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Sparks fly and lovers dance in this gorgeous, yearning Cinderella retelling from bestselling author Freya Marske―a queer Gothic romance perfect for fans of Naomi Novik and T. Kingfisher.
Ella is a haunting.
Murdered at sixteen, her ghost is furiously trapped in her father's house, invisible to everyone except her stepmother and stepsisters.
Even when she discovers how to untether herself from her prison, there are limits. She cannot be seen or heard by the living people who surround her. Her family must never learn she is able to leave. And at the stroke of every midnight, she finds herself back on the staircase where she died.
Until she forges a wary friendship with a fairy charm-seller, and makes a bargain for three nights of almost-living freedom. Freedom that means she can finally be seen. Danced with. Touched.
You think you know Ella's story: the ball, the magical shoes, the handsome prince.
You're halfway right, and all-the-way wrong.
Rediscover a classic fairy tale in this debut novella from "the queen of romantic fantasy" (Polygon).
"Cinderella finds her happily ever afterlife in this sharp, smart addition to the fairy-tale canon." —Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
"An incredibly unique and shadowy 'Cinderella' retelling, full of tenderness and whimsy and featuring a heroine who cannot help but haunt readers." —Library Journal (starred review)
"This novella impresses from its chilling opening to its inspired, polyamorous take on happily ever after. Lovers of fairy-tale retellings, gothic fantasy, and fierce queer joy will be enchanted." —Booklist (starred review)
"Marske uses handfuls of familiar tropes to construct a story that stands alone, as strong, beautiful, and clever as its heroine. Fans of T. Kingfisher will love it." —Publishers Weekly
"Compelling characters, a spellbinding haunting and a powerful yearning that transcends death; Cinder House burns for you." ―Lex Croucher, author of Gwen & Art Are Not in Love
This information about Cinder House was first featured
in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.
Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.
Freya Marske is the author of A Power Unbound, A Restless Truth, and A Marvellous Light, which was an international bestseller and won the Romantic Novel Award for Fantasy. She has been nominated for two Hugo Awards, and won the Ditmar Award for Best New Talent. She lives in Australia.
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