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Rachel King (13 KP) rated The Sleeping Beauty (Five Hundred Kingdoms, #5) in Books
Feb 11, 2019
I found this book to be quite engrossing and entertaining as a retelling of a mixture of common fairy tales, namely Sleeping Beauty and Snow White. Other tales are also given some attention, such as the Frog Prince, as a source of humor and explanation of random occurences. The lengths to which Rosa and her Fairy Godmother must go to escapes the clutches of The Tradition are both ingenious and exhausting, and it makes me appreciate that my own life is not dictated by some non-conscious "force."
I especially enjoyed the many different challenges that the two women conceived to test the many Princes vying for Rosa's hand in marriage, and I even tried to answer a few myself before I read ahead. The novel takes the modernized approach that the Damsel in Distress does not always need a man to save her from Doom - but having a few handy just in case certainly don't hurt!
I enjoyed how unique each of the characters are, even minor characters, such as some of the Princes who were eliminated early or the different Brownies in the service of the Fairy Godmother. Seigfried and Leopold are opposites in many ways, and yet they work very well together. Seigfried's bird is also great entertainment and quite convenient as a source of knowledge and backstory. The way that Leopold resolves the force of the The Tradition that has been plaguing Seigfried is rather perfect, too. The mirror spirit, Jimson, who serves the Fairy Godmother, Lily, is also quite endearing, and I found his resolution somewhat predictable, but still enjoyable.
What I like most about the Five Hundred Kingdom series is that even though each of the books in the series could qualify as a stand-alone novel, each book still sneaks in elements to connect it to the backstory of previous books, such as when Lily contacts Elena regarding dragons. The fairy tales are reimagined in the light of modern values while still favoring core elements, and even an adult such as myself can appreciate them!
I especially enjoyed the many different challenges that the two women conceived to test the many Princes vying for Rosa's hand in marriage, and I even tried to answer a few myself before I read ahead. The novel takes the modernized approach that the Damsel in Distress does not always need a man to save her from Doom - but having a few handy just in case certainly don't hurt!
I enjoyed how unique each of the characters are, even minor characters, such as some of the Princes who were eliminated early or the different Brownies in the service of the Fairy Godmother. Seigfried and Leopold are opposites in many ways, and yet they work very well together. Seigfried's bird is also great entertainment and quite convenient as a source of knowledge and backstory. The way that Leopold resolves the force of the The Tradition that has been plaguing Seigfried is rather perfect, too. The mirror spirit, Jimson, who serves the Fairy Godmother, Lily, is also quite endearing, and I found his resolution somewhat predictable, but still enjoyable.
What I like most about the Five Hundred Kingdom series is that even though each of the books in the series could qualify as a stand-alone novel, each book still sneaks in elements to connect it to the backstory of previous books, such as when Lily contacts Elena regarding dragons. The fairy tales are reimagined in the light of modern values while still favoring core elements, and even an adult such as myself can appreciate them!
The Wild Swans ( Timeless Fairytales book 2)
8.0
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Elise is the foster-daughter of the King of Arcainia, a mathematician, and the country’s...
Goddess in the Stacks (553 KP) rated Girls Made of Snow and Glass in Books
Sep 5, 2017
One of my best books of 2017!
I received an ARC of this book through Goodreads and got to read it before the release date (September 5th! GO GET IT!) and I was SO excited to read it. It did not disappoint! This is her debut novel, and the story is absolutely fantastic. It’s billed as a “fantasy feminist fairy tale” and I think it lives up to that pretty well. There are no princes in this story. There are a couple of men – the King, the Queen’s father, and the Huntsman, but they are not who the story is about. The story really is about the relationship between the Queen/stepmother and her stepdaughter, the Princess.
You can read my full review here: https://goddessinthestacks.wordpress.com/2017/09/05/book-review-girls-made-of-snow-and-glass/
You can read my full review here: https://goddessinthestacks.wordpress.com/2017/09/05/book-review-girls-made-of-snow-and-glass/
Leanne Crabtree (480 KP) rated Vampire Girl (Vampire Girl, #1) in Books
Feb 14, 2020
DNF @ 34%
I struggled with this from the start. It didn't flow that easily and it seemed to take forever for something exciting to happen. It was about 28% before she even headed off to Hell or wherever it was Asher was taking her and I'd just kind of lost interest by then. I like something that's going to keep my attention and this didn't.
The interaction between the main character and her friends at the hospital after her mum had fallen into her coma just seemed rather awkward. And then the fact they let her "leave" so easily when they know how poorly her mum was...?
I liked the idea of her owing the Princes of Hell a favour and having to spend time with what were personifications of the 7 deadly sins to see who she would end up with but it just wasn't quite quick enough or written enough to my tastes for me to continue with it.
I struggled with this from the start. It didn't flow that easily and it seemed to take forever for something exciting to happen. It was about 28% before she even headed off to Hell or wherever it was Asher was taking her and I'd just kind of lost interest by then. I like something that's going to keep my attention and this didn't.
The interaction between the main character and her friends at the hospital after her mum had fallen into her coma just seemed rather awkward. And then the fact they let her "leave" so easily when they know how poorly her mum was...?
I liked the idea of her owing the Princes of Hell a favour and having to spend time with what were personifications of the 7 deadly sins to see who she would end up with but it just wasn't quite quick enough or written enough to my tastes for me to continue with it.
The Lost Kings: Lancaster, York and Tudor
1.0
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The century spanning the wars of the roses and the reigns of the Tudor kings was a volatile time of...
The Lure of the Honey Bird: The Storytellers of Ethiopia
Book
In 1967, at the age of 23, Elizabeth Laird set off for Addis Ababa to take up her first teaching...