A big thanks to NetGalley and Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

HOW DID NO ONE TELL ME SUCH A CINDERELLA RETELLING EXISTED?!?!?!?!?

The Glass Dagger by Kelsey Robinson is a YA fantasy retelling of Cinderella with a lot more blades than balls. Protect the crown. Protect Rairene. No matter the cost. Ella loves chocolate croissants, abhors enchanted potions, and prefers her assassin’s sneak suit to ball gowns. Codenamed Cinderella, Ella has dedicated her life to serving the crown as an elite assassin, a choice that came with a steep cost. When she left court and her closest friends to train under her stepmother, Ella intended on never returning. But after her protege Sophie is killed the same night as an assassination attempt on Prince David, returning becomes her only chance to solve Sophie’s murder. On assignment to protect the prince, Ella finds herself battling more than just relentless assassins, as emotions she had thought were long dead begin to rise. As Ella gets closer to Sophie’s killer, she is forced to follow clues that make her question everything her stepmother has ever told her. Faced with an impossible choice, Ella has to decide if her oath is more important than her heart.

Okay, first of all I just finished my dissertation on the craft elements that go into a YA fairy tale retelling, with a focus on the Cinderella tale as examples. And now I'm mad I didn't find and read this book sooner. This book is all sort of amazing, with the tag line being Cinderella is an assassins, what could go wrong?

I loved this book. There is a strong FMC and is a Cinderella like retelling with assassins. What more could you want? There is a little bit of romance but the plot is so good its fine! Defiently for fans of throne of glass and the lunar Chronicles! It is technically YA but this is a MUST READ! It does not feel like YA. I finished this book so fast! I need a copy on my shelves.

3.5/5stars

I found this book to be quite interesting, however, at times it felt lacking.

I would have loved to learn more about her past, how she come to be so close to the royal family and what happened in her childhood, but unfortunately there isn't as much as I would have wanted and it's quite sad since it could have improved her character tremendously. As far as love interests go, this romance was quite weak, but it's not too bad since it's supposed to be suppressed anyway.

Now, onto the assassin abilities part, I was a bit disappointed at times with Ella and the other girls to be honest. But since they are pretty much brainwashed from a young age, I can only blame the teacher.

All in all, it was an easy and enjoyable read for me, nothing too extraordinary, but not bad eighter.

This is one of those books that will captivate a narrow audience demographic--adolescent girls--and fall flat to absolutely everyone else. Which of course isn't an issue in and of itself! It's just hard to select whether this book should be added to my classroom library when the writing style and loose narrative made it impossible for me to stomach more than a few pages at a time.

As far as fairy tale retellings go, this one was pretty weak all-around. A few of my 14-year-old students may pick it up just because of its original source materal, but I can't see many of my students sticking with a book where the most interesting parts are devoid of anything that might have made them engaging. (That first torture scene had SO much potential to advance the plot and/or show nuances of Ella's character, but with all the detail and emotional resonance and conflict removed from it....I questioned why the author even included it at all.)

Thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher for providing me with a digital copy of this book to review.

I really enjoyed this fairytale retelling of Cinderella. The story was unique and interesting, and I loved the way the author incorporated elements of the original story while still making it her own.

The characters were well-developed and I found myself rooting for them throughout the book. However, I didn't feel as connected to them as I would have liked. The middle of the book was a bit slow-paced for me and I had a hard time getting through it. However, once I hit the last 30% I couldn't put it down.

Overall, I enjoyed this book and I'm looking forward to reading the sequel, The Poisoned Crown, to see where the plot goes and more of the love triangle!


Thank you to NetGalley and the author for the ARC.

Thank you to NetGalley and the author for the ARC

A retelling imagining Cinderella as an assassin. It was a fun book and a creative way to reimagine the original fairytale. I enjoyed the characters and the plot line. Fun read!

I imagined assassin's creed and girls if you know you know.. And I'm a huge assassin's creed fan.. this book was just perfect, girls in power and magic potions, poisons, combats, also the fact this is a retelling?? Jez.. It was nicely and perfectly done

I was saddened to not like this book after seeing many good reviews, although it is YA it seems a little more juvenile in the writing but due to violence factors it most likely cannot be published under young readers. I typically love retellings and find them fun easy reads but I just didn’t like the writing style, and the constant use of * in place of quotation marks bugged me. However this doesn’t mean it wasent good, the plot had potential and this could be a good read for you depending what writing style you like!

Thank you to the author, and Netgalley for the free arc!

Lately, I'm really into dark fairytales and this retelling of (Cinder-)Ella is amazing! It's got all I wanted and the assassin story line makes it especially interesting.

Book Review: The Glass Dagger by Kelsey Robinson

From the moment I opened The Glass Dagger, I was swept into a world where magic and danger intertwine seamlessly. Ella, or "Cinderella" as she’s known in her assassin’s life, is a wonderfully complex character. Her love for chocolate croissants and disdain for enchanted potions made her relatable and charming, even as she navigated the treacherous waters of court politics and assassination attempts.

Ella’s journey is gripping. After the tragic loss of her protégé, Sophie, I felt her pain and urgency to uncover the truth behind the murder. The stakes were high, not only for her own life but for the prince she’s tasked with protecting. I appreciated how Robinson crafted a narrative that balanced thrilling action with deep emotional exploration. The tension was palpable, especially as Ella confronted her own feelings, long buried under her assassin’s facade.

The plot twists kept me on the edge of my seat, leading me down a path filled with mystery and revelations that challenged everything Ella believed about her stepmother and her mission. As she delves deeper into the intrigue, I found myself questioning loyalties right alongside her.

Robinson’s writing is vivid and immersive, painting a rich picture of the kingdom and its inhabitants. The blend of fantasy elements with a compelling mystery made for a captivating read that I couldn't put down. I loved the way the author combined a traditional fairy tale retelling with a fresh, edgy twist.

The Glass Dagger is an exciting start to the Kingdom of Assassins Chronicles. It's perfect for fans of fantasy and mystery alike. I’m eagerly looking forward to what happens next in Ella's journey! Highly recommend this for anyone looking for an adventure filled with magic, intrigue, and strong character development.