Let's get this clear right upfront: I don't give five stars lightly. And I certainly don't lightly compare authors to Terry Pratchett. But here we are: I've done the first, and I'm about to do the second.

Right from the moment he was described as "pre-crouched," Roland, Prince Charming's manservant, reminded me of a Terry Pratchett character, and his dialog reinforced that; he has much the same speech pattern as Gaspode the Wonder Dog, with more than a touch of Nobby Nobbs. On top of that, the depth of description, the clearly motivated (and determined, and ethical, except those that aren't ethical) characters, the more-than-competent prose, and of course the touches of humour all reminded me of the master. Admittedly, it's Pratchett that's faded a bit in the sun, less hilarious, less absurd, less intense all around, but that helps to establish it as not just a homage or pastiche but its own thing, even if displaying a clear influence.

So what is that thing? I've shelved it as "heist," but that's not entirely accurate; while Prince Charming is an itinerant swindler and thief, he doesn't so much perform heists as inveigle his way into a kingdom or occasionally grand duchy, often solving its pressing problem (with a genuine solution, to give him credit); get engaged to the princess or other noble daughter; express an interest in the security around the vault, which his prospective father-in-law is happy to discuss with him; and then disappear on the morning of the wedding with as much of the treasury as his beast of burden, the Mostly Donkey, can carry. Three of his victims - to give the names of their inspirations rather than the versions they bear in this book, Sleeping Beauty, Snow White and Rapunzel - happen to meet at a wedding, compare stories, and plan, not a heist, but a sting.

Bella (Sleeping Beauty), given supernatural grace by the Good Folk at her birth, is an expert swordfighter. Marie Blanche (Snow White)'s character incorporates the Huntsman who spared her in the traditional story; she can also not only speak the language of birds, but has power, or at least influence, over all woodland creatures. Not just squirrels, either, but bears and wolves and wild boars and even dragons. Rapunzel, having got out from under the thumb of her sinister mentor, has become a Doctor of the Arcane Arts in her own right. They make a formidable team.

Not only that, but they grow and change, coming to personal realizations in the course of their sting on Charming. It's this, along with the general quality of the writing, that elevates the book to the five-star level for me. The characters have depth and heft and dimension, and when you start with well-known fairy-tale characters (or even when you don't) that's far from automatic; it takes skill, a lot of it.

This is good. Very good. It's a strong recommendation from me.

What happens when Prince Charming is more of a serial con artist than a noble dreamboat? Well, Snow White, Rapunzel and Sleeping Beauty team up to get their revenge and their fortunes back! This was a fun reimagining of those fairy tales with a more feminist outlook. This seemed very YA-ish to me, (not a bad thing) in terms of storytelling (PG language and plot), so this could be a great book for a teen to get into.

Each princess gets a section of the book with her tale of being swindled by Charming after the three meet at a wedding. I really enjoyed Rapunzel's origins and could have read a whole book of that!

Thanks so much to NetGalley for the ARC.

Charming was a delightfully fun fairytale retelling that turned the original stories on their heads and gave everything a light feminist spin. What if the prince wasn't quite the hero he first seemed, and how would his female victims seek retribution? There was plenty of humour throughout this book and the story was told from the POVs of the three women as well as Charming and his manservant. It was a light, easy read that I got through in two nights and I closed the book with a smile on my face. If you enjoy fantasy-comedy and retellings, Charming is worth checking out. It gets four stars from me.

A Con-artist prince.

Three princesses out for revenge.

Holy Moley this was a fun-tastic read!

I absolutely loved how this story did some fantastic retellings of our favorite princesses - Aurora, Snow White, and Rapunzel. I even love how they gather together to prepare to dish out some justice for the prince who thought he could come into their lives, pretend to love them while robbing the families' vaults, and then run away. Yeah, that is not how you make a name for yourself. xD Seriously, I could not help but cheer on those girls.

Our Prince Charming, well he is anything but Charming. He is a con artist, a swindler, and so full of himself that he won't be caught. Yeah, sorry hun, but you played your hand wayyyy too many times and those girls - they are not playing whatever game you got.

This book was fun and engaging. The storyline is lush and original and the characters are so well-written that I loved them. I am glad to see some bad ass girls from fairytales. You don't often see those. Most are just pansy damsels-in-distress. These girls break the mold and that is wonderful to see. You have the naive girl, the girl locked up in the tower, and the princess forced to take over a kingdom because her father would not do so. I got he was mourning but I am glad to see the princess step up.

This story is not your average story. These girls are great and you will come to love each and every one of them.


Thank you Netgalley, author, and Solaris for giving me a chance to give an honest opinion of this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this ARC. Unfortunately it was a DNF for me fairly early on.

While I liked the premise of the story (fairytale revenge plot? Sign me up), the way it was written was not something I could push through. The entire first few chapters were heavy on dialogue and telling vs. showing and then immediately switched to "storytelling", heavy on plot, but ultimately not well written.

The vibe was a little too "Shrek" for me and made me feel like I was reading a kids book.

