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Danielle Chaplin (81 KP) rated To Kill a Kingdom in Books

Jun 1, 2019  
To Kill a Kingdom
To Kill a Kingdom
Alexandra Christo | 2018 | Romance, Young Adult (YA)
8
7.9 (17 Ratings)
Book Rating
Plot, characters, storyline (0 more)
Length of book, progression of characters (0 more)
Brilliant!
This is a truly unique and fantastic retelling of the Little Mermaid story, with our main character being a bloodthirsty siren that is forced into human form for disobeying the sea witch.
I loved that the characters weren't instantly attracted to each other, that the prince wasn't as nice as he could have been and that the siren had a backbone to her. The feelings and emotions displayed were well thought out and the story progressed well, however I feel that the relationships could have progressed more during the 'quest' and that the book had every right to be longer than what it was.

I could not put this book down and read it even whilst feeding my baby one handed so that I didn't lose any time in finding out what happens (even though it was a fair chance that it would either have a Disney happy ending or follow the classic fairy tale).

This is the perfect book for those that like alternative retellings of fairy tales and Christina Henry books.
  
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ClareR (6106 KP) rated The River Has Roots in Books

Mar 11, 2025  
The River Has Roots
The River Has Roots
Amal El-Mohtar | 2025 | Fiction & Poetry, LGBTQ+, Romance, Science Fiction/Fantasy
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
I have deep love for a fairy tale - especially the ones that border on the macabre.
The River Has Roots is a beautiful tale of two sisters who live on the border of Arcadia (Faerie), and sing to the Willow trees twice a day in tribute to the men they once were.

The sisters are very close: Ysabel and Esther, and they always want to be together. But of course, as in all good fairytales, a man throws a spanner in the works.

The River Has Roots is a novella and honestly, if El-Mohtar wrote this as a full length novel or decided to write more such stories, I would be all in. The writing is beautiful - full on fairytale style at its best.

This gave me “The Twa Sisters” vibes, equally as tragic, but not exactly the same - you’re not getting an exact retelling. This is a story in its own right.

The Lino-cut illustrations (Kathleen Neely) throughout the book were perfect for the story, too.

There was a bonus story at the end, “John Hollowback and the Witch”, and it was a rather pleasant surprise - a fabulous cautionary tale.

This is a must-read for my fellow fairytale fans!
  
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Dana (24 KP) rated Crimson Bound in Books

Mar 23, 2018  
CB
Crimson Bound
Rosamund Hodge | 2015
8
8.5 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
I gave this review a 4.5 out of 5 stars. While I mostly enjoyed it, there was that pesky love triangle that always seems to make me like a book a little less.

This is a loose retelling of the Little Red Riding Hood fairy tale. While there are some major theme similarities and some small details that are the same, I didn't get the full feeling of Little Red Riding Hood like I did with Beauty and the Beast in Cruel Beauty. I still enjoyed the story though.

I liked how there was another fairy tale being woven into the story being told. And the mythology of the world was stunning. I loved the idea of the woodwives and how it is actually the women who were charged to save the world. Talk about girl power!

I liked reading about Rachelle's development as a character and how she is continuously battling the Great Forest inside of her. And Amelie's relationship with Rachelle was so sweet. It really felt like they were most themselves and most at peace when they were with each other.

I really enjoyed reading about the imagery and contrasts between the light and dark. It captured how the characters are living in the light, clinging to their hope for a better world while they live in a dying one.

I only wish there were more ties to Cruel Beauty and those story lines, especially since I fell in love with that world so easily.

I recommend this to anyone who like fun and interesting takes on fairy tales, folk tales, new mythologies, or high fantasy novels.