Slippers And Thieves Special Edition

Fairy Tales of the Magicorum #4

by Christina Bauer

Years ago, Elle ― never call her Cinderella ― escaped her evil step family in order to build a new life for herself in Manhattan. Today, Elle’s awful past is a distant memory. In fact, Elle even attends West Lake Prep, an exclusive high school where regular humans mix with members of the Magicorum, such as fairies, shifters and witches. Although she still must live in hiding from her evil step family, Elle always has found ways to get whatever her heart desires.

That is, until Alec Le Charme. Sure, Alec is the heir to the Le Charme dynasty of high-end jewelers, but he's also kind, charismatic, and has a knee-melting smile.

Long story short, Elle has fallen for Alec, hard. Unfortunately, thanks to Elle’s evil step family, the Le Charme heir is absolutely off limits. In fact, if Elle and Alec so much as kiss, it could start a magical chain reaction that would end in powerful factions of witches and wizards going to war. As a result, Elle and Alec vow to stay friends, no matter what. Then West Lake Prep holds a masquerade ball. Identities get mixed up and forbidden kisses are finally shared.

Time for the Magicorum to go to war, and for Elle to confront her hidden past in ways she never thought possible.

2020 edition includes type-o fixes and a new appendix of extras.

Genres: Fantasy, Paranormal, Young Adult, Romance, Fairy Tales, Retellings, Fiction

362 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 26, 2019

About the author

Christina 'CEE BEE' Bauer thinks that fantasy books are like bacon: they just make life better. All of which is why she writes young adult romance novels that feature demons, dragons, wizards, witches, elves, elementals, and a bunch of random stuff that she brainstorms while riding the Boston T. Oh, and she includes lots of humor and kick-ass chicks, too. Christina lives in Newton, MA with her husband, son, and semi-insane golden retriever, Ruby. She loves to connect with her fans at ChristinaBauerAuthor.com.

ANGELBOUND ORIGINS
About a quasi (part demon and part human) girl who loves kicking butt in Purgatory's Arena
1. Angel bound
2. Scala
3. Acca
4. Thrax
5. The Dark Lands
6. The Brutal Time
7. Armageddon
8. Quasi Redux
9. Clockwork Igni
10. Lady Reaper
11. Reaper Games
12. Angry Gods

ANGELBOUND OFFSPRING
The next generation takes on Heaven, Hell, and everything in between
1. Maxon
2. Portia
3. Zinnia
4. Rhodes
5. Kaps
6. Mack
7. Huntress
8. Gage
*This is a finished series

ANGELBOUND LINCOLN
Events of Angelbound from Lincoln's POV
1. Duty Bound
2. Lincoln
3. Trickster
4. Baculum
5. Angelfire

ANGELBOUND XAVIER TRILOGY
The story of the Archangel Xavier
1. Archenemy
2. Archnemesis
3. Archangel

FAIRY TALES OF THE MAGICORUM
Modern fairy tales with sass, action, and romance
1. Wolves And Roses

2. Moonlight And Midtown

3. Slippers And Thieves

4. Shifters And Glyphs

5. Bandits And Ball Gowns

6. Fire And Cinder

7. Fairies And Frosting

8. Towers And Tithes
9. Mirrors And Mysteries
10. Rapunzels And Powers

DIMENSION DRIFT
Dystopian adventures with science, snark, and hot aliens
1. Scythe
2. Umbra
3. Alien Minds
4. ECHO Academy
*This is a completed series

PIXIELAND DIARIES
The story of sassy pixie, Calla, and her elf crush, Dare
1. Pixieland Diaries
2. Calla
3. Dare
*This is a completed series

BEHOLDER
Where a medieval farm girl discovers necromancy and true love
1. Cursed
2. Concealed
3. Cherished
4. Crowned
5. Cradled
*This is a completed series

VAMPIRES OF THE DAEMONVERSE
Adult fantasy written under my pen name, CEE BEE
1. Violins and Vampires
2. Veils and Vampires
3. Vixens and Vampires
4. Valor and Vampires

Reviews

[Nilufer Ozmekik · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is delicious, unique, feminist retelling of Cinderella with some snippets of Alice in Wonderland and paranormal vibes! ( witches, werewolves,shapeshifters are also on the board!)

I have to admit, I haven’t read the previous books of the series but the author presents enough introduction about characters and their back stories and of course badass, independent, skillful jewelry thief Cinderella renamed as Elle stands on her feet proudly without needing any Prince Charming demands to try a shoe is refreshing approach!
Tragic parts of the story of Elle stays the same. She lost her mother and of course her poor father has worst taste to choose another woman to get marry. After he died, the evil stepmother takes over family business and locks Elle at the basement. But our heroine is not a damsel in distress. She thankfully manages to escape with the help of her little friend and she starts her new life by attending West Lake Prep where human students are educated with werewolves, witches, fairies, shapeshifters.

And Elle turns into a jewelry thief to make her ends meet. But her meeting with Alec Le Charme, heir of Le-Charme (dynasty is high-end jewelries) gets thing more complicated than ever. She falls for him. She is the one who is charmed now!

Oh! Yes! There’s a smart twist and it’s very creative addition to this enjoyable retelling that I haven’t seen it coming! Absolutely it’s smartly played!

It was one of my fastest reads and it intrigued me to read the previous books as soon as I trim my monster tbr till the end of the century!

So many thanks to NetGalley and Monster House Books for sharing this lovely arc with me in exchange my honest thoughts.

[Katherine Paschal · Rating 4 out of 5]

**For more reviews visit me at https://smadasbooksmack.blogspot.com/

This is the fourth book set in the Magicorum world, but I actually think this could be read without having read the previous three. The way the story is set up was unique. We have a backstory from three years previous that was all brand new information about both the main characters, and then the was the present story which takes part after the events of the previous 3 books (for the most part, there were a few repeat scenes thrown in but told from new perspectives which I enjoyed!). Yet there was enough filler to get the drift about what happened and a new mystery to solve here. I always recommend reading the previous books in a series so you don;t ever miss out, but in this case you could jump in here.

I love that the author creates her own version of fairytale, all smooshed together to make something new and exciting. This story has all the necessary components of Cinderella (including magicking rags to a beautiful dress, glass slippers and mice friends) mixed with Alice in Wonderland (with a mischievous Cheshire cat and a Dangerous Queen of Hearts- who happens to be a vampire). We also have werewolves, tons of magic, ogres and trolls, curses, enchanted magic objects, conspiracy...

Keep in mind that Alec is great, really he is...but I love Jacoby. He is mysterious, possibly dangerous and infatuated with Elle (for reasons!). It is like choosing vanilla ice cream when you can have cookie dough with caramel mixed in- easy choice, even if it is messy- and potentially life threatening. Ok, ok, he might not fit into Elle's Cinderella template or the whole love thing, but maybe he can have his own book (where he does terrible mischievous things). I am a big fan of this Dark Elf and need more...even if his intentions are terrible.

I can't wait for the next book in the series, I am so hooked on this world and recommend this series for anyone who likes all things fairytale with big doses of mystery, magic, romance and action.

[Brinley · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was actually quite impressed by this book. I picked it up based off of the cover that I loved, not knowing what exactly to expect. What I found was a Cinderella retelling without the usual moping around. Elle knew what she wanted, and she went out to get it.

Although this book is part of a series, it feels like it can be read as a standalone. I read this without having known there were three other books, and I don’t feel like I missed anything. That being said, I’ll most likely be picking the other books up when I have the chance.

I actually really liked the characters in this book. I loved how Elle didn’t wait around for a prince or her fairy godmother to save her. She was independent, and determined not to love the normal Cinderella life. I also liked Alec, but we don’t know as much about him. Bry was by far my favorite character, and I’m definitely reading the next book for her alone.

I was a bit thrown off by how fast Alec and Elle fell in love, but considering the two year time skip, it didn’t bother me too much. Once they met, their romance fit the normal Cinderella tale pretty well, with a few twists thrown in every so often.

I really loved some of the concepts in this book, mainly the fairy tale templates. It’s just so interesting to think about, like did Marchesa have a Cinderella template? Did she know she would be the evil stepmother? If I’d read the last few books, I might have the answers, but oh well.

This was definitely a great twist on the tale of Cinderella! The amount of different fairy tales tossed in kept it feeling fresh, and our characters kept this interesting. Definitely recommend!

Thanks to Netgalley for providing a free copy in exchange for an honest review

[Jen (jenslostinthepages) ♥Star-Crossed Book Blog♥ · Rating 1 out of 5]

Slippers and Thieves unfortunately didn't work for me. This makes me so sad because I loved this series. The previous books were intricate and made me smile and laugh. They were impossible to put down and I was always glued to the pages. But Slippers and Thieves didn't even feel like the others books. It felt choppy and there were inconsistencies with the previous books. I'm not sure what happened, but the further I got into this story, the more it didn't work for me. I'm so sad because I loved these characters, ugh. So here were some of my problems with this story...


✮ Elle's Backstory Differs✮
In Shifters and Glyphs, Elle didn't know she was a Warden. Until the Colonel told her what she truly was, and she was shocked. But in this book, she knew she was a Warden even before she met Briar Rose or the Colonel. Her parents told her when she was little.

Another inconsistency was that in this book, Elle said her parents took her wings. In the previous book, Colonel said he took her wings. It was so she could change the way she looked and escape the captors who imprisoned her since they knew she was the warden of fae magic. But that doesn't line up with the history we're given about her in this story - She was always with her parents, they took her wings in this book and she was never imprisoned when she was a child.

Also in the previous books, Elle said that she couldn't use her magic or her family would find her. But in this book, she couldn't use her magic because the fae would kill her if they found out she was their Warden.

✮ Missing Houses✮
In the first book, Wolves and Roses, Elle said she had other safe houses. Besides the cabin. Yet in this book, when they have to find a place to stay, she only says she has her place in the village. Where are the other safe houses? Why weren't they mentioned? And even though her cabin burnt down, she was supposed to have it rebuilt with the insurance money. The cabin wasn't even mentioned once in this story.

✮ Where's The Money✮
I don't get how Elle had two houses in the first book. Yes she returns stolen jewels to their rightful owner, but in this book she gets paid a few hundred dollars here and a few hundred dollars there. How did she afford two houses, especially one in the village? She couldn't access the money she saved, so I don't get it.

✮ Gustav✮
In the movie Cinderella, she was kind and friends with the mice. She had saved and fed them, in exchange they did favors for her. But in this book, Elle continually asked Gustav for help and why he kept coming back was beyond me. It always left a bitter taste in my mouth that she expected him to help and she never did anything back in return. Except that one time. But even that one time, she threatened him with something he hates. Not nice.

✮ Things That Made Me Say Why✮
I don't get why her dad said they needed the future step sisters help in their shop. Especially when he said they couldn't survive without them. Not only did he cover one of their shifts in the shop that left him frazzled, but they never did any work from what we saw. They just hid in the back. What was the point of that conversation between Elle and her dad?

✮ More Questions✮
In the previous books, Alex says his parents will pay a scholarship and give the girls an apartment in their building. But in this book, his mom was shocked they went to the same school and it wasn't even mentioned that they helped give the girls their apartment. The mom didn't even realize they were living there.

Also, in the first book, Elle was in Alec's office. People saw them together and it was such a huge deal they had to escape. But in this story we learn how his moves were being watched. Nothing was said to his mom, how did she not know?


There were so many more issues than this, but these were the ones that bothered me the most. If you can't tell, I struggle when there are inconsistencies in a story. Especially when it feels like I'm reading a beta version in a finished copy. So I'm sad to be walking away from this series. But when I constantly get pulled out of a story for hiccups, it doesn't matter how fabulous the characters are, I just can't go on.

*I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book, provided by the author. All thoughts and opinions are my own.*

For more of my reviews, please visit:

[Anatl · Rating 4 out of 5]

First of all, thanks to NetGalley and Monster House Books for sharing this lovely arc with me in exchange my honest thoughts. Christina Bauer is a new discovery for me. I did not expect to like this book as much as I did. Usually find fairytale retelling alluring but often disappointing, its often very hard to keep the familiar parts that we love about the tale while making it fresh and this was very much lighthearted fun.

I dived into the fourth book of the series without knowing to much about it, and to my surprise the story seems to stand by its own. This takes place in a world where fae, elves, shifters, and wizards co exist alongside humans, and there are fairytale templates that dictate our hero and heroine's lives. Alec and Elle have the decks stacked very much against them, their respective parents or guardians will do anything to keep them apart. They also become good friends who try to deny their feelings and resist the story mold they are forced into. This reminded me a little of Indexing by Seanan McGuire where storybook narratives take over the character's lives against their will.

Triumphing over adversity is a given in any Cinderella retelling but the way there counts even more. Elle is snarky, defiant and far from helpless, she has some magic, mainly summoning her trusted mouse Gustav, and an income a a jewel retriever. Alec also has a lot to contend with. As an heir to a big jewelry chain he has many responsibilities and a high public profile. And it seems that to keep the business going he will have to sacrifice his happiness and enter a loveless marriage with one of Elle's step sisters.

I've had minor complaints some deus ex machina solutions to some of the plot's tight corners, but the author cleverly suggested a third interest party who aids and abets. I am looking forward to the next installment telling Jackoby's the dark elf story. And I really appreciated the acknowledgment page that acknowledges the reader who got there.


#SlippersAndThieves #NetGalley

[Veronica · Rating 2 out of 5]

The following book contains language and pop culture references

I see Cinderella retelling, I add it to my TBR. It's a curse.

I had such high hopes when I started this. Elle is a jewel thief. The Queen of Hearts is part fae, part vampire. The story's set in a modern world where the lives of magical beings fit neatly into fairy tale templates and follow the general plot. It's not your typical Cinderella story.

I'll start this out with a disclaimer: I figured I could read this as a standalone and went into this with no prior knowledge of the Magicorum world. I wasn't completely wrong; Bauer gives enough background so that first time readers get a sense of the world and its magical system, but I can help but feel like I was missing out on a lot. There are some pretty obvious references to the events from the first three books and a gaping time skip for aforementioned events. So while you can definitely read this without prior knowledge, you may find the experience will leaving you feeling a bit...incomplete.

This book certainly has its moments. There's some good humor and you certainly can't accuse Bauer for a lack of originality. Unfortunately it just never came together as a whole for me.

The pacing was a little weird for me. The story moves incredibly slow for the first two thirds of the book before rushing at breakneck speed towards the climax in the final act. There's also a gaping crater of a time gap when Elle and the gang are ostensibly on adventures chronicled in books 1-3, that really throws the story's flow off. I don't have a problem with time skips or referring to previous books, but the lack of transition made it feel like someone ripped a couple of chapters out of the book.

I was disappointed by the lack of character development. Elle and Alec go through this constant back-and-forth of being soulmates who are obviously in love to "just friends" because denial. It cycles between the two a few times and neither is particularly convincing. (I'm really starting to wonder if my ARC had some chapters mixed around because it felt like I'd jump back to the beginning anytime any sort of progress was being made, and it'd be more of the same over and over and over again.)



The story as a whole didn't really work for me. Part of it is because of the way it was developed (see above), and part of it was the fact that there's a lot of filler. As a result, we end up with a story that doesn't really make sense to me. The obstacles feel contrived, the characters' motivates aren't that believable, and the resolution feels a bit too convenient for me to fully suspend disbelief.

I'll probably give the Magicorum series another chance somewhere down the line (and will read it properly next time). The world has potential, and when she's she's not busy spewing cheesy fluff like a bottle Cheese Whiz, Elle is a snarky heroine I want more of.



Thanks to Monster House Books for the ARC!

[The Book Junkie Reads . . . · Rating 4 out of 5]

There's nothing like knowing that if you fall in love and have the first real kiss that the world you know of will start to crumble. No pressure. There was nothing ordinary about this retelling. There was nothing about this story that said it was once a bed time story. There was so much here to enjoy, laugh at, and almost want to enroll in high school again. At least this particular high school. This was more than I was expecting but on point for having me wanting more of the world of the Magicorum.

The cat made me feel like we may be getting a little Alice in Wonderland retelling somewhere down the line. I am all on board no matter what direction that Christina choose to go. I love reading her worlds of fictional fantasy and paranormal reality.

This was easy to read, relate to, follow along, and find friends with the great characters and the fantastic world building.

[Meredith is a hot mess]

Nts: purchased on Amazon today; it's free on Kindle

[Anatl · Rating 4 out of 5]

First of all, thanks to NetGalley and Monster House Books for sharing this lovely arc with me in exchange my honest thoughts. Christina Bauer is a new discovery for me. I did not expect to like this book as much as I did. Usually find fairytale retelling alluring but often disappointing, its often very hard to keep the familiar parts that we love about the tale while making it fresh and this was very much lighthearted fun.

I dived into the fourth book of the series without knowing to much about it, and to my surprise the story seems to stand by its own. This takes place in a world where fae, elves, shifters, and wizards co exist alongside humans, and there are fairytale templates that dictate our hero and heroine's lives. Alec and Elle have the decks stacked very much against them, their respective parents or guardians will do anything to keep them apart. They also become good friends who try to deny their feelings and resist the story mold they are forced into. This reminded me a little of Indexing by Seanan McGuire where storybook narratives take over the character's lives against their will.

Triumphing over adversity is a given in any Cinderella retelling but the way there counts even more. Elle is snarky, defiant and far from helpless, she has some magic, mainly summoning her trusted mouse Gustav, and an income a a jewel retriever. Alec also has a lot to contend with. As an heir to a big jewelry chain he has many responsibilities and a high public profile. And it seems that to keep the business going he will have to sacrifice his happiness and enter a loveless marriage with one of Elle's step sisters.

I've had minor complaints some deus ex machina solutions to some of the plot's tight corners, but the author cleverly suggested a third interest party who aids and abets. I am looking forward to the next installment telling Jackoby's the dark elf story. And I really appreciated the acknowledgment page that acknowledges the reader who got there.


#SlippersAndThieves #NetGalley

[anie · Rating 5 out of 5]

If there is such a thing as a perfect Cinderella story, this might just be the book. :)

Elle is no pushover Cinderella. With everything that life throws her way, she gets up, finds a way and fights on. She is warder of the fae, fairy without wings, a jewel thief and one hell of a character. :)

Three years ago, when she was just 15 years old, her mother started to get very sick. Knowing her life will follow the Cinderella template, she knows what comes next. Her mother will die and she will get an evil stepmother. But she is not a bystander. To make money, so she will have the means to escape, she retrieves stolen properties and returns them for a reward. It is an easy way to be independent, especially with her special little helpers.

Now she is 18. She and Alex are getting closer but, but she is not ready to open her heart and it's like the entire world is against them. There is an evil plot to keep them far apart and will take everything they have, to win.

It's one of those spelling books that take you by storm. From start to finish I was pulled into the world of fairytale templates & magic. The world and the characters are so vivid, they just jump out of the pages and I felt like I was there in the middle of the action. Also, the side characters were one of the best parts of the story, Gustav, Jacoby and The Queen of Hearts were my favorites.

The pace intensifies, till the last part, when it all comes together in an epic ending. I can't wait for the next one. :)

I've wanted to read Elle's story since the first book in the series and was not disappointed. It's my favorite in the series so far.

received from Xpresso Book Tours

[Ama · Rating 2 out of 5]

***I received an uncorrected proof of this ebook from netgalley in exchange for an honest review***

This is an extremely interesting concept: magical beings living out fairytale templates. Elle is a jewel un-thief, rescuing stolen goods and returning them to their rightful owners for the low cost of their offered rewards. She is also a Cinderella life template, meaning she is destined to live out the Cinderella-story.

This book started out really strong. I was hooked by the interesting premise from the start. However, the time skips were rather jarring. The transitions could have been eased in a little more... I was left with a bit of whiplash. I believe these time periods covered events in the previous books in this series. However, every individual novel should be *able* to stand on its own. Some sort of recap should have happened because it honestly read like someone ripped a few chapters from the book. Even if I had read Bryer's arc, I read so much that is highly likely I would have forgotten much of it by the time I reached this book.

The writing could use some fleshing out: generally more descriptive details and some more adjectives all around. Much of the text was direct action and dialogue... which isn't exactly bad but left me wanting more. There were too many side characters that weren’t given enough personality/story to make them memorable. I was constantly wondering “wait who is that again?” and had to search. Unfortunately, there were a fair amount of typos and mis-names in this book.

[Nancy (The Avid Reader) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Many years ago Elle first lost her mother then her dad remarried and then she lost her dad then her evil step-mother locked her in the basement taking over the family business. But this evil step-mother knew nothing about Elle’s magic so therefore she was able to escape with the help of her little friend.

Now Elle attends high school at West Lake Prep where humans mix with witches, shifters and fairies hiding away from her evil step-family. To help make ends meet Elle hunts stolen or missing jewelry for payment.

At West Lake Elle meets the charming Alec Le Charme the heir to the Le Charme dynasty of high-end jewelers whom she has an instant crush on but with curses on both of their heads a love affair between these two is off limits, if so much as a little kiss passes between them then it could result in a war between witches and wizards.

I loved the twist on the Cinderella story in Slippers And Thieves and adding magic was a special nice twist on the story along with all the action and romance. I also like that it has more than one paranormal creature like shifters, fairies and witches.

The characters are all great and I really loved Elle with her snarky comments and how she went after what she wanted. I liked her little friend the mouse.

I definitely recommend Slippers And Thieves to all fans of the magical world and fairy tale re-tellings.

[Brandi Wolfertz · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved erything about this retelling of Cinderella!! Elle is by far so much more and I absolutely loved getting into her story. And Alec? Oh man, that boy is so much more than just a pretty face. I loved the little references but also it had its own spin. And the ending???? I can't wait to see what comes next!!

[Larissa Hinton · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I have to say, I enjoyed this book, but there were a few problems that I will address. I guess we will start off with the good stuff.

The characters, especially Elle, were great. I bonded with Elle pretty quickly, but Alec just wasn’t for me. I rooted for Elle and Alec but only because I wanted Elle to defeat the system. Other than that, meh. For half of the book I didn’t buy their love story until near the end. I have a couple of ideas why but I’ll get to that later. I enjoyed Bry and Knox. I wish we could have seen them in the book more and I think the author tried to, but there was just so much stuff going on. The villains and their plots were good. I enjoyed Queen of Hearts immensely. Again, I wish I could have seen more of her as well.

The second positive is the world building. It is a very believable world and I liked how it clearly separates the real world from the magic world. The different types of magical creatures and how they worked together was interesting.

Here are the problems I had with this book.

The plot pacing was all over the place for me. Part of the reason why was the jumping in time. Good on the author for making it clear of the time jumps, but it really threw me off as the reader. Like months, weeks, and years would pass and it just threw me all over the place. Also I think this is why I didn’t buy the relationship between Alec and Elle.

A whole year passes with them spending time together as 17year olds and neither one of them states how they feel? It’s a bit of a stretch to me.

And all of this stuff happens within this time frame that really doesn’t get explained. One clear examples of this is the development of relationships that jump from strangers to best friends or even from strangers to boyfriend/girlfriend within a flip of the page.

It just happens too quickly for me to keep up with. The author tries to fill in the gap with information dumps, but it just slows the plot down. I just wish the author would just walk us through those time gaps. I know that the author has other plans for books in that gap, but it just leaves us with so many questions without any answers. It’s just frustrating as a reader.

The last problem I had with this book were the typos. I am not usually the queen of marking up a book because of typos but there were quite a few. Namely near the end of the book it would state Elle and I when clearly it was written in Elle’s perspective. There was also the misspell of Elven magic (spelled like Eleven). I usually let them by since I know it is hard to catch, but they just kept duplicating like bunnies near the end. It took me right out of the story multiple times. I hope the author and editor will go back and fix those errors.

Overall, I enjoyed this book. There were some good twists and the characters are wonderful. However, there are some serious issues at play. Hopefully, the author will fix it. I would still recommend it and I think I might read the next book. It has Jacoby in there, how can I resist a good dark elf story?

[Librow0rm Christine · Rating 3 out of 5]

Firstly thank you to Netgalley and Monster House Books for giving me the opportunity to review the e-arc for Slippers and Thieves in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

The fourth book in the Magicorum series, but definitely not a series you have to read to have a clue what's going on. I haven't read the other books, but I still fell into this story and didn't have any concerns or gaps from not having read the previous three.
Christina Bauer provided a totally new set up for Cinderella, Elle is definitely no Disney princess waiting to be saved. She has wit, guile, brains and a closeknit set of friends who are there for her. In this YA Fantasy retelling of Cinderella you get other fairytale characters and not one of them fits the modern 20th century stereotype of a fairytale, but nor do you get the Grimm from Grimm's fairytales. What you do get is definitely 21st century, save yourself and stop waiting around for things to happen, make them happen.

You also get a whole bundle of other tales thrown into the mix, Sleeping Beauty and Alice in Wonderland, and more. The story is a fun romp that throws in intrigue, mystery, and a whole bunch of messy adventures. In Elle's world humans and magic live alongside each other and rather than someone asking you your star sign, they ask what's your fairytale template?

Our Prince isn't some wet carbon copy, he's funny, clever, thoughtful and pretty much any teen's ideal boyfriend...and of course he does have that edge of wit and naughtiness that means your parents will not be quite sure about him!

We also get elves, Faery Land, Trolls, magic, and of course the wicked step-mother...but this time she's got help. All round a great fun romp that was so easy to read in one sitting and that transports you away from the real world. I'm definitely going to be looking up more Christina Bauer books as I really enjoyed this one and I'm looking forward to the next chapter in Alec and Elle's adventure in Bandits and Ballgowns.

And the character of Marchesa on the new cover so reminds me of a young Helena Bonham Carter!

[Shreya Vijay · Rating 5 out of 5]

Slippers & Thieves is a fresh retelling of the classic Cinderella fairy tale. The novel outlines the story of Elle who is the warden of Fae magic & Alec, who is the warden of wizards & enchanters. Both of them fell in love, but as one says, everyone loves to hate a happy pair of lovebirds. That is what happened to Elle & Alec. Alec's parents along with Elle's steps conspire to tear them apart. Will they succeed? Well, that's what this book tells you.

I have to admit, when I first picked the book, I was expecting it to be like all other Cinderelle retellings. The female lead would be moping around & the male lead would be living a life of misery. But I am so glad I was wrong. I won't go itnto much details but this book was a fresh (and much needed) abberration from the cliché retellings. The novel begins 3 years into the past where the story actually began & then we come across the present times. Also, the novel introduced so many different characters like weres, fairies, elves & vampires. You name it, this book got it.

I really liked how the author brought about a tinge of Fantasy & presented a mixture of some classic fairy tales like Alice in Wonderland, Snow white & of course, Cinderella. The language was comprehensive & graphic. The book had me biting my nails in anticipation of what would happen next. The book instigated in me, a plethora of emotions and I could feel myself INSIDE the novel.

The story line had a lull since the very beginning & it drew me in like a mother drawn to a flame. The characters were phenomenal. They seemed real. Elle was head strong & she knew what she wanted. Alec was also not the one to be pushed around. Even the supporting characters were so well penned.

I would recommend this book to all the people who wish to read something out of the box.

"𝑻𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒌𝒔 𝒕𝒐 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒂𝒖𝒕𝒉𝒐𝒓 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒑𝒓𝒐𝒗𝒊𝒅𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒂 𝒓𝒆𝒗𝒊𝒆𝒘 𝒄𝒐𝒑𝒚 𝒊𝒏 𝒆𝒙𝒄𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒈𝒆 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒂𝒏 𝒉𝒐𝒏𝒆𝒔𝒕 𝒓𝒆𝒗𝒊𝒆𝒘."

[bookishy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Slippers and Thieves by Christina Bauer is a part of the Magicorum series. It’s a modern retelling of Cinderella but with a couple of twists.

I really enjoyed the worldbuilding and the idea that every person in the Magicorum has their own fairytale template (meaning that their lives will go according to a certain fairytale). I think that was a brilliant idea, and that was my favourite part of the book. Also, I liked how the author combined the human world with the magical one – in this book they manage to coexist without secrecy, and I really enjoyed that since usually in books one world is a secret.

I rather liked the character, though we only got to know Alec and Elle. I liked how Elle wasn’t a typical Cinderella waiting for the prince to save her – ever since she knew she a Cinderella template she took matters into her own hands, and I admire her character for that. Elle always fought for herself, and she is a great main character. Alec was really charming like a prince should be. I wish we had more information about Bry and Knox since they were also an important part of the story, but they only functioned as help in some plot holes. I was rather disappointed that some holes in the plot were covered up in a really simple way, and that some parts were only mentioned (for example some of the adventures that were rather important were mentioned in the only sentence).

To conclude, I really admire the way in which the author presented the fairytales, and I loved the worldbuilding. The idea for the story was a great one, but I think that the book could have been longer so the plot wasn’t so fast. I had a feeling that there were a lot of shortcuts in the storytelling. And I liked the characters though I wish we knew more about them.

An eArc was given to me via NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion.

[Kay · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have a lot of mixed feelings on this book; to me it’s definitely not worth a 5 star rating. Don’t get me wrong this is quite a good story for an alternative take on the cinderella story. It follows Elle Cynder who is the daughter of Raelyn and Declan Cynder, eventually, step daughter of Marchesa Cynder and step sister to Agatha and Ivy Cynder. And it also follows Alec Le Charm, son of Diamond and Legend Le Charm. The story takes place in New York and has people like Alec and Elle who have magic or in other words are part of Magicorum; Fae, Elves, Trolls, Shapshifters, Vampires, Werewolfs, etc. The Magicorum live in the same world as humans though so they nave to be careful about using their magic. Certain magicorum like Elle and Alec have what they call a ‘template’ that kicks in when they turn 18, in this case we get to follow Elle and Alec’s template which is Cinderella obviously. A few things in this story do bother me though, it’s got a lot of disney type characters like for example Bryar Rose whose template is obviously sleeping beauty’s story, but she falls in love with a werewolf and is a werewolf herself??? Never knew sleeping beauty was secretly a werewolf! Then there are dwarves who work for the Le Charm family, dwarves that are meant to be in a snow white template mind you, but aside from some stories mixing lets talk about all the grammatical mistakes in this book like how they kept mixing up the names of characters it’d have Elle talking to Elle instead of Elle talking to Bryar and then i dont think i found any misspelled words in here but throughout thr book there were full words just missing from sentences so quite often you’d have to go back and reread sentences to figure out the missing word or replace the wrong name with the right name and while that is easy enough to do it’s seriously annoying, I mean I know books have mistakes especially ebooks but never have I read a book with so many mistakes and barely any that had so many missing words! All in all the story was truly good, but because of those few things I listed; the mistakes and stories mixing with other stories I am giving this book a 3.5 rating.

[Kristen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm going to try to go a little easy on some aspects of this book, because it is the fourth in a series, and I did not read the first three.

That said, I enjoyed this book, but there were some flaws. I didn't feel like the relationship between Elle and Alec really had anything behind it. Maybe that's because it all takes place in previous books, but I can't help but feel that this is their book, and the romance was pretty boring. I actually enjoyed the first part of the book, which took place in the past, way more than the parts that took place in the present.

The other hurdle is that there is SO MUCH missing from this book, even as foundational information. I can forgive the big world things not getting explanations, that's fine. But the stuff pertaining directly to Alec and Elle I feel really should have been there. Like, their relationships with their best friends. Or what they were doing in Egypt. Who are these ancillary characters the book talks about as if we should know because they are important to Alec and Elle, but the book doesn't actually explain.

I think this book was pretty good, and had a lot that I could have really enjoyed, but it sounds like maybe all the interesting stuff happened in a pervious book, and that is just... not good. I can't really say how I would have fixed that without reading the other books, which I think I may read at least the first, but I do think that if this is supposed to be the "big romantic book for Elle and Alec" it should actually have some big romance.

[Lenni Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've been a huge Elle+Alec fan for a while now. The two of them have always been funny together, and I just wanted Elle to get her happily every after. That's why I was so excited for this book! My expectations were blown out of the way as Christina Bauer went above and beyond all the other books in this series. I could not have enjoyed this book more!

Alec and Elle are so perfect for each other and so easy to explain. Alec is the funny and sweet guy who isn't afraid to tell Elle how he felt. I was amazed that he would be so determined to find Elle again after their first encounter. He was so sweet, I just wanted to grab him and hug him forever. Elle is not as open and the cover pretty much sums up her personality. Rebellious, spunky, and a bit closed off. Watching her barriers fall around Alec was one of the most exciting things to read.

I loved how Christina Bauer gave Alec and Elle a background. I got to meet other sides to them that weren't shown in the other books. It seems like Elle had the ideal parents, and I'm sad they fell prey to the Cinderella template. Alec's home life was less than ideal, and I was sad that a guy like him had to deal with that. The thing that made this book so great was how they could overcome that, outsmart others, and stick together.

Overall, I think this has been the best book in the series yet, which makes me so excited for the next Elle + Alec book. Hopefully there will be more adventure, romance, and happiness for these two.

[Tina · Rating 3 out of 5]

First off Let me say I feel cheated by this gorgeous cover. Who is this regal queen?? I must know her story! As far as I can tell it's not anyone in this book. What I thought I was getting was an epic Cinderella retelling. What I got was a little more like a middle-grade fairytale retelling. I won't say this book was awful because it wasn't I was able to get all the way through but it was much more juvenile than I expected. That might not be a bad thing for most readers.
My other issue as some stated you can defiantly read this as a stand-alone as I did. The author does slyly fill you in on what happened in other books BUT There are large pieces missing. Like in the middle of the book, it seems like the crew of friends goes off on an adventure hunting zombies in Egypt. (No idea why this book doesn't say.) So there is a whole book that fits in the middle of this story.
Also, I'm not sure I understood the motivation of all of the adults in this book. Ok, so they were all disappointed in love with each other. Does that mean you try and torture, kill and brainwash teenagers? Does that mean that you want your only child in a loveless marriage at all costs? Unless it's something to do with being in a fairytale template. UNSURE.
Like I said I did enjoy parts of this book. There were a few humorous parts. Maybe the issue is I'm not a middle school reader.

[Katarina · Rating 2 out of 5]

Read this as part of the Magicorum #1-#5 collection, which I received by the publisher through NetGalley for review purposes.

I have to admit that I read all 5 books in one weekend, so obviously the series got me hooked to the point that I didn't want to put it down.
I really enjoyed the plot of the first 3 books a lot. The 4th one I didn't like very much. The writing style was so different: choppy, disjointed, yet repetitive for the first part, and moving way too fast, while spending time on uninteresting events, and glossing over parts that would have made a great story. For example, events in Egypt are barely mentioned in passing, but are referred to in other books of the series. If something is important enough to be mentioned several times in other parts of the series, then it should be important enough to actually be in the series.

But what bothers me so much, that I take 2 stars right off the top, is the lack of editing. I am shocked that these books even made it to the publishing stage, because of the massive amount of typos, plot errors, surplus or missing words, and wrong names used.
I lost count, but I submitted easily a dozen mistakes per book. It is annoying, and irritating. Do neither the author, nor the publisher care enough to do even a simple proofreading? Many of these would have been caught by a simple spell check....

[Mrs. Kenyon · Rating 4 out of 5]

It has been years since Elle’s parent’s died and she ran away from her stepmother to live her own life in New York City. Elle tries her best to forget about what she went through and she even attends West Lake Prep, a high school where regular humans and Magicorum study side by side. Elle knows she is a Cinderella template and that she is destined to not marry her true love. When Elle falls for Alec, she quickly discovers that her stepfamily already has plans for one of the stepsisters to marry Alec and he is off-limits. It is even thought that if Alec and Elle so much as kiss … a group of witches and wizards would go to war. They try really hard to stay friends, but with curses and prophecies in the mix, who know where they will end up.

Slippers and Thieves is the fourth book in the Fairy Tales of the Magicorum series. Although there are overlapping storylines and characters with the other books in the series, this tale can be read and enjoyed all by itself. With that said, if readers go back to the other stories, they may have some spoilers. Bauer has once again created a story that was fun and fast with some backstabbing and friendship building throughout. I enjoyed this book and can’t wait for Bandits and Ball Gowns, slotted to be released in November 2020.

[Odette Swan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the third book in the wonderful Fairy Tales of the Magicorum series. In the first two books, we get a glimpse into Elle and Alec’s feelings for each other, however in this book we get to learn more about these amazing characters. Christina starts with each character’s early life, which helps the reader to understand more of the characters personalities. Flash forward and we get to see our characters pick up where the last book left off. I laughed, I cried, and I screamed with delight on how this book played out.

It is told from Elle and Alec’s POV’s, which helps the reader see more of the story through their eyes. You will be introduced to old characters and new characters, who you will recognize from beloved fairy tales. In my opinion, this is one of the most gripping retellings of Cinderella, that I have ever read! Plus, I get to see all the fairy tale characters I know and love in a new light! If you love fairy tales, retellings, and magic than you need to start this series as soon as possible!

Go on a journey to watch the romance blossom between Elle and Alec my friends!

[Nicole · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! Another great read in the Magicorum world! Told from points of view of Elle and Alec, we see how they build their relationship from the moment they met. Neither could forget about the other, but tragedy affects one and a curse affects the other. We also see the return of old characters and get introduced to some new ones. Elle knows she is Cinderella and is keeping a major secret, for if anyone knew, she would be in great danger. Elle decides to take fate into her own hands and not be helpless or wait for prince charming. Alec is the heir and wants true love, unlike all the previous Le Charme marriages, for he is a warden and they need their mates. Alec knows Elle is the one for him, bu getting her to see it, proves to be a challenge. Alec makes plans to spend as much time with Elle as possible, but there are forces at work to keep them apart and prevent them from having a happily ever after. Desperate times call for desperate measures. Alec and Elle need to realize their love before it is too late.
I received this novel from net galley and the publisher. Thank you! All thoughts and opinions are my own.

[Lydia Timpson · Rating 2 out of 5]

I don't want to be mean as Ms Bauer herself seems really lovely but I felt this book was a bit of a mess.
The characters are great, I love Elle and Alec, Knox and Bry. They are all such great personalities with a good strong bond.
But the plot was all over the place. Bits contradicted other books and the reasoning behind actions of sone characters just plain didn't make sense.
Then there was the jumping over adventures. Now I haven't read the entire series so I have no idea if these adventures are written about in earlier books but there should be more than "we did just that when we went to Egypt and broke the curse last week."
Like... What? All the potential story and action summed up in a few words.
The fairy tale templates thing seemed such a great idea but with all the caveats and addendums the ending had such little in common with their original story that template seems irrelevant.

[Mutated Reviewer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Has it really been two years since I read the third book in this series? It doesn't feel like it's been that long. Either way, I'm back reviewing another one just in time for the new one to come out in November!! I'm so excited. I love these books because they're so delightfully cartoony in the best way possible. The characters are kick ass with their powers and just their lives in general, and this book is no exception to that rule. I had a lot of fun reading this, and I can't wait to start the next one in a couple weeks.

Check out my full review here!

https://radioactivebookreviews.wordpr...

[Alex Nonymous · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thanks to the publisher for providing an electronic review copy of Slippers and Thieves in exchange for an honest review.

I didn't read the other 3 Magicorum books before this one because I heard it wasn't needed and it was still really, really easy to follow everything that was going on. I don't think you can read them entirely out of order (for example, it sounds like #4 and #5 definitely need to be read in sequence) but its fine to start at this one.

This was fun! Slippers and Thieves and its narration is a quick Cinderella retelling that never feels like it takes itself too seriously. It's insta-lovey to the extreme, the characters are archetypes, and the plot is predictable, but I think that's okay in a retelling. This isn't groundbreaking but not all books need to be.

[Brandy Mulder · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved seeing more of Elle's story! I recommend reading the first 3 books but it's not necessary. They are more focused on Elle's best friend but they give more depth to Elle and Alec and their world if you read them first.
Poor Elle really got the short end of the stick with her fairy tale template but she's determined to make her own future and does it with a vengeance. When the queen of hearts and the Cheshire cat get involved Elle and Alec have to work together to get the queen's help before it's too late. Alec's parents are determined to force Alec into doing things their way no matter what the cost and the cost starts to get higher and higher.

[Nikki · Rating 4 out of 5]

Slippers And Thieves (Fairy Tales of the Magicorum #4) by Christina Bauer
Publisher: Monster House Books
Genre: Sci Fi & Fantasy | Teens & YA
Release Date: November 26, 2019

Slippers And Thieves is the fourth book in the Fairy Tales of the Magicorum series by Christina Bauer. I had not read the previous books in the series, but I definitely will be!

Slippers and Thieves is a fascinating retelling of the fairy tale Cinderella. It is filled with paranormal goodness, forbidden love, and a masquerade ball! Loved it!

I'm so grateful to Christina Bauer, Monster House Books, and NetGalley for providing me with a free copy of this ARC ebook in exchange for my honest review.