This was a very cozy fantasy read! The entire concept of Prince Charming being a con artist & the princesses he’s deceived working together to catch him is amazing and reminded me a lot of Shrek (which I love). I loved all of the little twists and different takes on different fairytales. I would definitely recommend this if you love retellings and want a cozy low stakes story.

Thank you to NetGalley and Rebellion Publishing for sending me a copy to review!

I was excited to read this novel which promised a twist of fairy tales centered around the Prince Charming character, but while the book does deliver on its promise, it is more of a lighthearted romp through the world of fairy tale than a serious contemplation of character or story.

The book begins with “Once Upon a Time” and introduces readers to Jean-Marc Charming Arundel and his valet Roland as they are fighting ogres and battling briars to reach a sleeping beauty named Lady Bella. Prince Charming, however, is not what you expect, and he leaves the beautiful maiden unmarried when he steals her family’s treasures. When the abandoned Lady Bella shares her romantic heartbreak with Princess Marie Blanche (a woman persecuted by her stepmother’s poisoned apple) and Dr. Rapunzel (an orphaned girl raised in isolation by a practitioner of the arcane arts), the three women realize they have all been duped by the same “charming prince” and they set out to take their revenge.

I thought this plot-based book was simple and somewhat flat, but it is filled with fairy tale settings and references that may delight readers looking for an escape from more nuanced novels. There are dragons and taverns, duels and weddings, hazel trees and fairy circles, and a cast of recognizable fairy tale characters. The book concludes that knowing true names leads to power and it subverts the traditional “happily ever after” with a humorous feminist revenge fantasy. Although I hoped for more depth in the story, it is a fun read that those new to the fairy tale retelling genre may enjoy. The writing did not exactly “charm” me or deepen my contemplation of fairy tale narratives, and I hoped the novel would offer much more when I saw the beautiful cover and evocative title, but reading the book was a fun way to spend a couple of hours. A great choice for young adult readers or those looking for humorous escapist fiction.

Thank you to Netgalley for a free copy of this book in exchange for a fair review.

4 stars

I’ve just recently gotten into these fairytale retellings, and I have to say this has been one of my favorites to date. I really enjoyed the fun take on Prince Charming, somewhat reminiscent of Flynn Ryder (if you know 😉)! The humor was on point and the writing so easy to read and digest. I read it over the course of 2 days, I just couldn’t get enough! I really hope to see more of this genre from Jade Linwood ❤️

The Princess Bride x Shrek x John Tucker Must Die

Charming follows Prince Charming and his companion Roland, who go from kingdom to kingdom under synonymous names. Prince Charming fulfills prophecies and saves maidens, then robs the country blind right before wedding vows are to be made.

But finally, his crimes are catching up to him, when one fated evening brings three of his victims together. Marie Blanche, Dr. Emilia Rapunzel and Bella Lucia—respectively Snow White, Rapunzel and Sleeping Beauty.

This was so much fun to read! It felt both cozy and familiar while still being fresh with unexpected turns. 4.5 stars, because some of the latter additions could have been more fleshed out. But I really loved this and will be recommending to my audience!

I want to start this off by saying thank you to NetGalley for giving me an ARC of this book in return for an honest review

as soon as I read the description I KNEW I needed to read this book, as a woman full of rage I hate the traditional fairytales when the damsel in distress gets rescued by the prince, so this being flipped around? I loved.

we follow “Prince Charming” who is a conman, using his charm to work his way into princesses hearts so he can rob them blind. I really liked the way this character was written because even though he possessed all of the likeable characteristics: funny, charming, strong, handsome- the way he was written turned that into a detestable thing rather than an adoration. the cleverness of the character made you see through the facade and root for him getting caught.

I loved the princesses too, I like how they were based off the ones we all know but given more depth than the traditional stories. we had a sorceress who came from a poor upbringing into an even worse one, being controlled and locked away into a tower only to fight her way out to life a life of seclusion and magic. another who experienced the loss of a parent, causing the other to retreat and leaving them to take on the burdens of a kingdom far too long and finally, we had the classic princess who had been filled with so much love and luck that even after she was betrayed, she still believed the prince had a reason and could be saved. all of them had a personality that was distinguishable and I LOVE the idea of a group of different women coming together to fight and protect one another.

criticisms:
1) I felt as though at times the characters were a little flat. the author clearly spent a lot of time on the world building and story itself which were amazing but it led to the characters and their interactions feeling a little dull. I wanted to understand why these women fell in love with the prince and how hurtful the deception was, but by the time the characters had met and had a chapter of interaction, the betrayal had happened and the next one started. there wasn’t enough detail or time spent between the characters to truly understand their motivations / emotions. this took off a star and a half for me because if you’re going to have a book that relies so heavily upon multiple characters and then becoming a team to seek revenge I need to understand said characters, their dynamics and the urge for this revenge.

despite that being said, this was definitely a good read with a fun twist on the classic fairytale books you’re used to reading. I definitely think it has potential and that many people out there will enjoy this