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The Stolen Royalty #2
Court of Lies & Cinder: A Dark Cinderella Retelling
After losing her father when she was a baby, Luella became the ward of the Countess Clara, her late father's wife. She and her two daughters treat Luella as their maid, nothing more than an inconvenience. They play court games while she sweeps the chimney.
The humans live in colonies, ruled over by wolf shifters of the Loup Kingdom. By law, each shifter is to take a human wife when they come of age.
When the announcement is made for the royal ball to celebrate the prince's 21st birthday, then the games really begin.
Content Warning:
Blood & Death
Attempted SA
Whipping
Manipulation
Grief & Loss
The Stolen Royalty Series is a series of fairytale retellings where each book can be read in any order and are standalones within the series. Kingdom of Forgotten Curses: Beauty & the Undead Beast is Book 1 and available now!
The humans live in colonies, ruled over by wolf shifters of the Loup Kingdom. By law, each shifter is to take a human wife when they come of age.
When the announcement is made for the royal ball to celebrate the prince's 21st birthday, then the games really begin.
Content Warning:
Blood & Death
Attempted SA
Whipping
Manipulation
Grief & Loss
The Stolen Royalty Series is a series of fairytale retellings where each book can be read in any order and are standalones within the series. Kingdom of Forgotten Curses: Beauty & the Undead Beast is Book 1 and available now!
- GenresEbooksShapeshifters
Kindle Edition
First published October 6, 2024
About the author
A.R. Kaufer
15 books161 followersA.R. Kaufer has dreamed of becoming a published author for as long as she can remember. She is a DV and SA survivor, and champions for mental health services for those in need. She lives in Indiana with her wonderful husband and furbabies. When she's not reading or writing, she enjoys playing video games, watching movies, and going for walks in the woods around her home.
She is currently working on an eight book fantasy series, The Courtship Saga, with all 8 books available now.
She also has a Beauty and the Beast retelling, Kingdom of Forgotten Curses. And she released her first novella, The Sword in the Roses, which released at #8 on Amazon's best-seller list!
Court of Lies & Cinder, a dark Cinderella retelling with wolf shifters, is available now!
Her latest release is a Rapunzel retelling. Tower of the Lost Princess, available now!
Coming this fall, she has a Sleeping Beauty retelling, Castle of Broken Dreams!
She is also working on a standalone dark romantasy, slated to come out next spring.
She is currently working on an eight book fantasy series, The Courtship Saga, with all 8 books available now.
She also has a Beauty and the Beast retelling, Kingdom of Forgotten Curses. And she released her first novella, The Sword in the Roses, which released at #8 on Amazon's best-seller list!
Court of Lies & Cinder, a dark Cinderella retelling with wolf shifters, is available now!
Her latest release is a Rapunzel retelling. Tower of the Lost Princess, available now!
Coming this fall, she has a Sleeping Beauty retelling, Castle of Broken Dreams!
She is also working on a standalone dark romantasy, slated to come out next spring.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 79 reviews
August 22, 2024
I really want to be nice about this but also give a honest review. Like I'm supposed to do. I'm just afraid it'll come off as mean.
I struggled to pick out the star rating for this book.
I haven't come across a book that made me cringe like this one did, in a very long time. I even wanted to dnf it, but continued to the end.
You're immediately thrown into some drama at the start of the story, and then there's an immediate time jump with no explanations of what happened. And it continues that way for a while, actually until the end. You get basically no explanation on how she ends up where she is, with this random woman that's her "stepmother," which is vague on purpose to have the "twist" at the end.
It's also a little odd to me that the MFC is the only character with an odd name, everyone else gets normal names.
The character interactions are awkward. There's no build up to anything. Like, literally none. You just get told that this is this and that is that. The relationships are pretty much instant. And the MFC is constantly going back and forth on what she does/says. The love interest kind of does the same, but his is more like abuse imo. It's not that fun to read and just a way to drag things out.
I felt like all the "attacks" on the MFC were unnecessary. I felt like the story could proceed no problem without them. Especially when each "attack" is rushed and then it's like it didn't happen at all.
The shifter aspect seems like it's a last minute throw in to try to make it different or justify how aggressive the love interest gets sometimes. The misunderstanding arcs (plural because for some reason we had to bring this back for a second round after it was resolved) was like, blink and you miss it. It was so short and pointless.
I hated the end. Life changing revelations happen and all that matters is she finishes her heat. I hate that. You might as well not even add that serious scene if you're immediately going to take away from it. The stuff with the king, just, why.
Disney retellings are my thing. I love them, majority of the books I own are retellings. I didn't like this one. I feel like the pacing was wrong and some scenes need to be shuffled. They seem out of place. There are also some that just don't need to be a part of the story to begin with (imo.) I wish that there was more story/world building. I feel like if there was more, things would've flowed better.
I struggled to pick out the star rating for this book.
I haven't come across a book that made me cringe like this one did, in a very long time. I even wanted to dnf it, but continued to the end.
You're immediately thrown into some drama at the start of the story, and then there's an immediate time jump with no explanations of what happened. And it continues that way for a while, actually until the end. You get basically no explanation on how she ends up where she is, with this random woman that's her "stepmother," which is vague on purpose to have the "twist" at the end.
It's also a little odd to me that the MFC is the only character with an odd name, everyone else gets normal names.
The character interactions are awkward. There's no build up to anything. Like, literally none. You just get told that this is this and that is that. The relationships are pretty much instant. And the MFC is constantly going back and forth on what she does/says. The love interest kind of does the same, but his is more like abuse imo. It's not that fun to read and just a way to drag things out.
I felt like all the "attacks" on the MFC were unnecessary. I felt like the story could proceed no problem without them. Especially when each "attack" is rushed and then it's like it didn't happen at all.
The shifter aspect seems like it's a last minute throw in to try to make it different or justify how aggressive the love interest gets sometimes. The misunderstanding arcs (plural because for some reason we had to bring this back for a second round after it was resolved) was like, blink and you miss it. It was so short and pointless.
I hated the end. Life changing revelations happen and all that matters is she finishes her heat. I hate that. You might as well not even add that serious scene if you're immediately going to take away from it. The stuff with the king, just, why.
Disney retellings are my thing. I love them, majority of the books I own are retellings. I didn't like this one. I feel like the pacing was wrong and some scenes need to be shuffled. They seem out of place. There are also some that just don't need to be a part of the story to begin with (imo.) I wish that there was more story/world building. I feel like if there was more, things would've flowed better.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 11, 2024
This was such an interesting take on the Cinderella story we all grew up with. It combines Cinderella, Shifters and a little Romeo and Juliet. If you love a reimagining with a twist, then this is for you!
August 5, 2024
I received an ARC for this book and am leaving a review voluntarily.
The book releases officially October 6th.
Cinderella has never been my favorite fairy tale but this story really pumps new life into it. I was stunned to uncover so many layers as I read but each layer gave a new kind of life to the story. By the end, I was surprised how the author had laid out such a complex world a little at a time.
One of the best aspects is that author fully embraces that people are messy. The “good” people still make mistakes, act impulsively or make poor decisions in the heat of the moment. “Bad” people have moments of compassion, regret and love. Each character is fully fleshed out and we learn quickly that the snapshots we see of them are hardly examples of the entirety of their personalities.
You’ll definitely be surprised by some reveals in here but they all work. They all make sense. I enjoyed both being surprised and then connecting the dots afterward. The plot never stops engaging with you and it makes the book feel just the right pace.
I don’t have a lot of experience with shifter books though I have read some but I really enjoyed the way that culture and rules were laid out here. We didn’t get the full story because our main lead doesn’t know the full story. But as she learns, so do we. It’s an in depth culture that has its own rules and barriers. Seeing our characters navigate that on top of the other stressors is such fun.
And that’s hardly the only magic here. The fairy godmother does come about and oh, she’s a treat when she arrives!
Then, there’s us what I consider the cherry on top of this whole story and that’s the characterization of Luella. I have a feeling some people may find themselves becoming frustrated with her but as a therapist, her behavior was spot on for someone that had experienced the trauma she has. She can be indecisive, clinging to the familiar no matter how much it hurts, and oh how we want her to grow and believe in her own worth. But her journey is such a triumphant one that will have you cheering by the end.
I must now go read the author’s other books!
The book releases officially October 6th.
Cinderella has never been my favorite fairy tale but this story really pumps new life into it. I was stunned to uncover so many layers as I read but each layer gave a new kind of life to the story. By the end, I was surprised how the author had laid out such a complex world a little at a time.
One of the best aspects is that author fully embraces that people are messy. The “good” people still make mistakes, act impulsively or make poor decisions in the heat of the moment. “Bad” people have moments of compassion, regret and love. Each character is fully fleshed out and we learn quickly that the snapshots we see of them are hardly examples of the entirety of their personalities.
