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The Roumaterra Chronicles #0.5
Night of Dance: A Retelling of Cinderella
Ella doesn’t need a prince. She just wants to be loved.
Everything changed when her father died. Once, Ella was the daughter of a wealthy merchant; now, she’s a servant in her own home, with nothing but her clothes and a horse to call her own.
Unless she finds a husband first, she has four more years until she is no longer her stepmother’s ward. But she has no time to look, and what man would want to marry her, anyway?
Certainly not a prince. So why should she attend his ball?
Night of Dance is a clean, no-spice retelling of Cinderella. It part of The Roumaterra Chronicles, a series of interconnected, standalone fairy tale retellings perfect for readers of Brittany Fichter, Celeste Baxendell, and Annette K. Larsen.
Suggested reading
Night of Dance (novella)
Slippers and Thorns (Book One)
Songs and Spun Gold (Book Two)
Everything changed when her father died. Once, Ella was the daughter of a wealthy merchant; now, she’s a servant in her own home, with nothing but her clothes and a horse to call her own.
Unless she finds a husband first, she has four more years until she is no longer her stepmother’s ward. But she has no time to look, and what man would want to marry her, anyway?
Certainly not a prince. So why should she attend his ball?
Night of Dance is a clean, no-spice retelling of Cinderella. It part of The Roumaterra Chronicles, a series of interconnected, standalone fairy tale retellings perfect for readers of Brittany Fichter, Celeste Baxendell, and Annette K. Larsen.
Suggested reading
Night of Dance (novella)
Slippers and Thorns (Book One)
Songs and Spun Gold (Book Two)
109 pages, Kindle Edition
Published March 27, 2024
5 people are currently reading
91 people want to read
About the author
Erin Halbmaier
19 books32 followersProgrammer. Composer. Author of clean, no-spice romantasy with swoony moments and a dash of adventure.
Erin Halbmaier’s love of a good tale covers multiple genres, but the relationships are always what draw her in. Her flawed characters stay in the 1.5-2 level for romance and have to struggle for their happily ever after, but she doesn't do sad endings.
When not buried in a book or writing one, she can be found fiddling with computer code, writing music, or hanging out with her husband and kids.
Keep up with updates, promos, and fun stuff: find all the links at https://erinhalbmaier.com/links/
Erin Halbmaier’s love of a good tale covers multiple genres, but the relationships are always what draw her in. Her flawed characters stay in the 1.5-2 level for romance and have to struggle for their happily ever after, but she doesn't do sad endings.
When not buried in a book or writing one, she can be found fiddling with computer code, writing music, or hanging out with her husband and kids.
Keep up with updates, promos, and fun stuff: find all the links at https://erinhalbmaier.com/links/
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Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
December 4, 2025
I LOVE Cinderella retellings. And it's always fun to find the creative ones. I absolutely love this book.
It very much reminded me of the 2015 Disney Live Action Cinderella (I looooove that movie) especially the scene when the Prince comes to try the slipper on Ella.
It also had a similar feel to Ever After: a Cinderella Story, tho it was less historically inspired I think.
This book was well written, it flowed well, and very easily conveyed the magic of the story through its words. The way this author describes scenes, touches, sights all that is absolutely amazing.
All the characters were well written and played their part well. I definitely love Ella and Mike. I must say that Katy and Axel were fun to have around as well. Axel is funny.
I haven't read the rest of this series yet, but I am now wondering if Katy and Axel have their own book. The idea of Katy being a Miller's daughter sounds vaguely familiar in regards to the fairytale world.
The way relationships are potrayed in this book is very good. I don't love a lot of romance book relationships, even in clean fairytales, cuz they can tend to be cheesy, or just not.... Enough.
However this one, was good. I can't wait to see them in the next book.
This author is definitely one of my new favorites now.
It very much reminded me of the 2015 Disney Live Action Cinderella (I looooove that movie) especially the scene when the Prince comes to try the slipper on Ella.
It also had a similar feel to Ever After: a Cinderella Story, tho it was less historically inspired I think.
This book was well written, it flowed well, and very easily conveyed the magic of the story through its words. The way this author describes scenes, touches, sights all that is absolutely amazing.
All the characters were well written and played their part well. I definitely love Ella and Mike. I must say that Katy and Axel were fun to have around as well. Axel is funny.
I haven't read the rest of this series yet, but I am now wondering if Katy and Axel have their own book. The idea of Katy being a Miller's daughter sounds vaguely familiar in regards to the fairytale world.
The way relationships are potrayed in this book is very good. I don't love a lot of romance book relationships, even in clean fairytales, cuz they can tend to be cheesy, or just not.... Enough.
However this one, was good. I can't wait to see them in the next book.
This author is definitely one of my new favorites now.
July 13, 2024
Night of Dance is a version of the Cinderella story we know and love. Erin Halbmaier did a good job of creating believable characters in a short amount of time and adding levity to the story. I look forward to the continuation of this story in the next book.
August 30, 2025
I finished this on one day! 😅
I absolutely loved this book. Despite being short the story didn't feel rushed.
I loved the ball scene. I listened to classical music that would be played at a ball and it made it so much better!
The characters had great chemistry and I was rooting for them the whole time. It was also fun to see characters from the other books. 💚
I absolutely loved this book. Despite being short the story didn't feel rushed.
I loved the ball scene. I listened to classical music that would be played at a ball and it made it so much better!
The characters had great chemistry and I was rooting for them the whole time. It was also fun to see characters from the other books. 💚
May 3, 2024
Content:
Language: None.
Violence: None.
Sexual: Mild. Just dancing and chaste kisses. Married couple flirting.
TW: As with most Cinderella retellings, this deals with abuse. In this it is more verbal and emotional abuse, and physical neglect. Ella is left with ratty clothes, too thin cloaks, and constantly told she's nothing.
About a 3.5 in reality, but I rounded up.
When I read the tagline, "Ella doesn't need a prince, she just wants to be loved", that was what hooked me into wanting to read this novella.
Sometimes I struggle with Cinderella retellings because the abuse can be too intense. This one, admittedly, was touch and go for me on intensity. Not enough to make me feel icky, but enough to make me sad at moments and furious at others. Which is why it didn't hit the mark for me the way I was hoping. I needed something with more light in it, and less despair. While this by far is not the most dark retelling I've read of Cinderella by a long shot, I don't really care for the more angsty versions that focus exclusively on the relationship between Cinderella and her step-family. I appreciate the retellings that focus on how she retains her hope and character against impossible odds.
I will say, Ella was very well portrayed as a person who had lived with abuse for years. It wrenched my heart, and made total sense.
This novella is an introduction to the longer novel featuring Ella and Michael, which I have yet to read, and am still dithering on whether I want to try it out (again due to the heavy nature not the writing or story itself). With it being an introduction and so short, the romance is rushed and much of it is told rather than shown. I'm not a fan of Romeo and Juliet type romances where they see each other across a room and 'know they're the one'. That trope is incredibly hard to make believable for this reader.
And while the tagline pulled me in, I was disappointed with the lack of Ella's growth, but that likely comes in the full novel. She literally threw herself at the first guy who was kind to her and saw her because she needed to escape. Stat. Not a super great foundation for a relationship, but it can work. I did appreciate Michael's character and can see that their romance could work because of his loyalty and love.
So, I'll dither for a bit on whether to read the full novel, but it's leaning toward yes just to get a better feel for the author. And I'm highly intrigued to read Axel and Katy's story because they were such vivid side characters (and it's a Phantom of the Opera retelling and I'm a sucker for those).
Language: None.
Violence: None.
Sexual: Mild. Just dancing and chaste kisses. Married couple flirting.
TW: As with most Cinderella retellings, this deals with abuse. In this it is more verbal and emotional abuse, and physical neglect. Ella is left with ratty clothes, too thin cloaks, and constantly told she's nothing.
About a 3.5 in reality, but I rounded up.
When I read the tagline, "Ella doesn't need a prince, she just wants to be loved", that was what hooked me into wanting to read this novella.
Sometimes I struggle with Cinderella retellings because the abuse can be too intense. This one, admittedly, was touch and go for me on intensity. Not enough to make me feel icky, but enough to make me sad at moments and furious at others. Which is why it didn't hit the mark for me the way I was hoping. I needed something with more light in it, and less despair. While this by far is not the most dark retelling I've read of Cinderella by a long shot, I don't really care for the more angsty versions that focus exclusively on the relationship between Cinderella and her step-family. I appreciate the retellings that focus on how she retains her hope and character against impossible odds.
I will say, Ella was very well portrayed as a person who had lived with abuse for years. It wrenched my heart, and made total sense.
This novella is an introduction to the longer novel featuring Ella and Michael, which I have yet to read, and am still dithering on whether I want to try it out (again due to the heavy nature not the writing or story itself). With it being an introduction and so short, the romance is rushed and much of it is told rather than shown. I'm not a fan of Romeo and Juliet type romances where they see each other across a room and 'know they're the one'. That trope is incredibly hard to make believable for this reader.
And while the tagline pulled me in, I was disappointed with the lack of Ella's growth, but that likely comes in the full novel. She literally threw herself at the first guy who was kind to her and saw her because she needed to escape. Stat. Not a super great foundation for a relationship, but it can work. I did appreciate Michael's character and can see that their romance could work because of his loyalty and love.
So, I'll dither for a bit on whether to read the full novel, but it's leaning toward yes just to get a better feel for the author. And I'm highly intrigued to read Axel and Katy's story because they were such vivid side characters (and it's a Phantom of the Opera retelling and I'm a sucker for those).
July 22, 2025
A Retelling of Cinderella
I listened to this on audible.
We all love a good fairytale retelling and this one hit all the right places.
Ella is our MFC, she was once a beloved daughter of a wealthy merchant, that is until her father passed and left her and his wealth in the care of her step family. There is an upcoming ball for The Prince to find a bride and obviously they don’t plan to allow Ella to go. It is only through the kindness from her “fairy” godfather that Ella is able to make it to the ball, her plan is to find someone not the prince that would be interested in marriage.
The Prince isn’t looking forward to being harassed by all the eligible women of the kingdom. He isn’t interested in a woman who is just after his crown. And this is how he ended up disguised at the ball, allowing his friend to take his place as The Prince, and it is while disguised he meets Ella. Like any beautiful Cinderella retelling Ella and the true prince share a beautiful dance.
Overall Ella has a magical night. But all too soon it is over and Ella is fleeing from the ball, thinking she will never see her charming dance partner ever again.
Erin Halbmaier did a wonderful job at not only writing this beautifully captivating story but also narrating it under the name of Elaine. You can feel and hear the love and care this author has for her characters as Ella’s story unfolds with the beloved story of Cinderella with Erin’s own twists and turns. The narration kept me engaged and entertained. I can’t wait to read/ listen to more by Erin.
I listened at 1.2x.
I listened to this on audible.
We all love a good fairytale retelling and this one hit all the right places.
Ella is our MFC, she was once a beloved daughter of a wealthy merchant, that is until her father passed and left her and his wealth in the care of her step family. There is an upcoming ball for The Prince to find a bride and obviously they don’t plan to allow Ella to go. It is only through the kindness from her “fairy” godfather that Ella is able to make it to the ball, her plan is to find someone not the prince that would be interested in marriage.
The Prince isn’t looking forward to being harassed by all the eligible women of the kingdom. He isn’t interested in a woman who is just after his crown. And this is how he ended up disguised at the ball, allowing his friend to take his place as The Prince, and it is while disguised he meets Ella. Like any beautiful Cinderella retelling Ella and the true prince share a beautiful dance.
Overall Ella has a magical night. But all too soon it is over and Ella is fleeing from the ball, thinking she will never see her charming dance partner ever again.
Erin Halbmaier did a wonderful job at not only writing this beautifully captivating story but also narrating it under the name of Elaine. You can feel and hear the love and care this author has for her characters as Ella’s story unfolds with the beloved story of Cinderella with Erin’s own twists and turns. The narration kept me engaged and entertained. I can’t wait to read/ listen to more by Erin.
I listened at 1.2x.
November 1, 2024
3.5*
This novella definitely accomplished what it set out to do. It really doesnt‘ beat around the bush. It‘s a Cinderella retelling. It‘s as simple as that.
There are no twists or surprises in this book.
Furthermore, the characters aren‘t very deep. The reader can‘t explore any depth in their thoughts or actions. There‘s simply no time, as this novella is only a little over 100 pages.
In all honesty, that was exactly what I was expecting. I was just looking for a quick, fun read in-between some bigger, denser books. It‘s not pretending to be anything else and I can appreciate it for what it is.
I do think that the prose could‘ve been better and that - even with the small amount of pages - the characters could‘ve been a little more compelling / fleshed out, which is why I‘m not giving it a perfect rating.
This novella definitely accomplished what it set out to do. It really doesnt‘ beat around the bush. It‘s a Cinderella retelling. It‘s as simple as that.
There are no twists or surprises in this book.
Furthermore, the characters aren‘t very deep. The reader can‘t explore any depth in their thoughts or actions. There‘s simply no time, as this novella is only a little over 100 pages.
In all honesty, that was exactly what I was expecting. I was just looking for a quick, fun read in-between some bigger, denser books. It‘s not pretending to be anything else and I can appreciate it for what it is.
I do think that the prose could‘ve been better and that - even with the small amount of pages - the characters could‘ve been a little more compelling / fleshed out, which is why I‘m not giving it a perfect rating.
August 21, 2025
This is a very cute Cinderella retelling. It’s a short novella, with the audiobook running just 2 hours and 39 minutes. The narration brings the story to life with fun, engaging character voices. The variety of accents, each full of personality, makes this a truly delightful listen. The story itself offers a fresh twist that keeps it charming. As with all Cinderella stories, the main character, Ella, has a terrible stepmother and spoiled stepsisters who take and take with no regard for her. Although there isn’t a fairy godmother, there is a kind neighbor, her late father’s best friend, who brings both warmth and a touch of possible magic. I can easily imagine the rest of the series being quite fun, based on the little glimpses we get in Night of Dance.
I received a copy of the audiobook from the author, but all thoughts expressed are my own.
I received a copy of the audiobook from the author, but all thoughts expressed are my own.
August 6, 2025
I absolutely love fairytale retellings, and Cinderella is one of my favorites! The descriptions of Ella with her stepmother and stepsisters ordering her around were nicely done and had the perfect note in them to make me grit my teeth at the characters. I loved the prince (Michael) as well, and enjoyed his group of friends and their plan to allow him to scope out the social scene and all the women who were eager to be his bride incognito. So much fun! The fairy godfather was a lovely twist. This was a nice short novella length, which I thought was absolutely perfect. The writing was lovely, and it had the perfect fairytale style feel. Loved this and will definitely check out more of the author’s books! 5/5 stars.
August 28, 2025
Night of Dance is a sweet, clean retelling of Cinderella, with a focus on Ella’s desire for love and belonging rather than wealth or grandeur. The story captures the familiar beats of the fairy tale while weaving it into the larger world of The Roumaterra Chronicles. Ella is a sympathetic character, and her struggles with loss and servitude are heartfelt.
That said, the novella feels a little too short to fully explore Ella’s journey or give depth to the romance. The writing is pleasant and wholesome, but at times the pacing is rushed, leaving some characters and emotional moments underdeveloped. Readers looking for a light, no-spice fairy tale retelling will likely enjoy this, but those hoping for more complexity may find themselves wanting more.
That said, the novella feels a little too short to fully explore Ella’s journey or give depth to the romance. The writing is pleasant and wholesome, but at times the pacing is rushed, leaving some characters and emotional moments underdeveloped. Readers looking for a light, no-spice fairy tale retelling will likely enjoy this, but those hoping for more complexity may find themselves wanting more.
October 2, 2025
I absolutely loved this cute Cinderella retelling! Ella’s story pulled me in right away! She’s sweet, strong, relatable, and very loveable. The author kept the heart of the classic tale while giving it a refreshing twist that felt both sweet and empowering.
What I enjoyed most is how clean and wholesome it was while still being engaging and fun. The romance was adorable, the pacing was great, and the story left me smiling the whole way through. If you enjoy fairy tale retellings with a cozy, uplifting vibe, this is definitely one to add to your shelf.
What I enjoyed most is how clean and wholesome it was while still being engaging and fun. The romance was adorable, the pacing was great, and the story left me smiling the whole way through. If you enjoy fairy tale retellings with a cozy, uplifting vibe, this is definitely one to add to your shelf.
July 21, 2025
This is a prequel novella that I got as a freebie. Here, Ms Halbmaier gives us the story of Cinderella pretty much straight with few deviations, the main departure from the Perrault tale being the lack of pumpkins, mice and fairy godmothers. There's a wee hint of magic, but blink and you'll miss it.
However, the retelling fleshes out Ella and Mike nicely and even comes up with a satisfying explanation for why a certain lost shoe fits only one woman.
A short, fun read with no surprises.
However, the retelling fleshes out Ella and Mike nicely and even comes up with a satisfying explanation for why a certain lost shoe fits only one woman.
A short, fun read with no surprises.
July 26, 2024
What an enjoyable retelling of Cinderella! I liked how the fairy godmother figure was just a seemingly normal man she always knew. And the vibes of the Roger's and Hammerstein Musical version are a beautiful picture of not just falling for a stranger but having the mutual desire to be truly known. This story was well written and creative.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 24, 2024
Nice retelling
Not just a good love story but a sweet portrayal of friendships between characters as well. The characters are believable and relatable. Sweet, clean romance with no spice (there is a kiss or two).
Not just a good love story but a sweet portrayal of friendships between characters as well. The characters are believable and relatable. Sweet, clean romance with no spice (there is a kiss or two).
July 13, 2024
excellent
#fairytalesummer
This was a clean sweet fairytale romance that followed pretty closely the story of Cinderella, but also delved deeper into the characters personalities and reasons why they acted the way they did. It brought more color and depth to each character!
#fairytalesummer
This was a clean sweet fairytale romance that followed pretty closely the story of Cinderella, but also delved deeper into the characters personalities and reasons why they acted the way they did. It brought more color and depth to each character!
November 7, 2024
This was such a cute and well written retelling. I had a lot of fun while reading this and getting to see the characters interact. I can't wait to see what else this author has instore for this series
March 20, 2025
The story is not very different from the Disney story but it does set up the 1st book in the series. It's a short, cute read and could very well be read as a standalone if you're not looking for a series. I guess it depends on the level of curiosity of the reader.
January 7, 2026
3.1 stars: I liked it okay
__________
My rating system:
• 5 stars—I loved it and/or it impacted me greatly
• 4 stars—I really liked it and will likely want to read it again
• 3 stars—I liked it
• 2 stars—It was okay
• 1 star—I didn’t like it
__________
My rating system:
• 5 stars—I loved it and/or it impacted me greatly
• 4 stars—I really liked it and will likely want to read it again
• 3 stars—I liked it
• 2 stars—It was okay
• 1 star—I didn’t like it
August 10, 2024
A sweet and clean retelling of Cinderella that starts out very traditional and slowly adds subtle differences that make the story its own, magical and heartwarming without giving up practicality. I'm very interested in the continuation of Ella and Michael's journey!
October 16, 2024
A well-done Cinderella retelling with humour and originality intermixed. Looking forward to reading more from Erin Halbmeier!
June 6, 2025
A retelling of a classic
It’s a quick read but it brings you to a more specific time and place with real life experiences that no other retelling has done before.
It’s a quick read but it brings you to a more specific time and place with real life experiences that no other retelling has done before.
July 17, 2025
Reads like a fairytale movie. Cute read.
March 19, 2025
Super cute little short story :) I loved that the prince was incognito!!
August 8, 2025
Night of Dance is the first book I have read written by Erin Halbmaier, and it will not be the last. This is a novella, so it is short and sweet, and the perfect Cinderella retelling. I love a great fairytale retelling, and this one did not disappoint.
I had the pleasure of listening to the audiobook copy of this book. The narrator, Elaine K. Schultz, did a great job reading it. It was delightful, and she brought the story to life.
Some of the aspects I enjoyed in this retelling: that the dance was accidental. The prince didn’t want to be harassed by young ladies, so he had his friend pretend to be him. Since it was a masquerade, they were able to switch places without being caught. So, when Ella dances with Michael, she is not aware she is dancing with the prince. I liked that the neighbor was looking out for Ella and was the one who was the fairy godmother figure. This was a sweet, clean, no-spice retelling.
*I received a complimentary copy from the author and voluntarily chose to review it. All opinions are my own.
I had the pleasure of listening to the audiobook copy of this book. The narrator, Elaine K. Schultz, did a great job reading it. It was delightful, and she brought the story to life.
Some of the aspects I enjoyed in this retelling: that the dance was accidental. The prince didn’t want to be harassed by young ladies, so he had his friend pretend to be him. Since it was a masquerade, they were able to switch places without being caught. So, when Ella dances with Michael, she is not aware she is dancing with the prince. I liked that the neighbor was looking out for Ella and was the one who was the fairy godmother figure. This was a sweet, clean, no-spice retelling.
*I received a complimentary copy from the author and voluntarily chose to review it. All opinions are my own.
April 20, 2025
3.5 stars rounded up, an interesting take on Cinderella
July 29, 2024
I have found a new author to add to my favorite authors list. I really enjoyed this! It was such a sweet and clever Cinderella retelling. The characters were well written and believable, and the story had a good flow to it. After I finished reading the kindle version I immediately bought a paperback copy for my bookshelf, that’s how much I liked it! I highly recommend it!
December 15, 2025
cute cinderella reimagining
Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews