[I received an electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and HarperCollins in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]
Summary
It all started with a sink of dishes that washed themselves.
It was a typical day for Cinders – her haughty step-mother criticizing her, her step-sisters acting like they are better than her, and her father refusing to take her to the castle where he works.
Then the dishes washed themselves. Sparks the dog started talking. And Cinders met her fairy godmother, Brian.
It turns out that Cinders has magic. And it couldn’t have come at a better time. The royal family is about to host a ball.
Review
This is a cute kick off to the Cinders & Sparks series. The opening follows the Cinderella story with a few notable wrinkles, including Cinders’ magic. But from there Cinders is launched on an adventure to find out who and what she is and how that will impact her kingdom and her new friend, the prince.
There’s a hint of a mash up here – the kingdom has electronics and social media and DMs. But otherwise it’s a typical fantasy kingdom with magic, witches, fairies, and creatures. There are some mentions of other fairy tale characters – Hansel and Gretel, Belle, Jack and Jill, Jack (from the beanstalk) – that I think readers will enjoy. This is a young-feeling middle grade story which I believe will also be a good fit for chapter book readers who are ready for longer stories. Fractured fairy tale fans should check this one out!
Rating: ♥♥♥½*
*♥♥♥½ = Good+