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The Joining #1
Cinders and Fangs: A Shifter Retelling of Cinderella
Having telepathic powers isn't all it's cracked up to be. Especially when it only works with animals. And especially when it works best with... wolves. Giant, terrifying ones included.
I've seen some strange things. And now that Father has a new wife, and I got a glimpse of her true face, I wish I could unsee it. She's pure evil underneath. Since no one believes me, namely my own dad, my only chance is to escape and find help before it's too late.
I wonder if the wolf pup I met as a child will help me -- if I can find him. I wonder if he'll remember me. Maybe we'll still feel a bond. Trystan is all grown up now, just like me. Can he shed some light on my troubled past and the danger I'm in, or will he turn me away too?
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A non-romance retelling of Cinderella, Cinders and Fangs is a story of magic, inner-strength, and new beginnings.
I've seen some strange things. And now that Father has a new wife, and I got a glimpse of her true face, I wish I could unsee it. She's pure evil underneath. Since no one believes me, namely my own dad, my only chance is to escape and find help before it's too late.
I wonder if the wolf pup I met as a child will help me -- if I can find him. I wonder if he'll remember me. Maybe we'll still feel a bond. Trystan is all grown up now, just like me. Can he shed some light on my troubled past and the danger I'm in, or will he turn me away too?
-----
A non-romance retelling of Cinderella, Cinders and Fangs is a story of magic, inner-strength, and new beginnings.
263 pages, Kindle Edition
Published March 13, 2018
43 people are currently reading
82 people want to read
About the author
J. Conrad
8 books192 followersJ. writes because she loves the universal resonance of stories and the lessons they teach us about human nature. She thinks it’s amazing that people from all over the world can relate to the fictional characters in books written by authors they’ve never met. It’s something she never gets tired of creating for others or experiencing herself. When J.’s not dreaming up new problems to throw at her unsuspecting characters, she disappears on long walks, animal watches, or finds new books to read. She lives in the southern US with her brilliant husband and a cat who eats too many lizards.
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Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews
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July 18, 2018
This is an enjoyable re-telling of Cinderella adding a new dimension into the story. The basics are there - loss of mother, evil step-family, royalty, but there is so much more. Our heroine makes a special bond with a wolf pup, even in this relationship there is more to it than that. A great young/adult tale!
May 4, 2018
This is an enjoyable story rooted in the fairytale, Cinderella...
I like the writing style - easy to read, first-person narrative - and thought its retelling clever and different, despite its roots. The characters were familiar and yet with distinctive differences from the original tale thus making it the author's own. There were some great descriptions and imaginative world-building.
It was written in the 'once upon a time' mode, however, there were glimpses of an updated feel. The idea of the wolves and fae was intriguing.
I would recommend this story to fans of old-fashioned fantasy with a twist.
I like the writing style - easy to read, first-person narrative - and thought its retelling clever and different, despite its roots. The characters were familiar and yet with distinctive differences from the original tale thus making it the author's own. There were some great descriptions and imaginative world-building.
It was written in the 'once upon a time' mode, however, there were glimpses of an updated feel. The idea of the wolves and fae was intriguing.
I would recommend this story to fans of old-fashioned fantasy with a twist.
January 25, 2019
Retelling of Cinderella involving werewolves, fairies, and witches. Nicely done.
May 13, 2018
Loved this story! I absolutely love Cinderella stories and this one took my breath away. Elin loses her mother at the tender age of six. She and her father are rescued from being killed by highwaymen by a pack of wolves. But they aren't ordinary wolves. They're shapeshifters. She bonds with one of the female wolves pups. His name is Tristan and later in life she meets this wolf again and falls for him. There's is not an easy journey to find true love. After months together following Elin running away from an evil witch stepmother and her nasty daughters, Elin discovers Tristan has been keeping a secret from her. He's suppose to meet his real father and fulfill some destiny his mother has set for him. Long story short they fight and leave each other on hostile terms. Elin is captured by her stepmother and forced into a life of servitude. Just like any good Cinderella story there is a prince awaiting Elin, but who will he be? Could it be Tristan the wolf she's fallen in love with? If so how can they possibly be together? You'll have to read this and see. I promise you won't be disappointed. The author did a great job fleshing out the characters and plot. It was an easy read that hooked you from the first page to the last.
March 18, 2019
The imaginative and descriptive writing combined makes for a highly believable Fae world of danger and excitement.
The safety of three worlds is at stake if the wrong person marries Trystan a Draugosero prince. A marriage needed to unite the Fae and Draugosero. Elin attends the ball sure she’s been chosen to marry Trystan. Then Queen Imurguru informs her that there is doubt over her Fae origin and she will need to provide proof that she is worthy of marrying the wolf prince. The test is to turn her father’s Calek wife into a human and turn her from bad to good. She also tasks herself with freeing her mother who has been captured by the Calek. With her grandmother Eiriana teaching her Fae magic she embarks on an adventure which turns out to be far from simple. After many trials and tribulations, she meets Ffion her rival who claims to have already won Trystan’s heart.
This story is a well-crafted, whirlwind of a ride which I would recommend to anyone who wants to escape into magical realms.
The safety of three worlds is at stake if the wrong person marries Trystan a Draugosero prince. A marriage needed to unite the Fae and Draugosero. Elin attends the ball sure she’s been chosen to marry Trystan. Then Queen Imurguru informs her that there is doubt over her Fae origin and she will need to provide proof that she is worthy of marrying the wolf prince. The test is to turn her father’s Calek wife into a human and turn her from bad to good. She also tasks herself with freeing her mother who has been captured by the Calek. With her grandmother Eiriana teaching her Fae magic she embarks on an adventure which turns out to be far from simple. After many trials and tribulations, she meets Ffion her rival who claims to have already won Trystan’s heart.
This story is a well-crafted, whirlwind of a ride which I would recommend to anyone who wants to escape into magical realms.
June 5, 2022
A paranormal Cinderella retelling - an enjoyable read
There’s a wolf on the cover and it is PNR, but the Cinderella retelling is the main story. Elin’s mother is ripped from her at age 6 & her recollections of the event are completely different from her dad’s. Next, things go mostly according to script with the stepmother and all, except we have a gutsy Ella who does a runner instead of bowing & scraping. The author has created a credible new world and new lore where werewolves are called Rai and witches with fangs are called Calek & there is also Fae.
What if there was a good reason why Cinderella was stashed with a wicked stepmother? What if she didn’t want to go to the ball? What if her orphaned status that you’ve known about since childhood was a mere myth? Definitely a different, engaging take on Cinderella. I loved Elin’s & Trystan’s story that continues as it’s a trilogy.
Recommended for lovers of YA fairytale retellings, especially of the rare paranormal romance variety where the heroine never gives up.
There’s a wolf on the cover and it is PNR, but the Cinderella retelling is the main story. Elin’s mother is ripped from her at age 6 & her recollections of the event are completely different from her dad’s. Next, things go mostly according to script with the stepmother and all, except we have a gutsy Ella who does a runner instead of bowing & scraping. The author has created a credible new world and new lore where werewolves are called Rai and witches with fangs are called Calek & there is also Fae.
What if there was a good reason why Cinderella was stashed with a wicked stepmother? What if she didn’t want to go to the ball? What if her orphaned status that you’ve known about since childhood was a mere myth? Definitely a different, engaging take on Cinderella. I loved Elin’s & Trystan’s story that continues as it’s a trilogy.
Recommended for lovers of YA fairytale retellings, especially of the rare paranormal romance variety where the heroine never gives up.
April 8, 2018
If you enjoy fantasy books that are a spin-off of classic fairytales, you will love this book! An intriguing and twisted dark magical tale with witches, faes, and shifters, in a world where things aren’t always as they appear to be.
After a terrible accident where her mother is lost and presumed dead, young Elin’s sanity was in question as she remembered the circumstances of the tragic event differently than her father. Throughout the years, for fear of being deemed insane, Elin kept to herself the belief that her mother was still alive. She was raised by her father in a comfortable lifestyle until he took on another wife. While her father was away on extended leave for work, Elin runs away, in an attempt to escape the brutal abuse inflicted upon her by her evil step-mother and step-sisters.
While fleeing through the woods, she encounters a wolf. It it then that Elin begins to discovers the dark secrets of her life.
