Cinders of Glass

Bewitching Fairy Tales #4

by Celeste Baxendell

Traitors don’t fall in love with princes, and they don’t live happily ever after.

Liora doesn't have much left in life, but someone has to run the stall in the market that sells her stepfamily’s enchanted matches. Liora is willing to do anything for family; it’s not very exciting—until the royal family visits the market and everything changes.

Liora is just grateful that Prince Cynrik doesn't remember her. The best thing for her and her stepfamily is to stay far away from the royals. But when Prince Cynrik asks for her help, how can she say no? But if she fails to keep her identity hidden, how far will the royal family go this time?

Prince Cynrik has a carefully crafted reputation, and it has never once failed him… up until it causes his brother to threaten him with an arranged marriage. The only way out of it is to prove he's capable of doing something useful; the catch is he has to do it alone.

When a freak accident seems to be not-so-accidental, getting help can’t hurt as long as his brother doesn't find out about it. Besides, who would imagine that a prince would need the help of a girl who sold matches to solve a conspiracy? And… just how deep does it go?

Genres: Cinderella, Fantasy, Retellings, Fairy Tale Retellings, Fairy Tales, Clean Romance, Romance

722 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 18, 2022

About the author

Celeste Baxendell has always read anything she could get her hands on, but once she read her first fantasy novel, she was hooked and hasn’t looked back since.

Her love of magic, adventure, and romance hasn’t waned with age, and she endeavors to write nail-biting stories with compelling, complex characters, and finding light in dark times.

She is incredibly blessed to spend her time writing from her favorite chair with her legs curled up under her as she fights the southern heat. When she isn’t writing, she’s either reading, drawing, or sewing, in that order, and most likely thinking about writing as she does.

Reviews

[Jacquelyn 💐 {This Rapunzel Reads} [Jesus Christ, my Living Hope] · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF at 52%. I was intrigued by this book because I loved Celeste Baxendell’s The Wicked Prince and the cover for this one was so pretty. But it was a disappointment. Liora is an okay character. She really annoyed me at the point where I decided to stop. That was just one of the reasons I chose to stop. Cynrik is an absolute jerk! He is mean and arrogant! I hated him! I didn’t like that he constantly cursed even if the words weren’t written out. I literally lost count of how many times that was said. No, absolutely not for me. I didn’t like the magic in here at all. It was too much and made me slightly uncomfortable. This book seemed to just drag on. I waited and waited for it to get better and it never did. I’m not going to waste my time on this one and I don’t think I’ll be reading any more of this series.

[librarian.of.rivendell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Had the honour of beta reading this gem and I can tell you all I consider this Celeste's best book so far!

Not saying anything more yet ;)

EDIT: Here's my review (finally!)

FIVE SCINTILLATING DIAMOND STARS

I've come to await Celeste's books for the realism of her characters, her deep story arcs and the sheer length of her books, and once again, she didn't disappoint.

As I've mentioned above, this fourth book in the Bewithcing Fairytales is undoubtedly my favorite so far (is it the blue cover?).
I was very much looking forward to Cynrik's story, even though I disliked him quite a bit after Mirrors of Ice, and I absolutely fell in love with his character. Somehow, I think Celeste could make even the worst of villains likeable (except the Scholar. No one likes the Scholar.)

Liora was also a work of art. I didn't relate to her personality as an alter ego, but I did understand her. I think she was portrayed magnificently and although the appearances didn't seem to point in that direction, she was ultimately perfect for Cynrik.

I have not mentioned the intrigue, villains and setting yet, but as usual they played a key role in making me love this story and Celeste, master teller of stories, crafted them all with savoir faire.

There would be so much more to say but it would all be spoilers, so I am going to limit myself to this.

The content for his book was very much clean, as usual, but the romance was a little heavier here than in Mirrors of Ice or even Beasts of Beauty (it is Cynrik we're talking about after all). But nothing more than kisses, blushing, feelings, and the whole thing very clean.

Thank you Celeste Baxendell for crafting these amazing stories, and for allowing me to be one of the first to read them!

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

(4,5 ☆)

Liora spends her days at the market, trying to sell enchanted matches one of her stepsisters makes. The days are uneventful and she rarely sells any matches. But when the royal family comes to the market Liora's life changes. She's grateful that prince Cynrik doesn't seem to recognise her, but when he asks her for help she can't say no.

Cynrik has a reputation of charming anyone to get what he wants, but when his brother, the king, threatens him with an arranged marriage he needs to prove he can do more than flirt with the ladies of the court. When Cynrik discover a conspiracy he realises this is his chance to prove his usefulness, but he needs help. The match girl saved his life at the market and no one will suspect her of helping him.

This is a re-telling of Cinderella and the Match Girl, and although it's the fourth book in a series it can be read as a stand alone. You can get more by reading the books in order, since some characters make appearances in other books, but I thought it worked very well to read Cinders of Glass without having read the others. Apart from the fact I now want to read all of them!

The book is long (according to Goodreads 722 pages, my ARC says 665 pages), and that's really my only "complaint". Our poor characters face so many obstacles on their way to their happy ending that I almost fear they'll never get there. The book could have been a couple of hundred pages less, but at the same time I've been very happy in the world Celeste Baxendell has built and I didn't want it to end!

I became very fond of both Liora and Cynrik, as well as some of the side characters. Liora is practically invisible, thinks of others before herself and believes family is everything. She's awfully honorable, but also quite naïve at times. Cynrik's her opposite; puts himself first, and although he loves his family he thinks other things are more important. When they start to cooperate and get to know each other, they also start to influence one another. They both see the other person, the good and the bad alike, and Baxendell describes it well.

This is a book for those who enjoy re-tellings, magic, slow burn romance, intriguing characters and mysterious conspiracys!

* I received an ARC from the author and I'm giving my honest review. *

[Coralie · Rating 4 out of 5]

The cover for this is so pretty, but even more than that what drew me to this book was that it was a mashup of Cinderella and The Little Match Girl. I loved the unique twist on our beloved Cinderella with one of the lesser-known fairytales. It kept me guessing and wondering how heavily she’d draw from either story—cause if y’all don’t know, Little Match Girl is tragic!

Baxendell drew elements from each of the fairytales and balanced the two really well, in my opinion. I loved the origin of the slippers in this one! It was so sweet and felt more meaningful to me than many other versions. The matches played a really strategic role in the story, too, and it was neat to see those fleshed out and woven into the story. (I also really liked that her stepsister was an enchantress, that was super cool!) She also drew heavily on the idea of invisibility from the Little Match Girl story, which was an interesting element to Liora’s (love her name!!) character and created a cool dynamic in the classic Cinderella role. I like how Baxendell chose the elements that served her story, but didn’t box herself in trying to add every little thing from the originals. It was a faithful retelling, while still feeling like something fresh and different.

In terms of the plot, my favorite parts were those connected to the mystery that Cynrik and Liora worked to solve. The intrigue behind the attacks was what made the plot strong. I was totally in the characters, even in spite of some of the issues I had with the book. I’ve not read anything from the author previously, but I’m definitely curious to dig more into her other books, especially in this world.

I did have a difficult time defining the some of the relationship dynamics, which pulled me out of the story and made it a little hard to follow in some places. For example, it was hard to grasp the dynamic between Liora and her family when they were first introduced. I couldn’t tell if I was supposed to believe they were good or suspect they were bad and more importantly I was confused by Liora’s reaction to them. I didn’t really understand her. I mean, I get the whole ‘family is everything’ rhetoric (it was clearly stated several times throughout the story), but I didn’t understand Liora’s processing the first time we saw her family and that made it hard to understand her throughout the first half of the story. She was terrified in her bodily reactions, but mentally she said they were so loving and made excuses. Some of this, I can understand from an abused perspective is just that she isn’t aware, but I wish there had been a clearer understanding of what we were supposed to believe and what Liora herself thought in those specific situations.

Another example lays between Cynrik and his family. Like with Liora’s family, I wasn’t really sure how I was supposed to feel about them or how I did truly feel about them because I spent so much time trying to puzzle the relationship dynamics out. Even by the end I had just wished it had been clearer from the beginning so I could decide if I was right or wrong about them. I didn’t love Liora’s stepfamily, but Marlena was so sweet. I’m not really happy about the way her line resolved and I’d wished for something better there, but I imagine the author is setting something else up. I’m also guessing Vesma will pop up again in the future, but I just have to say I hated how she said “dear girl” from the beginning. It grated on my nerves so much! Maybe it was because it was used so frequently, but it was so cringy and not once gave me the illusion of genuineness. As for Cynrik’s family. Man, they were pretty messed up. Like a lot. I’m curious how they’re portrayed in other books or if this is just Cynrik’s pov, but they were harsh. I didn’t love them.

Dione was fun and I wanted to see more of her story. It would be cool to go from her perspective and see Ailos in a different light, too I think. Liliana was so chipper that she kind of got on my nerves a little, but I guess since I was told multiple times she was the family favorite that she was okay? She didn’t really seem to have a lot of compassion for Cynrik. None of the family did. It was like they tried to act like a family but didn’t quite know how. It was odd. I guessed enough of Cynrik’s past to figure out he wasn’t an angel, but there was some strange dysfunction in those dynamics regardless.

But even through this point, I still really enjoyed the book.

My biggest issues with the book were actually issues I believe could really be resolved with another editing pass. I think the story could really be tightened up, more concise, and more poignant—and therefore shine brighter and be more impactful. This story has a lot of potential.

Let me be clear, it wasn’t poorly written by any means, but there are things that could be improved that did make the book a little less awesome than it could be. There was some repetition in the writing and redundancy in a few areas. The pacing was a little askew, but I think that was likely mostly due to the repetitive areas. There was some convoluted back and forth with the manipulation and trust and deceit that got a little more complicated than necessary, and a few slower plot sections that drug on a bit. And there were a few things thematically and internally that I thought could have been shown better. We were told a lot of beliefs over and over that got a little old.

Thematically, the book is a little confusing, but I liked the light and darkness and how Baxendell parsed through the idea of perfect people, self-worth, love, sacrifice, etc. There were points where things felt a little convoluted and maybe like she tried to focus on too many areas instead of honing in on one. The story talked about family but it also talked about being alive and about being lovable and instalove vs. developing and working at love and being walked over and being manipulative and selfish and right and wrong and… a few other things. So, we covered a lot of ground and it created some of that redundancy as well as that confusion.

But, again, I did really like the characters—despite feeling a little beat over the head with thematic statements repeatedly—and I was 100% bought in. I wanted to know what happened and how things ended. I wanted to unravel the mystery. They were a lil dramatic every now and then, but for the most part, I really enjoyed watching their relationship unfold. I liked how it grew over time and felt more realistic because of that.

Overall, I was thoroughly invested—ask my friends—I disappeared for a day or two to chug through this beast of a book. It’s longer than it needs to be, but even still I think it was worth the read. And I hope to see the author continue to grow her craft in future books.

Content: no swearing, and for the most part, nongraphic violence. A little aggression here or there a few assassination attempts, a few wounds, quite a few insults, some emotional abuse and lots of manipulation. Quite a bit of self-loathing. There’s a lot in there thematically to look at. And there are a few romantic touches and implications since Cynrik is a bit of a flirt, but nothing explicit or vulgar. It’s not squeaky clean, but it’s not particularly inappropriate either. I’d probably recommend 16+

Note: I received a free ARC from the author and the above are my voluntary and honest thoughts.

[Lydia Mae · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a major page turner! I stayed up waaaay too late one night, then I put off a half-day of at-home tasks the next day because I HAD to know what would happen next!

When I first opened the book and started to get to know the characters, I was a little skeptical... with one protagonist an obvious manipulator, and the other all too ready to bow to anyone else's will, how could this possibly have a positive outcome? But the plot pulled me forward. And let me tell you, that plot kept getting more complex and more complex, until I was practically screaming into my e-reader at the tension!
The characters I had been so skeptical about at the start somehow stole my heart completely. All I wanted was their happily ever after. I can conclude with saying, putting off that half-day of work to finish this book... it was worth it.

[Lisa Dawn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just finished reading an ARC of Cinders of Glass by Celeste Baxendell, and all I can say is wow! This book drastically exceeded my expectations. Even though it is an adaptation of "Cinderella" and "The Little Match Girl," it was not the least bit predictable and kept me on the edge of my seat wondering what would happen after each chapter. It had one of the most relatable shy princess protagonists I have ever seen in fiction while thoroughly exploring the pros and cons of being selfless or charming without coming off as cynical. This book is the fourth entry in the Bewitching Fairy Tales series and my favorite by far. Despite being nearly three times as long as the books I usually read in this genre, there was not a single sentence that felt extraneous or expository. I savored every page right up to the last one.

At first glance, Liora may seem like your typical "Cinderella" character, devoting herself to serving her stepfamily and letting others walk all over her in the process. Likewise, Prince Cynrik appears to be the quintessential Prince Charming, flirting with all the ladies at court while secretly dreaming of finding true love. Yet, Cinders of Glass peels past the obvious layers to find the heart of what has made these character archetypes so appealing for centuries. The book reveals in a beautifully creative way that these characters secretly desire to be seen and loved for who they are and not how they appear to the rest of the world around them. Though she may be meek and frail (which makes her far more relatable than any modern-day Disney Princess), Liora has an inner strength that derives from her heart of gold. Prince Cynrik takes notice of his when she uses one of the enchanted matches that she sells at the village market to stop a horse from trampling him and his soon-to-be sister-in-law, Princess Dione. Cynrik spends the rest of the book relying on Liora's cleverness and ingenuity to stop a dangerous conspiracy against the royals despite being all too aware that he does not deserve her.

Normally, I don't like long books. I never understood why it was necessary to spend ten pages saying something that could just as easily be said in one or two. Cinders of Glass is an exception to that rule. It is packed to the brim with surprising twists and turns that made me never want to put it down. It's impressive how many surprises Celeste Baxendell was able to include in a story based on one of the most predictable fairy tales of all time. With all the conspiracies being planned against the royal family and how little Liora and Cynrick knew about them, I could never guess what was going to happen next and was surprised over and over again as each culprit was revealed. Liora and Cynrik's greatest strengths also turned out to be their greatest flaws, which is why they balanced each other out so perfectly as a couple. Cynrik cared for Liora whenever she forgot to take care of herself, and Liora believed in people enough to break through Cynrik's cynicism.

While the romance was handled flawlessly, I also loved how this book described Liora and Cynrik's family lives. It presents a crystal clear picture of who they are and what their day-to-day lives are like before they meet each other. Liora spends most of her days selling matches that were enchanted by her younger stepsister, Marlena, while her stepmother and older stepsister are usually away doing some sort of illegal operation. Like the little match girl who inspired Liora, she has trouble selling any matches despite the magical nature of her products. Meanwhile, Cynrik spends his days feeling pressured by his brother, King Besart, to serve his kingdom in ways that he does believe he is capable of. He is willing to do anything to avoid being forced to marry someone he doesn't love, as he believes that to be the worst punishment imaginable until he meets Liora and sees how many sacrifices she made for her own family. This book addresses many common complaints about the "Cinderella" fairy tale with an open mind and shows how two very different people can help and change each other for the better.

Cinders of Glass is a triumph containing one of the most nuanced and realistic portrayals of "Cinderella" I have ever read. It is filled with daring adventure, suspense, and romance that kept me on the edge of my seat for seventy thrilling chapters. If you are a fan of fairy tales, romance, or just really good books, you cannot miss this one! I love how it turns the "Damsel in Distress" criticisms on their head and shows how mentally strong a physically weak character can really be. It also celebrates the importance of honesty by allowing its protagonists to accept their true selves and find love in the process. Every fairy tale adaptation should use this book as a model for how to do it right.

[Asia | Adventures with Asia Minor · Rating 5 out of 5]

19 August 2022

5 stars!

There are those 5–star books that have the best world building, fantastic writing, amazing characters and plot. And then, there are those 5–star reads that simply provided a 5–star reading experience.

Cinders of Glass is one of the latter.

Don't get me wrong though. COG also has great world building and all that; however, it really excels in the reading experience. It's essentially FLAWLESS in that aspect.

Everything wasn't perfect, but let's talk about why I still LOVED COG!

» Quick side note. I finished this in like 3 days; it was just that good! However, it's now been about 2 months since I finished it, so you'll have to forgive me if my memory is a bit spotty! Thanks! :)

World Building ~ 7.5/10

The world building is beautiful!  I love the descriptions of the world, what Liora's life is like compared to Cynrik's.

The world itself seemed to be set up very well. However, I really think that's primarily due to the fact that this is the 4th book in the series. While this book can be read as a standalone, I think reading them in order would have helped a bit with not just the world building but also the over–arching plot and character development. Because I didn't read them in order (and actually started with COG), I missed out on a better understanding of the aforementioned portions. I do, though, intend to go back and read all the books in order . . . eventually. lol XD

With that being said, I want to judge the book on its own merits since it can be read as a standalone. That's the main reason why I docked a couple (very minor) points in this section. I just would have wanted a bit more description for the world itself. Like, I'm still not 100% sure on the continent's politics; there was enough to understand it, but a deeper understanding would have been nice.

Aside from the overall world, the immediate settings (the market, the castle, Liora's house, etc.) were very well described. I could picture those settings very vividly, and I think Celeste Baxendell definitely captured the magic of fairy tales and fairy tale retellings.

I wish I could gush more, but I have a stupid character count to worry about. :\ (And yeah, I forgot some stuff too. Shut up; I'm not the only one who forgets stuff . . . right? lol)

Characters ~ 7.5/10

The characters were really great! Again, I do wish that I could have gotten some more development with the secondary characters (or maybe there was, but I just can't remember. . . .)

Nonetheless, all the characters were well–described and very interesting.

~Liora~

Liora is one of our MCs and one of our POVs. And she is also the combined characters of Cinderella and the Little Match Girl. (If you didn't know, CB combines 2 fairy tales into one retelling. Liora is the result of smushing together the two MCs of the well–known tale Cinderella and the lesser–known Little Match Girl.)

I really like how we get some of the character traits and/or aspects of Cinderella and of the Little Match Girl. However, we also get a bunch of new traits and aspects that just really make Liora a really original character. Don't get me wrong though; Liora isn't "not like other girls"; she kinda is like many female MCs. She's shy and timid but also learns to stand up for herself. Truth be told, I see that trope a fair bit.

However, it's how she acts and what she does that truly make her unique. I really like the progression and the character development that leads to her standing up for herself and taking charge of her future.

Last, I thought it was really interesting, seeing how she behaves at home, how she takes care of Marlena (whom I LOVED!), how she was at her booth in the market, and how she worked with Cynrik. I thought how they all contrasted were particularly interesting. I think that being able to see all of this just makes her growth and confidence gains so much more memorable.

~Cynrik~

CYNRIK!!! 😍

If Liora's growth was good, Cynrik's was top notch! Okay, well . . . it wasn't Zuko–level development, but maybe Sokka–level? Zuko's growth was obvious; Sokka's was a bit subtler. (And if you don't get these ATLA references, then you need to go watch it! Like, right now!)

I enjoyed reading about Cynrik's journey to changing himself for the better, to loving himself, and to opening up to others. (And probably more stuff too . . . spoilery stuff.) This journey to learning about himself and others really gives me those "Sokka–level–growth" vibes, and I'm all here for it!

I think what made this journey particularly enjoyable and believable was that we got to read his thoughts, as he was the other MC and POV in COG. Getting to read his thoughts was just so interesting! And I'm glad that he had a distinct enough voice that I didn't have too much trouble keeping him and Liora apart.

I would have loved to see what Cynrik was like before meeting Liora. You know? Like in the other books?

Plot ~ 8.5/10

The plot was very interesting. It was kind of a mystery x fairy tale retelling x fairy tale romance. That sounds kinda weird, but trust me. It worked. It really did.

Basically, what I'm trying to say is it's just a fairy tale retelling (complete with a cute romance) with a bit of mystery interlaced in it. And like, the mystery is actually good — not like those "mysteries" where it's blaringly obvious for everyone except for the MC. We all know them. (Okay, I'm not the best mystery–solver, but I still think the mystery was good.)

In terms of the "retelling" portion, I think that was really creative! In case you don't know the tale of the Little Match Girl (untagged spoiler warning!), the Match Girl is an orphan, selling matches to live. One cold winter night, she lights a match to keep warm, and she sees through the stone wall a family enjoying a hot turkey; she's even able to smell the food. She then lights one match after the other to continue seeing these visions. At the last match, she sees a vision of her grandmother saying something along the lines of "Come, child." She goes with her beloved grandmother in peace. The next morning, people find the little girl's body, dead and cold. And that's how The Little Match Girl ends; it's quite tragic honestly.

COG (and Cinderella, for that matter) is decisively not tragic. It even ends with the classic fairy tale ending, complete with a "Happily Ever After."

However, the parallels to both are still there. Just a heads up, though, I'm going to be very vague because of, you know, spoilers. There's still a ball that Liora goes to. Liora sells magical matches, one of which shows you your deepest dream (like in the Little Match Girl).

Where the story deviates and becomes original is when Liora (the Match Girl x Cinderella) works with Cynrik (the Prince Charming) to solve a mystery. . . . When I say "mystery," it's actually more of a conspiracy, but I won't say anymore! Also, Cynrik is very much of a flirt, which is a bit different from the Disney fairy tale most, if not all, of us know.

I won't say anymore for fear of accidentally spoiling something, but I will say that figuring out the mystery/conspiracy was super fun for me to uncover! (I'll talk more in the spoiler section!)

Relationships ~ 7.5/10

So, the relationships were really good. It's been a while, so I can't really remember all of the nuances in every relationship. Regardless, I still remember my two favorite relationships, which I'll highlight in just a sec!

But first, let me rant about how much I dislike Liora's stepmother and Cynrik's brother. Liora really loves her family, which is admirable, but she also likes her stepmother. From Cinderella, we know that's going to end badly. The twist, though, is REALLY interesting! It was hinted at, so it wasn't entirely surprising, but just the path to it was surprising. Plot and character stuff aside, I really dislike how Liora's family treated her.

I also don't really like Cynrik's brother, (not much of a spoiler, but just in case) Besart. He was just a bit of a jerk, prioritizing the kingdom over his family, and Cynrik's sister says as much to Cynrik. Nonetheless, he turned out okay. . . .

Anyway, on to my favorite relationships!

~Liora & Marlena~

First, can I just say how much I LOVED Liora and Marlena's relationship! Even though they aren't really sisters, there bond might as well be a sisterly bond!

Their relationship was just so wholesome (okay, as much as it could be) and sweet. Despite Liora's stepmother making her take care of Marlena, Liora made the most of it. As a result, Liora and Marlena became really close.

I so enjoyed just seeing them interact — just the care and attention they both paid to each other. Aach, so sweet!!

~Cynrik & Liora~

Let's just be honest. This is a fairy tale. It would be a bigger surprise if they didn't get together.

Their relationship was so cute! It's kinda a slow–burn romance, but the attraction was pretty much instant. Still, seeing them start to trust each other was just adorable! I loved seeing them start to slowly fall for the other.

It was especially interesting because they both felt the other was too good for them. They were just so similar, and it allowed them to understand each other really well! That being said, I can't remember how much tension or chemistry there was.

While there wasn't a whole lot of visible chemistry, their relationship still worked for me. I think honestly it was just how well they understood each other that really sold it for me. They just clicked.

Prose & Pacing ~ 9/10

Personally, I loved both the prose and the pacing. COG was definitely a long book, but I actually liked that it was that long. Okay, so maybe there were portions that could have moved a bit faster (at least with the ARC I read), but overall, I had no issues.

CB has a stellar writing style, and her writing just flows right off the page. It really made those pages fly by!

Spoiler Section ~ not rated

As always, this Spoiler Section is going to have spoilers. Proceed with caution.



Last chance!!!!!!! Spoiler warning!!!

・  I knew Liora's stepfamily was involved in some shady stuff, but some of the magic was really cool!! Like, the disguise?
・  Also, I really hate her family! Her stepmother was just going to let her burn to death! Like, what the heckity heck is wrong with you?!?!?!
・  And the twist! Okay, so not the most complex thing I've ever seen, but it was good!

While I'm sure there's more I could say, these were the ones I needed to say. Maybe I'll remember some more later. If so, I'll just edit this section.

Overall

I just LOVED COG! It's not the most complicated book ever, but it's very easily a slump breaker! If retellings are your thing, then you definitely should pick up COG; I think you'll like it! :)

5 stars!

I received a free eARC from the author via StoryOrigin, in exchange for an honest review

--------------------------------------------------

16 June 2022

5 stars!

This was undoubtedly one of THE BEST books I've read in too long of a time! It's soooo good, and I highly recommend it!

RTC!

5 stars!

Major thanks to the author for the free eARC, in exchange for an honest review

~~~~~

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Happy Reading!

[Lemon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well, after putting it off due to being physically unable to read.....WOW. And ow....

I...firstly, as usual, the plot was excellent, the worldbuilding was amazing, and the mashing of Cinderella and the Little Match Girl was *very* compelling. The characterization was also really well done. I loved the juxtaposition between the female lead and male lead; their flaws and virtues and the abuse and toxic family environments - all of it was portrayed REALLY well with satisfying arcs and growth for the two.

Truth be told, I could ramble on and on about the characters and the way they were written (I was also a fan of the way the theme of carrying base flaws that will always stick with you was handled)....but I'll save that earworm and paragraphs to myself. XD. I also kinda loved the male lead (he was.....relatable, I guess...that's probably not great for me), and while sometimes the power distinction between the way the FL's realization/growth and the way the ML's growth was handled frustrated me, that's definitely not a criticism, just a matter of personal opinion.

All in all....ouch. Emotionally taxing yet INCREDIBLE storytelling as usual.

Right. I also DID receive this as an ARC, but due to putting it off for so long, I read the final version, and all opinions are my own. (Sorry)

Content: Nothing beyond kissing. Standard fantasy violence that leads some scars, and some stuff about toxic families, as stated above. No language, however

[Mystery Rose Writer · Rating 5 out of 5]

AAAAAAAAAHHHH! SO MUCH INTERNAL HAPPY SCREAMING!

My sister has read this entire series before me and has shared a lot of what would happen, but I enjoyed the whole thing anyway. The romance, the suspense, the characters, the twists, it was exhilarating and magical and perfect in every way! Cynrik and Liora are both deeply flawed, but very relatable. Celeste Baxendell is so, so talented! The range of side characters were awesome as well, I'm very much looking forward to starting the next book, which is the story of one of those side characters. 😏 I absolutely recommend this book! If you love Cinderella retellings, this is a must read. It was SUCH a creative one. It even brought me to tears once, which is hard to do.

[Ashley · Rating 5 out of 5]

**I received an arc copy from the author**
Wow, this book was an amazing and unique twist on the two classic stories; the very familiar tale of Cinderella and her glass slippers and the not-so-familiar tale of Little Match Girl! I have read many Cinderella-based fantasy books and this one was by far the best one I’ve seen. My favorite details from the classic story were sprinkled in perfectly but not too much that it was overwhelming or just rephrasing the original tale. I’d never heard the tale of Little Match Girl but I did look into it after reading this book and I loved it and while reading the fairytale my mind was jumping to elements I recognized from the book.
Liora at first appears flawless and perfect and the first glimpse of her shows her personality is more reminiscent of a Disney princess than a stereotypical fantasy heroine or main character. The development and growth and depth Liora shows as the story continues blindsides you in the most amazing way possible. She transforms from a selfless, innocent girl into a strong woman but never loses what is important to her and her morals even as she is tested by the other characters.
You can’t talk about Liora without also mentioning the morally-gray man that is Prince Cynrik. When I tell you I am absolutely obsessed with him I truly mean it; he embodies every bit of a charming, shallow royal with some issues underneath but turns into one of the most loyal and amazing characters. All the other characters you meet throughout the story, whether they were seen in earlier books or not, all are human and yet pristine in their own way and I loved every single one of them so much!
I genuinely cannot recommend this book enough and if you love fairytale retellings or are just looking for a good book, Cinders of Glass is definitely for you.

[Alicia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cinders of Glass was a stunning addition to the Bewitching Fairy Tales line up!

After reading Mirrors of Ice, where Cynrik is...less than stellar, I really wanted to know more. Who was this charming, yet clearly(according to Sterling, at least) lacking something fundamental, brother? I couldn't let it go. Every time I read Mirrors, I wondered. Cinders really dove into the twists and turns of Cynrik, and really highlighted why darkness does not mean unlovable.
I'm definitely adding Cinders to my Read Every Year lineup and Baxendell has solidified her position on my insta-buy list yet again.

[Lauren · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another excellent read in this series. I just love Celeste Baxendell's writing so much.

At this point, I've read and watched so many variations of Cinderella that a story has so really have something special to catch my interest. Weaving Cinderella with Little Match Girl was definitely a unique and fun twist, but where this book really shines is the characters and character growth. Liora and Cynrik were both such complex characters, and I loved how they grew and changed over the story.

I received a review copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Prince Cynrik is the star of the show in this retelling of Cinderella, and his redemption arc from the previous retelling of Snow White is such a nice touch to help him learn from his past mistakes. His love interest in Liora was really interesting, and I will honestly admit I seriously enjoyed him standing up to his stubborn brother, the king, who wants to marry him off when he came to Liora's defense! I also appreciated seeing Sandor and Aurelia once again in saving the day and coming to Liora's rescue.

[Debbie Eyre · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an epic fairytale mashup / retelling and once you pick this up you will not want to put it down! Cinderella and the little match girl are put together or mashed together so well and the characters are fantastic. It’s such an exciting storyline that grabs you hook, line and sinker and the world building is beautiful and draws you in. Full of adventure and twists and turns, I just love this author’s interpretations and compilations and I am anxious to read more.

[Joyce T. · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading this book, much to my surprise! I got it for free on Amazon a while back, but in the overwhelming sea of fairy tale retelling freebies, Cinders of Glass got a bit lost. I am glad that I finally picked it up -- it totally surpassed my expectations.

Here's what my expectations were: I thought this book would be (1) cliche, (2) overdrawn, and (3) somewhat filled with typos and grammatical errors. I know, I know, don't judge a book by its cover, but that's precisely what I did. It took reading a sample on Amazon (without being discouraged by the page count) to make me think this book was perhaps worth a try. And it definitely turned out to be!

Okay, so for starters, Cinderella has never been my favorite fairy tale. I mean, the whole poor FMC gets saved by rich MMC trope is pretty cool, but it if were me, I would definitely not want to get married to a prince so blind that he can't remember my face. Not to mention the fairy godmother, who appears exactly at the right moment to let Cinderella go to the ball... but has never, for some reason, showed up before that to make Cinderella's life better.
Anyways, I thought this book would follow that plot at least roughly, if not completely. But combined with The Little Match Girl fairy tale (another, incidentally, that I have never quite enjoyed), this story became something else entirely.

The characters are certainly very well-developed. Not just in character development, but also in just their unique traits. Whenever any of them appeared on the page, I knew instinctively who they were -- the prince's brothers, Liora's sisters, or maybe Dione and her brother. They each had such a different aura that it was surprisingly easy to tell them apart, given the number of characters in the book (and there are a lot).

Liora has an interesting character. She's portrayed as someone who's perfect, and perfectly selfless, and working herself to death just for her family's sake. But as the story progresses, it becomes clear that Liora's not perfect. (Honestly, that was a relief to me. I don't need book characters reminding me of my imperfections; I can do that myself, thank you very much.) Liora takes on some of the darkness visible in the environment and people around her, most notably in Cynrik, and... yeah. Her actions were misguided by a false belief that her family would do whatever it took to defend her.
I'm also glad that she wasn't all prim and proper. Even at the beginning of the book, we can see that she's not a Miss Goody Two Shoes, so her characteristics were actually very tolerable.

I didn't really like Liora's family environment. Marlena was strange, and I do hope we'll see more of her since this book ends without much indication as to where she ended up and what she was doing. But of course, it was necessary in order to set up her background. I'm still a bit confused, however, as to what her father did that made them get exiled...

Cynrik was awesome. From the start, it was obvious that he wasn't exactly Prince Charming. He's (in his own words) manipulative, and he flirts with, like, everyone. But it was also apparent that there's more to him than just that. Manipulation is a way he's survived in the court, and though his choices weren't right, he was trying to do the right thing. He didn't just brush it off as misunderstood hero, either -- he actively tries to make up for his mistakes.

And that brings me to another reason why I liked this book so much -- the morals. The characters in this book often make shady decisions that are tinged heavily with gray. Often, it's because they were forced to: either to protect someone they loved, or to protect themselves. That's nothing new, since most books now feature good guys with dark backgrounds or bad guys who are just misunderstood.
What really makes this book stand out is how nobody uses their circumstances or reasons to excuse their behavior. Sure, they were forced to make those decisions, but they still own up to it and take the consequences, instead of trying to avoid them. I'd say this book is a pretty good example of bad-guys-get-punished. (It may not seem like a big deal, but trust me, it's becoming rarer and rarer in books these days.)

Needless to say, I'll be checking out more of this author's books soon!

Okay, you've read through all my rambling for so long, why don't you listen to the characters talk instead:

Chapter 8 (Cynrik's POV): Everyone knew that if a baby gave you a gift, you had to keep it, otherwise you were a heartless monster.

Chapter 23 (Cynrik's POV): "We are both exhausted, physically, emotionally, mentally, and—eh, why not—spiritually or something similar," Cynrik said, shoving the note into a drawer.

Chapter 38: (Liora's POV) Cynrik: "Fine, we'll do it your way, but you are not leaving my sight at that meeting. And you can forget about being involved in the eventual capture."
They'd see about that. That's what he said about the hunting party, and she still wouldn't do anything differently.
Almost as if he could hear her thoughts, Cynrik said, "We are not repeating the hunting party incident. My heart can't take the stress."
"Don't be dramatic," Liora said, pulling on her needle and tightening the stitch. "Everything worked out."
Cynrik shut his eyes and rubbed his forehead. "You're impossible."

Chapter 45: (Cynrik's POV) Liora's head whipped around from where she'd been turning the key. "Your brothers did that to you?"
He offered her a smile. "Oh, it was a bit deserved. I kicked Besart in the shin first. Once I gave Sterling a black eye, and he gave me a split lip. Brothers, y'know?"
Liora eyed his bruise skeptically as she pushed the door open.

Chapter 53: (Cynrik's POV) Oh how I want to include this, but it's a major spoiler and it would ruin the feeling if you saw it here first, so let me just say that it's very, very awesome, and it's a flashback to a lighter moment in their history together.

Chapter 59: (Cynrik's Pov) He opened it, and on the other side was Dione, holding a dress box in her arms and raising an eyebrow.
Dione lifted the box and asked, "Do I want to know why Liliana passed this task onto Valens who passed it on to me so I could get out of a meeting with Besart and Aiolos?"

There are so many good quotes that I just can't share because they would spoil the story and probably wouldn't make sense right now anyways without the context! Just trust me, this book is filled with humor, heavy moments, and everything in between.

Content: CLEAN. No curse words (although the characters often are mentioned to be swearing, it just shows up as "he swore" or "a string of curses came from his direction"). No explicit scenes. There is a witch, though, which I didn't love.

[Shawna Z · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh my swooning heart… can I just go back and reread this one a couple times back-to-back? Seriously, I could have this book at the top of my TBR pile on repeat and still love it. I just finished it not half an hour ago and I am still in love with these two.

Now Cinderella has always been firmly on the top of the FT heap for me, but mixing this with The Match Girl and I was hooked from the start. It doesn’t hurt at all that Cynrik, Sterling’s smarmy older brother from Mirrors of Ice takes center stage. I mean you love to hate him when we first met him, but oof, he makes a fantastic leading man here against Liora, our Match Girl/Cinderella.

I think we all know that one guy who is a total skirt-chasing flirt that the girls all seem to fall over with his insincere charm even though he’s just a diva who has an ego so big you just want to blacken his eye. Well, here he is ladies, get ready to see what happens when the playboy meets a girl who sees right through him.

Our poor boy has no idea what hits him when he tries to manipulate her into secretly helping him ooze his way out of the threat of an arranged marriage. Cynrik has another thing coming when he meets the one woman who thinks nothing of herself but only gives and gives despite everything his family took away from her when she was only a child.

Yeah, he’s a jerk…. or is he? He still hasn’t come to terms with apologizing to the younger brother he was formerly cruel to, can’t help but ooze fake charm and busting out his second or third best smiles or smirks or winking flirtatiously in order to manipulate circumstances in his favor.

The emotional rollercoaster these two go through with so many ups and downs just rips you in two at times. I can’t believe how many times the heartache had me in ugly tears. Trust me, you will be crying too more times than you will probably want to admit. One scene I had to set the book down I was sobbing so hard.

Yeah, this might be a book you’ll want to stay home for, curled up with something warm to drink, a soft blanket to wrap yourself in for comfort and a big box of Kleenex. But this is also the story that will have you loving it’s one-liners. I will openly admit I snorted multiple times over the banter… in-between the sobs, that is.

“I’m decent, are you decent?” Liora called out.
“I don’t know if I could ever be considered decent,
but I am fully clothed,” Cynrik replied.

Yeah, total scamp… be still be heart, I don’t usually like bad boys but Cynrik just kept me swinging between hating his guts and rooting for him to get his s@&t together. I don’t usually do this, but I loved this so much that I found myself going back multiple times rereading various lines and paragraphs because I felt like lingering in the moment a little longer.

Okay, so maybe I will finish the series and THEN go back to reread this one. I mean I am so excited to see where the storyline goes from here… but it really is tempting to start this one again right now. I will be strong, however, and soldier on… I need to rehydrate before putting myself back through this wringer again.

[Sierra · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reader’s Notes:

– this is book 4 of a series, but can be read as a stand-alone

– this is told from Liora and Cynrik’s points of view

Review:

I loved this twisty retelling of The Little Match Girl and Cinderella! Liora was an awesome heroine who saw the best in others and would literally give the shoes off her feet to someone else if she saw they needed them more than herself. She was so selfless, loyal, and kept her promises no matter what. Cynrik was a very different prince charming compared to what I’ve seen in the past, but it was so cool to see a character like that changed to look like Cynrik! Cynrik used his charm to get information from people and hide his true intentions/personality so people expected less from him. I loved seeing Liora learn that Cynrik did this and could pinpoint when he was using his charm to hide something and called him out on it. I also loved how Liora’s stepfamily fit in to everything! I couldn’t tell if they would fit the original cruel stepfamily mold or if they were also different like our Cinderella and Prince Charming were. I didn’t know the story of The Little Match Girl before reading the story, but that did not take away from anything. (In fact, after reading this story and then reading The Little Math Girl I came to greater appreciate Celeste Baxendell’s storytelling! She did a great job of weaving these two tales together into a totally new story!)

Liora spends her days trying to sell her sister’s enchanted matches in the square. Though it is very rare for her to sell a single one, Liora doesn’t mind doing so as it is the only way she can help provide financially for the family who took her in when her father passed. When she isn’t in the square, she cares for her stepsister (who makes the matches) and cleans the house to make returns from trips more relaxing for her stepmother and stepsister.

But Liora’s quiet days are gone after royals are nearly trampled visiting the stands and Liora steps in to help. Now she has the unwanted attention of a prince who doesn’t remember who she is to the crown, and he wants her help figuring out who could have caused the near accident.

Prince Cynrik needs to come up with something useful on his own for his brother (the king) or have to enter an arranged marriage of his brother’s choosing. So when he stumbles upon a possible conspiracy in the square, Cynrik is quick to follow the only lead he has: the match girl who was able to calm a stampeding horse. Though he believes her to be in on it at first, Cynrik comes to realize that Liora only wanted to get to the bottom of the situation and he asks her to help him uncover the details behind it.

With secret meetings, thoughtful gifts, and mysterious attacks, Cinders of Glass is an enchanting and thrilling story of a match girl and a prince who search for answers to one thing but also find unexpected answers to the wants of their hearts in each other.

[One Last Petal Books · Rating 5 out of 5]

Liora grew up in the court until her father was cast out as a traitor. Many years later, the only family she has left is her stepmother and two step sisters. Her father’s final words continue to ring in her ears - Family above all. So each day, she cooks, cleans, and mans their stall in the marketplace.

And when a certain prince asks her help she agrees. Not because she wants to help him. But because she is terrified her family is part of the trouble - and she’ll do anything to protect them.

Prince Cynrik has a carefully crafted reputation as the kingdom’s favorite dandy. But his brother, the king, is tired of his uselessness. The two strike a deal - Cynrik will do something on his own to help the kingdom or his brother will arrange a marriage - preferably one with a foreign alliance.

When Cynrik stumbles across a plot to hurt the visiting princess from a neighboring kingdom, he’s certain he’s found the key to winning the deal with his brother. But he can’t do it alone. He enlists the help of the Match Girl, certain no one would suspect her.

But as the situation gets more dangerous and the two continually fight, Cynrik can’t help wondering why Liora keeps coming back. And what dark secrets she might be hiding.

“But she couldn’t change the world she lived in. All she could do was what she had promised she would. Family above all. Even above her heart, her instincts, her conscience.”

This series just keeps getting better and better! We’re starting to see world building hints that were introduced in the first book, Stalks of Gold, pay off, with the promise of more and bigger connections.

The romance is probably my favorite so far. The two seem so different - one dark, one light - but it’s Cynrik who believes in love at first sight and Liora who is more pragmatic.

I loved the political intrigue of the plot, with more twists and machinations than many thrillers I’ve read. We’ve got spies, foreign alliances, assassination attempts, and traitorous plots.

Like Beasts of Beauty, this story deals with impossible choices, although mostly only for Liora. Her father told her “family above all.” But does that mean setting aside what she knows is right? Above her own morals?

I adored this book, and even though it’s seven hundred pages, I read it in just five days. You need to read this. Reading the rest of the series isn’t necessary, but will fill in some of the blanks, and you’ll pick up on all of the Easter eggs.

[Catherine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Whoa. I missed sleep over this book because I NEEDED to know how things worked out.

The story details of Cinderella and The Little Match Girl were intertwined so cleverly, but I expected no less because that's been the case in every single book in this series. It's long, too, which I've embraced with these books ;) You could read this as a standalone, but it is so much richer with the backstory and familiarity with the characters and kingdoms from the previous books.

The depth of characters & the changes that occur within them in the course of the story is something I love about this author's writing. I was giddy when I realized we finally got to know Cynrik & better understand why he was how he was toward Sterling in the earlier book. He is so good at being charming, but this story underscores then emptiness and self-loathing that can accompany that skill. Meanwhile, Liora's orphan story and the stepmother/stepsisters that's the usual with Cinderella feels less harsh and ugly than the classic tale, but there was this tiny bit of dissonance that left me questioning how Liora saw things from the very start. One of her stepsisters is an enchantress and Liora's job is to sell the magical matches that Marlena has enchanted at the family's market stall. There's an allusion to Liora's history and not wanting people to know who she truly is, but those details are kept vague for the longest time!

A freak accident in the marketplace cause their paths to cross and the character growth and continued intertwining of their lives leads to more details from the original stories being threaded into this retelling in such a satisfying way. Some retellings can be clunky about how those things are included, but Baxendell is phenomenal at working them into the story in a way that works within the world and characters and magic she's created.

OBVIOUSLY this book wraps with a HEA, but there were a lot of tense bits where I couldn't tell how things were going to unfold and it was SUCH a phenomenal book!!!

I received an ARC and am writing this review voluntarily :)

[Leah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Incredible. All of Celeste’s books I have enjoyed, and this one is no exception. It took me a while to get into the book; the beginning felt a little slow and dull it mirrored Liora’s life so well. But I am so glad I finished it!

Liora is a heroine who is an unusual combination of both passive and strong. She has no sense of self preservation as several other characters in the book note. She is willing to go into danger as well as ignore her own needs for the sake of helping others. She gives but seldom takes. In contrast, Cynrik is learning how to become more than the cruel, manipulative man we met in previous books. He and Liora go through a journey that sometimes seems frustratingly slow and other times feels like very high stakes. Together, they make a good team. One thing I continue to love about Celeste’s books are how real her characters are. Liora isn’t just a Cinderella who sits passively by and gets her happily ever after without character growth. She isn’t just a match girl who keels over in the snow frozen to death. She fights for what is right even while questioning the cost and continuing to make the same mistake of protecting her family at all personal costs. Cynrik learns more about his own nature and how to self reflect. He grows as he interacts with Liora and determines to be a better person. He becomes a relatable character who I can actually like following on his journey.

The emphasis on how everyone has a light and a dark side is a major topic in this book. What is love, and what is family? At what point do you draw the line for defending and trusting? I think this book does an excellent job wrestling with these questions an offers realistic, healthy answers for the specific cases that these characters go through. Overall, incredible book that is well worth the read for older readers.

*I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.*

[Thea Toocheck · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is possibly the most complex Cinderella story I’ve ever read; this book was long, but not drawn out—*that much* happened. I don’t think I’ve seen another Little Match Girl retelling, though I’ve read the original enough times to appreciate that it’s being recognized here and that it’s adapted so well! I loved how so many aspects of both stories were woven into the book, with our fairy godmother being a particular favorite.

Liora and Cynrik are very, very cute. I loved how they tried to protect each other even as they were trying to protect themselves not only from their mysterious enemies but also from themselves. Liora’s backstory was compelling and so tragic. It certainly took her long enough to get over her “family above all” thing, and while I get why she believed it so fully and I liked the arc of accepting her flaws, as a reader, I found her dedication to this idea her most annoying trait. Cynrik too had a lovely character arc, and seeing him as his true self was great. I expected a redemption for him, of course, but it was even better than I hoped. Watching him open up and join forces with Liora was so fun.

I liked getting to know his and Sterling’s family better, as well as Liora’s sister, Marlena. I suspect we’ll see her again, and I’m excited to learn more about her magic. In the bit we learned in this book, I really enjoyed the small allusion to the Little Mermaid, another Andersen story (it’s possible that this wasn’t an actual allusion and I just saw what I wanted to, but from the large-scale connections I’ve noticed through the series so far, I’m inclined to think I’m right). I’m happy to have received an ARC of this book because I really just love this series!

[Ellesharin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was lucky enough to receive an advanced readers copy of this book in exchange for an honest review, and I'd been looking forward to the next book in this series. It did not disappoint.

The story has taken inspiration from the fairy tales of the little match girl and Cinderella. Our heroine in this story has had some bad fortune, starting out as one of the nobles, her family fell upon hard times and now she's selling enchanted matches in the market to help support her step family after losing her father. After an accident involving a horse in the marketplace, she gets pulled into an adventure of her own by one of the local princes and together they try to unravel a frightening plot.

As the story progressed, I loved how you could follow both of the two main characters point of views. I like the way this author writes her stories as it gives a look into how the characters think instead of just describing what happens. This way you get to know the characters better and you come to understand why they make the choices that they do. One of the things I like about this series is that the heroine isn't completely helpless, but is actually capable in her own way, although not proficient in everything. As has become the usual with me while reading this series, I ended up finishing this book in one sitting and admitting to reading all night again might have elicited a few facepalms from my friends. The story was recognizable as to which fairy tales inspired it and the blending of them felt flawless, making for a really entertaining read. Am I looking forward to the next book from the author? Definitely. Would i read it again? Absolutely.

Elle.

[Sara Lawson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Liora has been taught to always put family first. She tries to sell her sister's enchanted matches, which is hard since she is next to invisible in the marketplace) and keeps house for her mother and sisters (it's the least she can do since they are doing important work like trading and enchanting). And she is darling, if a bit of a doormat (but it makes sense because she isn't as skilled as the rest of her household). And her family is kind enough, especially her little sister Marlena, so it makes sense for her to sacrifice for them.

But when she stops a horse from trampling the playboy prince and a foreign princess at the marketplace, things change. Liora gets caught up in an intrigue that fills her life with excitement and adventure and meaning that she hadn't thought possible. She also stumbles across shocking truths about her family, which she attempts to cover up because family is always first. But when she can't please everyone or help everyone, will she have the courage to do what is right even if that means her family has to pay the price?

As many reviewers have said, this book is long. But it never felt long. The flow was fantastic, and the characters were interesting. The mash-up between Cinderella and the Little Match Girl was lovely. I also really appreciated the challenges Liora faced. I could feel for her, wondering what the consequences for her selflessness might be, because while selfishness is seen as a cardinal sin, we have to be selfish enough to take care of ourselves. And her self-care is seriously lacking. I also loved watching the prince transform into an actual human who thinks of others beyond himself. The character development was fabulous! I'm already looking forward to rereading this book.

I received an ARC from the author and have reviewed it willingly.

[Fiyin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Where do I begin?

This book was like an inferno— overwhelming and all-consuming. So many intense thoughts and emotions shaped the plot of this story and its characters' motivations.

Liora is a woman who, despite how much she tried, could never be seen or heard by anyone. She is invisible, alone, insignificant. Utterly unable to leave even the whisper of the idea that she was ever there.

And yet, at the same time, she is selfless, self-sacrificing, and so very, very brave. She would set herself on fire just to keep a stranger warm.
And there was nothing she wouldn't do for family.
Family was everything.

Cynrik is the exact opposite. He draws the eye wherever he goes; he is incapable of fading into the background—of passing through life unseen.
But he is also cruel, manipulative, selfish, and a heartless user.

Until her.
The one who saw past the mask to the man beneath.

There story, more than most books I've read, illustrates how people can change. Nothing—no one—is perfect, and no one is ever truly good or truly evil. Or at least, we can choose not to be.
It is our choices that define us, and even the brightest flame must have a shadow; even the purest glass must have a blemish.

Cinders of Glass wasn't an easy read. Not at all.
But it was worth it—every raw, emotion-filled moment, every heart-stopping, agonizing second of it.

I could read it a thousand times and never get enough of Prince Charming and the Little Match Girl.

[Hope Bragg · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I saw the page number for this book, I was like, "Hey! A book that will take me more than a day to finish!" And excitedly dived into it. I've always loved 'The Little Matchstick Girl" as well as fairy tale retellings (BATB being my favorite), so I was prepared to enjoy this, and hoped it would be at least a couple of days' enjoyment...24 hrs later, and the book was finished and I was left in post book sighs, rereading my favorite moments over and over again.
Our heroine is a bit naive...maybe a little too naive, but since it's also a cinderella tale, I'll let it slide. She's so passionate about taking care of her family that you give her grace for not seeing what's literally right in front of her. I won't spoil anything, but it didn't take much to figure out who the bad guys were, when it took our Cinderella to nearly the end to discover them.
Our Hero is lazy, and cares nothing for responsibilities. I love a good arc, and his is soooo good. From the beginning he 'sees' our heroine, and that alone makes some of his first-few-pages faults redeemable...give it a few chapters and his redemption is well on his way.
Now throw in good heaping spoons of angst and misunderstandings and you have a page turner that thankfully wraps everything up in a nice HEA bow at the end, leaving you with those happy sighs that make you want to revisit your favorite scenes over and over again.
I read this out of order (I tried reading a few of the others, but this one is by far my favorite of the series), and had no problems doing so--thus, this can be read as a stand alone.
I highly recommend this book!

[✨Ruthie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing!! The plot, characters, and storyline had so much depth I couldn't put it down! The characters were fantastically developed, and the twists and turns had me constantly on the edge of my seat! If I could give this 6 stars... I would... but a pathetic 5 stars will have to do :(

Liora had this super relatable personality to me, and sometimes I would just want to yell at her and say "FAMILY IS NOT EVERYTHING!!! ESPECIALLY WHEN YOUR CONSCIENCE IS SAYING NO!!!

Cynrik is the angsty 'wish i was better, but i'm not so i'll just stay in the cold manipulative form i've stuck myself in!!' AND OF COURSE, we have the 'so slow I didn't even know I was falling until it JUST HAPPENED!! LOVE!!!💔

I was rooting for them to the end, but sometimes I would seriously doubt, like 'wait- they are supposed to be together... right? Personally, when authors are able to do that to me- and I'm a pretty hard judge believe it or not 😉- then the book makes the read SO much MORE worth it.

In the end, i ended up just fangirling, but I'm not joking or overreacting when I'm saying this was actually a seriously good book with no spice or language- right up my alley. Celeste Baxendell, PLEASE keep writing! You have inspired me so much to live as Liora did (without the obsessive family part) and all the other characters i have read are really enlightening to me. Thank you!💖❤️

[Katie Marie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I know I say this every time, but I think this was my favorite book in the series so far!! 🤩 Cinders of Glass was such a beautiful, emotional, and suspenseful retelling of Cinderella and The Little Match Girl. I absolutely adore how the author mixes two fairytales in such a unique way every time!

I really related to Liora so much, and just loved her character! She was at times weak and small, but had courage running through her that pushed her to do brave and often reckless things to save the people she loved. Cynrick wasn’t my favorite from previous books, but I really liked his character growth and came to love him! 😍 Celeste has a way of taking unlikable characters, forces them to face themselves and their past deeds, and become better people. It’s not something you see often in books and I really appreciate it!

The magic in this book was so cool! I really liked the enchanted matches, specifically the Desire Matches which will show you a smoke-vision of what you desire. Also it was really fun to see past MCs coming together in this book and helping each other out! It was a cool surprise. 😆

The plot was so intriguing and I never knew who was the bad guy or what was going to happen next. The romance was great (if a bit heartbreaking at times 😭). Super excited for the next one!!

[John Clark · Rating 5 out of 5]

This begins with a "Little Match Girl" flavor, but ends more like a retelling of Cinderella. At 686 pages, it's a deceptive read, with no fat or filler. While Liora could easily start to grate on you because of her constant inability to be assertive and look out for herself, she manages to stay on the okay side of that line. From the moment she leaps impulsively from her small booth in the marketplace to save a princess from being trampled by a horse, she's of interest to the sole prince who's not betrothed. That's Prince Cynrik, whose constant flirtation and reluctance to assume responsibility are deceptive. He secretly believes that true love is a worthy goal and none of the eligible ladies in the kingdom have stirred an iota of romantic attraction within him.
Once he and Liora meet and begin playing detective in an effort to determine who wants to derail his brother's pending marriage to Princess Dione, readers are taken on quite a ride. It's one that involves who she really is, what happened to her family, why her stepmother and stepsister are always off on some secret mission, magic matches, palace intrigue, Liora nearly dying and plenty more. It's a dandy tale.

[Helen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review - and I'm so glad I did. I will definitely be reading more in the series.

"He held onto her like she was the only shelter in sight even though she was the storm"

This story seamlessly wove two different fairytales (The Little Match Girl and Cinderella) into an enchanting tale filled with twists and turns and betrayals. I loved the characters, and enjoyed the exploration of family and what it means to different people. Family and its different aspects and complications was a strong theme throughout. I also enjoyed how the book explored people's characters, and how there is more depth to people than we initially see. Magic and illusion wove their way through the story, creating atmosphere.

The book is long, and I feel there were a few places it could have been tightened up without losing too much of the story, but overall I didn't mind the length. There was enough to keep me interested, and it meant there was room for more plot and character development.

I highly recommend this book, and this author.

[Kate · Rating 5 out of 5]

Combined Cinderella and The Little Match Girl Fairytales retelling

Excellent interpretation of two fairytales mixed together. Sometimes there were detailed thoughts or descriptions which slowed the pace of the story. Other times, there was a lot of action, and the story took flight. Who knew that matches could do so many things? And that evil family members could hide their meanness so expertly behind deceptive smiles and caring attitudes?

I like the way Prince Cynrik is able to read Liora; they appear to be equally matched. Liora was too gullible and trusting, excessively loyal to family and turning a blind eye to the chaos they caused; she needed to learn that doing what was right was more important than being loyal to family members who were troublemakers or worse. There were lots of great messages with quotable lines about family, standing up for what’s right, and forgiving & being true to oneself. I received a copy of this book from the author and am pleased to leave an honest review.