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Kissed: Belle / Sunlight and Shadow / Winter's Child
Absence makes the heart grow fonder—and love grow stronger—in three romantic fairy tale retellings from the author of Once.
Belle lacks her sisters’ awe-inspiring beauty, so she withdraws from society to focus on her art in Belle. But when her father is held captive by a terrifying Beast, Belle is the only one with the courage and creativity to save him...though she must first believe in herself.
In Sunlight and Shadow, Princess Mina is kidnapped. Desperate to be reunited with her daughter, the Queen of the Night promises Mina’s hand in marriage to the prince who can rescue her. Yet as Mina and her prince encounter trials of love and fate, Mina must summon the strength to find her own happiness.
In Winter’s Child, Grace’s best friend is lured from home by a dazzling Snow Queen. Grace sets out on a dangerous, mystical journey to find him, and along the way, she discovers the meaning of true love.
Belle lacks her sisters’ awe-inspiring beauty, so she withdraws from society to focus on her art in Belle. But when her father is held captive by a terrifying Beast, Belle is the only one with the courage and creativity to save him...though she must first believe in herself.
In Sunlight and Shadow, Princess Mina is kidnapped. Desperate to be reunited with her daughter, the Queen of the Night promises Mina’s hand in marriage to the prince who can rescue her. Yet as Mina and her prince encounter trials of love and fate, Mina must summon the strength to find her own happiness.
In Winter’s Child, Grace’s best friend is lured from home by a dazzling Snow Queen. Grace sets out on a dangerous, mystical journey to find him, and along the way, she discovers the meaning of true love.
624 pages, Paperback
First published February 5, 2013
45 people are currently reading
1693 people want to read
About the author
Cameron Dokey
52 books945 followersCameron Dokey is an American author living in Seattle, Washington. She has a collection of over 50 old sci-fi and horror films. Cameron was born in the Central Valley of California. Cameron grew up reading classical literature and mythology, perhaps due to her father, Richard, being a teacher of Philosophy, Creative Writing, and Western Literature.
Cameron has one husband and three cats, and is the author of over a dozen young adult novels. Her favorite read is J.R.R. Tolkien's trilogy, "The Lord of the Rings." Her favorite TV show is "Buffy the Vampire Slayer."
When she's not writing, Cameron likes to work in the garden and is learning to quilt.
Cameron has one husband and three cats, and is the author of over a dozen young adult novels. Her favorite read is J.R.R. Tolkien's trilogy, "The Lord of the Rings." Her favorite TV show is "Buffy the Vampire Slayer."
When she's not writing, Cameron likes to work in the garden and is learning to quilt.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 88 reviews
December 20, 2015
I love fairytales, I really do. But these books just weren't... interesting to me.
March 20, 2017
It was exactly like the fairy tail. There was barely any creativity. I just couldn't go on
September 17, 2017
I thought that Belle was beautiful, but in different ways than I imagined. I think that it was too short a story. If it was longer, maybe it would have lived up to its moral. The tale was about how you have to see with your heart's eyes, rather than your mind's eyes, to peer upon the face of love. But Belle still hadn't met her "true love" by the middle of the story. I liked the beginning of the book because I was able to understand how Belle felt that she hadn't lived up to her name, and that she lived in her sisters' shadows. Belle didn't believe that she was beautiful, and she struggled with this until she was an adolescent. Her family was a noble one, but they were never their best selves until they lost it all. After Belle's father's company's ships had not returned, all of their family's luxuries were gone, and they found themselves moving to the country through the Wood. Yet, in the country, Celeste poured her cleverness into cooking, Maman used her sewing skills, April threw herself into chores to distract herself from the fact that Dominic could be lost, and Belle somewhat realized her name didn't matter. By the way, Dominic and April's love story is the cutest thing ever, and I full-heartedly ship it. Also, after April's birthday, Dominic and his ship came back, with all cargo in tow. So, their wedding was definitely happening and Grand-père Alfonse and Papa's company could get back on track. Unfortunately, when Papa came back through the wood after a trip to the city, he encountered the Heartwood tree, along with the Beast. He couldn't look the Beast in the eye, and therefore he or Belle had to come back one week later to peer upon the face of true love. Belle went, met Corbeau, stayed for a while, never could look the Beast in the eye, fell in love, didn't use her heart's eyes, and left. (Honestly, I never understood why no one could look the Beast in the eye. It can't be that bad or frightening. And if any of you had half the mind of Celeste, you would have realized that that was the way to peer upon the face of true love with the Heartwood tree. Duh.) It was weird that the lake showed Belle what she loved most, which ended up being her and the Beast, but for her to run away? That has never solved anyone's problems in the history of the universe. Ever. I still felt that the Belle and the Beast's story was very rushed. I didn't feel the magic, I didn't fall in love with the story, I'm honestly not sure if I even ship it or if it's the story that the tale focused on. When she went back to Gaspard (weirdest name ever, might as well stick with Beast), she was in love, and BAM! Happily Ever After. That all felt very fast. And I feel that Beast's story has more to it than, 'Oops, I shot Bambi's mom in this magical forest and now this beautiful spirit lady is going to turn me into a monster.' I also think that Belle should be with her family, rather than run off with Gaspard to the lonely/not lonely anymore residence in the Wood. Don't get me wrong, I loved the beginning of the Belle. Everything from there could have been eleborated on so much more. Also, I think I ship Dominic and April more than Belle and Gaspard.
I thought that Sunlight and Shadow was a strange mix of joy, sorrow, and overall befuddlement. I have never before heard the story of The Magic Flute, but I definitely understand how it is an opera. I mostly liked the story, but there was so much drama, so many twists and "terns" (Haha, see what I did there? ;P) that I was often left sadly empty. I was okay with the first chapter; it made sense. Lady Mina is the daughter of night and day, and he father kidnaps her (therefore breaking a promise), and now Mina has to marry Lord Sarastro's apprentice. The next chapter reveals another character, named Lapin, whose family plays bells to find their true love and there's a long story that shows how he met the Lady Mina when he was eight, and how they were "in love" apparently, but her father was already picking out a suitor (Statos), so they just had to stay friends and let their feelings marinate. (That part made no sense to me.) Then there's this other dude named Tern who's a prince and he follows his heart's desire to Lady Mina using a flute that he carved himself. (And also bells.) Also, Lord Sarastro has another adoptive "daughter" who is in love with Statos. Gayna helps Mina escape from her father, Statos refuses Gayna, Mina meets and falls in love with Tern, Lapin goes off to play a sad song on the bells, and this attracts Gayna, so now apparently that's a thing. I disliked the book because I couldn't ship anything. By the next chapter, the ship wrecked and I was left squandering. That was another thing I didn't like, the way that the book moved so fast. Not to mention the fact that the point of view kept switching between all the characters, so I never got attached to anybody. Lord Sarastro's soldiers find Mina and Tern, take them to the grove where Statos and Mina are to be married, Tern and Mina agree to prove their worthiness by going through the trials of hell, triumph, and the Queen of the Night shows up. Statos is given the flute and leaves, Gayna ends up with Lapin, Mina and Tern live happily ever after, and the night and the day are forever changed, in a good way. All in all, it was nice, but the story wasn't my favorite.
I think that Winter's Child was my favorite of the three stories from Kissed. I was sort of able to establish ships and be happy with the endgame. It was fast-paced, but because I read it quickly I don't believe it had that much effect. I truly felt sorry for Deirdre, her father, her name, and that whole situation. For one thing, the North Wind needs to mind its own business. For another thing, Joy should have been more clever than letting herself give in to her own fear. Even with Deirdre's happy ending and becoming Hope, I still feel that her father was jilted. He had to watch as his wife lost interest in him, and gained interest in her own reflection to the point where she cursed her own daughter to be the Winter Child. Sorrow was truly her father's name, in a way. I just wish he could have lived to have seen Deirdre become Hope. Grace and Kai's story was vastly different, and I never would have guessed that Kai had loved the Winter Child all his life. Though, I could see that Kai and Grace didn't love each other in the way that their families had wanted them to. As much as Kai may have even believed it himself when he asked Grace to marry him, I understood how Grace felt when she turned him down. It's not that she even turned him down, just that she did not feel that way about him. In some ways, it almost seemed stupid that Kai followed the Winter Child home, but if he hadn't, there would still be two hearts out there that needed mending. I liked that Dominic and Kai got along. It made me feel that maybe the Winter Child and Kai should be together. Grace's journey to chase after Kai was weird, but I eventually liked the falcon (Constantin) and Petra. The strangest part was the random old lady who wanted to be Grace's grandma. She was keeping Grace prisoner and I was surprised it took Grace so long to escape. I loved the bond that Grace formed with the falcon. I never expected him to be a man that she would end up marrying, but still. I feel that Grace and Kai's reunion made sense. They didn't want to get married, and they were better suited for other things. Kai with the Winter Child, and Grace with always traveling alongside Constantin. But there was a happy ending, and I think I connected more to this story than the others.
I recommend this book to those who love fairytales.
I thought that Sunlight and Shadow was a strange mix of joy, sorrow, and overall befuddlement. I have never before heard the story of The Magic Flute, but I definitely understand how it is an opera. I mostly liked the story, but there was so much drama, so many twists and "terns" (Haha, see what I did there? ;P) that I was often left sadly empty. I was okay with the first chapter; it made sense. Lady Mina is the daughter of night and day, and he father kidnaps her (therefore breaking a promise), and now Mina has to marry Lord Sarastro's apprentice. The next chapter reveals another character, named Lapin, whose family plays bells to find their true love and there's a long story that shows how he met the Lady Mina when he was eight, and how they were "in love" apparently, but her father was already picking out a suitor (Statos), so they just had to stay friends and let their feelings marinate. (That part made no sense to me.) Then there's this other dude named Tern who's a prince and he follows his heart's desire to Lady Mina using a flute that he carved himself. (And also bells.) Also, Lord Sarastro has another adoptive "daughter" who is in love with Statos. Gayna helps Mina escape from her father, Statos refuses Gayna, Mina meets and falls in love with Tern, Lapin goes off to play a sad song on the bells, and this attracts Gayna, so now apparently that's a thing. I disliked the book because I couldn't ship anything. By the next chapter, the ship wrecked and I was left squandering. That was another thing I didn't like, the way that the book moved so fast. Not to mention the fact that the point of view kept switching between all the characters, so I never got attached to anybody. Lord Sarastro's soldiers find Mina and Tern, take them to the grove where Statos and Mina are to be married, Tern and Mina agree to prove their worthiness by going through the trials of hell, triumph, and the Queen of the Night shows up. Statos is given the flute and leaves, Gayna ends up with Lapin, Mina and Tern live happily ever after, and the night and the day are forever changed, in a good way. All in all, it was nice, but the story wasn't my favorite.
I think that Winter's Child was my favorite of the three stories from Kissed. I was sort of able to establish ships and be happy with the endgame. It was fast-paced, but because I read it quickly I don't believe it had that much effect. I truly felt sorry for Deirdre, her father, her name, and that whole situation. For one thing, the North Wind needs to mind its own business. For another thing, Joy should have been more clever than letting herself give in to her own fear. Even with Deirdre's happy ending and becoming Hope, I still feel that her father was jilted. He had to watch as his wife lost interest in him, and gained interest in her own reflection to the point where she cursed her own daughter to be the Winter Child. Sorrow was truly her father's name, in a way. I just wish he could have lived to have seen Deirdre become Hope. Grace and Kai's story was vastly different, and I never would have guessed that Kai had loved the Winter Child all his life. Though, I could see that Kai and Grace didn't love each other in the way that their families had wanted them to. As much as Kai may have even believed it himself when he asked Grace to marry him, I understood how Grace felt when she turned him down. It's not that she even turned him down, just that she did not feel that way about him. In some ways, it almost seemed stupid that Kai followed the Winter Child home, but if he hadn't, there would still be two hearts out there that needed mending. I liked that Dominic and Kai got along. It made me feel that maybe the Winter Child and Kai should be together. Grace's journey to chase after Kai was weird, but I eventually liked the falcon (Constantin) and Petra. The strangest part was the random old lady who wanted to be Grace's grandma. She was keeping Grace prisoner and I was surprised it took Grace so long to escape. I loved the bond that Grace formed with the falcon. I never expected him to be a man that she would end up marrying, but still. I feel that Grace and Kai's reunion made sense. They didn't want to get married, and they were better suited for other things. Kai with the Winter Child, and Grace with always traveling alongside Constantin. But there was a happy ending, and I think I connected more to this story than the others.
I recommend this book to those who love fairytales.
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June 21, 2022Belle: 3 Stars
Okay, this book was good. But, the story felt a little weird. I liked the characters, and the plot, but the heartwood was weird. A PIECE OF WOOD! That was just ridiculous. I mean, don't base your curse on a branch of 'special' wood. Belle trying to find what the piece of wood held inside was just weird. I liked that the characters were well developed, but still. A piece of wood. Can't you come up with something less weird than that? Also, why can't the beast see Belle? He's not blind. It doesn't make sense why he can't.
Sunlight and Shadow: 4 Stars
I liked this story. The characters felt real, and the transitions felt… smooth. But, the "trials" felt a little forced, and so did the bells. The bells felt like they were added just to explain certain things. It wasn't bad, but some things felt forced.
Winter's Child: 5 Stars
This was my favorite. I loved the way the characters were all complex. The reason the winter child had her powers was pretty good too. I liked how Grace didn't set out after Kai because she loved him, but because she was his friend. I loved the way Deirdre, the Winter Child, was portrayed. It was a great story, the best in this book. I loved it.
Notes:
These stories are arranged in order from worst to best. This is a great collection of retellings, all in all.
December 1, 2014
I personally love the story of "Beauty & the Beast", so naturally "Belle" was my favorite. It was very vivid, colorful, I fell in LOVE with the characters with the very first chapter. I liked how Annabelle grew in this book; she finally gained the self respect to call herself Belle. Of course, her having two, drop dead gorgeous siblings gave it another interesting spin from the Disney story. If I could change anything about this story it would only be that it had been longer... nevertheless, I loved it! <3
With "Sunlight & Shadow" I was disappointed. It started out great but then... just... lost me... I felt like it was all over the place & not paced very well, I got bored very quickly & found myself having to force down the words. I don't like that in a book, I like to be swept away, devouring the words... That wasn't the reaction I got.
Although "Winter's Child" wasn't as good as "Belle" (almost, not quite!) it was SO much better than "Sunlight & Shadow". The whole story intrigued me, the plot was very interesting. I don't really enjoy the story of "Snow White" but this one had me hooked to the very end.
Altogether, I would say "Kissed" definitely worth the read.
With "Sunlight & Shadow" I was disappointed. It started out great but then... just... lost me... I felt like it was all over the place & not paced very well, I got bored very quickly & found myself having to force down the words. I don't like that in a book, I like to be swept away, devouring the words... That wasn't the reaction I got.
Although "Winter's Child" wasn't as good as "Belle" (almost, not quite!) it was SO much better than "Sunlight & Shadow". The whole story intrigued me, the plot was very interesting. I don't really enjoy the story of "Snow White" but this one had me hooked to the very end.
Altogether, I would say "Kissed" definitely worth the read.
September 17, 2020
2020
A cute trilogy of retellings of semi-popular tales of romance and magic. The first Belle is always a favorite of mine. I can never get enough of the story of Beauty and the Beast. Sunlight and Shadow was a little bit of a miss for me. But I think the majority of the reason was because I wasn't familiar with the opera it was based on. And so a lot of it was strange to me. Winter's Child was a perfect ending to the three tales. It held so much magic and romance and sweetness to it. And I love that everything was connected so beautifully together.
A cute trilogy of retellings of semi-popular tales of romance and magic. The first Belle is always a favorite of mine. I can never get enough of the story of Beauty and the Beast. Sunlight and Shadow was a little bit of a miss for me. But I think the majority of the reason was because I wasn't familiar with the opera it was based on. And so a lot of it was strange to me. Winter's Child was a perfect ending to the three tales. It held so much magic and romance and sweetness to it. And I love that everything was connected so beautifully together.
April 11, 2016
Absence makes the heart grow fonder in three romantic retellings…
She did it again!!! Such amazing fairytale retellings!!! Although…I didn’t love it as much as Once. It doesn’t surprise me that much, I prefer more the twist in Once. Still, a great book, without doubt. Kissed contains three Cameron Dokey’s stories: Belle, Sunlight and Shadow, and Winter’s Child. Hum…Belle is my favorite, which is the retelling of Beauty and the Beast…which I’ve already read thousands of retelling. As for Sunlight and Shadow…it doesn’t count as a fairytale retelling at all! It’s an opera retelling! Yes, mark my words, opera. It’s a retelling of Mozart’s The Magic Flute, which has the most famous song about the Queen of Night. And the last one, Winter’s Child, the retelling of Snow Queen. I’m not quite familiar with this story, actually. I only have a brief memory when I read in my childhood…very, very long time ago.
I love Cameron Dokey’s writing, the words seems to have magic that drown you inside. I can hardly remember what I’m doing after reading her books. All I know is that those words keep echoing behind my mind. Her retellings are unique, and it feels like the fairy tale itself, but in a more modern way. In a way that we will no longer sneer at those…umm…idiot protagonists. Sure, love at first sight, happily ever after, and princesses plus princes still remain in the stories, but who cares? The stories themselves are brilliant written. I love to read her book out loud when I was reading, feeling the description and the words that flow through my mind. It was just amazing to do so. It’s like reading Shakespeare’s drama. Besides, her prologues are the best. They always speak something that can be perfect quotes and you’ll agree with them. I was so anticipated to read her prologues all the time.
So, why don’t we start?
Belle
As I said, Belle is a retelling of Beauty and the Beast. The story itself didn’t have that much twist like her Cinderella retelling or Rapunzel’s, but what’s interesting is that we don’t have a beauty in the story. Well…sort of. We did have three beauties: her mother and her two sisters, but no, not Belle. Cameron really likes to give her protagonists unpleasant look…really. Not ugly or hideous, yet definitely not the typical type of beauties we’ve expecting. Nevertheless, in original stories, the third one is always the fairest of them all. If he is the third son, he’ll be the bravest, if she is the third daughter, she will be the fairest. But nope, not in this one. Belle somehow hid under the shadow of her sisters’ beauty, and she hated it so much. But she has the talent of craving wood…which I still have no idea what connection did it have with the story. Perhaps the part that Belle asked her father to bring home the branch that fell on his shoulder and the one that brought all the trouble? However, I’m sure that the craving talent somehow shows that Belle has her beauty, a beauty that was hidden inside her. The entire story feels a bit like the French movie version of Beauty and the Beast, a remarkable beautiful movie. How they was forced to bend under the beast’s will and how the ending came. But in this story, the ending itself came in a fast pace, I was like “what happened next?” and then the next minute, out of aware, here came the ending. This is somehow the part that I was sometimes disappointed with her stories…however, the stories themselves were great…so that’s make up a little bit for the quick ending.
Besides Belle, her sisters were amazing as well. Unlike the…umm…silly sisters in the French movie, Belle has two great sisters. Not just because of the beautiful appearances, of course. When they were forced to move, her sisters showed that they were not merely city girls, but they can survive well without all those fabulous gowns and jewels. Celeste, the eldest, had sharp tongue and mind. Although she might seem to be cruel at first, care nothing but her beauty, you’ll find her much more at the middle part of this story. And April, the second, also had an unexpecting…umm…habit? Oh! And in case that you wonder the name, they were all name under their born time, except for Belle, who was named after her grandmother. All in all, I give four stars to this story, after all, it is a great story, although not as good as the previous I read.
Sunlight and Shadow
I had written a spinoff story about Phantom of the Opera, which is, Memory. Wait…why are you mentioning this? Ah! That’s because this is an opera retelling! Not a once upon a time! The story itself is quite similar to the original opera, except that we no longer had a silly princess, which I suppose that’s Mozart’s mind of princess, and a Queen of the Night, who destined to be evil. No, the story has two loveable females! Wait, no, that’s three…I almost forget Papagina. (Is that how it spells? I’m not sure, at least sound like that.) Mina is the daughter of sun and moon, the combination of both. For her entire childhood, she lived with her mother, until her sixteenth birthday. Yet, her father broke his oath and took her before the night, which made her mother extremely furious. And then the princess…blablabla. I love how Cameron gave Mina a strong personality, like her mother and father. She would rather follow her heart and disobey her father. And no, the Lord of Sun wasn’t as mighty as he seemed in the original opera. He had his own grievances, but he kind of deal with it with a wrong way. He hurt not only one, but three. In Cameron’s stories, you can see that marriage isn’t always perfect, like there are quarrels, fight, disagreements…and lots of lots of things to conquer. So it’s no so happily ever after…to sum up. Oh! And I want to introduce an interesting character to you as well! Not the price or Papagino in the opera, but Papagina. In the original story, she came out of nowhere, yet in this story, she was adopted by the Lord of Sun. and when the time comes, after I realize it was the retelling of The Magic Flute, I was like “Oh my god! That’s her, she was definitely Papagina!” as it turns out, I’m right! And she was smart in this story, not like the one in…yes, the opera, which seemed only appear to be a wife.
I love how the story was managed and how it goes. The evil might not seemed to be so hateful, and the good one might not be so great all the time. I gave it three stars, as it gives all the females characters a new sight. But it doesn’t wow me that much, so, sorry, no four stars…
Winter’s Child
I cry like a baby when I read this book, really. I kept sobbing and weeping, and I couldn’t stop myself!!! But that doesn’t mean I will give this book five stars, no. I’m not so satisfied with the ending, not at all. Although I came to accept it and like it, gradually. After all, you’ll never know what’s happen. As long as it’s a happily ever after, I think I can agree with that.
The story has a lot of POV, really, it just keep switching from here to there, now and then. This is the most confused one, although the story was easy to understand. But…why do we have to keep changing? Ah!! I hate that! We can read not only Grace, but also the Winter’s child and Kai. Right, Kai! (I’m sorry, but I can’t remove the Kai in The Lunar Chronicles…so…I’m a bit confusing while I read this story. But the Kai in Winter’s Child is definitely not as charming as Cinder’s Kai.) I didn’t love this story as much as the other ones, I can’t tell why, but I think it’s because I’m too unfamiliar with Snow Queen. So I can only recognize the part that mirror shattered into pieces and hit into the heart, and the part of two companions. I original wish that Grace and Kai can be together, but then in the first part of this book, I realize that that’s not going to happen, and feel a bit disappoint when they fight. However, I came to accept that their love was like brother and sister, not lovers. So…I’m fine with that. I gave three stars to this story, as it touched my heart, but…um…it wasn’t my favorite, that’s all. (I apologize for Winter’s Child’s review! I have no idea what I was doing!!! Ah!! It’s horrible!)
So…although this book isn’t as amazing as Once, I still like it. And if you’re looking for unique fairytale retelling, not YA, not romance, rather fairytale-like fairytale retellings, I’ll highly recommend you to read Cameron Dokey’s books. She has the one of the most beautiful writing and you’ll be dragged into the stories without even noticing.
This is post originally on my blog
Vivian's Book Pavilion
http://viviansbookpavilion.blogspot.com/
She did it again!!! Such amazing fairytale retellings!!! Although…I didn’t love it as much as Once. It doesn’t surprise me that much, I prefer more the twist in Once. Still, a great book, without doubt. Kissed contains three Cameron Dokey’s stories: Belle, Sunlight and Shadow, and Winter’s Child. Hum…Belle is my favorite, which is the retelling of Beauty and the Beast…which I’ve already read thousands of retelling. As for Sunlight and Shadow…it doesn’t count as a fairytale retelling at all! It’s an opera retelling! Yes, mark my words, opera. It’s a retelling of Mozart’s The Magic Flute, which has the most famous song about the Queen of Night. And the last one, Winter’s Child, the retelling of Snow Queen. I’m not quite familiar with this story, actually. I only have a brief memory when I read in my childhood…very, very long time ago.
I love Cameron Dokey’s writing, the words seems to have magic that drown you inside. I can hardly remember what I’m doing after reading her books. All I know is that those words keep echoing behind my mind. Her retellings are unique, and it feels like the fairy tale itself, but in a more modern way. In a way that we will no longer sneer at those…umm…idiot protagonists. Sure, love at first sight, happily ever after, and princesses plus princes still remain in the stories, but who cares? The stories themselves are brilliant written. I love to read her book out loud when I was reading, feeling the description and the words that flow through my mind. It was just amazing to do so. It’s like reading Shakespeare’s drama. Besides, her prologues are the best. They always speak something that can be perfect quotes and you’ll agree with them. I was so anticipated to read her prologues all the time.
So, why don’t we start?
Belle
As I said, Belle is a retelling of Beauty and the Beast. The story itself didn’t have that much twist like her Cinderella retelling or Rapunzel’s, but what’s interesting is that we don’t have a beauty in the story. Well…sort of. We did have three beauties: her mother and her two sisters, but no, not Belle. Cameron really likes to give her protagonists unpleasant look…really. Not ugly or hideous, yet definitely not the typical type of beauties we’ve expecting. Nevertheless, in original stories, the third one is always the fairest of them all. If he is the third son, he’ll be the bravest, if she is the third daughter, she will be the fairest. But nope, not in this one. Belle somehow hid under the shadow of her sisters’ beauty, and she hated it so much. But she has the talent of craving wood…which I still have no idea what connection did it have with the story. Perhaps the part that Belle asked her father to bring home the branch that fell on his shoulder and the one that brought all the trouble? However, I’m sure that the craving talent somehow shows that Belle has her beauty, a beauty that was hidden inside her. The entire story feels a bit like the French movie version of Beauty and the Beast, a remarkable beautiful movie. How they was forced to bend under the beast’s will and how the ending came. But in this story, the ending itself came in a fast pace, I was like “what happened next?” and then the next minute, out of aware, here came the ending. This is somehow the part that I was sometimes disappointed with her stories…however, the stories themselves were great…so that’s make up a little bit for the quick ending.
Besides Belle, her sisters were amazing as well. Unlike the…umm…silly sisters in the French movie, Belle has two great sisters. Not just because of the beautiful appearances, of course. When they were forced to move, her sisters showed that they were not merely city girls, but they can survive well without all those fabulous gowns and jewels. Celeste, the eldest, had sharp tongue and mind. Although she might seem to be cruel at first, care nothing but her beauty, you’ll find her much more at the middle part of this story. And April, the second, also had an unexpecting…umm…habit? Oh! And in case that you wonder the name, they were all name under their born time, except for Belle, who was named after her grandmother. All in all, I give four stars to this story, after all, it is a great story, although not as good as the previous I read.
Sunlight and Shadow
I had written a spinoff story about Phantom of the Opera, which is, Memory. Wait…why are you mentioning this? Ah! That’s because this is an opera retelling! Not a once upon a time! The story itself is quite similar to the original opera, except that we no longer had a silly princess, which I suppose that’s Mozart’s mind of princess, and a Queen of the Night, who destined to be evil. No, the story has two loveable females! Wait, no, that’s three…I almost forget Papagina. (Is that how it spells? I’m not sure, at least sound like that.) Mina is the daughter of sun and moon, the combination of both. For her entire childhood, she lived with her mother, until her sixteenth birthday. Yet, her father broke his oath and took her before the night, which made her mother extremely furious. And then the princess…blablabla. I love how Cameron gave Mina a strong personality, like her mother and father. She would rather follow her heart and disobey her father. And no, the Lord of Sun wasn’t as mighty as he seemed in the original opera. He had his own grievances, but he kind of deal with it with a wrong way. He hurt not only one, but three. In Cameron’s stories, you can see that marriage isn’t always perfect, like there are quarrels, fight, disagreements…and lots of lots of things to conquer. So it’s no so happily ever after…to sum up. Oh! And I want to introduce an interesting character to you as well! Not the price or Papagino in the opera, but Papagina. In the original story, she came out of nowhere, yet in this story, she was adopted by the Lord of Sun. and when the time comes, after I realize it was the retelling of The Magic Flute, I was like “Oh my god! That’s her, she was definitely Papagina!” as it turns out, I’m right! And she was smart in this story, not like the one in…yes, the opera, which seemed only appear to be a wife.
I love how the story was managed and how it goes. The evil might not seemed to be so hateful, and the good one might not be so great all the time. I gave it three stars, as it gives all the females characters a new sight. But it doesn’t wow me that much, so, sorry, no four stars…
Winter’s Child
I cry like a baby when I read this book, really. I kept sobbing and weeping, and I couldn’t stop myself!!! But that doesn’t mean I will give this book five stars, no. I’m not so satisfied with the ending, not at all. Although I came to accept it and like it, gradually. After all, you’ll never know what’s happen. As long as it’s a happily ever after, I think I can agree with that.
The story has a lot of POV, really, it just keep switching from here to there, now and then. This is the most confused one, although the story was easy to understand. But…why do we have to keep changing? Ah!! I hate that! We can read not only Grace, but also the Winter’s child and Kai. Right, Kai! (I’m sorry, but I can’t remove the Kai in The Lunar Chronicles…so…I’m a bit confusing while I read this story. But the Kai in Winter’s Child is definitely not as charming as Cinder’s Kai.) I didn’t love this story as much as the other ones, I can’t tell why, but I think it’s because I’m too unfamiliar with Snow Queen. So I can only recognize the part that mirror shattered into pieces and hit into the heart, and the part of two companions. I original wish that Grace and Kai can be together, but then in the first part of this book, I realize that that’s not going to happen, and feel a bit disappoint when they fight. However, I came to accept that their love was like brother and sister, not lovers. So…I’m fine with that. I gave three stars to this story, as it touched my heart, but…um…it wasn’t my favorite, that’s all. (I apologize for Winter’s Child’s review! I have no idea what I was doing!!! Ah!! It’s horrible!)
So…although this book isn’t as amazing as Once, I still like it. And if you’re looking for unique fairytale retelling, not YA, not romance, rather fairytale-like fairytale retellings, I’ll highly recommend you to read Cameron Dokey’s books. She has the one of the most beautiful writing and you’ll be dragged into the stories without even noticing.
This is post originally on my blog
Vivian's Book Pavilion
http://viviansbookpavilion.blogspot.com/
December 21, 2018
Charming. That's the perfect way to describe this omnibus. I'd never read a Cameron Dokey retelling, but this collection held promise, given it retold at least two stories that are given hardly any shine.
-Beauty: 2 Stars: Ouch. Hurts my heart to give less than 3 to a Beauty and the Beast retelling. While I appreciate the unique addition of Belle being given a task to gain her freedom (find the meaning of the branch), there was too little of the Beauty and her beast; it was a way over the halfway point when the Beast came into play, and the actual love suffered because of it. I don't know... It was slice of life rather than retelling.
-Sunlight and Shadow: 5 Stars: If I could give more, I would. Like many people, I was aware that The Magic Flute was an opera, but beyond that, I'm stumped. The writing was magical, whimsical, it had a feminist undertone, and now I need to see the Ingmar Bergman film. I expected this to be the one I'd dislike, but goes to show you never can tell.
-Winter's Child: 4 Stars: I removed a star for the bonkers ending with Grace and the falcon. So awesome seeing The Snow Queen as a good person, fleshed out with a family, feelings, and want to mend broken hearts, rather than fighting to freeze the world. Kai and Deirdre (probably butchered her name) were adorable from their first meeting.
Interestingly, despite all the stories ending in weddings (they're fairy tales with the one exception, come on), the characters weren't focused on love; each had an individual task they wanted to complete, a dream outside their family, whereas true love just happened along THEIR journey. I'd recommend this for fans of that old Shelley Duvall's Faerie Tale Theatre; sweet retellings that always end in HEA.
-Beauty: 2 Stars: Ouch. Hurts my heart to give less than 3 to a Beauty and the Beast retelling. While I appreciate the unique addition of Belle being given a task to gain her freedom (find the meaning of the branch), there was too little of the Beauty and her beast; it was a way over the halfway point when the Beast came into play, and the actual love suffered because of it. I don't know... It was slice of life rather than retelling.
-Sunlight and Shadow: 5 Stars: If I could give more, I would. Like many people, I was aware that The Magic Flute was an opera, but beyond that, I'm stumped. The writing was magical, whimsical, it had a feminist undertone, and now I need to see the Ingmar Bergman film. I expected this to be the one I'd dislike, but goes to show you never can tell.
-Winter's Child: 4 Stars: I removed a star for the bonkers ending with Grace and the falcon. So awesome seeing The Snow Queen as a good person, fleshed out with a family, feelings, and want to mend broken hearts, rather than fighting to freeze the world. Kai and Deirdre (probably butchered her name) were adorable from their first meeting.
Interestingly, despite all the stories ending in weddings (they're fairy tales with the one exception, come on), the characters weren't focused on love; each had an individual task they wanted to complete, a dream outside their family, whereas true love just happened along THEIR journey. I'd recommend this for fans of that old Shelley Duvall's Faerie Tale Theatre; sweet retellings that always end in HEA.
May 28, 2017
I will do a summary review here and write a lengthy one in my website.
The first story, Belle as we all know is from Beauty and The Beast. The twist here is Belle has two beautiful older sisters and compared to them, she is plain. Through hardship, she looks for the meaning of Beautiful. The beast doesn't appear until late late [so late] in the story. The story of them isn't long either. It was within blink of an eye. Anyway, it's not really my cup of tea. To me this story is so-so if you compared to Once book by this same author.
The second story is derived from a story I am not well familiar with but knows the basic. Sunlight and Shadow. This is a story about a child from the union of two mages of the day and night. I don't know how to summarize this one because it is a bit of a weird style of writing. Confusing too. Uses a tone from the olden days (or so I hear it in my head). You don't know who is talking. The story is slightly boring too. And Hell as trial? Not something I like to read about since the portrayal of Hell is quite sweet compared to the ones religion speak off.
