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Ember

by Bettie Sharpe (Goodreads Author)

3.62 of 5 stars 3.62 · rating details · 1,207 ratings · 187 reviews

Charm is a curse. Love is a fire. This story is no fairytale.

Everyone loves Prince Charming. They have to—he’s cursed. Every man must respect him. Every woman must desire him. One look, and all is lost.

Ember would rather carve out a piece of her soul than be enslaved by passions not her own. She turns to the dark arts to save her heart and becomes the one woman in the king...more

Kindle Edition, 98 pages

Published (first published November 1st 2007)

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Jul 03, 2011 Tammy Walton Grant rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: pnr-uf, tropes-fairy-tales, 2011-july, romance-noir

Now this,

this book was cool. Sly, witty, clever, with a bit'o'romance thrown in to keep folks like me happy. And a few dirty, dirty words to keep us on our toes.

This little fairy tale is told in the first person (which, although I usually don't care for, here I didn't mind a bit ). It is Ember's voice that carries the tale. And what a tale it is - a dark, sardonic and twisted version of Cinderella. I loved it! I was hooked from the opening paragraphs:

"I know you think you've heard this story

...more

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Feb 24, 2011 Jillian -always aspiring- rated it 2 of 5 stars Recommends it for: People who don't mind fairy tales turned on their heads to be devious and erotic

Shelves: novellas, retellings, 2011-reads, could-have-been-better, reviewed

One day I joined the crowd on the Avenida Delpalacio to wave and cheer as the Prince rode past. Even before he came in sight, I felt the strength of his charm. It was thick and damp in the air around me, sneaking into my lungs with every breath I took, heating my blood with anticipation. It brushed against my skin like a slimy touch, a leech inching over my wrist, a snake slithering up my leg. I knew then that I faced strength greater than my ability to resist. But it was too late.

Imagine if Hi...more

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Apr 25, 2011 Michelle rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: good-but-not-excellent, adult-schmadult, adult-urban-fantasy-romance, bad-ass-heroine, elementals-magic-and-psychics, witches-and-warlocks, paranormal-and-supernatural-world, historical-and-medieval-love, crazy-off-the-charts-sex, fairytale-retellings, serious-cover-love-syndrome

Oh wow, talk about a twisted fairy tale, no, not twisted in a sick, wrong way, twisted as in its so far and different to the normal fairy tale we're all used to, and in a damn fine good way as well! The synopsis itself drew me to it and since its a free ebook, might as well. Ember held quite a lot of promise and had a whole storyline to overturn (the tale of Cinderella), so imagine my surprise when I found it delivered, all too well. The plot was unique and different in its own way and I have to...more Oh wow, talk about a twisted fairy tale, no, not twisted in a sick, wrong way, twisted as in its so far and different to the normal fairy tale we're all used to, and in a damn fine good way as well! The synopsis itself drew me to it and since its a free ebook, might as well. Ember held quite a lot of promise and had a whole storyline to overturn (the tale of Cinderella), so imagine my surprise when I found it delivered, all too well. The plot was unique and different in its own way and I have to give a hand to Bettie for doing such a great job at turning the tables for this fairy tale! Loved the way things were painted out and I adored the way it was told from its ironic, wry voice of a narrator, Ember, the main star, who's supposed to be Cinderella.

<*SPOILER ALERT!*>
The story did follow the path of the fairy tale, though. Peasant girl's mother dies, her father remarries, she gains a stepmom and two stepsisters, she gets invited to the ball, meets the Prince, falls for him, runs away and Prince finds her again to live happily ever after. But with one admirable exception. Our main character's a witch, which makes this story all the more interesting since Ember can certainly do without her own fairy Godmother, no, Ember's her own heroine. Strong, stubborn and fiercely protective, she is her village's local witch, and she is feared by many, which makes her life understandably lonely. And here's the second twist: her stepmom and sisters love her and she, them. What made me admire Ember was that she held her ground when she was first introduced to her new extended family and they feared her for a witch. But that's not it, its that she came to grow fiercely loyal, loving and protective of them the longer and better she knew them. And I love her for that. The relationship between Ember and her step-family is totally genuine and true, especially the protective way the stepsisters act in her wake and the stepmom's genuine concern and care for Ember. They don't shun her at all for being a witch and they try their best to protect her in any way they can, in this case, the Prince. No matter ho hard I tried to make myself not like the Prince, its inevitable and I ended up liking and sympathising with him, with Ember. The Prince, in his own way, is lonely too, since he's gifted with a curse that makes everyone he meets instantly adore and love him, with the exception being Ember, which of course, rouses his interests and fuels his determination to find her. When he does, he's not the man with the perfect face which everyone loves, he's the man Ember finds herself falling in love with, having no idea at all he is the one person she's trying so desperately to avoid. The Prince has two faces, one being the perfect one everyone loves, and the other is his true face, which Ember falls in love with. You'll have to pick up the ebook to really get what I'm rambling on about, trust me, you'll love it, or maybe you won't, who knows? Now if you'll excuse me, I'm off to re-read it again since its so dang good. Some parts may be a predictable, but hey, its a re-telling of a classic fairy-tale, you can only stretch the limit so far.

By the way, this one has quite a few sexual references, so...yeah...just a warning...(less)

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Sep 03, 2012 ♡KarLynP♡ rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: ebook, genre-historical, genre-humor, genre-paranromal, loanable-kindlebooks, read-2011, steam-hot, novella

Loved it. A super entertaining, dark and twisted retelling of Cinderella. The writing was great, and I loved the world building and imagination that went into this story. Very clever. The heat level is 'hot', but the author does use some crude language a few times normally reserved for erotica. (view spoiler) It worked in the context of keeping the story dark and funny, while also in pushing the boundaries on Ember's character. It is a short story, but it fel...more

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Oct 28, 2012 Susana rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2012, hot-and-steamy, fairy-tales, favorites, retellings

4,5 stars

A somewhat dark and wickedly hot retelling of Cinderella...

Are you tired of the same fairytales retellings? Do you think the usual hero and heroine of the sames, are as dull as cow manure, and should have been thrown down a cliff long time ago, before they made everyone around them, tired with all their angst???

If the answer is YES, then this book is for YOU...that is, if you're an adult. Are you?
Because if not, go away, and come back later...really!

So.... this has some pretty intense...more

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Nov 26, 2011 Elisandra Franzmann rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: books-hot-hot-hot, books-just-for-the-fun-of-it, e-books-i-have, books-reviwed, books-with-five-stars-review, book-cover-i-really-really-like, reading-challenge-2011

Charmingly wicked

This book tales in a fun and spice way the old tale of Cinderella.
Ember is vengeful and has a wonderful dark sense of humor. The book is fast reading ( I started in the night of the 30 and finished by daybreak of the 31 ,,, yep there is no way you can stop :P) and tales with little but wonderful jokes about other fairy tales like John and Mary and Snow Withe.
Charm is a curse,love is a fire. Nothing summed up the book better than this sentence.

****

Encantadoramente malvada

Esse liv...more

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Dec 17, 2011 Jan rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: romance, webfiction, indie, novella, z-2011, fantasy-romance

Originally read in 2008.
Reread Dec. 17th 2011

This is my favorite retelling of Cinderella. It's darker and more fun than the original (or at least the version of the story I'm familiar with) and the twists and reimaginings are so original, I remember being totally amazed the first time I read it. I had never thought there was so much you could do with a fairy-tale.

I don't really want to say anything about the contents, because the surprises are a lot of it's charm. So I'll only say that I think i...more

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Jan 25, 2011 Maria M. Elmvang rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011, 4-stars, e-book, fantasy, owned

Enjoyable read - I was just going to read the first few chapters before bed last night, and ended up finishing the entire thing. It's a quick read though, so only took me about an hour. Ember is an amusing retelling of the Cinderella story, and in many ways reminded me of M.M. Kaye's The Ordinary Princess, although it's definitely not as innocent. It's a fun idea, and in some ways I may even have enjoyed parts of this story more than the original (but then I've never liked the idea of an evil st...more

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Dec 05, 2011 Kari rated it 4 of 5 stars

i really liked this book! ember is retelling of the classic fairytale cinderella. we all know how stories get passed on from person to person and become distorted the more it is told. so i like how the author took the main points of the classic and gave us the "real" version.

the curse on the prince was my favorite twist. i loved that there was a reason that every woman in the kingdom wanted to marry the prince. and then learning that the curse/blessing on the prince also served a greater purpos...more

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Dec 05, 2011 Jeanne rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fairy-tale-redux, erotica

Ember is a fantastic re-imagining of the Cinderella story. It is one of the best books I've read this year, and amazingly enough I read it for Free (online). Though, I would have gladly paid for an enthralling, imaginative and beautifully written story like Ember.

I love Ember's sassy voice, and the narrative style that Bettie Sharpe chose for this unconventional retelling of a classica fairy tale that we all (think we) know. Ember feels like a very relatable modern heroine without feeling out of...more Ember is a fantastic re-imagining of the Cinderella story. It is one of the best books I've read this year, and amazingly enough I read it for Free (online). Though, I would have gladly paid for an enthralling, imaginative and beautifully written story like Ember.

I love Ember's sassy voice, and the narrative style that Bettie Sharpe chose for this unconventional retelling of a classica fairy tale that we all (think we) know. Ember feels like a very relatable modern heroine without feeling out of place in her fantasy world. She isn't perfect, and in fact, it's her flaws that I found the most fascinating. Her stubborn, almost off-handed rejection of all that is regarded as beautiful and desirable (including the Prince) is both commendable, but also somewhat self serving it how it keeps other people at a comfortable distance. I enjoyed watching her navigate through her life, and the complicated issue of avoid the prince.

Speaking of the prince, I found it so refreshing to have an interesting, complex male lead. True, he in more of an antagonist in this story, but even is his smaller role he far and wide of of the most well developed, and three dimension male leads I've seen in a romance in a long time. The romance itself was refreshing as well, seeing the greater transformation and growth happening in the female leads was refreshing, as well as relatable.

There is so much to praise about this wonderful story, from the strong female characters (The Stepmother & Sisters are some of my favorite characters in the story) and the unique, yet familiar take on magic. This fantasy, fairy tale world felt familiar without being cliche and it even surprised me several times. There are a great deal of fun references to other familiar fairy tales, each with their own interesting twist, and an irritable sense of humor threaded through the entire story.

I would recommend this for any fans of fantasy or fairy tales, and even urban fantasies. They will all find something amusing, entertaining and spellbinding in Ember.(less)

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Nov 03, 2011 S.A. Hunter rated it 5 of 5 stars

Ember is a retelling of the Cinderella fairytale with Cinderella, renamed Ember, as a witch and with Prince Charming living under a curse that makes everyone adore him. Every aspect of the classic story has been twisted and reinvented. Ember is the exact opposite of the Disney-fied Cinderella that we have all come to imagine. She’s hard, cruel, and unrepentant, though she acknowledges her shortcomings and fully owns them. The stepmother and stepsisters are not the cruel harridans that we’ve come...more Ember is a retelling of the Cinderella fairytale with Cinderella, renamed Ember, as a witch and with Prince Charming living under a curse that makes everyone adore him. Every aspect of the classic story has been twisted and reinvented. Ember is the exact opposite of the Disney-fied Cinderella that we have all come to imagine. She’s hard, cruel, and unrepentant, though she acknowledges her shortcomings and fully owns them. The stepmother and stepsisters are not the cruel harridans that we’ve come to expect, and there are no woodland creatures in sweet little caps singing songs. If there had been any, Ember would have gutted them for her spells.

This story was a delight to read. The dark twists Sharpe gives this fairytale reinvigorates the oft-told tale and gives it edge before unimagined by any retelling that I’ve seen. Ember is a strong, engaging character. She’s proactive and does not get things handed to her by a fairy godmother. She is her own fairy godmother. The Prince is an intriguing character as well, not just a means to happily ever after. His struggles and abuse of his curse make him believably human. Their courtship is not smooth and the pitfalls are nicely handled.

The only qualms I have with the story is that it is too short, and the central deception goes on too long for believability. Sharpe creates an intriguing world that could have been explored a little more through Ember’s growth into the witch she becomes, and though it is told in the first person by Ember, seeing Prince Adrian’s struggles with his curse would have been interesting, which could have possibly been accomplished through his journal that we get a brief peek at. I guess the fact that I finished wanting more is a compliment to the author rather than a problem with the story.

Sharpe warns that only readers 18 and older should read the story, but the sex is not too graphic or pervasive. What’s there suits the story well, though Ember and Adrian do go at it like rabbits. A sequel is planned, and I will happily read it.

This was originally written for the Webfiction Guide April 15, 2009.
http://webfictionguide.com/listings/e...(less)

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Jul 04, 2011 Steph rated it 5 of 5 stars

Gist of the book:
This dark take on the Cinderella story starts with a red haired-crooked foot girl named Ember who cuts off her finger in order to give her soul to witchcraft and protect herself from the curse of the Prince. With the help of her passed mother’s charmed vial Ember is able to keep the curse at bay for now, but she can feel the pull...the want...the need. When the Prince seeks her out the curse grows stronger but can Ember resist such an irresistible curse from this charming Prince...more Gist of the book:
This dark take on the Cinderella story starts with a red haired-crooked foot girl named Ember who cuts off her finger in order to give her soul to witchcraft and protect herself from the curse of the Prince. With the help of her passed mother’s charmed vial Ember is able to keep the curse at bay for now, but she can feel the pull...the want...the need. When the Prince seeks her out the curse grows stronger but can Ember resist such an irresistible curse from this charming Prince?

My thoughts:
First off this is not like the sweet fairy tale you have read when you were a little kid and this story is definitely for the mature audience. Okay, yes this story has similar Cinderella themes like the the ball, Prince, step mother and sisters, but it is really quite different. Ember is the main character and she gave her soul to witchcraft in order to protect herself from the Prince’s curse. How did she do this you ask? Well, she cut off her finger and fed it to the fire. I know pretty hardcore but she is definitely not like Cinderella *lol*, actually I like her more. She has red hair, freckles, black eyes, and a crooked foot which is quite refreshing to have a character not be perfect, but still is believed to be beautiful.

Her step mother *Minette* and sisters *Sylvie and Dulcie* are actually quite disfunctional. What I mean is they are whores for hire and run a profitable whore house which ends up to be Embers house. I know all families have problems *shrugs* but despite their obvious flaws I liked how caring they were for each other and how sweet they were to Ember. I know this sounds kinda Jerry Springer-ish, but honestly I found them quite funny and endearing.

Ah yes the Prince, Adrian Juste was cursed. Everyone around him adored him and found him perfect in every way. Women would throw themselves at him and men do as he commanded. No one saw him for who he really was until Ember did, of course ;) I liked how the author uniquely adjusted the common fairytale into this interesting story about curses, witchcraft, vulgarity, and sex. It just simply works and when you read this story you will completely understand. For you die-hard fairytale types, please heed the warning Ms. Sharpe gives you in the beginning. Then, decide if you want to continue because once you know it’s not your usual happy fairy tale and accept it, you will enjoy this story more =) Thank you Bettie Sharpe for a retelling of this old stuffy Cinderella story to a clever, yet surprisingly delightful story called Ember.(less)

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Jan 22, 2010 Debbie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: paranormal-romance

A gift/curse from Gaetane making Prince Adrian Juste so very charming, loved and admired left everyone who was around him helpless to do anything other than everything he said. Wanting to escape the curse, Ember took drastic measures by making an offer to the flames, she not only gave herself protection from the prince’s curse but declared herself a witch instead of a Wise Woman. When her father remarried and returned with a new step-mama (Minnette) and new “step-sisters” (Sylvie & Dulcie) E...more

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Sep 22, 2010 Felicia (Ferishia) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: free-ebook, ebook, pr-werewolf, pr-shifter, 02-mrs-sauhcy-minhx, 01-mr-candy-pants, pr-witch-or-wizard-or-warlock

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Jul 07, 2011 Jenny rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: retold-faerie-tale, favorites, short-stories, witches-and-warlocks

This is going into my favorite bookshelf. i loved this version of Cinderella. it comes to show how tales can be twisted from their reality by rumors and over time, but that's not why i loved it so much. Ember is independent, smart, and the only thing wicked about her is her sense of humor (which i enjoyed). she protects her family and is not a doormat for people to use (i would not want to be on Embers bad side). unlike other stories she and the prince have a personality there's more to them the...more

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Nov 14, 2010 Rebecca rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy

Huh. This was ... interesting. I still can't decide whether I liked it or not.

I don't think I'm a huge fan of Ember's character, I get that she was supposed to be a "different" character, but she just wasn't the kind of character that I enjoy.

And the writing wasn't in a style I particularly enjoyed. Especially not of the way Ember kept talking to the reader "I know what you're thinking..." I like to bury myself in the story, and that shocks me out of it and reminds me that I'm just an outsider...more

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Jun 05, 2010 Kai (Amaterasu Reads) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: misc

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Nov 13, 2012 Maree ♫ Light's Shadow ♪ rated it 4 of 5 stars

So some people have marked this book as YA, and I'm going to have to disagree with that. This book was a lot more graphic than I expected, and I would expect most parents wouldn't be okay with the sexual themes (it's got whores and Prince Charming, who can charm the pants off of any woman in a second).

But I love how truthful this book is. Maybe it's because it's more of an adult book and doesn't hide behind the little lies that kids tell. This book is about a full grown woman who knows what she'...more

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Nov 14, 2012 Grace rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, magic, myths-fairy-tales-retold, romance

So, as I'm sure most people know, this book is a retelling of the Cinderella story. For what it was, and the fact that this was a free ebook self-posted on the Internet, the caliber is top-notch. The reason that I think it didn't get very high reviews is because I think the content spans two genres that are not often mixed together for the mainstream, and further, it's not enough of either genre in order to attract solely that genre -- that is, it's porny, and it's about a cute fairy-tale. Basic...more So, as I'm sure most people know, this book is a retelling of the Cinderella story. For what it was, and the fact that this was a free ebook self-posted on the Internet, the caliber is top-notch. The reason that I think it didn't get very high reviews is because I think the content spans two genres that are not often mixed together for the mainstream, and further, it's not enough of either genre in order to attract solely that genre -- that is, it's porny, and it's about a cute fairy-tale. Basically, for those who want to read a cute and clean fairy-tale, this is not it. And those who want erotica, this is probably not hardcore enough.

Despite the erotica and the lack of cutesy-ness, this novella worked. It had a tight plot and good characterization. There were probably some loose ends floating around somewhere, but because this was also a romance, and the romance was done well, it all seemed to tie together. The Cinderella character is probably incredibly unattractive, heavily freckled, black-eyed, missing a pinky and has a twisted foot. But the book made that work. The Prince is supposed to be some manipulative, spoiled, selfish person (at least, he was drawn out like that at the beginning), but that also worked. (Well, he wasn't that spoiled, but I guess the manipulation came into play when he tried to force her family into giving her up, to the point of possibly arranging their death.) But it worked. I mean, the main Cinderella girl is a highly vindictive creature, who loves fiercely and protects what's hers. So the guy can't be a total wimp, and he wasn't. One thing that I think Bettie Sharpe does really well (at least from the 2 works I've read of hers) is that she creates highly attractive, strong males who can be soft. Controlled, as opposed to being a loose cannon. That's why it's attractive.

Also, it was creative to write about a scary witch Cinderella who had prostitutes for a step-family, and a prince that was manipulative, selfish, and spoiled. Because somehow, she made you sympathize with the Cinderella (and her vindictiveness) and like the prince (and his manipulativeness).

(less)

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Aug 14, 2012 Madame X rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: fans of Angela Carter, Disney pervs

Shelves: angst-up-to-eleven, extra-clever-plotting, favorites, heroine-can-kick-ass, novella, romance-ends-with-hea-or-hfn, fairytale-retelling

Blerg. This little novella hit all the right spots. Like, if I were some sort of badass, sharp-toothed trained guard dog and EMBER were a burglar, I'd be lying around chomping on drugged steak and dreaming of fire hydrants while EMBER cracked the safe and ran away with the family jewels. If we were characters in Bye, Bye Birdie I'd be sitting by the phone, singing about how happy I am to wait for Conrad's call, and EMBER would be Conrad, swaggering around with some other girl.

I feel like I didn'...more

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May 03, 2012 Isabel rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: to-buy

Let's evaluate some things shall we?

Most people's version of a fairy tale's princess/leading lady. . . blonde, blue-eyed, delicate, perfect, forgiving and usually, more or less, depends on a witch, a faery or whatever.
Ember. . . red-head, very dark brown eyes -almost black, certainly not delicate nor fragile, she's crippled, she loves vengeance and IS the witch.

Bettie Sharpe completely altered a child's fairy tale filled with royals, rainbows, flowers and ponies into something completely differe...more

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Apr 07, 2012 Chenoa C rated it 2 of 5 stars

Took me about two days total to finish this book. I probably could have read it in one sitting but I had to motivate myself to pick it back up and continue reading it.

I'm not quite sure whether I can say I actually liked it or not. It's one of those books that you're glad you read but at the same time you kind of feel like you could have used the time to read a better book.

The writing itself was okay. Some scenes were very detailed but the majority of them were not. I never quite connected with...more

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Mar 06, 2012 Brie C. rated it 4 of 5 stars

Originally posted at Romance Around the Corner

I read this novella a couple of weeks ago and I was so enchanted by it that I couldn't wait to tell you about it. I wasn't familiar with Ms. Sharpe’s work but since the book was free and the reviews were good I decided to give it a try. After reading the first chapter I bought the Kindle edition so I could read it more comfortably, that’s how good it was.

Ember is a retelling of the Cinderella story. It’s literally an adult version of the fairytale, b...more Originally posted at Romance Around the Corner

I read this novella a couple of weeks ago and I was so enchanted by it that I couldn't wait to tell you about it. I wasn't familiar with Ms. Sharpe’s work but since the book was free and the reviews were good I decided to give it a try. After reading the first chapter I bought the Kindle edition so I could read it more comfortably, that’s how good it was.

Ember is a retelling of the Cinderella story. It’s literally an adult version of the fairytale, but it maintains enough elements of the original so that the reader can make the connection, but the real appeal comes from all the differences and how the author was able to make this story her own.

Once upon a time a Prince was born. A witch, who, depending on where you stand could be good or evil, used a spell to, again, depending on where you stand, either charm or curse him. From that day on the Prince would be literally irresistible, everyone would love him, everyone would like him and no one would ever be able to deny him anything.

Ember’s mother was also a witch, and recognizing the Prince for what he truly was, forbade Ember to ever lay eyes upon him. Sadly, one day the Prince went past their home and Ember was unable to resist the spell, but since she was, not only a powerful witch (this book is full of witches) but also a strong young woman, she was able to look away and run. However, the damage was done her mother, who was already dying of an incurable disease, gave her life so that Ember could have a charm to protect her from the Prince’s influence. And that’s how Ember used all the pain and anger from that day to become a powerful witch and make to never see Prince Charming again, her life’s goal.

