Sinful Cinderella By Anita Valle

Book Review

Aren’t fairy tale satires great? Especially if the Disney versions make you want to barf! Sinful Cinderella is funny, dark and brimming with bitterness.

For me true fairy tales are supposed to be grim (pun intended). Historically, they were known to be cautionary tales for children and were usually horrible and terrifying. Then of course, Walt Disney got his fairy dust on them and they became the “happily ever after” sort of tales. Ugh, don’t even get me started on Disney princesses. So when I see a dark retelling of a classic tale, I can’t wait to get my hands on it.

Sinful Cinderella

I’m not who they think I am. A docile girl who meekly obeys her stepmother and step-sisters. Some kind of sick angel who cheerfully bears their mistreatment. That’s what I WANT them to think. Because then they won’t suspect what I’m really up to.

The ball, the prince, it’s all part of my plan to come out on top. Stepmother and her demented daughters will pay for every floor I have scoured, every sneer I have borne. They don’t know about the white magic, how I use it to enhance myself. They can’t see that my heart is black as midnight, rotten as a poisoned apple.

They’re about to find out.

And you thought the step-sisters were wicked…

My Thoughts…

Sinful Cinderella isn’t the longest book but it definitely lives up to its promise. It is dark, very dark. Without giving away too much, there isn’t a single likeable character in this story. Even the fairy godmother (I’m sorry, it’s brilliant) is called the “Fairy Godnutter”.

Cinderella is a slave to her “wicked” step-family but it is by choice. She does long for the prince to rescue her from her deplorable life, but let’s just say that her intentions for the prince are less than honorable.

This book is a great start in a unique series about people who may have not started out bad, but through circumstances, either brought on by their own actions or by grievous injury done to them as children, are now truly rotten to the core. Is there room for redemption? I’m not sure but I do know that I’m curious enough to keep reading.