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Destined #1
Fated: Cinderella's Story
All Cinderella wants is to take care of her family.
After working tirelessly for five years to prove herself among the city’s elite, she’s about to graduate and win a coveted spot in city government. Then it all blows up in her face—literally.
A violent, anonymous force has been targeting commoners in horrifying attacks. Now they’ve set their sights on Cinderella. Either that, or she’s losing her mind. It doesn’t help that she’s falling for a mage who’s way out of her league.
Just as she manages to recover from the attack that left her scarred and traumatized, the city’s mysterious enemy destroys what’s left of her future. But when they go after her family, they cross the line. The whole city is in danger now.
How much is Cinderella willing to risk to save the city that has always hated her?
—
Fated: Cinderella’s Story is a magical fairy tale retelling filled with hope, sacrifice, and sweet romance. It’s the first book in the planned Destined series, a collection of overlapping fairy tale retellings all set in the same magical world.
After working tirelessly for five years to prove herself among the city’s elite, she’s about to graduate and win a coveted spot in city government. Then it all blows up in her face—literally.
A violent, anonymous force has been targeting commoners in horrifying attacks. Now they’ve set their sights on Cinderella. Either that, or she’s losing her mind. It doesn’t help that she’s falling for a mage who’s way out of her league.
Just as she manages to recover from the attack that left her scarred and traumatized, the city’s mysterious enemy destroys what’s left of her future. But when they go after her family, they cross the line. The whole city is in danger now.
How much is Cinderella willing to risk to save the city that has always hated her?
—
Fated: Cinderella’s Story is a magical fairy tale retelling filled with hope, sacrifice, and sweet romance. It’s the first book in the planned Destined series, a collection of overlapping fairy tale retellings all set in the same magical world.
252 pages, ebook
First published August 1, 2017
1000 people are currently reading
1471 people want to read
About the author
Kaylin Lee
13 books79 followersKaylin Lee lives in the Pacific Northwest with her real-life hero husband and two sweet kiddos. After a lifetime of staying up too late reading stories, she now wakes up too early writing them. It was probably inevitable.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 162 reviews
did-not-finish
July 11, 2025I think I’m going to DNF this one @ 46% or through Chapter 11/page 123. I was enticed by the gorgeous cover, but I feel like the cover is misleading for the actual ambience of the story. I would usually stick it out so I can finish the book and count it for my reading challenge, but I’m not just invested into the story or trying to continue it.
It took about fifty pages for me to start slightly understanding what was going on, but there were still a lot of things I was confused about and weren’t clearer until later on in the book.
The setting was interesting because it was almost a dystopian fantasy? Maybe speculative? But also a fairytale retelling? It was interesting and I can’t say I loved it.
The love interest was giving me whiplash and I did not like him or how Ella was around him. Instead of bringing out the best in each other, they seemed to—more often than not—bring out the worse and their horrible character flaws. Perhaps another reason I didn’t care for him was the fact that he got drunk a couple times and one of those times, he scared her. Not a fan of that at all.
Very disappointed as I wanted to enjoy this series and binge-read them due to the beautiful covers.
Broad Main Content for what I read-
In this world, mages are tracked by the government to be used for their magical abilities to help the wealthy set (required to work for them and Ella calls them “government slaves”); Some mages have deadly powers and are in hiding because of not wanting to be used as a weapon; Other mages are mediocre and get blacklisted if they don’t use them properly for their Patrons; If you know the True Name of a mage, you can control them; Magic is used.
All about & many mentions of mages, magic, & magical items.
No strong language (from what I read), but mentions of curses being said (but not written); Eye rolling & Sarcasm; Also bitter and hateful comments (including by and towards the love interest and Ella); Some lying.
To protect her step-family, Ella acts like a servant and being mistreated by her stepmother; Because of this, Ella is bullied and taunted at school (including by a professor).
The love interest (Weslan) comes back drunk twice, the second time he scare Ella and he later apologizes.
A bombing, injuries, passing out, & PTSD from the events (including nightmares and seeing a man in a black hood and blood-red mask & blood); *Spoiler* .
Mentions of deaths & plagues/fevers; Mentions of a bombing, attacks, injuries, & PTSD; A few mentions of drinking; A few mentions of lies, lying, & liars; A couple mentions of torture & murder; A couple mentions of jealousy.
Touches, Embraces, Nearness, Noticing, Staring, & Blushes (up to a few sentences); Wanting to touch (up to a couple sentences); Seeing a guy shirtless (Ella tries not to stare, but notices his muscles, up to a couple sentences); Ella notices the love interest staring at her “with unmistakable longing”.
A creepy man propositions Ella in exchange for paying the bakery’s taxes (he presses his body against her’s while making this comment and she knees him in the crotch to get away); The love interest says he was fired for touching his patron’s granddaughter.
A couple mentions of a young teen drooling over a magazine about a prince.
It took about fifty pages for me to start slightly understanding what was going on, but there were still a lot of things I was confused about and weren’t clearer until later on in the book.
The setting was interesting because it was almost a dystopian fantasy? Maybe speculative? But also a fairytale retelling? It was interesting and I can’t say I loved it.
The love interest was giving me whiplash and I did not like him or how Ella was around him. Instead of bringing out the best in each other, they seemed to—more often than not—bring out the worse and their horrible character flaws. Perhaps another reason I didn’t care for him was the fact that he got drunk a couple times and one of those times, he scared her. Not a fan of that at all.
Very disappointed as I wanted to enjoy this series and binge-read them due to the beautiful covers.
Broad Main Content for what I read-
In this world, mages are tracked by the government to be used for their magical abilities to help the wealthy set (required to work for them and Ella calls them “government slaves”); Some mages have deadly powers and are in hiding because of not wanting to be used as a weapon; Other mages are mediocre and get blacklisted if they don’t use them properly for their Patrons; If you know the True Name of a mage, you can control them; Magic is used.
All about & many mentions of mages, magic, & magical items.
No strong language (from what I read), but mentions of curses being said (but not written); Eye rolling & Sarcasm; Also bitter and hateful comments (including by and towards the love interest and Ella); Some lying.
To protect her step-family, Ella acts like a servant and being mistreated by her stepmother; Because of this, Ella is bullied and taunted at school (including by a professor).
The love interest (Weslan) comes back drunk twice, the second time he scare Ella and he later apologizes.
