I don’t often read fairytale remakes. In fact, I put off this book for a long time because when it came out I was 1. Avoiding anything fairytale/princess related, 2. Irrationally jealous of the author (who I know peripherally and should get to know better). Time went on, and I grew up emotionally, and then my to-be-read pile grew by a few hundred books. Well, I was planning to go on a short plane trip to a wedding two states over and was wondering what to read. I pulled up my Kindle app and thought, “Hmm…Cinders is a novella, isn’t it? I should be able to finish it on the plane trip.”Cinders, by Michelle D. Argyle (also found under the name Michelle Davidson Argyle), takes place after Cinderella’s so-called Happily Ever After. Christina (aka Cinderella) is married to her Prince Charming, Rowland, but she is worried. She gained the crown and Rowland’s hand in marriage through a magical bond granted by her fairy godmother, and she feels she can’t fully give herself to Rowland because she doesn’t know how much of his love is genuine and how much is a result of magic. As her doubt grows, she begins to remember another man–one she met in the middle of the forest, one she thinks she truly loves.
Cinders feels like a fairytale all grown up. As a novella, there isn’t quite time to develop all the magic that surrounds Christina, but it is complete in and of itself. Cinders is part of Argyle’s Bonded anthology, a collection of three fairytale retellings/prequels/sequels all dealing with the bonds of fairy magic and the consequences that follow. The writing is crisp and clean, with wonderful imagery.
There are some things hardcore feminists might scorn, but which coincide accurately with what many women, especially royal women, experienced in medieval times (political marriages and the like). Even so, Cinders‘ strength lie in its female characters. They are real, intelligent, and multi-faceted. The male characters pale by comparison.
After finally reading Michelle D. Argyle’s first published novella, I look forward to reading more of her work. And, as an added bonus, perhaps I’ll no longer feel as awkward when I see her at social gatherings.
Advertisements Share this:
