Cinderella Ninja Warrior

Title: Cinderella Ninja Warrior

Series: Twisted Tales (Book #1)

Year: 2011

Author: Maureen McGowan

Summary: In this fast-paced story full of adventure and romance, Cinderella is more than just a servant girl waiting for her prince—she's a tough, fearless girl who is capable of taking charge of a dangerous situation. Seeking to escape the clutches of her evil stepmother, Cinderella perfects her ninja skills and magic talents in secret, waiting for the day when she can break free and live happily ever after. In a special twist, readers have the opportunity to make key decisions for Cinderella and decide where she goes next—but no matter the choice; the result is a story unlike any fairy tale you've ever read!

Review: If you went into this book with little to no expectations, it was a fun, easy read with some new twists to a favorite fairytale.

If you went into this book with any expectations regarding the title and cover image... well, prepare to be greatly disappointed.

Ninja Warrior... No Way. This Cinderella is a self-taught wizard and ninja in training, and nowhere near a ninja warrior. Additionally, she never once wields a sword or any sharp weapon of any kind (or a candle, come to think of it), and her two fights (outside of magic fights) are with wolves and a band of thieves and last for about a minute each. She has a few ninja-type scenes that require some cool acrobatics, but it's more like reading about a gymnast in a cop-off ninja warrior game show. Personally, I think they could have done a whole lot better titling this book and creating a cover for it.

Don't get me wrong. It's an awesome title and cover -- they just doesn't belong with this book.

The other big thing wrong with this book was the "choose your own path" adventure. First off, there were basically only three choices you as the reader got to make for Cinderella. And they all end the same way -- with the exact same ending. So, you're really not making any choices for her; you're just choosing how long it takes you to get to the ending scene. Second, the choices aren't varied at all. One choice should lead to drastically different results than another, but the choices are simple things that only take the reader to the next plot point in the story. What really got me was the first choice you made for Cinderella, where you have to choose whether or not to accept the invitation to the ball. If you're one of those daring people to choose "no ball," the book laughs at you a few pages later. "JK! She's going to the ball anyway, loser!" The choices you make really don't affect Cinderella at all.

Getting on my writer's soap box here: those kinds of choices say nothing more than "lazy author." It's as if the author couldn't decide to do this scene en route to the ball, or this scene en route to the ball, so what gives? Let's put both of them in, up the word count, and save some time! La.Zy.

Personally, I would have loved to see the whole choose your own path thing obliterated completely, and gotten those pages back to see more of Cinderella's adventure. More ninja stuffs. More sword action, rather than people fighting over wands.

The narrative style, honestly, was painful to read at first. There is a lot of information given in the first couple of pages, and the author's throwing it all at you without warning you to put on protective headgear. I realize she had to get into the story fast (given how much space later in the book she wastes on the no-true-choice adventure paths), but it was still painful.

The characters came across as very 2D. Cinderella was pretty stuck on rescuing herself, being a strong female, and all of that; ironically, she owes her whole rescue to her cat. Yes, she has some magical abilities and ninja moves, but both of those are developed thanks to the cat. Ty was such a flat character. He was flirty and full of himself while still wanting to help Cinderella out. The stepmother goes most of the book without a name; actually, quite a few characters remain nameless, as if the author didn't want to be bothered with naming them.

I apologize if I seem harsh. I just had so many emotions spilling over with this book, and I had to get them all out somewhere.

HOWEVER, I do think there are some redeeming qualities to this book. Imagine that. While a lot of the fairytale elements of Cinderella are watered down, a few of them were unique. For example, I liked how the author actually gave the stepmother a reason to keep Cinderella around, more than just, "Oh, I need an extra servant to boss around."

So, if you're wanting an easy read with some fun acrobatic scenes and magic sparkles, this is a Cinderella book to add to your list. Just don't have too many expectations getting into it.

Advisory: Some fantasy violence/fighting. Most of the fights are with wands, so characters are just throwing sparkles around, so it's never very scary.

Cinderella is training to be a wizard, as are several other characters in the book. At one point, she goes to a magic competition where wizards in training compete with and without wands. Magic here seems to be an ability that one is born with and must hone to actually use it with any luck. Wands are helpful to some spells, but magic appears to be mainly developed and used by sheer confidence and believing in one's self. (I may or may not have drowned in how many "believe in yourself" statements I read.)

Rating: 2 out of 5 stars

The Dragon's Flower

Title: The Dragon's Flower

Series: None (published as part of the Golden Braids collection)

Year: 2019

Author: Wyn Estelle Owens

Summary: In the wilds of the mountainous country of Akiyama, there stands a pagoda. When Shichiro, an exiled, honorless samurai stumbles across it one rainy morning, he expects to find it empty and abandoned. He was not expecting to find a lonely princess with near-mythical blue eyes dwelling in the top floors. 

Hanako has dwelt alone for all her life, with only her two silent handmaidens and the countless dragon effigies on her walls to keep her company; her only knowledge of the outside world gained from the books and scrolls she reads. When the wandering ronin stumbles onto her haven, she gains her first friend, never knowing how deeply this chance meeting would affect her. 

The threads of fate have tied these two together, and all the while turmoil boils in the midst of the Seven Countries of Azuma-no-Kuni. Rumors of alliances and armies sprout up, and whispers of the long-lost Imperial Line returning at last. Old prophecies ripen at last, and old myths prepare to show themselves once again in the hour of need. Amongst it all stand two new allies—an isolated princess and a near-friendless ronin, as the wheels of fate and destiny circle them and draw ever closer. Will peace at last return to the fractured realms, or will remnants of the once great Empire splinter beyond all redemption?

Review: If you've ever wanted a full-fledged, packed-to-the-brim Rapunzel story that didn't leave anything of the original fairytale elements out, this is your story. Buckle in for a long and wild ride, and get ready to be swept away.

Hanako has lived all her life on top of a pagoda. She's sheltered and protected, but she can't help wondering about the outside world. And the outside world gets a whole lot closer and more real when a tired ronin appears at her door.

Shichiro has lost his name and his honor. By doing what he knew was right, he's now condemned to wander wherever he will and keep himself alive by the skill of his blade. Seeking refuge in a seemingly abandoned pagoda and getting attacked with a bowl of rice to the face.

There was just so much to love about this story. First, it's chock-full of everything Rapunzel you could ever want. It's been a while since I've seen a Rapunzel retelling so closely follow the original fairytale yet feel like a completely unique story. This one does exactly that. All the thumbs up.

If I were to be nitpicky, the *only* thing from the original fairytale that's left out is the long hair. It's touched on briefly and does have a hair-ladder at one point, but hair really isn't a big deal. But you almost don't miss it in the overwhelming Rapunzel-ness of the rest of the story.

It is purely Japanese/Asian culture. For me, since I'm not super familiar with the "-chan" and "-hime" and "-sama" name meanings, I got a little lost while reading. This story doesn't waste time explaining the nuances of the culture and backgrounds. It just plunges you straight into the stories, and you're so wrapped up in the the characters and what's going on before you even realize that it's not the twenty-first century in America anymore. I believe if you're familiar with that type of culture, you'll jump into the book without any difficulty, but for someone like me, it takes a bit to get used to the new culture. Not that it's bad; Wyn does an amazing job fitting the Rapunzel story into the culture and you couldn't tell where the seam was.

Hanako and Shichiro were also a super cute couple. I was a little worried that Shichiro, being a ronin, would turn out as a Flynn Rider knock-off, but he wasn't. Shichiro was so much his own person. I loved the banter he had with Hanako and his siblings! I'm especially always down for a good sibling relationship in a book. This one did not disappoint.

Hanako, too, was an amazing heroine. Her story worked so perfectly with the Rapunzel tale. One of the things that really impressed me was how she was both feminine and strong. She's still dependent on Shichiro for some things, but she's able to function and get things done while he's not there. Brave, beautiful, and all the things. However, I was a little confused when Hanako was described as a healer; she has some knowledge of the body and medicine to help people (which is great), but *highlight for spoiler* she was completely in the dark when it came to how her body worked in pregnancy. *end spoiler* I know she was sheltered, but as a healer, she should have some kind of knowledge in how that works.

Ichiro, I think, was just the best. His plot twist.... DID NOT SEE THAT COMING. Also, huge shout-out to Aika, Isao's wife. She was so sweet and perfect for Isao; she was so supportive and loving to him when he had tough decisions to make, and balanced him out so wonderfully.

The writing style was fun and fairly easy to read and get sucked into. As I said above, a lot of the book relies heavily on the Japanese culture, and several characters behave and speak as if they were from that specific medieval-esque time period. However, other characters were very modern in their speech and behavior, which kinda threw me out of the culture; some of the dialogue just seemed too twenty-first century America.

Additionally, the scenes jump POV a lot. I realize that the book is meant to be told as by an omniscient narrator, but it got a little confusing to be in one character's head and then suddenly another's. I noticed that happened a lot in scenes with just two characters.

The pace in the first half of the book was intriguing and really good. Once you got into it, the pages just kept turning. However, the second half of the book after the BIG MOMENT (sorry, no spoilers) read kinda slow. I felt as if everything were trying to build up to a war that ultimately never happened. There's months and months of negotiations and alliance-building, and the whole time, the enemy doesn't do anything. Given how clever the enemy was described to be, I thought that a bit odd. Maybe, though, that's just my personal preference. It would have been cool to see more action in the second half.

I know that was just a good amount of negative-sounding criticism, but overall, I was super impressed by this book. It's definitely something you want on your shelf if you're any kind of fairytale retelling enthusiast. I loved getting to see so much of the original tale unfold smoothly and seamlessly with the Japanese culture. All I can say is, "Wow."

Advisory: Some hints at intimacy between husbands and wives, but I thought it all pretty clean. Two characters in the story are pregnant and give birth, but nothing is graphic or over-described.

Some fantasy violence and fighting. Some characters are injured or killed and there are some descriptions of blood/injuries, but nothing is overly graphic.

There are celestial spirits/gods that watch over and interfere/help out from time to time. In the culture, they reminded me a lot of the family guardians from Disney's Mulan or the Greek gods. However, they work with fate to guard over the royal family and fight for a happy ending.

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Rebekah's Refuge

Title: Rebekah's Refuge

Series: None (published as part of the Golden Braids collection)

Year: 2019

Author: Meredith Leigh Burton

Summary: Never allow a stranger to buy you anything. Never reveal what you truly are. Above all, never, ever allow your hair to be cut.

In a plague-ravaged world, people will stop at nothing to find a cure. Rebekah is a young norn who on the run for her life. Charles, a man desperate to heal his ailing wife, wants the life-giving magic contained in Rebekah's hair.

When Rebekah’s path crosses with Martha’s, a mother who has lost her daughter to the same man, secrets will be revealed. Buried fears will be resurrected, and the conflict between norns and humans may cause devastating havoc. Will Rebekah and Martha find a way to help both human and nornkind, or will Rebekah’s pursuer capture her? Will the plague be eradicated, or is a more sinister plan at work?

Things are not how they appear in this story of finding a place to belong. Rebekah’s Refuge is a tale of sacrifice, love and courage. You will meet many individuals, human and norn alike, who bear scars, scars that cannot be seen. A tenuous thread binds their destinies together, but threads, like hair, can easily be cut. Only those who listen can find the courage to fight. Rebekah’s Refuge is a tale of desperation and hope, a story of turmoil and healing. 

Review: It's difficult to pin any one genre/subgenre on it because it draws from multiple. For one, it's a clever Rapunzel retelling with unexpected twists on all the usual elements. But it's also slightly dystopian given that it's a tale of a world ravished by illness, and some people are desperate enough to try anything to get the cure. Additionally, it's also fantasy, since we have a culture of humans living beside (although not always peacefully) another race of beings called norns.

Rebekah is a young norn, a special race of beings that have special powers through nature. One of the defining characteristics of norns is their hair. Although it may look like regular human hair, it contains power and, once cut, fades into a lettuce-type of consistency and can be eaten as medicine for the dreadful Bind Weed plague. However, since the hair has power, a norn can physically feel it being cut off, and once cut it grows back weaker.

I can guarantee you've never read a Rapunzel retelling like this before. The author incorporated so many of the elements from the original fairytale, but all in super unexpected ways. For once, hair is key. And for that, I'm excited about. Too many times, I think Rapunzel stories give Rapunzel long hair, but don't ever give her a reason to HAVE long hair. This Rapunzel has both the long hair and a compelling reason for it.

You know what else this story does? It follows the tale of what happened to the wife after eating the (forbidden) vegetable from the witch's garden. This tale is so Rapunzel, but so not because everything is turned on its head.

My complaint for this tale would be the shifting POV. I realize that the story is complicated and requires many people to tell it, but scenes would cut from one character's narration to another without warning, and sometimes it was difficult to tell who you were supposed to be following. In the beginning, especially, I had to read a few scenes twice to understand what was going on. Also, while the end was super sweet, I felt that the climatic scenes were just a little bogged down by so much having to be wrapped up in such a short amount of time. I think stretching it out a little to breathe could have made it slightly easier to follow.

But overall, this is one Rapunzel tale that doesn't follow the normal retelling rules. And thus, it should be one you need to add to your fairytale retellings shelf.

Advisory: Some violence/pain/illness. Since the norns have special powers (particularly medicinally), some of them are forced into helping try to find a cure for the plague. Several norns have their hair cut off, and the story hints at possible rape to help conceive babies.

One passionate kiss between a man and his wife.

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Molly Storm

Title: Molly Storm

Series: None (published as part of the Golden Braids collection)

Year: 2019

Author: Annie Louise Twitchell

Summary: A witch, a pirate, a lighthouse, and... seaweed? Molly Storm is a short story inspired by the tale of Rapunzel. 

“You and I, lass, we’re both sides of the same coin. We’re both the heart of the ocean, but you’re more the kindness and goodness. I’m the storms that crush ships. Don’t cross me, Molly. I’ll crush all the sweetness out of you.”

Review: What if Rapunzel lived in a lighthouse? This short story explores the favorite fairytale with some nautical twists and mystical turns. And all from the perspective of the witch, Gothel -- or in this case, Molly Storm.

Molly's content to live alone in her lighthouse, mixing potions as needed, but an annoying visitor at her door forces her to make a life-altering choice. The Pirate King wants a special potion, something that has power unlike Molly's ever seen before. But its effects may last longer and darker than she's bargained for.

This short story reads very quickly, easily consumed in a single sitting; it's well-paced and stuffed with just enough intrigue to keep you turning pages. At first, I was a little concerned at how the Rapunzel elements would fit in, given that the beginning of the story is so different from the original fairytale. HOWEVER, the answers soon became clear, and I was very impressed by how roped I got into Gothel's/Molly's tale. The true element explored here is WHY Molly took that child.

This is a very sweet retelling, focusing on the power of love. Not so much a romantic love, but pure love between people and the power that love has to change for the better. The style reads as a fairytale, so this would almost seem like the perfect tale to read aloud.

Advisory: Some violence. The Pirate King doesn't like to be crossed, and one character suffers physically from his wrath. However, nothing is graphic, and all is handled very well.

Also, since Molly is a witch, she creates potions and spells through her big cauldron. While I was a little bothered by the fact that she's a witch (just because that's really not my thing), her craft is almost portrayed as a talent; she makes her potions through herbs and lots of mixing, not necessarily through another power source. Given the very fairytale-esque setting of the story, I'd say it wasn't too big of a deal.

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars