Bristal, an orphaned kitchen maid, lands in a gritty fairy tale gone wrong when she discovers she is an elicromancer with a knack for shape-shifting. An ancient breed of immortal magic beings, elicromancers have been winnowed down to merely two – now three – after centuries of bloody conflict in the realm. Their gifts are fraught with responsibility, and sixteen-year-old Bristal is torn between two paths. Should she vow to seek the good of the world, to protect and serve mortals? Or should she follow the strength of her power, even if it leads to unknown terrors? She draws on her ability to disguise herself as a man to infiltrate a prince’s band of soldiers, and masquerades as a fairy godmother to shield a cursed princess, but time is running out. As an army of dark creatures grows closer, Bristal faces a supernatural war. To save the kingdoms, Bristal must find the courage to show her true form.
Building on homages to Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Jane Austen’s Emma and the Chinese legend of Hua Mulan, Hannah West makes a spectacular debut. –Goodreads
In terms of oxymorons, I think “bland fantasy” has to be one of the cruelest. You go in expecting certain staples of the genre, grand adventures, daring heroes, unbelievable magic, and receive a story that hardly gives 100 percent. In fact, a brilliant way to describe Kingdom of Ash and Briars is as a book half done. While the foundations of a story are present, it rarely builds towards its full potential and crumbles due to its own retelling aspect.
The Young At Heart Reader 