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Tested: A Princess and the Pea Retelling by S. Carlisle
I recently had the pleasure of picking up a free eARC of Tested: A Princess and the Pea Retelling by Sarah Carlisle in exchange for an honest review. And, let me tell you, I plan on adding this book to my physical library ASAP! It was such a wonderful surprise, both magical and grounded and…
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The Bear of Rosethorn Ring by Kirsten Fichter
The Bear of Rosethorn Ring is where, I think, the world of Once Upon a Twist Tales hits its stride. The Bear of Rosethorn Ring is book 4 in the series so far, following Marita and Diamond, reunited identical twins, as they go on the hunt to find their missing father. It’s important to read…
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Diamond, a surprising twist on Rapunzel fairytale
Diamond is book 3 in the Once Upon a Twist Tales series, after The Rose and the Balloon and Spindle Dreams–and it’s great. Diamond follows a loose retelling of the Rapunzel fairytale. Being my favorite of all the fairytales, I came in with solid expectations and Fichter delivered! For reference, Diamond follows the life of…
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Spindle Dreams, Sleeping Beauty with a fiery surprise
After finishing The Rose and the Balloon, I rushed to pick up Spindle Dreams, book two in the Once Upon a Twist Tales series. Spindle Dreams is a loose retelling of Sleeping Beauty that follows a not-so-skilled spinner, Marita Kadlec, as she struggles to pull her family out of poverty. We also join Felix, a…
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Sugar Plum Princess, a beautiful Nutcracker retelling
I love the Nutcracker and anything Tchaikovsky, and when I heard Tayler Marie Brooks had published a Nutcracker retelling, I jumped on it! Sugar Plum Princess had everything and more than I expect. It even had some Barbie Nutcracker vibes (my favorite of classic Barbie), and it was light enough to read in a matter…
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The Black Rose Collection, a Stunning Reflection of Courage
Receiving a black rose is a death sentence. That is the gripping premise of The Black Rose Collection by seven Christian authors, Madisyn Carlin, Kristina Hall, Vanessa Hall, K.R. Mattson, M.L. Milligan, Kaytlin Phillips, and Saraina Whitney. I shared a quick rundown on my Instagram, but here’s a more detailed description of each amazing novella!…
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The Love of a Princess, The Best Ruth Retelling I’ve Ever Read
Sequels are hard to pull off, but Dorow amazed me with The Love of a Princess. It follows Princess Adelaide, daughter of Queen Arabella and King Rowan, as she faces a plague that ravages her kingdom and her future. It’s a loose Ruth retelling to follow the previous Esther retelling, and I can’t stress enough…
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The Peasant Queen, A Beautiful Esther Retelling
I would give this 6 starts if I could. The Peasant Queen is the first book I’ve read since Provenance that absolutely stunned me to tears. For context, The Peasant Queen is a medieval retelling of Esther and it is spectacular. I knew the story would have some kind of “God placed you here for…
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This Life of Mine by Victoria Lynn (Elira Chronicles #2)
I dug into this book so fast after finishing the first in the series, and I don’t regret it at all. For those of us new to the series, This Life of Mine is Book 2 in the Elira Chronicles. It actually breaks the mold of following the same main characters from book 1, as…
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Once I Knew by Lynn (Elira Chronicles #1), Spectacular
Once I Knew was spectacular. We follow Violet as she takes in and helps an injured Kingman at the threat of her and her Granny’s lives. This book was such a beautiful reflection of Christ that I was left in tears. I ordered the series (book 1 and 2) in the Eliran Royalty Book Box,…
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Crown of Chains, an unfaithful Esther “retelling”
Crown of Chains is one of Erin Phillips fictional Bible “retellings.” This work focuses on Esther, with her elevation to Queen and how she was placed at the right time to save her people. Crown of Chains very loosely follows that storyline, but with glaring differences. Namely, “Esther” has a romanticized affair to escape from…