*spoilers exist below*




As a darker story in the world of fairytale, this is a great view of what happens when neglect turns into hate. I really enjoyed Cinderella as a villain, or may be anti-hero is a better word. I really appreciated the complexities of the stepsisters and just how evil the stepmother was. I also liked the more family moments.

The novella was like putting Ever After and Disney's Cinderella into a blender with a large splash of Snow White: A Tale of Terror. Watching Cinderella mold herself without bothering to look beyond the prince's station is a pretty smart tactic that a lot of stories don't bother with in the fantasy genre. I really appreciated the fact the prince was dark because it would seem silly to have a goodly prince in a sinister world. The tie-in to Snow White was very well-done along with the hints of Beauty and the Beast.

One minor critique is the fact Toil and Trouble seemingly disappear. To where? Are they left to rot in the old manor house? As her only friends, how did they bear out in the world of sinister play? Over all, I think the story did a good job of setting up the next in series and I'm looking forward to reading about how terribly marred Snow White is in the land of dark.