Wonderland Novels: [Review] SST Review - Cinderella, Necromancer by F.M. Boughan

Hey guys! I'll be reviewing this book as part of Nori's SST. So, I received this book in exchange for an honest review, which doesn't impact my review in any way.

Cinderella, Necromancer by F.M. Boughan

Rating: 3.5 stars

Version: eARC

Published: September 5th 2017

Goodreads Synopsis:

Cinderella, Necromancer is Chime meets Anna Dressed in Blood and was inspired by a real medieval grimoire of necromancy from 15th-century Germany.
Ellison lost her mother at an early age. But since then, her father has found love again. He's happy and doesn't quite notice that Ellison does not get along with his new wife or her mean daughters. When Ellison discovers a necromantic tome while traveling the secret passages of her father's mansion, she wonders if it could be the key to her freedom. Until then, she must master her dark new power, even as her stepmother makes her a servant in her own home. And when her younger brother falls incurably ill, Ellison will do anything to ease his pain, including falling prey to her stepmother and stepsisters' every whim and fancy.
Stumbling into a chance meeting of Prince William during a secret visit to her mother's grave feels like a trick of fate when her stepmother refuses to allow Ellison to attend a palace festival. But what if Ellison could see the kind and handsome prince once more? What if she could attend the festival? What if she could have everything she ever wanted and deserved by conjuring spirits to take revenge on her cruel stepmother?
As Ellison's power grows, she loses control over the evil spirits meant to do her bidding. And as they begin to exert their own power over Ellison, she will have to decide whether it is she or her stepmother who is the true monster.

Ever since I read Marissa Meyer's Heartless a few weeks ago, I've been on that fairytale retelling train. I especially love creepy horror retellings with a twist. Cinderella, Necromancer is no exception.

Our Cinderella for this tale is Ellison, a girl with a mother who just passed away and a father who disappears without much preamble. She's left with her younger brother Edward and her terrible stepmother Celia and stepsisters Victoria and Charlotte. Cue the terrible treatment of the (seemingly) orphan Ellison. Only this time, instead of a fairy godmother, we get spirits. Freaky and creepy spirits.

I really enjoyed how determined Ella is to keep her family safe. Her attraction to William, the prince, was very secondary in this case - it was more about making sure her brother was well. Clearly, the stepsisters and stepmothers sucked and I'm glad they got what they rightfully deserved. The pacing of the story was a little odd at times (really slow in the beginning and then a rush of info at the end), but I loved the lore behind the necromancy. It's a really cool twist. I just wished there was more of this lore, and I'd be interested in future renditions of other fairy tales!

Cinderella, Necromancer is a great, quick, and spooky read for the upcoming Halloween!

Interested in ordering a copy? You can get yours here from these sites:

Order Links:

Book Depository: https://www.bookdepository.com/Cinderell-Necromancer-F-M-Boughan/9781946700339

Amazon.com: http://amzn.to/2wJJGwc

Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/cinderella-necromancer-fm-boughan/1126488818

Indiebound: https://www.indiebound.org/book/9781946700339

Indigo (Canada): https://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/books/cinderella-necromancer/9781946700339-item.html

Add it on Goodreads, too!

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/28117964-cinderella-necromancer

About the Author:

F.M. Boughan is a bibliophile, a writer, and an unabashed parrot enthusiast. She can often be found writing in local coffee shops, namely because it’s hard to concentrate with a cat lying on the keyboard and a small, colorful parrot screaming into her ear. Her work is somewhat dark, somewhat violent, somewhat hopeful, and always contains a hint of magic. Her debut YA fantasy, CINDERELLA NECROMANCER, publishes Sept. 5th, 2017 from Month9Books. Feel free to yell at her to get back to work on Twitter (@faithboughan), check out her bookstagram (@boughanfire), and sign up for her newsletter (clicky http://fmboughan.us15.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=3d0cc1d5cf9db171a538d0647&id=2fdaa951e5) for updates, giveaways, and total randomness.

Author Social Media:

Twitter: https://twitter.com/FaithBoughan

Bookstagram: https://www.instagram.com/boughanfire/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/embers_of_a_boughanfire/

There's even a giveaway for Cinderella, Necromancer !