Poison Review

Poison

Sarah Pinborough

Publisher: Gollancz

A beautiful, sexy, contemporary retelling of the classic Snow White fairy tale, illustrated by Les Edwards. 
POISON is a beautifully illustrated retelling of the Snow White story which takes all the elements of the classic fairytale that we love (the handsome prince, the jealous queen, the beautiful girl and, of course, the poisoning) and puts a modern spin on the characters, their motives and their desires.

One of the first stories we ever hear are fairy tales with charming princes rescuing the sweet naive Princess from evil stepmothers and magic enchantments so these classic tales get lodged in our collective consciences. And it was with both anticipation and trepidation that I approached this adult version of the children’s story of Snow White – the ‘true story’ as it was always meant to be.

Despite the small page count – just 200 pages, this is definitely an adult version with sex and swearing, but is still simply told, managing to capture the feel of classic fairy tales. Interestingly, despite being the story of Snow White, the tale is told mostly from the point of view of other characters – the wicked Stepmother, one of the dwarves and the handsome Prince and gives a very different interpretation of their roles and motivations from the simplified version. I particularly liked getting to know Lilith, the stepmother who managed to become three-dimensional character with her own issues and her descent into wickedness was an intriguing addition to the story. The prince also has a very different role from his usual handsome rescuer position. Yet, despite these twists many of the expected notes are included in the story from seven dwarves, the huntsman, the old crone with the apple and the magic mirror, but none happens exactly as you had expected.

Overall, Poison has a charisma and instinctive appeal that will stay with you long after you finish reading with the story of Snow White in your own mind subtly different from before. I loved the wider world Sarah Pinborough hints at behind Snow White’s story with hints and glimpses of other fairy stories. This gentle teasing has whetting appetite for Charm and Beauty, two more sexed up fairy tales from Sarah coming soon.

Recommended for fans of Neil Gaiman and Malinda Lo. 8 out of 10

Scarlet (Lunar Chronicles #2) Review

Scarlet (Lunar Chronicles #2)

Marissa Meyer

Publisher: Puffin

Cinder, the cyborg mechanic, returns in the second thrilling installment of the bestselling Lunar Chronicles. She's trying to break out of prison—even though if she succeeds, she'll be the Commonwealth's most wanted fugitive. 
Halfway around the world, Scarlet Benoit's grandmother is missing. It turns out there are many things Scarlet doesn't know about her grandmother or the grave danger she has lived in her whole life. When Scarlet encounters Wolf, a street fighter who may have information as to her grandmother's whereabouts, she is loath to trust this stranger, but is inexplicably drawn to him, and he to her. As Scarlet and Wolf unravel one mystery, they encounter another when they meet Cinder. Now, all of them must stay one step ahead of the vicious Lunar Queen Levana, who will do anything for the handsome Prince Kai to become her husband, her king, her prisoner

Scarlet is a very different type of story to Cinder – set over just a few days immediately after the end of Cinder, this has the unenviable task of carrying on the story started in Cinder, move it forward and introduce us to both new characters and the wider world. All in all a big task and Scarlet manages to do this rather well.

Cinder and her trials are more the sub-plot this time around with most of the action focusing  on Scarlet and her missing Grandmother...following a rather similar story to one Red-Riding Hood. Scarlet is a very different character to Cinder, slightly older and with a temper issue, she is feisty and doesn’t take no for an answer. She is just as likely to swing a punch at you rather than think her way out of troubles. While I appreciated the differences between the two characters I found it harder to emotionally connect with Scarlet than I did with Cinder, as she was much more independent from the start, but she definitely grows on you! Wolf was also a very different hero to Prince Kai (who is kept in the background for the most part) – he has secrets and a temper too. Wolf is much more of the Alpa male and instinctual rather than calculating. I actually thought Wolf and Scarlet made a good couple -somehow balancing each other nicely.

As the story takes place over just a couple of days, the pace is pretty frenetic with some emotional turmoil to balance the action. The light relief is given in the form of Iko, Cinder’s android friend who has trouble adjusting to her body and Captain Thorne, a renegade American who attempts to flirt with Cinder, more from habit than actual emotion I think! This nicely balances the high emotional story if Scarlet and Wolf. And not forgetting the Lunar Queen who hasn’t forgotten Cinder or her plans to control Earth. The story and plot seems to be getting bigger and more complex and I’m really looking forward to what Cress and Winter have in store for us. It will be a long wait to the next book release!

