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Dark Hearts Fairytale Retellings #1
Rise of the Cinder Fae
Born and raised in the forgotten and broken kingdom of Ashbury, Elora has spent years resenting the royals of Pumpkin Hollow, the kingdom that forced the fall of Ashbury and procured the town as its own. Separated by a mysterious glass bridge, Ashbury is treated as the orphan kingdom, left to squander and starve with only the promise of protection from King Jasper, preventing anyone outside their realm from coming to search for the magic that lay within the ashy valleys and red skies of Ashbury. Because twenty-five years ago, the Cinder Fae arrived. As mysterious as the magic encompassing Ashbury, the Cinder Fae bargained for their lives by promising to keep the entire realm warm with their ability to mine mountainsides into coal. But Elora and the Cinder Fae hold a secret that could bring death to Ashbury and the mysterious winged creatures, who, despite Elora’s best efforts to pry, refuse to share where they came from or why they can’t return. In her desperation to prevent the downfall of her kingdom and the death of her Fae friends, Elora drinks from an enchanted spring, convinced she can make the prince of Pumpkin Hollow fall in love with her and guarantee their safety. But magic takes to give. And Elora didn’t realize her heart would be the sacrifice.
676 pages, Paperback
Published February 23, 2024
385 people are currently reading
10709 people want to read
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dnf
February 25, 2024DNF @ 15%
cinderella retelling with ACOTAR x once upon a time vibes, but not executed well.
starting off, the info dumping was confusing and the writing reads more like a younger YA fantasy rather than new adult.
i know this is a cinderella retelling, but it feels so passé in 2024 to have the bad characters pointedly described as being ugly. the references brought up for a high fantasy read feel out of place - aphrodite and bohemians? in a middle age inspired high fantasy setting?
i started to get interested when the MMC enters the story (with the awful name finnian) but unfortunately it wasn't enough to keep me going. too many things didn't make sense with the scheming plot, the fae, scenes that don't really add much to the story except for roundabout ways to give the reader background information.
off the bat 700 pages is far too long from what i read. i think if this was edited down to deliver information more concisely, tighten up scenes, and get to the action faster, i would've kept reading.
this was an honest arc review <3
cinderella retelling with ACOTAR x once upon a time vibes, but not executed well.
starting off, the info dumping was confusing and the writing reads more like a younger YA fantasy rather than new adult.
i know this is a cinderella retelling, but it feels so passé in 2024 to have the bad characters pointedly described as being ugly. the references brought up for a high fantasy read feel out of place - aphrodite and bohemians? in a middle age inspired high fantasy setting?
i started to get interested when the MMC enters the story (with the awful name finnian) but unfortunately it wasn't enough to keep me going. too many things didn't make sense with the scheming plot, the fae, scenes that don't really add much to the story except for roundabout ways to give the reader background information.
off the bat 700 pages is far too long from what i read. i think if this was edited down to deliver information more concisely, tighten up scenes, and get to the action faster, i would've kept reading.
this was an honest arc review <3
February 26, 2024
DNF'd at 82%
Spice 🌶️🌶️🌶️
What to Expect
- Enemies to Lovers
- Arranged Marriage
- Forced Proximity
- Found Family
- One Horse
- Spice (🌶️🌶️🌶️)
- Fae (?) I mean I guess. They are there but might as well not exist.
I guess I feel like ranting today
This is a dark Cinderella retelling. I really tried to love this book, and for the first third, I did; however, I hit a point where the smut felt cringy and the plot got lost for me. I did my best to push through but unfortunately, I could not. There is a very specific scene that did it for me that I wish I could unread 💀
What drew me in was the title of this book and the premise of a Cinderella retelling. I think Whitney did a beautiful job at conveying Cinderella in a way that had the over arching premise of the fairytale while also adding her own unique story to it. Here is what I loved: Elora, Irina, and Finnian. The banter, the buildup and tension, and their growth as individuals and together was so well done. But that was it, and even then, some of it was a miss.
Where I feel conflicted: I went in expecting more chaos or tension in regards to the Fae vs Human divide (a potential uprising or apparent conflict between the humans and fae?) but I never felt it was there - it was mentioned but just barely. The Fae felt like a forgotten side character rather than an important piece of the story or like a character was telling a story out of a book rather than events happening around them. It made no sense and felt severely disconnected. There was a point where I thought the Fae had fled because of a conversation that occured early on in the book then they suddenly reappear midway through. I would have loved an additional POV that brought the Cinder Fae into the story more.
Secondly, I could not understand the obsession the King has with the pumpkins? I love a good pumpkin dessert and drink but how are the pumpkins in this story anything special? Are they nighttime garden gnomes disguised as pumpkins that do the King's evil bidding under the guise of darkness? Give me somethingggg. I understand that the bridge held an important purpose but again, I was lost.
I think this book has a lot of potential but ultimately, this was not for me.
Thank you to NetGalley & Whitney Dean for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Spice 🌶️🌶️🌶️
What to Expect
- Enemies to Lovers
- Arranged Marriage
- Forced Proximity
- Found Family
- One Horse
- Spice (🌶️🌶️🌶️)
- Fae (?) I mean I guess. They are there but might as well not exist.
I guess I feel like ranting today
This is a dark Cinderella retelling. I really tried to love this book, and for the first third, I did; however, I hit a point where the smut felt cringy and the plot got lost for me. I did my best to push through but unfortunately, I could not. There is a very specific scene that did it for me that I wish I could unread 💀
What drew me in was the title of this book and the premise of a Cinderella retelling. I think Whitney did a beautiful job at conveying Cinderella in a way that had the over arching premise of the fairytale while also adding her own unique story to it. Here is what I loved: Elora, Irina, and Finnian. The banter, the buildup and tension, and their growth as individuals and together was so well done. But that was it, and even then, some of it was a miss.
Where I feel conflicted: I went in expecting more chaos or tension in regards to the Fae vs Human divide (a potential uprising or apparent conflict between the humans and fae?) but I never felt it was there - it was mentioned but just barely. The Fae felt like a forgotten side character rather than an important piece of the story or like a character was telling a story out of a book rather than events happening around them. It made no sense and felt severely disconnected. There was a point where I thought the Fae had fled because of a conversation that occured early on in the book then they suddenly reappear midway through. I would have loved an additional POV that brought the Cinder Fae into the story more.
Secondly, I could not understand the obsession the King has with the pumpkins? I love a good pumpkin dessert and drink but how are the pumpkins in this story anything special? Are they nighttime garden gnomes disguised as pumpkins that do the King's evil bidding under the guise of darkness? Give me somethingggg. I understand that the bridge held an important purpose but again, I was lost.
I think this book has a lot of potential but ultimately, this was not for me.
Thank you to NetGalley & Whitney Dean for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
December 28, 2024
Edit : the more I think about this, the less I like this story 😬 So the stars went from 3 to 2.
What a wild ride this book has been!
At first, I thought it would be like... 2 stars? Then 5. I finally settled for 3,5. Here's why :
From 10% to 70%, it's AMAZING. Same for the last 10% of the book. In those pages, everything just works : Finnian, the MMC, is PER. FECT. A swoon-worthy, smug, arrogant, possessive, perfect book boyfriend. The story flows, I wanted to know what was going to happen, I hated Jasper and Regina with all I had I just wanted for Irina, Finnian, Elora and Honora to live happily.
Buuuuuuutttt... The first 10%, where most of the world-building happens, was just painful. Really painful. It made little sense to me and I even thought about DNFing the book! Fortunately, the first chapter with Finnian's POV made me stick with it.
As for the pages between 70% and 90%... I swear they could have been taken off and it would have been better. Or at least, what was happening during those pages didn't need to take freaking 20% of the book! It was literally just smut for smut. And I am really not one for smut over plot. Smut within the plot, YES. Smut to advance relationships, YES. But smut every three pages just for the sake of it? No. I just wanted the story to continue! The fact that Finnian became extremely possessive and "needy" for sex after the wedding made me ick too. During those 20%, he was not, for me, perfect anymore.
