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Cinders; A Cinderella Sequel

by Michelle D. Argyle (Goodreads Author)

3.82 of 5 stars 3.82 · rating details · 164 ratings · 77 reviews

A Cinderella sequel.

Money can’t buy love, but magic isn’t a sure bet either. Cinderella, now officially a princess, finds royal life is not what she once dreamed. When a mysterious elf from her past stirs up long-suppressed passion, Cinderella begins to wonder if there really is love beneath the spell that captured her husband’s heart. But undoing magic can be harder than...more

Paperback, Out of Print, 117 pages

Published (first published June 23rd 2010)

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Feb 01, 2011 Melisa Mariani rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: buntelan-hadiah, fantasy

Goodreads First Reads Winner!

I would like to thank Michelle D. Argyle who sent the autographed copy of her book all the way to Indonesia. :)

cinders

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A Cinderella story… like never told before.

Cinders is an adult fantasy fiction and a debut by author Michelle Davidson Argyle.
Most of us are familiar with various kinds of Cinderella stories, which usually follows the same pattern—a damsel in distress, evil stepmother and stepsisters, fairy godmother, Prince Charming, the castle, the ball, and finally th...more

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Aug 17, 2012 Jamie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: goodreads-firstreads, fantasy, romance, books-i-own

An interesting twist to the "Happily Ever After" of Cinderella. This story focuses on Cinderella (also known as Christina) after she is married to the prince. She is now princess to a kingdom. Yet she is not happy. A couple years before she met the prince she met a stranger and has an attachment to him. Rowland the prince chose her as his princess due to a spell that was cast by her fairy godmother. Her fairy godmother was locked in the dungeon for being a witch. Cinderella is given an option to...more

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Sep 05, 2010 Amanda rated it 4 of 5 stars

Cinders is a fantastic continuation of the beloved Cinderella fairy-tale, but if you're looking for cute little talking animals and happily-ever-afters, you're looking in the wrong place. Michelle Davidson Argyle has given us a new look at Cinderella and just what happened after she married her prince. Things aren't all great, and magic could be the problem.

I think the thing I loved most was that there was never a definite answer to Cinderella's problems. She married the Prince and was trying to...more

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Feb 18, 2011 Krystle rated it 3 of 5 stars

I love fairy tale retellings and once I saw the cover for this I had to read it. I didn’t know that this was a self-published book because it’s superbly crafted; beautiful cover, tight editing, and a strong cohesive plot. I’ve read my fair share of poorly created self-published books but this one is probably one of the few that belong in with the cream of the crop.

Michelle David Argyle’s writing is very strong and she has a quite a thorough grasp of what she’s doing. There are no frilly passages...more

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Jan 17, 2011 Erin rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fairy-tale, retellings

This one was really hard for me to rate. The story itself is original and intriguing. I love the idea of life after “happily ever after” and the combination of the original fairy tale with mythology. The problem is that it never came together for me. There wasn’t enough detail. There wasn’t enough character development. There wasn’t enough to sink your teeth into. The bones of a great story are here but in my opinion, it needed to be fleshed out. Simply put, it left me hanging.

That being said th...more

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Nov 22, 2010 Tara Hall rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: reviewed, recommended-for-teens

Originally reviewed on "http://bloodcrossed.blogspot.com"... Bloody Words.

Genre: Adult Fantasy
Rating: 8 out of 10
Buzzword: TRAGIC
Theme Song: "I Can Love You Like That" by John Michael Montgomery (How was I supposed to resist that!?)
Favorite Quote: "The crown on Cinderella's head stood for everything she could change..."

Pros:

Crisp, clear writing
Strong primary and secondary characters
Creative expansion on a fairy tale world
Genuinely surprising ending

Cons:

Decidedly NOT happily ever after (thoug...more

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Mar 26, 2011 Barbara G.Tarn rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: author-friends

I just loved it, and Michelle knows it! :-D
OK, I'll add my Amazon review, just to say a little more:
... the Happily Ever After!
Since I stopped believing Prince Charming actually exists, I've become a little biased with fairy tales... but this fairy tale revisited, or better, fairy tale sequel was just great. The happily ever after is, well, a fairy tale. So I enjoyed this dark and adult tale that left me with a lump in my throat, i.e. very close to tears, which doesn't happen very often to me l...more

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Jan 26, 2011 Nicole Romine rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fairy-tales-revisioned, strong-women

"Cinders" was a gamble kindle purchase because the price was so low and the narrative promised a dark retelling of the Cinderella fairy tale. The gamble paid off. "Cinders" is a terse novella, with a perfectly paced plot and well-developed characters. It's the kind of story that in the wrong hands could have been overworked into a long, corny mess. The author of "Cinders," however, is able to emotionally engage the reader as we follow Cinderella through the dark times after her marriage to the p...more

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Aug 27, 2012 Rena Willemin rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Normally I’m a no-go for fantasy novels, but when Michelle Davidson Argyle announced the release of CINDERS, I knew this wasn’t simply a fresh twist on a beloved story. CINDERS is Cinderella’s not so happily-ever-after story and we all know that things always get juicier once the cameras are off.

I’ve read excerpts of Michelle Davidson Argyle's work before so I expected something very compelling and superbly written. I was not disappointed. The novel masterfully delves into the depth of Cinderel...more

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Aug 25, 2011 Cindy rated it 1 of 5 stars

I do not give one stars lightly, but this was just impossible to get through. Maybe it gets better but I just couldn't stand it any longer. The story in all fairness may have been good, but the execution was sorely lacking. There was no depth to characters, no real world building, I can't say if there was a well done plot or not, because I quit. It felt like reading random nothingness. I was so irritated with a scene on page one about a red powder that she puts on. Then two paragraphs later she...more

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Apr 27, 2011 Linda Lewis rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy

Being ignorant of the original version of Cinderella and only vaguely aware of the Disney version, I opened this book with few expectations. I knew from the pithy logline on the cover that it wouldn't be a light read.

Michelle's devotion to her craft is well-represented here. She has written a cautionary tale, as fairly tales were meant to be. She gave me a glimpse of the other side of magic, the results of supreme selfishness. What happens when you want what you want and you get it? Not always w...more

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Sep 14, 2010 Merrilee rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, e-books

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

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Jan 06, 2012 Misty Baker rated it 3 of 5 stars

When I was a little girl I loved fairy-tales. Yes… I know, that’s not all that far fetched of an idea, but being the abnormal child that I was, I never wanted to be the princess. Pretty dresses and sparkly crowns were great, but I was much more intrigued by the wicked witches or evil stepsisters. Why? I would ask myself as I sat in my room, books like Snow White and Cinderella strewn in a circle around me. Why are they doing this to her? Why are they so mean? What was it exactly that Cinderella...more When I was a little girl I loved fairy-tales. Yes… I know, that’s not all that far fetched of an idea, but being the abnormal child that I was, I never wanted to be the princess. Pretty dresses and sparkly crowns were great, but I was much more intrigued by the wicked witches or evil stepsisters. Why? I would ask myself as I sat in my room, books like Snow White and Cinderella strewn in a circle around me. Why are they doing this to her? Why are they so mean? What was it exactly that Cinderella did to them to deserve such treatment, (cause lets face it, nobody is that mean for just the hell of it.) <– insert sarcasm.

Little has changed for me in the last 20 years and the older I get the more intrigued I am with the fairy-tales I read as a child. Maybe it’s the simple fact that I have a daughter of my own now, (and God bless her soul she is a girly as they get.) Maybe it’s my unconscious need to instill the love of reading in my mini-clones, who knows. The one thing I am certain of however it my overactive imagination and my love of continuations.

What is a continuation exactly? Well, in the words of Mr. Paul Harvey it’s “…The rest of the story.”

Once upon a time… a girl lost her shoe, a few months later that same girl married a prince. Great right? Not if everything was a lie. As Cinderella (aka Christina) settles into her new life as a member of the royal family she starts to realize things aren’t what she expected them to be. Yes, Prince Charming is exactly what he is supposed to be (charming, attentive, understanding) but regardless of his peaches and cream exterior Cinderella just can’t stop her wandering mind. Who is this mysterious man she feels so drawn to? Why is her “Fairy God Mother” suddenly up on the chopping block, and are the ever elusive “winter sprites” good or evil?

Continuations are an interesting breed of fiction. While we KNOW the story, we don’t actually KNOW the story until it is retold. I know, that made NO sense so let me explain. We all know the story of Cinderella, we know where she was, and how she got where she currently resides, but what we don’t know is what happened when the author stopped writing. This is where the NEW author (in this case Michelle Davidson Argyle) STARTS her story. Some of these attempts are total failures. No, scratch that… the majority of these attempts are failures, so I am genuinely surprise when I find once I consider decent. Was it jaw dropping wonderful? No. There were points in the novella where Argyle let her plot twist circles around itself. Is it for everyone? Again, no… Argyle took a traditional story and slapped it with the “deceitful magic stick.” Am I glad I read it? Yes… absolutely. Overall, Argyle’s writing was great. Her character development was spot on, she was intuitive enough to include supporting actors in her story, and the emotional confusion she wrote into Cinderella’s personality was definitely convincing.

So here is my suggestion to you as a reader. If you like to experience the “other half” of an already told tale, chances are you will enjoy “Cinders,” but if you like the existence you were already handed, if you don’t want to rub holes in your precious childhood memories, or be slapped with an alternate reality… this one might be a pass for you.

Happy reading my fellow Kindle-ites and remember: if you have small children there is nothing better than showing them a world inside their own head.(less)

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Dec 28, 2011 Victoria rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorites

Okay, so let me start with why I chose this book. I bought my kindle right after Christmas and wanted to find a quick book I can read. I started out with this book with low expectations only because it was 99 cents to buy on my kindle. Let me just say that was the best dollar I have spent on any book. I love retelling of fairytales perticulalary Cinderella. This book just took my breath away I loved how the author wrote this book, it was so thought out. My only complaint was that it was soo shor...more

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Aug 05, 2011 Lisa Yarde rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy

When the fairy tale ends, where does true love start?

It’s the dilemma facing Princess Christina, aka Cinderella. Author Michelle Davidson Argyle brings the children’s fairy tale into the adult world, with a prince who’s less than charmingly perfect, an iron-willed monarchy and a kingdom fractured by internal turmoil. The magical elements remain in keeping with the fairy tale, but even they have serious consequences, which affect most of the characters.

Throughout each crisis, Cinderella often han...more

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Mar 21, 2011 Cheryl Gardner rated it 4 of 5 stars

Poor disappointed Cinderella, or rather, Christina, in this case. Her wish was granted, and now, ironically, life isn't turning out to be the ideal happy ever after she wanted or expected. Written in the gothic styling of traditional fairy tales like Aesop's Fables, what we have here is a "be careful what you wish for" cautionary tale. An allegory, if you will, about the brutally honest awakening -- the enlightenment -- of an impetuous child dissatisfied with her current life. Sure, we all know...more Poor disappointed Cinderella, or rather, Christina, in this case. Her wish was granted, and now, ironically, life isn't turning out to be the ideal happy ever after she wanted or expected. Written in the gothic styling of traditional fairy tales like Aesop's Fables, what we have here is a "be careful what you wish for" cautionary tale. An allegory, if you will, about the brutally honest awakening -- the enlightenment -- of an impetuous child dissatisfied with her current life. Sure, we all know the story: Cinderella’s father died and her step-monster and sisters have abused and tormented her, but in this case, there was another man, so to speak, come before the Prince. But in Cinderella’s haste to avenge herself and serve the desert best served cold, she allowed herself to be manipulated by magic into making a choice that was not mature and not entirely her own, which ultimately would betray her heart and the heart of another. Most girls would be hard-pressed to resist when confronted with this situation. The thought of being offered a chance to escape a life of misery with one wave of a fairy Godmother's wand. The thought of being a Princess and of having a charming handsome husband who dotes on you and lavishes the tenderest of affections on your flesh in the quietest of hours, heck, who wouldn't jump at the chance for that? It's that sort of impetuousness that leads us to temptation. Cinderella seeks nothing more than the fulfillment of her desires without actually contemplating anything beneath or beyond the surface. Our Cinderella, in this case, will discover the truth behind her naive and childish choice, and she will find all this out the hard way. A person is defined by what they do and what they don't do, and every choice or action has a positive and a negative reaction equal in strength and ferocity. She has been warned. Even if the choice she makes isn’t the right choice for her upon later reflection, it’s too late. With some choices, you cannot go back. The fact that she even asks this is very telling.

Therefore, our Cinderella in this story is not an easy character to empathize with. She has everything, and all she can do is complain. She pines away in secret for another man, whom she met before the Prince and now believes may be nothing more than an artifact of a dream. Her in-laws, the King and Queen, are not the kindest and gentlest of rulers, and she isn't sure her husband, the Prince, would actually truly love her if it weren't for the spell cast upon him. She finds her dresses too heavy, the castle too cold and boring, and the laws of the land too unfair, even if she secretly wanted her Step-mother to suffer -- just a little bit. Cinderella herself can often be cold and unyielding, and by mid-story, we find that she has grown little from the experience, and predictably and selfishly, she allows herself to be manipulated again for the second time in her life by the same magic that put her in her current predicament. However, this time, people will die because of her fickleness of heart. The powers manipulating her know this and have conspired to use her immaturity to get exactly what they want.

In the end -- no spoilers here -- things end badly, depending on your perspective. Cinderella winds up in a predicament much worse than what she was in before, but, we can hold fast to the hope that she has gleaned some enlightenment from the circumstances thrust upon her. In the end, she has a real chance to make some positive choices, choices that will be entirely her own. We can only hope she chooses wisely. She does keep one promise, so that’s a start.

All in all, I loved this book. It is a true novella in every respect. The cover is beautifully done. The writing is lovely and imaginative and simple in its tenor. It’s a quick fluid read. Even a young reader will be able to understand the concepts being presented here. The feel while reading it is that of a much older fairy tale, fairy tales which were rather dark, gruesome, and abrupt, written mainly to teach a lesson by scaring the crap out of impressionable children. And while this book, like the original fairy tales of old, is loaded with abuses and intrigue and death, the treatment of these issues is quite subtle, so to sum up, if you are looking for the story of Cinderella annexed as a romance novel, you will be disappointed. If you are looking for Cinderella erotica, a la Anne Rice, you will also be disappointed, but if you are looking for a real tried and true Fairy Tale with all the grimness and subterfuge fables like these have to offer, then this is what you want. Enjoy. I certainly did. I only took half a point off because I felt the “other man” could have been explored just a little bit more.
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Jan 04, 2011 Loren rated it 4 of 5 stars

Conventional wisdom holds that there are two ways to reimagine old folk tales. The first is to wrench the plot out of its traditional setting while retaining its original concerns. (Consider how Steven Spielberg placed Pinocchio in a high-tech dystopia with his film A.I.). The second uses an opposite approach -- maintain the surroundings while shifting the thematic focus. ("Snow, Glass, Apples," Neil Gaiman's grisly take on the story of Snow White, is a prime example.) One can usually tell which...more Conventional wisdom holds that there are two ways to reimagine old folk tales. The first is to wrench the plot out of its traditional setting while retaining its original concerns. (Consider how Steven Spielberg placed Pinocchio in a high-tech dystopia with his film A.I.). The second uses an opposite approach -- maintain the surroundings while shifting the thematic focus. ("Snow, Glass, Apples," Neil Gaiman's grisly take on the story of Snow White, is a prime example.) One can usually tell which path an author will take within the first few pages. But not with Cinders, a fantasy novella that reworks Cinderella. Author Michelle Davidson Argyle charts a middle course by combining both approaches.

Kiss the prince, claim the crown and dwell in marital bliss for the rest of your days -- that was how Christina thought everything was supposed to end. It hasn't. Though Eolande (that magical being calling herself Christina's fairy godmother) has charmed her into the kingdom's castle and the marriage bed of Rowland, its future ruler, life isn't perfect. New troubles seem to stalk her every day, ones worse than being whipped for slight infractions or forced to work fingers to the bone. Grumblings about a revolt filter through the palace halls. Eolande has gotten thrown in jail, accused of murder. And the queen seems to view the new princess with more than a little suspicion. Of greater concern than all of these to Christina are the nightly dreams, dreams of a mysterious stranger that make her question whether love gained through magic is any love at all.

