a good way. One sister has three eyes, her other has one, and she’s stuck in the middle with two plain and ordinary eyes. She lacks magic and is treated a little worse than the average servant in her family. But she longs to find where she belongs ... at any cost. In SCALES, the fairy Serina can’t help but see the darkness residing in her sister Aeline. But when Aeline breaks fairy law and enters the human realm, Serina must find a way to save her sister, even at the cost of her own happiness and life.
The three novella fairy tales in BONDED aren’t your ordinary Disney stories with happily ever after. Each one involves humans, fairies, elves, sprites, and magic. The characters are so real and displayed with all their flaws. The battle for balance between darkness and light plays heavily in the theme as well as the power of choice. Argyle’s prose is so beautiful, almost tragic, the way it tugs on the reader’s heartstrings. These are tales to be savored instead of rushed through. Each sentence has a lush musicality to it. Although I enjoyed each story, I think my favorite is THIRDS. Having not read the original Grimms’ fairy tale of “One Eye, Two Eyes, Three Eyes,” I was able to enjoy it without the knowledge of what the story was about; it became an untainted read, so to speak. Although each story can be read on its own, I love how they blend together and pull from each other.
Michelle Davidson Argyle’s BONDED should be right there with the Grimm Brothers’ fairy tales. They are darkly beautiful and wonderfully well-written.
November 1, 2012
Bonded by Michelle Davidson Argyle is a book made up of three novellas about magic and fairies and life. The three heroines find love, lose love, and learn a great deal. Cinders is a sequel to Cinderella continuing her life with the prince and how she really managed to snag a prince. Thirds is a retelling of Grimm's One Eye, Two Eyes, Three Eyes which embodies the original story and takes it far beyond what I imagined. Scales is a prequel to Sleeping Beauty, and wow does it dig deep to find reasons for the pretty princess to touch a spindle and fall asleep.
Michelle takes Cinderella, and really all of the heroines, down a very unexpected path. The depth and imagination involved in the stories astounded me. They all three grow and change and become something fierce in their own worlds. Yet all three worlds are connected with smaller characters and the concepts of fairies, elves, sprites, humans, and bonding.
I love the not so happy endings of Cinders and Scales; I love the happy ending of Thirds. These stories go beyond the moral of a fairy tale, and yet they encompass and enforce that moral. Michelle breaths new ideas into the originals and brings so much life into them.
I really can not say enough about how beautiful these novellas are. They have stuck in my mind long after I finished them. I'm pretty stingy with my five-star reviews, but this wasn't even a question. Even if you are not a fantasy addict (clears throat), these stories have so much to show you.
Michelle takes Cinderella, and really all of the heroines, down a very unexpected path. The depth and imagination involved in the stories astounded me. They all three grow and change and become something fierce in their own worlds. Yet all three worlds are connected with smaller characters and the concepts of fairies, elves, sprites, humans, and bonding.
I love the not so happy endings of Cinders and Scales; I love the happy ending of Thirds. These stories go beyond the moral of a fairy tale, and yet they encompass and enforce that moral. Michelle breaths new ideas into the originals and brings so much life into them.
I really can not say enough about how beautiful these novellas are. They have stuck in my mind long after I finished them. I'm pretty stingy with my five-star reviews, but this wasn't even a question. Even if you are not a fantasy addict (clears throat), these stories have so much to show you.
November 7, 2012
Originally reviewed here: http://mybookchatterchat.blogspot.co....
CINDERS: I thought that it started off great, but then headed into a really dark and dreary place that I felt took away from the magic of the start. The writing is great, and the imaginative and creative license taken with classic characters was refreshing and fun. But poor Cinderella had me wishing for a another, new happily ever after for her!
A 3.5 star read :]
THIRDS: I really enjoyed the storyline - again, this was reminiscent of the Cinderella theme (downtrodden youngest sister, made to wait on the family hand-and-foot) but it turned into something so much more.
Great character growth for both the lead and her mother and sisters - a coming of age story, and I enjoyed the magic element very much in this one.
This was my favourite of the three, a very well written 4 star read ;]
SCALES: I wasn't too keen on this one to begin with, it had a completely different feel to it from the first two.
The two sisters are very different from each other in temperament and behaviour and have an underlying competitiveness that made me feel uncomfortable for Serina.
It was a very bittersweet tale of a fairy who really only ever wanted to be loved.