Also, the verb tenses are just all over the place and it really upsets me 🫠
Overall, though, as you can see with my 3,5-star review, I LIKED this book. The end was amazing. I want to know what comes next for Finnian and Elora. So, yeah. My appreciation of this book is all over the place! But it was still worth the read, and I'd gladly read the second.
**This book was given to me as an ARC (thanks to Netgalley and the author 💖). All opinions are my own.
What a wild ride this book has been!
At first, I thought it would be like... 2 stars? Then 5. I finally settled for 3,5. Here's why :
From 10% to 70%, it's AMAZING. Same for the last 10% of the book. In those pages, everything just works : Finnian, the MMC, is PER. FECT. A swoon-worthy, smug, arrogant, possessive, perfect book boyfriend. The story flows, I wanted to know what was going to happen, I hated Jasper and Regina with all I had I just wanted for Irina, Finnian, Elora and Honora to live happily.
Buuuuuuutttt... The first 10%, where most of the world-building happens, was just painful. Really painful. It made little sense to me and I even thought about DNFing the book! Fortunately, the first chapter with Finnian's POV made me stick with it.
As for the pages between 70% and 90%... I swear they could have been taken off and it would have been better. Or at least, what was happening during those pages didn't need to take freaking 20% of the book! It was literally just smut for smut. And I am really not one for smut over plot. Smut within the plot, YES. Smut to advance relationships, YES. But smut every three pages just for the sake of it? No. I just wanted the story to continue! The fact that Finnian became extremely possessive and "needy" for sex after the wedding made me ick too. During those 20%, he was not, for me, perfect anymore.
Also, the verb tenses are just all over the place and it really upsets me 🫠
Overall, though, as you can see with my 3,5-star review, I LIKED this book. The end was amazing. I want to know what comes next for Finnian and Elora. So, yeah. My appreciation of this book is all over the place! But it was still worth the read, and I'd gladly read the second.
**This book was given to me as an ARC (thanks to Netgalley and the author 💖). All opinions are my own.
Read
March 9, 2024If I had a shelf called "did I read a different book than everyone else" this would have to go in it. But I am genuinely baffled by the amount of 5 star reviews for this one.
I struggled through the first 100 pages. I REALLY struggled with the writing style, most notably changing back and forth between present and past tense at the start (mid sentence or same paragraph, the tense would change!), sentences that just weren't necessary or making any sense, the MASSIVE info dump, and unstable world building where things just don't make sense on a common sense level.
The story seems to settle in on two human characters, one who is friends with the cinder fae. So, I was kinda like - where are the cinder fae and when are they rising up? while I was reading. And what's the deal with the pumpkins??! (But really - I didn't finish reading, do the cinder fae have have roll later on in the book?). Honestly, there could have been no fae in what I read and it would read the same.
Overall, I feel like this book could have used a LOT more editing to cut out a lot of unnecessary things and keep the story on track, because this should not be 700 pages omg.
I'm sorry for this review, but these are my thoughts based on what I read.
I struggled through the first 100 pages. I REALLY struggled with the writing style, most notably changing back and forth between present and past tense at the start (mid sentence or same paragraph, the tense would change!), sentences that just weren't necessary or making any sense, the MASSIVE info dump, and unstable world building where things just don't make sense on a common sense level.
The story seems to settle in on two human characters, one who is friends with the cinder fae. So, I was kinda like - where are the cinder fae and when are they rising up? while I was reading. And what's the deal with the pumpkins??! (But really - I didn't finish reading, do the cinder fae have have roll later on in the book?). Honestly, there could have been no fae in what I read and it would read the same.
Overall, I feel like this book could have used a LOT more editing to cut out a lot of unnecessary things and keep the story on track, because this should not be 700 pages omg.
I'm sorry for this review, but these are my thoughts based on what I read.
January 1, 2025
so good!
Loved this and dying for book two! Couldn’t put it down and I couldn’t stop thinking about it. easy 5 stars.
Loved this and dying for book two! Couldn’t put it down and I couldn’t stop thinking about it. easy 5 stars.
Read
April 30, 2025Guys, I’ve had such a hard time writing this review. I wanted so much to give this book more stars. I really did. But even 2 was generous…when I DNFd around 70%.
I ADORED Finnian and Elora. The middle of the book with their banter, the tension, the slow burn and scenes with his sister were perfection. They saved this rating. I wished the book was JUST that. Finnian and Elora and their courtship to save her people.
The rest of the book…was too much for me. Honestly, I would’ve given it 5 stars if the fae storyline wasn’t involved whatsoever. That’s where it lost me.
The world building was not that complex BUT it was really difficult for me to understand to the point where I reread the beginning bit 3 times. The addition of the fae didn’t make sense to me…it was odd. There was so much going on that I just got to the point where I was like…what more? We have the pumpkin bridge, we have fae (whose magic is odd), we have an evil king with a secret dungeon, we have a magic spring where she gets “confidence” (?…what?) we have a dream shadow guy, we have rebels. It’s just everything but the kitchen sink.
Again, I really adored the middle so she gets 2 stars but boy. It was rough to get through for me and I really felt like it needed to be edited down. Thank you to the author for an advance review copy!
I ADORED Finnian and Elora. The middle of the book with their banter, the tension, the slow burn and scenes with his sister were perfection. They saved this rating. I wished the book was JUST that. Finnian and Elora and their courtship to save her people.
The rest of the book…was too much for me. Honestly, I would’ve given it 5 stars if the fae storyline wasn’t involved whatsoever. That’s where it lost me.
The world building was not that complex BUT it was really difficult for me to understand to the point where I reread the beginning bit 3 times. The addition of the fae didn’t make sense to me…it was odd. There was so much going on that I just got to the point where I was like…what more? We have the pumpkin bridge, we have fae (whose magic is odd), we have an evil king with a secret dungeon, we have a magic spring where she gets “confidence” (?…what?) we have a dream shadow guy, we have rebels. It’s just everything but the kitchen sink.
Again, I really adored the middle so she gets 2 stars but boy. It was rough to get through for me and I really felt like it needed to be edited down. Thank you to the author for an advance review copy!
March 6, 2024
DNF 62%
I don't particularly like the writing style. I'm also really not invested in the ending anymore because this book is way longer than it has to be ;-; It's just not for me I guess. I'll see if the author's other series will work for me since this book didn't.
Pretty sad since I was looking forward to this book :( it just didn't work with the plot, info dump, and characters.
I don't particularly like the writing style. I'm also really not invested in the ending anymore because this book is way longer than it has to be ;-; It's just not for me I guess. I'll see if the author's other series will work for me since this book didn't.
Pretty sad since I was looking forward to this book :( it just didn't work with the plot, info dump, and characters.
Read
February 28, 2024Dnf 70%
As much as I wanted to love this book, it kept giving me reasons not to.
At a first glance, it looked like a Cinderella retelling (we have the evil stepmother + twins) combined with ToG (we have the evil king in his gigantic castle + the tormented prince); but we also have faeries- I couldn’t tell you the sense of their existence, though.
Plot summary
( not major spoilers, but don't read if you don't want to know anything about the happenings):
Elora wants to save her fallen kingdom from starvation so she plans to marry the prince (Finnian) of the enemy kingdom. She drinks a magic potion in order to gain confidence. The prince’s father also wants her to marry the prince. Elora cries and is extremely sad because her plan worked faster? We can’t tell. The confidence potion made her roll her eyes at times.
The queen, prince and princess tell Elora that the king is evil and to not show him weakness. Elora shows her biggest weakness to the king. Elora cries and is sad because the evil king promised to kill her? To kill the prince? To kill everyone? We can’t tell.
Prince Finnian is an alcoholic because of his father’s mental and emotional abuse. Elora cries and is upset with him about it (all the time, actually). Irina (Finnian’s sister) is in a polyamorous relationship. She takes Elora out of the castle and pushes her to dance and drink with her men. Elora gets drunk and horny for the first time in her life. Finnian sees her like this and realises he loves her- proceeds with the “you’re only mine” , “hope no one touched you before even though I had 828282 lovers” bullshit.
They have their first fight on their wedding night. Elora doesn’t tell him why she’s upset and crying (again). She runs away from home but Finnian finds her. They have s*x in an abandoned castle, on the ground. They admit their feelings for eachother (big surprise).
