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Cinderella Reverse Fairytale #1-3
Charm: Books 1-3 boxset
★★★★★ Exciting, original, romantic... "One of the best fairytale retellings I've ever read.” You thought you knew the story of Cinderella... You were wrong. 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 must take her place at the ball designed to find her a husband. With the wedding itself already planned, a hundred men stand ready to be chosen as her husband. Now all she has to do is pick. As a servant in the castle kitchens, Cynder knows his place beneath the royals. With the impending war between the people of magic and those of his masters, there is little he can do to stop it. On one hand, he’s a staunch supporter of equal rights for his own kind, but on the other, he has already given enough of his life to these people. The only thing truly holding him to the castle is the attraction he feels for the daughter of his King and Queen. When the two meet, sparks fly… and not just the magical kind. Read the full Cinderella 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. What people are saying about Charm. ★★★★★ 'Best Cinderella retelling/reverse novel I have ever read!' ★★★★★ 'This was an excellent beginning to a dynamite series.' ★★★★★ 'Gripping, It was really hard to put down.' ★★★★★ 'Spellbinding!' ★★★★★ 'The most suspenseful Cinderella story I have ever read.' ★★★★★ 'An Amazing Twist on Cinderella' ★★★★★ 'I love this & I can't wait for more'
- GenresFantasy
682 pages, Kindle Edition
Published February 15, 2019
122 people are currently reading
87 people want to read
About the author
J.A. Armitage
148 books492 followersBorn 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!
For my free books, just sign up to my newsletter here http://www.subscribepage.com/v7o8k4
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!
For my free books, just sign up to my newsletter here http://www.subscribepage.com/v7o8k4
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
September 25, 2019
I love a good Cinderella story. This, I'm sad to say, is barely an OK Cinderella story.
I'm not going to lie; despite the many and often epic flaws, this series held my attention. The concept and plot are entertaining, with deception, love, loss, and battles galore.
However, the frequent formatting and grammatical problems (not always an author's fault with e-books) compounded with one dimentional characters who were frequently beautiful or ugly but rarely picturable, an easily recognized villain, glaring plot holes and chronological errors based on past plot all added up to a book with huge potential and minor enjoyment. The writing tells the tale, but in a juvenile manner, and though the protagonist is somewhere between 18 and 20 (another chronological mystery as she seems to stay the age of 19 over almost 2 years of action) the writing makes the protagonist and most other character seem younger than their purported ages.
I'm not going to lie; despite the many and often epic flaws, this series held my attention. The concept and plot are entertaining, with deception, love, loss, and battles galore.
However, the frequent formatting and grammatical problems (not always an author's fault with e-books) compounded with one dimentional characters who were frequently beautiful or ugly but rarely picturable, an easily recognized villain, glaring plot holes and chronological errors based on past plot all added up to a book with huge potential and minor enjoyment. The writing tells the tale, but in a juvenile manner, and though the protagonist is somewhere between 18 and 20 (another chronological mystery as she seems to stay the age of 19 over almost 2 years of action) the writing makes the protagonist and most other character seem younger than their purported ages.
October 8, 2019
Audiobook Review:
Audiobook Review:
This audiobook series draws you in & keeps you captivated till the end. A highly intriguing reverse fairytale that is a fabulously adaptation of the original Cinderella. Brimming with magic & suspense a spellbinding intoxicated listen. The narrative between the magi & nonmagi is well established & creates a riveting plot with unexpected twists. The writing style is unparalleled & fits the genre perfectly. Romance, mystery and suspense all entwined in audio one.
Audio two begins with the new Queen. Abundance of magic, danger, and romance circling the Queen along with added suspense seeping through the pages. Audio three is the page turning finale which will take you on a immense rising and falling. Ending with a up-tempo adventure.
The narrator did well with the main character voice Charmaine, however, a lot of the supporting characters voices could use a lot of fine tuning. It was like they were screaming & it was awful to hear & took away some from the story. The background & genre were well captured in the MC'S voice. The pace & tone was very good. I recommend polishing up the supportive character's voices as it would make it a five * all around. Overall, a fun & entertaining listening read.
Audiobook Review:
This audiobook series draws you in & keeps you captivated till the end. A highly intriguing reverse fairytale that is a fabulously adaptation of the original Cinderella. Brimming with magic & suspense a spellbinding intoxicated listen. The narrative between the magi & nonmagi is well established & creates a riveting plot with unexpected twists. The writing style is unparalleled & fits the genre perfectly. Romance, mystery and suspense all entwined in audio one.
Audio two begins with the new Queen. Abundance of magic, danger, and romance circling the Queen along with added suspense seeping through the pages. Audio three is the page turning finale which will take you on a immense rising and falling. Ending with a up-tempo adventure.
The narrator did well with the main character voice Charmaine, however, a lot of the supporting characters voices could use a lot of fine tuning. It was like they were screaming & it was awful to hear & took away some from the story. The background & genre were well captured in the MC'S voice. The pace & tone was very good. I recommend polishing up the supportive character's voices as it would make it a five * all around. Overall, a fun & entertaining listening read.
August 16, 2019
Very charming!
Book 1 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.
Book 2 Another amazing and exciting book! Book 1 ended in a mass chaos and with drama: Charm is now Queen. Book 2 provides more action and suspense. More magic and romance. More hard decisions and a lot of danger. It’s fast-paced and thrilling; another amazing and exciting book!
Book 3 Another page-turner! It’s the finale and brace yourself for another fast-paced adventure! I’ve enjoyed it immensely. Wow just wow! J.A. Armitage produced another page-turner. I am going to recommend this trilogy to all my family and friends!
Book 1 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.
Book 2 Another amazing and exciting book! Book 1 ended in a mass chaos and with drama: Charm is now Queen. Book 2 provides more action and suspense. More magic and romance. More hard decisions and a lot of danger. It’s fast-paced and thrilling; another amazing and exciting book!
Book 3 Another page-turner! It’s the finale and brace yourself for another fast-paced adventure! I’ve enjoyed it immensely. Wow just wow! J.A. Armitage produced another page-turner. I am going to recommend this trilogy to all my family and friends!
August 15, 2019
I adored J.A. Armitage’s Charm books and the books 1-3 boxset (Reverse Fairytales Book 1) is a fantastic collection of tales. If your in the mood for books where the classic fairytales are recognizable bit the author has taken on an imaginative and fun tangent then this boxset is for you. Heck? If you’re just in the mood for well-written and fun stories this set is for you, too. But for the fact that I’m literally dictating this review to my husband from my hospital bed I could go on and on with praises. The books in this boxset definitely deserve it. Since I can’t do that I will simply note that the boxset is most definitely one to read, and it is easy to highly recommend.
April 22, 2024
Audiobook - I loved, loved this boxset of Cinderella. It was really hard to put it down. The story was captivating, and the characters were amazing. So many twists and when I thought I had figured out the story, the author pulled it in another direction! It reminded me a bit of the "Selection," but only on the surface. Charm goes deeper than that.
The narrator did a good job, and I enjoyed the experience. One note, though this is my personal opinion-I would have liked if the boxset was separated into three books instead of being only one.
If you're looking for a different take on fairytales, I highly recommend it.
The narrator did a good job, and I enjoyed the experience. One note, though this is my personal opinion-I would have liked if the boxset was separated into three books instead of being only one.
If you're looking for a different take on fairytales, I highly recommend it.
April 15, 2020
Charmingly wonderful
I really enjoyed this fairy tale. Especially the meet cute between Princess Charmaine and Cynder, who gave her the nickname of Princess Charm. They went through many many ups and downs, terrifying twists and turns before they got to their happily ever after. All of the characters are fascinatingly interesting. This series has shades of The Selection. Loved it.
I really enjoyed this fairy tale. Especially the meet cute between Princess Charmaine and Cynder, who gave her the nickname of Princess Charm. They went through many many ups and downs, terrifying twists and turns before they got to their happily ever after. All of the characters are fascinatingly interesting. This series has shades of The Selection. Loved it.
August 13, 2019
I loved this book! I read book 1 and was so engaged!!💖 The story was not just a reverse Cinderella story but a reverse Selection Series too!! How genius to take elements from both great stories and make into a new kingdom for us to visit!! Strong characters and twists you didn't see coming will grace the pages of this one!
October 14, 2019
This was wonderful
It was a wonderful experience for me and I hope everyone has a chance to read this series. It was the best fairytale ever for me I thought about how all the fairytales end happy and how this one did too but in a much better way.thank you for your writing keep up the great work hopefully I will be able to read more of your work soon
It was a wonderful experience for me and I hope everyone has a chance to read this series. It was the best fairytale ever for me I thought about how all the fairytales end happy and how this one did too but in a much better way.thank you for your writing keep up the great work hopefully I will be able to read more of your work soon
August 14, 2019
Very "charming" books, wonderful characters and setting. Well written and once I picked up the book, I couldn't put it down... for all 3 books. It is the fairy tale, but different. Very intriguing.
September 21, 2019
Princess Charming is here to change the kingdom
A good way to pass the time. This gender-swap fairytale has both mystery and charm. A love triangle, five royal weddings, and revolution are written between the covers of this trilogy.
A good way to pass the time. This gender-swap fairytale has both mystery and charm. A love triangle, five royal weddings, and revolution are written between the covers of this trilogy.
October 12, 2019
Too good for own good
While I admire Charmaine and her honesty she was almost too honest. Cynder was not a major part of any of the books. He did have a larger role in the final book. I would have preferred he had been more present in the books. Overall th
While I admire Charmaine and her honesty she was almost too honest. Cynder was not a major part of any of the books. He did have a larger role in the final book. I would have preferred he had been more present in the books. Overall th
August 13, 2019
An amazing Reverse Cinderella series. There was just the right amount of intrigue, romance, danger, confusion and deception. I really had fun reading it! J. A. Armitage is a magnificent author!
September 22, 2019
it was alright box set just not one that had me wanting to listen to again, it held me attention enough though.
October 3, 2019
Poor writing. Love triangles. Random strong language that comes out of nowhere. Poor plot direction. I skimmed to get to the end of the first book. Will not read the rest.
August 11, 2021
This is a great read for fans of The Selection by Kiera Cass and maybe The Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer. It has a similar plot to The Selection, but it has magic too! I love fairy tale retellings and this is an especially well-done retelling of Cinderella. It's really creative to swap perspectives...this time, it's Princess Charming (Charm) and Cynder. What I didn't expect was such a nuanced portrayal of discrimination and privilege. The magic-users of this society are oppressed, and Charm has quite the journey as she realizes this and decides to help them. I think you'll really enjoy this book if you give it a try. It's not just a shallow romance. Charm likes getting fancy and dressed up...and that's totally fine! She cares about more than that, too. There's nothing wrong with being girly, and I so appreciate that message!
(I have read the first 2 books. Thank you to JA Armitage for providing me with ARC in exchange for an honest review!)
(I have read the first 2 books. Thank you to JA Armitage for providing me with ARC in exchange for an honest review!)
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews