February 2016 – Life Gone Write

Take a shot of whiskey just to kiss your precious troubles behind

Take a breath and count to death and last a little longer this time.

Oh, it’ll drain you of every drop you find.

Mercy is begging to the reaper to steal its time.

Take a crack and give it back and then pretend you’re falling in line.

Take the day and let if fade and kill that little piece of your mind

Oh, it will haunt you as you fake your sleep.

Darkness is friends with the lovers that you try to keep.

Silently darkness is chasing the day

Ashes to ashes, the firelight falls to decay

Burgundy hands can’t wash all these remnants away

Grey light breaks through the black night and covers the pain.

Hello everyone, it’s been too long!

No really, it’s been too long. Shame on me. I got a little caught up with my own writing journey (check out my new book page for The Mercy Killers Here ) and I started a few new projects, built a website, it’s tax season…

You get the idea.

But you guys aren’t here to learn about me, you want to hear about BOOKS! I’ve got a fun one for you, a great YA fairy tale twist. I haven’t read a good fairy re-telling in while, so when this popped up on NetGalley I was excited.

tumblr_m6wb69IX871qczxoeo1_500_zps2105fefb — Really excited!

A Grimm Curse is a prequel that ties into the series Grimm Tales by Janna Jennings. It’s cute, original enough to be considered fresh, but stays close enough to it’s Grimm roots to still be considered a solid fairy tale retelling. The story is fun, the characters are relatable, and the cover is realistic with a little hint of magic.

I have yet to read the other books in this series, so the main characters in this book, Cynthia and Remi, are the only characters I am familiar with. My lack of familiarity with the series wasn’t a problem at all, this book can be read as a stand alone.

I love Cynthia. She is a loose retelling of Cinderella, except with ten times more spunk and a dash of imperfection. Remi is charming, and Janna Jennings did a great job of making the frog prince a believable character, even as a frog.

Overall this book is adorable with a bittersweet ending. How refreshing to read a YA book revolving around fairy tales that possesses such a different sort of end. The ending is right…it just isn’t one hundred percent happily ever after.

The only negative about this book is a few seemingly inconsistencies in the world and the big “reveal” about what the world really is. I won’t spoil it for you, but let’s say the world is a bit dreamy. While the concept was great, the pacing of the reveal is slightly off to me. There are no hints of the big reveal until half the book is finished, which made it a little sudden. It’s a small issue, but still one that stood out.

Overall I give this book four stars. If you are looking for a fun, enchanting read with just enough realistic humanity to keep your feet on the ground, read this little tale. Thanks NetGalley for the review copy, and thanks Janna Jennings for writing it! I’d love to read the rest of the series too. A Grimm Curse definitely hooked me! Grab your copy here!