Review: Charms and Cinders

Charms and Cinders by Amanda Thompson is my last Fairytale Summer review. I received an ARC of this gender-bent "Cinderella" retelling and was intrigued because I haven't read many gender-bent versions of this story. Aside from that change, it's a fairly direct retelling without too many twists. The romance is sweet and follows the same trope as most modern "Cinderella" stories in which the couple forms a bond with each other before the ball. It borrows elements primarily from the Perrault version of the story, with the classic fairy godmother and two balls. Overall, it was a light and enjoyable read.

Since Charms and Cinders is split between the perspectives of the male Cinderella archetype and the princess character, I was confused by the girl featured on the cover of the book. Even though Cinderella is generally a more female-oriented story, the titular role went to the male lead of the book, so I'm not sure why he wouldn't be featured more prominently. Énderic, or "Cinderic," as his wicked stepbrothers called him, is a charming lead who embodies all the traits of the classic Cinderella, right down to his fondness for animals. He has some magic that allows him to communicate with his animal friends, which charms Princess Genevieve when she encounters him in the woods. The two form a bond that grows into a desire for more when Genevieve invites him to her betrothal ball.

This book remains pretty loyal to the source material, keeping the air of mystery between the main couple even though they met beforehand. Genevieve uses a false name to prevent Énderic from realizing she is the princess, and Énderic is given a magic mask by the fairy godmother that shields his identity. He has two wicked stepbrothers who act similarly to their female counterparts from the fairy tale, but the stepmother and fairy godmother are not gender-bent in this version. He also has a similar backstory to Cinderella, with loving parents who were separated from him at a young age.

The only diversion this book takes from the fairy tale is a kingdom-wide ban on magic that forces Énderic to hide his abilities and the methods he uses to get to the ball. The book mentions this lore from time to time, but focuses more on the fairytale elements. Although Énderic talks about wanting to help magic users escape the kingdom, I didn't see much of it in the context of the story. At the same time, Genevieve is determined to reverse her father's tyrannical law and allow magic users to live in the open without fear. This was a nice touch that I would have liked to see more of throughout the book.

Overall, Charms and Cinders is a sweet "Cinderella" retelling with a gender-bent twist. It contains all the mystery and romance of the original with additional magical elements that add to the worldbuilding. Though the magical elements lacked depth at times, the touching relationship between Énderic and Genevieve made the book a worthwhile read. If you're looking for a straightforward "Cinderella" retelling with a male Cinderella and female Prince(ss) Charming, this is the book for you.