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A single blow shattered my life of glass. They shouldn’t have left me with the shards.

Eloise knows the name of her mother’s murderer, but she cannot speak it. A curse keeps her silent and locked in the tattered remains of her once charming life. Though magic holds her tongue, it doesn’t quell the smoldering spark of her anger or her need to learn the reason behind her mother’s death.

However, games of magic have dire consequences. Desperate to keep those she loves safe from the repercussions of her actions, Eloise must make a bold gamble with her safety that could win her everything or destroy her forever.

Two lives hang in the balance. For, if Cinder fails, Snow will fall, too.

59,630

280 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 6, 2019

75 people are currently reading
163 people want to read

About the author

M.J. Haag

37 books1,013 followers
MJ Haag is the bestselling author of the Beastly Tales and the Resurrection Chronicles. Writing as both MJ Haag and Melissa Haag, she has sold more than three hundred thousand copies worldwide and authored several other series, including the Judgement of the Six and Of Fates and Furies.

She thinks bios written in third person are hilariously pretentious and doesn't take much in life seriously, including her author photo.

She lives in Wisconsin with her three children and husband.

Connect with the Author:
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Check out her YA books at melissahaag.com


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5 stars
170 (44%)
4 stars
119 (30%)
3 stars
80 (20%)
2 stars
12 (3%)
1 star
4 (1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 43 reviews
Profile Image for Annette.
3,847 reviews179 followers
August 31, 2019
Ever since I finished the first book in this series I was really looking forward to the second one and the book was totally worth waiting for and didn't disappoint! Now I've also read the previous series and the prequel, I recognised some familiar spots and characters and that was a really fun experience and gave this book an extra layer.

But, what made this book truly special was the character of Eloise. I love her and how she carries herself, and us, through the story. She learns from her mistakes, she doesn't do things that are too reckless without a solid reason to do so and she often reacts exactly like I would have done. Every time others describe her as intelligent, I nod, because I feel that she truly does the smart thing, even if that sometimes means sitting things out and letting things happen. Maybe she's not a fierce rebel, but I'm sure that her intelligence will win in the end.

Because the plot is really gripping. The elements of the Cinderella story are clearly present and recognisable, but there are so many amazing new layers added that the story still feels fresh and new and exciting. Once I started reading, even though I was very tired, I just wanted to read on and on and on. And now I've closed the book I'm already eagerly waiting for the last book to come out! The elements of the Snow White story are also already cleverly inserted and I can't wait to read Kellen's story!

If you're looking for a nice Cinderella retelling that keeps the spine of the original tale, but still adds a lot of amazing and exciting new things, a little layer of mystery and murder and interesting characters: This is totally the read for you!
Profile Image for Sarah Quilt.
136 reviews5 followers
May 3, 2022
This is the 2nd book in a trilogy. And it started off pretty traumatic. If I hadn't been invested in the characters from book 1 I definitely would not have continued reading.

Trigger warning: child abuse, coerced sex acts, parental abuse, violence against women

Eloise has to power through some pretty terrible stuff. At the beginning of the first book there was a warning that this Cinderella retelling would be dark, but it definitely had a lot of stuff in it that upset me. As an Empath and a Highly Sensitive Person the things Eloise felt, saw, heard, suffered through, was just too much. You really need to steady yourself as we go through this stuff with the MC and if you can't disconnect it will hurt your heart like it did for me.

I am not saying the author is a bad writer, just that this contains topics that were rough for me. If I didn't still think it was well written, if I wasn't already connected to the characters, then I wouldn't have finished something so triggering. So if you are a stronger person, you'll enjoy this installment more since there is more action and more progression to the story.
Profile Image for Genieinachanelbottle.
364 reviews35 followers
August 7, 2019
Dark Dangerous N Deliciously Decadent!

Disdain is the second book in M.J. Haag's twisted Cinderella retelling, get ready to be spellbound from the second U start reading! This fractured Fairytale. It's not for the faint of heart! Love, mysterious magic N bitter betrayal is around every corner, I was on the edge of my seat from the first page to the last!

I love Eloise she is the most badass Cinderella I have ever read about, try to shatter this seemingly delicate little glass slipper N she only gets stronger, I can't get enough of Kaven N Eloise's Sexy Sassy Chemistry! I need more more more! 😉

