Ash by Malinda Lo

While this book is mimicking a traditional fairy tale, it's a very fresh and totally unusual way of looking at Cinderella!

I highly recommend this book. It read fast, was fascinating, had good historical content about the period, and it keeps you sitting there reading straight through to the end.

She is the poor stepsister, but she's content with her lot in life. Or, at least she was. When she visits the woods to try to find her mother's grave, she also meets a fairy. And then her life changes, ever so slowly. He wants her, but he's willing to give her things to improve her life, and that's all that's important to her now.

But, by chance, she meets Kaisa, the King's Huntress. Kaisa comes to the cottage when the stepmother and stepsisters are out and about, and brings a horse for Ash to ride. She teaches to read, to track, to hunt. And their friendship is very important to Ash.

The time comes when Sidhean, the male fairy wishes to call in his debt. She puts him off once. And then he comes again. This time she remembers what she has learned from her mother about fairies and uses that to negotiate with him.

After being without love for so long, she has to decide what is her heart's desire - and must attempt to keep it!

If you'd like to have my copy of this ARC, please email at info NOSPAM @bookfaerie.com (remove the spaces and the NOSPAM to make it an email address) with your name and address and tell me why you'd like the book as well as leave a comment here on my blog.