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CINDER31LA
I have 22,280 days left to live.She only has 31.Here in Clepsydra, everyone knows when they’re going to die. Born with a life clock embedded into our wrists, the tick-tock of our heartbeat is a pulse we’ll forever hear. Steambotics rule number one? Never mess with a life clock. For 21 years of my life, I’ve followed the rules and walked in my late father’s footsteps, hoping to one day be as good an engineer as he was.
Until she walked into my life.
The princess is dying, and it’s up to me to break the law and do the impossible. To cure time.
Until she walked into my life.
The princess is dying, and it’s up to me to break the law and do the impossible. To cure time.
301 pages, Kindle Edition
Published August 31, 2024
38 people are currently reading
326 people want to read
About the author
Freida Kilmari
13 books49 followersFreida Kilmari is an author and editor from the southwest of England, and lives with her fiancé in the peaceful county of Wiltshire. She spends her days editing various works of fiction, and her nights writing her own fantastical pieces. She's the author of Man VS Happiness (book one of the Versus Collection), and the soon-to-be-released Ennéa Vasíleia Universe (a multi-series science-fantasy universe based on her own take of Greek mythology).
To stay up-to-date with the latest news from Freida Kilmari and join in the author fun, follow [Freida Kilmari - Writer and Editor] on Facebook.
Join the magic of the Ennéa Vasíleia Universe, grab free signed copies, stay up-to-date on the latest news and events by joining her reading group:
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To stay up-to-date with the latest news from Freida Kilmari and join in the author fun, follow [Freida Kilmari - Writer and Editor] on Facebook.
Join the magic of the Ennéa Vasíleia Universe, grab free signed copies, stay up-to-date on the latest news and events by joining her reading group:
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
September 12, 2024
Sapphic steampunk Cinderella retelling. ✨️
The story of how El the Engineer meets Princess Jemeena. This is cute and nerdy with a little bit of low level spice. I enjoyed the twists to the story but know that the author does take you a bit of an emotional rollercoaster. 🎢 *sigh* IoN
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
The story of how El the Engineer meets Princess Jemeena. This is cute and nerdy with a little bit of low level spice. I enjoyed the twists to the story but know that the author does take you a bit of an emotional rollercoaster. 🎢 *sigh* IoN
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
September 7, 2024
A sapphic steampunk retelling of Cinderella that made me teary? More than once? Yes, girl, yes. This was a sweet, fairly low angst, low spice retelling that was cute and inventive. It sticks close enough to the inspiration material that it makes sense as a retelling, but it veers enough that its imagination makes it a distinct new story. El and Meena are both great characters, as was IoN, and I appreciated that there was more nuance to the stepmother and stepsisters than there was in the original story. Overall a really enjoyable read. 4.5 stars rounded up.
I received a free ARC from somewhere (sorry, I can’t seem to find where and I didn’t put it in my notes), but my review is unbiased and left voluntarily.
I received a free ARC from somewhere (sorry, I can’t seem to find where and I didn’t put it in my notes), but my review is unbiased and left voluntarily.
February 19, 2025
I usually read romantasy and got this book on a stuff your kindle day. I was excited to read a sapphic novel for a change as it is more relatable to me, but I couldn’t finish reading this one. I got 60ish% in and just didn’t look forward to picking it up again. I wanted to know what ended up happening but not badly enough to finish the book. The building of the relationship between El and Mena was awkward and seemed more like a friendship so their little spice scene was underwhelming and their dynamic in general was a let down. The world they live in was mostly what kept me interested for 60% of the book but the hunt for a “cure” was a bit of a drag.
November 25, 2024
1.5 Stars
This isn't a Cinderella retelling, it is a Cinder rewrite. I saw so many similarities from the beginning, it boggled my mind that she got away with it. Or thought she could. Cinder is very well-read and liked! I am not accusing the author of anything, I'm just saying, it was deja vu. A lot.
Let's count the similarities. FMC is a mechanic. More importantly, the BEST mechanic. She is owned (literally, legally owned) by her stepmother. Stepmother wastes all the money and doesn't put any of it back into the business, but still expects Cinderella to bring in all of their income. That's not going well, naturally. Cinderella has a best friend who is a robot who is suspiciously sentient. Love interest is a royal. Stepmother tries to sell them off for her debts (only in Cinder, she is selling the MC, but here, it is the sentient robot). FMC must go on a journey with the intention of saving (a) life/lives.
