Community Reviews
The plot was intriguing, blending war, politics, and even Cinderella as an enemy infiltrator. What stood out most to me was Christof and his family being unfailingly kind and trusting, refreshing in how it subverts the usual stereotypes that confine kindness and empathy to “princess” traits. Don’t get me wrong; I think qualities like kindness, goodness, trust, communication, and empathy are universally beautiful - virtues the world needs more of in both men and women, not just virtues reserved for women in fairy tales.
I also appreciated that the story focused on finding ways to avoid war instead of glorifying it as the ultimate power move. For these reasons, I’d give this book a solid 3. It could have easily earned a higher rating if it had gone through additional editing and proofreading. There were grammar slips, missing words, King Hubert somehow becoming King Harold, and several backstory references that felt crucial but weren’t actually explained (I suspect they’re covered in another book from the series). The ending also felt a little rushed and didn’t provide a fully satisfying resolution for this installment.
With some refinement, though, this could become a truly wonderful and thoughtful retelling of the fairy tale, especially for younger readers.
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