My Review of Five Glass Slippers

Guess what starts tomorrow?? (Hint: The banner above has something to do with it. *wink*) I'm honored and thrilled to join with Rooglewood Press in hosting the Five Glass Slippers blog tour! Step into the fairy tale and join us for a week of all things Cinderella...

I'm going to be posting special (and super fun!) spotlights for each of the collections' five authors here June 23-27, and various bloggers will be sharing their mini interviews with the authors on their designated days. AND, there's going to be a fabulous giveaway you won't want to miss! You can check out the schedule HERE. I hope to see you all bright and early tomorrow!

To kick things off and get us excited for what's to come, here's my review of this wonderful collection of novellas:

Here's a description of the book:

ONE BELOVED STORY, FIVE EXCITING WRITERS

A COLLECTION TO CHERISH

What happens when Cinderella is so painfully shy that she cannot bear the idea of attending the royal ball? Or when the slipper fits . . . but on the wrong girl? What happens when Cinderella is determined to oust an imposter prince from her rightful throne? Or when she is a cendrillon miner working from a space station orbiting a cthonian planet? What happens when Cinderella, a humble housemaid, is sent with a message for a prisoner trapped in a frightening fairy circus?

Here is Cinderella as you have never met her before, wearing glass slippers and off on unforgettable adventures!

My Rating

Spring/Summer

My Review

Five Glass Slippers deserves five shining stars for its presentation and for the creativity found within the collection. Not that the stories are all completely different in terms of genre...four of them are fantasy-esque or more classically fairy-tale, while one is a sci-fi. But each story contains such unique personalities and delicious writing, thereby making this a sweet read indeed for fans of Cinderella!

What Eyes Can See by Elisabeth Brown: This first novella contains many familiar elements of the Cinderella story - but the twists are quite fun and sweet! While "Cinderella" is one of the "main" characters, it's one of the stepsisters who really takes the spotlight, especially since the Cinderella character has other ideas than following the path so kindly set out before her. (Far from oppressed, this girl!) The real heroine is quite likeable, although I must confess that the prince has quite the thick skull when it comes to matters of the heart. The fairy tale develops in new ways and ends up sharing a cute message about true romance.

*Broken Glass by Emma Clifton: While I greatly enjoyed all the novellas in this collection - and while there are a couple that come not far behind this one in my estimation - I believe Broken Glass is my absolute favorite. That's because it was full of: great writing, with alternately hilarious and profound lines; fabulous personalities, all of which intrigued and surprised me; and plenty of adventure and romance adding up to an engaging plot. Oh, these characters! The couples are stinkin' adorable (well, at least by the end, haha). The fairy godmother has a great role, and I love her connection with the glass slipper and the title of the story. And the epilogue is just perfect. This is a gem of a story, one that I believe I'd enjoy re-reading, for sure!

The Windy Side of Care by Rachel Heffington: Having loved Heffington's debut novel (Fly Away Home), I wasn't surprised to discover that her novella is another clever story with great descriptions. She has a lovely writing style. I confess, though, that this particular story ended up coming across as a little "too" or "overly" clever in some ways, and a little drawn out at times. But I liked the echoes of the Disney version of Cinderella, as well as Ever After, and the ending is quite fun! Also, you gotta love the godfather. ;)

A Cinder's Tale by Stephanie Ricker: I so enjoyed this story, despite not being much of a sci-fi fan! Even though I'm not super familiar with Star Trek, I got some similar vibes with the camaraderie between the characters and the "exploration" angle. The characterization is just awesome, and I really loved the crew! So fun how they matched some of the Disney Cinderella characters while having personalities that are entirely their own. It's an engaging story - and you gotta love a happy ending! :) Plus, the "pumpkin patch" reference is too clever!

The Moon Master's Ball by Clara Diane Thompson: I love the atmosphere of this story. The references to the fall season and the pervading sense of mystery and suspense are wonderful. Thompson fills the story with bright details that delight and entice. And I liked how the fairy godmother reminded me a bit of the one from Shrek 2. ;) I would have liked a little more from the ending, though, and I wasn't entirely convinced Rodger's character was necessary (I liked him, but he felt like more of an unnecessary foil) - but all in all, it's a unique and fun read!

In conclusion, I'm quite impressed with how this collection came together! (Might I add that the title pages are so perfect and lovely!) Definitely a lot of talent on display here from this group of authors. There's a bit of head-hopping in almost all of the stories, but I imagine it's hard to help in shorter fairy-tale stories like these - and sometimes it can work well (while other times it's more distracting).

So take the time to be Cinderella for a day (or five!) as you live vicariously through these characters; it's an enjoyable experience!

*With thanks to Rooglewood Press for providing me with a PDF copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.*