Audiobook Review – The Shadow in the Glass

Title: The Shadow in the Glass

Author: J.J.A Harwood

Genre: Fantasy/ Retellings/ Historical

Goodreads Rating: 3.27

My Rating:

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Source: ARC

Synopsis:

Once upon a time Ella had wished for more than her life as a lowly maid.

Now forced to work hard under the unforgiving, lecherous gaze of the man she once called stepfather, Ella’s only refuge is in the books she reads by candlelight, secreted away in the library she isn’t permitted to enter.

One night, among her beloved books of far-off lands, Ella’s wishes are answered. At the stroke of midnight, a fairy godmother makes her an offer that will change her life: seven wishes, hers to make as she pleases. But each wish comes at a price and Ella must to decide whether it’s one she’s willing to pay it.

A smouldering, terrifying new spin on Cinderella – perfect for fans of Laura Purcell and Erin Morgenstern.

My Review:

I’d like to thank NetGalley and Harper Collins UK for approving me for an ARC of this book. I absolutely love fairy tale retellings so when this one popped up as a dark Cinderella story I knew I had to give it a try.

I loved the dirty and dark Victorian setting, it was the perfect backdrop for this tale. When the story starts we see Eleanor at her lowest. Struggling to keep her friends and herself safe from her master she will do anything to protect them all. Luckily for her a fairy god mother appears to save the day. I thought the twist on this fairy god mother was brilliant, again she matched the dark and eerie setting perfectly. In exchange for her soul Ella is granted 7 wishes and I was very intrigued to see how she used them.

Whilst Ella always tried to do things to help herself and her friends things didn’t always plan out the way she had imagined. There were times when I questioned why Ella was making certain choices and started to question how innocent she was. The way her relationships changed with some of the other characters was also very interesting.

Whilst this is a Cinderella story the author has put her own spin on things. I loved the nods to the traditional story and the ending has definitely left me wanting more. I really hope there is a sequel as I can’t cope with that cliff hanger ending!

This was a story about survival and what one will do to keep going. It shows us how all our decisions have consequences, not all of them foreseen. A dark, gritty and twisted tale that is perfect for any fairy tale fans out there!

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