A bombing, injuries, passing out, & PTSD from the events (including nightmares and seeing a man in a black hood and blood-red mask & blood); *Spoiler* .
Mentions of deaths & plagues/fevers; Mentions of a bombing, attacks, injuries, & PTSD; A few mentions of drinking; A few mentions of lies, lying, & liars; A couple mentions of torture & murder; A couple mentions of jealousy.
Touches, Embraces, Nearness, Noticing, Staring, & Blushes (up to a few sentences); Wanting to touch (up to a couple sentences); Seeing a guy shirtless (Ella tries not to stare, but notices his muscles, up to a couple sentences); Ella notices the love interest staring at her “with unmistakable longing”.
A creepy man propositions Ella in exchange for paying the bakery’s taxes (he presses his body against her’s while making this comment and she knees him in the crotch to get away); The love interest says he was fired for touching his patron’s granddaughter.
A couple mentions of a young teen drooling over a magazine about a prince.
January 9, 2018
I really like fairy tale re tellings when they are done well and this was done really, really well. In fact this may have been the best re telling of Cinderella that I have ever read. I recently of Kindle Unlimited for a free trial (I think I am keeping it!) and as I was looking through the books New Years Eve I came across this. I was unsure about picking it up but I am so glad I did.
The usual tropes of fairy tales were turned upside down here. The evil Stepmother? Not so evil! The mean, ugly and annoying step sisters? Sweet, pretty and lovely girls. The Prince? Well, yes there is a Prince but I will leave it at that. Fairy Godmother? What's that? This story is dark yet hopeful. Full of magic, romance and love. I always felt that Cinderella in the classic was a hero in many ways. Her kindness in the face of being victimized made her a hero in her own way but THIS Cinderella was a true hero!! The world building is excellent and I am so excited that I am about to read the second book in the series!
The usual tropes of fairy tales were turned upside down here. The evil Stepmother? Not so evil! The mean, ugly and annoying step sisters? Sweet, pretty and lovely girls. The Prince? Well, yes there is a Prince but I will leave it at that. Fairy Godmother? What's that? This story is dark yet hopeful. Full of magic, romance and love. I always felt that Cinderella in the classic was a hero in many ways. Her kindness in the face of being victimized made her a hero in her own way but THIS Cinderella was a true hero!! The world building is excellent and I am so excited that I am about to read the second book in the series!
July 17, 2020
Fated, book 1 of the Destined series by Kaylin Lee was an excellent debut in my opinion! We all know how much I love fairy tales and I've been on a bit of a fairy tale kick lately, but this spin on Cinderella was quite unique and certainly intriguing. I opened the book to read the prologue or maybe just chapter one to see what I might think...next thing I know I was three fourths the way through the book and up way past my bedtime.
Fated features a unique setting--possibly my favorite part of the book--with a very structured caste and political system. I found myself very enthralled by this society and yearning to learn more about the city and its policies as well as the cities around Asylia. I wanted to know more about the history and how they came to be where they were and I hope the rest of the series continues to expand on the incredible world that Lee has created. The mages were a lot of fun to read about and, again, I hope to see more about them. What rules govern them how do the laws of magic work, etc? I feel like Fated just gave me a glimpse into a much larger world. The characters themselves were wonderful! I loved Weslan and Ella and Zel and the girls. I will say that I did not see the big reveal at the end coming until I was right up on it and so now I'm super pumped to read book two (and I hear there's a third in the making!!!). I liked how real they felt. Each character displayed an array of emotions and reactions to the people and situations around them. And the romance was slow and sweet. There are quite a few bits I wouldn't have minded to see from Weslan's pov, honestly. Ooh, and the plot, y'all! I was drawn in from chapter one. Lee kinda throws you into the deep end of the pool with her world and the setup, but she gave me just enough information at just the right time that I never felt frustrated, only curious to learn more. The plot was well-paced with several faster paced points that kept me surging forward for more. The story was very well-written and I can't wait to see more by this author! I will say this, I did wish that last chapter had been just a tiny bit longer. I mean, come on! We spent the whole book building up to that moment and then whoosh it was over in like a few sentences. Though, it wasn't disappointing!
Mild romance, mild violence (nothing graphic, though one of the main plotlines follows a terrorist group), and there were like 6 swear words in the last fourth of the book in a few conversations between some of the guards. Nothing terrible, but it was mild foul language for the paralleled time period. I was actually kind of surprised to see it since the first three quarters of the book had absolutely none. Overall, I'd recommend it to fairytale lovers, probably high school and up.
Fated features a unique setting--possibly my favorite part of the book--with a very structured caste and political system. I found myself very enthralled by this society and yearning to learn more about the city and its policies as well as the cities around Asylia. I wanted to know more about the history and how they came to be where they were and I hope the rest of the series continues to expand on the incredible world that Lee has created. The mages were a lot of fun to read about and, again, I hope to see more about them. What rules govern them how do the laws of magic work, etc? I feel like Fated just gave me a glimpse into a much larger world. The characters themselves were wonderful! I loved Weslan and Ella and Zel and the girls. I will say that I did not see the big reveal at the end coming until I was right up on it and so now I'm super pumped to read book two (and I hear there's a third in the making!!!). I liked how real they felt. Each character displayed an array of emotions and reactions to the people and situations around them. And the romance was slow and sweet. There are quite a few bits I wouldn't have minded to see from Weslan's pov, honestly. Ooh, and the plot, y'all! I was drawn in from chapter one. Lee kinda throws you into the deep end of the pool with her world and the setup, but she gave me just enough information at just the right time that I never felt frustrated, only curious to learn more. The plot was well-paced with several faster paced points that kept me surging forward for more. The story was very well-written and I can't wait to see more by this author! I will say this, I did wish that last chapter had been just a tiny bit longer. I mean, come on! We spent the whole book building up to that moment and then whoosh it was over in like a few sentences. Though, it wasn't disappointing!
Mild romance, mild violence (nothing graphic, though one of the main plotlines follows a terrorist group), and there were like 6 swear words in the last fourth of the book in a few conversations between some of the guards. Nothing terrible, but it was mild foul language for the paralleled time period. I was actually kind of surprised to see it since the first three quarters of the book had absolutely none. Overall, I'd recommend it to fairytale lovers, probably high school and up.
September 13, 2017
A Cinderella retelling that gets lots of points for creativity. It twists the story in interesting ways--the stepmother and stepsisters are kind, Cinderella has lots of reason for working so hard--and ties in other fairy tales. The world-building is the best part. No generic fairy tale kingdom here--this takes place in a slightly 1930s-flavored city that has a lot of detail to the history, political and class structure, and magic system. The plot has too much happening for the length (it feels like we skim the surface of a thousand disasters and don't dig into the full depth of many of of them). Often, plot happenings or character decisions don't make complete sense. The ending feels slightly unsatisfying because (avoiding spoilers) Cinderella seems more satisfied with it than she should be. And the romance feels a bit cheesy and clunky, especially in the first portion of the book. But the book is above-average for an indie fairy tale retelling.
August 5, 2021
Loose retelling
Hmm. Meh, I enjoyed parts of this one, but I think it just dragged on too long and I felt like I was drowning in all the angst. *eyeroll* XD
-Also wasn't really a huge fan of Wes..was it Weslin??..yeah I already forgot *whoopsies*. There were some intriguing plot points and characters that I wouldn't mind getting stories about, so I'll probably give the next few books a try eventually, though it's not on my priority list.
Clean Rating 4.5/5
-For violence
Hmm. Meh, I enjoyed parts of this one, but I think it just dragged on too long and I felt like I was drowning in all the angst. *eyeroll* XD
-Also wasn't really a huge fan of Wes..was it Weslin??..yeah I already forgot *whoopsies*. There were some intriguing plot points and characters that I wouldn't mind getting stories about, so I'll probably give the next few books a try eventually, though it's not on my priority list.
Clean Rating 4.5/5
-For violence
Read
May 2, 2025DNF at 24%
This has been languishing for ages in my kindle at 24%, because I reached a point where the male love interest rather disgusted me. I had intended to try to pick it up again at some point in hopes of redemption, but after reading other reviews I've decided to call it. Apparently I'm not the only one who found the drama, angst and general personality of the love interest to be toxic. I'm not going there. No thank you.
Content spoiler: Like the review said, not clean enough for me.
This has been languishing for ages in my kindle at 24%, because I reached a point where the male love interest rather disgusted me. I had intended to try to pick it up again at some point in hopes of redemption, but after reading other reviews I've decided to call it. Apparently I'm not the only one who found the drama, angst and general personality of the love interest to be toxic. I'm not going there. No thank you.
Content spoiler: Like the review said, not clean enough for me.
December 11, 2017
3.5 stars
This is probably the most unique spin on Cinderella that I've read. I'm not a fan of Cinderella's story for many reasons, but this handled those amazingly. Cinderella is not a weak-willed, broken person. She's determined, smart, ambitious, and kind.
She wins the rare honor to attend the Academy where if she graduates well she can improve her family's circumstances. Instead of being cruel, her step-mother and sisters(who aren't really related) are generally nice people who unfortunately need to stay hidden to stay safe. They've allowed rumors to circulate that Ella is mistreated and so on in hopes that it'll keep her protected.
Everything comes crashing down when an attack on the Academy during the finals not only puts Ella in the "hospital" draining her family's finances, but also snatches away her chance to complete the exam.
Schooling down the drain and her dream vanishing before her eyes, Cinderella tries to pick up the pieces of her life. Scarred, and without a hope of advancing, she pours her energy into the bakery. Alongside is a mage who's been blacklisted. Together they combine their talents to take their business to new heights.
But someone out there doesn't want them to succeed and Ella can't tell if the creepy threats she's getting are real or just her traumatized mind cooking up things after the attack.
An interesting, original world with flaws that maybe, just maybe, Ella can help fix. The romance or rather the relationship between Ella and Wes started out a little strange for me. I had a hard time completely believing the shift from two people who can't stand each other to two people who worked together perfectly and liked each other. The dislike at the start was believable, and the partnership after the shift was also. It was the transition itself that felt rocky. Smooth road on either side but a nasty speedbump?
This is probably the most unique spin on Cinderella that I've read. I'm not a fan of Cinderella's story for many reasons, but this handled those amazingly. Cinderella is not a weak-willed, broken person. She's determined, smart, ambitious, and kind.
She wins the rare honor to attend the Academy where if she graduates well she can improve her family's circumstances. Instead of being cruel, her step-mother and sisters(who aren't really related) are generally nice people who unfortunately need to stay hidden to stay safe. They've allowed rumors to circulate that Ella is mistreated and so on in hopes that it'll keep her protected.
Everything comes crashing down when an attack on the Academy during the finals not only puts Ella in the "hospital" draining her family's finances, but also snatches away her chance to complete the exam.
Schooling down the drain and her dream vanishing before her eyes, Cinderella tries to pick up the pieces of her life. Scarred, and without a hope of advancing, she pours her energy into the bakery. Alongside is a mage who's been blacklisted. Together they combine their talents to take their business to new heights.
But someone out there doesn't want them to succeed and Ella can't tell if the creepy threats she's getting are real or just her traumatized mind cooking up things after the attack.
An interesting, original world with flaws that maybe, just maybe, Ella can help fix. The romance or rather the relationship between Ella and Wes started out a little strange for me. I had a hard time completely believing the shift from two people who can't stand each other to two people who worked together perfectly and liked each other. The dislike at the start was believable, and the partnership after the shift was also. It was the transition itself that felt rocky. Smooth road on either side but a nasty speedbump?
February 25, 2019
This series has an dystopian feel to it, set in a carefully crafted fantasy world with a caste system based on magic and political power. The Cinderella character works hard to support her family and raise their standard of living against incredible odds. She is an interesting character who never quits, even when plagued by self-doubt along with an oppressive system and evil mages. Her love interest is a mage who's been dumped from the system because of his weak magic and lazy rebellion.
This is an intriguing book with beautiful writing. Readers who like slightly darker and more serious retellings will love it.
This is an intriguing book with beautiful writing. Readers who like slightly darker and more serious retellings will love it.
November 4, 2022
A very unusual Cinderella retelling! Kaylin Lee creates an entirely new world and puts a different spin on one of my favorite fairy tales.
February 5, 2018
3.5 This one was really hard for me to get into. It starts off quickly but because of the unexpected world it takes place in, the story was confusing. By the time I started to understand the world the story seemed a bit tedious. So I took a break and read some other books before I came back to this one. I did like the story, I liked how everything ended up but I probably won’t read the rest any time soon. Until I’m in the mood for dystopian, this felt more dystopian than reimagined fairytale. In the end, I enjoyed that it wasn’t typical fairytale.
August 7, 2019
Awesome twist!
This was a great take on Cinderella’s story and definitely worth the read. I love that it wasn’t so wrapped up in being a love story and that Ella was a strong female lead. I would love to continue the story and find out more about the other characters.
This was a great take on Cinderella’s story and definitely worth the read. I love that it wasn’t so wrapped up in being a love story and that Ella was a strong female lead. I would love to continue the story and find out more about the other characters.
June 27, 2023
Super cute! Loved the Cinderella twist where the family was good but the village was bad. Definitely recommend!
November 15, 2018
I really enjoyed reading this book! Fated was a very unique twist on a beloved fairytale. It was well-written and easy to follow with a nice plotline that kept you guessing. It’s not dark, but it’s a nice reprieve from the fluffier, more lighthearted fairytale reads
The main character, Ella Stone, is strong-willed and determined, an admirable heroine whose plight was believable and sometimes even relatable. How often have we all felt despised and scorned when we find ourselves out of place? And yet, most of us have kind, loving families to be there for us, don’t we? Ella’s stepfamily is nothing like the original. Her stepmother is definitely the actual parental figure in this story, and both her stepsisters are sweet and lovely.
Then there’s Weslan…
Seriously, Weslan is the most awesome hero ever. His weaknesses weren’t watered down or overlooked, but neither is his wonderful amazingness. No one else is more deserving of Ella than he is! Theirs are just about one of the sweetest romances I’ve ever read.
Wait. This is supposed to be a book review. I should stop before I begin rambling about the characters.
Which leaves… well, the awesome world-building and fairytale elements, of course. But since we’re dealing with a really unique little storyworld here, it is absolutely safe to say that the original elements have been (discreetly, quietly) whacked upside the head and rearranged to make a whole lot more sense, especially in this interesting world of Theros. And, might I mention: there were some pretty seriously tortuous mouthwatering descriptions of cake. (Caaaaaaaake…)
So, now I have to explain to you that this book was quite clean– no graphic violence, no intolerable language, no uncomfortable romance scenes, and no glorified evils (although, I guess that is entirely up to your degree of tolerance?).
All in all, this book was FANTASTIC. I’m definitely continuing this series. I’d give it a 4.5 star rating (except I hate giving half-stars and am currently debating wondering if I should maybe be funny and just round it up to a solid 5). So glad I’ve finally decided to pick up these books!!
The main character, Ella Stone, is strong-willed and determined, an admirable heroine whose plight was believable and sometimes even relatable. How often have we all felt despised and scorned when we find ourselves out of place? And yet, most of us have kind, loving families to be there for us, don’t we? Ella’s stepfamily is nothing like the original. Her stepmother is definitely the actual parental figure in this story, and both her stepsisters are sweet and lovely.
Then there’s Weslan…
Seriously, Weslan is the most awesome hero ever. His weaknesses weren’t watered down or overlooked, but neither is his wonderful amazingness. No one else is more deserving of Ella than he is! Theirs are just about one of the sweetest romances I’ve ever read.
Wait. This is supposed to be a book review. I should stop before I begin rambling about the characters.
Which leaves… well, the awesome world-building and fairytale elements, of course. But since we’re dealing with a really unique little storyworld here, it is absolutely safe to say that the original elements have been (discreetly, quietly) whacked upside the head and rearranged to make a whole lot more sense, especially in this interesting world of Theros. And, might I mention: there were some pretty seriously tortuous mouthwatering descriptions of cake. (Caaaaaaaake…)
So, now I have to explain to you that this book was quite clean– no graphic violence, no intolerable language, no uncomfortable romance scenes, and no glorified evils (although, I guess that is entirely up to your degree of tolerance?).
All in all, this book was FANTASTIC. I’m definitely continuing this series. I’d give it a 4.5 star rating (except I hate giving half-stars and am currently debating wondering if I should maybe be funny and just round it up to a solid 5). So glad I’ve finally decided to pick up these books!!
May 19, 2020
Honestly torn between a 2 and 3. The twist was very original and I enjoyed this new world, but the characters were not likable and that made it difficult to root for them.
Ariella has quite the chip in her shoulder supporting a family of mages-in-hiding. To help keep the secret, she single-handedly runs the family bakery and let’s everyone think her stepmother is using her as slave labor. Being a commoner, she’s the lowest of the low in their society. Her bright light is that she’s earned a scholarship at an elite school and can get a cushy government job once she graduates. Unfortunately, after a bomb goes off at her final exam (dashing her chance of graduation), she’s left injured, penniless, and without prospects.
Given her difficult circumstances, I do feel bad for Ariella. She’s hardworking, which is admirable, and she really does love her stepfamily. But for a good chunk of the book, she’s really abrasive and I just couldn’t make myself like her. Likewise, Weslan is also down on his luck but was a bit of a jack at the beginning. Again, both had reason to be so but it wasn’t the best introduction.
The romance was also odd. Honestly, they were just fighting and hurling insults for the first half and had moments of just physical attraction. When they do decide to just bury the hatchet and start anew, it still felt more like a comfortable friendship as opposed to a slow burn romance. Perhaps I’m just picky, but I like to see/feel the emotional attachment and not just a physical pull.
Zel and the twins were so-so. Most likely we’ll get to know them better in the sequels. Gregor was probably my favorite but alas. We’re meant to know other people instead.
Overall, it’s okay. The prince storyline had great potential but it was a bit of a letdown (something else to be explored in the future). The world and the twists were original and interesting, but the characters were just so-so for me.
Ariella has quite the chip in her shoulder supporting a family of mages-in-hiding. To help keep the secret, she single-handedly runs the family bakery and let’s everyone think her stepmother is using her as slave labor. Being a commoner, she’s the lowest of the low in their society. Her bright light is that she’s earned a scholarship at an elite school and can get a cushy government job once she graduates. Unfortunately, after a bomb goes off at her final exam (dashing her chance of graduation), she’s left injured, penniless, and without prospects.
Given her difficult circumstances, I do feel bad for Ariella. She’s hardworking, which is admirable, and she really does love her stepfamily. But for a good chunk of the book, she’s really abrasive and I just couldn’t make myself like her. Likewise, Weslan is also down on his luck but was a bit of a jack at the beginning. Again, both had reason to be so but it wasn’t the best introduction.
