From the Ashes by Kayla Jameth

Title: From the Ashes

Author: Kayla Jameth

Purchase at Amazon

Cover Artist:  Mina Carter

Genre:  fairy tale

Length:  90 pages

Formats:  Mobi

Cinder never thought that he could rise from the ashes of his life, but an unexpected encounter with a woman claiming to be his fairy godmother may be just what he needs. Finding himself flung into his very own fairy tale, she sends him off to meet his Prince Charming. But was the gown really necessary?

This charming retelling of the Cinderella tale gives us a Cinderfella with wonderful period feeling and just enough magic to make it all work.

We all know the premise, but here, the author puts us into the sixteenth century French court, complete with politics, scheming and deception. Our hero has been stripped of his birthright, and in truly wicked fairy tale fashion he’s also been forced to dress and live as a woman. Even his fellow housemaids aren’t too clear that one of these servants is not like the others. Overwork and undernourishment keep our hero slight of frame, so the deception persists.

Fairy godmother turns up, right on cue, to send Cinder to the ball in silks and satins and the obligatory glass slippers, with the usual admonishments, and for the usual reasons. But however shall his Prince deal with the discovery that his princess is no lady?

This does all work out-of course! We need our HEA!-but not before our emotions get yanked all over the place with the additional worry of gender, succession, and some sixteenth century political intrigue. The author is historian enough to make us believe completely in the time and setting, so even though we’ve all known how this story works out since we were six years old, the how and where reads fresh.

We do get to see Prince Charming aka Henri’s POV a bit, and cementing in the HEA. The ending lurched a little for me, but all works out well, and I would happily spend another chilly evening wrapped up in a blanket with this author’s work. 4.5 marbles.