This is going to be a short review, because my fellow editors have said pretty much all there needs to be said about Ember.

Ember is brilliant. It’s a well written, wonderfully imagined, quirky retelling of the classic Cinderella story.

It’s also fairly short, which means it’s perfect for an afternoon read. And I can guarantee that after the first chapter you won’t be able to stop.

Possibly the best thing about it is that Sharpe has found fantastic ways to explain away all the details in the original Cinderella tale. Ember’s a witch, and so Cinderella is a disguise. Her evil step-sisters (whores, by the way) are delightfully non-evil, and the Prince Charming is way too Charming for his own good.

My only quibble with the story is that any reader worth their salt is likely to be able to see past the deception at the end. There’s no surprise when the big reveal finally comes, and that’s a slight disappointment, considering the buildup that came before it. But then – like all fairytales, this has a good, nice, (slightly-twisted) ending. Go read it.

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