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Cinders & Ashes #1
Cinders & Ashes: Book One
A Gay Retelling of Cinderella.
A human prince and a half-blood Fae meet their match in one another. Will they be soulmates or sworn enemies?
Finn Ashton is cursed with ancient Fae blood. Once upon a time, to be a Fae was a blessing, but after Fae murdered the human king and queen, now all who show Fae magic risk exile or death. Finn lives in hiding with his cruel stepfather and stepbrothers, who offer protection in exchange for Finn acting as a servant at his own estate.
Prince Rohan is blessed with a crown, but must save his kingdom from ruin. With his own lands languishing since the loss of Fae magic, a match with another human royal may be his people’s salvation. But Rohan has always dreamed of marrying for love, like his parents.
One day, battling monsters in the woods, Rohan stumbles upon a strange young commoner, Finn, who offers him something no royal ever can: true love. But will the secrets that Finn and Rohan keep from one another threaten the love they have, or even turn them into sworn enemies?
NOTE: THIS NOVELLA SERIES HAS CLIFFHANGERS! EVERY BOOK WILL END ON ONE. THAT'S MY NATURAL WRITING STYLE. IF YOU DO NOT LIKE CLIFFHANGERS, WAIT UNTIL THE WHOLE SERIES IS PUBLISHED TO READ. THANKS FOR THE SUPPORT!
A human prince and a half-blood Fae meet their match in one another. Will they be soulmates or sworn enemies?
Finn Ashton is cursed with ancient Fae blood. Once upon a time, to be a Fae was a blessing, but after Fae murdered the human king and queen, now all who show Fae magic risk exile or death. Finn lives in hiding with his cruel stepfather and stepbrothers, who offer protection in exchange for Finn acting as a servant at his own estate.
Prince Rohan is blessed with a crown, but must save his kingdom from ruin. With his own lands languishing since the loss of Fae magic, a match with another human royal may be his people’s salvation. But Rohan has always dreamed of marrying for love, like his parents.
One day, battling monsters in the woods, Rohan stumbles upon a strange young commoner, Finn, who offers him something no royal ever can: true love. But will the secrets that Finn and Rohan keep from one another threaten the love they have, or even turn them into sworn enemies?
NOTE: THIS NOVELLA SERIES HAS CLIFFHANGERS! EVERY BOOK WILL END ON ONE. THAT'S MY NATURAL WRITING STYLE. IF YOU DO NOT LIKE CLIFFHANGERS, WAIT UNTIL THE WHOLE SERIES IS PUBLISHED TO READ. THANKS FOR THE SUPPORT!
6 pages, Audible Audio
First published August 20, 2020
242 people are currently reading
1808 people want to read
About the author
X. Aratare
94 books719 followersX. Aratare is the pseudonym for Raythe Reign's Gay(M/M) books.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 109 reviews
February 18, 2021
4.5 stars!
So, I actually finished this Sunday night, but there was a power outage where I live and it only came back this evening, so almost 2 days without power, and I had to preserve my battery on my phone and laptop as much as possible.
I still don’t even have the WiFi back, I’m using my data on my phone, so as soon as I get my WiFi back I’ll write a proper review for this book.
So, RTC.....
*
So! Yesterday my wifi came back for a few hours, then went out again for the rest of the day, and now it's back, and hopefully its for good. So onto the review!
So I was mistaken and actually thought this had three books in the series, and I saw that the third was coming out pretty soon this month, so I thought "I'll read the first book and then I won't have long to wait for the last book" well...turns out this has five books coming lol. So while I really enjoyed this and SO want to read more because of that cliffhanger, I'm gonna hold off until the last two books come out, which will be months at this point.
But for this first book, for what it was, it was so great, I loved it. I gave .5 stars off because of a fairly slow beginning. It was a little hard for me to get into, a little boring, but by 20% it really picked up and was in this.
This is pretty loosely adapted to Cinderella. Because in this, they live in a world with humans and Fae, and there is a huge glass like wall separating where the humans live to where the Fae live, because apparently 20 years prior, the Fae king killed the human King and Queen for reasons unknown, and a wall was put up because of the now bad blood between Fae and humans.
Finn is half-Fae, half-human, and is in the role of Cinderella, as he is treated like dirt by his stepfather and stepbrothers, as they know he is half-fae, but the don't tell anyone because they like to use his Fae powers for their benefit. Finn stays because the manor where they live belongs to his mother, who died when he was 5, and he doesn't want to give it up.
Finn is a kind-hearted, sweet and gentle man, who also has a hidden backbone we get to see come out eventually with his stepbrother.
On the other hand, we have Rohan, King Rohan, son fo the Queen and King who were murdered, and it is easy to say it's understandable how he feels about Fae because of that.
Rohan is also, a kind person. He cares about his people and wants to do right by them, and doesn't like the pomp and circumstance of being King and likes to treat others as equals.
And on the human side of the wall, the land is dying, and because animals in the forest like wolves are losing food because of that, Rohan goes into the woods to kill them - because the woods also make them monster like, for some reason - to save people's food, because people are starving all over the land, and so the monster like wolves, normal not that way, could hurt people.
But while on one of these trips, a lot of wolves attack, and Rohan gets separated from his uncle and his guards, and when a hug white wolf, obviously a Fae wolf, comes, things just get worse, and Rohan gets knocked off his horse and dragged away, knocked out.
Meanwhile Finn is supposed to get a rare day off from doing the chores for his step-family, although his stepbrother still makes him get herbs for him in the forest, so Finn just has that one thing to do before he gets the rest of the day off.
So he's in the woods gathering those herbs when along come Rohan being dragged by his horse, and Finn helps Rohan. And when it starts to rain, Finn takes Rohan to a small little dilapidated cabin in the woods to stay dry and safe.
These two have an instant connection. I loved these two from the start, the chemistry was just perfect and even though it was just one afternoon, basically, of these two knowing each other, I could believe that they already had such strong feelings.
When they part, they have plans to meet up again the following day, because they can't stay away from each other. Only, Rohan didn't tell Finn that he's the king, so Finn is under the impression that Rohan is just a lord - with the same name as the king - and Finn didn't tell Rohan what estate he's a servant at or that he's half-fae, so there's some secrets between these two, big secrets that will be interesting to see how they find out and what will happen.
This does end on quite the cliffhanger, so I would say to wait until all the books are out, unless you don't mind the cliffhangers.
And Finn and Rohan's romance is just getting started, because there was so much happening outside of their romance as well, with the Fae vs. humans thing and other factors as well. I'm excited to see where the story goes and this was as strong first showing for me from this author. I'll just have to wait until all 5 books are out.
But overall, this was an awesome first installment and I definitely recommend. Pausing with this series only because I want to be able to read it all at once, once all 5 books come out. Otherwise I'd be onto the next one so dang fast!
Two massive thumbs up from me! <3
So, I actually finished this Sunday night, but there was a power outage where I live and it only came back this evening, so almost 2 days without power, and I had to preserve my battery on my phone and laptop as much as possible.
I still don’t even have the WiFi back, I’m using my data on my phone, so as soon as I get my WiFi back I’ll write a proper review for this book.
So, RTC.....
*
So! Yesterday my wifi came back for a few hours, then went out again for the rest of the day, and now it's back, and hopefully its for good. So onto the review!
So I was mistaken and actually thought this had three books in the series, and I saw that the third was coming out pretty soon this month, so I thought "I'll read the first book and then I won't have long to wait for the last book" well...turns out this has five books coming lol. So while I really enjoyed this and SO want to read more because of that cliffhanger, I'm gonna hold off until the last two books come out, which will be months at this point.
But for this first book, for what it was, it was so great, I loved it. I gave .5 stars off because of a fairly slow beginning. It was a little hard for me to get into, a little boring, but by 20% it really picked up and was in this.
This is pretty loosely adapted to Cinderella. Because in this, they live in a world with humans and Fae, and there is a huge glass like wall separating where the humans live to where the Fae live, because apparently 20 years prior, the Fae king killed the human King and Queen for reasons unknown, and a wall was put up because of the now bad blood between Fae and humans.
Finn is half-Fae, half-human, and is in the role of Cinderella, as he is treated like dirt by his stepfather and stepbrothers, as they know he is half-fae, but the don't tell anyone because they like to use his Fae powers for their benefit. Finn stays because the manor where they live belongs to his mother, who died when he was 5, and he doesn't want to give it up.
Finn is a kind-hearted, sweet and gentle man, who also has a hidden backbone we get to see come out eventually with his stepbrother.
On the other hand, we have Rohan, King Rohan, son fo the Queen and King who were murdered, and it is easy to say it's understandable how he feels about Fae because of that.
Rohan is also, a kind person. He cares about his people and wants to do right by them, and doesn't like the pomp and circumstance of being King and likes to treat others as equals.
And on the human side of the wall, the land is dying, and because animals in the forest like wolves are losing food because of that, Rohan goes into the woods to kill them - because the woods also make them monster like, for some reason - to save people's food, because people are starving all over the land, and so the monster like wolves, normal not that way, could hurt people.
But while on one of these trips, a lot of wolves attack, and Rohan gets separated from his uncle and his guards, and when a hug white wolf, obviously a Fae wolf, comes, things just get worse, and Rohan gets knocked off his horse and dragged away, knocked out.
Meanwhile Finn is supposed to get a rare day off from doing the chores for his step-family, although his stepbrother still makes him get herbs for him in the forest, so Finn just has that one thing to do before he gets the rest of the day off.
So he's in the woods gathering those herbs when along come Rohan being dragged by his horse, and Finn helps Rohan. And when it starts to rain, Finn takes Rohan to a small little dilapidated cabin in the woods to stay dry and safe.
These two have an instant connection. I loved these two from the start, the chemistry was just perfect and even though it was just one afternoon, basically, of these two knowing each other, I could believe that they already had such strong feelings.
When they part, they have plans to meet up again the following day, because they can't stay away from each other. Only, Rohan didn't tell Finn that he's the king, so Finn is under the impression that Rohan is just a lord - with the same name as the king - and Finn didn't tell Rohan what estate he's a servant at or that he's half-fae, so there's some secrets between these two, big secrets that will be interesting to see how they find out and what will happen.
This does end on quite the cliffhanger, so I would say to wait until all the books are out, unless you don't mind the cliffhangers.
And Finn and Rohan's romance is just getting started, because there was so much happening outside of their romance as well, with the Fae vs. humans thing and other factors as well. I'm excited to see where the story goes and this was as strong first showing for me from this author. I'll just have to wait until all 5 books are out.
But overall, this was an awesome first installment and I definitely recommend. Pausing with this series only because I want to be able to read it all at once, once all 5 books come out. Otherwise I'd be onto the next one so dang fast!
Two massive thumbs up from me! <3
October 21, 2024
***Currently Reading***
series progress: finished book 3 of 6
What a wild ride this is so far. I love it!!
Fae, magic, secrets, hidden identities, enemies, lovers and family bonds.
*Taking a little break now before I go on with book four.
series progress: finished book 3 of 6
What a wild ride this is so far. I love it!!
Fae, magic, secrets, hidden identities, enemies, lovers and family bonds.
*Taking a little break now before I go on with book four.
March 3, 2024
Audio: 4.5 stars Edward Fox is a new narrator to me, and he did a great job with all the male characters….when he had to do the female voices they left a lot to be desired 😂
Book: 4.5 stars
I enjoyed this a lot more than I thought I would. It’s a quick read, but you are hooked from the first page. Don’t want to give much away since it’s like one long book broken up in to six parts. All I have to say is gay Cinderella retelling with Fae!
While it is known that all books will end in cliffhangers I could see this one coming. I can’t wait to jump in to book 2 with Finn and Rohan!
And can I say I hope some romance or at least a bromance blooms with Leonid and Serxio haha!
Book: 4.5 stars
I enjoyed this a lot more than I thought I would. It’s a quick read, but you are hooked from the first page. Don’t want to give much away since it’s like one long book broken up in to six parts. All I have to say is gay Cinderella retelling with Fae!
While it is known that all books will end in cliffhangers I could see this one coming. I can’t wait to jump in to book 2 with Finn and Rohan!
And can I say I hope some romance or at least a bromance blooms with Leonid and Serxio haha!
December 10, 2020
So good, Finn is half fae and and is suppose to be outlawed where he lives. Did I mention he is suppose to be the head of his house but his evil stepfather and stepbrothers are holding his secret and blackmailing 😡 him so he is treated as a servant in his own home. King Rohan who's parents were killed by the fae King many years ago has become enamored by Finn who has no clue that Finn half fae!!! The story takes some interesting turns to keep you turning the pages as fast as possible. On to the next book, yeah!!! 🤗
October 14, 2022
This was actually really good. I wasn't sure about the Cinderella stuff but it was very well written, I liked Finn and Rohan, could see potential in some side characters (hopefully even Christofer) and there is a great world buildup. I think we still have much to learn about what is going on. Great beginning to a series, going for book #2.
July 18, 2021
3.5
Once upon a time in a land far far away an author went for a deconstruction of Cinderella and turned it into a gay fantasy tale … so we have Finn as the poor orphan who suffers from his stepfather and his 2 stepbrothers but there is no fairy godmother, no ball, no glass slipper and Prince Charming is already King of a slowly failing country. Both meet in a dark, cursed forest where Finn rescues Rohan and they make the best out of their time at the cabin in the woods during a downpour. In this version Finn doesn't know Rohan to be the king and Rohan although knowing that Finn is only a servant doesn't know that he's also half-Fae. So they both keep their secrets but care about each other quite quickly.
The fantasy setup is promising with Rohan's country bordering to the land of the Fae but is separated by a huge, indestructible glass wall. The Fae king himself has summoned that wall after he supposedly killed Rohan's parents. Since then the life is draining out of the kingdom and Rohan might be forced to marry into the rich neighboring kingdoms to save his country.
So while the original fairytale is still recognizable Cinders & Ashes is no doubt Fantasy. Unfortunately the main characters are still fairytale-like one-dimensional: Rohan the brave young ruler, fair and good to his bones, Finn the innocent victim to a troubled past and despite his magic abilities broken down to a nearly doormat attitude.
Hope the author finds a way to add more layers to those black and white characters because I really have to see how's life on the other side of the wall and if my guess about the real villain is right.
Once upon a time in a land far far away an author went for a deconstruction of Cinderella and turned it into a gay fantasy tale … so we have Finn as the poor orphan who suffers from his stepfather and his 2 stepbrothers but there is no fairy godmother, no ball, no glass slipper and Prince Charming is already King of a slowly failing country. Both meet in a dark, cursed forest where Finn rescues Rohan and they make the best out of their time at the cabin in the woods during a downpour. In this version Finn doesn't know Rohan to be the king and Rohan although knowing that Finn is only a servant doesn't know that he's also half-Fae. So they both keep their secrets but care about each other quite quickly.
The fantasy setup is promising with Rohan's country bordering to the land of the Fae but is separated by a huge, indestructible glass wall. The Fae king himself has summoned that wall after he supposedly killed Rohan's parents. Since then the life is draining out of the kingdom and Rohan might be forced to marry into the rich neighboring kingdoms to save his country.
So while the original fairytale is still recognizable Cinders & Ashes is no doubt Fantasy. Unfortunately the main characters are still fairytale-like one-dimensional: Rohan the brave young ruler, fair and good to his bones, Finn the innocent victim to a troubled past and despite his magic abilities broken down to a nearly doormat attitude.
Hope the author finds a way to add more layers to those black and white characters because I really have to see how's life on the other side of the wall and if my guess about the real villain is right.
May 4, 2023
I love extra twists with elves and evil forest and the Wall (jeez, don't even start! tho it serves the same function).
Can't wait for book 2, but seeing how there are 5 of them planned with 3 months in between I think I am going to wait until the series is finished.
Really good fantasy.
Can't wait for book 2, but seeing how there are 5 of them planned with 3 months in between I think I am going to wait until the series is finished.
Really good fantasy.
April 4, 2022
Rohan and Finn are so sweeet!
February 18, 2022
DNF at 20%
This had an interesting concept, retelling of Cinderella. Unfortunately, it fell quite flat.
There is some hella awkward writing in here, and stilted word choice. It also gets weirdly purple prose, but in short, choppy sentences, about the strangest things. (see highlights for examples). All caps should not be used, ever. But it is here.
Overall this felt very shallow - appearances translate directly into personality, all things are pretty one dimensional (see: descriptions of neighboring kingdoms, characters). It reads bland and young.
I would love to know how cliffhangers are a "natural writing style" though. What does this even mean? Just say they all have cliffhangers, that's not weird. Being super defensive about it is weird.
This had an interesting concept, retelling of Cinderella. Unfortunately, it fell quite flat.
There is some hella awkward writing in here, and stilted word choice. It also gets weirdly purple prose, but in short, choppy sentences, about the strangest things. (see highlights for examples). All caps should not be used, ever. But it is here.
Overall this felt very shallow - appearances translate directly into personality, all things are pretty one dimensional (see: descriptions of neighboring kingdoms, characters). It reads bland and young.
I would love to know how cliffhangers are a "natural writing style" though. What does this even mean? Just say they all have cliffhangers, that's not weird. Being super defensive about it is weird.
June 26, 2024
This was a very good start for the series.
Definitely reading book 2!
Definitely reading book 2!
August 4, 2023
I think a lot of it had to do with the audiobook narrator, but I found the story slow and boring. It took 23 chapters for us to get the settings, meet the characters, and get a start on the plot. So even as an ebook, it wouldn't be the most fast paced. But still. I tried to use the audiobook to motivate me to do housework, but it failed so spectacularly that even when I went for housework, I often chose to do it with music instead. I didn't connect with the story at all!
January 13, 2024
I went into this expecting an MM adaptation of Cinderella, and it ended up being so much more. It takes inspiration from the fairy tale but is definitely its own story.
The worldbuilding and plot are already more intricate than I was expecting, and I suspect that the romance, which is very early stages in this, will be more intricate as well.
The worldbuilding and plot are already more intricate than I was expecting, and I suspect that the romance, which is very early stages in this, will be more intricate as well.
January 9, 2025
4/5 I'm-so-excited-for-more stars!
Story: 4/5
I deliberately picked this up because I was looking for a Cinderella retelling and I don't regret it. I was hooked from the very first chapter! I'm enjoying the world-building and though it's too soon to say much about the characters, chemistry and romance, I look forward to finding out more.
Thing I liked the best: concept and wordbuilding - I'm intrigued and have theories.
Thing I liked the least: the smut part...I think it's the writing but I'm not sure. It felt disconnected. I listened through it on 1.8x
Audiobook: 4.25/5
Clear, fluid and distinctive voice. It might be just me but the voice of the narrator (Edward Fox) is very fitting for the fantasy setting.
Going to pick up book 2!
Story: 4/5
I deliberately picked this up because I was looking for a Cinderella retelling and I don't regret it. I was hooked from the very first chapter! I'm enjoying the world-building and though it's too soon to say much about the characters, chemistry and romance, I look forward to finding out more.
Thing I liked the best: concept and wordbuilding - I'm intrigued and have theories.
Thing I liked the least: the smut part...I think it's the writing but I'm not sure. It felt disconnected. I listened through it on 1.8x
Audiobook: 4.25/5
Clear, fluid and distinctive voice. It might be just me but the voice of the narrator (Edward Fox) is very fitting for the fantasy setting.
Going to pick up book 2!
February 8, 2024
I am v impressed with the world building in this book. The sex is hot but it’s not over bearing. It’s Fantasy Romance! Sold to us as a M/M Retelling of Cinderella but it’s almost better than what they’re saying?! I immediately ordered the second book. Also didn’t realize that it’s a 6 part series. Great intro. Adore Finn and Rohan.
February 27, 2021
Read By Shon
Not what I expected but truly enjoyable.
Not what I expected but truly enjoyable.
Read
April 29, 2022DNF
August 14, 2020
I destroyed this book and I'm so sad where it ended 😭😂
Honestly this was so lovely to read and I can't wait till the next one is released because while I'm certain IV uncovered a secret I can't wait to see if I'm right 😁
Honestly this was so lovely to read and I can't wait till the next one is released because while I'm certain IV uncovered a secret I can't wait to see if I'm right 😁
February 15, 2021
While this was a good premise the execution felt a bit lacking to me. As a gay retelling of Cinderella the story succeeded. I even like Finn far getter than Cinderella, he is less helpless in my eyes. Rohan tries to be a good King, again far better than the Prince from Cinderella.
What did I find lacking then?
The story jumped from Finn's pov to Rohan's which at times felt a bit jarring to me. The chemistry between the two main characters was ok but nothing more for me. And the most important part...the story ends on a cliffhanger for the sequel. I can deal with cliffhangers but the story could have just continued in my eyes. There was no real ending, just an abrupt cutoff.
Not a bad read, but not one I'll read again.
What did I find lacking then?
The story jumped from Finn's pov to Rohan's which at times felt a bit jarring to me. The chemistry between the two main characters was ok but nothing more for me. And the most important part...the story ends on a cliffhanger for the sequel. I can deal with cliffhangers but the story could have just continued in my eyes. There was no real ending, just an abrupt cutoff.
Not a bad read, but not one I'll read again.
March 5, 2022
Diving into this I expected a sweet comfort/hurt romance with a poor little Cinderfella finding love in the arms of a rugged, royal dream boat. Which is exactly what we get, but then it became a fantasy adventure with the fate of kingdoms at stake and then it just ended!!! I was so taken in I immediately downloaded book 2. I usually hate cliffhangers, but this is a promising series!
June 8, 2021
I loved this retelling of gay Cinderella. It's left me wanting more! I can't wait for Book 2. Thank X. Aratare for another great book series!
Need to read it again so I can start Book 2.
I finished Book 1 again and it's as great if not better the second time around,
Need to read it again so I can start Book 2.
I finished Book 1 again and it's as great if not better the second time around,
April 21, 2023
What a delightful surprise!
I don’t know why this book doesn’t have more reviews, as I found it to be so good - a very well written fantasy of two souls finding one another.
I enjoyed every page and I highly recommend you give it a try.
איזו הפתעה נהדרת!
פנטזיה מקסימה, כתובה בשפה עשירה, שמכניסה אותך לסיפור.
רה-טלינג של סינדרלה עם שני גיבורים ממין זכר.
פין חי עם אביו החורג ושני אחיו החורגים. כשהיה ילד איבד את אמו ואת אביו, שהוא פיי, מעולם לא הכיר.
לפני שנים מלך הפיי הרג את המלך והמלכה ולאחר מכן נעלם מעבר לחומה. מאז ועד היום חומה ירוקה ובלתי חדירה מקיפה את ממלכת הפיי ואין יוצא ואין בא.
המלך הנוכחי, רוהן, בנם של המונרכים שנרצחו, שונא את הפיי שהרגו את הוריו ולפיכך ידוע שכל פיי שייתפס בממלכה שלו - יוצא להורג.
פין, שהוא חצי-פיי, חושש לגורלו ולכן, בתמורה לכך שישרת אותם, אביו החורג ואחיו מאפשרים לו לחיות באחוזה, שהיתה שייכת פעם לאמו המנוחה.
אבל הממלכה גוועת והחיים הולכים ונעלמים ממנה. פין משתמש בכוחות הקסם שלו כדי להחזיר מעט חיים לאדמה הגוועת. רוהן נחוש להגן על ממלכתו כמעט בכל מחיר, מלבד אולי להינשא בשידוך פוליטי.
יום אחד פין ורואן נפגשים במקרה ומכאן והלאה מתחיל להתגלגל סיפור אהבה מקסים. אמנם זה די אינסטה-לאב, אבל למי איכפת כי פיות וקסם ואהבה גדולה מהחיים ושני גיבורים מקסימים, כל אחר בדרכו.
זה גם ספר קצר יחסית, כך שדי בלעתי אותו ואני ממשיכה מיד לבא אחריו!
I don’t know why this book doesn’t have more reviews, as I found it to be so good - a very well written fantasy of two souls finding one another.
I enjoyed every page and I highly recommend you give it a try.
איזו הפתעה נהדרת!
פנטזיה מקסימה, כתובה בשפה עשירה, שמכניסה אותך לסיפור.
רה-טלינג של סינדרלה עם שני גיבורים ממין זכר.
פין חי עם אביו החורג ושני אחיו החורגים. כשהיה ילד איבד את אמו ואת אביו, שהוא פיי, מעולם לא הכיר.
לפני שנים מלך הפיי הרג את המלך והמלכה ולאחר מכן נעלם מעבר לחומה. מאז ועד היום חומה ירוקה ובלתי חדירה מקיפה את ממלכת הפיי ואין יוצא ואין בא.
המלך הנוכחי, רוהן, בנם של המונרכים שנרצחו, שונא את הפיי שהרגו את הוריו ולפיכך ידוע שכל פיי שייתפס בממלכה שלו - יוצא להורג.
פין, שהוא חצי-פיי, חושש לגורלו ולכן, בתמורה לכך שישרת אותם, אביו החורג ואחיו מאפשרים לו לחיות באחוזה, שהיתה שייכת פעם לאמו המנוחה.
אבל הממלכה גוועת והחיים הולכים ונעלמים ממנה. פין משתמש בכוחות הקסם שלו כדי להחזיר מעט חיים לאדמה הגוועת. רוהן נחוש להגן על ממלכתו כמעט בכל מחיר, מלבד אולי להינשא בשידוך פוליטי.
יום אחד פין ורואן נפגשים במקרה ומכאן והלאה מתחיל להתגלגל סיפור אהבה מקסים. אמנם זה די אינסטה-לאב, אבל למי איכפת כי פיות וקסם ואהבה גדולה מהחיים ושני גיבורים מקסימים, כל אחר בדרכו.
זה גם ספר קצר יחסית, כך שדי בלעתי אותו ואני ממשיכה מיד לבא אחריו!
January 22, 2023
I will not forgive this narrator for moaning penis into my ear via the audiobook.
Story was alright though. We have Finn who is the Cinderfella of this tale. We have Rohan who is the King. They meet after the king falls off his horse after being attacked by wolves-that-might-be-fae and Finn is looking for plants for his murdery stepbrother. They end up having a surprise afternoon delight and decide they want to try to make this new relationship work. The fae show up and c-block everybody.
Story was alright though. We have Finn who is the Cinderfella of this tale. We have Rohan who is the King. They meet after the king falls off his horse after being attacked by wolves-that-might-be-fae and Finn is looking for plants for his murdery stepbrother. They end up having a surprise afternoon delight and decide they want to try to make this new relationship work. The fae show up and c-block everybody.
Want to read
February 5, 2021🎁 FREE on Amazon today (2/5/2021)! 🎁
May 28, 2021
Oeeee I have a feeling I'm going to LOVE this series!!!! What a good start of this totally different spin of Cinderella
February 28, 2023
4.5 stars
I love this version of the retelling of Cinderella. Looking forward to book 2 of the series.
I love this version of the retelling of Cinderella. Looking forward to book 2 of the series.
March 31, 2021
Short and sweet
February 5, 2024
A decent re-imagined fairy-tale! I'm intrigued enough to want to go on with the series.
February 20, 2023
A word of warning about the audio version of this book:
The audio description for this book says it will be a 5 book series--it is not. I just finished book 5 and it is not even remotely close to being done. All books end on a cliffhanger, and the audio versions are all roughly about 6-7 hours (so very short listens).
Even though I am very much liking the series, I do feel like I am being strung along "radish" style. This is not to begrudge the author making money--Romance writers get paid poorly and kudos for finding a way to get paid for your hard work, but. . . I do still feel like I am being strung along a bit. If it had said "8 book series" I would not feel I would need to warn you.
Again, I am loving this series and the audio productions are very well done.
The audio description for this book says it will be a 5 book series--it is not. I just finished book 5 and it is not even remotely close to being done. All books end on a cliffhanger, and the audio versions are all roughly about 6-7 hours (so very short listens).
Even though I am very much liking the series, I do feel like I am being strung along "radish" style. This is not to begrudge the author making money--Romance writers get paid poorly and kudos for finding a way to get paid for your hard work, but. . . I do still feel like I am being strung along a bit. If it had said "8 book series" I would not feel I would need to warn you.
Again, I am loving this series and the audio productions are very well done.
January 20, 2024
This story was either released as a serial or is just ridiculously short for no reason. X, the author, probably could’ve combined two books into 1 cause it was crazy short.
The story is chill, it’s definitely not bad. You have Finn who is the rightful heir but his stepdad abuses, exploits him, and stole his title. Rohan who is a king and kind of has no idea what he’s doing. It’s a lot of bumbling around and mistakes, especially that final scene. Yikes.
While the story is alright the writing is the biggest issue for me. The author relies WAY too much on interiority (eg inner monologues and character thoughts). While it is a critical part to the story it’s VERY distracting when dialogue and action are broken up just for Finn or Rohan to wax poetically in their head. Like yall it’s REALLY bad. For example, Rohan is talking to Serxio and EVERY time Serxio finishes a sentence it’s inner monologue.
Like this is how bad it was (without using real quotes cause I don’t want to spoil anything)
“My day started at noon,” said Serxio.
Insert paragraph of inner monologue from Finn
“I first had a late breakfast,” stated Serxio.
Insert ANOTHER paragraph of inner monologue from Finn
“It was more of a brunch,” Serxio wondered.
Again ANOTHER FUCKING INNER MONOLOGUE
“Still delicious one would think,” Serxio said aloud.
You fucking guessed it MORE INNER MONOLOGUES
😭😭😭😭😭😭😭
Yall it was so painful because EVERYTHING was broken up like this. Action scenes were broken up like this. Big dramatic events were interrupted. So much is just interrupted by inner monologue that we don’t need or could come at the end of the dialogue.
I pray it gets better but we’ll see.
The story is chill, it’s definitely not bad. You have Finn who is the rightful heir but his stepdad abuses, exploits him, and stole his title. Rohan who is a king and kind of has no idea what he’s doing. It’s a lot of bumbling around and mistakes, especially that final scene. Yikes.
While the story is alright the writing is the biggest issue for me. The author relies WAY too much on interiority (eg inner monologues and character thoughts). While it is a critical part to the story it’s VERY distracting when dialogue and action are broken up just for Finn or Rohan to wax poetically in their head. Like yall it’s REALLY bad. For example, Rohan is talking to Serxio and EVERY time Serxio finishes a sentence it’s inner monologue.
Like this is how bad it was (without using real quotes cause I don’t want to spoil anything)
“My day started at noon,” said Serxio.
Insert paragraph of inner monologue from Finn
“I first had a late breakfast,” stated Serxio.
Insert ANOTHER paragraph of inner monologue from Finn
“It was more of a brunch,” Serxio wondered.
Again ANOTHER FUCKING INNER MONOLOGUE
“Still delicious one would think,” Serxio said aloud.
You fucking guessed it MORE INNER MONOLOGUES
😭😭😭😭😭😭😭
Yall it was so painful because EVERYTHING was broken up like this. Action scenes were broken up like this. Big dramatic events were interrupted. So much is just interrupted by inner monologue that we don’t need or could come at the end of the dialogue.
I pray it gets better but we’ll see.
February 7, 2026
(Read December 2021)
2.5 stars
🏰 An M/M Fairytale Romance 🏰'
Cinders & Ashes is very loosely based on Cinderella. The blurb explains it well.
Overall, this was pretty good. The author has a vivid imagination, and the story is written fairly well. However, the pacing feels a bit sluggish, which caused my attention to drift at times.
The Positives:
🔸I liked most of the characters.
🔸It was just interesting enough to finish.
Unfortunately, there are 6 books total to complete the tale. I rarely finish long series with the same MCs.
Also, the romance is a subplot and often gets buried. There are infrequent low-steam sex scenes (one in this book). I still plan to give the next book a try.
Edited To Add: Book 2 was a DNF.
It's obvious X isn't for me.
✗ Her series contain 5 - 7 installments.
✗ The plot is painfully dragged out.
✗ There isn't enough romance.
✗ The story arc becomes more and more convoluted as it continues.
2.5 stars
🏰 An M/M Fairytale Romance 🏰'
Cinders & Ashes is very loosely based on Cinderella. The blurb explains it well.
Overall, this was pretty good. The author has a vivid imagination, and the story is written fairly well. However, the pacing feels a bit sluggish, which caused my attention to drift at times.
The Positives:
🔸I liked most of the characters.
🔸It was just interesting enough to finish.
Unfortunately, there are 6 books total to complete the tale. I rarely finish long series with the same MCs.
Also, the romance is a subplot and often gets buried. There are infrequent low-steam sex scenes (one in this book). I still plan to give the next book a try.
Edited To Add: Book 2 was a DNF.
It's obvious X isn't for me.
✗ Her series contain 5 - 7 installments.
✗ The plot is painfully dragged out.
✗ There isn't enough romance.
✗ The story arc becomes more and more convoluted as it continues.
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