This review contains affiliate links, which earn me a small commission when you click and purchase, at no extra cost to you. Thank you for supporting my small business and allowing me to continue providing you a reliable resource for clean book ratings.
Pin wakes up with no memory — the newest seamstress enslaved in Godmother’s stone prison. No one has ever escaped Godmother’s control, but with the help of a boy who calls himself Shoe, Pin is determined to attempt a daring escape over the wall. The world beyond is not what Pin imagined, though, and freedom is really a prison of another kind.
Soon Pin finds herself entangled in an age-old story that includes a prince and a clock striking midnight. Story and Godmother have sinister reasons for wanting her to play the part of the fair maiden, but if Pin hopes to tell her own story, she and Shoe will have to trade in a glass slipper for weapons and a happily-ever-after for a chance at finding their own destiny.
Ash & Bramble offers a unique take in the fairy tale retelling genre, where the Godmother and the Story itself play the part of the villains in a Cinderella story that may or may not have been told before — even in this fantasy kingdom. It’s an interesting premise to be sure and opens with the intriguing mystery of Pin’s identity, and, while I did enjoy it, I also found that the more I read the more I disconnected with the story.
In short: this story is confusing. As the plot progresses, it becomes more complicated and intricate, yet very little is explained. I also found the plot to be slow at times despite the danger, and the writing itself to be stiff. Perhaps if the world-building and the characters were a little stronger, I would have been more invested in the story. Overall, though, it is an unusual take on Cinderella, and readers of darker fairy tales may really enjoy it.
Rated: Mild. A character wakes naked with no memory, is forced into a group bath, and is inspected by an overseer. Later another group of people are found chained and naked in a holding cell. There is no detail. Animalist, magically transformed trackers are frequently described as “naked,” though, again, nothing is described and further reading suggests they may appear more animal than human. A man ogles a girl’s body. Characters kiss.
Click here to purchase your copy of Ash and Bramble on Amazon.
