Cinderella Dreams of Fire

Fairy Tales Forever #1

by Casey Lane

What if Cinderella led a double life?

Cinderella has a secret. In the 10 years since her mother's death, she's only pretended to be too weak to challenge her cold-blooded stepmother. By day, she cleans the floors and washes the laundry. By night, she takes to the streets as a fearless thief with no equal. Out on a routine mission, Cinderella never expected that she'd run into him…

Braedon is hardly a model prince. He spends most of his time in the tavern, much to the dismay of his royal mother. When an unexplainable blight strikes the queen's soldiers down, Braedon's attempt to help brings him face-to-face with the beautiful, sardonic thief. He wants nothing more than to partner up with her, even if it could get him killed…

The thief would much rather work alone, but the prince’s persistence starts to wear down her defenses. When the evil force decimating the army turns its attention to the throne, Cinderella and Braedon have one chance to save the kingdom, their loved ones, and themselves.

Cinderella Dreams of Fire is the first book in the Fairy Tales Forever series, a set of fantasy novels that inject the classic retellings you know with a burst of attitude. If you like strong female characters, action-packed fantasy, and simmering chemistry, then you’ll love Casey Lane’s romantic, fast-paced adaptation.

Buy Cinderella Dreams of Fire today to read a fairy tale that fights back!

Genres: Fantasy, Cinderella, Retellings, Young Adult, Fairy Tales, Romance, Ebooks

170 pages, Paperback

Published September 15, 2016

About the author

Casey Lane loves fairy tales, superheroes, and magic of all kinds. As the author of the Fairy Tales Forever series, Casey is grateful for the opportunity to spice up classic tales with some kickass heroines. Casey Lane is the pen name of a fiction and nonfiction author whose books have been downloaded nearly half a million times.

Reviews

[Tina]

First of all, let me say that I did kind of like this book. It was just weird having to adjust my thinking about Cinderella. LOL I've read and seen different interpretations of the Cinderella story, but Cinderella as a snarky, bad ass avenger of evil? Working for 'Da Godmother'? Did not saw that coming. LOL
Once I trained my mind to separate the two stories and just focus on the story and THE STORY, then I appreciated it so much more. Not a love story, per se, but there was some sexy tension. I mean, there's Cinderella and there's the Prince. Instead of courting, they're fighting each other and anyone that gets in their way. Even the evil stepsisters and stepmother (and I mean evil!).
There were a few issues I had with the story. One, the writer was VERY detailed with the fight scenes, but I think a little too detailed. It kind of distracted and slowed down the action trying to get all those scissor kicks, flips, uppercuts and roundhouses in.
The other thing that I didn't get was, a hate to even give this much of a spoiler, but where did the twins fit into the story? It was like the writer needed someone to give Cinderella the full story of her life but couldn't think of anyone else, so BOOM, here are the twins? I tried to roll with it, but even now, thinking about it, it bothers me.
I realize this is the first of this series and I hope the others follow this example and improve.

[K.M. Shea]

I got my hands on an ARC of this--buwahah, I feel the POWER!--and it was a fun read! Cinderella Dreams of Fire is filled with loads of action, a mystical strain of magic, and smattering of romance. I felt the fight scenes were particularly well done, and Cinderella is a strong but simultaneously vulnerable main character. There's a lot more fighting in it than your typical fairy tale retelling, but I feel like that's one of the story's strengths as the pacing never lags. (Don't worry, the romance is front and center, and I know it'll make some of you swoon...but that action!!!)

If you're looking for a fairy tale with a kick, this book is all for you!

[Auburn]

The good, the bad, the epilogue

The good: This retelling of Cinderella had all the parts but mangled up and changed into a completely new version. I loved the slow build of love and the way the author weaved all of the parts into one grand epic of story.

The bad: It was a bit slow and some parts just seemed thrown in to make sure the story was plausible.

The epilogue: A fairy tale lover will enjoy the new way this is written as well as the heroine being able to handle herself.

[R.E. Sharf]

This has a lot of potential but it needs a LOT more editing and development. This seems to be a common issue in self published novels but I would definitely be interested in reading a revised version if the story got picked up by a publishing house.

The ending was rushed and kind of confusing. Elle never actually lost a fight which was annoying, most of her injuries consisted of nothing worse than bruises. Characters CONSTANTLY spoke out loud to themselves in ways that people don’t normally speak to themselves??? Also everyone was blonde, I’m not kidding. A minimum of 8 relevant characters had “golden” or “sandy” hair. I don’t have anything against blondes necessarily, but it was super hard to distinguish characters in my imagination when they all looked the same. Also there was not enough murder.

However, the fight scenes were surprisingly well written and the story has a lot of potential. Although it was annoying how perfect Elle was in her fighting I still believed it because it was demonstrated in her actions. The characters were interesting enough, with some extra work they could be great.

I’d be open to reading the author’s other works, but I’ll admit that they wouldn’t be priorities for me, there’s just too many books I know I’ll love that I’d rather reach for.

[Lene Blackthorn]

A new, fresh retelling of classical fairytale shows the usually humble and obedient heroine in a completely different light.
Cinderella lost her mother to fire and her father´s soul has been drained out of him. Her stepmother is the living evil thirsty for power, as well as one of the daughters, while the second Elle´s stepsister has kind heart and has to fight the evil in her. But here, Elle is a fighter and thief, her Godmother is a magical trainer sending her out on quests, her stepmother disposes of evil magical powers that turn her daughters into monsters and the prince is something like a drunk, wasting his life in the alehouse.
I like this new point of view, a different concept of the basic story. The form of short chapters and lots of dialogues does favor to the story development and speed the whole book up. Main characters are much more interesting than in the sweet romantic tale version and the scent of evil magic as well as the good one balances this version of the story better than original. However, I did not feel the connection to the characters and expected a greater development in their actions and personalities. I also found the conclusion a bit rushed, without a deeper insight into the lives of other than main characters.
Otherwise, I liked the book and would certainly recommend it to all fans of fairytales and fantasy. I received a copy in exchange for my review.

[Dorn Carran]

Not as good as I thought it would be

I liked the premise of this book, but the book itself was a bit of a let down. It jumped into Cinderella's story too quickly without setting the backstory in detail. Then little happened throughout until the very end. Then this was over too quickly with a very rushed conclusion to bring it all to an end.

Overall it was too rushed with too little happening.

[Marcy Kennedy]

Stopped at 33%.

There were some interesting elements of this book, specifically the question of what's making people's personalities change.

So why didn't I finish this book? The writing was clumsy, the romance was shallow and cliched, I didn't care about the characters, and I figured out the big secret early on. I didn't hate this book--it was okay--but I have too many books I want to read to keep going with a book that I wasn't enjoying.

[PJ Lea]

Great fun to read, this is a very different take on the story of Cinderella and Prince Charming. She's a kick-ass heroine and he's a flawed figure, the stepsisters are unusual too.
It was exciting, action packed and a story that would be good for most ages.
*This was an ARC, my opinions are my own.*

[Donna]

*I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book.*

This book caught my attention and wouldn't let go. I love how strong and badass Cinderella is. Let's face it, she was wimpy in the original story. I felt bad for Kiyara because she doesn't want to do these things. This remake of a classic fairy tale is definitely worth a read.

[Stacie]

Unique

I admit this was an extremely weird twist to Cinderella. Interesting but weird. Didn't really like how they threw the actual fairy tail in as an after thought in the very end

[Amber]

It kept me interested, but honestly the Author told the story, didn't show the story. Over all not a bad read though.

[Justine]

dnf 70%
the dialogue is awkward

[Damian Southam]

Escaping a kingdom in exile, Kiyara, her mother and sister too, flee to a land they're unknown to, seeking a tavern's warmth to escape the cold night air, their clothes no longer able to keep them warm. Once royalty of a castle no longer their own, their dress and state of cleanliness is comparable to the inn-keeper and his grubby and dirty daughter. Knowing the cruelty of her mother and her older sister well, it came as no surprise when her sister had a knife pressed to the throat of the daughter in the next blink of her eyes. As her mother moved to deal with the father as cruelly as her sister did the daughter, she could but only close her eyes and ears to the sight and sound, rocking back and forth saying a mantra to herself: everything would be okay, everything will be okay. This was her introduction to the people over whom her family would seek to rule, as later the proceeding days her mother and sister would similarly take care of a grieving Earl; a man better than they were, but whom would become as unfeeling as they were.

A decade later in the same household it would only be Cinderella who is capable of joy, but she'd need to hide that in the day, its only after dark when she'd find the things that brought joy into her life. The once cherished daughter to a father she no longer recognised, now relegated to less than the help. Her's was a once jubilant household forever altered after her true mother died. Whilst Kiyara did her best to ameliorate the poison her family dealt out to Elle, a nickname she uses for Cindarella, she is powerless to stop it. Whilst Elle berates her father for having married so soon after burying her mother, he'd since become a mute and blank former shadow of his once great self. Had Kiyara, on Elle's sixteenth birthday, not snuck him from the bedroom he no longer left since marrying her wicked step-mother, then Elle couldn't say she remembers the last time he'd laid eyes on her in the past decade. Even then he'd not daned to speak to her. She'd been forced to mourn the loss of both parents silently, relegated as the only household cleaner following a tumultuous night of revelry. At least her body and knees no longer pained her as they had started to that day ten-years ago.

To now hear from Kiyara the expected joy she has at going into town to get new dresses for the upcoming tea party to be attended by none other than the Prince of the realm, Elle sees only another sleepless night as she'll undoubtedly be given the chore of laundering more household garments she'd never fet to enjoy. Leaping from rooftop to rooftop on her nightly escape, to see that the carriage leaving did include her whole step-family, she instinctually reaches out to catch the stone she heard whizzing overhead. The passing on of another covert message of a place and an item to be recovered for her shadowed benefactor. After the others of her house fell asleep each night, the night became her own to do with as she pleased. Elle had begun an apprenticeship shortly after her family home was invaded, her body and mind conditioned to be strong and skilled in the arts of battle and espionage. It was during such times that she'd come to work for herself and the Godmother, clandestinely preparing for the days when she'd be unshackled from her chains; a time when her whole life would be completely her own.

Serendipity or bad luck, depending on which way your cookie crumbles, would see her escape that night from an until then successful job, would cause her to run into none other than the respective prince of the upcoming parties she'd never be attending. Her hundreds of hours of practice and training didn't include the repertoire of skills apprenticed by the Godmother that would prepare her for such an encounter as the type to have with Braedon himself. Luck or good planning would mean their altercation was from behind the mask hiding her identity. The mask she'd created for herself to keep her from caring about the likes of the prince did not prepare her for the scrutiny she made of his face and body, just to be prepared of course. She might've dealt with six armed soldiers rather easily, and she'd quickly forget the immorality of tonight's thievery, but she couldn't be sure she could forget so easily the ways her body responded to his. As any good thief does when they know they're outnumbered but not outmatched, and when not wanting to cause any irreparable damage, Elle does the only option left, she fleas.

Her benefactor the Godmother is as concerned about the realm as the Queen is, but she's not constrained by having to do things the right way. Something is eating away at the hearts and emotions of the men who dedicate their lives to protecting their kingdom, eroding the care they have toward their lives, their friends and their families. Noticed first among the soldiers and guards of the army, the men start retiring in droves. Going home to their families that have all been struck by some type of tragedy, those influenced no longer seem to care. For Elle, who is tasked the chore of investigating the spreading calamity, starting with the now former captain of the guard, what she finds is startlingly familiar to whatever had befallen her father a decade ago. When Kiyara sneaks out to follow Elle on that night's chore, the captain's daughter sees her and begins screaming that Kiyara is the one she saw doing whatever it is that happened to her family. As the daughter flees in fear, in a suicidal moment of bravery to save the young girl ignorant of the danger riding toward her in the form of carriage horses the prince intercedes, but in so doing it is him who is struck.