The romance was also odd. Honestly, they were just fighting and hurling insults for the first half and had moments of just physical attraction. When they do decide to just bury the hatchet and start anew, it still felt more like a comfortable friendship as opposed to a slow burn romance. Perhaps I’m just picky, but I like to see/feel the emotional attachment and not just a physical pull.
Zel and the twins were so-so. Most likely we’ll get to know them better in the sequels. Gregor was probably my favorite but alas. We’re meant to know other people instead.
Overall, it’s okay. The prince storyline had great potential but it was a bit of a letdown (something else to be explored in the future). The world and the twists were original and interesting, but the characters were just so-so for me.
October 23, 2019
Clean Story
Good story, that is clean, has magic, suspense, good and bad, heartfelt and well written characters set in it's own world. A different take on the retelling of Cinderella.
Good story, that is clean, has magic, suspense, good and bad, heartfelt and well written characters set in it's own world. A different take on the retelling of Cinderella.
June 12, 2019
Notable Content: PTSD-like flashbacks and fear, with some graphic descriptions. A man implies he'll hold back from doing bad things to a family if a girl will have sex with him. Seeming sexual desire; "womanizer." Kissing.
About the first 30% of the book, it didn't have me fully; I wasn't invested. Past 30%, though, I really started to enjoy it, and around 60% I was all in. I think that the inciting event was a bit too early; I needed more time to invest in the characters and their relationships before I was plunged into the story. The romance, though, never really had me. Until I was actually pretty against a romantic relationship between the two. I still don't feel very for it. Another thing I noticed is that, at some points, a little more drama wouldn't hurt (one-line paragraphs, short sentences, etc.) A few good things about the book, though. First, the world was very well-built and I loved learning about it. Second, I had trouble putting this book down from about 60-90%. Third, the prose was typically excellent. All in all, I think this book has some flaws, but is worth the read.
About the first 30% of the book, it didn't have me fully; I wasn't invested. Past 30%, though, I really started to enjoy it, and around 60% I was all in. I think that the inciting event was a bit too early; I needed more time to invest in the characters and their relationships before I was plunged into the story. The romance, though, never really had me. Until I was actually pretty against a romantic relationship between the two. I still don't feel very for it. Another thing I noticed is that, at some points, a little more drama wouldn't hurt (one-line paragraphs, short sentences, etc.) A few good things about the book, though. First, the world was very well-built and I loved learning about it. Second, I had trouble putting this book down from about 60-90%. Third, the prose was typically excellent. All in all, I think this book has some flaws, but is worth the read.
October 3, 2020
DNF'd. The love interest was not someone I could continue reading about. Not only was he nasty and terrible to the MC in the beginning, especially about her being ugly after her scarring, but he was also a drunk, somehow had access to drugs, and we find out that the whole reason he's there to "help" her is because he got kicked out of his patrons home for being a manho with the man's granddaughter. When I got to the part where he admitted he spent the last several years being stupid, playing pranks, having "fun" (if you know what that means) and generally being a typical teen, I had to drop it.
I'm looking to read about characters who aren't typical and problematic. He's not a love interest I could get behind. Sorry.
Content: Not clean enough for me.
I'm looking to read about characters who aren't typical and problematic. He's not a love interest I could get behind. Sorry.
Content: Not clean enough for me.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 10, 2019
Enjoyable light reading with interesting world building behind it, so not as fluffy add it might seem. 3.5 stars I'd say, maybe 4 for this kind of book because I was totally expecting to just drop it off plow through it.
November 2, 2017
Review to come
April 28, 2018
If not for this group, I would have never come across this book, and that would be a shame. This is a really good retelling of Cinderella with the right amount of almost everything. Ugh I forgot to take highlight quotes and I'm too lazy to search for them again, so someone remind me to add the quotes some other time. Anyway, I had high expectations for this and it pretty much met my expectations, so yay!
Ella lives with her "stepmother" Zel and "stepsisters" Alba and Bri in a city called Aslyia with all her hardwork dedicated to protecting this family. She does her best to get a job in the government until a group attacks the school she attends and she is deprived of being able to graduate. Hence she is stuck taking care of her family by working in the bakery she longed to escape from along with Zel, Alba and Bri. However, soon she realizes that the attackers are after her and her family, which is why she does everything to protect them. It is a unique and intriguing plot, and does not follow the traditional story.
How do I even get started with Ella?! Ella is a complex, smart, ambitious and kind character, and unlike the traditional story, she is not broken. She is strong-willed and very interesting. The characters in the book are just the perfect raw, intricate and flawed characters that I like. I love all of them except Weslan because even after the book is over, I'm still clutching my knife behind my back and raising an eyebrow every single time he appears. And her stepmother and stepsisters (who actually aren't her stepmother and stepsisters) are actually very loving and caring towards her. They spread rumours that Ella is being mistreated to avoid any harm to come her path. Weslan sounds very nice, but I still don't like him. Nevertheless, the characters are just perfect.
The plot is brilliant! It's not Cinderella whining that she can't go to the ball or the fairy godmother changing her clothes or the Prince wanting to marry her. The whole book has many interesting twists and the changes from the original story still fit in just right. It's very impressive.
Further, the world-building is simply brilliant. There is discrepancy between the commoners, mages and the Procuses try reflect how we look at the different "classes" in the society. The writing style is pretty amazing, too. The pace is just right with the story easing in from the introduction at a very comfortable speed. While I expected the Prince to make an appearance pretty quick, he made a rather insignificant appear towards the second half, and that was candidly a lot better.
This book will easily be one of my favourite retellings. The only thing I dislike was a small portion focusing on the relationship between Ella and Weslan, which was not that interesting. Nevertheless, it was a pleasant and intriguing read, and I recommend it to everyone that likes retellings.
Ella lives with her "stepmother" Zel and "stepsisters" Alba and Bri in a city called Aslyia with all her hardwork dedicated to protecting this family. She does her best to get a job in the government until a group attacks the school she attends and she is deprived of being able to graduate. Hence she is stuck taking care of her family by working in the bakery she longed to escape from along with Zel, Alba and Bri. However, soon she realizes that the attackers are after her and her family, which is why she does everything to protect them. It is a unique and intriguing plot, and does not follow the traditional story.
How do I even get started with Ella?! Ella is a complex, smart, ambitious and kind character, and unlike the traditional story, she is not broken. She is strong-willed and very interesting. The characters in the book are just the perfect raw, intricate and flawed characters that I like. I love all of them except Weslan because even after the book is over, I'm still clutching my knife behind my back and raising an eyebrow every single time he appears. And her stepmother and stepsisters (who actually aren't her stepmother and stepsisters) are actually very loving and caring towards her. They spread rumours that Ella is being mistreated to avoid any harm to come her path. Weslan sounds very nice, but I still don't like him. Nevertheless, the characters are just perfect.
The plot is brilliant! It's not Cinderella whining that she can't go to the ball or the fairy godmother changing her clothes or the Prince wanting to marry her. The whole book has many interesting twists and the changes from the original story still fit in just right. It's very impressive.
Further, the world-building is simply brilliant. There is discrepancy between the commoners, mages and the Procuses try reflect how we look at the different "classes" in the society. The writing style is pretty amazing, too. The pace is just right with the story easing in from the introduction at a very comfortable speed. While I expected the Prince to make an appearance pretty quick, he made a rather insignificant appear towards the second half, and that was candidly a lot better.
This book will easily be one of my favourite retellings. The only thing I dislike was a small portion focusing on the relationship between Ella and Weslan, which was not that interesting. Nevertheless, it was a pleasant and intriguing read, and I recommend it to everyone that likes retellings.
December 16, 2019
Reader thoughts: I started this one night when I didn't have to work the next day and stayed up quite late getting to the 3/4 mark. About there I started to lose interest.
I liked the twists. The stepmother makes Ella do all the work because she's on the run from the law, and Ella actually likes her step family. The fairy godmother character is male and the love interest. Ella runs a bakery for her family.
I liked how hard Ella had to work (for tuition, for the bakery, for change, to protect her family, to get along with the wizard guy). She was caught in an explosion and scarred and is from the merchant class. She was kicked out of school because of the explosion. People discriminate against anyone who looks like they have a magical past, and Ella has the wrong color eyes. So, nobility dislike her. Everything is expensive. We really get a sense of how poor she and her step family are because they have to eat the free food, and it is grey sludge stuff. Ew.
Actually, that's a pretty neat idea. What if we offered free food to anyone who is too poor, but the food is this nutrition bar that tastes super bland. So, only the people who can't afford normal food would take advantage of it. Richer people wouldn't cheat the system by trying to buy extras from the poor to make them starve. I wonder.
Anyway, what did I not like about the book? First, Cinderella and the wizard guy. They kept saying mean things to each other. I disliked him. Second, Ella kept doing things that didn't seem like they would work. They didn't seem fully thought through. She has a plan to change society but didn't talk with many about it. You can't come up with a good plan by yourself. How did she not know about the fees for using magic to sell baked goods, either? And how did the bad guys have as much power as they did and no one knew about it? If an untrained teenage girl can follow them and find out stuff, how is the government so dumb? And why would the prince The other characters were giving her more credit than I thought she deserved.
Writer thoughts: Neat to weave several retellings together. The MC here is Cinderella, and a friend of hers is Belle (and the prince is the Beast), and she knows Rapunzel. Their lives are not at all fairytale-like, however, and there is hard work before a content-ever-after sort of ending. I'm guessing the author's main reason for including those other characters is to get readers to pick up the next books in the series.
I liked the twists. The stepmother makes Ella do all the work because she's on the run from the law, and Ella actually likes her step family. The fairy godmother character is male and the love interest. Ella runs a bakery for her family.
I liked how hard Ella had to work (for tuition, for the bakery, for change, to protect her family, to get along with the wizard guy). She was caught in an explosion and scarred and is from the merchant class. She was kicked out of school because of the explosion. People discriminate against anyone who looks like they have a magical past, and Ella has the wrong color eyes. So, nobility dislike her. Everything is expensive. We really get a sense of how poor she and her step family are because they have to eat the free food, and it is grey sludge stuff. Ew.
Actually, that's a pretty neat idea. What if we offered free food to anyone who is too poor, but the food is this nutrition bar that tastes super bland. So, only the people who can't afford normal food would take advantage of it. Richer people wouldn't cheat the system by trying to buy extras from the poor to make them starve. I wonder.
Anyway, what did I not like about the book? First, Cinderella and the wizard guy. They kept saying mean things to each other. I disliked him. Second, Ella kept doing things that didn't seem like they would work. They didn't seem fully thought through. She has a plan to change society but didn't talk with many about it. You can't come up with a good plan by yourself. How did she not know about the fees for using magic to sell baked goods, either? And how did the bad guys have as much power as they did and no one knew about it? If an untrained teenage girl can follow them and find out stuff, how is the government so dumb? And why would the prince The other characters were giving her more credit than I thought she deserved.
Writer thoughts: Neat to weave several retellings together. The MC here is Cinderella, and a friend of hers is Belle (and the prince is the Beast), and she knows Rapunzel. Their lives are not at all fairytale-like, however, and there is hard work before a content-ever-after sort of ending. I'm guessing the author's main reason for including those other characters is to get readers to pick up the next books in the series.
May 27, 2023
If you like fairy tale retellings of any kind, especially Cinderella retellings, I highly recommend reading this book! It is so incredibly well thought out and written. The story follows Ella Stone and her journey as she experiences life changing events and has to persevere through them. In this retelling, Ella actually loves her stepmother and stepsisters very much and is willing to sacrifice anything and everything for them. There is magic in this world including mages, and her "fairy godmother" is a male mage. I won't spoil anything about the love interest, but it is very heartwarming and built on an actual relationship instead of love at first sight. This book is very gripping and has a nice balance of pain that builds character, heartbreak, meaningful relationships, love, comebacks, and a very satisfying happily ever after. There are also several plot twists to keep you guessing and engaged. And one thing which is so special about this book series is how intertwined the lives of the different princesses are. You see glimpses of other fairy tale princess characters in this book that have books of their own later on in the series. The subplot which you follow throughout each book in the series is so entertaining and demonstrates that the author must have had the entire series planned out before she ever wrote the first book. I really appreciate the thought and effort which was put into them. I read this book and then gifted a copy to my 14-year-old sister-in-law for Christmas, and she loved it just as much as I did. There are not any cuss words or sexual content besides an innocent kiss, so you don't have to worry about it being inappropriate for younger readers. The only reason I didn't give this book five-stars, is I reserve that for my favorite books in the world and am very withholding of that last star. But I would still implore anyone to read this book if they even remotely like reading retellings or fictional stories.
February 21, 2019
I really wanted to like this book more than I did. There was a strong base and a really interesting idea for a retelling especially of Cinderella which has always been one of my least favorite fairy tales.
First, the strong points. The world the author created was fantastic, well-built, and unique for the genre from what I have read previously. Her descriptions were clear enough to build an image without having to get into such minute detail as to distract from the story. Also, as I stated previously, the plot of the retelling was a truly great idea and I appreciated the twists that she put on the original story.
Where the book fell short however was in pacing, length, and character development. It felt as though there was too much plot for how long the story was, I wish there had been a deeper dive into many points of the story as it ended up feeling rushed especially in the ending which left me feeling unsatisfied. I believe the character development suffered from the same fate, most particularly with Ella. There was a good basis for the changes in her thoughts and feelings towards the mages which had been so biased at the beginning, I could definitely see where the author was going with it and how it might've changed how Ella viewed the world. All that said, however, it came across flat since there was little introspection on Ella's part and there was no resolution on her side for how she treated Weslan at first. His character development was far more believable and apparent then her own and the story never was told from his perspective.
Overall, it is a quick, enjoyable read and for those who enjoy fairy tale retellings I would certainly recommend this imaginative take in spite of the shortcomings.
First, the strong points. The world the author created was fantastic, well-built, and unique for the genre from what I have read previously. Her descriptions were clear enough to build an image without having to get into such minute detail as to distract from the story. Also, as I stated previously, the plot of the retelling was a truly great idea and I appreciated the twists that she put on the original story.
Where the book fell short however was in pacing, length, and character development. It felt as though there was too much plot for how long the story was, I wish there had been a deeper dive into many points of the story as it ended up feeling rushed especially in the ending which left me feeling unsatisfied. I believe the character development suffered from the same fate, most particularly with Ella. There was a good basis for the changes in her thoughts and feelings towards the mages which had been so biased at the beginning, I could definitely see where the author was going with it and how it might've changed how Ella viewed the world. All that said, however, it came across flat since there was little introspection on Ella's part and there was no resolution on her side for how she treated Weslan at first. His character development was far more believable and apparent then her own and the story never was told from his perspective.
Overall, it is a quick, enjoyable read and for those who enjoy fairy tale retellings I would certainly recommend this imaginative take in spite of the shortcomings.
May 4, 2021
Cinderella Mostly In Name Only
I listened to this one with my 14 year-old-daughter and we both really enjoyed it a lot. We were both expecting it to be a different version of Cinderella but this was so far removed from the original story that we were really surprised by the direction it went. I have to say it was mostly Cinderella by character names only. There's a dystopian feel (very hopeless for much of the book) and with the many deviations from the original that it really doesn't look or feel much like what you would expect from the title. That being said the story was phenomenal, fast paced, and a fun magic based fantasy adventure. It's a pretty clean read, no bad language and the violence isn't too graphic. The only slight warning is there are a couple places in the book where the MC is propositioned for sex in exchange for police looking the other way, then the prince is talked about as a womanizer and she is warned about meeting him, but there are no sex scenes and it isn't a highly discussed topic in the book... so - PG13 and I would say middle school and up would really enjoy this one.
The narrator did a fantastic job, had good voice differentiation, the acting was great, and overall was just fun and easy to listen to.
—I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.
I listened to this one with my 14 year-old-daughter and we both really enjoyed it a lot. We were both expecting it to be a different version of Cinderella but this was so far removed from the original story that we were really surprised by the direction it went. I have to say it was mostly Cinderella by character names only. There's a dystopian feel (very hopeless for much of the book) and with the many deviations from the original that it really doesn't look or feel much like what you would expect from the title. That being said the story was phenomenal, fast paced, and a fun magic based fantasy adventure. It's a pretty clean read, no bad language and the violence isn't too graphic. The only slight warning is there are a couple places in the book where the MC is propositioned for sex in exchange for police looking the other way, then the prince is talked about as a womanizer and she is warned about meeting him, but there are no sex scenes and it isn't a highly discussed topic in the book... so - PG13 and I would say middle school and up would really enjoy this one.
The narrator did a fantastic job, had good voice differentiation, the acting was great, and overall was just fun and easy to listen to.
—I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.
October 5, 2022
Fairy tales should be an escape from reality but this “remake” is reality thinly disguised as a fairy tale.
Cinderella has always been my favorite fairy tale since I watched the classic Disney movie in the theaters back in the 1950’s. She epitomized being upbeat and joyful even while being mistreated by her
wicked stepmother and stepsisters. Eventually her wish came true.
This is a dark tale of reality and not a fairy tale. Here Cinderella is disfigured, kept from achieving what she has worked towards her whole life, watched her friend as well as a customer be murdered and her “stepmother and stepsisters being captured to be used or killed depending on the whims of the Crimson Blight.
I read fairy tales to escape the realities of life not to see it repeated in what I read. Though Ella and her “family” get their happy ever after in the end ,it was just too dark of a tale for me to enjoy.
If you like to read about what is going on in every day life in this world well you have it here in informers and
people who lord it over others because of what class of society they were born in. Therefore you will probably like this book.
As for me, I didn’t like it for the reasons I’ve stated.
Cinderella has always been my favorite fairy tale since I watched the classic Disney movie in the theaters back in the 1950’s. She epitomized being upbeat and joyful even while being mistreated by her
wicked stepmother and stepsisters. Eventually her wish came true.
This is a dark tale of reality and not a fairy tale. Here Cinderella is disfigured, kept from achieving what she has worked towards her whole life, watched her friend as well as a customer be murdered and her “stepmother and stepsisters being captured to be used or killed depending on the whims of the Crimson Blight.
I read fairy tales to escape the realities of life not to see it repeated in what I read. Though Ella and her “family” get their happy ever after in the end ,it was just too dark of a tale for me to enjoy.
If you like to read about what is going on in every day life in this world well you have it here in informers and
people who lord it over others because of what class of society they were born in. Therefore you will probably like this book.
As for me, I didn’t like it for the reasons I’ve stated.
November 27, 2017
Fun take on the Cinderella tale.
My favorite part was probably how much Ella loved her family and her perseverance despite the anger or hopelessness she was tempted to feel. After she is scarred, both physically and emotionally, and literally all of her plans and dreams are obliterated, she pushes forward. My second favorite part is that she did not persevere without struggle, especially emotionally. Her anger is something the reader, especially one who has had an event strip their future plans away, can understand. She’s not perfect. Which is incredibly refreshing and inspiring for anyone who picks this up, reminding them they can still be courageous and persevere and imperfect at the same time.
Some of my favorite lines throughout the book:
“I wouldn’t live in fear forever, and I wouldn’t let it stop me from protecting my family or from seeking out a real future. I️ had to try.” (Chapter 9)
“And deep down under the fear and exhaustion and worry, I was absolutely thrilled about the prospect.” (Chapter 9)
“Because no matter how bad things got, hope could never fully die.” (Chapter 16)
My favorite part was probably how much Ella loved her family and her perseverance despite the anger or hopelessness she was tempted to feel. After she is scarred, both physically and emotionally, and literally all of her plans and dreams are obliterated, she pushes forward. My second favorite part is that she did not persevere without struggle, especially emotionally. Her anger is something the reader, especially one who has had an event strip their future plans away, can understand. She’s not perfect. Which is incredibly refreshing and inspiring for anyone who picks this up, reminding them they can still be courageous and persevere and imperfect at the same time.
Some of my favorite lines throughout the book:
“I wouldn’t live in fear forever, and I wouldn’t let it stop me from protecting my family or from seeking out a real future. I️ had to try.” (Chapter 9)
“And deep down under the fear and exhaustion and worry, I was absolutely thrilled about the prospect.” (Chapter 9)
“Because no matter how bad things got, hope could never fully die.” (Chapter 16)
February 22, 2021
I'll admit, this one snuck up on me. Early in the book, I wasn't sure how I felt about it--some of the worldbuilding was confusing and I was decidedly not sold on the romance. Once it got going, though, it got going. Kaylin Lee managed to turn basically every single Cinderella trope on its head, and I often found myself delighted with the little twists. The plot was a touch on the predictable side and I typically knew what was coming long before Ella did, but there was enough action, romance, and little surprises to keep me hooked.
Overall, it was a quick, easy, fun read that definitely has me wanting to pick up the next book in the series. Lee definitely developed an interesting world, and I'm interested in more for sure (even if Weslan, who was by far my favorite character, will probably play a smaller role).
If you're interested in the audiobook, the narration was solid as well. She was easy to listen to, and while there wasn't a huge variety in male voices, it worked just fine for this novel.
This audiobook was given to me for free at my request and I provided this voluntary review.
Overall, it was a quick, easy, fun read that definitely has me wanting to pick up the next book in the series. Lee definitely developed an interesting world, and I'm interested in more for sure (even if Weslan, who was by far my favorite character, will probably play a smaller role).
If you're interested in the audiobook, the narration was solid as well. She was easy to listen to, and while there wasn't a huge variety in male voices, it worked just fine for this novel.
This audiobook was given to me for free at my request and I provided this voluntary review.
March 6, 2020
WOW! I think I'm nearly speechless (not an easy thing to accomplish, btw!) :)
I am def gonna be reading the other books in this series. This book was amazing: riveting. I very much enjoy reading re-told fairy tales even though I sometimes feel a little too "old" to enjoy them as much as I do. This Cinderella tale had a few twists to make it totally different from others I've previously read. Not only that, but, well, I'm physically disabled and in chronic, severe pain 24/7. This book easily transported me "someplace else" for a couple hours. Very high marks for that! :) Without hesitation, I'd recommend it to anyone from say ages 12 - 115 who enjoys a good fairy tale, prefers heroines who aren't eternally downtrodden victims, & doesn't have someplace to go in the next couple hours because you WILL lose track of time! :)
I am def gonna be reading the other books in this series. This book was amazing: riveting. I very much enjoy reading re-told fairy tales even though I sometimes feel a little too "old" to enjoy them as much as I do. This Cinderella tale had a few twists to make it totally different from others I've previously read. Not only that, but, well, I'm physically disabled and in chronic, severe pain 24/7. This book easily transported me "someplace else" for a couple hours. Very high marks for that! :) Without hesitation, I'd recommend it to anyone from say ages 12 - 115 who enjoys a good fairy tale, prefers heroines who aren't eternally downtrodden victims, & doesn't have someplace to go in the next couple hours because you WILL lose track of time! :)
July 7, 2020
I actually enjoyed this book more than I thought I would. It started a little slow, with obvious deviations from the typical Cinderella story. I love that she has a good relationship with her stepmom and stepsisters. But I was never particularly clear with why the stepmother needed to hide. The magic system was not very well defined so understanding why something was important or to care, was a bit difficult. The concept of True Names is brought up which is a fairly standard trope but never really explained beyond that mages have True Names. (Do non mages have true names? How do they know what their True Names are? Etc.)
I loved the trope bending of the prince and the fairy godmother.
The ending “bad guy reveal” was bland and unmemorable. I didn’t know who the bad guy was when they revealed themselves so the idea of a “reveal” didn’t exactly work.
This was an enjoyable read but I would have really liked to see some of the systems in place more defined.
I loved the trope bending of the prince and the fairy godmother.
The ending “bad guy reveal” was bland and unmemorable. I didn’t know who the bad guy was when they revealed themselves so the idea of a “reveal” didn’t exactly work.
This was an enjoyable read but I would have really liked to see some of the systems in place more defined.
June 12, 2018
So this book left me with mixed feelings. On one hand, it kept me intrigued because I really wanted to see how it all would play out but I also struggled connecting with the main characters and storyline.
I wanted to like Ella but she was a bit too angry or moody for me and Weslan had so much potential to be swoon worthy, but I didn’t feel like I really ever knew him. I didn’t really see the natural progression of their relationship develop.
Also, it’s a bit exhausting to read a book where it’s one bad thing after another with no break.
And finally, I didn’t enjoy the whole terrorist aspect of it. A little too creepy for my tastes.
I wanted to like Ella but she was a bit too angry or moody for me and Weslan had so much potential to be swoon worthy, but I didn’t feel like I really ever knew him. I didn’t really see the natural progression of their relationship develop.
Also, it’s a bit exhausting to read a book where it’s one bad thing after another with no break.
And finally, I didn’t enjoy the whole terrorist aspect of it. A little too creepy for my tastes.
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