“You can keep your girls from harm. And more important, they can be allowed to keep themselves from harm [...] Look at your children, your friends, your wives, your daughters. Don't do what is right because they hold those titles. Do what is right because they are people. Make a choice to change things.”

Sophia is dreading the night of the royal ball. The night where the men of the town choose a girl, those who are not chosen are forfeited and Sophia doesn't want that, she also doesn't want the girl she loves to be chosen either. Unfortunately for them, their love is forbidden but Sophia wants to change that, she wants to bring a world where people can love whoever they want. Erin, Sophia’s best friend and love, does not want to upset her parents and she doesn't want to run away like Sophia does and upsets Sophia when she tells her she doesn’t want to continue their relationship as she wants to be chosen, like all girls should want. After the ball goes horribly wrong for Sophia, she ends up running for her life. Can she escape and save the one she loves?

This is a retelling like I have never seen. I wasn't sure what to expect as you know straight away that Cinderella is dead, so how can you have a Cinderella retelling without her? Well, Kalynn does it and does it perfectly. A wonderfully exciting story with a strong, queer, black character is just what is needed. Some brilliant new characters brought to the story and a fresh take on the Fairy Godmother, I fell in love with this book so very easily.
I felt the story was especially strong in the area of the characters. They are bright, they are strong and they have a lot of spunkiness about them. Constance is definitely one of my favourite characters and to see her take back her own was amazing. I was captivated with the relationship between Sophia and Constance. It felt so new and exciting like you were a part of it and feeling how they were feeling.
This has to be one of my favourite retellings of a fairy tale and its one that needs to be read by every young girl.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for gifting me a copy in exchange for an honest review.

“Look at your children, your friends, your wives, and your daughters. Don’t do what is right because they hold those titles. Do what is right because they are people. Make a choice to change things,”
Cinderella died 200 years ago and now girls across the land are forced to tend a ball to be married off. Sophia doesn’t want to be chosen; she wants to run away with Erin, the best friend she is in love with. On the night of the ball, something goes wrong and Sophia ends up running for her life.

This book is so much fun! A sapphic reimagining of the Cinderella fairy-tale with a black MC, a witch, necromancy, and the dismantling of a patriarchal society. The plot was enjoyable, well-paced and sometimes funny. Many fantasy worlds are often rampant with misogyny and homophobia but I haven’t read many that tries to actively challenge it in such a way like Cinderella is Dead.

Some aspects of the book I was a little disappointed with. The worldbuilding felt a little shallow and nothing about the world stands out. The villain lacked any depth and was just evil for the sake of being ‘the big bad’ of the story.

Overall, I loved the concept and I found the book very entertaining but I wasn’t completely enamoured by the execution. However, I think a book like this is so important and I can see it bringing joy to so many readers.


*Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to review this book.

I did really enjoy this book. I'm not sure it entirely lived up to my expectations, but maybe that's more down to me. I just felt there could have been more. I couldn't put it down though, I just wish it was longer! Still highly recommend

I received a free ARC of this book from Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.

The town of Lille, where Cinderella once ruled with Prince Charming, has become a patriarchal society ruled by fear. Every year a ball is held in Cinderella's honour, which the girls of the town attend in the hope of being picked out by their own Prince Charming. Even if he's old, ugly or just plain evil. Because they don't have a choice. Until Sophia decides to fight for what's right by going up against the ultimate fairy tale and finding out the truth lying at the story's heart.

This is an enjoyable expansion of the Cinderella story. Sophia is likeable (can I get a hell yeah for a black LGBTQ protagonist?) and the world of the novel is one that is not too far removed from reality - even if the author does lay the comparison on a bit thick sometimes. The peril is great, the risks risky, and the story trundles along quite merrily.

I thought the book was well-written, but sometimes it seemed as though the book was meant for a much younger reader - I know it's YA but I'm talking like.... 11 or 12. There was also a LOT of exposition - unfortunately sort of unavoidable, as we have to be told the true story of Cinderella somehow.

