Fated: Cinderella's Story (The Destined Series)

Title: Fated: Cinderella's Story

Series: Destined (Book #1)

Year: 2017

Author: Kaylin Lee

Summary: All Cinderella wants is to take care of her family.

After working tirelessly for five years to prove herself among the city’s elite, she’s about to graduate and win a coveted spot in city government. Then it all blows up in her face—literally.

A violent, anonymous force has been targeting commoners in horrifying attacks. Now they’ve set their sights on Cinderella. Either that, or she’s losing her mind. It doesn’t help that she’s falling for a mage who’s way out of her league.

Just as she manages to recover from the attack that left her scarred and traumatized, the city’s mysterious enemy destroys what’s left of her future. But when they go after her family, they cross the line. The whole city is in danger now.

How much is Cinderella willing to risk to save the city that has always hated her?

Review: For any fans of Marissa Meyer's Lunar Chronicles, the Destined series needs to be the next series you read. I've not read past this first book, but the story here blew me away. We're missing the galaxy/other-worldliness of Meyer's world, but we've got hardworking heroines and snarky dialogue and sweet romance and heart-pounding suspense and political intrigue and all the things. Just saying.

Ella wants nothing more than to graduate well and land a much-coveted government position that will enable her to take care of her family. Well, her stepfamily -- a loving mother with lots of secrets and her two young daughters. But unlike the traditional Cinderella, this one is loved by her family and she chooses to work hard to support them since they can't step a foot outside of the family bakery. Cinderella's stepmother, Zel, has a secret power and a scent that any government tracker could pick up. If caught, Zel could be forced into tyrannical service -- deadly in the wrong hands.

Studying and running the bakery is Ella's life before her final exams. And then the Scarlet Blight enters the picture. Before she knows what's going on, the coveted position is far out of reach, and she's back burning stinky cinderslick to scrape whatever living she can from the bakery.

The Cinderella elements from the original fairy tale were so cleverly woven into this story! The fairy godmother isn't anything like what you'd expect, but fits in so perfectly -- given the "godmother's" unique talent. The ball, and everything... wow. And then, once I hit the end of the book, I had to scrape my jaw from off the floor BECAUSE THERE'S MORE. In addition to a beautiful Cinderella retelling, we've got a Rapunzel AND a Beauty and the Beast retelling adding to the whole story. I won't gush. But seriously. I didn't start this novel intending to give it a full 5 star rating, but I think I have no other choice. I need more books from this author.

Advisory: Some light romance, but pretty light, and built slowly and effectively. A few characters "swear" but no actual words are given.

Some action/violence. The Scarlet Blight is a terror organization putting off bombs and such in the city, leaving people wounded and dead behind them. Expect blood and injuries and the like.

This book also contains magic. However, there are only certain people who have the ability to wield it, and those who don't have that "spark" apparently cannot learn it. However, those who are able to do magic (like the mages) must exercise their talent like a muscle to grow it and develop it.

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars