Charm

Cinderella Reverse Fairytale #1

by J.A. Armitage

You think you know the story of Cinderella... The kingdom needs an heir and Princess Charmaine is quite aware that the job rests solely upon her shoulders. When her elder sister dies, Charmaine has to take her place at the ball designed to find her a husband. With a hundred men to choose between and her wedding planned, all she has to do is pick one. But love can sometimes be found in the most unlikely of places and at the most inconvenient of times. Cynder knows about the impending war between the people of magic and those of his masters, but working as an underpaid servant in the palace kitchens leaves him with little power to do anything about it. On one hand, he's a staunch supporter of equal rights for his own kind, but he can't deny the attraction he feels for the daughter of the king and queen he works for. When the two meet, sparks fly and not just the magical kind... Charm is the first in the Reverse Fairytale series by USA Today bestselling author J.A.Armitage. Take everything you think you know about fairytales and turn it on its head.

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

404 pages, ebook

Published September 26, 2017

About the author

Born in Leeds, I lived a very normal life until I got bored one day and decided to travel the world. Since then I've worked on a Banana Plantation, cleaned ACDC's dressing room and been a professional clown.
I climbed to the bottom of the Grand Canyon and the top of Kilimanjaro. Nowadays you'll find me being a climbing frame for my two young children, working in a school, and renovating my home.
Did I also mention I wrote some books?
I hope you enjoy them!
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Reviews

[Lucie V. · Rating 2 out of 5]

🆗 reverse Cinderella retelling
🆗 Characters
🆗 Plot
🆗❌ Pace
🆗❌ Romance
❌ Contest to find a groom / Bachelor 2.0

1.5 stars

I really hoped to like this book, Cinderella is one of my favorite fairy tales ever, but this story was way too long for the plot. I'm not sure why this is a series, I don't feel the need to read the next book to see what happens next, I’m good with this ending.

It is a reverse Cinderella: a princess and a common boy falling in love. It was a nice change, but it was not enough to make me fall in love with this novel. Their relationship is doomed, but honestly, even though I loved Cynder, I found myself quite detached from his relationship with Charmaine. I don’t really care whether they end up together or not.

The main character was bland. She has a mind of her own, she's an idealist, she's flawed... Not the pretty, fancy princess we expect, but in the end, she is kind of passive. Even when she clearly disagrees with what is happening to her or when she is set up, she just stays quiet and she later rages in her room, but still is not doing much to help her situation. She may be curious and adventurous, but in the end, I was disappointed by her.

I liked the world, the Magi and the non-Magi, but the more modern touch (TV interviews), the competition to choose a husband..? It felt like going through a season of the Bachelor (or what I imagine the Bachelor would be like, I never watched it). It was not bad writing, it just wasn't my kind of book. I like it when there is action, fantasy, plot twists, and surprises. This book was more of a slowly evolving romance novel, with some action, but not enough. There was also an intrigue about a possible groom, maybe political maneuvering, but it was quite predictable and not developed (or not deep) enough.


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You think you know the story of Cinderella....
The kingdom needs an heir and Princess Charmaine is quite aware that the job rests solely upon her shoulders. When her elder sister dies, Charmaine has to take her place at the ball designed to find her a husband. With a hundred men to choose between and her wedding planned, all she has to do is pick one.

Cynder knows about the impending war between the people of magic and those of his masters, but working as an underpaid servant in the palace kitchens leaves him with little power to do anything about it. On one hand, he’s a staunch supporter of equal rights for his own kind, but he can’t deny the attraction he feels for the daughter of the king and queen he works for.
When the two meet, sparks fly and not just the magical kind…
Charm is the first in the Reverse Fairytale series by USA Today bestselling author J.A.Armitage. Take everything you think you know about fairytales and turn it on its head.

[Jessie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Originally, I rated this book 3 stars, but the ending killed it. Now it's down to 2 stars.

I wanted to like this book but it was unnecessarily long and boring. The plot was dragging. Why is this a series? To be honest I skimmed 64% of this book. Too many meaningless sentences.

I liked the creative concept of Magi and Non-Magi. AND I liked Cynder. I didn't care much for the protagonist.

I won't be continuing this series.

[Jana Brown]

I rated this last night when I finished it, but I needed a bit to think about how I would review it.