A rather haunting almost 4 star read ;]
CINDERS: I thought that it started off great, but then headed into a really dark and dreary place that I felt took away from the magic of the start. The writing is great, and the imaginative and creative license taken with classic characters was refreshing and fun. But poor Cinderella had me wishing for a another, new happily ever after for her!
A 3.5 star read :]
THIRDS: I really enjoyed the storyline - again, this was reminiscent of the Cinderella theme (downtrodden youngest sister, made to wait on the family hand-and-foot) but it turned into something so much more.
Great character growth for both the lead and her mother and sisters - a coming of age story, and I enjoyed the magic element very much in this one.
This was my favourite of the three, a very well written 4 star read ;]
SCALES: I wasn't too keen on this one to begin with, it had a completely different feel to it from the first two.
The two sisters are very different from each other in temperament and behaviour and have an underlying competitiveness that made me feel uncomfortable for Serina.
It was a very bittersweet tale of a fairy who really only ever wanted to be loved.
A rather haunting almost 4 star read ;]
May 28, 2013
Cinders
--4.5 Stars.
This is the first time I have read about after the happily ever after for Cinderella. I loved it. It was dark and full of unforeseen consequences. There were a few issues, though. The language was all wrong for this tale. I felt having it modernized while still keeping the setting in another time and full of magical ambiance really detracted from the nostalgic feel to the tale. There was also a lack of explanation for the hows and whys. There was a brief touching of the subject, but it was kept pretty vague. It was still a great story. I really enjoyed it.
Thirds 5 Stars.
Loved this. So very depressing, but the end result was beautiful. Full of emotion. Again, the language was a problem for me, as it didn't match the setting. But it was so captivating. I was completely engrossed. I could feel all of Issina's heartache. She was a beautiful character.
Scales 4.5 Stars
I loved how this one was put together. I liked how it included the lore from all three stories and brought understanding to things already mentioned, yet not completely explored. I think this story had a lot more depth than Cinders, but not quite as much as Thirds.
I loved how all three stories followed the same theme--dark and glorious. They shared the same elements and lore; I loved it.
This is the first time I have read about after the happily ever after for Cinderella. I loved it. It was dark and full of unforeseen consequences. There were a few issues, though. The language was all wrong for this tale. I felt having it modernized while still keeping the setting in another time and full of magical ambiance really detracted from the nostalgic feel to the tale. There was also a lack of explanation for the hows and whys. There was a brief touching of the subject, but it was kept pretty vague. It was still a great story. I really enjoyed it.
Thirds 5 Stars.
Loved this. So very depressing, but the end result was beautiful. Full of emotion. Again, the language was a problem for me, as it didn't match the setting. But it was so captivating. I was completely engrossed. I could feel all of Issina's heartache. She was a beautiful character.
Scales 4.5 Stars
I loved how this one was put together. I liked how it included the lore from all three stories and brought understanding to things already mentioned, yet not completely explored. I think this story had a lot more depth than Cinders, but not quite as much as Thirds.
I loved how all three stories followed the same theme--dark and glorious. They shared the same elements and lore; I loved it.
April 3, 2013
Different takes on fairy tales. Not the fairy tales that are told today--all light a fluffy where everyone gets their "happily ever after" and there is no more talk about what happens after that. That is where Bonded picks up. Dark and lovely thought-provoking.
Cinders is the "continuation" of Cinderella. What happens after the "happily ever after". And it takes you into a world that would seem real. Not the Disney version to say the least, but a "realistic" view of what could happen after you've gotten your "happily ever after" and the downfall that it could bring.
Thirds is a "retelling" of One-Eye, Two-Eye, Three-Eyes. The original fairy tale is still there in essence but Argyle takes it just a step farther and again, makes it believable. And the connection to the first story, Cinders, is fun when you catch it.
Scales is the "prequel" to Sleeping Beauty. Serina is seriously my favorite character from all three. The depth that she goes through, ahh. I love a good "villain".
Writing is well done and keeps you moving forward.
Cinders is the "continuation" of Cinderella. What happens after the "happily ever after". And it takes you into a world that would seem real. Not the Disney version to say the least, but a "realistic" view of what could happen after you've gotten your "happily ever after" and the downfall that it could bring.
Thirds is a "retelling" of One-Eye, Two-Eye, Three-Eyes. The original fairy tale is still there in essence but Argyle takes it just a step farther and again, makes it believable. And the connection to the first story, Cinders, is fun when you catch it.
Scales is the "prequel" to Sleeping Beauty. Serina is seriously my favorite character from all three. The depth that she goes through, ahh. I love a good "villain".
Writing is well done and keeps you moving forward.
August 2, 2013
It was an interesting read for sure. I liked Cinders, even though it's kinda sad. It's fun to have a speculative story of "what happened after the happily ever after". Cinders definitely didn't end in the manner I would have expected, but I loved the speculative thoughts Cinderella had when she wondered whether the prince actually loved her or if it really was the illusion of the magic spell.
Thirds was good too, although I wasn't as familiar with the Grimm's fairy tale. It was enjoyable.
Scales was an interesting prequel to Sleeping Beauty and it was enjoyable also. However, it just kinda dragged on a lot. I found myself skimming over section because there was too much script that I feel could have been condensed better.
Overall, good read, but I'm glad I didn't buy it at full price.
Thirds was good too, although I wasn't as familiar with the Grimm's fairy tale. It was enjoyable.
Scales was an interesting prequel to Sleeping Beauty and it was enjoyable also. However, it just kinda dragged on a lot. I found myself skimming over section because there was too much script that I feel could have been condensed better.
Overall, good read, but I'm glad I didn't buy it at full price.
May 10, 2015
This book is actually three novellas, all fairy-tale stories. A Cinderella story continuation, a Grimm fairy-tale retelling, and a Sleeping Beauty prequel. All set in essentially the same world with the same creatures--elves, fairies, and sprites. I really liked all three stories. The writing is incredible--gorgeous descriptions and flowing prose. I've read several other books by Michelle D. Argyle and liked them all, but I think this is my favorite. She's done a lot of contemporary YA, which I like, but I hope she writes some more fantasy in the future because I really enjoyed this book!
December 19, 2012
BONDED is one of those rare, beautiful books that truly does fairy tales justice. The way Argyle writes is ripe with the long-ago cadence and descriptions that made fairy tales so perfectly a league of their own. You will feel both like you're reading a modern series of delightful fantasies as well as that small, warm embrace of reading a childhood fairy tale. This combination is what works so well with Argyle's writing of BONDED -- it combines the best of childhood fairy tales with the best of fantasy.
December 7, 2012
Bonded was a brilliant re-imagining of the fairy tale world as a whole. Michelle has truly bound three seemingly unrelated stories together into the same universe where they coexist quite nicely. And for those people who were never quite satisfied with the happy-go-lucky Disney versions of the old tales will love the darker elements to each of her stories. The happily-ever-after you expect isn't here, but what we are given in its place is grittier, more heartfelt, and real. These are characters you can really get behind.
January 20, 2013
Be careful with this book. Bonded has a sexual connotation in all 3 stories. There is more sex in the first story than you would think necessary. My young teen daughter wanted to read it but luckily I read it first! In Cinders, Cinderella whimpers and whines and doesn't know what she wants until she loses everything. There are some interesting ideas in the other 2 stories and thus the 2 stars. Ultimately, unsatisfying.
April 22, 2013
Three very interesting and moving fairytales. I particularly loved the first one telling what could have happen to Cinderalla after her wedding to the prince if she was convince that he loved her only because of her godmother's spell. It was very moving and I was weeping by the end. The last one did not interest me as much and I had trouble finishing it. The second one was ok.
April 7, 2020
As someone who loves dark stories and fairytales, I should have loved Bonded. However, I couldn't connect with the characters and their stories - three novellas and I didn't care about anyone/anything!!! This book was such a let down for me.
Want to read
August 13, 2012I love fairy-tales. I love retellings. This book looks so good! When I saw the giveaway, I immediately joined. I'm sure that I'll get some inspiration from this for my writing.
December 31, 2012
Amazing book!!!! Can't wait to read more books written by this author. :D
February 17, 2013
Beautifully written. Three different but well written stories. Full review Feb. 18 www.minreadsandreviews.blogspot.com
October 2, 2012
Loved this book. Beautiful writing and three unique and magical stories.
Want to read
October 4, 2012As I read the discription I kept thinking something sounds familier about this book,or I should say one of the books in it Cinders.....
January 13, 2013
Well... I don't know exactly how I feel about this book. The first two novellas were decent, and even entertaining, but the last one wasn't good.
Full review to come.
Full review to come.
May 21, 2021
I remember thinking this one was interesting, but I don't know if I liked the ending. That's usually why I give lower ratings of things.
Want to read
December 9, 2012it's nice
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