3.5/5

This book said "Down with the patriarchy" and I'm here for it

Cinderella Is Dead is a book that takes the age-old tale of Cinderella, and offers a fresh, dark retelling of the story. In a dystopian world where the story of Cinderella is used as propaganda for a misogynistic society, we follow Sophia, a young girl with doubts about the story she has been told her entire life. When she is invited to attend her first annual ball, where the men of Lille will claim young women for marriage, she makes her escape and plots to discover the real truth of Cinderella and Prince Charming's relationship.

This book was really fun and such an interesting take on an old classic. It was incredibly dark and twisty, causing you to cast aside all your presumptions and knowledge of the fairytale. As I said, this book was much darker than I expected it to be, but I'm so glad of it! The villain of the story is truly evil, parts of the story are fairly gory, and there's even a dash of necromancy for good measure. The plot was definitely enticing and a wonderful idea, although it was also fairly predictable for the most part, but there were some good twists! I enjoyed the characters and their interactions with each other, but I was a little let down by the romance. I'm not one for an insta-love romance and this was definitely that, but it was still cute and I liked them together, and if you're looking for a sapphic romance, be sure to check this one out. I thought the writing was decent, and I found it to be a very quick read.

Overall, this was fun and I enjoyed it a lot! If you're looking for a good retelling/reimagining of a classic fairytale, this is a good one!

Thank you to Bloomsbury Publishing for sending me this ARC for review!

Content warnings: misogyny, domestic violence, violence, homophobia.

Rep: Black sapphic main character, Black sapphic love interest, gay side character, lesbian side character/love interest.

“The palace underestimates the resourcefulness of women forced into a dark and dangerous place.”

Cinderella Is Dead is the story of a queer Black girl’s relentless resistance to the patriarchal kingdom she lives in. It explores themes of misogyny as a systemic tool of oppression and discusses the many ways it can manifest, as well as depicting conversations surrounding fighting back no matter the cost.

“I don’t want to be saved by some knight in shining armour. I’d like to be the one in the armour, and I’d like to be the one doing the saving.”

Sophia is one of my favourite protagonists I’ve read for a while. Her outright refusal to accept her fate and her unapologetic anger at the system might have gotten her into bad situations that endangered her, but I can’t help but love how she fought against what she knew was wrong. Even when those closest to her asked her to conform and know her place, she refused to accept that and I really appreciated how headstrong she was. Every chance she got, she spoke out, intervened where she felt she could make a difference and physically defended herself. I think the following quote really sums up her character:

“I don’t care if I get hurt in the process. I’m not going quietly.”

Sophia understands that the rules in place are about more than just herself; they affect everyone and she’s willing to risk it all in the wild hope that she will not only be able to bring an end to the reign of the monstrous king who sits on the throne, but also to bring genuine change to a system that was built against her. There are specific references made to forcing people to give her what she’s asking for in terms of equality and burning the whole system to the ground to start over and I really appreciated seeing these ideas examined in the story.

“I was twelve when I told my parents that I would much rather find a princess than a prince.”

I also really liked that Sophia’s queer identity was always discussed through her lens as a girl, and vice versa. Both of her identities are intrinsically entwined and that informed her perspective throughout the story. She doesn’t want to be forced to marry a man, not only because she wants the choice not to marry, but also because she wants to marry a girl and knows that there are other people like her that won’t take the risk of fighting for themselves, and that is ultimately what drives and motivates her throughout the story.

“I want to knock our king off his throne, and she’ll help me do it.”

Sophia’s relationship with Constance, the love interest, was well matched. They’re both exceptionally driven and had a playful back-and-forth. They’re a good source of support for one another and they built each other up, whilst also flirting with each other non-stop, which was cute! I really liked Constance as a character – she was also similarly headstrong and very unapologetic about it and had a great character arc overall.

“Just because they deny us doesn’t mean we cease to exist.”

My main criticism, and the reason why this wasn’t a full 5 star read for me, was that I found the story to be quite predictable in places, having similar beats to other fantasy reads and lacking a little in atmosphere. I also would have appreciated a little more depth and complexity in the world-building. That being said, I did really enjoy how the author incorporated the original fairy tale into this story, particularly in reference to who gets to tell the story and who gets to spin the narrative.

“As hard as the king tries to make us nameless, we aren’t.”

I can imagine that some people might not appreciate the ‘heavy-handedness’ of the ways in which misogyny was explored in this, but that really didn’t bother me at all. In fact, I really liked how explicit it was in its condemnation and I thought it explored all of the themes very well.

“But sometimes that’s the only way to get things done. Take the risk, light the fuse. Onward.”

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed Cinderella Is Dead. It was a fun, inspiring read that I got a lot out of and I would highly recommend it!

Cinderella Is Dead is an incredible feminist retelling of the classic tale I never knew I needed in my life, but I’m so glad it exists.

The story follows Sophia, a teen girl from the kingdom of Lille, a place governed by the cruel and unjust King Manford, a land where women are suppressed at all times and must bend to the whims of the male figures in their lives. Each year there is a ball where all the eligible young women must attend and be chosen by a suitor or risk being forfeit, their lives and their loved ones reputations at risk. However, when Sophia attends and manages to escape this doomed fate, she embarks on a quest to free herself and all the women of Lille from oppression and with the help of the mysterious and intriguing Constance, finds out the the truth behind all the lies.

I loved the writing and pacing in this novel guys, it was just so good at every point. There was not one moment where I felt bored or wished things would hurry up and happen because from the get go, I felt invested in the characters and the wider story. Kaylynn Bayron has taken one of my least favourite fairytales and somehow made me love it and that’s impressive. She turned the classic tale we all know and shifted it and made it utterly her own, it’s so unique and well realised. I also love the easter eggs that are sprinkled throughout the book – no spoilers but I’m excited to discuss these with other readers when the time comes.

As well as the writing and pacing really working for me, I loved the characters, especially the main character Sophia. She is brave, strong willed, committed and has such a big heart, which I loved. I also loved the fact that she stays consistent the whole time, she never stops fighting for what she believes in and even when things seem dire, she stays true to who she is. I also loved that she was given room to be soft and wear her heart on her sleeve and also be the strong badass lead, without any side of her being compromised. It was honestly great to see a black queer female lead at the forefront of her own story and taking control of her own fate, as well as being on the beautiful cover – like seriously how gorgeous is that art work?

Through the harsh society of Lille, Bayron explores patriarchy and the constant suppression of women within the world she has created but also rings true to experiences women face in the real world. These moments are so raw and real and I think many readers will be able to connect with the sense of injustice and anger that Sophia and other young women in the novel experience day after day and how they each choose to deal with it differently. While this novel is all about speaking up and being revolutionary, it also speaks to how living in such situations can wear someone down, and the fact that this doesn’t make someone weak, it just speaks to the turmoil they have been forced to deal with. We all deal with our experiences in different ways and I appreciated that this was explored, and there wasn’t a judgemental tone.

Overall, Cinderella Is Dead is a well written, perfectly paced retelling of Cinderella with strong messages and badass female characters with plenty of heart, which I can see being absolutely huge on it’s release and deservedly so. I would definitely recommend this to fans of fairytale retellings, you won’t be disappointed!

This book is a fantastic take on the Cinderella story. The premise itself promises a lot – a world in which the story of Cinderella is true and balls continue to occur in order for men to “select” themselves a woman. Whilst I do feel that this book is targeted at readers younger than myself, the story which is achieved is an enjoyable one.

It didn’t take me very long to get totally on board with the main character, a black queer young woman, Sophia. She’s bold and stubborn; I couldn’t help but share in her frustration at the world she finds herself in. She refuses to be stuck. I’m not sure her age is ever stated in the book but (presumably) as a young adult she is extremely sure of herself. A character you meet just under halfway through the book Constance is equally as stubborn but in such a delightful way. I enjoyed both of these women throughout the book and definitely think they made a dynamic duo. Whilst being headstrong throughout the main plot, they share their moments of tenderness and do, at times, display their weaknesses. Whilst they are two girls overthrowing the patriarchy, they aren’t annoyingly and unwaveringly “strong” in the typical sense of the word. In books such as this, I often fear that they are going to be denied their emotions but in Cinderella is Dead that is certainly not the case.

The dystopian society Kalynn Bayron creates in this book is immediately established. You, as a reader, quickly learn what the citizens are expected to do. What men and women are expected to do. I genuinely think this book would be great for someone who wants to get into dystopian fiction. It’s an easy world to get your head around which I truly appreciated as someone who doesn’t particularly enjoy lengthy descriptions and world building. On the subject of the writing and the pacing, this book was an extremely quick read. Whilst some time is spent describing the world, the writing ensures that the story keeps moving. It was really engaging in that sense and important scenes and moments really encouraged the phrase “just one more chapter” which meant I got through it in a few days.

My core criticism of this book comes with the core villain(s) of the piece. Especially towards the end of the book, a villain spends a little bit of time monologing essentially. It was all a little bit pantomime villain-esque. I’m definitely a person who appreciates antagonists who behave in an eerily calm way and this character definitely did not. That being said, this is a story inspired by a fairytale (one which, in the U.K. is often a panto around Christmas) so in a sense, this kind of characterisation I typically do not enjoy does fit the atmosphere of the book. Additionally, at times, the plot is a tad predictable, but it didn’t really impact my enjoyment too much.

Cinderella is Dead is a fantastic read and a wonderful twist on the story of Cinderella. Whilst there are aspects which did frustrate me, I honestly think it is because I’m potentially not the audience for it. It’s a wonderfully quick read and I would definitely consider reading anything else Kalynn Bayron writes.

I am a huge fan of fairy tale retellings and this is one of my favourite so far!
This story takes place 200 years after Cinderella’s tale and teenage girls are now forced to attend the annual ball where they are either chosen or forfeit - never to be seen again.
This was such a good version of the story! I loved the characters and the way the original version is incorporated. Sophia is a strong, determined character made stronger by her friendship with Constance and I really liked how their relationship progressed throughout. My favourite character was by far Amina!
A quick easy read that kept me entertained throughout 💕

Did somebody say feminist? As someone who was raised on fairy tales and Disney, practically conditioned to believe the woman was supposed to be rescued by the man, I ADORED this book. I was captivated from the start and the inclusion of LGBTQIA+ themes warmed my heart. I can't wait to see what Bayron does next.

I was so excited for this book, the premise sounded incredible like a feminist reimagined fairytale. Unfortunately it fell short for me and I dnfd at 46%. Nothing much happened until 33% into the book, by which time I was bored and frustrated. I didn't gel with the characters or care about any of them. The world building was sparse, and I thought the whole Cinderella concept was a little odd and didn't fully work/wasn't believable. It's such a shame because I've seen a lot of excitement for this book, but it just didn't work for me.

I tried reading this but the writing style feels very juvenile and unconvincing. The world-building is thin, the dialogue is weak, and the characters are one-dimensional. The novel is very on the nose about its critique of misogyny.

Very easy and fun read- it was interesting to turn the story of Cinderella on it's head and it made me think of the demonisation of women in fairytales! It was a bit predictable at times, but had enough twists to keep engagement. The F/F love story was very subdued, it felt, at times, like the author was hesitant and kind of wanted them to fall in love without having to really write them falling in love, and while the story was larger than just the love story, that was a little disappointing.

Overall, would recommend.

What could possibly be better than a gay, feminist spin on the Cinderella tale?

In the land Sophia lives in, the story of Cinderella is law. But she doesn't fit in. She won't conform; how can she, when women and girls are treated the way they are? When a possible route out shows itself, Sophia grabs it in desperation, and the story fully begins.

Full of power, humour, strength and love, "Cinderella Is Dead" shows itself to be one of the most engaging novels I've encountered this year. With a powerful story that is about doing what is right and a host of characters you come to care for deeply, I can find so few faults with this. It will be one I recommend to everyone over the next few months.

This is what a retelling SHOULD be like!
I was highly anticipating this book and it really didn’t disappoint. Thank you so much to Netgalley and Bloomsbury for sending me an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.
Bayron wholly reinvents the story of Cinderella, from the black protagonist, to the f/f romance, to the destruction of a sexist patriarchy.
I loved it. There wasn’t a lot of character development, but there didn’t really NEED to be because from the outset Sophia is a fantastically strong-willed, brave and powerful woman. I admired that everything she did throughout the plot just strengthened the character traits that Bayron implemented to begin with. It was really consistent.
The plot felt a bit too information dense at times, specifically toward the end of the book. It felt very structured, which is great, but it was a bit stiff. The last few pages I felt like I was being told what was happening more than being shown through Sophia’s eyes like the rest of the book. I would’ve liked the events in the very last pages, of what happened after, to be a little less info dense and a little more descriptive. The imagery from the descriptions in the majority of the book were so clear but that didn’t come off at the end. A lot of information about what happened next was squeezed into a rather small paragraph and I feel like I didn’t find out about what happened to everyone - Erin for example - and it just felt very quick to end!
It was such a unique plot though, which is something I rarely say when reviewing a retelling because you don’t EXPECT it to be unique. Obviously certain aspects were drawn form the original but I loved the way Bayron reinvented the typical Cinderella story and turned it into something much darker.
I think this is a book every YA reader should have on their bookshelves, especially young women. It was so refreshing to see a fairytale turned into a story about the power of women, specifically women that have no need to rely on having a “Prince Charming” AND how, Prince Charming may not always be what he seems to be, but that doesn’t mean you have to put up with it!

This book is absolutely fantastic. I rate this book 5/5 stars. This story is loosely based on the fairytale Cinderalla, as alluded to by the title. Well, take everything you think you know about the classic Cinderella story and thrown it upside down. There are a lot of fierce female characters in this book on their way to overthrown a patriachy. The story and plot were engaging and I devoured this in one setting. Lots of queer rep here. The villainous aspects of this story were interesting especially when you find out the motives.

Thank you to the publisher, author and NetGalley for providing an e-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed reading this fun alternative take on the Cinderella story that takes place 200 hundred years after she has died. Nothing is as it seems and the main character, Sophie, is struggling against patriarchical repression of her gender and sexuality. She discovers that there is not an ounce of charm left in the royalty, and finds a way to get rid of the rot slowly destroying her city and ruining the lives of the women and girls around her.

Along the way there is a witch, a love interest, necromancy and even a magical dress. This tale is adventurous, modern and features characters who are interesting and fun.

In my opinion, this is set at the younger end of the YA spectrum but is totally enjoyable as an adult and broaches topics of gender, identity, sexuality and morality in a relevant way.

Thank you to NetGalley for sending me this eARC in exchange for an honest review.
(Thank you to my Mum for typing this for me).
This book follows the the main character Sophia, who lives in a world where girls are required to go to a royal ball in order for a man to choose them as a wife. But Sophia has other ideas, and when she escapes from the ball, she realises that everything she was taught is not as it seems and she needs to bring down the King in order to save the kingdom.
What I Liked:
Concept. I am a fan of feminist books, I actively seek them out and I anticipated that this would be a great read. Although I didn't enjoy the execution of the story, I liked the ideas and messages that were the underlying themes. The set up was fantastic but the book simply didn't deliver.
What I Didn't Like:
Characters. There are 3 main characters in this story, and none of them has a personality. Sophia as a protagonist lacked any depth, nuance or .complexity. This meant that I couldn't connect to her and I didn't really care what happened to her. The same goes for the love interest, Constance, who started off strong but ended up just as bland. I felt that the Fairy Godmother, Amina, played an extremely predictable roll.
Structure. Like I said, the concept behind this story was strong, however, the pacing and structure felt amateur, inconsistent and muddled. The "action" scenes were confusing and unclear, giving the feeling of a book that need a great deal more editing.
Overall I am so sad that such an anticipated read fell so short. I feel it had so much more potential and hopefully Kalynn Bayron continues to improve her craft.

A very fun and entertaining read! I finished it in a day!
I absolutely adored it, and I usually don't read YA!

IN SUMMARY: Sloppy execution of every facet of CINDERELLA IS DEAD will disappoint.

MY THOUGHTS:

With a cool premise and a cover so pretty, I couldn't say no; kudos to the artist and designers. Unfortunately, the content therein is not as pretty or as promising as the cover makes it seem. In fact, I'd go as far to say that frankly it was downright awful.

Sadly CINDERELLA IS DEAD rushes through anything and everything that would be interesting in favour of a half-baked plot, underdeveloped characters and a tiring number of convenient coincidences that attempt to propel the stale story. Want to know more about the world? Well, it's misogynistic, homophobic... probably inspired by France... and that's it. Otherwise it's Generic Fantasy Land #365. Absolutely nothing goes to bat for it besides its fairy tale inspirations, and so it isn't a lofty goal to expect it's wondrous, glittering premise to pull you in, but even that is executed sloppily.

All right, so maybe the world is meh, but good characters can save a world... but not in this book. Sophia is simply mediocre as a protagonist. I didn't love or hate her; her voice will eventually blend with other 1POV voices (you can tell this is Bayron's YA debut by the writing style). The side characters were equally, if not more, one-dimensional. Love interest pseudo-Merida Constance is super beautiful and quick to anger, and lacks any kind of depth or development. The evil king as the main antagonist is absolutely laughable; take every single bad trait in the personality dictionary and roll them into one character, give him a motivation as solid as a soggy loaf, and bibbity-bobbity-boo, here's your slapdash, run-on-the-mill villain. No nuance or depth to him whatsoever. No point talking about Luke or Sophia's friends, because they, too, are fodder for the plot. Fairy godmother Amina is probably the one character who could've been interesting, but is unfortunately squandered as there's no deeper exploration of her character or motivations.

Sophia's aspirations are a lonely one: take down the king and change the kingdom. However, you cannot convince me that she was the only person in the entire city who didn't have ideas of dissent. The way she was written, experiencing isolation and ostracism for her ambitious goals, made it sound like that even at her young age, she was the only smart person, in a sea of sycophants, who wouldn't prostrate to the king with the slightest provocation. Later on a 'resistance' is quickly tacked onto the story, but they needed a more present role. The way it stands, Sophia inadvertently seems like she's Not Like Other Girls instead of the unintentional leader of a revolution.

The romance between Sophia and Constance was so tepid, instant and lacking in chemistry that I have nothing else to add there. The plot, meanwhile, isn't so much a plot but a linear walkway riddled with conveniences. At least try to make it sound like the characters had agency and discovered things through their own merit. Sophia also often makes questionable decisions, like deciding, despite the giant bounty on her head, to risk going into town to see someone, which was all for nothing anyway. I will say that the twist at the end surprised me, but honestly, I started to skim-read about halfway, so I probably missed all the hints and foreshadowing, if there was any at all.

Overall, I really wanted to like this, but sadly the only thing CINDERELLA IS DEAD has going for it is that it's a standalone, and there's no more books to come next from this underdeveloped, bland world.

WILL I READ MORE BY THIS AUTHOR? On the fence. I think I'll wait until Bayron has a few more books out before trying her work again.