- and this is where I stoped, because not even the smut couldn’t save it for me (very cringe smut, not what I was expecting);
What didn’t sit well with me throughout the book:
1. the confidence potion she drinks does NOT give her confidence AT ALL (she’s always nervous, always fidgeting, never stands up for herself)
2. the faeries being slaves- how in the world are winged people who can turn anyone to ash in a second be afraid of arrows? like are you serious rn??
3. the Pumpkin Hollow bridge and well, pumpkins- we are being told that the pumpkins are magic, that the bridge is magic- but we don’t see the magic?
4. Elora not choosing Cedric (a literal warrior faerie who was IN LOVE WITH HER) as her lover- make it make sense pls
5. the faeries being mentioned in the TITLE of the book but having literally 4 cameos in 400 pgs- felt like a scam
6. Elora being upset anytime her plans work faster than anticipated- girl just say thanks and move on with your *very poor* scheming?
7. Elora crying and being shocked about the king telling her she will die if she betrays him- hello?? this was a given??
8. Finnian describing Elora: “little doe”, “pure”, “pristine”, “porcelain doll” - it’s giving pedophile and it gave me the ick one too many times
9. no backstory whatsoever about the magic, the faeries, the world- it felt like the biggest plot-hole since this was supposed to be a fantasy
I received an ARC from NetGalley and this is my honest review.
As much as I wanted to love this book, it kept giving me reasons not to.
At a first glance, it looked like a Cinderella retelling (we have the evil stepmother + twins) combined with ToG (we have the evil king in his gigantic castle + the tormented prince); but we also have faeries- I couldn’t tell you the sense of their existence, though.
Plot summary
( not major spoilers, but don't read if you don't want to know anything about the happenings):
Elora wants to save her fallen kingdom from starvation so she plans to marry the prince (Finnian) of the enemy kingdom. She drinks a magic potion in order to gain confidence. The prince’s father also wants her to marry the prince. Elora cries and is extremely sad because her plan worked faster? We can’t tell. The confidence potion made her roll her eyes at times.
The queen, prince and princess tell Elora that the king is evil and to not show him weakness. Elora shows her biggest weakness to the king. Elora cries and is sad because the evil king promised to kill her? To kill the prince? To kill everyone? We can’t tell.
Prince Finnian is an alcoholic because of his father’s mental and emotional abuse. Elora cries and is upset with him about it (all the time, actually). Irina (Finnian’s sister) is in a polyamorous relationship. She takes Elora out of the castle and pushes her to dance and drink with her men. Elora gets drunk and horny for the first time in her life. Finnian sees her like this and realises he loves her- proceeds with the “you’re only mine” , “hope no one touched you before even though I had 828282 lovers” bullshit.
They have their first fight on their wedding night. Elora doesn’t tell him why she’s upset and crying (again). She runs away from home but Finnian finds her. They have s*x in an abandoned castle, on the ground. They admit their feelings for eachother (big surprise).
- and this is where I stoped, because not even the smut couldn’t save it for me (very cringe smut, not what I was expecting);
What didn’t sit well with me throughout the book:
1. the confidence potion she drinks does NOT give her confidence AT ALL (she’s always nervous, always fidgeting, never stands up for herself)
2. the faeries being slaves- how in the world are winged people who can turn anyone to ash in a second be afraid of arrows? like are you serious rn??
3. the Pumpkin Hollow bridge and well, pumpkins- we are being told that the pumpkins are magic, that the bridge is magic- but we don’t see the magic?
4. Elora not choosing Cedric (a literal warrior faerie who was IN LOVE WITH HER) as her lover- make it make sense pls
5. the faeries being mentioned in the TITLE of the book but having literally 4 cameos in 400 pgs- felt like a scam
6. Elora being upset anytime her plans work faster than anticipated- girl just say thanks and move on with your *very poor* scheming?
7. Elora crying and being shocked about the king telling her she will die if she betrays him- hello?? this was a given??
8. Finnian describing Elora: “little doe”, “pure”, “pristine”, “porcelain doll” - it’s giving pedophile and it gave me the ick one too many times
9. no backstory whatsoever about the magic, the faeries, the world- it felt like the biggest plot-hole since this was supposed to be a fantasy
I received an ARC from NetGalley and this is my honest review.
January 7, 2024
My very first book of 2024, and what an absolute ride this book was. I ended 2023 in such an intense slump that at times I wondered what I would ever want to read again. The way that this book lit a fire in me and reminded me why I read brought me so much happiness. I was quickly transported and immersed in this world. This is the kind of book I’ve needed for awhile.
Whitney really knows how to make you fall in love and make you feel some of the most intense disgust and anger. She is a queen of making you feel all of the feels, and Cinder carried on that tradition.
Finn is beyond swoon worthy. His nicknames, sacrifice, and horse training skills make him absolutely top tier book boyfriend material.
Elora’s growth through this book and dedication both shatters my heart and makes it so full.
Prepare yourself for a plethora of emotions, moments of vile villain induced ick, waves of bookxiety, and a cliff hanger.
If you’re new to Whitney Dean, welcome to your new addiction. If you’re not…. Then you either already know this book was fantastic or that it will be fantastic….. and trust me it is fantastic
500 stars ⭐️ and hours of my life well spent. I need book 2 now please 🫶🏻
Whitney really knows how to make you fall in love and make you feel some of the most intense disgust and anger. She is a queen of making you feel all of the feels, and Cinder carried on that tradition.
Finn is beyond swoon worthy. His nicknames, sacrifice, and horse training skills make him absolutely top tier book boyfriend material.
Elora’s growth through this book and dedication both shatters my heart and makes it so full.
Prepare yourself for a plethora of emotions, moments of vile villain induced ick, waves of bookxiety, and a cliff hanger.
If you’re new to Whitney Dean, welcome to your new addiction. If you’re not…. Then you either already know this book was fantastic or that it will be fantastic….. and trust me it is fantastic
500 stars ⭐️ and hours of my life well spent. I need book 2 now please 🫶🏻
March 3, 2024
Im sorry but I just can’t. DNF at 83%.
The first 10% of this book is just info dumping. I decided to skip it and didn’t feel like I was missing anything later in the book. Overall I skipped a lot in this book, otherwise I would’ve DNFed much sooner.
From 10% to their wedding it was ok, fun even at times.
But after the wedding it all goes down to shit.
I fucking hate Finnian so much. He’s just a possessive asshole, and his „reason” for being like that is bullshit. It’s just an excuse.
Their dialogues become SO CRINGE. They lost all of their personality traits. The only thing they can talk about is how much they love each other and/or how much they want to fuck.
Even when they are trapped, kidnapped by some strangers, they finally reunite, they can idk, think what to do, how to escape? No. What do they do? They, of course, have sex. WHAT?
She should just leave his insecure ass and go with the fae.
AND DONT GET ME EVEN STARTED ON FAE. They are just…. There? They don’t bring anything into the story. The title is misleading and promises some deep dive into human-fae relationships. There’s none of that in the book.
AND THE WRITING. This book has so many grammatical errors and inconsistencies, and just nonsense sentences. You can clearly see that it had ZERO editing.
After another KEEP YOUR HANDS AND EYES OFF MY WIFE bullshit I just gave up. It’s not worth it. I don’t care how it ends, they all can just go straight to hell.
The first 10% of this book is just info dumping. I decided to skip it and didn’t feel like I was missing anything later in the book. Overall I skipped a lot in this book, otherwise I would’ve DNFed much sooner.
From 10% to their wedding it was ok, fun even at times.
But after the wedding it all goes down to shit.
I fucking hate Finnian so much. He’s just a possessive asshole, and his „reason” for being like that is bullshit. It’s just an excuse.
Their dialogues become SO CRINGE. They lost all of their personality traits. The only thing they can talk about is how much they love each other and/or how much they want to fuck.
Even when they are trapped, kidnapped by some strangers, they finally reunite, they can idk, think what to do, how to escape? No. What do they do? They, of course, have sex. WHAT?
She should just leave his insecure ass and go with the fae.
AND DONT GET ME EVEN STARTED ON FAE. They are just…. There? They don’t bring anything into the story. The title is misleading and promises some deep dive into human-fae relationships. There’s none of that in the book.
