Description:What happens when Cinderella is so painfully shy that she cannot bear the idea of attending the royal ball? Or when the slipper fits . . . but on the wrong girl? What happens when Cinderella is determined to oust an imposter prince from her rightful throne? Or when she is a cendrillon miner working from a space station orbiting a cthonian planet? What happens when Cinderella, a humble housemaid, is sent with a message for a prisoner trapped in a frightening fairy circus?
Here is Cinderella as you have never met her before, wearing glass slippers and off on unforgettable adventures!
WHAT EYES CAN SEE: Elisabeth Brown
Painfully shy Arella begs her stepmother to let her stay home from the prince’s ball. But kindly Duchess Germaine is determined that her beautiful stepdaughter should be presented at court along with her own two daughters. So, dressed in a gorgeous gown and a pair of heirloom slippers, Arella catches the eye of the crown prince . . . and finds her life suddenly far more complicated than she ever desired.
BROKEN GLASS: Emma Clifton
The slipper fits . . . but on the wrong girl! Rosalind never once danced with Prince Marius at the ball, for she is in love with his brother Henry. If only Rosalind and Marius would stop bickering long enough to invent a scheme, perhaps the three of them can find the real mystery lady. But they must work quickly, for dark deeds are afoot, and the kingdom is poised on the brink of disaster.
THE WINDY SIDE OF CARE: Rachel Heffington
Alisandra is determined to have her rights. She knows that she is the king’s secretly dispossessed daughter, the true heir to the throne. Prince Auguste is an imposter, and if she plays her cards right, Alis will prove it to the world! That is, if charming Auguste doesn’t succeed in winning her heart before she gets her chance . . .
A CINDER’S TALE: Stephanie Ricker
It’s a dangerous life, yet Elsa wouldn’t trade this opportunity to work at Tremaine Station, mining cendrillon from the seething surface of planet Aschen. Nevertheless, when a famous deep space explorer and his handsome son dock their starcraft at the space station, Elsa finds herself dreaming of far galaxies beyond Aschen's blistering heat. There is no time for dreaming, however, when danger threatens the space station, and Elsa and her fellow miners are tested to the limits of their courage.
THE MOON MASTER’S BALL: Clara Diane Thompson
After her terrifying experience there several years ago, the one place young housemaid Tilly longs to avoid is Bromley’s Circus. But when kindly Lord Hollingberry begs her to deliver a message to the mysterious Moon Master hidden away among the circus dwellers, Tilly can’t refuse . . . and finds herself ensnared in a web of enchantment cast by the loathsome Mrs. Carlisle and her beautiful goddaughter.
My Thoughts: Over all I found this collection pleasant to read. It was not my favorite collection of stories, but it was definitely the most unique, connected by a plot rather than genre or writing style. I found it a nice change of pace to read a collection with various genres (rather than all historical, ect.) My opinion ranged with the stories, however.
In What Eyes Can See, I was pleased to find that it did not end the way one would expect a Cinderella story to end. It was a nice change from the original story. However, I felt bad for Drusilla, and actually thought she deserved better than what she got out of the situation. I know I would have been livid if I were her... though maybe she is just more forgiving than I am.
Broken Glass had another interesting twist on the characters and who ends up with whom. But I found I was not completely pleased with how it ended as I didn't like Marius and felt a bit bad for Darcy, even if he was the villain.
The Windy Side of Care had to be my favorite of the stories. Though I would never describe Alis as an overly kind person, I found her remarks amusing, as well as thoughs of the other character. Her "godfather" was particularly humorous, though I found his reasoning strange.
A Cinder's Tale contained a vary well built world, especially for such a short story. I imagine that I will enjoy reading the book that goes along with it. However, the whole element of the "Prince" seemed a little forced and out of place in this world. I believe I would have liked it better if the story had skewed a little further from the Cinderella origin in that regard.
The Moon Master's Ball was by far the most unique of the stories. I actually enjoyed the circus setting a lot more than I had thought I would. And the slippers were really cool. I won't lie. Yet by the end, I found it hard to believe that Tilly was the only person who could save the Moon Master and that no one else in the town seemed to notice that there was something seriously off about that ball.
I applaud the creativity and originality that went into making each of these stories unique and hope to see work by these authors again.
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
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