Nocturnal Book Reviews

Egalley thanks to Simon&Schuster
I can tell you straight away that the language is the strongest point of this book. It's easy, hugely entertaining, vivid, simple, and you just fly through the pages.

Like in any fairy tale, and this is a classic fairy tale, make no mistake, - the characters are simple and straightforward, there is no depth in them. You have your Cinderella and Prince Charming, your Evil Queen and various loyal friends, servants and henchmen.

The big downside of this lovely story is the world building. It's weak and hugely underdeveloped. It starts like dystopia, but there are just too many things that don't add up, so it slips into fantasy mash-up.

If you're just able to ignore it, you'll enjoy the story like I did. Yeah, yeah, this is the world of some obscure future with no trace of technology... Oh, wait there are bombs and guns! But no sign of PCs and the rest of the personal gadgets apart from vague royal database. I see that there are trains, but no mention of planes. A strict class system, but too many illegal clubs where 16-year-old girls can slip away and get their drug/alcohol of choice... hm-m...

LOL. I'm stopping my rant right now. Despite the discrepancies, the plot didn't irritate me like it did in Eve by Anna Carey. Perhaps because it went straight into fantasy realm. Charlaina and Max were adorable with an addition of her cute little sister and her irritating BFF Brooklyn. I wanted to know more about Xander and Max's bodyguards, but their characters didn't develop.

Overall, if you love fairy tales, this is for you. If you wanted a nitty-gritty dystopia, better skip this one.