You’ll definitely be surprised by some reveals in here but they all work. They all make sense. I enjoyed both being surprised and then connecting the dots afterward. The plot never stops engaging with you and it makes the book feel just the right pace.
I don’t have a lot of experience with shifter books though I have read some but I really enjoyed the way that culture and rules were laid out here. We didn’t get the full story because our main lead doesn’t know the full story. But as she learns, so do we. It’s an in depth culture that has its own rules and barriers. Seeing our characters navigate that on top of the other stressors is such fun.
And that’s hardly the only magic here. The fairy godmother does come about and oh, she’s a treat when she arrives!
Then, there’s us what I consider the cherry on top of this whole story and that’s the characterization of Luella. I have a feeling some people may find themselves becoming frustrated with her but as a therapist, her behavior was spot on for someone that had experienced the trauma she has. She can be indecisive, clinging to the familiar no matter how much it hurts, and oh how we want her to grow and believe in her own worth. But her journey is such a triumphant one that will have you cheering by the end.
I must now go read the author’s other books!
June 25, 2024
I had the honor of being an ARC reader for this book. I very much enjoyed this second installment to the author's Stolen Royalty series. This was a very well-done retelling with a clever twist that I would not have thought of or applied to the Cinderella tale, but this author made it work in spades. Her characterizations are vivid and real, and I especially loved the side character of Simon. I look forward to the next book.
November 13, 2024
EDIT- Didn’t think I’d bother with this review again, but the Author reached out to me to hear my concerns and promptly told me that I was Wrong in my feelings (as a SA survivor) that the violence was gratuitous and unbalanced. Why, you ask? Because she had “3 readers, an editor and a few ARC readers” and nobody said anything about the near gang rape in CHAPTER TWO.
Sorry, Autumn. If you thought you’d mend bridges by telling me my response to your Sexual Violence was because I was too sensitive- you don’t deserve any more of my time. ✌🏻✌🏻
General overview- This book is both unoriginal and yet actually DOES lean into Plagiarism-but not from the story you think. (Hint- it’s actually from a movie.)
It’s also full of really vile sexual violence and harassment of a specificity that doesn’t actually progress the plot, just makes the audience really uncomfortable. It’s uncomfortable to read, and it’s not written well either. (“Is your hair all the same color?” Are you serious, Autumn?)
The plot of the book is not very deep, nor uniquely handled. From the beginning we just kind of trundle along with the most basic plot of Cinderella until our eyes start to glaze over, and then suddenly she’s being threatened with actual gang rape by two men out in public, complete with her clothes being torn off. It’s ham-handed, unnecessary and feels like a punishment to the audience’s psyche for no more artistic depth than any lesser threat may offer.
Bad form.
When it’s clear who hurt her, Luella is resistant on protection for no reason. A huge flaw in the story as she has nothing to lose and the prospect of ‘not being raped’ to gain. In fact, Luella is threatened with sexual violence no fewer than 3 times in the first 50 pages. It is exhausting.
The concept of the Open Bond between Remi & Luella is, unsurprisingly, very derivative of the second ACOTAR book. I mean, there is nothing unique about it whatsoever. Same story with the Scent/fated mates element. But it’s a Shifter thing, so we carry on.
At some points, however, the Cinderella plot is lifted almost word for word from the movie Ever After. It’s obvious, and close to plagiarism in true form.
From the book’s text-
“People who read cannot think for themselves, and they must rely on books to fill their heads with utter nonsense.”
Compared to this line from the Baroness in Ever After-
“Some people read because they cannot think for themselves.” Go ahead. Watch the movie. It’s a direct lift. AR even knocks off the chocolate scene. Yes, I remember Ever After. Your audience isn’t stupid.
As for general prose notes, this book needed line editors. Badly. There are times when I’m scanning paragraph after paragraph to figure out who “he” is because the author hasn’t told us who exactly entered the room. Remi’s name happens pages before he actually introduces himself, and there are no subplots in this book. So we go from one Remi/Luella scene into another, so it’s very repetitive.
Character depth does not exist in this world. I learn more about the chores Luella does than her as a person.
The book is written almost entirely in dialogue that is both ‘ye olde timey’ and totally modern. Example: “Say, are you still looking for courtship?”
This same issue applies to the world building prose (example- there’s an exam room, a waiting room & a nurse in uniform at the doctor in the village… but Luella also does washing in the creek?)
I don’t know if I’ll bother to finish.
Sorry, Autumn. If you thought you’d mend bridges by telling me my response to your Sexual Violence was because I was too sensitive- you don’t deserve any more of my time. ✌🏻✌🏻
General overview- This book is both unoriginal and yet actually DOES lean into Plagiarism-but not from the story you think. (Hint- it’s actually from a movie.)
It’s also full of really vile sexual violence and harassment of a specificity that doesn’t actually progress the plot, just makes the audience really uncomfortable. It’s uncomfortable to read, and it’s not written well either. (“Is your hair all the same color?” Are you serious, Autumn?)
The plot of the book is not very deep, nor uniquely handled. From the beginning we just kind of trundle along with the most basic plot of Cinderella until our eyes start to glaze over, and then suddenly she’s being threatened with actual gang rape by two men out in public, complete with her clothes being torn off. It’s ham-handed, unnecessary and feels like a punishment to the audience’s psyche for no more artistic depth than any lesser threat may offer.
Bad form.
When it’s clear who hurt her, Luella is resistant on protection for no reason. A huge flaw in the story as she has nothing to lose and the prospect of ‘not being raped’ to gain. In fact, Luella is threatened with sexual violence no fewer than 3 times in the first 50 pages. It is exhausting.
The concept of the Open Bond between Remi & Luella is, unsurprisingly, very derivative of the second ACOTAR book. I mean, there is nothing unique about it whatsoever. Same story with the Scent/fated mates element. But it’s a Shifter thing, so we carry on.
At some points, however, the Cinderella plot is lifted almost word for word from the movie Ever After. It’s obvious, and close to plagiarism in true form.
From the book’s text-
“People who read cannot think for themselves, and they must rely on books to fill their heads with utter nonsense.”
Compared to this line from the Baroness in Ever After-
“Some people read because they cannot think for themselves.” Go ahead. Watch the movie. It’s a direct lift. AR even knocks off the chocolate scene. Yes, I remember Ever After. Your audience isn’t stupid.
As for general prose notes, this book needed line editors. Badly. There are times when I’m scanning paragraph after paragraph to figure out who “he” is because the author hasn’t told us who exactly entered the room. Remi’s name happens pages before he actually introduces himself, and there are no subplots in this book. So we go from one Remi/Luella scene into another, so it’s very repetitive.
Character depth does not exist in this world. I learn more about the chores Luella does than her as a person.
The book is written almost entirely in dialogue that is both ‘ye olde timey’ and totally modern. Example: “Say, are you still looking for courtship?”
This same issue applies to the world building prose (example- there’s an exam room, a waiting room & a nurse in uniform at the doctor in the village… but Luella also does washing in the creek?)
I don’t know if I’ll bother to finish.
June 21, 2024
I'm not the biggest Cinderella fan, but I really liked this retelling. The story was fun and had enough differences to keep me entertained. I'm looking forward to the next book in the series!
October 12, 2024
First of all a big thank you to the author for letting me read an advanced copy of this book and a huge congratulations for publishing your story. I can only imagine the amount of love and time was put into writing this story and I have a huge respect for getting it out into the world.
As for the book, for me unfortunately it felt unfinished and could have done with some good editing. It felt a little disheveled.
The story itself is your classic cinderella story, a girl with an evil stepmother and 2 stepsisters. It definitely had the Disney adaptation covered.
I loved the introduction of the love interest before the ball (Ever After) as it gave more depth to the relationship and you could see a love developing.
Where it lost me a bit was the relevance of the shifter aspect. It felt jarring. The language threw me too. I thought it was much more YA in language, but then there was some scenes that were clearly more for an adult audience. It could’ve done without those and leaned more heavily on the longing and the stealing of a kiss here and there.
The relationship between the characters felt off too, they kept making a point of not having secrets (he even gets mad at her for it) only to do the same (if not a much bigger secret)
The ending with the king in the dungeon felt really odd and didn’t feel relevant to the story.
Now I liked where the story was heading. I just think it wasn’t quite ready yet and with a bit more beta reading and editing I think this could become an amazing little Cinderella retelling.
As for the book, for me unfortunately it felt unfinished and could have done with some good editing. It felt a little disheveled.
The story itself is your classic cinderella story, a girl with an evil stepmother and 2 stepsisters. It definitely had the Disney adaptation covered.