I know that my description of the book makes it sound as everything but Cinderella, but believe me, the story is there and it’s easily recognizable. Most of the important details have been given an extreme makeover, but remain the same at their core. I won’t give away more because part of why this story works so well is discovering those revamped details that bring you joy just by how original they are presented in the book.

The main character, Ember, bears no resemblance to Cinderella. Where the original character was a poor, abused dormant who needed constant rescuing, Ember is a strong, resilient and clever woman who does all the rescuing herself. One of the reasons she worked so well as a heroine was that even though there was an inherent vulnerability to her, she was, above all, independent and strong. I loved her self-awareness and how clever and inventive she was. Romance heroines should take note and try to learn a thing or two from Ember.

We don’t get to see much of the Prince, mostly because the book is told in first person from Ember's POV, so his character remains a mystery almost until the end, but it doesn’t matter because he isn’t the real hero. I’ll leave it at that because what’s the point of telling you all, right? Just be certain that this is a romance and, just like every fairytale, it has a happily ever after.

The last thing you should know is that this is an erotic tale. The sex scenes and the language are pretty graphic, there’s nothing Disney about Ember. When I said this was the adult version of Cinderella I wasn’t exaggerating.

I was so surprised by how good this book was. After so many retellings of such a classic story you think that you have seen and read them all, but Ember is proof that there are still ways to be original and clever. Absolutely recommended to everyone, as long as you don’t mind that there’s a scene where ~~Cinderella~~ Ember masturbates, and that she uses quite colorful language.(less)

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Jan 14, 2012 Saewod Tice rated it 5 of 5 stars

Book Title: Ember
Author: Bettie Sharpe
Published By: Self Publish
Recommended Age: 18+ (this is not your Disney story telling)
Reviewed By: Saewod
Blog Reviewed For: GMTA
Rating: 5 Ravens

Bettie Sharpe definitely laid down bread crumbs for me to follow into her retelling of the Cinderella fairy tale, and, well, then she sent the dwarves to throttle me. Her retelling was so unique I was completely under her spell (Pun Intended).

Not only did she give us flawed characters and dark supernatural elements,...more

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Jan 01, 2012 Nicky Cartwright Pashley rated it 3 of 5 stars

WARNING ~ SPOILERS WITHIN THE REVIEW.

This is a retelling of the fairy tale Cinderella, with references to other famous tales within the story.

I have mixed feelings about this book. I have always liked this fairy tale and it is reworked in an imaginative way. However, I did not particularly like the heroine or the hero of the story. Ember definitely has a dark side to her that would rise when she is thwarted or crossed. She claims that she has never killed a human but she has hurt many. She may...more WARNING ~ SPOILERS WITHIN THE REVIEW.

This is a retelling of the fairy tale Cinderella, with references to other famous tales within the story.

I have mixed feelings about this book. I have always liked this fairy tale and it is reworked in an imaginative way. However, I did not particularly like the heroine or the hero of the story. Ember definitely has a dark side to her that would rise when she is thwarted or crossed. She claims that she has never killed a human but she has hurt many. She may love her adoptive family but she can be very vindictive. Prince Charming may be cursed from birth but it is hard to form any affection for a character that spends his time whoring, giving away fortunes and generally living a self-absorbed, decadent life style ~ he may long to be genuinely loved for himself, rather than through the curse but he does little to make himself loveable.

The book is definitely not for kids because of it’s honest and blunt way of dealing with sex, both in relationships and as a trade. The book was sexual but I did not find it sexy or erotic. However, as much as sex seems to be a constant thread through the story, it doesn’t feel unwarranted or overdone ~ it just demonstrates the earthy and honest physical feelings of the characters.
I enjoyed the dark humour in this book. The way that it explores the issue of morals never being truly black or white but a myriad of grey shades between, made for an interesting read.

I think that my mixed feelings are more about who I am and my personal tastes in books, rather than the skill of the author. I like to read books where I develop an affinity to and care about what happens to the characters in the story. I didn’t form any attachment to the hero or heroine, as I didn’t find them particularly nice people. The step family felt under developed, which is a shame, as Sylvie’s Loup and it’s cause could have been explored more fully. However, the story is interesting and inventive. I prefer character development to plot which is why I felt a little cheated but the story itself is good ~ and provided an interesting read.
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Mar 14, 2012 Emily (Book Jems) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: kindle, released, romance, erotica, adult-fiction, fantasy, retellings, angst, cover-love, guilty-pleasure, historical, review-on-blog

As seen on Ed and Em's Reviews!

3.5 Stars

This was pretty good. Very original concept. An adult, original and creative twist on a beloved fairytale. It kept my interest for the entire story and I read it in one sitting. And I love, love, love the cover. It is what drew me in in the first place. It's gorgeous and works with the content inside of the novel. It is one of my favorite covers ever. The design is so intriguing and beautiful.

It's a fast read. It has some angst, which I enjoyed. And the ch...more

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Oct 13, 2011 Ridley rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: ebook, 4-star, paranormal, read-2011

This is more like a 4.5. It's a novella available for free on the author's website, and everyone should go and grab it. I opened it by accident last night, planning to read something else, and couldn't put it down for the life of me.

Ms. Sharpe spins the Cinderella tale here, and it's delicious. She gives each player surprising and clever depth and creates something dark and satisfying out of a worn out and fluffy fairy tale.

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Sep 28, 2012 Stina Rubio rated it 5 of 5 stars

SYNPOSIS:

Everyone loves Prince Charming. They have to--he's cursed. Every man must repect him. Every women must desire him. One look, and all is lost.

Ember would rather carve out a piece of her own soul then be enslaved by passions not her own. She turns to the dark arts to save her heart and becomes the one women in the kingdom able to resist the Prince's charm.

Poor girl. If Ember had spent less time studying magic and more time studying human nature, she might have guessed that man who gets ev...more

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Dec 31, 2010 Megan Lillian rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-in-2010, female-hero

A fairy tale retelling, that is decidedly crude. I don't know why exactly this rubbed me the wrong way, but it forced several involuntary "EW" comments throughout. Some of the ideas were interesting, but the sexiest scenes made me feel dirty dirty dirty and super uncomfortable, both for myself as the reader/witness, and the participants. Worse, I am fairly sure that's what the author was going for...

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Sep 18, 2012 Zaina rated it 5 of 5 stars

Wow what a wicked and twisted way to retell Cinderella! It had just a little bit of erotica as well ;).
Its almost as if the Disney version was telling the story through the eyes of the people in the town but Ember was a behind the scenes telling of the story. The prince being cursed allowing every woman to desire him, every man to respect him, and get everything he ever wanted. Ember resists Prince Adrian despite the affect his curse has on her. This just makes him want her more and he won't giv...more

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About Bettie Sharpe

Bettie Sharpe is a Los Angeles native with a fondness for hot weather, classic cars, and air so thick it sticks in your teeth. When she's not busy attempting to metabolize smog into oxygen, she enjoys romance novels, action movies, comic books, video games, and every other entertainment product her teachers said would rot her brain. She loves to write almost as much as she loves to read. As a chil...more

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Quotes from Ember

“Some would say it is madness to want a woman this way,
but I think it must be love. Not the tepid, fickle love of which the
poets sing—the love that forms or fades with kindness or cruelty.
No, this love is something more divine—like the love of a god, both
vengeful and benign. It is as constant as the sea. And as beautiful.

As dangerous. As mysterious.

She is the only woman to ever refuse me. And yet, I want…” — 17 people liked it

“Sometimes, we need little lies to save our pride. And sometimes we need big lies to save our souls.” — 16 people liked it

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