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!