5 Shinning Stars all the way! 💋💋
Profile Image for Roxanne.
265 reviews2 followers
August 6, 2019
Oh my, poor *********

Disdain continued to be so so good and tragic. There are moments that absolutely gutted me! I don't want to give much away, but Benella had it easy with Tennen in comparison. If you don't know who those characters are, it's time to read the Beastly Tales. Truly a vile villain.
Since this is a Cinder and Snow story, you can imagine that Snow has to do her "Snow" thing and I'm very curious to see where that goes in Damnation. I want to say more, but I can't! Enjoy
Profile Image for Nikki.
242 reviews27 followers
August 6, 2019
Holy cow, this book was so fast paced that I felt I couldn’t breathe. I enjoyed the first book in the series, but this one just left that one in the dust. I couldn’t put it down because I just had to know what was happening next. Cinderella has never been my favorite fairy tale, but this retelling has me looking at it in a completely different light and I absolutely love it! I cannot wait to see how everything unfolds in the next book!
600 reviews44 followers
January 22, 2022
4.5 stars this one definitely felt more like a Cinderella retelling more than the first one. I enjoyed this one better than the first book. Here you see the evil stepmother and your introduced to the two evil stepsisters. And then her sister takes on the snow white retelling or the evil stepmother sends the hunter after her sister and she finds the seven drawers. Here she still has the relationship with the guy that she met in the for fours is definitely a slow burn they have not done anything but kiss and even that was chaste. Here she still being held prisoner but she’s able to manipulate her freedom for a little while but then she becomes a prisoner again. She hast to kill someone very close to her and that hurt her emotionally severely. This one ended on a cliffhanger as well and I am looking forward to the third book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Gemma.
550 reviews9 followers
March 28, 2020
A great continuing story

The plot is thickening in this story Our brave heroines Eloise and Kellen have to deal with an evil Stepmother and two Stepsisters. While Kellen has made a run for it to get help, while Eloise Is stuck playing a sick game so as to survive with devastating consequences. This book is getting better by the minute with danger afoot. Eloise must do all she can to survive and protect those she cares for and the kingdom who dont understand the full peril they find themselves
Profile Image for Hetal.
804 reviews112 followers
April 23, 2023
This has a lot of different magical elements aside from cinderella. There's Kellen's snow white story developing. The pig in the story reminds me of beauty and the beast or more immediately of turnip head from howl's moving castle.

Then there's the lackluster romance. We all know who the prince is. Yet, there has been so little interaction with him, the romance as it began at the end...., Well I just didn't feel it. Their banter is good, but sexual tension supposedly developing between is ... Not so good.
Profile Image for Kayla.
1,700 reviews17 followers
January 28, 2021
Okay! The Cinderella and Snow White themes have REALLY come through in this one!

Eloise is killing as a strong Cinderella who isn't just laying down and taking shit! Bad ass throughout the entire book and dealing with a shit ton of misery during the process. Portia and shit and Cecilia can sit on a firecracker 🤷🏾‍♀️

I did enjoy this and am looking forward to book 3.

4 stars
Profile Image for Country Goose.
1,131 reviews12 followers
September 25, 2020
Whoa

A brilliant sequel! So intense and dark, definitely triggering for domestic abuse and rape, so be aware, there are no happy endings yet. I think I know who the pig is though, and I'm gleeful if I'm right! I hope he gets eaten by a beast in the dark forest..... if I'm right. Of course, I'm stoked to see the progression in the next book.
Profile Image for Ashlyn Smith.
403 reviews
December 30, 2021
I didn't read this one immediately after the first and I was kind of confused going back into the series, but once I was refreshed on the characters and what was happening, it was a great addition. This book gets into how awful Eloise's evil step mother and step sisters are, and the ending was a perfect set up to the last book. Can't wait to read the next one.
Profile Image for Jenna Jewel.
171 reviews9 followers
August 2, 2023
I honestly don’t know why I finished this.
There was so much filth all throughout that I kept skipping over to the best of my ability and I had pretty much already figured out all the revelations that came with the ending.
I feel like I wasted my time on this. The writing style isn’t bad. But there was just soooo much content! Ick! Not one I will read again, nor continue the series.
Profile Image for Mrsbooks.
1,079 reviews15 followers
February 11, 2020
Review for all three books:

I didn't enjoy this anywhere near as much as I had her Beauty and the Beast series. I felt that this was very slow moving. Nowhere near enough romance. The Heroine seemed to go through SO MUCH and I felt that it... not quite washed off her... but I didn't feel the emotional consequences going through such trials would have on someone.
Profile Image for Naia Pard.
Author 2 books103 followers
June 10, 2020
I did not like this. Too much talking without an end point. Tantalizing the audience by giving them crumbs to pick them like starving pigeons.
35 reviews
March 30, 2021
This series has too much suffering and not enough redemption, in my opinion.
Profile Image for LORRIE.
3,537 reviews63 followers
October 2, 2021
Interesting

Though Eloise and Kellen thought they had something good, it quickly turned the other way. Each sister is trying to protect the other and are tying to survive
Profile Image for Ashley Sims.
7 reviews
February 3, 2025
Amazing Read!!!!!!!!!

I fell in love with the Beastly trilogy and the tale of Cinders so far is not disappointing me. Can't wait to read more!!!!!!!
Profile Image for Jackie.
2,554 reviews
June 8, 2021
6 Stars!
This is not like a Disney Fairy Tale -it's totally better! I'm loving this series, totally has my full attention. What a fabulous twist on the classic Cinderella fairytale! This is definitely a very dark tale! This is NOT a book for younger readers. There are some really violent moments I wouldn't want a younger reader to see. I'm trying to keep from writing any spoilers, as it will be a better reading experience with no knowledge of what's going on. A new reader definitely needs to start with book 1 first, as this picks up where book 1 left off.

This was a can't put it down type of book -until I reached the end, and then I had a book-hangover. I'm dying to see what happens next. I cringed for poor Eloise & her sister Kellen (this is setting Kellen up for the next series -a "Snow White" retelling), I can't even imagine being in Eloise's shoes. I did not see anything coming in this book, either. This ends with a cliff-hanger, but the kind you just can't wait to dive into the next book to see where it's going. This is a 3 book series for Eloise's tale. The remaining book (#3) will release soon- is set for September 10, 2019. I can't wait to dive into book 3 to see how Eloise's story ends up! I've already pre-ordered my copy...

My Star Rating defined:
1 Star = DNF. Doesn't matter what anyone else thinks, this is MY opinion.
2 Stars = Finished, but didn’t really enjoy, was at least able to finish the book.
3 Stars = Story was neither good nor bad, no interest in continuing with series.
3.5 Stars = Finished. Story was good enough to probably pick up next in series.
4 Stars = Enjoyed the story & will continue with the series.
4.5 Stars = Loved it, but some little something was off, will continue with the series.
5 Stars = Absolutely loved it, will continue with series & would highly recommend to others!
6 Stars = Stole my heart! Add to favorites & definitely re-read!
Profile Image for Laura.
228 reviews7 followers
September 29, 2019
I have to say I loved the first book of the series but this one tops it! I’m not the biggest fan of Cinderella but this retelling made me fall in love with the fairy tale and the writing style.



Eloise is having a hard time learning that sometimes fighting back is not what it’s cracked up to be. And in this second part we can actually see the retelling more clearly, how Cinderella becomes Cinderella and we get to know more the evil stepmother and stepsisters.



Kaven’s relationship seems to be going somewhere even if the scenes between them are not as explicit as those related to the whores.

By the way, this is how I imagine Kaven...



This book is a lot darker than the first one in the series and there are some scenes that are not for the faint hearted. However, all this builds up to the conclusion of the tale. It’s a very dark retelling, for a mature reader.

Possible spoiler alert:

I still have my suspicions and I think that he’s going to turn out to be the Prince, or they might not be suspicious if not my hope. However, then, I don’t understand her standing in front of the prince without recognizing him unless it was a different person.


Anyway, all in all I can only say that I can’t wait for the conclusion of the series and of course, to learn and read more about Kellen’s fate and story. Amazing second part. The worst is that I’m getting the same feeling as when I finished the Beastly Tales: I don’t know which book to read that is similar in style as the jewel that I had in my hands. I don’t want it to end!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Ira.
740 reviews14 followers
August 6, 2019
Oh my....this story is not for the faint of heart... If you've read "Defiant", the first book in this series (which you totally should have done before you touched this one), you will already know that this is nothing like Disney's glitter and glamour but instead a captivating and intense and really dark retelling of Cinderella. Once again we are reminded of Snow as well, the pet name of our heroine's twin Kellen, so there might be another retelling at the horizon but first - Cinderella.

We left Eloise, our Cinder completely helpless in the hands of the enemy. No matter what happens, she is bound by more than loyalty and fear and the more I learned about the power of her adversaries, the more I (and Cinder as well) feared that she won't be able to keep up the fight. There were some parts that were really hard to read and I worried a lot, especially when the hunter is on the loose and everything seems rather hopeless because in order to protect those that she cares for, Eloise will have to ...well, can she give up the fight?

With Eloise fighting for her life and the life of those around her, there is also Kaven, the one guy who is always there, the one who always finds her. With her feelings slowly (very slowly, this book is definitely very light on the romance part though it still includes some scenes that include somewhat explicit sexual content) growing, Eloise's life becomes even more complicated and when the future of her country is at stake, well, she won't give up. No matter what happens. And no matter who dies...
Profile Image for Kimberly Gordon-Bercich.
1,859 reviews5 followers
January 6, 2020
Evil Stepmother

Adult content, reader discretion advised. Rape scenes, please read with caution. Cecilia is my favorite villain. Nothing is as it appears.
Profile Image for Jennifer.
465 reviews6 followers
August 9, 2019
What a great twist on classic fairytales! MJ does an excellent job at writing stories that draw readers in. Not o Lynn does she create whole worlds we want to lose ourselves in, but she also creates characters that we want to invest in. Disdain is no exception.

Disdain. Kept me on the edge of my seat. I kept flipping pages, eager to know what was going to happen next until I realized I gobbled it all up in one go. If you like a new take on classic fairytales, you'll love this book.

The characters in this story are great. This is book two in a trilogy so I'll keep it short and sweet. These characters gain more depth in this book. Some questions are answered but so many more surface with each answer. I cannot wait to get the next book!

In conclusion, this is a 5 star read for me. I loved everything about the book. The atmosphere, characters, detailed story, and even the small little details are on point. If you haven't started this series yet, you are missing out on something great!

Ratings
Plot: 5/5
Characters: 5/5
Heat: 5/5
Writing Style: 5/5
Overall: 5/5
Profile Image for BlueBug.
895 reviews2 followers
September 18, 2019
This author has a talent for digging into the deepest, darkest, depravity of the human spirit and taking us into her frightening fairy tale retelling mind to a place where we aren't sure we want to be but can't help following the path she's laid out for us.

Eloise finally learns the name of her mother's killer, but magic has her tongue tied. And when she makes an attempt to bring the killer into the light, the punishment is severe, not only for her but those around her. And when she discovers the loss she might experience by fighting against the dark magic surrounding her, she works hard to not allow it to break her spirit. Though there are measures she must take to keep her sister from harm, her mind keeps searching for a way to break the curse that has been set over the kingdom... if she survives.

I love the way the author shows us the dark crevices of her mind. She makes the fear of turning the page as exciting as the result when we do. It makes the anticipation for the next book that much more thrilling.
Profile Image for Jericho McKraven.
Author 1 book14 followers
October 23, 2019
Okay, so "Tales of Cinder #1" somehow ended up being a DNF for me. I was shocked, because I usually love every, single, thing M. J. Haag writes, but it was just so redundant, and slow, and... ug, I'm so sorry, I feel like a traitor!

But, I thought maybe book one was a setup and book two was where all the action would lay. Boy was I not wrong!!! I'm so happy I picked up Disdain. It was dark, and twisted and magically delicious!!!

I. Am. Hooked!

This book is NOT for the feint of heart. If you don't like disturbing themes and abuse stay far, far away. But if you are a fan of the original Grimm fairy tales that didn't shy away from the darkness that lives in the worst of humanity being railed against by the light, buy this book now, and read it all!!

I can't believe it left me hanging and literally can not wait for book three to be released!!! 🎉 😄

Profile Image for Tracy.
Author 4 books15 followers
August 9, 2019
This book is darker than the previous one, but the villain is sufficiently bad enough to warrant thoughts of shanking. That is good. Villains are hard to keep bad. I love the teasers we're getting about the sister, hopefully we'll get her story too. I identify with the main character, because I'm quick to anger.

I really wish I could say more without ruining all the twists and turns for future readers, but please forgive me for being vague.

It's well written, it's a slow burn, almost less about the romance, though there are threads of it there. It is a wonderfully, twisted take on the Cinderella fairytale. But before you mistake it for the popular cartoon version, don't. Find the original and read that, THIS story is more along those lines.
Profile Image for Jeannie.
356 reviews
August 7, 2019
This series keeps getting better. I literally couldn’t put down my kindle reading “Disdain”, book two of Eloise’s story. Wow so much happens in this part of the series. Poor Eloise, she finally knows who killed her mother however she is cursed and cannot speak about it. She goes through so much in the book and the strength she portrays is amazing. The supporting characters are well developed and you get a very good taste of who they are as characters. You will love some and hate some. M.J. Haag has done a fabulous job continuing this Cinderella retelling story and I’m so excited for the next book.
Profile Image for Dayzee.
931 reviews14 followers
August 6, 2019
dark, twisted and heartbreaking 💔

Evil stepmother at its best. Cringe worthy scenes that will have you wishing for Eloise to get revenge Asap. After many fail attempts to escape she is still magic bound to her stepmother and has to endure pain and humiliation. On top of that her stepsisters have joined the party and they are no better than their evil mother. Her twin sister Snow made a run for it but it wont be last for long since she too is being hunted. Time is running out! Our mystery friend Kaven has sweet swoon scenes with Eloise that will have you laugh and smile in the darkest moments. Can’t wait for the next book! im exited and scared for our cinderella!!
Profile Image for Pam Foster.
699 reviews7 followers
August 6, 2019
5 stars! Incredible storytelling 😁

Disdain is book 2 in this incredible series and it’s everything I hoped it would be!!! I couldn’t put this book down, my adrenaline was pumping as Eloise endures so much heartache at the hands of the villain as she tries to help those she cares about. This is a thrilling dark tale full of twists and shocking moments as the story unfolds: I cannot wait to see what happens next!! This is one of my favourite books by this authors and it gets 5 stars from me.
(This story is dark and there are violent scenes in it that maybe triggers for some readers.)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 43 reviews

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