Charm is a Reverse Fairytale so it's Cinderella with a female princess and male Cynder. The set up works and I typically enjoy seeing how people twist fairytales so I was ready to like this tale. And for the most part it works okay. Princess Charmaine is our MC and she's a typical 'second daughter' for the genre. She's not as pretty, not as poised, not as you name it as her other sisters, but that's fine because she's not going to inherit anyway...until her older sister dies and Charm has to step up to take her sister's place, both as heir and as the subject of a ball to choose a husband and solidify connections with someone of influence. I liked the take the author went with where Charm didn't have to choose one man that night, but 5 suitors who would stay on and she'd get to know them and choose from there. Except it then turned much of the rest of the book into a bachelorette-like competition complete with elimination ceremonies and big media to do. All against a backdrop of political unrest and loss of the serving boy she fell in love with during the weeks before the ball. Honestly, all of these aspects coming together wasn't bad, but the closer we got to the end the more contrived the issues were including a big family mystery and the fact the king has no spine except when he is being a jerk.

I liked most of the suitors, even if I didn't totally believe some of the ways that eliminations came about, but it was interesting enough. In fact I was almost to 4 stars until the rushed ending where Charm becomes phenomenally passive and is just along for the ride as everything goes batbutt crazy around her.

The other big problem I have and reason I won't be reading the next book is a spoiler...so tag tag, read at your own risk.

The romance at the heart of this book is the reason I'm not going on. Charm meets her Cinderfella early on and there are all the hallmarks of a rushed, early love. But it's never really a developed love. They dance and they eat together, but they don't actually talk much. Here and there, but it's a pretty puppy love romance. He does some nice things for her, she thinks he's cute. Then he's driven from the palace because of political reasons and is really off screen for much of the book. She yearns after him and they arrange to meet once or twice, but even those moments are more... oh I love you...oh I love you... no depth. Still puppy love. In the meantime one of the suitor possibilities makes a really nice developmental change from playboy flirt to someone who I believe really loves Charm and is good for her and her kingdom. He saves her life at least twice. He comes to her when she's sick even if she can't see him. He supports her through family loss and huge changes in the kingdom. He saves her from an unwanted marriage. He's got her back and in the end she has a moment of realizing that the love developing there is a good thing. And I can see that the next two books will be all about destroying that and vast angst about why Cynder should fly back into her life and how Luca is actually a villain. While I suppose there are ways that could be interesting, I really like the idea that maybe the fairytale expectation should be challenged and that this love built of facing trials together is stronger than a few shared dances and a love based on what it could be and separation that makes the heart grow fonder. So I don't want to see the one destroyed so the other can come back into play. I'll stop here and let my imagination work with it.

Final note...a good proofread would help this book. There are some formatting issues and typo issues through out which would be easy fixes and help clean up the whole thing.

[Bren fall in love with the sea. · Rating 5 out of 5]

"The first set of doors opened, and I found myself staring into a room made of marble. The marble room! How could I not have known it existed before?"


Charm (Cinderella Reverse Fairytale, #1)
by J.A. Armitage



Enthralling. What a fun whimsical read. I enjoyed this book so much. It was such a relief to get engrossed in something that is both light but utterly wonderful too.

Many times I have issues with books that are light or to whimsical or chick lit because they are boring. Not here. Everything was written with such c harm and it also brought back my love of Fairy Tales. T his was a random find but sometimes random i s the best!

I would also say this book is an awful lot like The Selection although they do have some differences. As good as the character development is, I also like the descriptive writing of the time period and the castle, just about everything. The cover Art is also exquisite.

This is a read I would strongly recommended and a wonderful addition to my five star book list.

[Valery · Rating 2 out of 5]

While the story was engaging, I am struggling with liking it because it is far too similar to The Selection Series. It is supposed to be a spin on Cinderella, but I don't get that impression at all. So far the only similarity/spin is that the love interest is poor and named Cynder. Nothing else makes me feel as if this is a Cinderella story.
All I can think about is that it is remarkably like the Selection Series-changed to a princess choosing a spouse and magic instead of a cast system, as well as speeding the selection of a spouse up to move the story along.

Another thing that bugged me is that the timeline was skewed. One second you have six months, then suddenly you have four. Maybe I missed something, but even after checking and reviewing, it didn't add up for me.
And why on earth would anyone dress a child in purple knowing the tensions and anti-mage sentiments of the kingdom. I also have a hard time believing the cheif of police would be so stupid.

Characters: Cynder was pretty flat for me. I had zero investment in his well-being, other than the main character cared for him. And I didn't like how Cynder asked Charmaine not to consider Luca, then suddenly liked the idea because it would promote his agenda for freedom. It was a little too back-handed for me.
I also didn't find it acceptable for Luca to swear so often. For a refined Prince of such high caliber, he has a dirty, uncultured mouth. I felt like Daniel being gay was an add in instead of filling out his character. It felt like the author was simply plugging it in as an afterthought so she could get more sales.

Grammar was a huge problem in this book as well. There were several instances where there were homonym problems, punctuation mistakes, disjointed and awkward sentences were all over the place, as well as unsuitable words inserted in the sentence. One blatant example was the use of "benefiting" when befitting would have been more appropriate. The book needs a good clean up to make it presentable.

For my clean readers: one f-bomb, along with a few other choice words, made an appearance. Political injustice aimed at creating slaves out of a minority. A lot of violence, but no descriptive gore, and murder.

[Beverly Laude · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is definitely a different take on the Cinderella story. Charmaine is the middle daughter of the king & just wants to be herself. However, when her older sister Grace dies, Charm has to take her place.

A well-written tale, reminiscent of The Bachelorette TV series. How can she choose a husband from the 100 eligible men? Especially after she meets Cynder.

This book has intrigue, plot twists, romance & life lessons. Very enjoyable from start to finish. I look forward to reading the next book in this series.

[Lis Carey · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a modern retelling of Cinderella.

Princess Charmaine is the second daughter of King Aaron of Silverwood, with no worries about ever being the heir and eventually the queen. At least, not until her elder sister, Grace, dies suddenly of an unsuspected heart defect. Quite abruptly, she's thrust into the plans made for her sister, which include a large ball in just a few weeks, at which she will meet one hundred eligible men.

And from those eligible men, she must select five to stay and "date" her, with the goal of selecting one to be her bridegroom, at the already-planned wedding which will take place in just six months. Some young women might welcome this as terribly romantic. Charmaine is horrified, even apart from her grief for her sister and the fact that she'd rather not be queen.

Her choices from the chosen eligibles include a local carpenter who works in his father's very successful furniture company, a Silverwood philanthropist, the second son of the royal house of a neighboring kingdom (chosen mostly because he's the kind of candidate her father would obviously approve), and the fourth is essentially a random pick. She's stuck on who to make her fifth choice, and her father jumps in and suggests the very handsome Xavier, who seems rather oddly lacking in any very detailed background.

Meanwhile, as the preparations for the ball went on, including teaching Charmaine how to eat soup without spilling it on a ball gown worth many thousands of dollars, she's met one of the kitchen staff, a young man named Cynder.

Cynder is one of the Magi, a despised minority of magic wielders. They're heavily discriminated against in Silverwood, and ordinary humans fear that if they got more rights and freedom, they'd seek to take over Silverwood and oppress those without magic. With about half the palace staff being Magi, and her own movements outside the palace grounds being tightly restricted as a technically minor daughter of the king, Charmaine has been largely unaware of this discrimination, and to the extent she is aware of it, it's just how things are.

Talking to Cynder is an eye-opener.

They also fall in love.

During the ball, a bomb explodes, and Cynder happens to be near the spot of the explosion, though not near enough to be killed. The Magi are instantly blamed, and Cynder flees for his life.

But while Cynder is hunted and Magi are banned from the palace and driven from the kingdom over the next several months, the rest of the plan goes on. One of the chosen men leaves, but Charmaine still has to date the other four, and choose one. Xavier, of course, is not the one who leaves.

Charmaine is intelligent, but she's also inexperienced, naive, and trusting of her father. When the time comes for the first elimination, she chooses to eliminate Xavier. She still knows almost nothing about him, and he's made little attempt to charm her beyond his stunning build.

She's shocked when her father overrules her choice, and insists she choose someone else to send home. They compromise on agreeing to send no one home this time. It's the first chink in her perfect trust in her father

Charmaine starts to really get to know her suitors, or at least three of them, and sees advantages in all of them. Xavier continues to apparently offer nothing but a gorgeous body and her father's inexplicable support.

What's going on here?

What's going on is an old scandal, and the reemergence of a temporarily submerged bigotry, and Charmaine, the daughter who never wanted to be queen, has to grow up in a hurry and tackle a bigger problem than she ever imagined.

I can't really call this a Ruritanian fantasy, because there are no hints of the real Europe anywhere. This does seem to be a modern world with modern technology all around. It starts out seeming simple and superficial, but gets much more interesting, as do Charmaine and her suitors, as the story progresses. I'm glad I read it.

Recommended if you enjoy modern fairy tale retellings.

[Seraphia Bunny · Rating 5 out of 5]

Charm by J.A. Armitage is the first book in her Cinderella reverse fairytale series and this book does not disappoint. We are quickly introduced to Charmaine, the princess heir to the throne. Her elder sister has just recently died and now she is the one who must step in and take the role her sister was to play - come out at a ball, meet a hundred men, pick a suitor and get married in six months time. It's all so sudden but as a young kingdom her parents believe that it must be done and quickly to cement alliances and establish themselves to prevent trouble. The problem is though that the Magi, the magic wielders of the kingdom, want change. They feel that one of their own should be ruling instead of non-magical, so trouble is brewing. Charm meets a young mage named Cynder down in the kitchens one night and begins to find herself falling for him. She sees some of the problems of the magic users as she witnesses his cooking talents but learns of his struggle to just have the job that he holds.
While this book is a twist on the Cinderella fairy tale we all know and love, it mostly holds to the idea of the story and goes much deeper. The roles aren't just simply reversed there is so much more. This book engaged me right from the beginning with the author giving us a taste of the kingdom in mourning for a royal too early departed. There are suspicions of ill-dealing but it swept away with a diagnosis most find acceptable. The seed of doubt is planted none of the less for me because it seems like there is more going on. Which of course, there is more going on. Charm doesn't want to step in and do all the things her sister was about to do but she finds that she must. Gradually she begins to take on the roles she needs to but it's not an easy thing for her.
This book is very engaging and interesting. It draws you in and makes you want to know more about the characters and where their paths will lead not just them but the kingdom as well. If you are looking for a unique retelling on a classic fairytale then I definitely recommend this book. I love retellings with twists and this book does not disappoint.
I am rating this book 5 out of 5 stars. Job well done to the author and I look forward to reading more in this series in the near future.

[Jess N · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars
I wasn't a fan of this book. It couldn't really keep my attention and I felt like I had to power through to finish this book at all. I read reviews calling this book "different" and " original " but I'm going to disagree. I feel like I've read multiple variations of this book, and all of them were more interesting.
I was able to finish this book so all isn't lost and I'm sure this book with work for some people... Just not me

[iamnotabookworm · Rating 5 out of 5]

I give the book 4.5/5 fancy dinner plates.

I am also a member of J. A. Armitage's Facebook Group. I also get ARC's of her new books. I read this last month but was unable to post a review right away. This is another retelling of my favorite fairytale of all time--Cinderella.

What kind of Cinderella story is this one? And what separates this from the other retellings done before? Well, this is totally different because it is a reverse-Cinderella story. Instead of Cinderella orphaned and left to the care of her step-mother and bullied and oppressed by her step-sisters, this Cinderella is a he. Yes, he is not some helpless damsel just waiting to be saved. Cynder instead is a kitchen servant and is attracted to the princess--Princess Charmaine.

I felt like the story is more focused on Princess Charmaine instead of Cynder. And I like it. Again, this retelling worked for me because it kept the spotlight on the heroine of the story which is the princess. I don't mind that Cynder is relegated to being a supporting role, though the love story would definitely not work without him. Just like in the original story of Cinderella, it narrated the story of Cinderella and less of the prince and as I have said, I liked that this one stayed on that track. This is a story of a girl.

So, this is a story of a princess who had to step in her dead sister's shoes to produce an heir for the kingdom. She had to choose from a line up of royalty, rich and honorable gentlemen to marry. But as the heart would have it, she falls in love with one who was never going to be in the list--a servant who washes dishes in the palace kitchen. And if that's not problem enough, an impending war is about to break out and threatens to throw the whole kingdom into chaos. Worst of all, Cynder, is found to be in the middle of all these things. Will this story have a happy ending?

This is probably the most suspenseful Cinderella story I have ever read. It's packed with action, politics and intrigue that added more color and spice to this retelling. I can't say this is the best retelling of Cinderella's story but it's definitely very interesting and engaging. I can't wait for the next book and what other problems and hurdles these two lovers will have to go through in order to keep and fight for their love.

I give the book 4.5/5 fancy dinner plates. I love that the female character in this story is not some helpless damsel in distress. Princess Charm is indeed in distress here due to the responsibility and future of the kingdom being placed on her shoulders but she is one smart and daring lady. I am happy that in this story, she is not some meek person who just took all the beating. She is an empowered and intelligent woman and she is someone who is absolutely not going to just stand by and let things happen. I wished the original Cinderella was more like Princess Charm.


A mother's touch that could cure any ills, all except this one.
- J. A. Armitage, Charm -


Thank you, J. A. Armitage, for the ARC.

[Sarah (Wondermajica) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Branded as a reverse retelling of the classic Cinderella story, I found the only obvious ties to be the names of Princess Charmaine and Cynder. The rest of the story feels heavily influenced by other very successful young adult books. In most cases, I would consider this to be a bad thing, but in Charm, all of these influences combine with the Cinderella base to create a truly refreshing and interesting tale. The characters (for the most part) are enjoyable and I found myself wanting to know more about all of them (thank goodness it is a series!). The leading lady is strong and intelligent, but not perfect. I did find a few of the "woe is me" moments to be annoying, especially since these moments seemed to just be repeating the same things over and over again and the digital ARC that I received was full of grammatical and spelling errors (hopefully these are fixed now). However, those are my only complaints and it seems I now have yet another series to keep up with.

I also post reviews at skuggidrago.blogspot.com.

[Jamie (The Kansan Reader)]

As if my week hadn’t been hard enough. I’d lost my sister, and now I was getting married to someone I’d never even met and was having his baby.

Charmaine is having a hard time dealing with her oldest sister dying. She now has to take Grace’s place at the ball. She must decide to choose five men from the ball to stay with them so she can get to know them better. After that, she has to choose one to marry.

Charmaine at first is an “I’m not like other girls.” To be honest, these types of girls are boring and a dime a dozen in the YA world. She is also the middle child through and through. Now being from middle child to oldest it’s hard for her to handle. Then throw a ball in two weeks after her sister’s funeral and you have a basket case.

The main reason I am DNF is that I really couldn’t connect with Charmaine. I wasn’t really enjoying the story. Maybe I read this at the wrong time. I don’t know. Either way, I put this down once and I won’t be able to pick it back up again.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Putting this on the back burner. I'm interested but not interested at the same time. So far the story is good but it's not gripping me right now.

It sucks being a mood reader at times, especially when trying to read a good book but not in the mood for that genre.

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Charm is not a standalone book, as the storyline continues in the next book. There is some violence. The book blurb adequately describes the storyline so I'm not going to repeat that info here. The author did a good job with the storyline to keep you reading. I enjoyed this book and I am looking forward to reading more in this series. I received a copy of the book from the author and chose to leave a review for other readers.

[Eugenia · Rating 1 out of 5]

Ok, so I am at 7% of the book and have gather this: it is set in a country on the verge of war, so the princess needs to marry someone/anyone to avoid it. There are wand wielding "magi" that need to differentiate who they are by wearing a color. The females (or at least the princesses) need to wear corsets and dresses. There is technology and paparazzi on this world. The main character is inspired in "Brave", from her hair to her clothes preference to her attitude, and she gets a "Princess Diary" makeover.

I'm sorry but there is just too much happening at just 7% so this is definitely going to be DNF, specially since most of the ideas are unoriginal (I say most and not all because I didn't finish the book)

[Bertha Alicia · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm a fan of Cinderella since my father took me to the movies to see the Disney's Cinderella, that I love even now. That's the reason why I read every rendition of the beloved fairy tale, from the Charles Perrault version to the new authors books based on the story.
This one is a reversed version, meaning Cynder is a boy and there are not a Prince Charming, but a Princess Charmaine. And even she looks like a very naïve and sweet girl, I feel some kind of fortitude in her and hope that in the next book she go out of her naïve skin and be the strong and fair Queen she could be.
This first book is a promise of good things that may be happening in the next book.

[Rickie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I voluntarily read this Advanced Reader Copy and have to say I was pleasantly surprised at the depth of this story. When it first began I didn't make the connection (even after having read the intro blurb), but it didn't take long before the "role reversal" was clear. It also touched my heart in the fact that it touched on the aspects of intolerance and how the elite tried to keep the power in their hands. Such a great read!