AND THE WRITING. This book has so many grammatical errors and inconsistencies, and just nonsense sentences. You can clearly see that it had ZERO editing.
After another KEEP YOUR HANDS AND EYES OFF MY WIFE bullshit I just gave up. It’s not worth it. I don’t care how it ends, they all can just go straight to hell.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 22, 2024
Thank you so much to Whitney Dean for giving me an early copy of this book! The only problem is that means I have to wait even longer for the next book which I desperately need after the ending of this book!
This book is a retelling of Cinderella and I loved what Whitney did with this retelling. I love enemies to lovers and I love Cinderella but I never knew those would go so well together. Elora and Finnian have great banter and tension that makes the wait for them getting together so good! And when they get together I love how devoted they became to each other. So devoted that there's no third act break up! I'm always happy to skip third act break ups!
Elora and Finnian were highlights of this book, but the storyline is great too! The ending is a total rollercoaster that is impossible to put down. I'm so ready for the next book after that ending!
This book is a retelling of Cinderella and I loved what Whitney did with this retelling. I love enemies to lovers and I love Cinderella but I never knew those would go so well together. Elora and Finnian have great banter and tension that makes the wait for them getting together so good! And when they get together I love how devoted they became to each other. So devoted that there's no third act break up! I'm always happy to skip third act break ups!
Elora and Finnian were highlights of this book, but the storyline is great too! The ending is a total rollercoaster that is impossible to put down. I'm so ready for the next book after that ending!
February 24, 2024
Rise of the Cinder Fae was an enemies to lovers, fairytale retelling of Cinderella. With a fantasy twist, an arranged marriage, found family, and one horse, this book will take readers on a magical journey!
My heart was instantly pulled in by Elora. With an evil stepmother and two evil stepsisters, who used her as their personal maid, I couldn’t help but feel for her. She should have been a princess. Yet instead she slept in the attic and didn’t seem to have much freedom. So when Elora was taken in a pumpkin carriage to the ball to meet a dashing prince, I was so excited for her! Yet this Cinderella retelling had so many fascinating elements mixed in. There were the cinder faes, an arranged marriage, a King who was disgustingly horrific, and a future mother-in-law and sister-in-law who I absolutely cherished!
The kingdom Elora was from, suffered greatly. And as she set her sights on the prince, she hoped that she would be able to save her kingdom. I adored that we not only got this story from Elora, but from Finnian too. He was the dashing prince. I loved their enemy vibes from the start. And I loved how they both saw each other, because I just knew their growth would be fun to watch. From the moment they smashed pumpkins together, I was smitten. Especially during the cleaning up afterwards. Elora and Finnian were at the start of a beautiful relationship! So by the time they were dancing where she grew up, I was in love.
My absolute favorite in this story was Irina! She was Finnian’s sister, and a princess. She was bold, hilarious and just made my heart melt with happiness. Her taking a liking to Elora, and helping her every step of the way just made me love her that much more! I would hope that she gets her own book too, or is super prevalent in the next book.
While this story was slow to start, I adored the first half. I didn’t care that it was long, I was fully absorbed and obsessed with every single word. Yet the latter half of this story dragged for me. Even with some interesting twists, I couldn’t help but find myself skimming from time to time to hurry it along. Also, there were some scenes that had me questioning what the characters were thinking, like the river and small room scene. But as the story kept unfolding, I realized that I couldn't ever find the love I had for this story. Which made me so sad.
This story ended with a bang, and will leave the reader excited for the next book. While I’m unsure whether I’ll read the next story in this series, I absolutely loved how unique this retelling felt. So if you’re looking for a spicy retelling that also has fae mixed into the story, then definitely give this one a try. Here’s hoping you love it more than me!
*I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book, provided by the author. All thoughts and opinions are my own.*
For more of my reviews, please visit:
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“A marriage of convenience. How romantic.”
I curse. “Believe me, Irina. The only one this is convenient for is her.” I recall Elora’s glares and venomous insults, my jaw clicking as a fresh wave of annoyance rises and nearly drowns me. “Romance is out of the question.”
My heart was instantly pulled in by Elora. With an evil stepmother and two evil stepsisters, who used her as their personal maid, I couldn’t help but feel for her. She should have been a princess. Yet instead she slept in the attic and didn’t seem to have much freedom. So when Elora was taken in a pumpkin carriage to the ball to meet a dashing prince, I was so excited for her! Yet this Cinderella retelling had so many fascinating elements mixed in. There were the cinder faes, an arranged marriage, a King who was disgustingly horrific, and a future mother-in-law and sister-in-law who I absolutely cherished!
“This is twice you’ve walked away from me,” he snaps, his tone laden with irritation.
“I’m shocked you can count.”
A low growl rumbles in his chest as he wraps a hand around my wrist and tugs me backward.
The kingdom Elora was from, suffered greatly. And as she set her sights on the prince, she hoped that she would be able to save her kingdom. I adored that we not only got this story from Elora, but from Finnian too. He was the dashing prince. I loved their enemy vibes from the start. And I loved how they both saw each other, because I just knew their growth would be fun to watch. From the moment they smashed pumpkins together, I was smitten. Especially during the cleaning up afterwards. Elora and Finnian were at the start of a beautiful relationship! So by the time they were dancing where she grew up, I was in love.
Finnian tsks. “I expected more from you, Elora. Is your only weapon that mouth of yours?”
My lower stomach tightens. “The one you keep staring at?”
I don’t turn to gauge his reaction.
My absolute favorite in this story was Irina! She was Finnian’s sister, and a princess. She was bold, hilarious and just made my heart melt with happiness. Her taking a liking to Elora, and helping her every step of the way just made me love her that much more! I would hope that she gets her own book too, or is super prevalent in the next book.
The second I crossed that bridge, my life was decided.
I fell right into their trap.
What a foolish doe to graze where lions play.
While this story was slow to start, I adored the first half. I didn’t care that it was long, I was fully absorbed and obsessed with every single word. Yet the latter half of this story dragged for me. Even with some interesting twists, I couldn’t help but find myself skimming from time to time to hurry it along. Also, there were some scenes that had me questioning what the characters were thinking, like the river and small room scene. But as the story kept unfolding, I realized that I couldn't ever find the love I had for this story. Which made me so sad.
“There is only one way this can end.”
I barely feel his hand on my lower back as the stars above us start to spin. “And which way is that, little doe?”
“Ruin,” emerges in a breath as the starry sky envelopes me.
This story ended with a bang, and will leave the reader excited for the next book. While I’m unsure whether I’ll read the next story in this series, I absolutely loved how unique this retelling felt. So if you’re looking for a spicy retelling that also has fae mixed into the story, then definitely give this one a try. Here’s hoping you love it more than me!
*I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book, provided by the author. All thoughts and opinions are my own.*
For more of my reviews, please visit:
Blog * Personal Instagram * Blog Instagram * Facebook * Twitter * Bloglovin * Feedly
February 21, 2024
This book was an absolute pleasure to read!!!! Fast paced and a cinderella retelling with so many unique twists and turns, I couldn’t put it down. The tropes in this were incredible (enemies to lovers, marriage of convenience, magic, faeries, slow burn, possessive mmc, morally grey mmc). The slow burn was especially amazing. THE BANTER?!?! Finnian and Elora’s relationship was one I loved to read and see blossom on the page, and I ate up every single moment of heated touch and conversation. The history surrounding the world and the faeries was very intriguing and kept me hooked through the entirety of the book. I loved all of the different relationships and dynamics between the characters and their personalities were so well built and crafted. It was an epic love story that I couldn’t get enough of and can’t wait to read more of!!
March 29, 2024
I enjoyed reading this book so much. While I wouldn’t really call it a Cinderella retelling, it definitely had a lot of elements inspired by the fairy tale that I really liked. The story had a lot of depth, and I really wish we got more backstory on the fae, but I’m pretty confident that that’s gonna be satisfied in future books in the series.
What I loved most was Elora and Finn’s relationship. Their hate to love slow burn, the tension, the BANTER, was all so well done. I was eating it all up. I loved all their interactions so much and was rooting for them from the start.
What a fantastic start to a series I’m excited to get more of.