I loved the introduction of the love interest before the ball (Ever After) as it gave more depth to the relationship and you could see a love developing.
Where it lost me a bit was the relevance of the shifter aspect. It felt jarring. The language threw me too. I thought it was much more YA in language, but then there was some scenes that were clearly more for an adult audience. It could’ve done without those and leaned more heavily on the longing and the stealing of a kiss here and there.
The relationship between the characters felt off too, they kept making a point of not having secrets (he even gets mad at her for it) only to do the same (if not a much bigger secret)
The ending with the king in the dungeon felt really odd and didn’t feel relevant to the story.
Now I liked where the story was heading. I just think it wasn’t quite ready yet and with a bit more beta reading and editing I think this could become an amazing little Cinderella retelling.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 12, 2024
This was a beautifully written tale and had me flipping pages to see what happens next. I was immediately hooked from the start and could not put it down. I enjoyed reading this it was a fun read
September 2, 2024
I received an ARC copy of this book and all opinions below are my own.
Damn, what a rollercoaster! I love Autumn's books, but this one had me in all sorts of feels.
My heart was hurting for Luella so much! Poor girl had to go through so much heartache and pain, and I admire her for it. At times, she was a little hard to understand, but eventually I fell in love with everything she was.
Her stepmother is awful! God, I have never hated a character so much. So happy Luella was able to find confidence in herself and find the happiness she deserves.
Remi, on the other hand, had me feeling so many emotions! I grew to love him and was so happy to see the way he treated Luella. Their chemistry was amazing! The intimate scenes were beautifully written, and the emotional parts had me crying.
The author did justice to the storyline while still keeping the magic of the original tale, but also adding her own twists to make it a memorable read overall. Highly impressed tbh.
I finished this one in two sittings, and have a full heart as I write this review. What a beautiful couple and what an amazing story! If you like retellings, shifters, and cindrella, make sure to grab this one! I promise you won't regret it :)
Damn, what a rollercoaster! I love Autumn's books, but this one had me in all sorts of feels.
My heart was hurting for Luella so much! Poor girl had to go through so much heartache and pain, and I admire her for it. At times, she was a little hard to understand, but eventually I fell in love with everything she was.
Her stepmother is awful! God, I have never hated a character so much. So happy Luella was able to find confidence in herself and find the happiness she deserves.
Remi, on the other hand, had me feeling so many emotions! I grew to love him and was so happy to see the way he treated Luella. Their chemistry was amazing! The intimate scenes were beautifully written, and the emotional parts had me crying.
The author did justice to the storyline while still keeping the magic of the original tale, but also adding her own twists to make it a memorable read overall. Highly impressed tbh.
I finished this one in two sittings, and have a full heart as I write this review. What a beautiful couple and what an amazing story! If you like retellings, shifters, and cindrella, make sure to grab this one! I promise you won't regret it :)
August 13, 2024
Court of Lies & Cinder is a beautifully crafted retelling of Cinderella with a fantasy twist and dark elements 🖤
Luella (FMC) is a servant to her cruel stepmother and has two cruel stepsisters. Remi (MMC) is a wolf shifter who lives in the palace. Humans are ruled by wolf shifters. The wolf shifters are supposed to marry a human once they are of age. Their worlds collided when she stumbled upon him in the woods.
I liked that our MMC was kind and protective. He definitely ‘falls first and hard’. I loved their mind speak. I liked that this retelling is like the original Cinderella storyline (the ball, the prince, the evil stepmother, the faery godmother) however with wolf shifters, hidden identity, and mind speak. I love the budding romance with Simon and Aubrey (one of the stepsisters). I also liked Camille and Tiernan. I wanted to see more of these side characters!
I enjoyed getting lost in this world and really liked the fantasy elements of this Cinderella retelling.
Luella (FMC) is a servant to her cruel stepmother and has two cruel stepsisters. Remi (MMC) is a wolf shifter who lives in the palace. Humans are ruled by wolf shifters. The wolf shifters are supposed to marry a human once they are of age. Their worlds collided when she stumbled upon him in the woods.
I liked that our MMC was kind and protective. He definitely ‘falls first and hard’. I loved their mind speak. I liked that this retelling is like the original Cinderella storyline (the ball, the prince, the evil stepmother, the faery godmother) however with wolf shifters, hidden identity, and mind speak. I love the budding romance with Simon and Aubrey (one of the stepsisters). I also liked Camille and Tiernan. I wanted to see more of these side characters!
I enjoyed getting lost in this world and really liked the fantasy elements of this Cinderella retelling.
October 8, 2024
{2.25/5}
CW: attempted SA, violence, thoughts of su!cide, @busive home dynamics, some others
Thank you to the author for allowing me to be a part of the ARC team! “Court of Lies and Cinder” is available now.
The base premise could have been really good, but the execution just didn’t quite get there.
Raised by her stepmother, Luella has known nothing but cruelty. Serving as the servant for her stepmother and two stepsisters, she dreams of the day she can finally leave and make her own way. A chance encounter with a royal herald and the discovery that her stepmother is far more wicked than Luella ever knew sets her on the path to a whole new life.
I love fairytale and mythology retellings and reimaginings. I love seeing what new spin the author can put on them and in what new ways the key events will occur. Sometimes, though, it just falls flat, and that’s what happened here. Between structure, content, and frankly unlikable MCs, this one never had a chance.
First, let’s talk structure. I knew within the first few pages that this was going to be a rough read, though I held out hope that things would smooth out and improve over the course of the book. They did not. The most noticeable of the issues came down to the tone of the story—it felt incredibly juvenile. Now, obviously a book doesn't have to have tons of huge, impressive words or needlessly convoluted sentences to be good. Straightforward language and easy to read sentences are wonderful, and this book did exhibit both of those characteristics. When I say the tone was off, I mean that it felt like it was geared to a much younger, more immature audience. Had the content not had some decidedly adult elements, I would have thought this was written for middle grade readers. Compounding that, the narrator sounds significantly younger than one would expect for a story focused on MCs in their early 20s. Between this and the actual content, it ended up feeling almost cringey.
And now, on to content. I think it just tried to do too much and never really landed any of it. There’s the obvious Cinderella components (no father, wicked stepmother and 2 wicked stepsisters, treated like a servant, the monarchy becomes involved, etc) and those would have been fine. There wasn’t a lot particularly unique about the execution for these bits, but sometimes that happens when you have a base in a story that’s so well known. After that, though, things went a little off the rails. There are shifters (werewolves, but genetic, not viral), and everything about their inclusion felt trite and ill-fitted. It didn’t flow with the story, and it felt like I was reading two completely different books that had been smashed together. On top of that, there was some attempt at a Romeo/Juliet overlay, but the only time we ever really saw that was in the names. There was really nothing about the play that actually made it into the story itself. You could make an argument for the star-crossed lovers theme, but that’s hardly exclusive to the play, and the delivery felt more fitting for the Cinderella aspect of things. It all ended up being this hodgepodge of random pieces that just didn’t work for me at all.
The most egregious problem, in my opinion, was the relationship between the two MCs. Neither one of these characters had any business being in a relationship. It was all very dramatic and very middle school (though I’ve seen actual middle schoolers conduct themselves with more emotional intelligence than these two). It made them and their dynamic borderline insufferable, and I found myself actively rooting against them because in no world, fictional or otherwise, should either of these people be trusted to be in an adult relationship.
Obviously, this book didn’t work for me. Between the awkward, shallow dialogue, the MCs who, had I not known better, I would have expected to be 12, not 20, and the seemingly random inclusion of borderline mid-tier Wattpad fiction, nothing in this story was executed strongly enough to make it cohesive. I wanted to like it so badly, and it just didn’t happen.
CW: attempted SA, violence, thoughts of su!cide, @busive home dynamics, some others
Thank you to the author for allowing me to be a part of the ARC team! “Court of Lies and Cinder” is available now.
The base premise could have been really good, but the execution just didn’t quite get there.
Raised by her stepmother, Luella has known nothing but cruelty. Serving as the servant for her stepmother and two stepsisters, she dreams of the day she can finally leave and make her own way. A chance encounter with a royal herald and the discovery that her stepmother is far more wicked than Luella ever knew sets her on the path to a whole new life.
I love fairytale and mythology retellings and reimaginings. I love seeing what new spin the author can put on them and in what new ways the key events will occur. Sometimes, though, it just falls flat, and that’s what happened here. Between structure, content, and frankly unlikable MCs, this one never had a chance.
First, let’s talk structure. I knew within the first few pages that this was going to be a rough read, though I held out hope that things would smooth out and improve over the course of the book. They did not. The most noticeable of the issues came down to the tone of the story—it felt incredibly juvenile. Now, obviously a book doesn't have to have tons of huge, impressive words or needlessly convoluted sentences to be good. Straightforward language and easy to read sentences are wonderful, and this book did exhibit both of those characteristics. When I say the tone was off, I mean that it felt like it was geared to a much younger, more immature audience. Had the content not had some decidedly adult elements, I would have thought this was written for middle grade readers. Compounding that, the narrator sounds significantly younger than one would expect for a story focused on MCs in their early 20s. Between this and the actual content, it ended up feeling almost cringey.
And now, on to content. I think it just tried to do too much and never really landed any of it. There’s the obvious Cinderella components (no father, wicked stepmother and 2 wicked stepsisters, treated like a servant, the monarchy becomes involved, etc) and those would have been fine. There wasn’t a lot particularly unique about the execution for these bits, but sometimes that happens when you have a base in a story that’s so well known. After that, though, things went a little off the rails. There are shifters (werewolves, but genetic, not viral), and everything about their inclusion felt trite and ill-fitted. It didn’t flow with the story, and it felt like I was reading two completely different books that had been smashed together. On top of that, there was some attempt at a Romeo/Juliet overlay, but the only time we ever really saw that was in the names. There was really nothing about the play that actually made it into the story itself. You could make an argument for the star-crossed lovers theme, but that’s hardly exclusive to the play, and the delivery felt more fitting for the Cinderella aspect of things. It all ended up being this hodgepodge of random pieces that just didn’t work for me at all.
The most egregious problem, in my opinion, was the relationship between the two MCs. Neither one of these characters had any business being in a relationship. It was all very dramatic and very middle school (though I’ve seen actual middle schoolers conduct themselves with more emotional intelligence than these two). It made them and their dynamic borderline insufferable, and I found myself actively rooting against them because in no world, fictional or otherwise, should either of these people be trusted to be in an adult relationship.
Obviously, this book didn’t work for me. Between the awkward, shallow dialogue, the MCs who, had I not known better, I would have expected to be 12, not 20, and the seemingly random inclusion of borderline mid-tier Wattpad fiction, nothing in this story was executed strongly enough to make it cohesive. I wanted to like it so badly, and it just didn’t happen.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 12, 2024
This book had a lot of potential, but things were rushed and not clearly explained at the end. The tone felt like the writing was coming from a middle schooler, which doesn’t make sense when you reach the very adult spicy scenes. The language felt both old and modern which made it a little difficult to get through. I also noticed a lot of magical notions that are found in other works, such as those of Sarah J. Maas. This was a great concept, but could have been executed better. I did look forward to reading more though, if only because I was so curious as to where the story was going to end.
August 14, 2024
I was provided an ARC of this title for free and am leaving this review voluntarily. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Your mental health is important. Please do be advised of content warnings and keep yourself aware of and safe from any triggers you may have.
Remi & Luella.
Cinderella x Romeo & Juliet x Wolves
Court of Lies and Cinder is the second title in the Stolen Royalty series. I haven’t read many Cinderella retellings, but this is by far the most unique of the ones that I have.
A.R. Kaufer truly has a clever and unique gift for spinning a tale!
⬇️Read if you love:⬇️
Fairytale retelling (Cinderella)
Romeo & Juliet vibes
Werewolves
Fated mates
Secret identity
Journey of self discovery
Slow-ish burn > SPICE
Alpha-hole
Possessive MMC
Thank you so much to A.R. Kaufer for the opportunity to read this as an ARC.
September 29, 2024
Will be posting my full review this week
January 21, 2025
I received a copy of this as an ARC and I’m a little late reviewing but better late than never! I enjoyed Court of Lies and Cinder. It’s a fun Cinderella retelling featuring fae and shifters! The spice is just the right amount of spicy and sweet. I also loved the twists at the end! I didn’t see them coming.
If you like wolf shifters, destined mates, and exciting plot twists pick up this book!
If you like wolf shifters, destined mates, and exciting plot twists pick up this book!
August 7, 2025
[ARC REVIEW]
I received an ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. My review is being published late, so the book is already released. I held off on posting a review as I didn’t want to post a bad rating to an ARC- but after thinking about it, I will be releasing my review anyway as it was what the ARC was intended for.
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TWs: mentions of attempted SA, abuse, kidnapping.
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I want to be nice but i’m finding it extremely hard. The only reason i pushed through and finished this book is because I wanted to see if it could improve, which it didn’t.
Immediately into this book I felt a bit uncomfortable with some of the scenes. The book opens with an unnamed woman, her 2 daughters, and a female toddler. In this scene, the woman is running away with her children, and she has taken this toddler away from her family and basically kidnapped her to be her slave. We get no explanation to this either. One of her children asks if they did the right thing by taking the young girl, and they changed the subject with the quote:
- [ “i want dada” the youngest pouted. ]
Completely shifting from the fact that they have just kidnapped a toddler.
The next chapter opens up with the main girl, Louella, in her attic room. This is the toddler from the first chapter, now grown up. It is still not explained as to why the woman kidnapped this poor girl, with the author focusing instead on how the girl is neglected and doesn’t even have a nice bed to sleep in. One of the chapters literally talks about the girl being forced to sleep outside against a tree when she is very obviously sick and practically dying. It is clearly described that she is very poorly looked after, and is frequently referred to as cinderella by her Stepsisters and mocked by them.
Then we have Remi, a wolf shifter, and our Male main. He first meets Louella whilst he is out in the woods being attacked by 2 men and Louella appears and saves him. Then it turns out the only reason he was close enough to her home is because he followed her scent so he could have her meet him. He literally tracked her scent so he could “accidentally” bump into her. She then refused to give him her name and address, which is very valid considering she doesn’t know him, so he then proceeds to stalk her and find out the information for himself. She doesn’t know this though, and then the 2 guys who attacked Remi end up finding Louella, and Remi returns the favour by saving her this time, and he talks about how the men wanted to SA her. I thought that this was a bit of an unnecessary scene, especially without any content warnings disclosing the SA reference, but I continued on with an open mind as I was less than 50 pages in and wanted to give it a chance. Literally one page after this, Remi brands Louella and tells her that it is for her protection and he will save her if needed. Louella is clearly nervous around him due to him being a wolf shifter, so his response is to turn into a wolf in front of her and terrify her.
The story also reads in a very wattpad-like way; which isn’t necessarily a bad thing, it’s just not my style. The author tends to state everything that the main character is doing, almost like they were trying to just fill up pages whilst they were writing the book. it tends to read like this:
once this happened, she did this. then she did this, and followed it with this…
It is okay the first time, but it gets very repetitive and boring to read. We are very much aware of how poorly treat Louella is, we don’t need to know everything that she was forced to do each day.
In another chapter, Louella is a servant for her stepsisters date with a boy named Henri. Her sister, Madison, had to step out of the room for a moment so told Louella to speak to the boy and keep him company, which she did. He then shoves her against the wall and ignores her pleas to get off. Only once he hears the other girl coming back into the room does he let go of her. Again, another attempted SA on this girl. How many times is this gonna happen to one character, let alone in the span of 70 pages.
You think that was enough? No. Page 85 we have another man force himself to Louella, only this time it is Remi. Poor Louella is stood crying and trying to talk to him about what is wrong with her, when he kisses her and pulls her to him. When she pulls off of him and runs away, he stands there wondering what he did wrong because “she enjoyed the kiss too”.
As she walks home after, the father of the 2 boys from the start spots her. He starts yelling at her because she got his sons locked away after they attempted to SA her, and so he wanted to punish her for this too. She then remembers the branding that Remi put onto her the first time they met, and starts to speak to him through this. How this works i don’t know, it’s also not explained. He takes her to the doctor after she was almost stabbed to death, and then he bites her?? She panics and his response is to laugh at her like he didn’t just bite her. I blocked out the next few chapters but then what I do remember is Louella talking about killing herself because she can’t be with this guy, like this is some next level romeo & juliet type shit.
The last 100 pages of the book is a blur, I had to force myself to continue with it simply because I wanted to be able to give an honest review, and it would seem unfair to leave a bad review if I had DNFed. The amount of SA attempts and references was awful, there was no need for even one attempt, let alone 5. I am very easily pleased with books, but this is the first and only time i have ever rated something lower than a 3 stars. You couldn’t pay me to read this book.
I received an ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. My review is being published late, so the book is already released. I held off on posting a review as I didn’t want to post a bad rating to an ARC- but after thinking about it, I will be releasing my review anyway as it was what the ARC was intended for.
-
TWs: mentions of attempted SA, abuse, kidnapping.
-
-
I want to be nice but i’m finding it extremely hard. The only reason i pushed through and finished this book is because I wanted to see if it could improve, which it didn’t.
Immediately into this book I felt a bit uncomfortable with some of the scenes. The book opens with an unnamed woman, her 2 daughters, and a female toddler. In this scene, the woman is running away with her children, and she has taken this toddler away from her family and basically kidnapped her to be her slave. We get no explanation to this either. One of her children asks if they did the right thing by taking the young girl, and they changed the subject with the quote:
- [ “i want dada” the youngest pouted. ]
Completely shifting from the fact that they have just kidnapped a toddler.
The next chapter opens up with the main girl, Louella, in her attic room. This is the toddler from the first chapter, now grown up. It is still not explained as to why the woman kidnapped this poor girl, with the author focusing instead on how the girl is neglected and doesn’t even have a nice bed to sleep in. One of the chapters literally talks about the girl being forced to sleep outside against a tree when she is very obviously sick and practically dying. It is clearly described that she is very poorly looked after, and is frequently referred to as cinderella by her Stepsisters and mocked by them.
Then we have Remi, a wolf shifter, and our Male main. He first meets Louella whilst he is out in the woods being attacked by 2 men and Louella appears and saves him. Then it turns out the only reason he was close enough to her home is because he followed her scent so he could have her meet him. He literally tracked her scent so he could “accidentally” bump into her. She then refused to give him her name and address, which is very valid considering she doesn’t know him, so he then proceeds to stalk her and find out the information for himself. She doesn’t know this though, and then the 2 guys who attacked Remi end up finding Louella, and Remi returns the favour by saving her this time, and he talks about how the men wanted to SA her. I thought that this was a bit of an unnecessary scene, especially without any content warnings disclosing the SA reference, but I continued on with an open mind as I was less than 50 pages in and wanted to give it a chance. Literally one page after this, Remi brands Louella and tells her that it is for her protection and he will save her if needed. Louella is clearly nervous around him due to him being a wolf shifter, so his response is to turn into a wolf in front of her and terrify her.
The story also reads in a very wattpad-like way; which isn’t necessarily a bad thing, it’s just not my style. The author tends to state everything that the main character is doing, almost like they were trying to just fill up pages whilst they were writing the book. it tends to read like this:
once this happened, she did this. then she did this, and followed it with this…
It is okay the first time, but it gets very repetitive and boring to read. We are very much aware of how poorly treat Louella is, we don’t need to know everything that she was forced to do each day.
In another chapter, Louella is a servant for her stepsisters date with a boy named Henri. Her sister, Madison, had to step out of the room for a moment so told Louella to speak to the boy and keep him company, which she did. He then shoves her against the wall and ignores her pleas to get off. Only once he hears the other girl coming back into the room does he let go of her. Again, another attempted SA on this girl. How many times is this gonna happen to one character, let alone in the span of 70 pages.
You think that was enough? No. Page 85 we have another man force himself to Louella, only this time it is Remi. Poor Louella is stood crying and trying to talk to him about what is wrong with her, when he kisses her and pulls her to him. When she pulls off of him and runs away, he stands there wondering what he did wrong because “she enjoyed the kiss too”.
As she walks home after, the father of the 2 boys from the start spots her. He starts yelling at her because she got his sons locked away after they attempted to SA her, and so he wanted to punish her for this too. She then remembers the branding that Remi put onto her the first time they met, and starts to speak to him through this. How this works i don’t know, it’s also not explained. He takes her to the doctor after she was almost stabbed to death, and then he bites her?? She panics and his response is to laugh at her like he didn’t just bite her. I blocked out the next few chapters but then what I do remember is Louella talking about killing herself because she can’t be with this guy, like this is some next level romeo & juliet type shit.
The last 100 pages of the book is a blur, I had to force myself to continue with it simply because I wanted to be able to give an honest review, and it would seem unfair to leave a bad review if I had DNFed. The amount of SA attempts and references was awful, there was no need for even one attempt, let alone 5. I am very easily pleased with books, but this is the first and only time i have ever rated something lower than a 3 stars. You couldn’t pay me to read this book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 18, 2024
Court of Lies & Cinder by A. R. Kaufer is a dark Cinderella retelling with a shifter spin. I love fairy tale retellings but haven't read too may Cinderella ones so I was looking forward to trying this out.
Luella is living in a colony ruled by the Lupe King, with her step mother and two step sisters. She is treated like a servant, forced to cook and clean, wash and mend clothes and sleep on an attic floor with only a ragged blanket for company. Her only memories of early childhood are the family fleeing their home following a shifter attack that killed her father. For as long as she can remember she has feared shifters , but living in their territory she is forced to deal with them on occasion. The last thing she ever expected was to come to the rescue of one of them, but when Remi, the King's herald is attacked by the sons of the colony's leader she tries to stop it, fearing the bitter reprisals and bloodshed that will follow an attack on the representative of the King. In doing so she earns the wrath of not only her step mother but also the most powerful man in the colony, and is forced to turn to Remi, a shifter for help. As their relationship grows closer Luella finds her opinions of shifters changing and while she yearns to escape her family and find freedom and acceptance she must come to terms with the fact that Remi may be the one person who can help her.
I am not going to lie, I struggled a little with the opening few chapters of the book, it took me a little time to mesh with the author's style I think, but once the book got going I soon found myself invested. As a main character Luella was easy to root for, she was clearly traumatised and I appreciated that the author took great pains to show how that made her mistrustful of others, constantly second guessing them as well as herself. That being said she showed great growth over the course of the book. Her step mother is a deliciously evil villain, the kind of character that readers love to hate, but the characterisation of the stepsisters was more subtle and again there was some growth as the story progressed. Remi, the wolf shifter was less well defined as a character, I wish that there was just a little more depth. At times I found the romance element of the story frustrating, I know it helps the plot and tension but it can be annoying when conflict is the result of characters not communicating with each other and keeping secrets, and that happened a lot in this book. Both Luella and Remi are keeping secrets from each other, one that the reader is made explicitly aware of and the other is easily inferred from the moments of foreshadowing and the hints that are liberally scattered through the book by the author.
I also found some of the ideas about "owning " and "claiming" and that language in particular a little uncomfortable at times, but I did appreciate the author's efforts at explaining it as part of shifter culture and in that context it was not so unpleasant. I mean who would not expect a wolf shifter to be possessive of his mate? I also liked that she had Luella show some backbone when the idea of owning her was first brought up by Remi.
As I mentioned earlier the pace felt a little slow at the beginning of the book, not including the highly dramatic and exciting prologue, but it did not take long to pick up and the last third or so was full of drama and tension and I found myself unwilling to put down the book before I reached the end.
This is the second book in the Stolen Royalty Series, but can absolutely be read as a stand alone title, and I think that readers who like a little spice in their fairy tale retellings and those who enjoy wolf/shifter romances will find a lot to enjoy here. I know I will be visiting the author's back catalogue to catch up on the first book.
I read an ARC courtesy of the author, all opinions are my own.
Luella is living in a colony ruled by the Lupe King, with her step mother and two step sisters. She is treated like a servant, forced to cook and clean, wash and mend clothes and sleep on an attic floor with only a ragged blanket for company. Her only memories of early childhood are the family fleeing their home following a shifter attack that killed her father. For as long as she can remember she has feared shifters , but living in their territory she is forced to deal with them on occasion. The last thing she ever expected was to come to the rescue of one of them, but when Remi, the King's herald is attacked by the sons of the colony's leader she tries to stop it, fearing the bitter reprisals and bloodshed that will follow an attack on the representative of the King. In doing so she earns the wrath of not only her step mother but also the most powerful man in the colony, and is forced to turn to Remi, a shifter for help. As their relationship grows closer Luella finds her opinions of shifters changing and while she yearns to escape her family and find freedom and acceptance she must come to terms with the fact that Remi may be the one person who can help her.
I am not going to lie, I struggled a little with the opening few chapters of the book, it took me a little time to mesh with the author's style I think, but once the book got going I soon found myself invested. As a main character Luella was easy to root for, she was clearly traumatised and I appreciated that the author took great pains to show how that made her mistrustful of others, constantly second guessing them as well as herself. That being said she showed great growth over the course of the book. Her step mother is a deliciously evil villain, the kind of character that readers love to hate, but the characterisation of the stepsisters was more subtle and again there was some growth as the story progressed. Remi, the wolf shifter was less well defined as a character, I wish that there was just a little more depth. At times I found the romance element of the story frustrating, I know it helps the plot and tension but it can be annoying when conflict is the result of characters not communicating with each other and keeping secrets, and that happened a lot in this book. Both Luella and Remi are keeping secrets from each other, one that the reader is made explicitly aware of and the other is easily inferred from the moments of foreshadowing and the hints that are liberally scattered through the book by the author.
I also found some of the ideas about "owning " and "claiming" and that language in particular a little uncomfortable at times, but I did appreciate the author's efforts at explaining it as part of shifter culture and in that context it was not so unpleasant. I mean who would not expect a wolf shifter to be possessive of his mate? I also liked that she had Luella show some backbone when the idea of owning her was first brought up by Remi.
As I mentioned earlier the pace felt a little slow at the beginning of the book, not including the highly dramatic and exciting prologue, but it did not take long to pick up and the last third or so was full of drama and tension and I found myself unwilling to put down the book before I reached the end.
This is the second book in the Stolen Royalty Series, but can absolutely be read as a stand alone title, and I think that readers who like a little spice in their fairy tale retellings and those who enjoy wolf/shifter romances will find a lot to enjoy here. I know I will be visiting the author's back catalogue to catch up on the first book.
I read an ARC courtesy of the author, all opinions are my own.
July 30, 2024
I am dying to read this book! The author was kind enough to let me have a physical copy, because I have difficulty looking at a screen for too long, and as soon as I have it I'll read it in one sitting. I love werewolves, and I'd never have thought of combining shifters with Cinderella, so I'm really intrigued.
Updated 30/07/2024 ... this beautiful book arrived on my doorstep yesterday, I devoured it, and I have got to say this is the best fairy-tale retelling I have ever read! I love it when authors take a classic fairy-tale (what could be more classic than Cinderella?) and then mix it up with something totally unexpected. Autumn Kaufer did this with the first book in the series - where Beauty and the Beast was combined with Dracula- but this one is even more inspired.
I mean, I love werewolves and shifters - was Team Jacob back in the day - and I am always going to eat a werewolf story up! ... but there are elements I honestly didn't see coming that elevated the novel to something unique and darkly beautiful.
The story is recognisably Cinderella, but the Loup Kingdom was a fantastic bit of world-building. It rang true, due to being well-thought-out and a perfect mix of menacing yet understandable. Essentially, the shifters are like the medieval knights who used to rule Britain and Europe - who rule the peasants (humans, in this world!) with absolute power in return for protection. The morals aren't 21st Century - of course! - but they completely fit their own timeframe.
The wicked stepmother, Clara, was an amazing villain - I love it when villains (particularly female villains!) are dark af but where you can absolutely see how they got there. This isn't a spoiler - since it's right there in the book blurb- but there's one particular element of the Loup Kingdom that is shockingly dark, yet woven so seamlessly into the better parts of shifter society you almost don't notice the implications.
Clara is gratuitously horrible to Luella (who is utterly likeable) yet every mother I know would have fought to protect her own daughters in the way that she did. She was inexcusably cruel to her stepchild - but I can honestly say the rest was totally understandable. You you what you have to do to protect the interests of your own daughters (especially in a place like the Loup Kingdom, which has rw echos that are very topical). Ethics and morals do not apply.
The story has one of the best friendships in Simon-Remi - I adore their banter and Simon is a sweetheart - and the love story between Luella and Remi is slow-burn, with many twists and turns, but has spice that is well worth the wait! Hot, sweet, with an awesome twist that I didn't see coming. I won't say more ... read it if you like spicy but tender love stories. You won't regret it.
Updated 30/07/2024 ... this beautiful book arrived on my doorstep yesterday, I devoured it, and I have got to say this is the best fairy-tale retelling I have ever read! I love it when authors take a classic fairy-tale (what could be more classic than Cinderella?) and then mix it up with something totally unexpected. Autumn Kaufer did this with the first book in the series - where Beauty and the Beast was combined with Dracula- but this one is even more inspired.
I mean, I love werewolves and shifters - was Team Jacob back in the day - and I am always going to eat a werewolf story up! ... but there are elements I honestly didn't see coming that elevated the novel to something unique and darkly beautiful.
The story is recognisably Cinderella, but the Loup Kingdom was a fantastic bit of world-building. It rang true, due to being well-thought-out and a perfect mix of menacing yet understandable. Essentially, the shifters are like the medieval knights who used to rule Britain and Europe - who rule the peasants (humans, in this world!) with absolute power in return for protection. The morals aren't 21st Century - of course! - but they completely fit their own timeframe.
The wicked stepmother, Clara, was an amazing villain - I love it when villains (particularly female villains!) are dark af but where you can absolutely see how they got there. This isn't a spoiler - since it's right there in the book blurb- but there's one particular element of the Loup Kingdom that is shockingly dark, yet woven so seamlessly into the better parts of shifter society you almost don't notice the implications.
Clara is gratuitously horrible to Luella (who is utterly likeable) yet every mother I know would have fought to protect her own daughters in the way that she did. She was inexcusably cruel to her stepchild - but I can honestly say the rest was totally understandable. You you what you have to do to protect the interests of your own daughters (especially in a place like the Loup Kingdom, which has rw echos that are very topical). Ethics and morals do not apply.
The story has one of the best friendships in Simon-Remi - I adore their banter and Simon is a sweetheart - and the love story between Luella and Remi is slow-burn, with many twists and turns, but has spice that is well worth the wait! Hot, sweet, with an awesome twist that I didn't see coming. I won't say more ... read it if you like spicy but tender love stories. You won't regret it.
May 11, 2026
Court of Lies & Cinder by Autumn Kaufer: What if you were meant for more, but your loyalty kept you grounded? What if your inner strength is more than the eye can see? Would you be willing to free yourself from the claws of doubt?
Luella is used to feel like the soot in her stepmother's castle, no more than nothing, just the help. Her stepmother Clara has two goals in life: one, marry her daughters, Aubrey and Madison, into rich families. And second, keep Luella secluded in a fake reality where she cannot escape.
Remi is used to routine and he knows his future is written, no more than a shifter herald. Until he was saved by her... his path to truth and happiness, his reason to fight for everything he deserves.
Do you believe in magic? The possibility of true love? Maybe your dreams can be a reality if you dare to take a leap of faith. Welcome to a place where magic and mystery mix. Where fated mates are a thing of the past but love is the only future.... Bibbidi Bobbidi... Wolf?
STOP!! No spoilers on my reviews! One of the things I like about Autumn's writing is her "old world" vibes in this series. Every detail from the environment to the characters way of speaking, shows the effort she puts into immersing you into the book. Just like with the first book, Kingdom of Forgotten Curses, you feel transported back in time to castles and magic. Some people can find Luella jittery and overly cautious, please keep in mind this is a slow burn and it's meant to be imagined as a medieval reading. The best way to describe the book is like baking brownies... it develops slowly, the plot is rich and thick, no need to rush something beautiful, just savour the treat.
DISCLAIMER: I got this as an ARC, with that said, my review is totally my own opinion. If I love a book, you’ll know it and if I don’t like it, I will be very clear about it. It’s that simple! Life is too short, and I want to enjoy it with books I love. I also purchased the book as a support for Autumn, because it's that good. Whether you are into fantasy, paranormal, romance or a good retelling, she has something for you!
Luella is used to feel like the soot in her stepmother's castle, no more than nothing, just the help. Her stepmother Clara has two goals in life: one, marry her daughters, Aubrey and Madison, into rich families. And second, keep Luella secluded in a fake reality where she cannot escape.
Remi is used to routine and he knows his future is written, no more than a shifter herald. Until he was saved by her... his path to truth and happiness, his reason to fight for everything he deserves.
Do you believe in magic? The possibility of true love? Maybe your dreams can be a reality if you dare to take a leap of faith. Welcome to a place where magic and mystery mix. Where fated mates are a thing of the past but love is the only future.... Bibbidi Bobbidi... Wolf?
STOP!! No spoilers on my reviews! One of the things I like about Autumn's writing is her "old world" vibes in this series. Every detail from the environment to the characters way of speaking, shows the effort she puts into immersing you into the book. Just like with the first book, Kingdom of Forgotten Curses, you feel transported back in time to castles and magic. Some people can find Luella jittery and overly cautious, please keep in mind this is a slow burn and it's meant to be imagined as a medieval reading. The best way to describe the book is like baking brownies... it develops slowly, the plot is rich and thick, no need to rush something beautiful, just savour the treat.
DISCLAIMER: I got this as an ARC, with that said, my review is totally my own opinion. If I love a book, you’ll know it and if I don’t like it, I will be very clear about it. It’s that simple! Life is too short, and I want to enjoy it with books I love. I also purchased the book as a support for Autumn, because it's that good. Whether you are into fantasy, paranormal, romance or a good retelling, she has something for you!
May 1, 2026
Luella lost her father at a young age and with ther mother being deceased before him, the only person for Luella to live with and be brought up by is her ghastly stepmother and her two daughters. As soon as Luella is old enough, she is forced into servitude and treated abhorrent by her stepmother and stepsister with them denying her of the basic essentials. In a world where humans live in controlled colonies and ruled by wolf shifters. By law,every shifter must take a human wife upon coming of age.
One day when Luella is fulfilling her duties demanded by her stepmother and stepsisters, she stumbles across a handsome young man being brutally attacked by the governors' sons and she doesn't think twice by saving the poor man. As a thank you, he grants her a bargain. By connection, it does not matter where he or Luella are, if she needs him he will be able to hear her and will come to her aide.
Initially, Luella is extremely scared of Remi with him being an alpha wolf shifter but as they secretly spend more time together, Luella knows it's an unnecessary worry and starts to enjoy Remi even aware that cavorting with the wolves is totally forbidden. With the help of Remi's best friend and right-hand man, Simon a web of secrecy is spun and unexpected revelations are revealed throughout as the plot unfolds.
Upon the announcement of a royal ball for the prince's 21st birthday this then sets off dangerous "court games" to secure a marriage alliance.
With this having a dark oppressive atmosphere being within a shifter-ruled society, this engages with character dynamics and unexpected plot twists with a great ending. The humour, banter and wit between Remi and Simon also lightens the dark mood and will give the reader an occasional chuckle.
The way Autumn Kaufer has structured this dark retelling of Cinderella is exceptional. I thoroughly enjoyed this and moving straight on to #3 straight away.
One day when Luella is fulfilling her duties demanded by her stepmother and stepsisters, she stumbles across a handsome young man being brutally attacked by the governors' sons and she doesn't think twice by saving the poor man. As a thank you, he grants her a bargain. By connection, it does not matter where he or Luella are, if she needs him he will be able to hear her and will come to her aide.
Initially, Luella is extremely scared of Remi with him being an alpha wolf shifter but as they secretly spend more time together, Luella knows it's an unnecessary worry and starts to enjoy Remi even aware that cavorting with the wolves is totally forbidden. With the help of Remi's best friend and right-hand man, Simon a web of secrecy is spun and unexpected revelations are revealed throughout as the plot unfolds.
Upon the announcement of a royal ball for the prince's 21st birthday this then sets off dangerous "court games" to secure a marriage alliance.
With this having a dark oppressive atmosphere being within a shifter-ruled society, this engages with character dynamics and unexpected plot twists with a great ending. The humour, banter and wit between Remi and Simon also lightens the dark mood and will give the reader an occasional chuckle.
The way Autumn Kaufer has structured this dark retelling of Cinderella is exceptional. I thoroughly enjoyed this and moving straight on to #3 straight away.
October 27, 2024
This Dark Cinderella retelling has you on the edge of your seat, flipping the pages to see what happens next. With tons of nods to the original and tons of new twists, it leaves you wanting redemption for Luella, rooting for Remi and her love, and hating the governor along with the cruel stepmother. A romantic forbidden love story mixed with wolf shifters, magical aspects, violence, and justice being served. I loved every moment and loved Simon and Remis relationship together as best friends and his guard. You follow Luellas story and see what she endures as she works herself to the bone, as well as being treated so unfairly. She then meets a Herold from the palace, Remi who not only forms a bond with her through a bargain but he halls in love instantly with her and will stop at nothing to protect her. As their love blooms, so does the violence in the colony, Luella will pay the price. The Prince hosts a ball that everyone despite their station must attend, Luella does everything she can to attend as Remi has promised to make an announcement that will hopefully free her from her miserable life. Only things aren't what they seem on both sides, and things will interfere with their plan for a happy ever after. Ending with a huge twist, you won't see coming and justice being served tenfold to those who deserve it.
... What to expect ...
Paranormal romance, wolf shifters, forbidden love, dark Cinderella retelling, magic, mates, romantasy, he falls first, violence, murder, torture, hidden identities, wicked stepmother, royal ball, good girl, protect her, prince, Grief, death, possessive, justice, redemption, skinny dipping, spice, faery godmother, bitten, a magical bond, and much more!!
... What to expect ...
Paranormal romance, wolf shifters, forbidden love, dark Cinderella retelling, magic, mates, romantasy, he falls first, violence, murder, torture, hidden identities, wicked stepmother, royal ball, good girl, protect her, prince, Grief, death, possessive, justice, redemption, skinny dipping, spice, faery godmother, bitten, a magical bond, and much more!!
September 1, 2024
⬇️Read if you love:⬇️
Fairytale retelling (Cinderella)
Romeo & Juliet vibes
Werewolves
Fated mates
Secret identity
Journey of self discovery
Slow-ish burn > SPICE
Alpha-hole
Possessive MMC
For everyone that is wondering. This highly anticipated book officially releases October 6th. And I couldn’t be any more ecstatic to give my review of this Cinderella retelling.
I must say I’ve always loved Cinderella but kind of lost interest as I grew older. But this story has really pumped new life into it. And has definitely pumped new life into my love for the fairy tale. I was stunned to uncover so many layers as I read but each layer gave a new kind of life to the story. By the end of the retelling I was surprised and stunned how the author had laid out such a complex world a little at a time. The plot and the world was perfectly done and well described.
One of the best aspects is that author fully embraces that people aren’t always perfect. Even though we love to pretend that we are perfect we aren’t. The good people that are in this world still make mistakes. Even though we try to pretend that it’s someone else’s fault. We sometimes act impulsively or make piss poor decisions in the heat of the moment. The bad people in the world have moments of compassion, regret and love which means even though they are bad. They still have a bit of good in them. Each character is different and described perfect for us and I can’t wait to read more from this amazing author. Be sure to add this wonderful retelling to your TBR you won’t regret it.
Fairytale retelling (Cinderella)
Romeo & Juliet vibes
Werewolves
Fated mates
Secret identity
Journey of self discovery
Slow-ish burn > SPICE
Alpha-hole
Possessive MMC
For everyone that is wondering. This highly anticipated book officially releases October 6th. And I couldn’t be any more ecstatic to give my review of this Cinderella retelling.
I must say I’ve always loved Cinderella but kind of lost interest as I grew older. But this story has really pumped new life into it. And has definitely pumped new life into my love for the fairy tale. I was stunned to uncover so many layers as I read but each layer gave a new kind of life to the story. By the end of the retelling I was surprised and stunned how the author had laid out such a complex world a little at a time. The plot and the world was perfectly done and well described.
One of the best aspects is that author fully embraces that people aren’t always perfect. Even though we love to pretend that we are perfect we aren’t. The good people that are in this world still make mistakes. Even though we try to pretend that it’s someone else’s fault. We sometimes act impulsively or make piss poor decisions in the heat of the moment. The bad people in the world have moments of compassion, regret and love which means even though they are bad. They still have a bit of good in them. Each character is different and described perfect for us and I can’t wait to read more from this amazing author. Be sure to add this wonderful retelling to your TBR you won’t regret it.
August 22, 2024
Court of Lies and Cinder by Autumn Kaufer. As a reader for book 1, her beauty and the beast retelling that came out last year, I thoroughly enjoyed this story. From being sucked into the prologue, learning about the shifters and fae magic, to learning the backstories of our MCs. The worldbuilding was creative, and I enjoyed the buildup between the FMC and MMC. Luella is clearly a woman who, despite being abused and never shown love, is kind and caring. Watching her development as she learns to love and trust was beautiful, and I couldn’t get enough of her interactions with Remi. Introduced to us as a herald from the palace, he was an incredible lead, with his protective heart and deep love. He is a wolf shifter, so he has his possessive moments, but everything he did was out of his love for Luella. The plot twists left me stunned, and I know my jaw dropped at least twice during reading. I loved this story from beginning to end. If you are a fan of fairy-tell retellings, romance, and incredible character development, this book is for you!
February 14, 2025
As someone who has enjoyed Autumn's work in the past and as someone who enjoys retellings of classic stories, I eagerly picked up this book and devoured it with relish.
The story starts very much like you would expect a telling of Cinderella to go, it begins very much like the original fairy tale. However it soon becomes its own thing when the wolven shifters of the Loup Kingdom are introduced and are seamlessly weaved into the story.
Autumn possesses a natural talent to put her own spin on classic fairy tales that seem new yet are respectful to the originals. This book is no exception, it is sweet, heart warming and sprinkled with enough darkness and drama to keep it from becoming too sickly sweet.
As for the characters, Luella, Remi and Simon are my particular favourites as they really give this novel a lot of heart and soul.
I highly recommend this book if you like retellings of fairy tales and shifter romances.
On a secondary note, I love the little sketches and designs inside the book. This book looks beautiful both outside and inside.
The story starts very much like you would expect a telling of Cinderella to go, it begins very much like the original fairy tale. However it soon becomes its own thing when the wolven shifters of the Loup Kingdom are introduced and are seamlessly weaved into the story.
Autumn possesses a natural talent to put her own spin on classic fairy tales that seem new yet are respectful to the originals. This book is no exception, it is sweet, heart warming and sprinkled with enough darkness and drama to keep it from becoming too sickly sweet.
As for the characters, Luella, Remi and Simon are my particular favourites as they really give this novel a lot of heart and soul.
I highly recommend this book if you like retellings of fairy tales and shifter romances.
On a secondary note, I love the little sketches and designs inside the book. This book looks beautiful both outside and inside.
August 23, 2024
4.75⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️
Favorite quote:
“You came for me”
“You called. I will always come for you.”
Dark Cinderella retelling. You know the Cinderella story, but the main male character is a herald wolf shifter named Remi. He is definitely a book boyfriend, loyal, possessive, sweet, and protective to an end.
Both humans and wolf shifters make the rules. I love how she mixed in wolf shifters and fae (being the fairy godmother).
I went through so many emotions I definitely connected with Luella and Remi and I LOVED Simon!
Luella definitely had such a huge character development after she became more and more comfortable with Remi. I loved to see how strong she grew throughout the story.
I’m in love with this author’s writing, I can read her books all the time over and over! I will never stop recommending her books and I will keep collecting them all! Please go read!
Wolf shifters
Enchanted clothing
Romance
Hurt/comfort
He falls first
Hidden identities
🌶️🌶️
Favorite quote:
“You came for me”
“You called. I will always come for you.”
Dark Cinderella retelling. You know the Cinderella story, but the main male character is a herald wolf shifter named Remi. He is definitely a book boyfriend, loyal, possessive, sweet, and protective to an end.
Both humans and wolf shifters make the rules. I love how she mixed in wolf shifters and fae (being the fairy godmother).
I went through so many emotions I definitely connected with Luella and Remi and I LOVED Simon!
Luella definitely had such a huge character development after she became more and more comfortable with Remi. I loved to see how strong she grew throughout the story.
I’m in love with this author’s writing, I can read her books all the time over and over! I will never stop recommending her books and I will keep collecting them all! Please go read!
Wolf shifters
Enchanted clothing
Romance
Hurt/comfort
He falls first
Hidden identities
August 27, 2024
As an avid reader of retellings, including the author's previous book, A Kingdom of Forgotten Curses (beauty and the beast retelling) I was very excited to read this. It hit the mark on all my favorites! Cinderella? Check! Wolf shifters? Check! Spice AND slow burn romance? Check!
I loved watching the character development for both the MMC and the MFC, especially her. Luella went from a timid, quiet abuse victim to somoene who could stand on her own footing. She is an amazing character.
Speaking of amazing characters, Simon (MMCs best friend) was one of my favorite side characters. This story was full of twists and turns, beautiful, subtle world-building, and a love story you could feel!
If you are a romance reader looking for your next shifter read, i cannot recommend this book enough! I love the author's writing style and the way she weaves the story, luring you in, and dropping unexpected twists! READ THIS BOOK!
I loved watching the character development for both the MMC and the MFC, especially her. Luella went from a timid, quiet abuse victim to somoene who could stand on her own footing. She is an amazing character.
Speaking of amazing characters, Simon (MMCs best friend) was one of my favorite side characters. This story was full of twists and turns, beautiful, subtle world-building, and a love story you could feel!
If you are a romance reader looking for your next shifter read, i cannot recommend this book enough! I love the author's writing style and the way she weaves the story, luring you in, and dropping unexpected twists! READ THIS BOOK!
October 1, 2024
It definitely was a great attempt with the Cinderella retelling along with a touch of wolf shifters, mind talking and hidden identity.
Luella is surrounded by stepsisters, evil stepmother, prince charming, Ball at the palace and Fairy Godmother! Her past is lost to her and only remembers being scared of Shifters.
Remi, the wolf shifter hides his identity and lives in palace. He falls first and hard. His protectiveness is sweet.
I loved that Luella gains courage and does something totally unexpected of her inturn incurs wrath which brings these two together. Luella's character particularly is so well put together that there is nothing more to add. Although I would have loved similar attention to some of the other characters as well.
I did struggle a bit initially to get hold of the story but very quickly it turned out to be gripping and I was unable to put the book down.
If fairy retellings and shifters are your thing, you should pick this one!
Luella is surrounded by stepsisters, evil stepmother, prince charming, Ball at the palace and Fairy Godmother! Her past is lost to her and only remembers being scared of Shifters.
Remi, the wolf shifter hides his identity and lives in palace. He falls first and hard. His protectiveness is sweet.
I loved that Luella gains courage and does something totally unexpected of her inturn incurs wrath which brings these two together. Luella's character particularly is so well put together that there is nothing more to add. Although I would have loved similar attention to some of the other characters as well.
I did struggle a bit initially to get hold of the story but very quickly it turned out to be gripping and I was unable to put the book down.
If fairy retellings and shifters are your thing, you should pick this one!
October 13, 2024
4.25
Cinderella retelling with werewolves and one big twist.
This story was wild. I did enjoy the difference in this story as it deviates from its inspiration story. Our FMC and MMC develop their relationship prior to the main ball. She finds him after he was being attacked, and after saving him, they continue to come back to each other. Luella, does not have it easy after this as she continues to have trauma not only via her family but from the man who rules there town.
Luella is a strong FMC who looks at the positive. I also liked that one of the step-sisters is compassionate and not all of FMC's family follows the Cinderella template. This story gives the reader a bit more than the normal fairytale, the twists and turns aid in the compassion you have for both characters, and their story together.
Cinderella retelling with werewolves and one big twist.
This story was wild. I did enjoy the difference in this story as it deviates from its inspiration story. Our FMC and MMC develop their relationship prior to the main ball. She finds him after he was being attacked, and after saving him, they continue to come back to each other. Luella, does not have it easy after this as she continues to have trauma not only via her family but from the man who rules there town.
Luella is a strong FMC who looks at the positive. I also liked that one of the step-sisters is compassionate and not all of FMC's family follows the Cinderella template. This story gives the reader a bit more than the normal fairytale, the twists and turns aid in the compassion you have for both characters, and their story together.
July 9, 2025
Cinderella X Paranormal Romance with a dash of spice. I devoured this book! Cinderella is not one of my favorites, but this was such a unique and original twist on a well-known tale!
What I liked: I enjoyed seeing Luella grow, from being scared of her family to standing up for herself. I liked watching her and Remi's interactions, especially once the romance took off!
What I didn't like: I didn't care to read the daily schedule for Luella, but I understand why it's written in such a way. It not only shows us, the reader, why she wants so desperately to escape, but it shows the promise of what she can have, if she finds love and can get away.
Would I recommend this book? Absolutely!
Who would I recommend it to?
Fans of Disney's Cinderella, Ever After, and for fans of wolf shifters. There were so many cute nods to the movies, and every one of them made me smile!
What I liked: I enjoyed seeing Luella grow, from being scared of her family to standing up for herself. I liked watching her and Remi's interactions, especially once the romance took off!
What I didn't like: I didn't care to read the daily schedule for Luella, but I understand why it's written in such a way. It not only shows us, the reader, why she wants so desperately to escape, but it shows the promise of what she can have, if she finds love and can get away.
Would I recommend this book? Absolutely!
Who would I recommend it to?
Fans of Disney's Cinderella, Ever After, and for fans of wolf shifters. There were so many cute nods to the movies, and every one of them made me smile!
August 7, 2025
This was the best retelling I've read. The author took Cinderella, a classic story, and added her own unique spins and twists, keeping you guessing with every chapter! Her portrayal of Luella's trauma was realistic, I could empathize with her.
I love Ever After, and I appreciated the nods to it in the story, along with one of the stepsisters. (I won't say more, becasue I don't want to spoil it for other readers).
Luella and Remi's romance starts off rocky, but once it clicks, you can't deny their loyalty and devotion to each other.
This is a dark retelling, like the author says. It does take on some dark and difficult topics, but I appreciate the way it was written. The prose was elegant and easy to follow.
So if you enjoy fairytale retellings, wolf shifters, a MFC who goes from a victim to standing up for herself, this is the book for you! I highly recommend it!
I love Ever After, and I appreciated the nods to it in the story, along with one of the stepsisters. (I won't say more, becasue I don't want to spoil it for other readers).
Luella and Remi's romance starts off rocky, but once it clicks, you can't deny their loyalty and devotion to each other.
This is a dark retelling, like the author says. It does take on some dark and difficult topics, but I appreciate the way it was written. The prose was elegant and easy to follow.
So if you enjoy fairytale retellings, wolf shifters, a MFC who goes from a victim to standing up for herself, this is the book for you! I highly recommend it!
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