Seeing no other choice Elle carries him to the Godmother for the necessary healing of his damaged leg. Now he sees the face of the beautiful, capable, and regal woman who bested him the night of the thievery of his mother's jewel. The queen didn't realise the true power or importance of the artifact she'd held. The Godmother knew of the best way to use the stone that seemed to have a life all of its own. The theft was never nefarious, it was intended to weaponise an invaluable item to help deal with the darkness that is fast befalling their kingdom; not the first kingdom where such tidings had been attempted. Whether she likes it or not, for its blatantly obvious that the prince looks forward to further 'dates' working with the mysterious beauty who consumes his thoughts and feelings, Elle knows the Godmother will assign her to investigate further with the prince. Having never had the opportunity or practice, Elle knows nothing of receiving or having affection for a man, and its this reality that scares her more than whatever it is they'll find is happening to their people.

Reinvigorated is the first thing that comes to mind when commenting on Cinderella Dreams of Fire. Casey has given life to a timeless classic now retold in a way that brings it into the many forums of urban fantasy. Combining the paranormal with the fairy tale folk lore of the young female heir to an estate, manor or kingdom taken from her by some kind of dark magic has been given a new lease of life. An Earl no longer in control of his family, a kingdom under siege by unknown forces of darkness. His marriage bed barely cooled following the fire which caused the death of his first wife, a beloved mother to a daughter smartly forgotten the following day after his second marriage. A daughter whom was unable to save her mother the night of the dreaded fire that took her life, who is also no longer able to control her birthright. The connections between the wicked step-family, the possible upcoming betrothal of a prince not interested in marriage if its not for love, a sage Godmother who lets on far less than she really knows, and a wayward daughter who works in slavery by day but escapes the life she has little control over by night, has never been as entertaining as Casey has made it. The reasons Elle's fate was to become the kingdom's most accomplished rooftop thief are unknown, but they slowly come to light as the pages and chapters progress to where the hidden answers lie.

As the second book in the Fairy Tales Forever series, Cinderella Dreams of Fire by Casey Lane.gives new life to an exhausted classic. Not a reader who typically likes to read fairy tales, this retelling and Snow White's Revenge, the first story of the series, brought much needed new parameters to the usual moral themes of fairy tales. Now firmly implanted with entertaining and intriguing additions hitherto unseen, the stories of the series are being imbued with more than the traditional framework intends or requires. It might sound cheesy or gimmick oriented but the phrase 'who ever thought fairy tales could be so much fun' comes to light. Kickarse heroines and swashbuckling male counterparts combine with supernatural beasts and events to create magic usually more likely to be found in paranormal and urban fantasy genres. Ingenuity and pleasurable writing styles and techniques have combined to make fairy tales as much fun for teens and adults as they usually are for the more traditional demography of children. If you haven't read the first novella there's nothing to hold you back on reading this second in the series, they're standalone or perhaps serial at most; knowledge of either is unnecessary to read whichever one you get your hands on first.

[*❆ Kαɾҽɳ ❆*]

What an awesome retelling of the Cinderella tale. Cinderella isn't your average damsel in distress kind of girl. No, here she is fierce, she is brave, she is strong, she is an awesome character.

Lately, I've been reading many books that have strong female protagonist, and I've loved every one of them. But Elle here is very unique

Elle lives with her father, that never speaks to her, a step mother that loves bossy her around, a step sister (Malinda) who hates who deeply, and a step sister who is the only person who truly cares for Elle.

During the day Elle uses her servant girl cover in front of her family. But when lights are out, she becomes the thief who even Prince Brandon can't help but admire and be impress.

Even since I read Marisa Meyers' series of the Lunar Chronicles, no one has ever been able to top her. But Casey's series has managed to come into a close second.

I love this book and I hope to read more soon :)

[Bonnie Dale Keck]

Not that it's been re-imagined Cinderella or that it's 'bad' one, just that certain parts are too 'cutesy' and other parts are way too detailed and some parts are unnecessary to me. Didn't have issue with price, could have gotten it with my kindle unlimited, but got it for free; it's just with that price tag at regular price probably would have reconsidered with so many other stories in the collection which would have made the full collection price quite high. Also received a freebie from somewhere that is the snow white story, which evidently should have been read before this one order wise, but not sure that would have made any real difference.

Please Note: I like re-imagined fairy tales, but *I* don't like cutesy, most 'romances', etc, so if that stuff doesn't matter to you the rating would probably be higher for you. 3 matches the amazon 3 in rating if not in meaning. Date wrong for goodreads, rated this ages ago and just noticed it not showing read/reviewed/rated.

[Whitney]

I received an ARC from the author and have chosen to review it. I really enjoyed this story it was a twist on the classic fairytale Cinderella and it was done in a very interesting way that kept you involved even though you had most likely seen the classic fairytale several times. This tale was much darker than the original so it was very interesting to see that and it kept me on the edge of my seat wondering what was going to happen next. I really enjoyed this tale and I can’t wait to read more by this author.

[Ashley {_xamountofbooks}]

I was provided an opportunity to read this in exchange for providing feedback (via the author).

3.75 stars. Well written. This was definitely a unique retelling of this story. Took me a little bit to get into but once I was about a third of the way through the pace really picked up for me. It went in a direction I wasn't expecting that wasn't 100% my preference but I liked the relationships between characters and would read the next one in the series on that alone.

[Dawn Talks Books]

Cinderella like you've never seen her before!

What girl doesn't love a good old fashioned fairy tale, but with this book I got a fairy tale on steroids! As a woman that enjoys training MMA as much as I like donning a beautiful dress for a night out, this book was something I could relate to. This is definitely the kind of princess I prefer my daughters to dream of being. Can't wait for the next story to see what new princess is given her a**kicking slippers by Casey Lane!

[Linda Fausnet]

This was a highly imaginative retelling of the Cinderella story we've all known since childhood. No longer a mild-mannered pushover, this Cinderella is a trained thief (sort of. She's still on the side of good here) who kicks ass. The story is pretty light on the romance, but it's a compelling, page-turning yet quick read. It was a fast, enjoyable read and one you won't easily forget.

[Laura Dean]

Intense and thrilling!

A very new and interesting take on Cinderella, and one I quite enjoyed. Cinderella is clever, a fighter and thief trying to work for The Godmother. When she meets the Prince, he wants to stick around, and helps her figure out what's going on in the kingdom. Love it!

[Maddie]

What a weird book. I thought this book was going to be really cool with Cinderella being a thief, and meeting the prince before the ball. It was cool that she was thief and able to stick up for herself but I didn’t like the evil stepsisters and stepmother turning into heart sucking demons that feasted on kids and enjoyed killing people. And all because the mother got tired of her old kingdom.

[Debbie Pierce]

Once I got started reading, I couldn't put it down. I always felt Cinderella was just too much fluff. Now I know better. Under that sweet exterior lies a warrior princess. A big thumbs up to Casey Lane and her portrayal of a fairytale princess I would be proud to share with my granddaughters.

[Yvonne Carder]

Not the same old Cinderella story

This story kept me coming back to know how Cinderella would defeat her evil step mother. This Cinderella takes her fate into her own hands and saves the day. ☺

[Abi]

2.5 stars. This book really felt forced to me. The characters were flat, and the plot was lame. The author tried too hard to make it funny. This book just didn't work for me, even though I usually love fairytale retellings.

[Jennifer Henschel]

I am excited to read more of Lane's fairy tales. Cinderella is a kick butt strong female protagonist who can think and act for herself. Excellent!

[Nightwing Whitehead]

I *loved* Cinderella's secret life. It gave a whole new meaning to the story, one that I would not have come up with on my own. It was a refreshing, and very enjoyable story. I want more!

[Cynthia Stacey]

Loved this twist on one of my favorite fairy tales. Full review to come soon.

[Kaila]

very good story. i enjoyed it and am glad i got to review it

[Gladys Gonzales Atwell]

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[Raechelle Jones]

Different