Many aspects of Sarah Prineas' "Ash and Bramble" made this Cinderella retelling successful despite the story being told so many times before. Prineas actually uses that fact of retelling to add meaning to her world which I found very satisfying. I enjoyed this story more by being placated with the acknowledgment of this fact and still having the story be original. Prineas avoids repeating names, (like the many, many versions of the name 'Cinderella' out there), and annoying cliches to create her own story which allows her to use the classic elements, like a glass slipper, without us being able to predict the characters or ending. Furthermore, the switching of perspectives from one character to another added depth to the story with additional, inner conflict without confusing me. And when the main character goes through the full spectrum of emotions, my heart was rapidly pumping right alongside her. I can't wait to get my hands on the sequel!

a very good story of cinderella. i loved the twist in it

It only took me two hours to read this book. Since, for me, that type of reading speed is normally reserved for Percy Jackson books you can be sure I really, really liked this.
The book is in three parts for REASONS, and this could make the story really confusing but it doesn't. Rather, the divisions make perfect sense and the REASONS are explained through more showing than telling. There is only one time that you'll really want to yell at Pin, and I'm thinking that time is set-up for the next book (if there is one. Is there? If there is then I'm definitely going to be looking for it).

Turning fairy tale tropes on their heads is a very current trend in modern literature. Good guys are shown as evil or having twisted motivations while bad guys are merely heroes standing in the wrong place. This sort of cynicism, when handled correctly, breathes fresh life into old, tattered tales—much like mending can extend the life of a shabby dress or a worn shoe.

But this story is so much more. The Cinderella tale being re-written comes very late in the novel and a great deal happens before then. Imagine a world in which life itself is a STORY, one being forcibly written by a cruel Godmother who derives her power from the players, setting and plot. It’s an epic concept, one that is masterfully and playfully sculpted by a truly remarkable author.

The story grips you from the very first page and doesn’t let go. Ms. Prineas hasn’t just re-worked the Cinderella story; she’s given it a lovely twist that makes you re-think the whole notion of good versus evil. Are evil witches truly evil or justifiably peeved at a perceived wrong? Why do fairy godmothers exist, anyway? Does it make sense for a prince and heir to the throne to throw his heart at the feet of an unknown girl who runs off, discarding her footwear? Why would anyone dance in frail, breakable glass shoes? The questions are thoughtfully rendered and thrillingly answered. This is a real page-turner of a book, one that had this reader asking the question dear to any storyteller’s heart: “What happens next?”

While this book is meant to be the beginning of a new series, I think it can stand very well on its own two feet—with or without glass slippers.

This book was beyond what I was expecting!
As I read through the book, nothing was what I had thought or imagined. Everything was executed wonderfully!
The book was full of wonder and (obviously) magic! This book kept me at the edge of me seat and now I'm hoping a sequel will come!