Red as Snow - Kendra E. Ardnek (Release Day Review!)

Snow needs a husband in order to claim her throne, but it’s hard to compete with a younger, prettier stepmother.

Isn’t that just the greatest tag line?

When the old king dies, his ambitious nephew digs up a law that requires Princess Snow to be married in order to hold the throne. If she remains single, she forfeits her claim and rule devolves on nephew Charmel. But it’s not easy for a no-longer-young princess to find a husband when her pretty stepmother is nearby… and her own history makes her unwilling to give her heart away.

High Points

The most unexpected thing about this story was the POV. It’s not Snow but stepmother Rose who is the true heroine of this story. I loved the relationship between Snow and Rose, the way Rose was trying to help without having a clue what was really going on in Snow’s mind. Snow’s stepmother is her best ally… and Prince Charming is her worst enemy. He’s always working two or three angles while he aims at the throne. Fortunately, he’s not as smart as he thinks he is.

Caveats

I can tell that this was rushed to press… but getting two stories ready for release in the same week is quite a challenge!

Bottom Line

This is a fun short story—definitely a “twisted” retelling! I’m excited to read the rest of the series!

Find Red on Amazon here.

Kendra has written a LOT of fairy tale retellings in multiple series. Find the other “Twist of Adventure” stories here and here.

Kendra’s story is part of the Magic Mirrors co-release—a group of seven Snow White stories by six different authors, all becoming available the last week of October. Watch this space for more Magic Mirrors reviews!

Navigate to Kendra's own blog, Knitted by God's Plan here, for her post and links to other blogs participating in the Magic Mirrors blog tour.

Comments

Penprints Flash Fiction Dash: Painted with Light

[I wrote this story based on a prompt for the Penprints Flash Fiction Dash. Yay flash fiction! If you check out the Penprints site in early June, you will be able to see the stories from everyone who participated! The Penprints site is <https://rosalievalentine.wordpress.com/> ] Painted with Light Duomik slipped through the liner’s banquet hall, a poncho wrapped around him, bare feet sure. Despite the blasting warmth of the liner’s heating system, the floor carried a trace of cold. “That’s one of them—the divers,” a teenage girl hissed to her mother, abandoning her plate of fish. “Ask him!” “Excuse me,” the older woman called sharply. Duomik turned back, squinting against fluorescent lights and tourists’ stares. Skinny, pale, he was anything but impressive. “Does it work? The lights? Does it bring them out?” she asked. “It says in the brochure, na ?” Duomik wrinkled his nose. The stinks ...

TL;DR - Highlights from the Magic Mirrors Blog Tour

Looking for portal fantasy? Dystopia and dragons? Sister stories? Rich historical fantasy? Orphans and hangings? You can find them all in the stories of the Magic Mirrors co-release! If you’re like me, you found the extent of our recently-completed Magic Mirrors blog tour a bit daunting. So many interesting posts on so many blogs—how could you possibly keep up? I know there are some posts that I missed… but I haven’t the slightest idea which ones. So I’ve assembled a few highlights from the tour for quick access and easy reading. (To find links for the entire tour, go here .) Free bits of story Blood in the Snow (Sarah Pennington) – first chapter here For Such a Time as This (Heather L. L. FitzGerald) – whole story free if you sign up for her newsletter here Overpowered (Kathryn McConaughy) – first chapter here , first forty pages here The Seven Drawers (Kendra E. Ardnek) – first chapter here I’...

The Seven Drawers - Kendra E. Ardnek (Review)

Stuck in a dead-end job. Trapped in a mirror. Fleeing the huntsman. Confronting a dragon far underground. Infiltrating a tower in the shape of a cyborg. When Gwen receives a cabinet full of mysterious objects shortly after her father’s death, she finds herself travelling to seven alternate worlds and facing a dangerous challenge in each one. With the help of seven versions of her boyfriend, can she foil her evil stepmother, save her heart, and reclaim her kingdoms? This retelling really is Snow White as you’ve never read it before—like the Chronicles of Narnia crossed with Inception . Every realm has a different twist on the Snow White tale, often catching hold of a specific detail from the original story and turning it into its own conflict. It’s a quest story. It’s a romance. And it does very well at being both those things. High Points In all this madness, Gwen manages to seem like a real person. ...

Kathryn McConaughy's Feast of Adventures

Search This Blog