What I loved most was Elora and Finn’s relationship. Their hate to love slow burn, the tension, the BANTER, was all so well done. I was eating it all up. I loved all their interactions so much and was rooting for them from the start.
What a fantastic start to a series I’m excited to get more of.
February 12, 2024
wow wow WOW WOW!! I have absolutely no words, I am speechless, this book is a work of art, an absolute masterpiece! the plot was so unique and kept me hooked from the beginning, the whole premise was so well thought out, everything slotted in well together and made such an amazing book that I think will be on my mind for the rest of time! the beginning was a slow (not bad slow) build up, we get a whole run down of what has happened prior to the beginning events, and then a build up to when the story really take off, when elora gets to the place she needs to be, the slow build up let us get a nice layout of the setting, a deeper understanding to the characters and their motivations, and the driving force behind the plot! the development of the characters, and main relationship was so beautifully written and so complex, a true enemies to lovers of ive ever seen it before, so many small intricate details that led up to a beautiful love story that damns kingdoms and finds each other in every lifetime, as twin souls! elora, as a character is so well written, she’s so complex and intriguing, her development is one of the best I’ve read, she was so naive to the world and let people use her, and despite all that, she still kept her kind heart and never let any of it break her! and finn, he is the definition of boy falls hard and boy obsessed, once he let himself feel, he truly worshipped the ground elora walked on, he also developed so much during this book and had so much depth to his character, he was so lost to begin with and always escaped far away but he found something to stay for and to live for, and that made all the difference for how the story went! overall, an amazing book, that I am amazed by, a new favourite read and something I will be recommending to everyone!
October 21, 2024
a little cringe tbh but I had fun
January 24, 2024
I was very intrigued about the world and the secrets of the pumpkins and the bridge. I loved that it was dual POV.
Elora has a huge heart. I enjoyed the banter between her and Finnian. I want to give her a hug from how some of the characters talked to her.
I loved getting into Finnian's mind and seeing him fall in love. And man, did he fall hard once it happened. He had the weight of everything on his shoulders and glad started getting help.
Irina was a free spirit. Every time she was in scene, I had a smile on my face because I couldn't wait to see what antics she would be partaking in.
I'm intrigued by the cinder fae and want to know all of their secrets.
The ending :eyes:
Elora has a huge heart. I enjoyed the banter between her and Finnian. I want to give her a hug from how some of the characters talked to her.
I loved getting into Finnian's mind and seeing him fall in love. And man, did he fall hard once it happened. He had the weight of everything on his shoulders and glad started getting help.
Irina was a free spirit. Every time she was in scene, I had a smile on my face because I couldn't wait to see what antics she would be partaking in.
I'm intrigued by the cinder fae and want to know all of their secrets.
The ending :eyes:
March 18, 2024
⭒ Rating: 4.5 / 🌶️: 0.5/3
I enjoyed this book so much! I didn’t really have any expectations apart from the blurb sounding amazing but I was so pleasantly surprised by this one! It was my first time reading this author too but it will not be my last! I cannot wait for more in this world but to also go read the author’s other series (which I have seen plenty and heard great things!)
These characters and this world were incredible. Not just the MMCs either! I loved the hero’s sister and her lovers! The faeries and the queen! Gosh, this book has so many interesting characters! I’m really excited to see more of all of them and to see what their roles will be in book 2!
The slow burn in this was so so good! I’d say this book had as much romance as plot and I loved it! There is spice but mostly towards the end of the book! But the chemistry between these two is scorching from the very beginning and their banter is so fun and entertaining! I just loved these two together! Give me more please!
This book had so many surprises and plotwists! good ones, too. I’m super curious about SO much! I wish we had gotten to learn more about the faeries but given the way the book ended, I understood why it didn’t happen in book one. But I’m legit so excited to learn more about them and this world in general! Cannot wait for the sequel! I hope we don’t have to wait too long for it.
⭒ ARC kindly provided by the author, in exchange for an honest review.
♥ Tropes: enemies to lovers, arranged marriage, slow burn, only one horse, royals, fae romance, fated mates,
⭒ Order at: Amazon US
⭒ Follow me on: Instagram ⁕ Tiktok ⁕ Pinterest ⁕ Facebook
I enjoyed this book so much! I didn’t really have any expectations apart from the blurb sounding amazing but I was so pleasantly surprised by this one! It was my first time reading this author too but it will not be my last! I cannot wait for more in this world but to also go read the author’s other series (which I have seen plenty and heard great things!)
These characters and this world were incredible. Not just the MMCs either! I loved the hero’s sister and her lovers! The faeries and the queen! Gosh, this book has so many interesting characters! I’m really excited to see more of all of them and to see what their roles will be in book 2!
The slow burn in this was so so good! I’d say this book had as much romance as plot and I loved it! There is spice but mostly towards the end of the book! But the chemistry between these two is scorching from the very beginning and their banter is so fun and entertaining! I just loved these two together! Give me more please!
This book had so many surprises and plotwists! good ones, too. I’m super curious about SO much! I wish we had gotten to learn more about the faeries but given the way the book ended, I understood why it didn’t happen in book one. But I’m legit so excited to learn more about them and this world in general! Cannot wait for the sequel! I hope we don’t have to wait too long for it.
⭒ ARC kindly provided by the author, in exchange for an honest review.
♥ Tropes: enemies to lovers, arranged marriage, slow burn, only one horse, royals, fae romance, fated mates,
⭒ Order at: Amazon US
⭒ Follow me on: Instagram ⁕ Tiktok ⁕ Pinterest ⁕ Facebook
September 22, 2024
2.5 stars rounded up.
The beginning of this book was confusing, and extremely info-dumpy. I almost DNFed, but the premise of the book sounded so interesting so I made myself push through. The middle 30% to roughly the 70ish% mark was actually pretty good, and the last 10% was alright. The rest was unnecessary and made this book unbearably long. The writing was also not my favorite, but parts of the prose was actually very captivating. Overall, an extremely bumpy ride that I really enjoyed at times but really, really didn't at others.
It's on Kindle Unlimited, so if a Cinderella retelling is your thing, go for it.
The beginning of this book was confusing, and extremely info-dumpy. I almost DNFed, but the premise of the book sounded so interesting so I made myself push through. The middle 30% to roughly the 70ish% mark was actually pretty good, and the last 10% was alright. The rest was unnecessary and made this book unbearably long. The writing was also not my favorite, but parts of the prose was actually very captivating. Overall, an extremely bumpy ride that I really enjoyed at times but really, really didn't at others.
It's on Kindle Unlimited, so if a Cinderella retelling is your thing, go for it.
April 4, 2024
*sigh* this may have taken me a while to finish, but I absolutely LOVED this book.
It was a wonderful Cinderella retelling, filled with magic and fae and an enemies to lovers undertone that I adored.
The side characters in this book were amazing. I loved Irina so much, I adored the queen, Massimo, Leif, and of course, Major.
The stepmother and stepsisters were horrid, which was totally par for the course. And of course, I DESPISED Jasper. Boy, oh boy did I hate that man.
I honestly can’t wait for more in this world!
It was a wonderful Cinderella retelling, filled with magic and fae and an enemies to lovers undertone that I adored.
The side characters in this book were amazing. I loved Irina so much, I adored the queen, Massimo, Leif, and of course, Major.
The stepmother and stepsisters were horrid, which was totally par for the course. And of course, I DESPISED Jasper. Boy, oh boy did I hate that man.
I honestly can’t wait for more in this world!
April 7, 2024
Pleasantly impressed with Rise of the Cinder Fae. This ARC was provided to me by NetGalley and Undying Raven Press. The following review is based on my own understand and enjoyment of the text, thus my opinions are my own. As someone who recently dove back in to the world of Fantasy since high school, graduating from Cassandra Claire to Sarah J Maas, both have lead me to seek out similar worlds of whimsy. I was relieved to have found such incredible world building within Rise of the Cinder Fae, the premises of this title is different in its reversed presentation of the life of Fae meeting a far darker Cinderella. Major themes include; Dark Fantasy, Dark Romance, Retelling of Classics, Slow burn, Enemies to lovers. This title was a quick read for me, I felt connected from the first character introduction and was totally propelled by the relationship mechanics within the story. While I felt captivated in the beginning there was mid sections when I questioned how things could pick back up, but I reminded myself a good story as lulls. Even still those slow parts were met with twists and I found was still hooked by the ending events. Cant wait to check out the sequel!
