Fantastic Fairytales - Stray by Elissa Sussman

Published: October 7th

Publisher: GreenWillow

Pages: 384

Copy: Edelweiss

Summay: Goodreads

“I am grateful for my father, who keeps me good and sweet. I am grateful for my mother, who keeps her own heart guarded and safe. I am grateful for my adviser, who keeps me protected. I am grateful for the Path, which keeps me pure. Ever after.”

Princess Aislynn has long dreamed about attending her Introduction Ball, about dancing with the handsome suitors her adviser has chosen for her, about meeting her true love and starting her happily ever after.

When the night of the ball finally arrives and Nerine Academy is awash with roses and royalty, Aislynn wants nothing more than to dance the night away, dutifully following the Path that has been laid out for her. She does not intend to stray.

But try as she might, Aislynn has never quite managed to control the magic that burns within her-magic brought on by wicked, terrible desires that threaten the Path she has vowed to take.

After all, it is wrong to want what you do not need. Isn’t it?

STRAY is the first in a collection of intertwined stories, all set in a world where magic is a curse that only women bear and society is dictated by a strict doctrine called The Path. A cross between The Handmaid’s Tale and Wicked, with a dash of Grimm and Disney thrown in, this original fairy tale will be released October 7th, 2014 from Greenwillow Books/HarperCollins.

Review

An original fairy tale that has all the best parts of the traditional tales and yet manages to poke fun at them at the same time.  Princess Aislynn is everything a fairy princess should be, yet she is being trained to suppress her magic and only to follow the Path as it is laid out for her. Not quite as easy as it sounds however.

Aislynn is 'redirected' to  become a fairy godmother, and that brought a laugh or three.  I enjoyed the premise of the story, but there were times when I found myself wanting a little more.  There's not a whole lot of action going on and this book I felt was setting the stage for what is to come next. To be honest, writing this review several weeks after finishing the book, I'm having a hard time remembering any of the details.  I remember enjoying the book, but not why in particular.  

So, should you read it?  Yes, if you're a fairy tale fan, but I doubt it will appeal to non-fans of the genre.