Recommended for fans of Rachel Hartman and Cassandra Clare. 8 out of 10

Grimm Tales Reviews

Grimm Tales For Young and Old

Philip Pullman

Publisher: Penguin Classics

Two hundred years ago, Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm published the first volume of Children’s and Household Tales. Now, at a veritable fairy-tale moment—witness the popular television shows Grimm and Once Upon a Time and this year’s two movie adaptations of “Snow White”—Philip Pullman, one of the most popular authors of our time, makes us fall in love all over again with the immortal tales of the Brothers Grimm.
From much-loved stories like “Cinderella” and “Rumpelstiltskin,” “Rapunzel” and “Hansel and Gretel” to lesser-known treasures like “Briar-Rose,” “Thousandfurs,” and “The Girl with No Hands,” Pullman retells his fifty favorites, paying homage to the tales that inspired his unique creative vision—and that continue to cast their spell on the Western imagination

This was an interesting collection of stories to read. Philip Pullman has reinterpreted some of the classic fairy tales collected by original Grimm Brothers. As a long time Pullman fan and a fan of fairy tales, I was very happy to receive a pretty hardback version from my long-time friend and occasional guest reviewer, Sarah for Christmas. (The cover looks a lot nicer in real life than it does in this picture!)

There are a lot of familiar ideas and stories in this book – but there are plenty of not so well known ones that are a joy to discover for the first time. The ‘new’ writing of them is easy to follow and feels very traditional. It was fun to see that the original Cinderella didn’t have a fairy Godmother or a pumpkin coach for example. I was fascinated as well by Pullman’s notes at the end of the story which delved into the changes he made or the different interpretations of the story over the years. This also served to remind me that even the same basic story can be flexible enough to change – even in the lifetime of the Grimm Brothers. One of my favourite ideas lies in the idea of repetition with many elements done three times with only slight variations as well as the idea that being kind to strangers and creatures usually brings a reward.

However, there I found I couldn’t read too many of the tales in one sitting as by their very nature there is little character beyond general strokes of ‘lazy’, ‘cheerful’, ‘evil’, ‘innocent’, ‘clever’. The stories are only ever a few pages so there is no time to get to know or develop character (in fact few even have names) and the plots don’t have the same complexity as modern novels. As a result I ended up reading this book over a month, slipping in a few stories between my main reads which meant I was never bored or just flipping through.

This is a very different type of book and almost needs to classed separately. Overall though, this was a joyful read which brought make many memories of listening to my parents read to me when I was younger and is definitely a book I want to keep to read to other children when I can.

Recommended for fans of Marissa Meyer and Malinda Lo. 8 out of 10

Cinder (Lunar Chronicles #1) Review

Cinder (Lunar Chronicles #1)

Marissa Meyer

Publisher: Puffin

Humans and androids crowd the raucous streets of New Beijing. A deadly plague ravages the population. From space, a ruthless lunar people watch, waiting to make their move. No one knows that Earth’s fate hinges on one girl. . . . 
Cinder, a gifted mechanic, is a cyborg. She’s a second-class citizen with a mysterious past, reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister’s illness. But when her life becomes intertwined with the handsome Prince Kai’s, she suddenly finds herself at the center of an intergalactic struggle, and a forbidden attraction. Caught between duty and freedom, loyalty and betrayal, she must uncover secrets about her past in order to protect her world’s future...

Cinderella set in the future! I love my fairy tales and this is a fantastic interpretation of a classic story. You know the story but the joys in reading this is the differences from the original tale while still keeping to the same spirit. Cinder is a cyborg and as such is legally owned by her stepmother who expects her to support the whole family with her mechanical workshop. However, Cinder has dreams of being free and is a strong woman who just hasn’t been given the chance to grow. I really liked her character and the balance between being a strong character and accepting how her life is a fine one. Her charming prince is a very likeable character, who is going through so much with his Dad’s illness and picking up the reigns of leadership, the idea he is still able to spend time with Cinder makes him seem so ordinary and approachable. Cinder’s sister Peony is very sweet as well while her android friend is a joy to read about.

However, what was the best part of the story for me are the differences to the classic story. The world of New Beijing with the plague causing fear and paranoia, the political uncertainty with the lunar Queen and ambassador, the way cyborgs are treated as second class in the society. This really makes the world come to life and gives great colour and texture to Cinder’s story. I’m really intrigued by the way the world works with the Lunar ‘magical’ skills an interesting twist on mental abilities.

Great world building, likeable characters, intriguing longer arc and a spice of politics make this a very easy to love book and I’m glad I don’t have to wait too long to start reading Scarlet. I’m really curious how the other classic fairy tales are going to weave into Cinder’s story. If you want a fairy tale with a kick, this is a great read.

Recommended for fans of Ever After film and Malinda Lo. 9 out of 10

Audiobook Review: Stardust

Stardust

Written & Read by Neil Gaiman

One fateful night, Tristran promises his beloved that he will retrieve a fallen star for her from beyond the Wall that stands between their rural English town (called, appropriately, Wall) and the Faerie realm. No one ever ventures beyond the Wall except to attend an enchanted flea market that is held every nine years (and during which, unbeknownst to him, Tristran was conceived). But Tristran bravely sets out to fetch the fallen star and thus win the hand of his love.

There is something nice about listening to an audio book read by the author. It brings you a step closer to the story with all the emphasis and inflections base don on how the author originally envisioned the characters and plot. In addition Neil Gaiman does do a good job with the narration weaving a magical world and wonderful characters in a fairy tale way. And this book is very much a fairy tale involving magical curses, wicked witches, unicorns and many other elements which seem half familiar and yet unique. It all has the feeling of a dream or a story you’ve heard before but can’t quite narrow down in your head where.

Tristen is a determined, slightly naïve but utterly charming hero who promises to bring back a fallen star for his love in exchange for whatever he desires. His journey to find the fallen star and adventures to bring it home again are a compelling story which will keep you enthralled. Indeed I couldn’t stop listening to this story and stayed in for the whole day to hear of his adventures! I loved the way the different plot elements wove together – not always touching but building a tapestry of the land beyond the little village of Wall in the middle of England. This is mostly a road trip with some unusual characters which add various degrees of colour to the story and will put a little smile on your face.

This is the second Neil Gaimen book which has utterly astounded and amused me (the other being American Gods) – and made me determined to try some of his other books. Oh, and I’d highly recommend the film as well – it is a beautiful story with much of the same feel as the book despite some large departures in terms of story and action. I great audio story and one I will listen to again – soon!

Recommended for fans of William Goldman and Gregory Maguire. 8.5 out of 10

Early Review: Wisdom's Kiss

Wisdom’s Kiss

- Catherine Gilbert Murdock

Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

E-Arc with thanks to netgalley and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

Princess Wisdom, known as Dizzy, longs for a life of adventure far beyond the staid old kingdom of Montagne. Tips, a soldier, longs to keep his true life secret from his family. Fortitude, an orphaned maid, longs only for Tips. These three passionate souls might just attain their dreams while preserving Montagne from certain destruction, if only they can tolerate each other long enough to come up with a plan. Tough to save the world when you can't even be in the same room together.

Wisdom is an unconventional princess – she would rather run through the fields and learn to swear at the local docks than focus on her upcoming nuptials. Her grandmother, Queen Benevolence despairs of her. Meanwhile, kitchen wench and orphan, Trudy is in love with her childhood friend Tips, who is training to be a soldier in the Emperor’s retinue. And when these characters all meet up, the course of nations will change.

Fun and witty – Wisdom’s Kiss is told from various points of view – some in retrospect, some via letters and diary entries and some through encyclopaedia entries. This is a different method of telling a story from other children’s books – and reminiscent of classic tale Dracula - and I really enjoyed getting a taste of the different characters involved and seeing how their story merged together. The writing is smooth and I found myself desperately flicking through wanting to know how each character would get their happy ever after – or even if they all would! The style might not be to everyone’s taste, but I appreciated the different method of storytelling.