I could go on, but those are the mains ones. And is already too many. Where does it differ? Well, other than that Cinder was simply better? This is sapphic. There is no plague. More steampunk than futuristic, although these venn diagrams have much overlap. The reasons the FMC's life is at risk is different. And the stakes never feel quite...real. I mean someone dying is not nothing. And El risking her life to save her is not nothing. But I never got the sense of urgency, of tension...I was never really invested. And their solutions all felt too convenient. Like, they had to travel far and ask dangerous questions and keep it all a secret and blah, blah, but it was all too easy. Nothing like the curveballs thrown at the MC's in Cinder. Which made the ending very unsatisfying.
Now, let's talk plotholes. El makes it clear early on that lifeclocks are never wrong, and rarely change. Well, if they change, aren't they inherently wrong? Your life can be in danger many times, but you'll only die once. So if it says you're going to die when you're 10, but then someone saves your life from the steamcar that nearly runs you over and the lifeclock changes to say you'll live until 37, then it isn't very accurate. And if it cannot predict accidents like that and you do die at 10, then the clock was also wrong to say you would live to be 37, because it couldn't know you would get run over as a child. And how could it know that? So to me, that makes more sense. But El says that the clock can run down unexpectedly, but it very rarely gets longer. Well, how does that jive on Level 0, where the most common cause of death is starvation? First of all, everyone would have very short lifeclocks. Second, if you gave a malnourished child a steady diet, their lifeclock would have to change. And if it is that easy, then shouldn't a changing clock be less rare? I get that most of those people will still die of malnutrition, it's just one example.
El also says that most people choose to hide their clocks. No one knows when someone else is going to die, and they will rarely reveal their remaining lifespan. Valid, to be sure. But illogical. It's on your forearm, easy to see. So every parent must know their child's clock. And every child likely knows their siblings, because they live together and see each other in varying stages of undress. Also, kids have no sense of propriety, so wouldn't at least some of them show their clocks to others? I don't know, it isn't the biggest issue, but it seems too easily dismissed. As if your clock is inside you, or somewhere you can't readily see it, like the back of the neck. It felt like the author tried to make it into a bigger mystery than it needed to be. At 70% in, they finally allow that clocks can change. Like, if there was a cure found for Meena's disease, then the short clock she'd had all her life wouldv'e suddenly gotten longer. I mean, duh. But again with the mysteriousness and the 'clocks are never wrong' and 'they don't get longer, just shorter'. Convenient....
As I mentioned above, the ending was unsatisfying. I won't be specific, but watch out for spoilers ahead. So El fixes Jemeena, but not really, because she didn't do anything. But she misses the obvious flaw in Ion's lifeforce/dad's lifeforce, which is both understandable and stupid. I thought it was obvious, but my emotions weren't involved, so I will try to allow that El just didn't think through all the information she had. So Meena almost dies again. But El can save her with the herbilore juice she shouldn't have. Why did the priestess go from insisting she could NOT give her life to Meena to kind of just allowing it to happen? Like, she gave her the knowledge and Red gave her the tools and voila, easy ending. Again, it felt all too convenient. Like El didn't really have to work for her happy ending. And they both know all along that they cannot be together. Because peasant and royalty, right? But then...they just choose to be together and ignore what people think. Which is fine, but also convenient. Like, where was the obstacle there? Wanting a future together bad enough to say 'screw everyone else'?
And just to be petty. Lapis and Lazuli? That's what stepmother named her spoiled daughters? Lapis Lazuli? Really?
This isn't a Cinderella retelling, it is a Cinder rewrite. I saw so many similarities from the beginning, it boggled my mind that she got away with it. Or thought she could. Cinder is very well-read and liked! I am not accusing the author of anything, I'm just saying, it was deja vu. A lot.
Let's count the similarities. FMC is a mechanic. More importantly, the BEST mechanic. She is owned (literally, legally owned) by her stepmother. Stepmother wastes all the money and doesn't put any of it back into the business, but still expects Cinderella to bring in all of their income. That's not going well, naturally. Cinderella has a best friend who is a robot who is suspiciously sentient. Love interest is a royal. Stepmother tries to sell them off for her debts (only in Cinder, she is selling the MC, but here, it is the sentient robot). FMC must go on a journey with the intention of saving (a) life/lives.
