The second installment of Ron Vitale's Cinderella series picks up 10 years after the first book ended. Cinderella is in early America, in the Indian Territories. (What? Yes. Really. Pioneer Cinderella.) A pregnant Cinderella and her mentor, Renee, left England at the request of Queen Charlotte of England, because of her powers or because the Queen (her mother-in-law) just didn't like her. Who knows?
Ten years on, Cinderella has dreams about the evil fairy queen Mab trying to hurt her and her daughter, and she worries that these dreams will come true, fights off Indians with her magic, and is as stubborn and selfish as she was in the first book.
However, unlike the first in the series, I couldn't finish this one. The syntax and speech of the characters is like reading something written by Yoda; I'm not trying to be cruel, but an editor would have come in handy. It was choppy and hard to understand. By the time I got through half of it, I just didn't care about the characters any longer.
I'm sorry.. one star.
Sunday, February 10, 2013
CBR V, Review 2: "CInderella's Secret Diary: Lost" by Ron Vitale
We in the CBR were offered the chance to read and review two books by Ron Vitale, "Cinderella's Secret Diary: Lost" and "Stolen: Cinderella's Secret Diary".
Since I never turn up my nose at anything free, I read the first one, with the understanding I had to be honest, and place it in the "priority read" pile.
I did both.
This novel has a decent story line, moving Cinderella from the typical Renaissance or Medieval princess time frame in France, to Regency and Napoleonic England. Cinderella and the Prince aren't having their happily ever after, with him ignoring her for long periods of time. This is what her diary is about, how lonely she's feeling, writing to her fairy godmother for help, and telling us about her lot in life.
We find out eventually she has magic powers (well, one really) and what she does with it, people she meets, and how she pines for someone who she can't have, and then she has to save everyone with her one magical power.
It's a stretch of a retelling of the Cinderella story that most people are familiar with. I read it through to the end, but I didn't feel like I knew Cinderella, or could appreciate her problems or issues; the way she was presented made her seem shallow and selfish.
I would give it two stars, an OK book.
Since I never turn up my nose at anything free, I read the first one, with the understanding I had to be honest, and place it in the "priority read" pile.
I did both.
This novel has a decent story line, moving Cinderella from the typical Renaissance or Medieval princess time frame in France, to Regency and Napoleonic England. Cinderella and the Prince aren't having their happily ever after, with him ignoring her for long periods of time. This is what her diary is about, how lonely she's feeling, writing to her fairy godmother for help, and telling us about her lot in life.
We find out eventually she has magic powers (well, one really) and what she does with it, people she meets, and how she pines for someone who she can't have, and then she has to save everyone with her one magical power.
It's a stretch of a retelling of the Cinderella story that most people are familiar with. I read it through to the end, but I didn't feel like I knew Cinderella, or could appreciate her problems or issues; the way she was presented made her seem shallow and selfish.
I would give it two stars, an OK book.
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