Last is Winter Child. Taken from The Snow Queen. I have to say, I have a huge dislike toward this story. It is a story about the journey of three people. And I don't like how it ends. Went through all that for that ending. No, thanks.
Sorry for giving vague review, find out more on my website.
The first story, Belle as we all know is from Beauty and The Beast. The twist here is Belle has two beautiful older sisters and compared to them, she is plain. Through hardship, she looks for the meaning of Beautiful. The beast doesn't appear until late late [so late] in the story. The story of them isn't long either. It was within blink of an eye. Anyway, it's not really my cup of tea. To me this story is so-so if you compared to Once book by this same author.
The second story is derived from a story I am not well familiar with but knows the basic. Sunlight and Shadow. This is a story about a child from the union of two mages of the day and night. I don't know how to summarize this one because it is a bit of a weird style of writing. Confusing too. Uses a tone from the olden days (or so I hear it in my head). You don't know who is talking. The story is slightly boring too. And Hell as trial? Not something I like to read about since the portrayal of Hell is quite sweet compared to the ones religion speak off.
Last is Winter Child. Taken from The Snow Queen. I have to say, I have a huge dislike toward this story. It is a story about the journey of three people. And I don't like how it ends. Went through all that for that ending. No, thanks.
Sorry for giving vague review, find out more on my website.
October 29, 2021
Not horrible, but very disappointing. Years ago I read some other retellings by Dokey and was charmed, and so was excited to get this.
Beauty & the Beast is one of my favorite stories. This had a repetitive set up that took up almost 3/4 of the book until they met. The 'twist' was that the sisters were nice. Oh, and some meta-ish thing about name not matching identity which could have been great, maybe.
The Magic Flute is a story I know nothing about and, based on this retelling, I don't have any interest in it. Well, maybe, just to see what prompted Dokey to choose it.
Snow Queen is changed beyond all recognition. Read The Raven and the Reindeer or Breadcrumbs or, you know, the original, by Hans Christian Andersen, instead.
Some bits are good. For example the idea, expressed by a character as they look at a vast landscape, "small and insignificant are not the same thing." Or the gates at the mansion the Beast resides in, which are in the form of a man and a woman reaching out to each other when open, holding hands when closed.
Beauty & the Beast is one of my favorite stories. This had a repetitive set up that took up almost 3/4 of the book until they met. The 'twist' was that the sisters were nice. Oh, and some meta-ish thing about name not matching identity which could have been great, maybe.
The Magic Flute is a story I know nothing about and, based on this retelling, I don't have any interest in it. Well, maybe, just to see what prompted Dokey to choose it.
Snow Queen is changed beyond all recognition. Read The Raven and the Reindeer or Breadcrumbs or, you know, the original, by Hans Christian Andersen, instead.
Some bits are good. For example the idea, expressed by a character as they look at a vast landscape, "small and insignificant are not the same thing." Or the gates at the mansion the Beast resides in, which are in the form of a man and a woman reaching out to each other when open, holding hands when closed.
Want to read
June 12, 2023Belle: A Retelling of "Beauty and the Beast"
While this is not my favorite retelling of Beauty and the Beast it is a very well written retelling with a few interesting changes that make it unique and keep the reader intrigued about what will happen next.
Sunlight and Shadow: A Retelling of "The Magic Flute"
This was a very interesting book with many very intriguing characters. The story is full of the thoughts and emotions of many of the different characters and gives you the opportunity to see different points of view by alternating view points from time to time. This was a very enjoyable book to read.
Winter's Child
This was a very interesting book with some very intriguing characters. It has an interesting plot full of unexpected twists and turns that keep you interested and intrigued until you reach the end. It also gives you the opportunity to see into the minds of different characters by alternating points of view between the three main characters every couple of chapters. I found this to be a very enjoyable book to read.
While this is not my favorite retelling of Beauty and the Beast it is a very well written retelling with a few interesting changes that make it unique and keep the reader intrigued about what will happen next.
Sunlight and Shadow: A Retelling of "The Magic Flute"
This was a very interesting book with many very intriguing characters. The story is full of the thoughts and emotions of many of the different characters and gives you the opportunity to see different points of view by alternating view points from time to time. This was a very enjoyable book to read.
Winter's Child
This was a very interesting book with some very intriguing characters. It has an interesting plot full of unexpected twists and turns that keep you interested and intrigued until you reach the end. It also gives you the opportunity to see into the minds of different characters by alternating points of view between the three main characters every couple of chapters. I found this to be a very enjoyable book to read.
February 7, 2022
Belle 4.5
Sunlight and Shadow 3.5
Winter’s Child 4
Overall, I enjoyed the poetic style and imagery of the writing as well as the element of imparting a life lesson that the original fairy tales were meant to do. Each story teaches something different and shows how small events can shape someone’s destiny.
The instalove of fairy tales is present, however, and even seems to be an afterthought after the careful and structured writing of the rest of the story.
Belle is the only one that seems to take a moment to consider what it means to fall in love while the other two lock eyes and decide to get married.
Sunlight and Shadow 3.5
Winter’s Child 4
Overall, I enjoyed the poetic style and imagery of the writing as well as the element of imparting a life lesson that the original fairy tales were meant to do. Each story teaches something different and shows how small events can shape someone’s destiny.
The instalove of fairy tales is present, however, and even seems to be an afterthought after the careful and structured writing of the rest of the story.
Belle is the only one that seems to take a moment to consider what it means to fall in love while the other two lock eyes and decide to get married.
September 19, 2021
I really enjoy these fun fairy tell retellings. My only issue with this book was that it was so thick. I found myself putting off picking it up despite knowing each of the stories are quick fun reads because I felt I had to invest too much time to it. I much prefer the smaller individual books at this time. Somehow I feel like I've read all of these stories before. I don't know when ot where but they all had a familiar feel to them. Kind of like getting to revisit a treasured childhood tale, which is what fairy tales are after all.
May 24, 2018
Even though this book took me over a year to finish. It was an amazing book. Every time I picked it up, I couldn’t put it down. I love beauty and the beast and these stories complement that story so well. This is a great version of the authors on story with having little touches of Disney. I highly recommend this book to anyone and everyone. It’s not just a romance or adventure or any other genre. It’s a little bit of everything.
January 1, 2022
Yikes... I didn't even feel like finishing the last story. Belle was OK but the other two stories really sucked. Hardly any depth to the characters or their relationships. Very conversational/modern tone with old-fashioned stories? Seems half-done. Not a fan.
September 3, 2024
Although her retellings are charming, the second and third stories in this collection were terrible to read. They are told from multiple characters, but the character voices are not distinct enough to tell them apart. I didn't quite finish the Snow Child.
February 20, 2017
I think some of my favorite parts were the chapter titles. LOL. All three stories were really good.
August 13, 2018
Love this collection of Cameron Dokey books as well
September 5, 2018
It was a very good book. I liked the variety of what they had for the three storeys
September 14, 2018
Average rating off all the books this compilation contains.
March 21, 2020
I always loved reading how Cameron dokey retells classic fairy tales.
May 22, 2020
I'm a sucker for fairy tales so obviously I enjoyed this.
July 9, 2022
Belle: 4 stars
Sunlight and Shadow: 2 stars
Winter's Child: 4 stars
Overall: 3.5 rounded up
Sunlight and Shadow: 2 stars
Winter's Child: 4 stars
Overall: 3.5 rounded up
January 24, 2024
These fairytale retellings are really beautiful and I would recommend to anyone. The Winters Child is a fable I had never heard before and I was devouring every page.
August 23, 2024
These stories are so well written and so original bringing a fresh perspective or classic tales
May 4, 2013
4.5 star rating
Kissed was brilliant! I adored Once, so I definitely knew that I'd find myself adoring this one, as well! Belle, Sunlight and Shadow, and Winter's Child were all awesome fairy tales, with a twist! I found myself loving Belle as a heroine, and Belle and Winter's Child as the best stories.
Belle: So, the first comes the best? Well, I guess so! Dokey did a fantastic job with this one. Adding Belle's insecurity in the beginning, I was hooked into this one, rapidly. The plot was a little slow-paced, lemme tell you. It wasn't until towards the end where the beast showed up, I was afraid that he'd never come in. The romance was epic, and brought back memories from when I was a kid, when I'd sing songs from the Disney movie. I adored that one! Belle was a marvelous heroine. She was strong, fought her insecurity, and actually did find her destiny, before her beautiful sisters. Selfless, confident, and beautiful, Belle and her story is one to remember.
Sunlight and Shadow: Okay, so as much as I loved the other two novels, this one was the worst one. I was a little confused! Trying to figure out whose point of view each chapter's in is a little difficult, having to deal with the fact that there's two female heroines and one male. The storyline was good, but happened way too fast. I definitely prefered Lapin over Mina. She wasn't bratty, and she'd help anyone, if they'd ask! What brought this whole "novel's" rating to a 4.5 for me, is because of this novel. If it was a little better, I'd give it a five star.
Winter's Child: Winter's Child was the other terrfiic one. Grace, Deirdre and Kai were brilliant characters, making the story even better. Dokey truly showed her true amazing writing in this one, and I wanted more, and more, and more. The plot was fast-paced, but not too fast, thrilling, and mysterious, causing readers to wonder what will happen next.
Overall, I really enjoyed this one. Cameron Dokey is one of my favourite authors, and I can't wait for more from her.
Kissed was brilliant! I adored Once, so I definitely knew that I'd find myself adoring this one, as well! Belle, Sunlight and Shadow, and Winter's Child were all awesome fairy tales, with a twist! I found myself loving Belle as a heroine, and Belle and Winter's Child as the best stories.
Belle: So, the first comes the best? Well, I guess so! Dokey did a fantastic job with this one. Adding Belle's insecurity in the beginning, I was hooked into this one, rapidly. The plot was a little slow-paced, lemme tell you. It wasn't until towards the end where the beast showed up, I was afraid that he'd never come in. The romance was epic, and brought back memories from when I was a kid, when I'd sing songs from the Disney movie. I adored that one! Belle was a marvelous heroine. She was strong, fought her insecurity, and actually did find her destiny, before her beautiful sisters. Selfless, confident, and beautiful, Belle and her story is one to remember.
Sunlight and Shadow: Okay, so as much as I loved the other two novels, this one was the worst one. I was a little confused! Trying to figure out whose point of view each chapter's in is a little difficult, having to deal with the fact that there's two female heroines and one male. The storyline was good, but happened way too fast. I definitely prefered Lapin over Mina. She wasn't bratty, and she'd help anyone, if they'd ask! What brought this whole "novel's" rating to a 4.5 for me, is because of this novel. If it was a little better, I'd give it a five star.
Winter's Child: Winter's Child was the other terrfiic one. Grace, Deirdre and Kai were brilliant characters, making the story even better. Dokey truly showed her true amazing writing in this one, and I wanted more, and more, and more. The plot was fast-paced, but not too fast, thrilling, and mysterious, causing readers to wonder what will happen next.
Overall, I really enjoyed this one. Cameron Dokey is one of my favourite authors, and I can't wait for more from her.
January 24, 2014
This is a collection of three of Cameron Dokey's Once Upon a Time novels. I read a bunch of the Once Upon a Time novels several years ago, but I don't remember which ones. I don't think I read any of these three before though.
Belle
This one is a Beauty and the Beast retelling. Overall, I enjoyed it, but having read Robin McKinley's various Beauty and the Beast stories, this story just doesn't come close to any of them. The first half of the story actually takes place well before Belle ever goes in to the woods to the Beast. I liked that part of the story because we really get to know Dokey's Belle. Sadly, the second half of the story, where Belle actually takes her father's place with the Beast, felt rushed. We're supposed to believe that Belle and the Beast fall in love, but we don't get to see that happen. I felt like the story either needed to be longer with more room to explore the relationship development between Belle and the Beast, or there needed to be less focus on Belle's life before the Beast and more time spent showing her time with him.
Sunlight and Shadow
Not a fairy tale retelling, this one retells Mozart's opera The Magic Flute. I enjoyed it even though I am not very familiar with the source. There are several POV characters, so all the switching was confusing, especially since the chapters weren't labelled in a way to make it obvious which character was narrating each chapter. Still, I got used to it by the end.
Winter's Child
This one is a Snow Queen retelling. It was short but enjoyable. I'm used to the Snow Queen character being bad, so it felt odd that there wasn't really a villain. The Winter Child is just a character along with Kai and Grace. It seemed for a while like the author was going to make it a love triangle, which would have not been good. Fortunately, that's not where the story went. The ending came a little bit out of nowhere, but everyone gets their happy ending.
Belle
This one is a Beauty and the Beast retelling. Overall, I enjoyed it, but having read Robin McKinley's various Beauty and the Beast stories, this story just doesn't come close to any of them. The first half of the story actually takes place well before Belle ever goes in to the woods to the Beast. I liked that part of the story because we really get to know Dokey's Belle. Sadly, the second half of the story, where Belle actually takes her father's place with the Beast, felt rushed. We're supposed to believe that Belle and the Beast fall in love, but we don't get to see that happen. I felt like the story either needed to be longer with more room to explore the relationship development between Belle and the Beast, or there needed to be less focus on Belle's life before the Beast and more time spent showing her time with him.
Sunlight and Shadow
Not a fairy tale retelling, this one retells Mozart's opera The Magic Flute. I enjoyed it even though I am not very familiar with the source. There are several POV characters, so all the switching was confusing, especially since the chapters weren't labelled in a way to make it obvious which character was narrating each chapter. Still, I got used to it by the end.
Winter's Child
This one is a Snow Queen retelling. It was short but enjoyable. I'm used to the Snow Queen character being bad, so it felt odd that there wasn't really a villain. The Winter Child is just a character along with Kai and Grace. It seemed for a while like the author was going to make it a love triangle, which would have not been good. Fortunately, that's not where the story went. The ending came a little bit out of nowhere, but everyone gets their happy ending.
September 13, 2016
The first story: Beauty and the Beast
Belle and her sisters were very interesting to read about. I enjoyed the family structure and thought the story captured the same feel as a Pride and Prejudice sort of family. The changes to the Beast story were fun, I loved the heartwood tree, and I think my only complaint about this story is that it moved too swiftly through the storyline with Belle and Beast.
The second story: The Magic Flute
This one was so unique! I don’t know the story of the Magic Flute at all but the cast of characters made this one feel very much like a play to me (in a good way) I loved the mythos in the story, the larger-than-life feel of it all, and I have a great love of fantasy mythology that invents a new history. Lapin, the Bells, the main characters, all were wonderful but the story was rushed again, most especially the action at the end of it.
The third story: The Snow Queen
I loved this one, the characters were well embodied, the story was interesting and surprising, the analysis of love itself as a theme to all three stories came to a beautiful head in this one. Sadly, this too felt just a little rushed in its conclusion but the adventure was so much fun to read.
In the end, this novel was sorely misnamed. It should have been called Named, or even Loved. There are precious few kisses in the stories and almost none of them carry any weight. Names on the other hand (even wood carving) are well featured and well explored in each and every story. I love what Cameron Dokey does with fairy tales, but almost every one feels off in pacing, it makes me wonder whether the short length is at all constricting.
Belle and her sisters were very interesting to read about. I enjoyed the family structure and thought the story captured the same feel as a Pride and Prejudice sort of family. The changes to the Beast story were fun, I loved the heartwood tree, and I think my only complaint about this story is that it moved too swiftly through the storyline with Belle and Beast.
The second story: The Magic Flute
This one was so unique! I don’t know the story of the Magic Flute at all but the cast of characters made this one feel very much like a play to me (in a good way) I loved the mythos in the story, the larger-than-life feel of it all, and I have a great love of fantasy mythology that invents a new history. Lapin, the Bells, the main characters, all were wonderful but the story was rushed again, most especially the action at the end of it.
The third story: The Snow Queen
I loved this one, the characters were well embodied, the story was interesting and surprising, the analysis of love itself as a theme to all three stories came to a beautiful head in this one. Sadly, this too felt just a little rushed in its conclusion but the adventure was so much fun to read.
In the end, this novel was sorely misnamed. It should have been called Named, or even Loved. There are precious few kisses in the stories and almost none of them carry any weight. Names on the other hand (even wood carving) are well featured and well explored in each and every story. I love what Cameron Dokey does with fairy tales, but almost every one feels off in pacing, it makes me wonder whether the short length is at all constricting.
May 2, 2014
Although this appears in the teen section of B&N, and is marketed for teens, anyone who would enjoy a retelling of a classic story would enjoy this book. They are set in the original era (not modern retellings, or distopian stories of the future).
"Kissed" Is comprised of 3 separate stories, Belle (a rendition of Beauty and the Beast), Sunlight and Shadow (The Magic Flute), and Winter's Child (The Snow Queen).
Dokey does a wonderful job of re-telling the stories from different perspectives, sometimes from the main character's point of view, sometimes from others around the character. It is not difficult to follow the change in narrator in the stories. Each re-telling is both familiar and new. The stories are not overly flowery. For the most part, the characters are well rounded, and if not; their character come out in light of choices presented and decisions made. Each story is followed by an authors note about the original, and why she wrote her version the way she did.
In a time when I read so many "teen" books with weak female characters, or stereotypical males (yes, Twilight is a guilty read for me), it was a pleasure to be reminded about what a character can do we presented with challenges and choices.
Having said that, It did not get 5 stars from me because although well done, I was able to set the book aside for almost a month with one 2 chapters left in the final story. When I picked it back up and started to read, I had to look back and make sure I hadn't missed something because of the sudden jump that felt a little like a time lapse.
"Kissed" Is comprised of 3 separate stories, Belle (a rendition of Beauty and the Beast), Sunlight and Shadow (The Magic Flute), and Winter's Child (The Snow Queen).
Dokey does a wonderful job of re-telling the stories from different perspectives, sometimes from the main character's point of view, sometimes from others around the character. It is not difficult to follow the change in narrator in the stories. Each re-telling is both familiar and new. The stories are not overly flowery. For the most part, the characters are well rounded, and if not; their character come out in light of choices presented and decisions made. Each story is followed by an authors note about the original, and why she wrote her version the way she did.
In a time when I read so many "teen" books with weak female characters, or stereotypical males (yes, Twilight is a guilty read for me), it was a pleasure to be reminded about what a character can do we presented with challenges and choices.
Having said that, It did not get 5 stars from me because although well done, I was able to set the book aside for almost a month with one 2 chapters left in the final story. When I picked it back up and started to read, I had to look back and make sure I hadn't missed something because of the sudden jump that felt a little like a time lapse.
January 1, 2014
I'd have to say that this is the first book I've ever hated. I actually read this book months ago, during the spring of 2013 and was a little hesitant to buy it. (I actually wish I didn't now)
I understand that this book is a retelling older fairy tales, such as The Beauty and the Beast, The Magic Flute, and The Snow Queen, but it was written in the way the authour felt the story should of ended.
The book was frustrating. It took me 3 days to read it because I wanted to read each story separately, not at once.
I'll let you know after the first day the 2 left almost made me give up the book. I harboured a deep anger about how the other stories ended. Since I read this book months ago I do not feel like remembering my thoughts of anger from those days nor do I feel like going upstairs to my room to get the book.
I do not want to spoil it for people who have not read the book yet, but I'll say that I read how The Snow Queen ended right after I finished the book, as it is the last story, and I'll say that I like how the real story ended. That didn't break my heart as this book did.
Even writing this now hurts, therefore I'll stop here.
It's better to borrow the book from a friend or find it in a library than buy it yourself.
:) (The only story that left my with a half-smile is the first story).
I understand that this book is a retelling older fairy tales, such as The Beauty and the Beast, The Magic Flute, and The Snow Queen, but it was written in the way the authour felt the story should of ended.
The book was frustrating. It took me 3 days to read it because I wanted to read each story separately, not at once.
I'll let you know after the first day the 2 left almost made me give up the book. I harboured a deep anger about how the other stories ended. Since I read this book months ago I do not feel like remembering my thoughts of anger from those days nor do I feel like going upstairs to my room to get the book.
I do not want to spoil it for people who have not read the book yet, but I'll say that I read how The Snow Queen ended right after I finished the book, as it is the last story, and I'll say that I like how the real story ended. That didn't break my heart as this book did.
Even writing this now hurts, therefore I'll stop here.
It's better to borrow the book from a friend or find it in a library than buy it yourself.
:) (The only story that left my with a half-smile is the first story).
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