[Roger · Rating 5 out of 5]

My first read from author J.A. Armitage. I have to be honest, I don’t care much for re-written fairy tals and when I picked this one up I thought “Another retread fairy tale”. I was wrong! This is a different take on the Cinderella theme and was so well-written I found I couldn’t put it down. Captivating characters set in modern time with social issues, terrorism & a surprise twist ending. I’ll have to read more from J.A. Armitage, including Lucky Charm, the sequel.

[Angela · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing, stunning, breathtaking. Charm has so many twist n turns. You think you have it figured out and then you're thrown for a loop. This book is a must read. Love the reverse twist on the Cinderella story with Charm being Princess Charm and Cynder (cinderella) the maid. Wonderfully done. Cannot wait for book 2, in the mean time I just found myself another favorite author.

[Veronica · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well written, as always, and a fascinating reverse retelling of the tale of Cinderella! I enjoy the character development as we see Princess Charmaine grow from innocence and naivety to maturity and determination. What will happen next? I'll find out now!

[Alex (Bri's Book Nook) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Princess Charmaine's older sister Grace recently passed away, and now she must find a man to marry in order to create an heir for the kingdom. Therefore, her parents host a ball, where she is to pick several men and then court them. She must be dressed up out of her everyday clothes and allow her life to be under constant scrutiny by the press throughout the ordeal. While in the kitchens one night, she comes across one of her staff. His name is Cynder, his food is way better than anything they serve at a ball. He happens to have magic which is discriminated against in the kingdom. He is a supporter of rights for Magi, but he cannot even support openly without fear of losing his job. Charm wants to help him with his cause, and he will help her learn to dance for the ball. In the process, she starts to fall for him. However, he is not an option as a servant AND a Magi. As anti-Magi tensions start to grow within her kingdom and attacks start to occur, Charm hopes that she will be able to do something. 

The storyline between the Magi and the non-magic humans of the kingdom was important and realistic. It showed how one group can truly be pushed out of a kingdom/country for something out of their control even if they aren't doing anything wrong. I hope to read more about the history of this animosity between the groups in later books. 

This story was advertised as a reverse harem novel, but I didn't get those vibes while reading this. It seemed to be a bit like the Bachelorette (even though I have never actually seen that show). 

Either way, even though there was a bit of a love triangle and this book was supposed to be a reverse harem, each boy had his own personality. Also, Charm was not confused as to who she wanted. She knew from the beginning that she wanted to have Cynder, but she just couldn't have him due to his status as a Magi. These things made it slightly more bearable for me. I also liked her thought process as she picked through the boys in the competition and truly considered which one would be best for her. 

I would definitely recommend this trilogy, to anyone looking for a reverse fairytale retelling or a fantasy novel in general. This wasn't even my favorite book in the series yet! I also hope to read more amazing books by this author. 

[Shannon · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an ARC of this book from the author via instafreebie in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this Cinderella retelling, but in reverse. It is like Cinderella meets the Selection, and I really liked the original fairy tale elements that the author wove into the story but with a new twist. Main character Charmaine must find a husband, much like the prince from the original fairy tale we all know. Charmaine isn't interested in getting married, becoming queen, or palace politics like her other sisters. Charmaine wants to read and explore and be comfortable. Tragedy has befallen her family and leaving Charmaine next in line, and duty calls for her to find a husband at the ball and hold a wedding that her parents have already started planning. Never really one to play by the rules, Charmaine finds herself in the kitchens after hours with a kitchen hand named Cynder. Cynder is a mage, who can use magic with the aid of a wand, but magic is highly regulated and pretty much illegal in the kingdom of Silverwood. Cynder and Charmaine become fast friends during their nightly cooking and dishwashing sessions. As the 100 suitors chosen by her parents begin to arrive, Charmaine finds herself wishing she could spend more time with Cynder than anyone else. After narrowing the men down from 100 to 5, Charmaine must decide who stays and who goes. As she gets to know the gentlemen, she also learns the reason the Magi are so restricted in society and why her mother and father have kept that information from her. When more and more strange things start to happen and the palace wrongfully blame the Magi for the violent acts, Charmaine realizes that she can use her royal position and the man she marries to make changes in the world. Things don't exactly go according to plan, and Charmaine finds herself not only fighting for love, but for her people.

I loved this. If you like fairy tales, Cinderella, or the Selection this is the book for you. Cinderella is one of my favorite tales and I loved the Selection. This unique retelling is well written, and kept me on my toes until the end. I can't wait until book 2 to see where things go next.

[Carla Simoes · Rating 4 out of 5]

For me it is not usual to read a book without reading the blurb or description but in this case i did it and it was some experience to go completely "blind" to a story without any knowledge about i would find.

This is a "retelling" of Cinderella but a reverse one, what i mean by it? There is a princess named Charmaine (or Charm) and Cynder is a guy that work at the palace.
The first impression that i had when i start to read this book is that it reminds me a lot of the selection, because well there is also a selection in here. The main character, Charm, is getting a huge ball with 100 men where she need to choose just 5 to remain at the palace and in a few months she will have to marry one of them.

So you could see why it reminds me of the books from Kiera Cass, although there is where the similarities end. In this world created by this author there are two different kind of humans, the magi and the non magi, and as the name suggest the magi can do magic with a wand. In general when books have magical people they are the all powerful, again this one is the opposite the magi are discriminated and are forced to be almost like slaves.

The character's are very well built and the plot is interesting, there are some twists that i do not see coming and the final really surprise me and i could not wait to read the next book to know more about what will happen.
I end uo giving this book 3.6 out of 5 *, the book is well written and the plot is captivating, i mean you cannot stop the reading because you care for the characters and want to see what will happen but i could not get past the felling that the "selection" is something i have already see and so i could not get more rating to this book.
I recommend it to people who like fairy tales retelling but with a twist!

[Sophia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really, really enjoyed this book and I am hoping that this review will do it justice as I spent all night reading it. So, as the name suggests this is a reverse of the traditional story. Charmaine (Charm) is Royalty who has to take her older sisters place when she suddenly and inexplicably dies. She is the next in line for the throne and is told by her parents that she has to choose 5 men out of 100 that have been invited to a ball marked for the occasion. Whilst stressing about all the things she has to learn such as dancing and how to eat soup without spilling it on her ballgown she meets Cynder, a kitchen hand who she immediately becomes attracted to. The only problem is, Cynder is not just a kitchen hand but a Mage too who are seen in Silverwood as second-class citizen's and are forbidden to use their magic.

Thus begins a brilliant tale of forbidden love, loyalty, palace politics and prejudice. To begin with it reminded me of The Selection but really it couldn't be more different. I loved the suitors and the fact that they started off as stereotypes but as you read their characters were not at all what the reader expected. Elise annoyed me so much and she was my least favourite character. Especially as her comments about the Mage were so prejudice to start with and then changed suddenly. I just found her a very shallow and irritating character. At times I also found the narrative a little repetitive especially when Charmaine was thinking about Cynder and her thoughts sometimes didn't make any sense or they were just contradictory.

However, even though I had some problems with it, I am looking forward to the next book and can't wait to see what happens.

This was sent to me by the author in exchange for an honest review.

[Lene Blackthorn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Everyone thinks she is living a fairytale, when in reality, she struggles to keep going every day, carrying the heavy burden of so many problems on her shoulders.
Charmaine's life turned upside down after her sister, the crown princess Grace, suddenly died, and she was supposed to take her place in everything. Forget the long going training, she must learn everything in a matter of weeks, and if that wasn't enough, she is supposed to choose a husband. The men available do not interest her, but she manages to choose four, with her father adding the fifth name into the pool. After an explosion at the ball, only four competitors remain, but as all the mysteries slowly surface, Charmaine realizes her life is in deeper mess than she expected, and some really serious, deadly threats are hanging above her head.
I absolutely LOVED the book. It reminded me first of Kiera Cass's Selection series, but with a little more magic, fairy tale, and in the end, violence. Charmaine is adorable heroine, full of ideals, sheltered from the real situation in her kingdom. Even her choice of suitors is hilarious. When you really get to know them, you don't know if you are supposed to laugh, cry, envy her, or pity her. Nevertheless, Luca is a surprise, Leo is the heart-winner, Daniel is the one I'd love to have as my friend, and even Xavier with the mystery surrounding him brings up the tension into the story, and in the end, shuffles the cards in a truly unexpected way.
Full of surprises, this book is really addictive, and if there was a chance to pick up the next installment immediately, I would. It was AWESOME.
I read the ARC of the book and provide my honest opinion voluntarily.

[Kalli Kounavong · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book!! In this interesting and compelling take on the Disney classic Cinderella, the roles are reversed. Cynder is a kitchen servant who wants to be a top chef one day, unfortunately he is a maji and so he is barred from moving up from dishwasher. And Charmaine is Princess of the kingdom. She doesn't agree with the current laws on Maji, most of which she is just now learning about. She believes in equal rights for all. Unfortunately, those equal rights don't extend to her since her sister Grace has died. Now Charm is the next in line for the throne and has 6 months to find a husband. They are hosting a ball and inviting 100 men, of which she will choose 5 to get to know. Can she pick a husband when there's so much hate in her kingdom? Can she choose someone she doesn't love, especially when she might already love a Maji? This is a compelling and darker, twist on the Disney fairy tale and I wholly recommend it!! I have already pre-ordered the 2nd in the series, Lucky Charm.

[Nadine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very charming! But don’t expect a fairy tale ending (yet?)

With her older sister dead, Princess Charmaine is now heir of the throne. Unwillingly. For the sake of political stability of the kingdom -and of course to produce an heir at some point in the future- she needs a husband. There is going to be a ball and a hundred (!) suitors have been carefully selected and invited. But there is someone else, who is definitely NOT on the list…

I really liked the idea of a reverse fairy tale. And I wasn’t let down. Wow. It was amazing! Exciting! A bit of fantasy, a bit of romance, a bit of mystery and a lot of suspense. I loved it! Although, I have to admit: I was slightly disappointed at the end. It wasn’t a cliffhanger, but also not the outcome I had expected. The story will continue in book #2 though, so I’m looking forward to that. The minor let-down was not enough to make me like the book any less: ‘Charm’ made quite an impact on me! The story stayed with me long after I finished it.

I received a complimentary copy of this book and voluntarily posted an honest review.

[Trimaze · Rating 5 out of 5]

Charm is the first book in J.A. Armitage's Reverse Fairytale series. It is a totally new take on the classic tale of Cinderella. A role reversed story that puts a completely new and fresh spin on the Cinderella of our childhood.

Fairytale retellings are one of my favorite genres to read. I love how different authors create new and exciting versions for us to get lost in. Charm is one of the best retellings that I have read. Not only does it have a little bit of everything; mystery, intrigue, betrayal, scandal, magic and romance, it also is a story that teaches us a valuable lesson about tolerance and equality. I have fallen in love with the world this very talented author has created as I am sure you will too. I cannot wait to read the next book in this awesome series. Do yourself a favor and read this book, you will not be disappointed.

"I received an Advanced Reader Copy from the author. I voluntarily reviewed this book and this is my honest review."

[Robin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! Full of twists & turns from beginning to end. The storyline reminded me of The Selection Series by Kiera Cass (which I loved) & I love this book just as much! <3

Ah the characters… it was really cool getting to know them alongside of Charm. Snort, I am a skeptic & wasn't sure if the kindness of the men was true or a facade. I really wanted Leo to truly be a philanthropist. He was soo sweet!

The descriptions were good. I loved taking trips around the garden & the dresses. Wow, I want a golden cape! ;-)

Editing was okay & the few errors weren't distracting. Do be aware for Western English speakers that the author is a European. As an example, the use of the word garden would be thought of as a yard or lawn by us. :-D

The ending… what can I say other than YAAYYY! =)

My star ratings include these 5 elements:
1★ story line
1★ engaging characters
1★ use of world building/descriptive
1★ being well edited or narrated
1★ the ending

[Lita · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting take on the Cinderella fairy tale. Instead of Prince Charming we have Princess Charmaine. And instead of Cinderella, we have Cynder, a magi who works in the kitchen as a dishwasher. In a land where a few have magic powers and are referred to as magi, they are also feared and kept underfoot as slaves or lowly paid servants.

Charmaine has always been the middle daughter and pretty much free to live her life the way she wanted, until the day her oldest sister dies and she is thrust into the position of eldest. Her parent tell her she has choose a husband and marry. She is primped, polished and subjected all the lessons she spent her life avoiding to prepare her for a big ball being held so she can meet her future husband.

After a long day of lessons she goes down to the kitchens in search of some food and meets Cynder. An impossible and forbidden love begins but will it be allowed to grow?