Showing posts with label Jim C. Hines. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Jim C. Hines. Show all posts

7.13.2009

They like me! They really like me!

First, I want to thank J. Kaye! She's an incredible book blogger (one of the first I ever followed) and I am so honored that she chose to feature me last Friday (July 10th) as part of her 'A Book Blogger's New Discovery.' So again, thanks J. Kaye!


I've also found links to my reviews by two authors fairly recently (okay, so from June, but I only found them recently, so that counts, right?) and was so excited I just had to share. :)

The first mention of one of my reviews I found was by Jim C. Hines At the beginning of June, I reviewed the anthology Terribly Twisted Tales, and his story "The Red Path" was one of my favorites, so he linked to that review from his LJ.

Then, I found out that Malinda Lo has seen my review of Ash. I found one of her June twitter updates that quotes my review!

Thanks everyone!

4.09.2009

Stepsister Scheme

The Stepsister Scheme by Jim C. Hines revisits the classic fairy tales Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, and Snow White as the first installment of the Princess series. In Hines’ fantasy, these “happily ever after” fairy tales come to us with a twist. Cinderella’s (known to her stepsisters as Cinderwench) real name is Danielle Whiteshore, Sleeping Beauty is actually a martial arts master who goes by Talia and hates fairies despite their blessings, and Snow is a sorceress who changed her name to hide her royal roots. After Danielle’s stepsister attempts to take her life and her husband, Prince Armand, is kidnapped, these three princesses head out to Fairyland on a mission to find the evil stepsisters and rescue the prince. On the way, the princesses are forced to revisit their pasts, outthink riddles, conquer magical beings, and, most importantly, trust each other.

This princess trio is certainly one to admire, full of courage, wit, beauty, and fun. As a great lover of fairy tales, I enjoyed how Hines combined the traditional fairy tales with the Disney ones in his own retelling, empowering the female characters as they went to rescue the prince. These strong heroines were well-developed and relatable, and their unique abilities and personalities balanced each other well. The Stepsister Scheme is full of action, moving the plot along while helping to attract a male audience in addition to the obvious female one. After being introduced to Danielle, Talia, and Snow in The Stepsister Scheme, I can’t wait until The Mermaid’s Madness is released to see how Hines merges these tough princesses into the tale of The Little Mermaid. 7 out of 10.