#FirstImpressionFriday: Ash and Bramble

I love adaptations. I love seeing stories that I love take on new life. And I love Ash and Bramble...at least, the first six chapters of it.

The story of Cinderella has been told around the globe countless times and has been adapted countless ways, but never like this. This cinderella story left me questioning every fairy tale I've ever been told. These pages are not filled with a doting fairy godmother and beautiful balls, but with a dark fortress where a seamstress stitches endless gowns and quietly plans to rescue herself.

I think that if you are going to do a retelling of such a well known story, you've got to have something pretty special to bring to the table, and Sarah Prineas definitely does. I was completely captivated by the idea that the story we've come to know is all wrong - and that she is going to tell us the truth behind it all.

Pin doesn't come across as a typical fairy tale heroine, and for that I am grateful. In just a handful of chapters, she comes across as dimensional and interesting and while flawed, ultimately a character worth rooting for.

Pin knows very little about her world, so while the world building is subtle, it is also powerful. It's clear that there is huge potential for development of this world, as well as the characters in it - a rebellious "nobody" turned heroine who falls for a shoemaker rather than a prince, a mysterious and malicious godmother who is determined to maintain control, and an enchanted forest determined to help one and hinder the other. I am particularly excited to explore the development of the godmother, who is a character from the original tale with a powerful but minimal presence - she pretty much shows up, waves her wand, and disappears - at least, in the version that I know.

You may be wondering: if this adaptation is so promising, why haven't I finished it? Well, that's because it's not published...yet. Ash and Bramble goes on sale September 15th, but thanks to Epic Reads everyone can read the first few chapters online. I love reading sneak peeks of soon-to-be-released books, because they give me an idea of whether or not that book is one I'll be interested in borrowing or purchasing. Spoiler alert: this one definitely is.

Pssst! If you're looking for an already published adaptation to check out, I've read and recc'd Cruel Beauty, Crimson Bound, The Wrath and the Dawn, and The Penelopiad).