I found this while I was on a kick of reading retellings of Cinderella. Though it’s actually a retelling of The Goose Girl but I only found that out when writing this review. The first thing to talk about with this book is that it is a fairy tale in the best of traditions. It’s gritty and the world is unfair but with careful planning and thought behind your actions, and a little bit of magic, you can survive and prosper.

It’s also beautifully written. The world is engaging and well described, with a nice depth and complexity. The characters are well developed and two dimensional, getting in their own way a lot of the time. The plot had a good pace and lovely imagery. And, at least if you’re reading the Kindle version, there’s another bonus story at the end.

All told, reading this was a great experience and I can’t wait to read more by this writer.