Title: Griselda Rella
Author: Lee Renwick Steele
Genre: Fantasy, Fairy Tale Retelling
Book Blurb:
Sixteen-year-old Griselda and her father have a secret—fairy sight, a trait punishable by death. Her world is upended when her father is killed, her mother remarries, and her new stepfather dies of illness. Griselda must grapple with her scheming stepsister, the burden of fairy sight inherited from her father, and a pair of fairy-blessed slippers.
A young-adult fairy story, GRISELDA RELLA is a reimaging of the Cinderella story, by Charles Perrault, with the heroine and adversary characters reversed.
My Review:
Think you know the whole story of Cinderella? In this imaginative retelling of the famous fairy tale, your head will spin off its shoulders. Griselda Rella merges classic fantasy with classic fairy tales in one delightful, mind-bending story. The characters are epic, the world-building sublime, the narration sucks you in, and the writing the best I’ve seen.
The story/plot grabs you from the first page. I hadn’t read ten pages before I was all in on the story. The plot is original yet familiar. I liked the author’s twist on the fairy tale.
The world-building is epic with some amazing techniques. Everyone who reads fantasy will see something to like in this story. The author creates a world based in reality but seeped in magic. My fantasy heart loved every moment reading. I honestly didn’t want to stop reading.
The characters are relevant, colorful, and distinct. I especially liked Griselda. Poor girl, she’s been through such a rotten time. But she manages to overcome it all. Her strength is what I adored most.
If you binge-read fantasy books and fairy tales, you’ve found your next read. This book rocks!
My Rating: 5+ stars
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Author Biography:
Lee Renwick Steele lives with an orange and white kitty in a small home situated near red maples, rhododendron shrubs, and abundant avian wildlife: juncos, robins, white-crowned sparrows, towhees, and the occasional flicker pecking in the attic. She has an MFA in Creative Writing for Children and Young Adults and is a member of her local writers’ association and SCBWI. She enjoys reading, writing, traveling, long walks, spending time with family and friends, and moments of quiet. GRISELDA RELLA is her first novel.
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Reviewed by: Sam