fairy-tale – Jill's Book Blog

Review: The Fairy Tale Fan Club: Legendary Letters Collected by C.C. Cecily

Title: The Fairy Tale Fan Club: Legendary Letters Collected by C.C. Cecily
Author: Richard Ayoade, David Roberts (illustrator)
Genre: Fantasy, Middle Grade
Publisher: Walker Books US
Source: Publisher
Format: Hardcover
Release Date: October 1, 2024
Rating: ★★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

What if you could send fan mail to your fairy tale idols? And what if they wrote back? “Happily ever after” takes on a new meaning in this book from actor-comedian-author Richard Ayoade and best-selling illustrator David Roberts.

It’s once upon a time . . . as only the irreverently witty Richard Ayoade can tell it. In this series of letters organized by C. C. Cecily, Senior Secretary of the Fairy Tale Fan Club, the fairest of them all (and a few bitter foes) correspond with curious—and opinionated—fans. So if you’ve ever wondered how a less-than-genius (and less-than-clothed) emperor fell for a certain con, how the Big Bad Wolf is handling meatless Mondays, or whether Rapunzel recommends going for the big chop, no need to look far, far away. Multihyphenate Richard Ayoade, author of The Book That No One Wanted to Read, hilariously imagines what questions modern children would have for characters such as Sleeping Beauty, Prince Charming, and Little Red Riding Hood—and what they might have to say in return. Complete with clever, spoof-gothic illustrations from David Roberts, this wry storybook may have even the Brothers Grimm cackling in their graves.

Review:

This book is a collection of fan letters written to fairy tale characters, as well as their responses. It answers questions about what happened to them after the “happily ever after” of their tale. There were letters from Little Red Riding Hood, Cinderella, Hansel and Gretel, and the Big Bad Wolf. These letters were quite funny. I liked seeing these characters tell their side of the classic fairy tale and what happened after the story was finished.

The Fairy Tale Fan Club is a fun book for all fans of fairy tales!

Thank you Walker Books US for sending me a copy of this book!

Have you read The Fairy Tale Fan Club? What did you think of it?

Review: Astra Remade

Title: Astra Remade
Author: Elizabeth Lowham
Genre: Fantasy, Retelling
Publisher: Chanter Press LLC
Source: Author
Format: Paperback arc
Release Date: May 1, 2024
Rating: ★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

How hard can it be to get one lost prince out of a fairy tower?

Astra has made a terrible wish—to be so beautiful that wealthy men propose at the sight of her. In Everspring, her magical parade of wealthy suitors quickly becomes a violent mob, and worst of all, the king himself sets his sights on her. But the king possesses dark magic of his own, and when Astra displeases him, she finds herself banished to the deadly fairy realm.

Her only refuge is another outcast more trapped and lonelier than she.

Dust was born to be the heir of Everspring, but his isolated tower in the fairy realm is the only home he’s ever known. Astra’s arrival means his first real chance at escape, if he can only trust her to help, but Dust was raised by fairies, and the first rule of fairy culture is to never trust anyone.

Dragons and depthfiends are not the worst dangers they’ll face, but if Astra and Dust can find a way to work together—to be honest with each other when they’ve never been honest with themselves—they may find true freedom and emerge from their prison remade.

Review:

Twenty-five year old Astra Acton wants to get away from her family’s struggles, so she makes a wish to be so beautiful that wealthy men propose at the sight of her. However, she quickly becomes the target of the King. When she rejects his proposal, she is banished to the fairy realm. While there, she finds a tower with no doors. Dust is living at the top of the tower. He was the heir to the throne, until an unfortunate wish landed him in the fairy realm, to be raised by the untrustworthy fairies. Astra and Dust decide to work together to find freedom from their prisons.

This was a great gender reversed retelling of Rapunzel. Dust was a Prince who was cursed to be stuck in a tower. Astra wanted to move higher in life, after her family went bankrupt years before. This book is a sequel to Beauty Reborn. It could be read as a stand-alone, but there is a spoiler for Beauty Reborn if you want to read that one first.

Astra Remade is a great fairytale retelling!

Thank you Elizabeth Lowham for sending me a copy of this book!

Content warnings: death of parent (off page)

Other books in the series:

Beauty Reborn

Have you read Astra Remade? What did you think of it?

Review: Cinderella Is Dead

Title: Cinderella Is Dead
Author: Kalynn Bayron
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy
Publisher: Bloomsbury YA
Source: Purchased
Format: Paperback
Release Date: July 7, 2020
Rating: ★★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

It’s 200 years after Cinderella found her prince, but the fairy tale is over. Teen girls are now required to appear at the Annual Ball, where the men of the kingdom select wives based on a girl’s display of finery. If a suitable match is not found, the girls not chosen are never heard from again.

Sixteen-year-old Sophia would much rather marry Erin, her childhood best friend, than parade in front of suitors. At the ball, Sophia makes the desperate decision to flee, and finds herself hiding in Cinderella’s mausoleum. There, she meets Constance, the last known descendant of Cinderella and her step sisters. Together they vow to bring down the king once and for all–and in the process, they learn that there’s more to Cinderella’s story than they ever knew . . .

This fresh take on a classic story will make readers question the tales they’ve been told, and root for girls to break down the constructs of the world around them.

Review:

It’s been 200 years since Cinderella met her Prince Charming. To honour her, the kingdom holds an annual ball for teen girls to find a match. If they don’t find a match, though, the girls are never seen or heard from again. Sophia is in love with her best friend, and would rather marry her, but she must follow the kingdom’s rules and go to the ball. However, after a fight at the ball, Sophia escapes and finds herself at Cinderella’s mausoleum. There, she meets Constance, who is descended from Cinderella’s stepsister. They decide to bring down the King and end his cycle of tormenting girls and women.

This is a great adaptation of the Cinderella story. There are many flaws in the original tale, including how the Prince knew he was in love with Cinderella but couldn’t remember her face. This story shows that the story that is told and the history that’s remembered, may be different from the actual truth to suit the people in charge. This kind of revisionist history happens all the time, and it’s important to remember the truth from all sides of the story.

Cinderella Is Dead is a great Cinderella retelling!

Content warnings: death of parent (mentioned), death of animal, stabbing, poisoning, misogyny

Have you read Cinderella Is Dead? What did you think of it?