I have a thing for fairy tales. I love jumping back into old stories and then seeing what people can do with them. I even took a course in University all about the re-tellings of famous stories. We call them "Intertexts". This one is a continuation of good ol' Cinderella. You've heard her story, you've watched the Disney movies (cartoon, sequels and live action remake) and I'm sure you've watched the Brandy version too. There's so many retellings of this story! A Cinderella Story has been redone so many times too. There are even organizations named after the story!

But... what about Lady Tremaine? The evil woman with the cat (that I want, by the way. I like cats. I don't care if they are the bad guys... They are fluffy) and the ugly step sisters (who weren't that ugly, honestly). Anastasia and Drizella... There is so much there for a story! So much! I am not surprised at all that Serena Valentino decided to add her spin to this story. Wicked step-mothers aren't always wicked... Maybe just not well informed.

We open up with a bit of a synopsis if you somehow did not know the basics of this story, and then get thrust into the Fairylands! Fairy God Mother gets a request from Cinderella, and it turns out she has to help her ward. The whole point Fairy God Mother brings up that villains deserve their bad endings... But do they? Do they? Look how many live action remakes we are getting with villains... It can't be true. Maybe they deserve a second chance...

This book is a roller coaster ride of fun. It gives a lot of life to Lady Tremaine and makes her story way more interesting than a brooding old bat who's just a jerk. Seeing this woman be hardened over time and what happened to her... It makes you understand the story a bit more (but obviously still feel bad because Cinderella didn't deserve all the hate).

Overall, great book! I recommend it if you love Disney retellings.

Four out of five stars.

Thank you to NetGalley and Disney Publishing Worldwide for a free copy of this book in exchange of an honest review. ( )

Once upon a dream...

...a lovely place to be...

...depending upon what side of it you're on.



As I said, I've been wanting to check out this series, so when I saw this tour come around and the villain it centered on, I couldn't resist! I mean, who doesn't love to loathe Lady Tremaine of Cinderella's story fame? The thing is...the story sheds a light on her time before becoming a stepmother, let a one an evil one with cruel intentions and self serving ways. For you see, once upon a TIME, she was a Londoner widow reeling from the loss of the love of her life, realizing the two daughters she adored were fairly spoiled brats, and tryin to see her way through to another day. Doesn't sound so evil, right? Ah, and you're assetment would be spot on...at least until the magic of the Many Lands works its way into her character, both heart and soul, turning what appears to be a chance at an ending much more pleasant than her current state of affairs into a nightmare from which she can't escape.

Oh, my friends, you are certainly in for a treat with this one. Meddling witches, fairies strung too tight, forgiving stepdaughter Queen's, and former households turned haunts for more than bad memories...all these things and more await you as you dive between the pages. I can't say it was what I expected, and yet I wasn't disappointed in the least. The different viewpoint given to a story that we've known our whole lives certainly makes you stop and think...but that forgiveness that Cinderella so easily offers is much harder to come by. Step into a fairytale that holds echoes of the things we held certain, while smashing to bits assumptions made with truths hard to swallow, but nevertheless revealing.


**copy received for review; opinions are my own ( )

Enjoyable look at Lady Tremaine. Serena Valentino does a good job in making her narrative fit within the Disney cannon. The book definitely made me feel sorry for Lady Tremaine. However, things moved a bit too quickly. I felt that the book could've been longer. Some bits felt extremely rushed. Still, it's a fun read. ( )

In Fairytales Stepmothers are Evil

Serena Valentino delves into a pre-Cinderella story about the villain Lady Tremaine. Once upon a time there was an evil stepmother and her two evil daughters. Except, Cinderella does not quite agree. After she writes a pleading letter to Fairy Godmother, the fairies must decide if Anastasia and Drizella are worthy of rescuing. Lady Tremaine did her best after the death of her husband, but moving on and raising her daughters to be ladies has not filled the hole in her heart. Scaring her selfish daughters, Anastasia and Drizella, into behaving is not the most effective way to parent. Overcorrecting by becoming overly strict and withdrawn, leads to their cruel behavior. Or is it the meddling of witches and fairies that change the good into horrible people?

At first, this version of Lady Tremaine is unrecognizable. Serena Valentino shows how Lady Tremaine gradually slips from benevolence, to dispassion, to callousness, and finally into madness. Serena Valentino makes her seem human with all the worries, sadness, selfishness, and mistakes that even heroes make. This is certainly a story about a romance gone wrong. It’s hard not to feel sympathy, when her life fails to be the happily ever after she expects as she falls into bitterness. There are some wonderful references to all the Disney fairies, as they work together to help the Many Kingdoms. Even if their meddling is one-sided. Also a few mentions of some of the previous Villains Series books. If you have ever questioned the tale of Cinderella, or are just curious about the other side of the story, this is a book about the dark endings of fairytales. Not everyone is destined for a happy ending, some receive cruel fates. ( )