The Princess Blog

I was excited to receive an ARC of Dance of the Nutcracker  by Ashley Mendoza because I haven't read many adaptations of "The Nutcracker and the Mouse King."  Though this was not an exact  adaptation of the E.T.A. Hoffman story , it stays true to the spirit of the fairy tale and incorporates fun winter and Christmas lore. The book reminded me a little of Once Upon a Time in Wonderland  since it follows a girl and a boy traveling through a magical land to rescue her love. It was a light-hearted and whimsical adventure that ended in a twist that I didn't see coming. Princess Clara lives in a magical fae kingdom and is eager to form a marriage alliance with Prince Nicholas, who plays the dual role of the Nutcracker Prince and St. Nicholas, known to us as Santa Claus. She expresses her disdain for his twin brother, Jack, when she learns that Nicholas has been kidnapped, and she must work with Jack to save him. The duo embarks on a journey together through a winter wonde...

Silenced Beauty  is the first book I've read by Ashley Mendoza , as well as the first in a multi-author series of fairy tale retellings called Cursed Brides . It has made me eager to read more of both. This book really nails it as a retelling of "The Wild Swans" with action, romance, and intrigue. "The Wild Swans" doesn't get as many adaptations  due to being somewhat lesser known, and I think this is my favorite adaptation that I've read of it thus far. The addition of a bridal competition  and psychic visions help to spice up the plot, and the Christian theming is tastefully incorporated into the story. This book does an outstanding job as an introduction to both this author and the Cursed Brides series as a whole. When Alianna has a dangerous vision of an evil sorcerer's betrayal to the crown, her entire family is cursed to prevent her from speaking out about it. Her eleven brothers are transformed into swans and delivered to the king as a gift, ...