Argyle adheres to and separates from her source material by beginning the action right where Cinderella ends and moving the genre from fable to literary fantasy. The surroundings feel familiar and yet fresh, the subject matter shared and still separate. The Grimm and Disney emphases of rising from poverty to royalty and gaining true love meet with political intrigues and ethical issues of enchantment. It's a compelling mix that Argyle handles with aplomb. The only place where Cinders reallly stumbles is in a tendency to tell what characters' emotional states are rather than showing them. However, this is more than balanced with an ending that's ... Well, let's not spoil it. Suffice it say that the climax and closing are both shocking and subtle, a conclusion that may smolder in your mind for days to come.(less)

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Nov 06, 2010 Jill rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Was this book short? Yes. Was it truncated? Absolutely not. I actually loved the length. To me, it signified that Argyle took pains to refine the language into a beautiful and lyrical style. I thought this story was refreshing, a book where the author does not descend to insulting filler, gimmicks, or cliffhangers that are obviously meant to wring more money out of readers. The ending left me curious to know more about this world, but completely satisfied with what I had. That is no easy feat.

If...more

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Nov 03, 2010 Robert rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Cinders is more than a fairy tale. In a way, it harkens back to the real Grimm brother’s story of Cinderella and continues things after she has married the prince. The original Grimm stories were dark, violent, and often didn’t end with “They lived happily ever after.” In a way, Cinders is the same way. It’s a story about a young girl who found her way into a royal family through magic. Things aren’t always rosy and happy in the story, but then things weren’t always rosy and happy in medieval t...more

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Sep 27, 2010 Simon rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

There’s a lot to like about Cinders, so let’s start there. First of all, let’s dispense with the whole self-publishing stigma right at the outset, shall we? There’s nothing even remotely second rate about the quality of the book: lovely cover design, great production standards, and if there were more’n 3 typos in the entire thing, I’d be surprised. Hell, even Gaiman’s The Graveyard Book had a misspelling or two, and that was professionally edited, so Michelle did a fantastic job with that.

As for...more There’s a lot to like about Cinders, so let’s start there. First of all, let’s dispense with the whole self-publishing stigma right at the outset, shall we? There’s nothing even remotely second rate about the quality of the book: lovely cover design, great production standards, and if there were more’n 3 typos in the entire thing, I’d be surprised. Hell, even Gaiman’s The Graveyard Book had a misspelling or two, and that was professionally edited, so Michelle did a fantastic job with that.

As for the story, let’s just say this: Glam sure ain’t afraid to put the hurt on her characters. Cinderella makes some pretty questionable decisions in her quest to find true love, and several of ‘em bite her in the ass pretty hard. Like, great-white-shark-bite hard. Yowza. This is why I loved the ending of Cinders: it’s not neat, it’s not tidy, and it sure ain’t happy, but it makes perfect sense. And boy does Cindy have a character arc! Quite the changed woman at the end, she is.

The other thing I appreciated about Cinders was Michelle’s use of imagery. She’s got an excellent eye for vivid and startling scenes, and the pictures she paints with words have a way of sticking with you. The following passage illustrates what I mean.

"The next morning the kitchen smelled of blood. It was splattered on the wood countertops and splashed across the floor. Cinderella watched thin red streams trickle between the stones.

The prince’s hunting party had done well: fifteen ducks, three pheasants, and eight rabbits hung on a long thin wire in the corner. The red liquid dripped steadily from their limp bodies swaying back and forth in the cool breeze from an open door."

You can just see the kitchen, can’t you? Even smell it? That’s what I’m talking about.

As for what didn’t work as well for me? Well, it won’t surprise anyone who knows me to learn that the romance aspect was the main thing I stumbled on. I felt I could have been sold a little better on the secondary romance that causes most of Cinderella’s post-nuptial angst. Not that I’m against marital complications (I routinely screw up my own characters’ relationships for fun and entertainment), but there was kind of a de facto feel to Cinderella’s dilemma that I felt could have been mitigated by a bit more foreshadowing or elegantly-worked-in backstory.

The other thing that nagged at me was the ending. Now yes, I did say that I love the ending, and I do—the situation of it. But the setup for the situation I felt was a tad thin. Ultimately, I think both of my criticisms of Cinders stem from its being a novella. Given more time and a less constrained wordcount, I feel as though the parts that struck me as underwritten could have been expanded, foreshadowed, constructed more thoroughly. This, of course, is my personal preference as a reader; there are plenty of people who love the simplicity and directness of the novella form.

So would I recommend Cinders? Certainly, and not just because I like Michelle. Her prose style is elegant and flowing, and the world she’s created is earthy, detail-rich, solid. Her use of imagery is outstanding. The story will shock you in places, make you smile in others, and the ending, while perhaps surprising, is satisfying in that oh-of-course-it-had-to-be-this-way sense. Cinders is definitely worth a read.
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Sep 08, 2010 Audra (Unabridged Chick) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fairy-tales, mood-bittersweet

Did... I inhale this book in one sitting?: YES.

Did... I develop a tiny crush on Prince Charming: YES. What a goober.

Did... I get teary by the end: YES, in such a good way!

Review: This isn't a reboot or retelling of the Cinderella fairy tale; instead, it's a brief but engrossing take on what might have happened after the story ended. Argyle's writing is simple and straight-forward, in the type of style that fairy tales are told in, but the character motivations and plot are far from simplistic. I...more

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Aug 26, 2010 Rebecca rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Rewriting classic tales or legends is as tricky as a cubix cube. I should know because I write a modern twist on norse mythology. The risk is changing it beyond its former self. And Michelle Davidson Argyle has managed to just about stay within that boundary of familiarity and change. She does breath some new life into characters such as the fairy godmother *warning - forget the classic old lady from disney) as she gives her a history and her own magic secrets. She introduces us to the reality o...more

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Aug 23, 2010 Andrea rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

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

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Aug 22, 2010 Ali Cross rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: books-read-in-2010

I've never read a novella before and wasn't quite sure what to expect. Could I truly enjoy a story completed in so few words? (I'm not a huge fan of short stories for this reason.)

So I was pleasantly surprised to discover that Cinders told a complete story, one that I enjoyed quite a bit.

Cinders tells the tale of Cinderella, now Princess Christina, and her life after she has married her Prince Charming. It's difficult for Cinderella to accept that the love Rowland, her Prince, has for her is tru...more

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Jul 27, 2010 Breanne Braddy rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I didn’t intend on reading this novella in one sitting. However, like good stories are apt to do, this one quietly pulled me in and by the time I realized it—I was past the point of no return.

I’ve read quite a few Cinderella sequels: some playful, some humorous, some full of talking animals and other familiar fairy-tale elements. Argyle’s Cinderella while playful in some areas, humorous in others, is haunting in its elegance and simplicity. The prose itself is pitch perfect for the narrative, to...more I didn’t intend on reading this novella in one sitting. However, like good stories are apt to do, this one quietly pulled me in and by the time I realized it—I was past the point of no return.

I’ve read quite a few Cinderella sequels: some playful, some humorous, some full of talking animals and other familiar fairy-tale elements. Argyle’s Cinderella while playful in some areas, humorous in others, is haunting in its elegance and simplicity. The prose itself is pitch perfect for the narrative, to the point where as a reader you forget that you’re reading. It’s presented like the glass slipper that it is: beautiful, translucent, and full of unexpected magic.

The characters are solid, memorable, sturdy and some of them ephemeral (I’ll leave that for you to figure out…I don’t do spoilers). The plot is deftly paced. But what struck me above everything else is Argyle’s use of imagery. So many passages echo after they’ve been read…not because of how they were written, but because of what they said.

…After a moment Cinderella realized she was touching her crown, thinking of the grease on Marion’s chin as she ate her food and told Rowland things weren’t fair…

…Neither of these images represented what Cinderella saw now: a skeleton of a woman so thin and aged she looked as if she belonged to the worn stone walls. Her skin was gray, her eyes dull and lifeless. Her hair had fallen out in clumps, leaving only strings to cover her baldness…

I am actually leaving my favorite passages out because I want them to have the same effect on you as they did on me. They aren’t mere descriptions. They tell the rest of the story.

Cinders takes unexpected turns, ironic turns, turns that some readers won’t appreciate. Those aren’t the readers to whom the story was intended. Few writers have the skill and foresight to craft a fairytale that is applicable to real life, while maintaining the elemental integrity of the story. Argyle does this seamlessly and while you think for a time that you’re simply hearing another classic tale, slowly, you begin to see another layer—the bones beneath the flesh—and it is this layer, that adds the most brilliant aspect to Argyle’s prose. With this layer, she breathes life into characters that we’ve become all too familiar with and gives them new purpose. This layer presents to us another fairytale, a slightly darker, more visceral one…read carefully and you’ll see exactly what I mean. There is no question that each and every line was arranged with clear purpose and if you look closely, you’ll see the reason for the novella’s title.

Keep your eye on this girl. I don’t say that often. This brief journey into Argyle’s imagination left me wanting to see more of what she’ll create in the coming years and there are few things more exciting for a reader than discovering, not just a book that holds promise, but an author with whom we know we’ll share many adventures in the future.(less)

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Jul 13, 2011 Heather rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011, fairy-tales, magic, retellings, ya, ills

I think this is the best retelling I've read in a while. I like the idea of retellings but generally don't have a lot of luck with them. That almost made me not want to read this book at all, even when I'd already ILLed it from the library and gotten it home, but once I started I was drawn right in. I loved the tone—it was probably one of my favorite things. The way Cinderella felt after coming to the castle and marrying the prince was believable. I liked the addition of sprites, but wasn't sure...more

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Sep 02, 2010 Blodeuedd Finland rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fairytale, fantasy

I saw this cover and knew I had to read this book. And don't expect some happily ever after, no this is what happens after the HEA.

Cinderella is married to her prince, but she is unhappy and bored. Sure Prince Rowland is wonderful and loving but she knows that he is under a spell, and would he love her without the magic? Her fairy godmother is being accused of witchcraft and is rotting in the dungeon, and Cinderella is feeling the burden of her crown. She is no longer sure that this is what she...more

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Jun 26, 2011 Cherie rated it 5 of 5 stars

Michelle Davidson Argyle expands upon the fairytale’s happily-ever-after—or not—in her take on Cinderella in Cinders.

Cinderella has her prince and everything her heart desired, or so she thought. A mysterious stranger haunts her dreams, the kingdom is in trouble under her parents-in-law’s iron-gripped rule, and her prince is sweet, but she ponders whether or not he loves her or if it is just the spell that fuels his desire. She must find her own magic and what her heart truly desires or she mig...more

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Sep 19, 2011 Tiffany Cole rated it 4 of 5 stars

*Giveaway Bonus*

If you enjoy the review below and would like to win a free print or e-book copy of Cinders, go here (http://fuisti.blogspot.com/2011/09/ci...) for a chance to enter just by commenting (ends 9/23)!

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Once upon a time, there was a servant who went by the name of Cinderella. She had two wicked step sisters and a stepmother who liked to put her to an unfair amount of work, and her only friends were the kind birds and mice. In response to her distress, a fairy godmother grant...more

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Feb 15, 2011 Splash Of Our Worlds *Yiota* rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

It's sad when you get in your hands books that have a story with great potential, but they don't turn out well. And i really mean it, that if it was done better job with the story would be a great and enjoyable book.

Unfortunately, that didn't happen. It felt poor written, like the writer didn't put much love in it. Like it was done fast, just to be done.
The characters didn't have depth. They were sallow with no personality at all. I couldn't understand them or connect with any of them.
Everythi...more

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Retellings

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Fairy Tales > Cinderella

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Fairy Tales > Fairy Tale Retellings

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Science Fiction Fantasy

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About Michelle D. Argyle

Michelle lives and writes in Utah, surrounded by the Rocky Mountains. She adores cheese, chocolate, sushi, and lots of ethnic food, and loves to read and write books in the time she grabs between her sword-wielding husband and energetic daughter. She believes a simple life is the best life. Michelle writes contemporary Young Adult and New Adult fiction (and other genres when she feels like it).

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title link	preview: Cinders; A Cinderella Sequel
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BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8675835-cinders-a-cinderella-sequel?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1354593697l/8675835.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8675835-cinders-a-cinderella-sequel?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]Cinders; A Cinderella Sequel by Michelle D. Argyle[/url]

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