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Moonlight And Ashes (2012)

by Sophie Masson(Favorite Author)

3.63 of 5 Votes: 4

ISBN

1742753795 (ISBN13: 9781742753799)

languge

English

genre

Romance

publisher

Random House Australia

review 1: This book is a welcome change from the typical damsel and distress fairy-tale that I've become used to, Selena was in charge of her own destiny and choices and although there was some help from the prince etc. It was on her own that Selena found out the truth and helped bring down the conspiracy against the royal family. This beginning of this story followed the typical Cinderella format with the evil stepmother and stepsisters but about a third of the way through the book that all changed and it was a pleasant surprise as it was not predictable in any way.
review 2: I enjoyed his quick read book that is advertised as a version of Cinderella. The story of Selena, living in a make-believe empire that feels quite a bit like the dying Ottoman Empire, initially be... morears much similarity to the story of Cinderella. Selena lives with her stepmother and stepsisters; her father is alive but ignoring her plight of having been reduced to servant in her own noble household. She is offered the magic of a hazel twig, which is used again and again under the direction of her deceased mother, including a visit to a ball in which she meets the royal prince. However, most of the plot revolves around the magic--the magic of the outlawed female witches ("moon-sisters") and the ominous, powerful male-dominated "Mancers" which rule the land and provide security for the Emperor. Selena's mother was a moon-sister, most of whom were long ago hunted down by the Empire. When Selena is thrown in a mancer prison, she befriends a werewolf, a Mancer child, and a wronged friend of the prince. The four of them attempt escape and the Cinderella story turns into a story of a girl trying to save a forest, a friend, and an Empire. I liked Selena's strong character and some of the plot twists not typical for a Cinderella story. The romance was not as strong or as descriptive as some of the many other versions of retold fairy tale novelizations that I have read. The male/female magic conflict was also somewhat predictable, and in several instances I felt "magic" was a neat and all-too-easy answer to problems in the book. However, I expect predictability in a fairy tale retelling, so I enjoyed it. less

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