Book Reviews: Ash and Bramble

Author:  Sarah Prineas

Genre:  Fantasy

Length: 464 pages

Summary: When the glass slipper just doesn’t fit . . .The tale of Cinderella has been retold countless times. But what you know is not the true story. Sarah Prineas’s bold fairy-tale retelling is a dark and captivating world where swords are more fitting than slippers, young shoemakers are just as striking as princes, and a heroine is more than ready to rescue herself before the clock strikes midnight.
Pin has no recollection of who she is or how she got to the Godmother’s fortress. She only knows that she is a Seamstress, working day in and out to make ball gowns fit for fairy tales. But she longs to forsake her backbreaking servitude and dares to escape with the brave young Shoemaker.
Pin isn’t free for long before she’s captured again and forced to live the new life the Godmother chooses for her—a fairy-tale story, complete with a charming prince—instead of finding her own happily ever after.


My Review: So, if you read the jacket's summary, it says that Pin exchanges her glass slipper for a sword.  Not to ruin it or anything but she doesn't.  At all.  Whatsoever.  Nada.  She doesn't change any shoe for any sword.  She 

only uses a sword once in the whole book!  (That's because she changed her weapon to something else, but I'm not going to say what.)

Anyways, when I read the beginning, I was so confused.  I was wondering how it all tied into the Cinderella story and why they were all going through that type of servitude.  It all unfolds slowly, but it all makes sense at the end.  I loved what they did with all the characters.

This book was separated into 3 parts.  The first part was when Pin was in servitude.  The second part is where the Cinderella story actually starts.  The third part is where they all are trying to escape from Story (< - - That reference only makes sense if you read the book).

The story itself was beautiful and timeless.  The concept and idea was something I would have never thought to put together.  I was completely dumb struck at the way it was executed and the beauty of the writing.

To me, all the characters were developed quite beautifully.  My favorite character was Shoe.  Hands down, no question.  Shoe was so perfect and wonderful and amazing and stubborn, but he was doing everything he did with the right intentions.  That's just some of the things of what I like about him.

I give this story 5 stars!

Have you read Ash and Bramble?  If so, did you like it?  If not, would you read it?  Tell me in the comments!

Charisma