February 28, 2024
Y’all. This book was… well marketed, I’ll give it that. All the little Instagram quotes had me so excited to read it. To say it didn’t live up to the hype in any way would be a gross understatement. Within a few pages I remembered that I had DNF’d the author’s previous series marginally into book 1 as well.
There are no words for the drivel. I didn’t even make to the ball, let alone any romance or spice. I didn’t care for any part of this, and there are way too many better - actually good - books to read in the world, to be wanting to vomit over this one.
DNF’d at page 61 after realizing I was skimming whole pages, searching in vain for the plot.
There are no words for the drivel. I didn’t even make to the ball, let alone any romance or spice. I didn’t care for any part of this, and there are way too many better - actually good - books to read in the world, to be wanting to vomit over this one.
DNF’d at page 61 after realizing I was skimming whole pages, searching in vain for the plot.
May 13, 2024
It wouldn't end.
February 26, 2024
Whitney Dean's "Rise of the Cinder Fae" weaves a dark and enchanting tale set in the forgotten kingdom of Ashbury. It is a spicy, fun Cinderella retelling. 3.5/5 for me, rounded up.
Elora, resentful of the royals in Pumpkin Hollow and their treatment of the people in her fallen kingdom, tries to save her kingdom from impending doom. The Cinder Fae, mysterious winged fae, are kept by the King to mine coal for the kingdom. Elora's father was their previous Keeper before his death and they see Elora as one of their own. She elects to try to marry the prince to be in a better position to help the Fae and the people. As the Fallen Princess of Ashbury, this would allow for the two kingdoms to merge and hopefully bring more aid to Elora's previous kingdom. As Elora navigates political intrigue and magical bargains, she discovers that magic takes to give and loses her heart to the broody prince in the process.
The novel, while an incredibly enjoyable read, could benefit from some tightening, as its length feels a bit tedious. Despite its darkness, the story maintains a lightness through fairy-tale elements, adding humor and campiness. The constant obsession with pumpkins feels like a delightful inside joke between the author and the reader. Elora, is a goofy and sassy character and I really enjoyed getting to know her; even more interesting when her personality very mildly shifted due to the magic surrounding her. The banter and interactions between Elora and Finn are highlights, filled with passion, yearning, and mystery. My palms actually tingled and my stomach swooped whenever they were together. Finn was an unexpected delight; my favorite part was how vulnerable and understanding he was of the plight of Elora's people and his relationship with his sister and mother.
The Cinder Fae, though intriguing, seem more like plot devices rather than fully explored characters. A deeper exploration of their enslavement to the kingdom could have added some nuance to the story. But honestly, I'm not sure this story really needed them at all unless they were given an appropriate focus. It wasn't really about them, but the building bond between the two leads. I also really PERSONALLY dislike the constant putting down of other women in media and employing the mean girl trope in general. That's a personal feeling, but I do think it detracted from my overall enjoyment. Especially when it also includes a bisexual character making vague threats against two other women who have spent some time together in the bedroom; it implies that they deserve to be ruined because they're mean to Elora. Unnecessary, in my opinion. It's a really tiny moment but it bothered me.
That said, "Rise of the Cinder Fae" is an engaging retelling with strong characters, humor, and a captivating romance. However, it could benefit from a more nuanced exploration of certain themes (or removing them in general to avoid these pitfalls) and a tighter narrative structure. Overall enjoyable!
Thanks to BOMM for the copy. This is an honest review.
Elora, resentful of the royals in Pumpkin Hollow and their treatment of the people in her fallen kingdom, tries to save her kingdom from impending doom. The Cinder Fae, mysterious winged fae, are kept by the King to mine coal for the kingdom. Elora's father was their previous Keeper before his death and they see Elora as one of their own. She elects to try to marry the prince to be in a better position to help the Fae and the people. As the Fallen Princess of Ashbury, this would allow for the two kingdoms to merge and hopefully bring more aid to Elora's previous kingdom. As Elora navigates political intrigue and magical bargains, she discovers that magic takes to give and loses her heart to the broody prince in the process.
The novel, while an incredibly enjoyable read, could benefit from some tightening, as its length feels a bit tedious. Despite its darkness, the story maintains a lightness through fairy-tale elements, adding humor and campiness. The constant obsession with pumpkins feels like a delightful inside joke between the author and the reader. Elora, is a goofy and sassy character and I really enjoyed getting to know her; even more interesting when her personality very mildly shifted due to the magic surrounding her. The banter and interactions between Elora and Finn are highlights, filled with passion, yearning, and mystery. My palms actually tingled and my stomach swooped whenever they were together. Finn was an unexpected delight; my favorite part was how vulnerable and understanding he was of the plight of Elora's people and his relationship with his sister and mother.
The Cinder Fae, though intriguing, seem more like plot devices rather than fully explored characters. A deeper exploration of their enslavement to the kingdom could have added some nuance to the story. But honestly, I'm not sure this story really needed them at all unless they were given an appropriate focus. It wasn't really about them, but the building bond between the two leads. I also really PERSONALLY dislike the constant putting down of other women in media and employing the mean girl trope in general. That's a personal feeling, but I do think it detracted from my overall enjoyment. Especially when it also includes a bisexual character making vague threats against two other women who have spent some time together in the bedroom; it implies that they deserve to be ruined because they're mean to Elora. Unnecessary, in my opinion. It's a really tiny moment but it bothered me.
That said, "Rise of the Cinder Fae" is an engaging retelling with strong characters, humor, and a captivating romance. However, it could benefit from a more nuanced exploration of certain themes (or removing them in general to avoid these pitfalls) and a tighter narrative structure. Overall enjoyable!
Thanks to BOMM for the copy. This is an honest review.
May 10, 2024
⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
The kingdom of Ashbury is broken, impoverished, and left to rot. This is Elora’s homeland. Once a beautiful luscious area, now left as a hollow shell thanks to the ruthless King Jasper of Pumpkin Hollow. Elora has watched for years as her neighbors and friends starve under the kings neglectful ways. Not only that but of his heartless enslavement of the nearby mysterious winged Cinder Fae, forcing them to work tirelessly in the coal mines. However Elora sees an opportunity to liberate the Fae and her lost kingdom by ensaring the heart of the king’s son. What better way to enact revenge than by infiltrating enemy lines from the inside.
This book absolutely is an eye catcher and I was initially drawn in by its beauty before I even knew the synopsis. Rise of the Cinder Fae is a romantasy Cinderella retelling that had so many tropes I live for: enemies to lovers, slow burn(there is spice but it takes a bit to get there)arranged marriage, touch her die, mysterious magical spells, and Fae. However, after finishing this I’m left with a bit of mixed feelings. The story unfolds thru dual POV with our MCs Elora and Finnian (our Cinderella and Prince Charming). Without a doubt my favorite part of this book was watching these two verbally sparring with their great banter and jabs. It was just too good and had me flying thru the pages when they were both present. And of course when Finn served the “that’s my wife” lines I couldn’t help but eat it up! My main reasons for my rating are the issues I had with pacing and the overall lack of world building. As stated I did devour scenes with our MCs, however the first 10% which had the small bit of world building/magic in this world were slow and never fully explained. Honestly the Fae magical element at times seemed like a forgotten subplot. I do imagine that this is due to the author planning to explore this more in future installments, atleast that is my hope. The ending as well had pacing issues as it seemed extremely rushed which I found shocking considering this is a very long book. Overall I enjoyed this read and do recommend it, especially because of how beautiful the hardback edition is (what can I say I’m swayed by a pretty cover) as well as the fact that it is on KU. I look forward to the next book in the series to see how these characters and their world develop.
The kingdom of Ashbury is broken, impoverished, and left to rot. This is Elora’s homeland. Once a beautiful luscious area, now left as a hollow shell thanks to the ruthless King Jasper of Pumpkin Hollow. Elora has watched for years as her neighbors and friends starve under the kings neglectful ways. Not only that but of his heartless enslavement of the nearby mysterious winged Cinder Fae, forcing them to work tirelessly in the coal mines. However Elora sees an opportunity to liberate the Fae and her lost kingdom by ensaring the heart of the king’s son. What better way to enact revenge than by infiltrating enemy lines from the inside.
This book absolutely is an eye catcher and I was initially drawn in by its beauty before I even knew the synopsis. Rise of the Cinder Fae is a romantasy Cinderella retelling that had so many tropes I live for: enemies to lovers, slow burn(there is spice but it takes a bit to get there)arranged marriage, touch her die, mysterious magical spells, and Fae. However, after finishing this I’m left with a bit of mixed feelings. The story unfolds thru dual POV with our MCs Elora and Finnian (our Cinderella and Prince Charming). Without a doubt my favorite part of this book was watching these two verbally sparring with their great banter and jabs. It was just too good and had me flying thru the pages when they were both present. And of course when Finn served the “that’s my wife” lines I couldn’t help but eat it up! My main reasons for my rating are the issues I had with pacing and the overall lack of world building. As stated I did devour scenes with our MCs, however the first 10% which had the small bit of world building/magic in this world were slow and never fully explained. Honestly the Fae magical element at times seemed like a forgotten subplot. I do imagine that this is due to the author planning to explore this more in future installments, atleast that is my hope. The ending as well had pacing issues as it seemed extremely rushed which I found shocking considering this is a very long book. Overall I enjoyed this read and do recommend it, especially because of how beautiful the hardback edition is (what can I say I’m swayed by a pretty cover) as well as the fact that it is on KU. I look forward to the next book in the series to see how these characters and their world develop.
February 27, 2024
Let's start by saying I was absolutely swooning with this one and fell head over heels for our main character, Finnian. In this Cinderella retelling, we have fae and a slowburn. Everything is shrouded in a tinge of mystery, keeping you sucked in for the long haul. We also get a found family to die for with Queen Honora and Irina they are both such strong women and are everything Elora needed after being stuck with her terrible step-mother and her daughters after the tragic passing of her father. But let's not forget our trusty steed, Major! I am convinced that the horse would do anything for any of the women in Finnians life.
There is some darkness to this that I felt really complimented the story and left your heartbreaking for everyone that comes in contact with Jasper, making you want to handle him through the pages. But with so much on the line, Finnian steps up and becomes the man everyone needs him to be. Even if he is a little possessive a tinge violent when someone touches or speaks about "his wife" and has a affinity for grabbing necks which I am on the fence if I loved or was a slight red flag....lol
The spice is wonderful 😍 I would say moderate to high 🌶🌶🌶
《Purchase link in Bio》
I don't want to give too much away because the last 10% of this book was a wild ride, but I will leave you with some quotes.
"For you, my darling, I would kill him with my bare hands"
"I am growing rather tiresome of men seeing me as nothing more than something to he used for their benefit. It doesn't matter whether he's human or fae; I will always be seen as disposable to them. Why did it take me being loved by one to be respected?
"My enemy by birth-my heart by fate"
"I am your light, but you are my dream realized,
There is some darkness to this that I felt really complimented the story and left your heartbreaking for everyone that comes in contact with Jasper, making you want to handle him through the pages. But with so much on the line, Finnian steps up and becomes the man everyone needs him to be. Even if he is a little possessive a tinge violent when someone touches or speaks about "his wife" and has a affinity for grabbing necks which I am on the fence if I loved or was a slight red flag....lol
The spice is wonderful 😍 I would say moderate to high 🌶🌶🌶
《Purchase link in Bio》
I don't want to give too much away because the last 10% of this book was a wild ride, but I will leave you with some quotes.
"For you, my darling, I would kill him with my bare hands"
"I am growing rather tiresome of men seeing me as nothing more than something to he used for their benefit. It doesn't matter whether he's human or fae; I will always be seen as disposable to them. Why did it take me being loved by one to be respected?
"My enemy by birth-my heart by fate"
"I am your light, but you are my dream realized,
March 5, 2024
↠ 2.5 stars ⭐️, rounded up
I want to start by thanking Whitney Dean for sending me an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
I’ve been stalling on writing this review. I was excited for this one and was happy to have been selected to receive an ARC. But I’m incredibly sad to report: I didn’t love it. Honestly, I really should’ve DNF’d this one, but I continued to push through hoping I would become more invested in the story. Sadly, I never did. It ending up taking me 15 days to read this because I just didn’t care about anything at all.
Given the title, one would think the Cinder Fae would be central to the plot.. but they weren’t. At all. They felt like an afterthought for most of the story. Within 700 pages, they appear maybe 5 times. The characters were shallow and underdeveloped, and it really felt like they were included solely to be able to call this a fantasy novel. I’m sure there will be more emphasis on them in future installments, but I don’t think they received the proper focus they should have here, and they could have been explored more deeply.
I also didn’t vibe with the writing style. The story didn’t flow well, and the writing felt clunky. There was frequent switching of verb tense within sentences and paragraphs, which was rather confusing at times. There was also a lot of info-dumping, especially within the first 15% of the book. Which I would have been okay with if it was easy to follow and provided decent world-building. But it didn’t. I still don’t think I fully understand the world, the magic system, or the relevance of the pumpkins.
Lastly, I never really cared about the romance between Elora and Finnian. While this was marketed as a enemies-to-lovers, it felt much more like an angsty instalove, which was disappointing because I’m not a huge fan of this trope. I also thought they had minimal chemistry, and I didn’t care for the spicy scenes (which also happened at weird times, imo). Plus the extreme possessiveness was icky. I will say their banter was enjoyable at least.
The best character was Irina, hands down. I think she was the only reason I went on to finish this, tbh. She’s feisty and independent and I liked her and her relationship with Elora. But otherwise, I didn’t care about anyone else.
Ultimately, there was a lot of potential here, but it fell flat for me. The story felt clunky, confusing, and underdeveloped. I’m glad that so many others have enjoyed it, but it just wasn’t for me and I don’t think I’ll be continuing this series.
₊‧.°.⋆˚₊‧⋆. ₊‧.°.⋆˚₊‧⋆.₊‧.°.⋆˚₊‧⋆. ₊‧.°.⋆˚₊‧⋆.
Check out my reviews on bookstagram
I want to start by thanking Whitney Dean for sending me an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
I’ve been stalling on writing this review. I was excited for this one and was happy to have been selected to receive an ARC. But I’m incredibly sad to report: I didn’t love it. Honestly, I really should’ve DNF’d this one, but I continued to push through hoping I would become more invested in the story. Sadly, I never did. It ending up taking me 15 days to read this because I just didn’t care about anything at all.
Given the title, one would think the Cinder Fae would be central to the plot.. but they weren’t. At all. They felt like an afterthought for most of the story. Within 700 pages, they appear maybe 5 times. The characters were shallow and underdeveloped, and it really felt like they were included solely to be able to call this a fantasy novel. I’m sure there will be more emphasis on them in future installments, but I don’t think they received the proper focus they should have here, and they could have been explored more deeply.
I also didn’t vibe with the writing style. The story didn’t flow well, and the writing felt clunky. There was frequent switching of verb tense within sentences and paragraphs, which was rather confusing at times. There was also a lot of info-dumping, especially within the first 15% of the book. Which I would have been okay with if it was easy to follow and provided decent world-building. But it didn’t. I still don’t think I fully understand the world, the magic system, or the relevance of the pumpkins.
Lastly, I never really cared about the romance between Elora and Finnian. While this was marketed as a enemies-to-lovers, it felt much more like an angsty instalove, which was disappointing because I’m not a huge fan of this trope. I also thought they had minimal chemistry, and I didn’t care for the spicy scenes (which also happened at weird times, imo). Plus the extreme possessiveness was icky. I will say their banter was enjoyable at least.
The best character was Irina, hands down. I think she was the only reason I went on to finish this, tbh. She’s feisty and independent and I liked her and her relationship with Elora. But otherwise, I didn’t care about anyone else.
Ultimately, there was a lot of potential here, but it fell flat for me. The story felt clunky, confusing, and underdeveloped. I’m glad that so many others have enjoyed it, but it just wasn’t for me and I don’t think I’ll be continuing this series.
₊‧.°.⋆˚₊‧⋆. ₊‧.°.⋆˚₊‧⋆.₊‧.°.⋆˚₊‧⋆. ₊‧.°.⋆˚₊‧⋆.
Check out my reviews on bookstagram
April 5, 2024
3.75/5⭐️
2.5/5🌶️
A fairytale retelling but make it HOT HOT HOT!
🔥Fairytale Retelling
🔥Marriage of Convenience
🔥Touch her and 💀
🔥 Magic and Fae
🔥MY WIFE
🔥 Dual POV
🔥 Found Family
Rise of the Cinder Fae is the first Cinderella retelling I’ve read but I really loved what the author did to pull from the original story and the parts of the story that were vastly different from the original. I felt the addition of magic and Fae was a really great addition to the world.
Let me start by talking about Finn and Elora because I ATE THEM UP. I love when main characters have banter and they certainly brought it.(not to mention all the banter with Finns sister as well!) Finn was so witty and cocky but also charming and commanding. I really loved seeing how his character changed over the course of the book. Getting to know him, his challenges and how he overcomes them was so special to read and I love where he grew to by the end of the book.
PS ALL THEIR SPICE 🔥🥵
The first 10% of the book was a bit slow for me so it took me getting past that and basically to the moment of meeting our MMC for the story to finally really hook me. But when that hook grabbed me, it GRABBED ME. The entirety of the book started to fly by after that because I was devouring it. I think the pace and the writing were so wonderful throughout. Once I hit about 3/4 of the way through I felt the book slowed back down a bit for me. During this point of the book a few things happened that I didn’t quite understand and there were some parts that felt maybe a tiny bit rushed. It quickly picked back up for the final 10% with a big battle and of course the plot twist of our ending.
Speaking of plot twists, I LOVED the involvement of the Heart Dove throughout the entire book and how well his lore was set up for the next retelling without it overshadowing the plot that was taking place. He was a very enjoyable added element to this entire story. I cannot wait until the next book comes out so I can see how this story continues !
The readers were left with a lot of unanswered questions from our story which was a little confusing but I think it was purposeful as we continue on into the second book and I hope we get all those answers!
*Thank you The Nerd Fam for the gifted e-ARC. Also a huge thank you to the Author Whitney*
I did end up buying myself a physical copy because it’s BEAUTIFUL, and read it as a physical copy.
2.5/5🌶️
A fairytale retelling but make it HOT HOT HOT!
🔥Fairytale Retelling
🔥Marriage of Convenience
🔥Touch her and 💀
🔥 Magic and Fae
🔥MY WIFE
🔥 Dual POV
🔥 Found Family
Rise of the Cinder Fae is the first Cinderella retelling I’ve read but I really loved what the author did to pull from the original story and the parts of the story that were vastly different from the original. I felt the addition of magic and Fae was a really great addition to the world.
Let me start by talking about Finn and Elora because I ATE THEM UP. I love when main characters have banter and they certainly brought it.(not to mention all the banter with Finns sister as well!) Finn was so witty and cocky but also charming and commanding. I really loved seeing how his character changed over the course of the book. Getting to know him, his challenges and how he overcomes them was so special to read and I love where he grew to by the end of the book.
PS ALL THEIR SPICE 🔥🥵
The first 10% of the book was a bit slow for me so it took me getting past that and basically to the moment of meeting our MMC for the story to finally really hook me. But when that hook grabbed me, it GRABBED ME. The entirety of the book started to fly by after that because I was devouring it. I think the pace and the writing were so wonderful throughout. Once I hit about 3/4 of the way through I felt the book slowed back down a bit for me. During this point of the book a few things happened that I didn’t quite understand and there were some parts that felt maybe a tiny bit rushed. It quickly picked back up for the final 10% with a big battle and of course the plot twist of our ending.
Speaking of plot twists, I LOVED the involvement of the Heart Dove throughout the entire book and how well his lore was set up for the next retelling without it overshadowing the plot that was taking place. He was a very enjoyable added element to this entire story. I cannot wait until the next book comes out so I can see how this story continues !
The readers were left with a lot of unanswered questions from our story which was a little confusing but I think it was purposeful as we continue on into the second book and I hope we get all those answers!
*Thank you The Nerd Fam for the gifted e-ARC. Also a huge thank you to the Author Whitney*
I did end up buying myself a physical copy because it’s BEAUTIFUL, and read it as a physical copy.
February 21, 2024
Thank you to NetGalley and Undying Raven Press for the eARC in exchange for a review!
I really struggled with how to handle this one... and I debated whether to DNF several times, so it shouldn't come as a surprise that I stopped at 25%.
I cannot describe how incredibly bored I was for the first 10% of this book. I didn't care about the world or any of the characters, and I wasn't enjoying the writing style. I solely kept going because some of my friends over on Bookstagram adore this one and promised it would pick up soon.
So I continued, hanging on by a thread and some slight skimming. My main issues with this are: 1) zero flow through the story, 2) cinder faeries that are apparently key to the plot but seemingly have no involvement in the plot whatsoever and feel like an afterthought, and 3) the enemies to lovers trope that feels a bit more like insta-love with some added banter and tension to force the label of "enemies".
Chapters felt randomly slapped together, unrelated, and lacking proper story progression, leaving me feeling like they were written to check a box and not to tell a story. The faeries were presented as if they were added at the last second to classify this as fantasy. I wasn't feeling the attachment to characters, and with it being a Cinderella retelling, it shouldn't have been difficult to make me sympathize with Ellie.
Ultimately, this is a book with massive missed potential that could have been phenomenal but just felt extremely underdeveloped and like a first draft. I'm slightly confused by all of the positive reviews because while this has some redeeming qualities, it is far from a 5 star read.
I really struggled with how to handle this one... and I debated whether to DNF several times, so it shouldn't come as a surprise that I stopped at 25%.
I cannot describe how incredibly bored I was for the first 10% of this book. I didn't care about the world or any of the characters, and I wasn't enjoying the writing style. I solely kept going because some of my friends over on Bookstagram adore this one and promised it would pick up soon.
So I continued, hanging on by a thread and some slight skimming. My main issues with this are: 1) zero flow through the story, 2) cinder faeries that are apparently key to the plot but seemingly have no involvement in the plot whatsoever and feel like an afterthought, and 3) the enemies to lovers trope that feels a bit more like insta-love with some added banter and tension to force the label of "enemies".
Chapters felt randomly slapped together, unrelated, and lacking proper story progression, leaving me feeling like they were written to check a box and not to tell a story. The faeries were presented as if they were added at the last second to classify this as fantasy. I wasn't feeling the attachment to characters, and with it being a Cinderella retelling, it shouldn't have been difficult to make me sympathize with Ellie.
Ultimately, this is a book with massive missed potential that could have been phenomenal but just felt extremely underdeveloped and like a first draft. I'm slightly confused by all of the positive reviews because while this has some redeeming qualities, it is far from a 5 star read.
February 27, 2024
I was riveted from start to finish. I love a Cinderella retelling, all retellings, but especially Cinderella, and this book was a perfect retelling! Oh my gosh, I honestly did not want it to end.
It was a slow start, so obviously a slow burn, but it's completely worth it. This enemies-to-lovers story was brilliant. I absolutely loved Elora and Finnian. They're an absolute delight to watch grow.
A special shout out to Irina because that sibling teasing was fun, tension-breaking, and everything you expect from a younger sibling so perfectly. Finnian was always at the brink of annoyance but it was obvious the love they shared for each other.
The relationship Elora had with Azrea was beautiful, and that friendship was written wonderfully. I could not ask for more!
It was a slow start, so obviously a slow burn, but it's completely worth it. This enemies-to-lovers story was brilliant. I absolutely loved Elora and Finnian. They're an absolute delight to watch grow.
A special shout out to Irina because that sibling teasing was fun, tension-breaking, and everything you expect from a younger sibling so perfectly. Finnian was always at the brink of annoyance but it was obvious the love they shared for each other.
The relationship Elora had with Azrea was beautiful, and that friendship was written wonderfully. I could not ask for more!
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