Review of Cinders by Michelle Davidson Argyle

If anyone knows me they know that I love reading fantasy novels! So when my friend self-published her book, a re-telling of Cinderella…I was excited to get my hands on it. In many ways I wasn’t quite sure what to expect and to be honest it wasn’t what I thought it would be like at all. The novel itself has hints of mystery, murder,, romance, and magic all rolled into one. It is a powerful story; well written and with very detailed and intricate descriptions. The story takes quite a dark approach to the fairy tale of Cinderella…which is something that I was not expecting. This story was more of a mature and adult re-telling of the tale. I liked the different take on the fairy tale, and especially since the plot focuses on the storyline after Cinderella has married the prince. I was expecting a light, magical, and happy story written more for young adults. I do think a lot of mature high schoolers out there though would love this book.

The characters are well rounded and I felt connected to them and understood them by the end of the book. Not only was the story full of magic, but the writing was magical as well! The storyline hooked me in and held my interest until the end…I absolutely loved it. I would tell more about it, but I don’t want to give any of it away. I truly did feel that the story came full circle by the end and answered all my questions. The story portrays a more realistic view of life. I think we get caught up in having every book we read and movie we see end with everything solved. Life is never like that. I enjoyed Cinders because of its fresh new angle on an old fairy tale.

This isn’t your usual happy fairy tale; it is a dark, mysterious, and captivating read and I would highly recommend it. I am not just saying this either because I "know" the author! I am a huge fantasy fan and love different takes and re-telling of fairy tales! One of the main reasons I wanted to read the book was because I knew it was a genre I love.

If you are interested in getting a copy, link to Michelle’s website, she is even selling and shipping autographed copies as well. You can also read more about Michelle and read excerpts from Cinders as well as her other literary works.

Click here to check out her website: http://www.michelledavidsonargyle.com/
Click here to purchase Cinders