Title: So This Is Love; A Twisted Tale
Author: Elizabeth Lim
Personal Ratings: 4.5/5 🌟
Synopsis
(Taken for Google)
"What if Cinderella never tried on the glass slippers? Unable to prove that she's the missing princess, and unable to bear life under Lady Tremaine any longer, Cinderella attempts a fresh start, looking for work at the palace as a seamstress. What if the Grand Duke has his own conspiracy to take the king and prince-out of power, longstanding prejudice against faeries. Cinderella must find a way to stop them, before its too late."
"Equal in Step, Equal in Heart, For Always."
I love how the book started off with something so familiar which then, the author had evolved the story from there. From the start of a scene we’re so used with, which later, turned into a series of events that leaves you wondering and wanting to find out more.
I had always been a sucker for Disney Retellings. Although Cinderella was not my most favourite princess of all time (Miss Mulan is ugh, she’s super badass), I love how the author depicts Cinderella, from a demure and quiet girl to a more strong and independent character. The one thing that I love about Cinderella was her kindness, which was really highlighted in the book; how kindness wins all hearts, even the most grotesque and cold ones.
The other thing that I liked was how the author wrote the
story in way that does not make you feel like reading a children’s book, but its put in a more Young-Adult feeling without missing the hint of magic and fairy tales. It still gives you that butterflies-in-the-stomach feeling and as you imagine the ball, you could also imagine the string of quartets and the orchestra playing in the background (I’m such a daydreamer, I know).
It's interesting how in this retelling, magic is forbidden, hence we can see Cinderella being more resilient and how she finds the journey of loving her own self before loving someone else. One of the quotes from the book that I really liked was “Because magic can only aid someone’s fate, not change it.”
Despite having the help from the fairy godmother, the quote really struck home. No matter how much magic you use, the only way for you to change your own fate is for you to take a step forward; and that’s what Cinderella did in this book, which made her character so much likeable. I love a strong female antagonist and this retelling served me the kind of princess that I would look up to.
The other thing that made me gave 4.5 stars for this book was the additional characters that the author introduced. The characters fit perfectly and she wrote it in such a way that it helped Cinderella flourished throughout the book. You can’t help but love the other characters as well especially the Prince! His point of views were also narrated in the book which made it a more interesting read. ^.^
All in all, I picked up the book with no expectations and came out smiling and being giddy at the end. It was a great read for me, an escapism from the harsh reality I call my daily life to being transported to a world where magic, fairies and castles exists. The form of escapism which had made me feeling all warm and fuzzy at the end.
I definitely recommend this book to anyone who’re just looking for an escape from reality, or just having a bad day and needed someone to comfort you. This book will fill you with warmth without being too childish, the kind of fairy-tale that can unquestionably make your day.
Till my next review lovelies!
from all the Stars and Galaxies, have a wonderful day ahead
xoxo, Afi