The Shadow in the Glass

I received an ARC from NetGalley for my honest review. I wasn't sure what to think about this book. I don't think it's so firmly rooted in Cinderella that you should read it as a retelling, but look at it as fairytale-like and enjoy it for itself. This is a debut author, and she has interesting ways of exploring an old story. The writing is excellent and the characters fleshed out. I loved the Victorian setting. The disparity from the upper class to those below stairs was well done, highlighting how power gives one more options. I'm not sure I had empathy for Ella because she makes so many bad decisions. At first accidental, but then with greater intention, believing the world owes her. That she was working for her dreams. She became very unattractive to me as a person because of her slippery morals. Reading this, I learned something about myself - I want to like and empathize with the main character. For me, reading is a vicarious experience, so this story left me feeling unsettled when I'd expected something else. My second issue was a logical fallacy. I recognize Ella's descent wouldn't have worked out if she could *poof* solve her problems in a tidy fashion, but the order of the use of wishes didn't work for me because one problem seemed to cause all the others and it was the obvious course of action. Perhaps I didn't buy into Ella's reasoning of wish uses. You would have to read it to see if you agree or disagree with my assessment on that one. So if you enjoy dark fairytales, and things going awry, then this is the book for you.

Certain elements are done quite well. I love the dark tone and the descriptive details that made me feel immersed in the setting. However, the main character is not sympathetic and details about her past that would have helped me understand her motivation are never fully revealed, which was frustrating. It was just okay.

This book started well, telling the tale of a Cinderellaesque character living a miserable life as a maid where she is mistreated and constantly under threat. One day her slightly scary maybe evil fairy godmother shows up and grants her 7 wishes in exchange for her soul. Our maid Ella accepts with visions of how she can get out of her situation and create a new life for herself. Only she doesn't. She continues to stay in the miserable house as a maid...why? The story fell apart there for me as Ella, instead of wishing for a wonderful, safe new home for herself, continues to stay in the place where she is constantly under threat. Is she stupid? I don't know and after reading a bit more I stopped caring. I couldn't finish the book. For me this was a waste of time.