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My Review:Title: Promises and Pixie Dust: A Thumbelina Retelling
Author: Elle Madison, Robin D. Mahle
Published by: Indie
Release Date: May 5, 2021
Format: Kindle Book
Pages: 332
Genres: Fairy Tale Retelling, Fantasy, Romance
Reading Challenges: Lenoreo's 2021 COYER Spring
Find it: Goodreads ✩ Amazon ✩ IndieBound ✩ Book Depository
My rating:
Blurb:Welcome to the Enchanted Forest, where the damsels are only in moderate distress and happily ever afters are the norm.
Lina has been raised in a world far too big for her. When her mother dies, she is forced to decide between being alone forever, or betting her life on a legend that may not even exist.
Edrich was a simple farm boy until he made a deal with the wrong man. In order to keep his father alive, he has to make sure Lina stays safe. But there are more dangers than he imagined for a girl no bigger than his thumb.
When Lina decides to traipse off into the deadly Enchanted Forest, Edrich has no choice but to follow her, even when it puts both of their lives on the line. Between deadly unicorns and potent whiskey, the journey may prove even more treacherous than they had anticipated.
Will they be able to find the fabled fairy kingdom of Ellaria? Or will the forest claim them both before they get the chance?
4 stars — Well this was a fun and quirky retelling…not that, I will admit, I know ANYTHING about the story of Thumbelina. I really should look it up. But regardless of knowing very little of the original story, I loved the story that was told in this book.
I kind of loved how both sweet and sunny Lina was, mixed with a fiery temper and take no bull attitude. She maintained such a positive outlook despite the hardships and uncertainty she faced in her life.
Edrich (which I have no idea how to pronounce btw), on the other hand, had kind of let life’s challenges bring him down. Not that I blame him necessarily…especially given the Huntsmen stuff. But it was a bit disheartening to read his negativity at times.
I guess in the end it made them a pretty good match, b/c they could balance one another. My problem with these two was honestly how LONG they spent not talking to each other. I really am not a fan of willful lack of communication, especially when it lasts a LONG time. It was satisfying when they FINALLY got their heads out of their butts though, and I could enjoy that coming together.
The world was kind of fun — lots of interesting races? creatures? beings?? Yeah, beings. I enjoyed that it was this fantasy setting, but with a bit of sassy flair that I don’t always see in fantasy.
I was expecting the plot to go in certain directions, and I think in the end I like the way it went instead.
I loved so many of the secondary characters, from Maggie and Pepper to Aster (and a few others).
All in all definitely a fun reading experience.
It seems great. Good review. Will read this one for sure in this lock down.