A fairy tale gone awry, Wisdom’s Kiss is a fast paced, amusing tale of true love, magic and a suspiciously clever cat. It was a great distraction for a few train journeys, much like an ice lolly on a hot day – tasty, light and doesn’t last long enough. This is a very modern take on the fairy tale world where magic itself has fallen out of fashion and is considered more luck and fable than real. My one disappointment was Trudy herself – her role in events is peripheral at best and she seemed a little weak – never really taking charge of her own life. But this was a minor niggle in a book full of fun.

Recommended for fans of fairy tales and the Princess Bride. 7.5 out of 10.

The Sevenfold Spell Review

The Sevenfold Spell

-      Tia Nevitt

Ecopy curtsy of netgallery & Carina Press

Things look grim for Talia and her mother. By royal proclamation, the constables and those annoying “good” fairies have taken away their livelihood by confiscating their spinning wheel. Something to do with a curse on the princess, they said.

Not every young lady has a fairy godmother rushing to her rescue.

Without the promise of an income from spinning, Talia’s prospects for marriage disappear, and she and her mother face destitution. Past caring about breaking an arbitrary and cruel law, rebellious Talia determines to build a new spinning wheel, the only one in the nation, which plays right into the evil fairy’s diabolical plan. Talia discovers that finding a happy ending requires sacrifice. But is it a sacrifice she’s willing to make?

I love fairy stories (as I think I might have mentioned before!) and I was really excited when I received a copy of the Seven-Fold Spell from netgallery for review. I started reading it the same day and I’m so happy that I wasn’t disappointed.

This is the ‘true’ story behind the sleeping beauty tale and a great example of how these fantastical stories impact the ordinary people in this fairy tale world. It starts with Talia and her mother losing their main income when the ruling royal family outlaws spinning after their daughter, the princess is cursed by a fairy. The story is told in first person and includes Talia’s growth from teen to mature woman. She is an ordinary girl – in both looks and prospects who struggles to find her place. The new law that prevents her from spinning means she loses the boy she was planning on marrying and her whole life changes. Most fairy tales always focus on the hero, heroine and obstacles/bad guys. This really looks at how a regular person can be affected by the main players and even influences the outcome of the story. It’s the story of how anyone can make a difference if they do the best they can with the circumstances.

The story isn’t a long one and not suited for children – very much an adult version of a fairy tale and I really enjoyed it. I gobbled up the prose and loved Talia and her modern outlook on life despite the old fashioned society she lives in. A modern version of the fairy tale and I want to read more please Tia!

Recommended for fans of Karen Miller & Ilona Andrews. 8 out of 10.  

What's Your Favourite Fairy Story?

The Gingerbread Man from Shrek

I've been thinking about Fairy Stories a lot recently and why they stick with us. Obviously I've just finished Grimms tales, but even today so many children are read fairy stories at bed time. Some of my first memories are my parents reading me The Gingerbread Man or Chicken Licken complete with voices and expressive features. As a result these stories remain very personal to me and hold a piece of my heart - just the phrase, "You can't catch me, I'm the gingerbread man!" takes me back to being three years old and snuggled up safe and sound.

But these stories stay with us our whole life. Everyone knows the plots, the twist and the endings - even the beginning is familiar...once upon a time, in a kingdom far, far away... Usually the hero gets the girl, the girl escapes from her poor family to marry a prince and everyone lives happily ever after. Sometimes there's a moral with the story, but a surprising number don't. Take the Gingerbread Man for example (my favourite!). Once baked, he decides he doesn't want to be eaten so he jumps up and runs away. He passes the farmer's wife, the farmer, the children down the road, the cow, the horse - none of them can catch him (cos he's the Gingerbread Man!). It's not until he hits a river on his cross-country run and decides to trust a fox to get him across the water, that the Gingerbread Man ends up being gobbled up. And that's my favourite fairy story. There doesn't really seem to be a moral - apart from don't trust foxes! So why do these stories have such enduring appeal?

So what's your favourite fairy story and why?

Brother Grimm Fairy Stories Review

Brothers Grimm Fairy Stories

Kindle Version

I admit I only downloaded this from the kindle store as it was free and I was experimenting when I first got my new kindle. However, having thought about fairy stories a lot recently (see my themed wish list), I thought I read some of the original stories to see how they diver from the more famous versions that Disney publicises. It’s a bit of a surprise to find out how many of these stories there actually are – most of which aren’t famous – The Goose Girl, Brother and Sister and others. There is a theme of poor becoming kings and queens, stepmothers jealous of their stepdaughters and being nice and polite to strangers in the land saves you from the horrible curses they place on haughty and stuck up people. I was fascinated to see how different some of the famous stories are from their origins – Cinderella for example went to the palace for three nights running and her dress wasn’t supplied by a fairy godmother but rather a robin in a tree. Her ugly sisters tried to trick the prince into marry them by cutting off their toes to fit in the slipper – only the blood gave them away. While not graphic, evil people tend to have their comeuppance and end up dead or never heard from again.

I enjoyed reading the Brothers Grimm version of these stories, especially seeing the differences between the plots ‘we all know’ and the version that everyone knew 500 years ago. The differences and changes show that these stories aren’t set in stone but flexible and continual evolving.

Recommended for those young at heart and as an antidote to the Disney happy ever afters. 8 out of 10.

On My Wish List #7

This is a meme from Book Chick City. There are so many books out there that I want to read that this is the only way I keep track! As it's October and the nights are definitely drawing in, this weeks wish list is themed around fairy tales...

The Sevenfold Spell - Tia Nevit

Publisher: Carina Press (e-book format) September 2010

Have you ever wondered what happens to the other people in the fairy tale?

Things look grim for Talia and her mother. By royal proclamation, the constables and those annoying “good” fairies have taken away their livelihood by confiscating their spinning wheel. Something to do with a curse on the princess, they said.

Not every young lady has a fairy godmother rushing to her rescue.

Without the promise of an income from spinning, Talia’s prospects for marriage disappear, and she and her mother face destitution. Past caring about breaking an arbitrary and cruel law, rebellious Talia determines to build a new spinning wheel, the only one in the nation, which plays right into the evil fairy’s diabolical plan. Talia discovers that finding a happy ending requires sacrifice. But is it a sacrifice she’s willing to make?

I came across Tia Nevitt at Fantasy Cafe as part of her Pajama Party Blog Tour and just fell in love with the idea of what happens behind the well known fairy tell. And although it's only been released as an e-book at present, I adore the cover - how pretty?!

Sisters Red - Jackson Pearce

Publisher: Hodders Children's Books

The story of Scarlett and Rosie March, two highly-skilled sisters who have been hunting Fenris (werewolves) – who prey on teen girls – since Scarlett lost her eye years ago while defending Rosie in an attack. Scarlett lives to destroy the Fenris, and she and Rosie lure them in with red cloaks (a colour the wolves can't resist), though Rosie hunts more out of debt to her sister than drive.
But things seem to be changing. The wolves are getting stronger and harder to fight, and there has been a rash of news reports about countless teenage girls being brutally murdered in the city. Scarlett and Rosie soon discover the truth: wolves are banding together in search of a Potential Fenris – a man tainted by the pack but not yet fully changed. Desperate to find the Potential to use him as bait for a massive werewolf extermination, the sisters move to the city with Silas, a young woodsman and long time family friend who is deadly with an axe. Meanwhile, Rosie finds herself drawn to Silas and the bond they share not only drives the sisters apart, but could destroy all they've worked for.

I've read some mixed reviews of this book but I always loved Little Red Riding Hood as a kid and I can't help being curious about what happens next.

The Stepsister Scheme - Jim.C.Hines

Publisher: Daw Books (January 2009)

What would happen if an author went back to the darker themes of the original fairy tales for his plots, and then crossed the Disney princesses with Charlie's Angels? What's delivered is The Stepsister Scheme—a whole new take on what happened to Cinderella and her prince after the wedding. And with Jim C. Hines penning the tale readers can bet it won't be “and they lived happily ever after.”

I love the premise of this book - Disney princess crossed with Charlies Angels? I just want to pick it up and start reading!

So what's on your wishlist this week? :-)