Princess Lorelai has been in hiding since her stepmother Irina used her magic to gain control of the kingdom of Ravenspire, but after years of watching Irina destroy the land and people, Lorelai knows it's time to make her move and take back her crown. Irina, though, has enlisted Kol, newly-crowned king of Eldr, to hunt down Lorelai in exchange for her help in defeating the ogres destroying his own kingdom.
I was expecting this story to be a dark retelling of the Snow White tale, but unfortunately it was bland and unoriginal. Lorelai is such a flat character, I found myself not really caring if she succeeded or not. The huntsman aspect of the story is wasted, because Kol allies with Lorelai almost as soon as Irina unleashes him. Many of the plot points felt like they were pulled from other sources, tv shows, and movies. The writing isn't bad, but it is repetitive - how many times can an author use the word "slammed" in one book?
One thing that redeems this book a bit is Irina - I much preferred the chapters from her POV than from Lorelai's. She's wicked in the best ways and just plain more interesting than the other characters. I could have used more of her character! 2.5 stars
A character-driven retelling of the classic Snow White story. Princess Lynet has always admired her stepmother Mira, but when her father names Lynet as the new queen of the southern territories, the relationship between the two women is fractured.
The story moves back and forth between the points of view of Lynet and Mina, including flashbacks to earlier in Mina's life, allowing the reader to truly get to know each character. Magic is infused in the story through Mina's father, who not only replaced his daughter's dying heart with a glass one, but created Lynet out of snow at her own father's command.
I thoroughly enjoyed Mina's character; she believes she is incapable of loving anything or being loved, yet there are moments in her life that would prove otherwise. I liked that she wasn't the typical villainous stepmother; in fact, I don't think she was really a villain at all. Her relationship with Lynet is complicated, but at the heart of it is love. And as much as this story is about these two women, much can be said for the theme of father-daughter relationships, because both Mina and Lynet are treated so poorly by their controlling fathers.
The story moves extremely slowly and there isn't a lot of action, but those readers looking for a more elevated version of the Snow White tale won't be disappointed. 4 stars
I have heard mixed things about "Girls Made of Snow and Glass", so I`m very happy I came across your review. Personally, I adore slow-burning, character driven books, and from the looks of it, I`ll really enjoy this retelling.
ReplyDeleteCarmen`s Reading Corner
Yes, if that's the kind of book you're into, you will definitely like Girls Made of Snow and Glass!
DeleteI really wanted to read Girls Made of Snow and Glass when it came out but I still haven't even bought it at this point. I'm such a slacker!
ReplyDeleteHaha, well, it took me awhile to read these two, as well! So many books, not enough time!
DeleteI’m gonna be honest. When comes to retellings I am easy to please. I enjoyed the shadow queen. It want anything special but I enjoyed it. Haven’t read the other one. It’s on my list.
ReplyDeleteI hope you enjoy Girls Made of Snow and Glass!
DeleteI have not read either of those yet, but I do enjoy retellings and hope to eventually get around to them <3
ReplyDeleteYeah, I've been getting into retellings lately - hope you enjoy them!
DeleteGlad you enjoyed one of these! I am hit or miss with retellings myself.
ReplyDeleteYeah, there are a lot of things that can make or break a retelling!
DeleteOoh, perfect timing for this post! I was just talking to someone about how I wish there were more Snow White-inspired stories/retellings, so these are great. I've heard a lot of similar sentiments about The Shadow Queen, so I'm super skeptical of whether or not I'll actually pick it up--I love dark retellings (probably too much), so that's a bit of a disappointment. I am very intrigued by Girls Made of Snow and Glass, so I do think I'll pick it up. :)
ReplyDeleteAwesome!! Glad I could bring these to you. Hope you enjoy Girls Made of Snow and Glass!
DeleteI adore retellings, and I've heard mixed things about both these books. I love the premise, but I think Girls made of Snow and Glass will be too slow for me :( I love action, haha.
ReplyDeleteA pity about The Shadow Queen! I love that cover :)
Great reviews!
Thanks, Amy! I do normally like plot-driven over character-driven, but sometimes it works for me!
DeleteI haven't read either of these yet. The Shadow Queen is one that sounds amazing, but if it isn't very dark, maybe I will pass on it and just skip over to Girls Made of Snow and Glass instead. I am glad that you enjoyed the second book so much! :)
ReplyDeleteThanks! Yeah, I would definitely recommend Girls over The Shadow Queen.
DeleteConfession: I have both these books. Second Confession: I have read neither. I am the worst. Reviews seem to be all over the place for these two. I am sorry to hear The Shadow Queen was a disappointment, but at least you enjoyed Girls Made of Snow and Glass.
ReplyDeleteHaha, that happens to all of us! They both do seem to have mixed reviews, but I hope you enjoy them when you get to them!
DeleteSorry that The Shadow Queen didn't work for you! I haven't read a book by CJ Redwine for a while, and I enjoy her books, but this one doesn't peak my interest. I do love the sound of Girls Made of Snow and Glass though! Adding it to goodreads as I write. :)
ReplyDeleteAwesome! I hope you love it!
DeleteHonestly, I'm so relieved to see your review of The Shadow Queen. I'd just started it and was already bored out of my mind. DNF it is!
ReplyDeleteYes, thank you!! I'm always happy to find someone else who agrees with me when I don't like a book!
DeleteAw bummer about The Shadow Queen. Glad to hear that Girls was better though, even if a bit slow. there are so many fairy tale retellings now, seems like, but that's good I guess especially the ones that are really original.
ReplyDeleteYes, there does seem to be an influx of retellings lately, just a popular trend lately, I guess! But it does mean there's lots to choose from and lots of great ones out there!
DeleteI still need to check out Girls Made of Snow and Glass!!
ReplyDeleteI hope you enjoy it, Erica!
DeleteI’ve seen mixed reviews for both of these. Girls Made of Snow and Glass definitely sounds worth a shot for me through. Great reviews!
ReplyDeleteI hope you enjoy Girls if you read it!
DeleteWhat different Snow White retellings these are! I'm glad one out of two were good reads!
ReplyDeleteYes, they were very different from each other, which was good!
DeleteThat's disappointing to hear that The Shadow Queen wasn't a better read for you. Bland and unoriginal would definitely bother me on a retelling so I think I'll pass on this one. I'm glad Girls Made of Snow and Glass worked better for you. I enjoyed that one as well, although I do agree that the pacing was somewhat slow at times.
ReplyDeleteYeah, I had heard good things about The Shadow Queen, but it just didn't work for me. I'm sure lots of people will love it, though!
DeleteI'm glad to hear you enjoyed Girls made of Snow and glass! It was a bit of a slow book, at first, but I loved the characters in this so, so much :) <3
ReplyDeleteLovely reviews! :) x
Yes, the characters really made the story!
DeleteSorry the first one fell so flat. I've always LOVED that cover, but the story itself has never much interested me. But that second one sounds interesting for how character-driven it is and how you said the "villainous stepmother" isn't really a villain after all!
ReplyDeleteI loved the cover on the Shadow Queen, too!
DeleteDefinitely enjoyed Girls Made of Snow and Glass. The Shadow Queen is on my shelf but I have no clue when I will read it. I hate that it fell flat for you!
ReplyDeleteYeah, it was a disappointment for me, but hopefully you'll enjoy it more!
DeleteWhat a fun theme! I love retellings and I do like more serious or darker retellings especially, so Girls Made of Snow and Glass sounds really good.
ReplyDeleteThank you! I've been reading a lot of retellings lately, and Girls was a good one!
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