After a terrible accident where her mother is lost and presumed dead, young Elin’s sanity was in question as she remembered the circumstances of the tragic event differently than her father. Throughout the years, for fear of being deemed insane, Elin kept to herself the belief that her mother was still alive. She was raised by her father in a comfortable lifestyle until he took on another wife. While her father was away on extended leave for work, Elin runs away, in an attempt to escape the brutal abuse inflicted upon her by her evil step-mother and step-sisters.
While fleeing through the woods, she encounters a wolf. It it then that Elin begins to discovers the dark secrets of her life.
August 15, 2018
Cinder and Fangs is a Cinderella retelling. But this is no normal Cinderella. It is much more complex than that. There are shapeshifters, fae, and evil witches. A destiny that can save a kingdom. Multiple worlds connected by magic. And characters that have flaws making them more relatable to the readers. It was a fantastical read that drew me in and kept me wondering how the happily ever after would be achieved. The end seemed like it was not the end, another book in the works maybe? I certainly hope so because I can easily see this going beyond a Cinderella telling and turning into an epic fantasy must read series.
April 17, 2018
I barely started reading before I found myself skimming and skipping...
This just wasn’t for me...
I found the characters dry and wooden and overly formal and stilted and distant.... I couldn’t connect with them ...
looking back all I can think is as dry and brittle and wooden as they all seemed to me personally I’d make sure they stayed away from any open flames 🔥 or they’d be gone in a heartbeat...
Took a chance on KU but this wasn’t a romance,not really and it wasn’t for me...
This just wasn’t for me...
I found the characters dry and wooden and overly formal and stilted and distant.... I couldn’t connect with them ...
looking back all I can think is as dry and brittle and wooden as they all seemed to me personally I’d make sure they stayed away from any open flames 🔥 or they’d be gone in a heartbeat...
Took a chance on KU but this wasn’t a romance,not really and it wasn’t for me...
November 12, 2018
When Elin was young, her mother was taken from her by a large beast that walked upright like a man. Elin was protected by a wolf who took both Elin and her injured father into a wolf den and nursed them back to health. However whenever he spoke of the incident, he claimed there was no such beast. He kept saying that Elin’s mother had been taken by highwaymen and was likely dead.
When she was a teenager, Elin’s father married a woman by the name of Gwyneth who had two daughters of her own. It wasn’t long before Elin realized that Gwyneth had an evil visage that her father never saw. At the wedding, Elin met a woman she had never previously seen who claimed to be her grandmother. It was hard to trust a stranger who wouldn’t tell her much, but Eiriana also seemed the only person who understood Elin’s dislike of the woman her father was marrying. There seemed to be much more going on than anyone was telling her. But what were they hiding from her and why?
I thought this was an interesting retelling of the Cinderella story. It contained all of the expected parts of the story but with a few very unique twists. I enjoyed reading it and am looking forward to the sequel. The book could have benefitted from another round of editing before publication as it did have a number of typos. Overall though, I am glad I read it. I think that those who enjoy twists on familiar fairy tales will enjoy reading this book as well.
When she was a teenager, Elin’s father married a woman by the name of Gwyneth who had two daughters of her own. It wasn’t long before Elin realized that Gwyneth had an evil visage that her father never saw. At the wedding, Elin met a woman she had never previously seen who claimed to be her grandmother. It was hard to trust a stranger who wouldn’t tell her much, but Eiriana also seemed the only person who understood Elin’s dislike of the woman her father was marrying. There seemed to be much more going on than anyone was telling her. But what were they hiding from her and why?
I thought this was an interesting retelling of the Cinderella story. It contained all of the expected parts of the story but with a few very unique twists. I enjoyed reading it and am looking forward to the sequel. The book could have benefitted from another round of editing before publication as it did have a number of typos. Overall though, I am glad I read it. I think that those who enjoy twists on familiar fairy tales will enjoy reading this book as well.
March 27, 2019
This is the first book in The Joining series, based on a Cinderella retelling, but so much more! Full of action, adventure, fights, romance, wolves, fae, witches and (mostly oblivious!) humans, it's a great story, and I'd definitely recommend this series to lovers of fairytales. But finishing in such a positive place, and before the big scene Cinderella is most well known for, I'm looking forward to seeing what happens in book 2!
NB I received a complimentary copy of this book, but I always give an HONEST review based wholly on my own opinions
NB I received a complimentary copy of this book, but I always give an HONEST review based wholly on my own opinions
May 25, 2018
Different but facinating
Elin is one of those young women who don't know what they are capable of doing. I truly found her to be remarkable in the face of such adversity. The things she has to go through and deal with are great and horrible but she does it all with such verve that I found myself liking her very much. Trystan and Eiriana both help and hurt her, but are such a huge part of her future. Such a lovely book!
Elin is one of those young women who don't know what they are capable of doing. I truly found her to be remarkable in the face of such adversity. The things she has to go through and deal with are great and horrible but she does it all with such verve that I found myself liking her very much. Trystan and Eiriana both help and hurt her, but are such a huge part of her future. Such a lovely book!
July 27, 2018
Not the Cinderella you know
While this was indeed a retelling it was also it's own story. The magic, mystery, and love blossomed into a story worthy of reading. If only it hadn't just ended. I believe it is to be a series? But the book had such a lead up then just smashed through the ending. Leaving one kind of unfulfilled.
While this was indeed a retelling it was also it's own story. The magic, mystery, and love blossomed into a story worthy of reading. If only it hadn't just ended. I believe it is to be a series? But the book had such a lead up then just smashed through the ending. Leaving one kind of unfulfilled.
April 21, 2020
Language: PG+ (8+ swears, 0+ "f"); Mature Content: PG+; Violence: PG+
I picked this book up because I enjoy Cinderella retellings. While there are a lot of good things going, I got annoyed by the lack of communication and finally stopped reading when I got bored with the direction the story was going in (a little more than halfway through).
I picked this book up because I enjoy Cinderella retellings. While there are a lot of good things going, I got annoyed by the lack of communication and finally stopped reading when I got bored with the direction the story was going in (a little more than halfway through).
June 19, 2018
Interesting
This story was interesting and entertaining. Cinderella retold with a paranormal extra. The characters were engaging and entertaining and the storyline was intriguing and fantastic. I hope to read more like it.
This story was interesting and entertaining. Cinderella retold with a paranormal extra. The characters were engaging and entertaining and the storyline was intriguing and fantastic. I hope to read more like it.
November 3, 2018
A very different Cinderella
It was very different. Very magical and lots of animals. I liked it i just wish there was more of the lead characters romance perspective. I loved when they were together and sad when they were apart.
It was very different. Very magical and lots of animals. I liked it i just wish there was more of the lead characters romance perspective. I loved when they were together and sad when they were apart.
April 14, 2018
For those who love Cinderella, then this tale with a twist is a must read.
June 1, 2018
Amazing story.
This is an amazing book. Once I started reading it I couldn't put it down.
I recommend this book to every one. I hope there are more books like this one.
This is an amazing book. Once I started reading it I couldn't put it down.
I recommend this book to every one. I hope there are more books like this one.
June 21, 2018
Just a pity that the last page came so soon
Although I knew I was approaching the end it failed to soften the disappointment one feels when an enjoyable book comes to an end.
Although I knew I was approaching the end it failed to soften the disappointment one feels when an enjoyable book comes to an end.
September 12, 2018
Imaginative retelling of one of my favorite fairy tales
I thoroughly enjoyed this! My only complaint is that the story ended. Please tell me there is another to read?
I thoroughly enjoyed this! My only complaint is that the story ended. Please tell me there is another to read?
February 22, 2019
i absuly loved this book read it in one sitting cant wait to read more
February 3, 2020
I couldn’t get past the first few chapters. It was slow to open up to a plot. Had no desire to try and finish after several failed attempts.
August 23, 2021
This book is okay. Everything about this book is okay. I will read the next book in this series.
May 26, 2018
Excellent
Like many Cinderella retelling I wasn't sure if there would be a happy ending but there was and I loved the story. It has elements of the traditional story with enough twists to make the story drag and interesting. A clean retelling it is suitable for young in age and heart.
Like many Cinderella retelling I wasn't sure if there would be a happy ending but there was and I loved the story. It has elements of the traditional story with enough twists to make the story drag and interesting. A clean retelling it is suitable for young in age and heart.
Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews