Charm is the fourth instalment in the Tales from the Kingdom series, a collection of dark fantasy romance books that feature new takes on classic fairytales. The story centres on a poor young girl dreaming of ballgowns, fairy godmothers, and a love like the ones she spends her days reading about. What soon follows is a story of power and responsibility, love and betrayal, creating a unique dark twist on a classic fairytale. This was my favourite instalment in the series as I was rooting for the characters the entire time and felt satisfied with the ending. I do wish the book was longer as I managed to read it in one sitting. I would recommend Charm to fans of the TV show Once Upon A Time who would be interested in a darker, more mature version.

*Thank you to the publisher for sending me a copy in exchange for an honest review*

What a great book. I loved how it told a different version of Snow White and there is a twist at the end you didn't see coming. Really enjoyed how the author is continuing to pull in the threads and characters from the previous three books in the series.

Charm is a retelling of Cinderella, with a darker, more mature twist. In his updated story. The main character is anything but the damsel in distress, but is pretty desperate to get her prince.

It still feels odd reading about such well-known characters from this angle, but it is a refreshing read. With references to the previous fairytales and updated stories, I do recommend reading these in order as they do follow on.

This series is my first from this author (after they were on my radar for a very long time) but definitely not my last! A very different take on the fairy tales we know so well, this time with a darker edge.

Thank you NetGalley and Orion Publishing Group for this eCopy to review

Charm is a delightful and intriguing read. This book is a part of Pinbororough's "Tales from the Kingdoms" series, which reimagines classic fairy tales with a dark and twisted edge.

Charm is a retelling of the Cinderella story, but with a unique and mature twist. The protagonist, Charm, is not your typical damsel in distress. Instead, she is a complex character with her own desires and flaws. The story begins with Charm living a life of servitude under her wicked stepmother and stepsisters. However, her life takes a dramatic turn when she meets a mysterious fairy godmother who grants her the chance to attend the royal ball.

At the ball, Charm catches the eye of the handsome prince, and they share a magical night together. But as the clock strikes midnight, Charm must flee, leaving behind a single glass slipper. The prince embarks on a quest to find the owner of the slipper, leading to a series of unexpected and dark twists. The story delves into themes of love, power, and the consequences of one's choices, making it much more than just a simple fairy tale.

Pinborough's writing is captivating, and she does an excellent job of blending familiar elements of the Cinderella story with her own unique and darker spin. The characters are well-developed, and I found myself empathizing with Charm's struggles and rooting for her throughout the story. The plot is full of unexpected twists and turns, keeping me engaged and eager to see how it would all unfold.

Unfortunately not my kind of read. I requested it due to.the author and i have read and enjoyed her previous books in the thriller genre. This was a DNF for me I am afraid

Thank you for the opportunity to review

Very quickly became one of my favourite books on my kindle. The story has such a u inquest take that I quickly devoured it.
I have recommended it to quite a few of my book friends

I'm really enjoying these fresh takes on well known traditional fairy tales. They are very entertaining. This one is based on Cinderella, I enjoyed it more than the original.

Although I didn't enjoy this book as much as the others, I did think that the author has the stories perfectly finished.

It is wise to read them order as this will enable the reader to follow them and see how well they all come together,

The story of Cinderella has all the characters from the fairy tale but Cinders is just not how I wanted her to be portrayed.

These are well told stories and I loved the unfamiliar take on each character retold to an adult audience.

I will buy them in paperback just to have them on my shelves.. A good dinner party talking point ..

Thank you, Netgalley, for this review copy.
This book starts to tie the whole series up and, although it wasn't as dark or humourous as the others books, it still has a tongue in cheek attitude towards the traditional fairy tales. The characters are brilliant and the stories always take a twist you don't see coming.

Started off well enough, then felt like it was just reciting the fairytale without much added, then simply got really confusing and muddled and things were eluded to but not actually explained and that ending?! What was that about?! Sadly it got worse as I read it.

First things first, I have a bit of a confession to make, I seem to be reading the Tales of the Kingdoms series in reverse, order. Well, at least of the original trilogy. I guess that's what happens when you request all five books in a series on NetGalley, get approved for two and decide to start with the one you didn't read first time round. Fortunately, I remember Poison surprisingly well and don't feel I missed anything by reading Charm before it rather than after as intended.

Sarah Pinborough's Charm is Cinderella but not as you remember it. All the familiar characters and tropes are here: Cinders herself, her ugly step-mother and sisters, Buttons, the handsome prince and, of course, her Fairy Godmother.

This version of Cinders comes across much of the time as a sex-starved spoilt brat (Yes there's a heck of a lot of masturbatory action!) who's more interested in capturing her Prince than anyone or anything else. While her step-family comes across surprisingly sympathetically. Her hormonal step-mother and sisters, mainly Rose, are depicted as more tragic than 'ugly'.

Laced throughout are hints of other classic fairy stories. Some of them I know were covered in the previous books in the trilogy, others will no doubt be covered at length in the two new additions to the series.

Thanks to NetGalley, Gollancz and the author for an advance copy.

This the second one of the fairy tale retelling I’ve read and I enjoyed this as much as Beauty. This is an enormous twist on the Cinderella story where everything is not as it seems. Not as dark as Beauty but gripping nonetheless. However, I’ve realised that I’m reading the books out of order. Although I can still follow them, it would make more sense if I’d read them in order. A great read though!