I’m a sucker for a fractured fairy tale and this one promised a different take on the Cinderella-type character.  But while I would’ve expected more parallels, this story only had a passing nod to the Cinderella story.

We meet Ash, now known as Lady Aislinn, at dinner with her newly betrothed prince charming, Prince Everett.  Their romance was the stuff of dreams and legend; what with the magical ball where they met, the lost glass slipper, the pumpkin turned into a coach (that was inflated by the press) and her sorry history working as a drudge for her evil stepmother and stepsisters.  But in this story, there was no magic involved, just a cunning con job.  Well, maybe a little magic in the form of a drug that would persuade people…

Ash’s stepmother, Seraphina, was cruel but not particularly evil; she was just determined that all three of her daughters were going to elevate the family (mostly Seraphina, of course) by marrying well. All three had been well-trained in the arts of seduction but Ash upset her applecart when she made a play for the Prince instead of the merchant her stepmother wanted for her.

What Seraphina and Ash’s stepsisters didn’t know was that Ash had another agenda and no intention of following all of Seraphina’s orders.  She had a reason to choose the Prince; a long-game to influence politics and save her ancestral country of Eloria.

But her plan isn’t going well; her façade of a simple, lovable, sweet young girl is at odds with her attempt to get her betrothed to involve her in his intrigues.  She had hoped to be at the table to influence concessions to her grandmother’s homeland which is now subjugated to Solis, her father’s country.  Her grandmother had imbued her with a love for Eloria and a determination to rescue it from under the heel of Solis.  But Everett excludes her because he cannot believe her interest to be of any import. 

And then she meets Rance.  Rance is Elorian and has been a “hostage prince” since Solis conquered Eloria.  He and Everett were raised together and have a great fondness for each other.  Rance has devoted his life to convincing his captors that he has no interest in Eloria; that he is a wastrel and lazy to the bone.  He has also tried to influence Everett to no real avail.  And since he’s been isolated from his own country, he has no idea that a revolution is brewing; a revolution that is near and dear to Ash’s heart.  Ash has conflicting notions about Rance, the longer she knows him.  His façade is quite convincing so even she is convinced that he would be useless to her rebel cause.   She also has conflicting feelings for him; something she simply cannot allow to affect her plan.  Her façade is equally convincing so he cannot see her as anything except an empty-headed girl; at least, at first.  As he begins to catch glimpses of a different Ash, someone that Everett would never recognize, he also develops conflicting feelings.

So the big questions develop: can they see a kindred spirit in each other and work together to save Eloria?  And can they deny their growing attraction in order to keep their places in Solis?

There was so much intrigue in this story; so many characters whose actions and desires affected others and the infant rebellion.  It was complex enough to totally keep my attention.  I was hard-pressed to know which way I wanted to see Ash go.  I admired her determination to put everything except Eloria off to the side.  But the author wasn’t giving us the possibility that she could have it all.  It’s only in fairytales that the heroine gets to save everyone and get her happy-ever-after.  It doesn’t work that way in real life.  And it can be heart-breaking to have to choose.  Had Ash chosen anything except her allegiance to Eloria, her character would have been too tarnished to root for. But hope still endured for this reader…

This was a lovely plot; well-layered.  The characters were also well-done; knowing Ash, Everett and Rance kept the tension going.  And the author added in an understanding of Ash’s stepfamily; I especially liked how the author treated the stepsisters.  Even peripheral characters were of interest.  And while the ending was great and neatly tied up all the loose threads; not everyone got their happy-ever-after.  But I think they got what they deserved. ~~  Catherine Book

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