Book Review Teaser :: Ash by Malinda Lo

New on Fantastic Reviews is Aaron's review of Ash by Malinda Lo.

From Aaron's book review of Ash :
"Ash by Malinda Lo is a beautifully written novel, combining modern sensibilities with the elegant, wistful voice of a fairy tale. Published as a young adult novel, but equally enjoyable to adult readers, Ash is a loose retelling of the story of Cinderella. The set-up is roughly the same: the untimely deaths of her parents leave Aisling, Ash for short, in the care of a cruel stepmother and nasty stepsisters (although it turns out one of the sisters isn't so bad when you get to know her), who treat Ash as a servant. Her hopes for escape rest on assistance from the fairy world."

"From there, however, the details of the story bend in a decidedly un-Disney direction. For one thing, while there is a grand ball hosted by a charming prince who must choose a bride, it gradually becomes apparent that Ash is drawn instead to Kaisa, the King's huntress."

"Some have described Ash as a lesbian version of Cinderella, but I think that does the book a disservice. It is first and foremost a vividly imagined expansion of the Cinderella story, with a mysterious and ominous analogue to the fairy godmother, and a wonderfully realized protagonist who takes a far more active role in her own story than the traditional character. The fact that Ash is attracted to the King's huntress rather than the prince is only one of many ways in which she defies her fate and others' expectations...."

To read the entire review -> Ash