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Sep 24, 2011

Cara rated it:

Don't you love it when the book has a pretty cover? It makes the whole experience of reading that much better. Really . You know when you finish and look at the book longingly it makes you think " yeah the story deserved such a wonderful cover ". Ok now on to the story and to stop rambling about pretty pictures....

I am a sucker for fairy tale retellings so I went expecting to like it and that I did. This book uses some of the traditional Cinderella signatures. She is born More...

3 comments like (6 people liked it)

Aug 30, 2008

Ginger rated it:

The Amaranth Enchantment, Julie Berry's debut novel, has the shadow of a fairy tale in its soul. Yes, there's a prince, but not just any prince; this prince looks like he swallowed the sun for breakfast. Yes, there's a royal ball, but not just any royal ball; this ball is to announce the engagement of the prince to a princess who looks like she was sculpted from spun sugar. And then there's our heroine, Lucinda Chapdelaine, who has not only wit, but compassion as well, not to mention brains a More...

2 comments like (10 people liked it)

Sep 24, 2008

Dottie rated it:

This is the first novel by Julie Berry and it is a lovely fairy tale - aimed at ages 10-14 but I really enjoyed it. It gives nods to many of the classic fairy tale stories and includes everything you need - princes, lost inheritance, wicked step aunts, witches, evil lawyers,a magical stone and a loyal goat named DOG. The writing is lovely with wry touches of humor -even a well hidden moral or two - and a happy ending.

Highly recommended for the young ladies of your acquaintance or y More...

0 comments like (4 people liked it)

Mar 14, 2009

Becky rated it:

Don't you just love the cover? I do. It drew me to the book immediately. Luckily, the text lived up to the promise of the cover. What is it about? Why should you read it? It's a fairy-tale-esque book that is satisfying through and through. Our heroine, Lucinda Chapdelaine, is an orphan, now fifteen. Her parents left to attend a royal ball and never returned. Now, ten years later, Lucinda finds herself in a bit of a mess. Her evil step-mom Aunt treats her as a servant--and a stupid one at t More...

1 comment like (1 person liked it)

Jan 11, 2009

Rachael rated it:

When Lucinda Chapdelaine was just five years old, her parents left for the royal ball—and never came back. Since then, she has had no taste of her old fancy life, forced instead to work for her cruel aunt at a jewelry store. Then, as if by fate, a mysterious woman and her equally mysterious jewel enter the shop, and Lucinda’s life is irrevocably changed. This chance meeting and others acquaint Lucinda with a varied cast of characters including the Amaranth Witch, a street thief named Peter, and More...

0 comments like (3 people liked it)

Sep 09, 2008

Chelle rated it:

I'd hoped so much to like this book - and I did! It's a fun read, with enough brilliant moments that you know this first-time author is going to produce better and better books. The heroine overcomes any tendency to remain a victim, and by the end even the villains have a chance at redemption.

0 comments like (3 people liked it)

Jul 26, 2008

Julia rated it:

Written for young teens, but I loved this book- read it in two days. Ending was delightfully unexpected and heroine was very likeable.

1 comment like (4 people liked it)

Feb 05, 2009

Stacey rated it:

I was tempted to give this four stars because the end was a tad dissapointing.

The entire novel was fun, witty, and a charm to read. It wasn't until page 200 or so that I realized I was reading a fairy tale that loosely resembled Cinderella, then I began noticing the similarities. However, it also had some other fairty tales mixed in (that if I revealed which ones, would give away too much plot). I found the writing to be enchanting but it ended too suddenly. I wanted more from More...

1 comment like (3 people liked it)

Sep 19, 2009

Valerie rated it:

A very enjoyable book. Its got a good pace; it doesn't suck you in from the get go but it doesn't take too long to get the plot started. Lucinda is a likeable character. She gets tricked but she isn't stupid. She isn't mean but isn't a pushover. Overall she is a well rounded character.

The other characters are very interesting too. Like Peter, who is a bit self-centered but funny. Beryle who is kind and giving but has a dark secret.

The story got me hooked. Its got the ba More...

0 comments like (2 people liked it)

Dec 31, 2009

Laura rated it:

What a wonderful take on fairy tales: part Cinderella, part fallen-star, part lost prince and yet wholly original.

The idea that our world is linked to others is not new - the whole Well Between the Worlds is one of those ancient tropes, right? But the idea that criminals from another world might be sent to ours (with a "keeper") via this well (or they might end up in other worlds), and be almost godlike here, isn't that widely used as a plot. Beryl's trip through the we More...

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Feb 21, 2009

Megan rated it:

How lucky am I that the author's publicist dropped off an advance proof copy at my doorstep? I read it in a 24 hour period and enjoyed it. This Young Adult book resembles the fairy tale as novel genre, but takes some surprising twists that turn this fantasy nearly to a science fiction book. I'm a sucker for true love and happy endings. Kudos to Julie Berry! Great job on your first published work!

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Aug 23, 2009

Hannah rated it:

This is the type of book that makes you happy. It made me giggle. Full of enchantment, romance, and a little bit of stolen goods, I liked it a lot.

Good, if you are feeling bad about anything! ;)

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Jul 23, 2009

Kristen rated it:

Yet another Cinderella story.

Lucinda Chapdelaine is orphaned after an unfortunate chariot accident. Rather than the luxurious estate she had in her small childhood Lucinda is instead forced to spend the rest of her youth with a cranky, greedy Aunt. Still more misfortune awaits her and she is forced to be brave as the true villain of the story comes after her.

Berry has managed to add a new twist in the age old fable along with a bit of prince and the pauper and scien More...

1 comment like (3 people liked it)

Mar 26, 2009

Arapahoe Library District rated it:

A blend of fantasy, supernatural, romance, and adventure. Lucinda is a great heroine - you couldn't help but root for her. Wrapped up a bit too neatly... but happy endings are nice. Fast read.

0 comments like (2 people liked it)

Nov 05, 2009

Mara rated it:

This story is a loose retelling of cinderella. "Lucinda was orphaned as a young child when her parents left for a royal ball and never returned. Ever since, she has toiled away in her uncles lonely jewelry shop under the cruel hand of her step-aunt. But now, all at once, Luncinda's lot is about to change. A mysterious woman, a young gentleman and an unusual gem all enter the shop on the same day...Family secrets, magical surprises and another royal ball will test her, but Lucinda is determi More...

1 comment like (1 person liked it)

Apr 03, 2009

Laura rated it:

I was disappointed actually. Confusing, unsatisfying plot, I never sympathized with the protagonist, never saw why she liked the love interest. Obviously, anything with folkloric themes is going to be formulaic, but this managed to be formulaic without having any sort of clever addition.

It was a quick read, and maybe a teen who devours anything with a fairy tale plot will enjoy it.

4 comments like (13 people liked it)

Mar 30, 2009

Jenny rated it:

Elements of several fairy tales permeate this fantasy.

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Mar 26, 2009

Melissa rated it:

A blend of supernatural, fantasy, romance, and adventure. Couldn't put it down!

1 comment like (1 person liked it)

Mar 09, 2011

Reading Vacation's Mom rated it:

REVIEW
Do you like romance? Fairy tales? Adventure? Mystery? If you do, then you will LOVE The Amaranth Enchantment. With a plot that hints at Cinderella, this book took me on a wild ride as Lucinda searched for a very special stolen necklace.
I absolutely adored the way Berry described the setting – from the poor area where Lucinda lived all the way up to the magical castle. I felt that I was taken away to a far- away land.
Lucinda was a likeable main character who rose to the occasion. She More...

0 comments like

Nov 26, 2011

Debbie rated it:

"The Amarath Enchantment" is a young adult fantasy novel with similarities to the Cinderella story. It's set in the real world at a vague time period, but it has fantastic and fantasy elements. The characters were engaging and varied, and the suspense (from physical danger, relationship tensions, and the mystery of what will happen next) kept me reading.

I was a bit sad that all of the "good guy" characters got their happy endings except one who had it snatched away. More...

0 comments like

Sep 18, 2011

Lynnea rated it:

Lucinda led a privileged with he mother and father up until the age of five. One night her parents left for a ball and never came home. They died in a carriage accident and she was sent to live with the husband and new wife of her late aunt. She was raised as a servant and was beaten by the new aunt. One day two extraordinary events happen... a wealthy woman comes into her uncles goldsmith shop to have a very rare precious gem fitted to a setting... the other is the prince comes in looking f More...

0 comments like

Jul 31, 2011

Donna rated it:

Ever since the death of Lucinda's parents, she has been forced to live under the thumb of her bitter and overbearing aunt and her weak uncle, working at their jewelry store. Within one eventful day, Lucinda's life drastically changes. During this short period of time, she deals with a lovesick prince, a mysterious witch, a charming thief, and a tragedy that leaves her homeless. Things quickly go from bad to worse for Lucinda as she tries to put the pieces back together.

When I picked u More...

0 comments like

Apr 26, 2011

Bonnie at rated it:

What’s better than a traditional Cinderella story? One that steals elements from the tale, but forges its own path. The Amaranth Enchantment is about a girl named Lucinda whose parents died in a horrible accident the night of a ball. She goes to live with her uncle and step-aunt, a woman who treats her like a servant. A magical woman—the book’s version of a fairy godmother—is the catalyst for Lucinda leaving to make it on her own. Following the elements of a fairy tale, she falls in love with a More...

0 comments like

Mar 12, 2011

Lottie rated it:

Despite the two star rating, this book really was enjoyable. However, it was a very generic fantasy/fairy tale novel. One thing that really frustrated me was that the setting was so ambiguous that certain things seemed out of place. Details pointed me towards the Victorian Era (the use of the words hats, the emphasis on Christmas), but others suggested another era. The last names suggested France, but the first names were decidedly English. Berry was clearly going for her own made up place, but More...

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Feb 08, 2011

Holly rated it:

I was not particularly impressed with this story, though the actual plot was carried out fairly well and was interesting. I think Peter was far and away the best character with the most personality--I was glad he was in the story so much--but the rest seemed somewhat flat. I thought the romance between Gregor and Lucinda was contrived and unrealistic; the only reason I could see for Lucinda's love was his good looks, and his reasons for falling for her were equally unclear and artificial. That w More...

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Jan 01, 2011

Dorri rated it:

The Amaranth Enchantment was suggested to me by one of my best freinds. I really had no clue what I was about to dive into, but I know I was enchanted by the end of the book and wanting to read more.

The story revolves around Lucinda, a penny-less child who has been living in her Uncle's home since her parent died. Her Aunt is a bitter cruel woman who uses Lucinda as slave labor. But that doesn't mean Lucinda is going to get a rags-to-riches moment Cinderella style, first she has t More...

0 comments like

Sep 28, 2010

Wulfette rated it:

I found this book by chance and couldn't put it down (resulting in severe lack of sleep last night!) It's the author's first novel and how I wish I could write so smoothly like her. There's a hint of a Cinderella story in the book, the girl who lost her parents and had to live with a wicked aunt that made her work all day and hit her.

Lucinda fell in love with a prince, and through circumstances befriended an enigmatic thief to help a witch.

I really like how the book flo More...

0 comments like

Aug 24, 2010

Barky rated it:

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

0 comments like

Jul 20, 2010

Christi rated it:

Summary: The Amaranth Enchantment by Julie Berry is a fairy tale story about a young girl Lucinda orphaned when very young and raised by her uncle and cruel step-aunt who run a jewelry shop. She encounters a mysterious woman, a prince, and a young thief named Peter. She must find a stolen jewel and return it the mysterious woman named Beryl because that is her soul. She has to first steal it back from the prince, but ends up getting caught and comes face to face with her parents murderer. Beryl More...

0 comments like

Mar 02, 2010

Arya rated it:

Lucinda is about to dance with, steal from, and kiss a Prince in one day! Talk about busy!

When Lucinda's uncle dies she is forced out of the house she occupied for so many years and onto the street, where she seeks help from the Amaranth Witch. The witch is not what she appears, and the adventure is as big as the sea!

Though this book moves at a steady clip, I was a bit disappointed by the ending, mainly because of what happened to ~~Beryl~~. I really feel that there shoul More...

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

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