I could go on, but those are the mains ones. And is already too many. Where does it differ? Well, other than that Cinder was simply better? This is sapphic. There is no plague. More steampunk than futuristic, although these venn diagrams have much overlap. The reasons the FMC's life is at risk is different. And the stakes never feel quite...real. I mean someone dying is not nothing. And El risking her life to save her is not nothing. But I never got the sense of urgency, of tension...I was never really invested. And their solutions all felt too convenient. Like, they had to travel far and ask dangerous questions and keep it all a secret and blah, blah, but it was all too easy. Nothing like the curveballs thrown at the MC's in Cinder. Which made the ending very unsatisfying.
Now, let's talk plotholes. El makes it clear early on that lifeclocks are never wrong, and rarely change. Well, if they change, aren't they inherently wrong? Your life can be in danger many times, but you'll only die once. So if it says you're going to die when you're 10, but then someone saves your life from the steamcar that nearly runs you over and the lifeclock changes to say you'll live until 37, then it isn't very accurate. And if it cannot predict accidents like that and you do die at 10, then the clock was also wrong to say you would live to be 37, because it couldn't know you would get run over as a child. And how could it know that? So to me, that makes more sense. But El says that the clock can run down unexpectedly, but it very rarely gets longer. Well, how does that jive on Level 0, where the most common cause of death is starvation? First of all, everyone would have very short lifeclocks. Second, if you gave a malnourished child a steady diet, their lifeclock would have to change. And if it is that easy, then shouldn't a changing clock be less rare? I get that most of those people will still die of malnutrition, it's just one example.
El also says that most people choose to hide their clocks. No one knows when someone else is going to die, and they will rarely reveal their remaining lifespan. Valid, to be sure. But illogical. It's on your forearm, easy to see. So every parent must know their child's clock. And every child likely knows their siblings, because they live together and see each other in varying stages of undress. Also, kids have no sense of propriety, so wouldn't at least some of them show their clocks to others? I don't know, it isn't the biggest issue, but it seems too easily dismissed. As if your clock is inside you, or somewhere you can't readily see it, like the back of the neck. It felt like the author tried to make it into a bigger mystery than it needed to be. At 70% in, they finally allow that clocks can change. Like, if there was a cure found for Meena's disease, then the short clock she'd had all her life wouldv'e suddenly gotten longer. I mean, duh. But again with the mysteriousness and the 'clocks are never wrong' and 'they don't get longer, just shorter'. Convenient....
As I mentioned above, the ending was unsatisfying. I won't be specific, but watch out for spoilers ahead. So El fixes Jemeena, but not really, because she didn't do anything. But she misses the obvious flaw in Ion's lifeforce/dad's lifeforce, which is both understandable and stupid. I thought it was obvious, but my emotions weren't involved, so I will try to allow that El just didn't think through all the information she had. So Meena almost dies again. But El can save her with the herbilore juice she shouldn't have. Why did the priestess go from insisting she could NOT give her life to Meena to kind of just allowing it to happen? Like, she gave her the knowledge and Red gave her the tools and voila, easy ending. Again, it felt all too convenient. Like El didn't really have to work for her happy ending. And they both know all along that they cannot be together. Because peasant and royalty, right? But then...they just choose to be together and ignore what people think. Which is fine, but also convenient. Like, where was the obstacle there? Wanting a future together bad enough to say 'screw everyone else'?
And just to be petty. Lapis and Lazuli? That's what stepmother named her spoiled daughters? Lapis Lazuli? Really?
August 31, 2024
Totally fresh!
This delightful, steampunk, sapphic take on Cinderella is so inventive and unique it’s almost unrecognizable, with fun world building with hidden meanings and subtle metaphors. The romance is delightful (low steam), and love that no one in their world ever questions the F/F relationship. I also love the secondary platonic connections, like between El and IoN (who is a delightful, deep sidekick character which might make you cry). I loved the strong female characters throughout.
This delightful, steampunk, sapphic take on Cinderella is so inventive and unique it’s almost unrecognizable, with fun world building with hidden meanings and subtle metaphors. The romance is delightful (low steam), and love that no one in their world ever questions the F/F relationship. I also love the secondary platonic connections, like between El and IoN (who is a delightful, deep sidekick character which might make you cry). I loved the strong female characters throughout.
March 9, 2025
3 stars. The writing is good and the world building was kinda interesting but the plot felt way too similar to Cinder by Marissa Meyer. That’s not to say that that’s what the author based this on but it definitely gave that vibe. Like it felt like a sapphic fan fic version of that book. I’m not a fan of that series so this wasn’t my favorite. I also felt that these characters were one dimensional and forgettable. Meena and El had no chemistry between them so the romance was a dud. I would check out something else from this author but this book was a miss for me.
June 10, 2025
a twist on a classic
I fell in love with this book from day one. If you liked Cinderella as a kid then this adult version was written just for you. It sucks you in with the original story of Cinderella but there is a steampunk twist to it. There is a wonderful story plot and lots of heart put into this story. The land is so well depicted it’s like your actually there, you connect with the characters. I was able to connect and feel for Cinderella. This story tells all of life’s hardships but still has a happy ending. This was a great twist on a classic fairytale.
I fell in love with this book from day one. If you liked Cinderella as a kid then this adult version was written just for you. It sucks you in with the original story of Cinderella but there is a steampunk twist to it. There is a wonderful story plot and lots of heart put into this story. The land is so well depicted it’s like your actually there, you connect with the characters. I was able to connect and feel for Cinderella. This story tells all of life’s hardships but still has a happy ending. This was a great twist on a classic fairytale.
August 31, 2024
Really enjoyed this book it brings a whole new take on Cinderella and I’m all for it! The relationship between El and Jemeena is very sweet, it’s very clear how much they love and care for one another. The whole main plot is very nicely thought out, written well and easy to follow. Love that even towards the end I still couldn’t figure out how it was going to end. Plenty of little ‘wait what’ moments and a great ending! Well worth the read!
September 3, 2024
I just know I'll be gushing about this book for a while! I love a good fairytale retelling. And this one was a good story in itself with so many original elements that you can even forget it's a Cinderella retelling. I loved the concept, I loved the world they live in, and I loved the characters. It's a beautifully written story. There were parts that hit me right in the feelings and I shed a tear or two.
I recommend this book 100%
I recommend this book 100%
January 19, 2025
I wasn't expecting to enjoy this book, but I did. It's a sapphic steampunk retelling of Cinderella, and I loved how the main character and Meena got to know each other while trying to save Meena's life. The twist at the end was incredible. I had a feeling it might happen, but even so, it was executed beautifully. However, some elements of the story could use some polishing, as a few plot points resolved themselves a bit too conveniently. Despite this, I highly recommend it.
September 3, 2024
Fabulously sapphic retelling of an old story
I totally enjoyed reading Cinder31la - so much so I finished it in one day. You are totally drawn into the characters and quickly find yourself hoping for specific outcomes as the pages turn. The Sapphic elements balance nicely with clever story telling and sub-plots involving the other characters. Highly recommended.
I totally enjoyed reading Cinder31la - so much so I finished it in one day. You are totally drawn into the characters and quickly find yourself hoping for specific outcomes as the pages turn. The Sapphic elements balance nicely with clever story telling and sub-plots involving the other characters. Highly recommended.
January 1, 2025
Simply brilliant. This is a wonderfully crafted and beautifully written sapphic retelling of a classic tale. The world building was so incredible that some dust from the ancient temple magically got into my eyes at one point, it's the only explanation for the water and subsequent sniffing. Highly recommended reading.
September 9, 2024
good story
Interesting steampunk style story, with a sapphic twist. The adventure is week written with twists along the way. Cinderella gets her happy ending and so does the princess
Interesting steampunk style story, with a sapphic twist. The adventure is week written with twists along the way. Cinderella gets her happy ending and so does the princess
April 30, 2025
I found this book a bit blah. the descriptions of things were rushed or not properly explained, the story line was slow and a bit of a fizzer. it took me everything I had to finish it. not for me.
December 14, 2024
Not as spicy as some of her other books, but it was an interesting reimagining of the story. I haven't read many steampunk themed novels, but now I want to read more 😊
November 8, 2025
Dnf. Couldn't hold my attention
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews