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Mark of the Least
Catching Cinders
Even the weakest flame can become the fiercest blaze.
Crippled from a childhood illness, Cindy lives in the kitchen fireplace, ignored by her noble father and his new, perfect family, helping the people no one else notices. But when he dies under mysterious circumstances, Cindy’s step-mother coerces her into an elaborate plot to avoid being charged with murder.
Meekness is nothing new to Cindy, but now she has to lay low in the royal court of Valeria where a prince is rumored to be bride shopping. She'd be fine, if that prince would just stop following her around. But Prince Nikolas has seen more than Cindy's limp. He's seen that she's clever and observant. And she's just the right person to help him find a blood mage that threatens the very foundation of Valeria. If only she believed that she was worth fighting for, too…
Crippled from a childhood illness, Cindy lives in the kitchen fireplace, ignored by her noble father and his new, perfect family, helping the people no one else notices. But when he dies under mysterious circumstances, Cindy’s step-mother coerces her into an elaborate plot to avoid being charged with murder.
Meekness is nothing new to Cindy, but now she has to lay low in the royal court of Valeria where a prince is rumored to be bride shopping. She'd be fine, if that prince would just stop following her around. But Prince Nikolas has seen more than Cindy's limp. He's seen that she's clever and observant. And she's just the right person to help him find a blood mage that threatens the very foundation of Valeria. If only she believed that she was worth fighting for, too…
432 pages, Paperback
Published July 19, 2019
9 people are currently reading
140 people want to read
About the author
Kendra Merritt
24 books83 followersBooks have been Kendra’s escape for as long as she can remember. She used to hide fantasy novels behind her government textbook in high school, and she wrote most of her first novel during a semester of college algebra.
Older and wiser now (but just as nerdy) Kendra writes retellings of fairytales with main characters who have disabilities. If she isn’t writing, she’s reading, and if she isn’t reading, she’s playing video games.
Kendra lives in Denver with her very tall husband, their book loving progeny, and a lazy black monster masquerading as a service dog.
Older and wiser now (but just as nerdy) Kendra writes retellings of fairytales with main characters who have disabilities. If she isn’t writing, she’s reading, and if she isn’t reading, she’s playing video games.
Kendra lives in Denver with her very tall husband, their book loving progeny, and a lazy black monster masquerading as a service dog.
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
April 13, 2022
Sweet, fun and sassy, adorable, magical and enchanting.
Yep. I'm calling Catching Cinders all that and more. Not only because it's one of the best Cinderella retellings I've come across till now, but also because it's one of those books that has you hooked from the very first page and doesn't let go until you've reached the end.
You know that feeling you get after reading just one chapter, that this is gonna be one fabulous book?
You'll get to experience it with Catching Cinders. And it sets a pretty high raised bar for the rest of the tale, which manages to not only keep up but also raise above it.
A crippled Cinderella who'll have you in her corner from the very first line, a prince rumoured to be bride shopping, a stepmother and 2 stepsisters who may not be quite what you expect, a stiff and totally cuddle-worthy guard, two grandparents that are bound to set you chuckling and a fire sprite you're gonna want to have for yourself!
To all these add a good measure of blood magic and a murder charge suspicion, or two..., a bit of court intrigue and more than a few unforeseen twists... and of course a nice little pinch of gentle love...
Top it all off with deliciously sweet charm and sass...
Sprinkle it with a bit of food for thought...
And there you go!
The perfect recipe for an enchanting and practically unputdownable read.
I kid you not people. This is one book you may not want to set down.
Fabulous characters with a growth that's simply 'Cheff's kiss!' Wonderful worbuilding with a downright addictive plot and great pacing, despicable villains and delicious angst... I loved all of these but most of all I loved the complexity of Cindy and her perfectly imperfect mix of strength and weakness.
A girl who needs to accept she's worth fighting for.
A prince who needs to learn to listen to his heart.
A fire sprite that steals the show.
A cozy little feel-good tale that goes straight to the heart.
You have got to read this people!
It's just... magic!
Yep. I'm calling Catching Cinders all that and more. Not only because it's one of the best Cinderella retellings I've come across till now, but also because it's one of those books that has you hooked from the very first page and doesn't let go until you've reached the end.
You know that feeling you get after reading just one chapter, that this is gonna be one fabulous book?
You'll get to experience it with Catching Cinders. And it sets a pretty high raised bar for the rest of the tale, which manages to not only keep up but also raise above it.
A crippled Cinderella who'll have you in her corner from the very first line, a prince rumoured to be bride shopping, a stepmother and 2 stepsisters who may not be quite what you expect, a stiff and totally cuddle-worthy guard, two grandparents that are bound to set you chuckling and a fire sprite you're gonna want to have for yourself!
To all these add a good measure of blood magic and a murder charge suspicion, or two..., a bit of court intrigue and more than a few unforeseen twists... and of course a nice little pinch of gentle love...
Top it all off with deliciously sweet charm and sass...
Sprinkle it with a bit of food for thought...
And there you go!
The perfect recipe for an enchanting and practically unputdownable read.
I kid you not people. This is one book you may not want to set down.
Fabulous characters with a growth that's simply 'Cheff's kiss!' Wonderful worbuilding with a downright addictive plot and great pacing, despicable villains and delicious angst... I loved all of these but most of all I loved the complexity of Cindy and her perfectly imperfect mix of strength and weakness.
A girl who needs to accept she's worth fighting for.
A prince who needs to learn to listen to his heart.
A fire sprite that steals the show.
A cozy little feel-good tale that goes straight to the heart.
You have got to read this people!
It's just... magic!
August 30, 2020
I'll just make this quick, since I'd probably be repeating praises and such from the first review of the series. You know, all the stuff about world building and representation and writing and character growth?? Again, that happened, but...in such an awesome, Cinderella way. And I liked the villains in this book much more than the last two, because the motivation/reason was made clearer and there was...a bit /more/ to truly despise. There was a loooooot of angst, especially if you stop and think about all the bad actions made. And though the ending was a true happy one, I FELT it was bittersweet because of...*thinks of a way to say it non spoilery* stolen opportunities? (Edit: Also...couple angst, like...not huge for me since I quite liked ... that part. But you know, romantics might not. Vague, I know)
No iffy content here, really, except occasional mild (old British-type, hehe) language.
No iffy content here, really, except occasional mild (old British-type, hehe) language.
July 28, 2022
Catching Cinders is, as the title implies, the Cinderella retelling in this delightful fairytale-esque series from Kendra Merritt.
It reminded me in tone of books like Ella Enchanted and Cinderella is Dead (the feminist Cinderella retelling is quite its own subgenre), particularly in the way it blended magic into the worldbuilding and created a fantasy magic system to scaffold this fairytale story. This is an equally exciting interpretation of the story.
My one gripe was with Cindy as a character. She is so quick to jump to negativity about herself. For that reason, I didn't enjoy her perspective as much as I have the other narrators in this series, and the romance wasn't as convincing for me.
One character I DID love was Cindy's grandmother. Badass, snarky Dowager noblewomen are a great stock character, but her Grandmama transcends that to also be a loving maternal influence for a character who sorely needs it.
It reminded me in tone of books like Ella Enchanted and Cinderella is Dead (the feminist Cinderella retelling is quite its own subgenre), particularly in the way it blended magic into the worldbuilding and created a fantasy magic system to scaffold this fairytale story. This is an equally exciting interpretation of the story.
My one gripe was with Cindy as a character. She is so quick to jump to negativity about herself. For that reason, I didn't enjoy her perspective as much as I have the other narrators in this series, and the romance wasn't as convincing for me.
One character I DID love was Cindy's grandmother. Badass, snarky Dowager noblewomen are a great stock character, but her Grandmama transcends that to also be a loving maternal influence for a character who sorely needs it.
February 3, 2022
Magic and misunderstandings and a happily ever after
This is a very good reimagining of the Cinderella story.
Cindy is supposed to remain inconspicuous while with her Stepmother and stepsisters at the palace, but the Prince keeps seeking her out, first as a possible suspect weakening the royal blood bonds (kind of like a blood oath to protect and serve the crown and country, but with actual blood binding magic). When he realizes she is not the weakness, he enlists her aid to help find who is trying to destabilize the bond.
The plot is solid, the flow is smooth, the characters are well conceived, and the book length was not too short, nor too long.
Suitable for preteens and older, due to certain instances of violence and bloodshed. (Not graphic, but still present.)
This is a very good reimagining of the Cinderella story.
Cindy is supposed to remain inconspicuous while with her Stepmother and stepsisters at the palace, but the Prince keeps seeking her out, first as a possible suspect weakening the royal blood bonds (kind of like a blood oath to protect and serve the crown and country, but with actual blood binding magic). When he realizes she is not the weakness, he enlists her aid to help find who is trying to destabilize the bond.
The plot is solid, the flow is smooth, the characters are well conceived, and the book length was not too short, nor too long.
Suitable for preteens and older, due to certain instances of violence and bloodshed. (Not graphic, but still present.)
September 30, 2023
3.5 out of 5 stars. a sweet cinderella retelling with a message of self-love and fighting for what's right.
i was a little caught off guard by the christian messaging here but it literally only comes up once, as a reference to in-universe theology, and might not even be noticed by people not familiar with the original scripture it references.
it was cute and i really liked the original plot elements and the magic system merritt brought to the cinderella template. i have all five of the mark of the least books on my kindle and i look forward to reading merritt's other fairy tale retellings.
i was a little caught off guard by the christian messaging here but it literally only comes up once, as a reference to in-universe theology, and might not even be noticed by people not familiar with the original scripture it references.
it was cute and i really liked the original plot elements and the magic system merritt brought to the cinderella template. i have all five of the mark of the least books on my kindle and i look forward to reading merritt's other fairy tale retellings.
everyone deserves a chance to be who they want to be. not who others make them into.
February 11, 2024
I’m going to spoil this book because I need to explain why I disliked it. Nik betrays Aschen so completely that her ending up with him is not a happy ending. He was not worthy of her because he used one embarrassment to have her put under a conservatorship despite everything he knew about her. He treated her like trash and used his position as prince to justify it. This was not a happy ending to me. Aschen deserved someone who would support her and love her, and not infantilize her because she was disabled. Nik does that by assuming she must be dangerous and violent despite everything he knew.
I loved Aschen, so I’m not giving this total pan. But this was not a successful romance.
I loved Aschen, so I’m not giving this total pan. But this was not a successful romance.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 4, 2021
I think this one is my favorite of the series so far, thanks to the pacing and slow unspooling of suspense, the intricacies of the conflict between Cindy and her stepmother, and Cindy’s brilliant mix of strengths that she and others try (quite unsuccessfully) to stuff away backstage. And Ember — the world needs more fire sprite foils to put princes in their place! Cindy’s fear that she might have accidentally murdered her own father weakens her under her stepmother’s thumb, but Prince Nikolas sees the strength that she’s unable to hide.
March 17, 2021
A retelling but only just
Most retellings retell so closely that the story is enjoyable because it's familiar. This retelling has the basic bones, but instills it's own blood magic, court intrigue, backstabbing twists that it felt unexpected and new. The main female had something like polio and so uses canes to ambulate. The twists are unveiled so smoothly, I couldn't anticipate them. And of course the happily ever after is tied tightly to perfection. It was really enjoyable, and I finished it in record time, losing sleep. Go for it.
Most retellings retell so closely that the story is enjoyable because it's familiar. This retelling has the basic bones, but instills it's own blood magic, court intrigue, backstabbing twists that it felt unexpected and new. The main female had something like polio and so uses canes to ambulate. The twists are unveiled so smoothly, I couldn't anticipate them. And of course the happily ever after is tied tightly to perfection. It was really enjoyable, and I finished it in record time, losing sleep. Go for it.
November 29, 2022
Couldn’t put it down!
I just read most of this book in a single sitting even though I’m sick and should be sleeping. You might be thinking “not another fairy tale retelling!” But truly, this is a fresh look at the Cinderella story with a flawed heroine who has to overcome her own self doubt and find her sense of agency at last.
I loved this book and can’t wait to hand it to my daughter.
I just read most of this book in a single sitting even though I’m sick and should be sleeping. You might be thinking “not another fairy tale retelling!” But truly, this is a fresh look at the Cinderella story with a flawed heroine who has to overcome her own self doubt and find her sense of agency at last.
I loved this book and can’t wait to hand it to my daughter.
May 29, 2023
Merritt has done it again and I just loved this. Do I love it more than By Winged Chair? I don't know. they are very close ties. I loved the characters, the magic, the non-human sidekicks, the romance, the stress-inducing villain plot, I just don't have any complaints. I love this series. I love this book. I hope Kendra never stops writing them.
April 15, 2020
I absolutely loved this book. Cindy and Nik were such fun characters and I loved their inner dialogue and their interactions with each other. The story was sweet and the world building was really interesting. If you are looking for a cozy happy ever after then this is perfect.
April 21, 2022
lovely Cinderella retelling
Not as twisted up as some other books- characters are all there, and acting their roles. But there are some absolutely delightful side characters added, and the dialogue made me laugh out loud.
Mild mild violence. No lewd scenes. Mild language.
Not as twisted up as some other books- characters are all there, and acting their roles. But there are some absolutely delightful side characters added, and the dialogue made me laugh out loud.
Mild mild violence. No lewd scenes. Mild language.
January 29, 2023
By far one of the best Cinderella retellings I have ever read
If you are a fan of fairy tales - read it!
If youre a fan of Cinderella retellings - read it!
If you’re a fan of good books - read it!
If you are a fan of fairy tales - read it!
If youre a fan of Cinderella retellings - read it!
If you’re a fan of good books - read it!
April 27, 2025
It was unique with the concept of blood magic and compulsions but the plot had holes and it was predictable. Nik was very fast to disappoint me.
September 2, 2020
I enjoyed this romance novel despite being a bit skeptical if I'll like yet another Cindrella story. I'd say the novel stands on its own - magic and politics blended nicely with a love story. The lead characters were both likeable, and the side characters were good too. The prose was easy to follow. I hope I can check out the other novels set in this world soon.
July 5, 2019
Catching Cinders is easily the most engaging book in The Mark of The Least series, and one of the most engaging books I’ve read in a long while. I could not put it down once I passed the halfway point. Each chapter opened more new questions than it closed and, having fallen in love with the protagonists, I was loathe to leave them in the muck of their circumstances. I thoroughly enjoyed Catching Cinders and the only flaw I can conjure is a lack of down time in the story for me to feel safe going to sleep!
July 5, 2019
As much as I have enjoyed each installment in this series, Catching Cinders is my favorite. Not only does the author accomplish her retelling of a classic tale with typical aplomb, but she somehow elicits tension and concern for the characters’ safety even though I knew how the original ends.
The Marks of the Least series is, for me, the most enjoyable series I’ve discovered since Butcher’s Dresden or Brennan’s Lady Trent, and it’s well worth a read if you enjoy fairy tales, fantasy, or stories that empower those the world often discards. I can’t wait for the next one!
The Marks of the Least series is, for me, the most enjoyable series I’ve discovered since Butcher’s Dresden or Brennan’s Lady Trent, and it’s well worth a read if you enjoy fairy tales, fantasy, or stories that empower those the world often discards. I can’t wait for the next one!
January 6, 2024
This book was fantastic. The writing was great and I couldn't put the book down. This was a great read and I would recommend it to anyone.
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews