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The Austen Fairy Tale #2
Crown and Cinder: Pride and Prejudice derails Cinderella
It is a fact universally acknowledged that a girl, in possession of stepmother and stepsisters, must be in want of a fairy godmother to come whisk her away to some ball, where she might fall in love with a prince and live happily ever after...
Lizzy hated facts universally acknowledged.
Lizzy is a Cinder. However, conjuring fire at one’s fingertips isn’t considered appropriate in polite society, so she hides among her family's servants. Besides, her ruse also serves to protect her country from the Mistress's mad quest for power. No, it's much better all around if she lets her stepsister live her life.
But now the Gardener has taken the Mistress's throne, her motives unknown, and three royal balls have thrown Lizzy into the path of the most irritating king in the land. Meanwhile, can her beloved stepsister ever find a man willing to look past her farmer father? It's a complicated mess and Lizzy only wants out.
Too bad the Forest doesn't care what she wants.
Lizzy hated facts universally acknowledged.
Lizzy is a Cinder. However, conjuring fire at one’s fingertips isn’t considered appropriate in polite society, so she hides among her family's servants. Besides, her ruse also serves to protect her country from the Mistress's mad quest for power. No, it's much better all around if she lets her stepsister live her life.
But now the Gardener has taken the Mistress's throne, her motives unknown, and three royal balls have thrown Lizzy into the path of the most irritating king in the land. Meanwhile, can her beloved stepsister ever find a man willing to look past her farmer father? It's a complicated mess and Lizzy only wants out.
Too bad the Forest doesn't care what she wants.
220 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 27, 2022
25 people are currently reading
124 people want to read
About the author
Kendra E. Ardnek
72 books279 followersKendra E. Ardnek is the self-proclaimed Arista of Fairy Tales. She makes her home in the hills of central Texas with her fellow author husband, who she found at a writer’s conference. When not writing, you can usually find her crocheting her own cloaks, valiantly attempting to read every retelling ever written, and pretending that owning toy dragons makes her a dragon trainer.
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
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August 2, 2022Oh, this Lizzy is QUITE the spitfire.
September 29, 2022
This is another completely delightful mashup of Jane Austen and a fairy tale!! In fact, I think I liked this Pride and Prejudice-meets-Cinderella story even better than book one in this series. Once again, Ardnek has tangled Jane Austen and fairy tales in a clever and charming way to create something totally new and magical. I am eagerly awaiting the next book in this series!
May 20, 2022
This book is brilliant. Both stories mesh so well together, and Kendra's worldbuilding brilliance shines through again. In addition, she nails the snark that Lizzy has and brings new life to the characters of Cinderella and P&P, all while giving it that Austen fairy tale spin. She's a genius, basically.
I ship Lizzy and Darren. As one should. But how much I liked the sisters together surprised me. And I really liked Charrie for the beginning of it. Ouch.
Another amazing and heartfelt retelling in the Austen Fairy Tales series. Highly recommend for fans of either story.
*I received a complimentary digital copy of this book from the author, but I was not required to write a positive review. These are my honest thoughts and opinions.*
I ship Lizzy and Darren. As one should. But how much I liked the sisters together surprised me. And I really liked Charrie for the beginning of it. Ouch.
Another amazing and heartfelt retelling in the Austen Fairy Tales series. Highly recommend for fans of either story.
*I received a complimentary digital copy of this book from the author, but I was not required to write a positive review. These are my honest thoughts and opinions.*
April 26, 2022
I very much enjoyed this! Cinderella and Pride and Prejudice, as it turns out, are a match worty of Austen herself. It's clear that Kendra loves both stories . . . but also, "derails" in the tagline is pretty accurate. While C&C hits all the important beats from both stories (quite well, I might add), it's also very much its own thing, and I mean that in a good way.
I enjoyed pretty much all the characters. This Lizzy is a Cinder, which means she's able to produce and control fire and which also puts her at a questionable status in her homeland. She's also been dealing with the machinations of the Forest's Mistress for most of her life, which has made her both rather devious and slow to trust. But she loves her family, and she's faithful in her determination to protect family and home, which is lovely. Darren (Darcy) is also excellent, though with a bit less bite to start out than the original — Kendra rather leans into the fact that Darcy, in any form, is a bit of a socially awkward introvert who keeps misreading Lizzy's signals. I also loved that we got to see this world's version of Georgiana onscreen! Her interactions and dynamics with Lizzy and Darren were very fun.
Crown & Cinder is, of course, the second Austen Fairy Tale. It can be read on its own, but it also does provide follow-up to Rose Petals & Snowflakes, including some reappearing characters, who Kendra ties into the story very nicely. I very much enjoyed getting to see my favorites again and finding out how the events of RP&S have affected the rest of the world.
All in all, an excellent reimagining of Cinderella and Pride and Prejudice and a great continuation of the Austen Fairy Tale series.
I enjoyed pretty much all the characters. This Lizzy is a Cinder, which means she's able to produce and control fire and which also puts her at a questionable status in her homeland. She's also been dealing with the machinations of the Forest's Mistress for most of her life, which has made her both rather devious and slow to trust. But she loves her family, and she's faithful in her determination to protect family and home, which is lovely. Darren (Darcy) is also excellent, though with a bit less bite to start out than the original — Kendra rather leans into the fact that Darcy, in any form, is a bit of a socially awkward introvert who keeps misreading Lizzy's signals. I also loved that we got to see this world's version of Georgiana onscreen! Her interactions and dynamics with Lizzy and Darren were very fun.
Crown & Cinder is, of course, the second Austen Fairy Tale. It can be read on its own, but it also does provide follow-up to Rose Petals & Snowflakes, including some reappearing characters, who Kendra ties into the story very nicely. I very much enjoyed getting to see my favorites again and finding out how the events of RP&S have affected the rest of the world.
All in all, an excellent reimagining of Cinderella and Pride and Prejudice and a great continuation of the Austen Fairy Tale series.
May 13, 2024
I’ve never been a huge fan of Pride and Prejudice but I loved this retelling, so that says a lot!
May 19, 2022
I received an advanced reader copy in exchange for a review! Thank you, Kendra, for setting this up and writing this beautiful spin off of Cinderella and Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice! 4.5 Stars! I loved how realistic the characters were and how character-driven the story was. Lizzie’s sharp tongue never fails to impress me, and it was riveting to see “Janet” break out of her shell more. And I found myself hating the villain more in this tale than the original! I never would have thought!
The only element I found myself craving was the epic world building from Rose Petals & Snowflakes, the first Jane Austen fairy tale installment. It seemed significantly less this novel, perhaps because it was book 2, but regardless, I care more about the characters anyway!
Thank Austere for this series! Can’t wait for the next book
The only element I found myself craving was the epic world building from Rose Petals & Snowflakes, the first Jane Austen fairy tale installment. It seemed significantly less this novel, perhaps because it was book 2, but regardless, I care more about the characters anyway!
Thank Austere for this series! Can’t wait for the next book
October 16, 2022
Imaginative and different
A really interesting story that loosely follows the traits of the characters and is totally out of canon. Enjoyable and entertaining.
A really interesting story that loosely follows the traits of the characters and is totally out of canon. Enjoyable and entertaining.
April 29, 2022
Crown and Cinder
The Austen Fairy Tale #2
By Kendra E. Ardnek
Lizzy, Eliza Benne is a Cinder, and most Cinders are servants, but Lizzy is the daughter of a gentleman and bound to the Forest. For years she has been summoned to the Forest to do the Mistress's bidding, but this year something is different. This year instead of the Mistress, Lizzy finds someone different upon the throne - the Gardner.
After years of keeping secrets to protect her family and her country, Lizzy doesn't know what to make of this new mistress of the Forest. Not willing to trust the Gardener and fearing for both her family and for Binfield, Lizzy decides to test her. A royal ball seems the best way to test the Gardener, but Lizzy never expected to catch the attention of anyone. Yet that is exactly what she has done. What follows is confusion as Lizzy tries to decide whom she can trust and where she truly belongs in the world.
Crown and Cinder is the sequel to Rose Petals and Snowflakes, and it is an excellent one as it continues the story of Elen and Mari. And yes, you most definitely should read the first book in the series as it provides the backstory to CandC. I love the meshing of Pride and Prejudice with Cinderella as it is brilliant and seamless but offers enough elements from each to be recognizable and yet wholly unique. This is a retelling that you don't want to miss.
I was provided a complimentary copy of this book with no expectations but that I provide my honest opinion - all thoughts expressed are my own.
The Austen Fairy Tale #2
By Kendra E. Ardnek
Lizzy, Eliza Benne is a Cinder, and most Cinders are servants, but Lizzy is the daughter of a gentleman and bound to the Forest. For years she has been summoned to the Forest to do the Mistress's bidding, but this year something is different. This year instead of the Mistress, Lizzy finds someone different upon the throne - the Gardner.
After years of keeping secrets to protect her family and her country, Lizzy doesn't know what to make of this new mistress of the Forest. Not willing to trust the Gardener and fearing for both her family and for Binfield, Lizzy decides to test her. A royal ball seems the best way to test the Gardener, but Lizzy never expected to catch the attention of anyone. Yet that is exactly what she has done. What follows is confusion as Lizzy tries to decide whom she can trust and where she truly belongs in the world.
Crown and Cinder is the sequel to Rose Petals and Snowflakes, and it is an excellent one as it continues the story of Elen and Mari. And yes, you most definitely should read the first book in the series as it provides the backstory to CandC. I love the meshing of Pride and Prejudice with Cinderella as it is brilliant and seamless but offers enough elements from each to be recognizable and yet wholly unique. This is a retelling that you don't want to miss.
I was provided a complimentary copy of this book with no expectations but that I provide my honest opinion - all thoughts expressed are my own.
January 1, 2025
This is another delightful fairy-tale-plus-classic combination. Ardnek puts a different spin on Cinderella and combines it nicely with Austen's famous story, all the while excellently blending it with her original plot, world, and characters. The story continues from the first book, so they must be read in order, but it was wonderful to continue to follow previous characters and see them interact with the ones in Crown and Cinder. I'm thoroughly invested in this world now, and am looking forward to reading the next in this series.
May 26, 2022
I absolutely loved this book. It had the perfect amount of Cinderella and pride and prejudice without being too much. While it was a retailing it was also definitely its own story. I love and will definitely reread it a lot in the future.
July 18, 2022
another fun mash up
I love fairy tale retellings and Jane Austen books, so combining the two is a sure win for me. I wasn’t sure this pairing would work, but it does.
I love fairy tale retellings and Jane Austen books, so combining the two is a sure win for me. I wasn’t sure this pairing would work, but it does.
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January 14, 2023Well, this was interesting. I really should have read the first in the series first, but I was more interested in this P&P retelling, so... oops. I ended up not understanding a lot of the events in the Forest because there were so many characters to keep track of. I basically skimmed a few pages to avoid excess confusion. However, in general, it was a fun retelling. If you want to read this one, definitely read the first book in the series before attempting Crown and Cinder, though!
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September 16, 2022DNF 45%
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews