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Cruel Beauty Universe
Gilded Ashes
Gilded Ashes is a novella set in the same world as the author's debut novel, Cruel Beauty.
Orphan Maia doesn't see the point of love when it only brings pain: Her dying mother made a bargain with the evil, all-powerful ruler of their world that anyone who hurt her beloved daughter would be punished; her new stepmother went mad with grief when Maia's father died; and her stepsisters are desperate for their mother's approval, yet she always spurns them. And though her family has turned her into a despised servant, Maia must always pretend to be happy, or else they'll all be struck dead by the curse.
Anax, heir to the Duke of Sardis, doesn't believe in love either—not since he discovered that his childhood sweetheart was only using him for his noble title. What's the point of pretending to fall in love with a girl just so she'll pretend to fall in love with him back? But when his father invites all the suitable girls in the kingdom to a masked ball, Anax must finally give in and select a wife.
As fate would have it, the preparations for the masquerade bring him Maia, who was asked by her eldest stepsister to deliver letters to Anax. Despite a prickly first encounter, he is charmed and intrigued by this mysterious girl who doesn't believe in love. Anax can't help wishing to see her again—and when he does, he can't help falling in love with her. Against her will, Maia starts to fall in love with him too. But how can she be with him when every moment his life is in danger from her mother's deadly bargain?
Orphan Maia doesn't see the point of love when it only brings pain: Her dying mother made a bargain with the evil, all-powerful ruler of their world that anyone who hurt her beloved daughter would be punished; her new stepmother went mad with grief when Maia's father died; and her stepsisters are desperate for their mother's approval, yet she always spurns them. And though her family has turned her into a despised servant, Maia must always pretend to be happy, or else they'll all be struck dead by the curse.
Anax, heir to the Duke of Sardis, doesn't believe in love either—not since he discovered that his childhood sweetheart was only using him for his noble title. What's the point of pretending to fall in love with a girl just so she'll pretend to fall in love with him back? But when his father invites all the suitable girls in the kingdom to a masked ball, Anax must finally give in and select a wife.
As fate would have it, the preparations for the masquerade bring him Maia, who was asked by her eldest stepsister to deliver letters to Anax. Despite a prickly first encounter, he is charmed and intrigued by this mysterious girl who doesn't believe in love. Anax can't help wishing to see her again—and when he does, he can't help falling in love with her. Against her will, Maia starts to fall in love with him too. But how can she be with him when every moment his life is in danger from her mother's deadly bargain?
120 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 1, 2014
About the author
Rosamund Hodge
27 books4,892 followersCatholic. Writer. Lay Dominican. I write books about gods & death & girls with knives. Next: WHAT MONSTROUS GODS, coming 03/05/2024.
Goodreads policies: I do read messages. I seldom friend people. I never comment on reviews of my own work.
Goodreads policies: I do read messages. I seldom friend people. I never comment on reviews of my own work.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 992 reviews
Want to read
December 30, 2013Damn, this author really likes bargains with evil people.
Read
November 19, 2018Sometimes you just. Gotta reread your own writings.
September 25, 2018
This novella was unbelievably amazing.
I didn't expect this from Rosamund Hodge because I was disappointed by her plots in the previous two books I read. The only things I loved about her in those books are her writing and imagination. It's so great. And this time plot was also great along with her writing style.
This novella is the retelling of Cinderella. I couldn't get how that tale could be mould into a book before reading this. But it proved me wrong. It seems if she wanted to write a full novel, she could have done it.
CHARACTERS
-Maia: It’s the main character and plays Cinderella.
-Anax: Duke's son. And plays Prince Charming.
-Korè and Thea: Maia's stepsisters.
-Maia's mother is a ghost here who just wants to see her daughter happy. And that's very bad, believe me.
-Stepmother: You know who that creature she is.
PLOT
Duke announces a ball where his only son, Anax, will choose his bride. Korè wants to marry him just for his money and fame to make her mother happy who doesn't love her daughters. So, she sends him letters every day through her stepsister, Maia. Eventually, Anax falls in love with Maia because of her honest opinion on everything. And Maia wants to reciprocate but she can't. She can't make her stepmother angry. If that happens, she will punish her. If she punishes her, then her ghost mother will be angry and that won't be good for the safety of her step-family.
--Maia's character was great. She always wanted to protect her step-family even though Stepmother wasn't good to her.
--I liked the roles of stepsisters. Unlike the original tale, they were not at each other's throat everytime. They loved each other. And that's what I LOVE the most in books. Strong love between siblings. I'm trash for it.
--It was a good take on mother's role as a ghost here. And how it was all related to Gentle Lord, which is the character of Cruel Beauty.
Oh, the beauty here is, you don't have to read that book for this. It's a perfect standalone novella. But if you want to know more about Gentle Lord, go straight to Cruel Beauty. Just for a spark here, his name, which isn't mentioned in the book, is: Ignifex. (Amazing, right?)
All in all, higly recommend it. Now I'm ready to read her another book someday which is the retelling of Romeo and Juliat. By the way, I want to read the original version before that. I'm looking forward to read that soon.
Buddy read with:- Abdullah Khalid, Elsa Qazi and Shabana Mukhtar
24 September, 2018
This novella is the retelling of Cinderella. I couldn't get how that tale could be mould into a book before reading this. But it proved me wrong. It seems if she wanted to write a full novel, she could have done it.
CHARACTERS
-Maia: It’s the main character and plays Cinderella.
-Anax: Duke's son. And plays Prince Charming.
-Korè and Thea: Maia's stepsisters.
-Maia's mother is a ghost here who just wants to see her daughter happy. And that's very bad, believe me.
-Stepmother: You know who that creature she is.
PLOT
Duke announces a ball where his only son, Anax, will choose his bride. Korè wants to marry him just for his money and fame to make her mother happy who doesn't love her daughters. So, she sends him letters every day through her stepsister, Maia. Eventually, Anax falls in love with Maia because of her honest opinion on everything. And Maia wants to reciprocate but she can't. She can't make her stepmother angry. If that happens, she will punish her. If she punishes her, then her ghost mother will be angry and that won't be good for the safety of her step-family.
--Maia's character was great. She always wanted to protect her step-family even though Stepmother wasn't good to her.
--I liked the roles of stepsisters. Unlike the original tale, they were not at each other's throat everytime. They loved each other. And that's what I LOVE the most in books. Strong love between siblings. I'm trash for it.
--It was a good take on mother's role as a ghost here. And how it was all related to Gentle Lord, which is the character of Cruel Beauty.
Oh, the beauty here is, you don't have to read that book for this. It's a perfect standalone novella. But if you want to know more about Gentle Lord, go straight to Cruel Beauty. Just for a spark here, his name, which isn't mentioned in the book, is: Ignifex. (Amazing, right?)
All in all, higly recommend it. Now I'm ready to read her another book someday which is the retelling of Romeo and Juliat. By the way, I want to read the original version before that. I'm looking forward to read that soon.
Buddy read with:- Abdullah Khalid, Elsa Qazi and Shabana Mukhtar
24 September, 2018
June 29, 2015
3.5 out of 5 stars
The tale of Cinderella is perhaps the one I hate the most. It's just so... insta-love-ish for me. I can't stand it. I've never liked a movie about Cinderella and I don't like the original story either, but I read this book because Rosamund Hodge. She's the author of Cruel Beauty, a retelling of Beauty and the Beast which I LOVED. With the hopes of liking this as much I went to read this book.
I am utterly surprised I ended up liking it.
Maia is an orphan girl living under the care of her Stepmother and sisters. There's nothing particularly great about her... just that she smiles a lot. She doesn't do it because she's a hippie or something like that - it's more because of a bargain her mother made with the Gentle Lord (yes, that Gentle Lord - Ignifex).
When there comes the notice of a ball where the son of the duke will pick a bride, she doesn't care, but one of her stepsisters - Koré - sends her on errands to give Lord Anax (the duke's son) anonymous letters in order to make him secretly fall in love with her (Koré) and promise to marry her after the dance.
One thing I'm glad was not present here is insta-love. I said that's one of the reasons why I hate the Cinderella fairytale so much, so I was afraid I might not like it. Imagine now my surprise when I saw there was no insta-love. Yes, there is romance (something that bothers me more often than not), but I kind of liked it.
Remember the quote at the beginning of this review? That's how both Maia and Lord Anax think. And trust me, with a way of thinking like that, I thought the story was going to be really cliched, but thing is, it wasn't. Their relationship felt totally natural, and it slowly grows from nothing, to friendship and then (a loooong way) it turns to romance, and it's not of the cheesy kind.
The relationship between Maia and her sisters was another thing I loved. They don't hate each other, but they have their fights. They feel like actual sisters: Not too perfect to be unrealistic, but not too full of hate to be absolutely eye roll worthy.
I didn't like Maia, though. Why? I felt she was a bit of a fool and clumsy. Heroines like that usually make me want to tear my hair. She was actually bearable, but still I didn't like her a lot.
Oh, and the Gentle Lord makes an appearance here.
Even when he appears only like twice in the book, he has a noticeable personality. Hear that, people? Rosamund Hodge could breathe personality to her characters in less than 100 pages!
I'm glad I read this and I honestly cannot wait for my vacations to start so I can finally read Crimson Bound. Ms. Hodge, you have a new fangirl here.
Recommended for fans of Cruel Beauty.
P.S.: This is the best Cinderella retelling I have read!
“Love is madness,” I say. “Doesn't everyone agree that you'd do anything, endure anything, to be with the ones you love? So either you’re willing to let them use you with any sort of cruelty, so long as they keep you—which makes you a fool—or you’re willing to commit any cruelty, so long as you get to keep them —which makes you a monster. Either way, it’s madness.”
The tale of Cinderella is perhaps the one I hate the most. It's just so... insta-love-ish for me. I can't stand it. I've never liked a movie about Cinderella and I don't like the original story either, but I read this book because Rosamund Hodge. She's the author of Cruel Beauty, a retelling of Beauty and the Beast which I LOVED. With the hopes of liking this as much I went to read this book.
I am utterly surprised I ended up liking it.
Maia is an orphan girl living under the care of her Stepmother and sisters. There's nothing particularly great about her... just that she smiles a lot. She doesn't do it because she's a hippie or something like that - it's more because of a bargain her mother made with the Gentle Lord (yes, that Gentle Lord - Ignifex).
When there comes the notice of a ball where the son of the duke will pick a bride, she doesn't care, but one of her stepsisters - Koré - sends her on errands to give Lord Anax (the duke's son) anonymous letters in order to make him secretly fall in love with her (Koré) and promise to marry her after the dance.
One thing I'm glad was not present here is insta-love. I said that's one of the reasons why I hate the Cinderella fairytale so much, so I was afraid I might not like it. Imagine now my surprise when I saw there was no insta-love. Yes, there is romance (something that bothers me more often than not), but I kind of liked it.
Remember the quote at the beginning of this review? That's how both Maia and Lord Anax think. And trust me, with a way of thinking like that, I thought the story was going to be really cliched, but thing is, it wasn't. Their relationship felt totally natural, and it slowly grows from nothing, to friendship and then (a loooong way) it turns to romance, and it's not of the cheesy kind.
The relationship between Maia and her sisters was another thing I loved. They don't hate each other, but they have their fights. They feel like actual sisters: Not too perfect to be unrealistic, but not too full of hate to be absolutely eye roll worthy.
I didn't like Maia, though. Why? I felt she was a bit of a fool and clumsy. Heroines like that usually make me want to tear my hair. She was actually bearable, but still I didn't like her a lot.
Oh, and the Gentle Lord makes an appearance here.
Even when he appears only like twice in the book, he has a noticeable personality. Hear that, people? Rosamund Hodge could breathe personality to her characters in less than 100 pages!
I'm glad I read this and I honestly cannot wait for my vacations to start so I can finally read Crimson Bound. Ms. Hodge, you have a new fangirl here.
Recommended for fans of Cruel Beauty.
P.S.: This is the best Cinderella retelling I have read!
January 3, 2016
“There are a lot of things I want," I say quietly and deliberately. "But I think I will keep what I have.”
Is it weird that I like this book more than Cruel Beauty?
The characters are very interesting and the story is so twisted and surreal.But I loved it-it's both tragic and happy.The main character is very unique and I definitely liked her and her determination and loyalty to her family,no matter what.I actually liked her step-sisters and her relationship with them-they fight but they still have each other's back.I did prefer Ignifex to Anax,though.Such a grotesque book...in a good way,of course.
June 20, 2015
2.5 stars. I was let down...
After having read Rosamund Hodge's other book Cruel Beauty -- which I loved and enjoyed, I felt nothing for Gilded Ashes.
It's a Cinderella retelling with a dark twist. Maia, her step mother and two step sisters all live in this manor where there are rumors of demons running around. Her mother's a ghost, she violently protects Maia. Whenever she cries, is yelled, or hurt no matter how small the damage is, the person is severely punished by her mother by either getting bad headaches or even clawing their faces from going mad.
I don't know about everyone else since the average rating for this book is... not bad? It's a decent 3.86, but I thought this was the boring-est dark 'twist' to the story.
Her mother being the violently protective ghost she is forces Maia to be a doormat. When she does chores she hates, she pretends and makes herself look happy and spews the most unbelievable things ever. Same thing goes when she's not allowed to go to the ball. “I love dancing, but in front of other people? That would be torture. And the dresses, they’re so pretty to look at, but having to wear one? I would hate to be laced up in a corset and squeezed into tight little shoes.” and “Altogether it’s more fun to get someone else ready for the ball, and isn’t it lucky we don’t keep a maid anymore, so I get to do it all and I don’t have to share and I can’t wait to start working on the dress and perhaps Stepmother will buy some new silk—” I snap a hand to my mouth, sure that she can hear the panic in my voice.
Girl, when you lie they'll eventually catch up to you.
So yes, in trying to protect her daughter she is actually forcing her to be cautious, anxious, cheerful and happy.
Maia is one of the most annoying characters I've ever read, after reading Cruel Beauty I'd thought she'd be, I don't know, smart? She'd find a way to free her mothers spirit instead of living with it and constantly pretending to be something she isn't for so many years.
The story was exactly what you'd expect from a Cinderella story, there was nothing special about it. I like unpredictable books, even if they have a well known aspect to the plot. Don't even get me started on the ridiculous relationship development between Lord Anax and Maia.
I usually like the evil guys from books, cause I find them so fascinating, what drives them to go against what is "good" and what their perception of "good" is. But well, the stepmother in this book was presenting as nothing but a whiny, snobbing and selfish person. Enough said.
I did enjoy the writing style. I thought it was well written and little world building that was present was nice, however I would've liked more. I think this book had the potential to become a full-length novel, if it had more depth to the story and characters but sadly this is a novella and one that only scratched the surface.
After having read Rosamund Hodge's other book Cruel Beauty -- which I loved and enjoyed, I felt nothing for Gilded Ashes.
It's a Cinderella retelling with a dark twist. Maia, her step mother and two step sisters all live in this manor where there are rumors of demons running around. Her mother's a ghost, she violently protects Maia. Whenever she cries, is yelled, or hurt no matter how small the damage is, the person is severely punished by her mother by either getting bad headaches or even clawing their faces from going mad.
I don't know about everyone else since the average rating for this book is... not bad? It's a decent 3.86, but I thought this was the boring-est dark 'twist' to the story.
Her mother being the violently protective ghost she is forces Maia to be a doormat. When she does chores she hates, she pretends and makes herself look happy and spews the most unbelievable things ever. Same thing goes when she's not allowed to go to the ball. “I love dancing, but in front of other people? That would be torture. And the dresses, they’re so pretty to look at, but having to wear one? I would hate to be laced up in a corset and squeezed into tight little shoes.” and “Altogether it’s more fun to get someone else ready for the ball, and isn’t it lucky we don’t keep a maid anymore, so I get to do it all and I don’t have to share and I can’t wait to start working on the dress and perhaps Stepmother will buy some new silk—” I snap a hand to my mouth, sure that she can hear the panic in my voice.
Girl, when you lie they'll eventually catch up to you.
So yes, in trying to protect her daughter she is actually forcing her to be cautious, anxious, cheerful and happy.
Maia is one of the most annoying characters I've ever read, after reading Cruel Beauty I'd thought she'd be, I don't know, smart? She'd find a way to free her mothers spirit instead of living with it and constantly pretending to be something she isn't for so many years.
The story was exactly what you'd expect from a Cinderella story, there was nothing special about it. I like unpredictable books, even if they have a well known aspect to the plot. Don't even get me started on the ridiculous relationship development between Lord Anax and Maia.
I usually like the evil guys from books, cause I find them so fascinating, what drives them to go against what is "good" and what their perception of "good" is. But well, the stepmother in this book was presenting as nothing but a whiny, snobbing and selfish person. Enough said.
I did enjoy the writing style. I thought it was well written and little world building that was present was nice, however I would've liked more. I think this book had the potential to become a full-length novel, if it had more depth to the story and characters but sadly this is a novella and one that only scratched the surface.
September 12, 2017
I can't believe retellings can be this amazing and non-cliche?? This is an 80-page long Cinderella retelling, yet it manages to have more dimension and creativity than most retellings get in a few hundred. Man, I’m so glad I’ve picked up some Rosamund Hodge recently.
(source)
Rosamund Hodge’s talent for character arcs amazes me. Her characters are so distinct, with their own hopes and dreams. They're all so effortlessly relatable, even with different personalities than mine. I particularly liked Maia. She believes that love is a toxic thing, something which can hurt or destroy. Her arc revolves around her discovery that love can be beautiful.
Don’t worry, though; the book doesn’t only focus on romantic love. The complex relationship between Maia and her sisters really stands out here. Kore especially is an incredibly complex character who I empathized with quickly. Maia also gets a developed relationship with her dead mother.
That's not to say the romance plot isn't lovely, though. Both Maia and her partner develop so much in this short story. Their relationship has buildup; perhaps not as drawn-out as I would've liked, but given that this story is only 80 pages long, I'm pretty shocked it was built up this well.
It was a solid five-star until the weirdly anticlimactic ending. I guess I just ended the story slightly underwhelmed. I know this book has references to Cruel Beauty, so perhaps I would've understood it further if I had read that book first. Either way, I felt very let down after planning on giving this a solid five stars.
VERDICT: If it weren't for one singular issue, the anticlimactic ending, this would've been a solid five. Highly recommended, even to those who haven't enjoyed some of Hodge's other books.
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(source)
Rosamund Hodge’s talent for character arcs amazes me. Her characters are so distinct, with their own hopes and dreams. They're all so effortlessly relatable, even with different personalities than mine. I particularly liked Maia. She believes that love is a toxic thing, something which can hurt or destroy. Her arc revolves around her discovery that love can be beautiful.
Don’t worry, though; the book doesn’t only focus on romantic love. The complex relationship between Maia and her sisters really stands out here. Kore especially is an incredibly complex character who I empathized with quickly. Maia also gets a developed relationship with her dead mother.
That's not to say the romance plot isn't lovely, though. Both Maia and her partner develop so much in this short story. Their relationship has buildup; perhaps not as drawn-out as I would've liked, but given that this story is only 80 pages long, I'm pretty shocked it was built up this well.
It was a solid five-star until the weirdly anticlimactic ending. I guess I just ended the story slightly underwhelmed. I know this book has references to Cruel Beauty, so perhaps I would've understood it further if I had read that book first. Either way, I felt very let down after planning on giving this a solid five stars.
VERDICT: If it weren't for one singular issue, the anticlimactic ending, this would've been a solid five. Highly recommended, even to those who haven't enjoyed some of Hodge's other books.
My Blog | My GR Account
August 15, 2019
I LOVE Cinderella. It is my favorite fairytale!
I also realize that Cinderella is one of the WORST fairytales out there having a no-personality, moving-kindness woman marry the prince that she met for a couple of hours. Thus, I love checking out different Cinderella versions that make a bit more sense and this book is one of the nice surprises.
After reading Cruel Beauty and Crimson Bound by Rosamund Hodge, I had no doubts of reading this short story of hers. Set in the same world as Cruel Beauty, it depicts Maia, our Cinderella, who not only is forced to live as a mistreated servant, but she has to act happy about it if she doesn't want her dead mother's ghost destroy everyone around her. It's a difficult balance to achieve since between her family and herself there is a love-hate relationship and she still wants her mother with her even as a deadly ghost.
Things start to unravel once she starts meeting Anax, her stepsister's hope to save her family and the person who pretty much falls really easily in love for someone who says they never would again. Albeit not understanding Maia's situation, he is a smart, snarky and likable character who makes interesting banter back and forth with her. The pairing is really cute and believable enough, though I suppose Anax does act like a true Prince Charming sometimes and damn the consequences!
What is refreshing though is the dark twist in the end. The entire story is pretty darkly set, but the climax just pulls the rug from under everyone's feet because love can cause extreme results as is evident from this book. I would have loved to know what happened to everyone after Cruel Beauty's ending.
I also realize that Cinderella is one of the WORST fairytales out there having a no-personality, moving-kindness woman marry the prince that she met for a couple of hours. Thus, I love checking out different Cinderella versions that make a bit more sense and this book is one of the nice surprises.
After reading Cruel Beauty and Crimson Bound by Rosamund Hodge, I had no doubts of reading this short story of hers. Set in the same world as Cruel Beauty, it depicts Maia, our Cinderella, who not only is forced to live as a mistreated servant, but she has to act happy about it if she doesn't want her dead mother's ghost destroy everyone around her. It's a difficult balance to achieve since between her family and herself there is a love-hate relationship and she still wants her mother with her even as a deadly ghost.
Things start to unravel once she starts meeting Anax, her stepsister's hope to save her family and the person who pretty much falls really easily in love for someone who says they never would again. Albeit not understanding Maia's situation, he is a smart, snarky and likable character who makes interesting banter back and forth with her. The pairing is really cute and believable enough, though I suppose Anax does act like a true Prince Charming sometimes and damn the consequences!
What is refreshing though is the dark twist in the end. The entire story is pretty darkly set, but the climax just pulls the rug from under everyone's feet because love can cause extreme results as is evident from this book. I would have loved to know what happened to everyone after Cruel Beauty's ending.
January 3, 2015
What a dark, dark story this was!
Gilded Ashes was a very eerie, dark and a twisty retelling of Cinderella. I was completely taken with how wonderfully this dark story was executed. Retellings can become trite but this wasn't. It only became darker.
Maia, our main character is a maid. She does everyone's work and tries to please them as much as possible. But she's also trying to please someone else. Her dead mother. Her dead mother protects her as a ghost who unleashes demons on anyone who can harm her daughter. Pretty cool mother, huh?
But it's not so simple. If Maia ever drops a single tear, whoever caused that tear will suffer so badly that Maia maintains a fake façade of happiness all the time. Her mother is scary when she's unhappy, so scary that she wouldn't wish it on her worst enemies.
*Cue villainous music*
So, in order to make her Stepmother happy, Maia delivers letters from her sister Kore to Lord Anax hoping that they both would marry. And once they do get married, Kore, Thea and her Stepmother will leave her and go live in the Duke's palace. Then, there would be no more pretending. Then, there would be freedom.
So, Maia does everything she can to make sure Lord Anax falls for her sister Kore. But what if things don't go as planned? What if Lord Anax is falling for someone else?
Maia was a good main character. I felt certain similarities between her and the Cruel Beauty's main character (I cannot remember her name). Both of them wanted to please someone or help someone but I guess even in the original fairy tales, the characters were all about pleasing someone. It would have been nice if Maia was rebellious and spunky like Cinder and that story is really a wonderful sci-fi retelling of Cinderella which you simply must read if you haven't read it yet!
This story is also set in the same universe as that of Cruel Beauty and there are brief mentions and appearances of the Gentle Lord. On the whole, this short novella was very interesting and dark, so dark, I still feel creeped out thinking about it!
But never fear for there is always this!
Gilded Ashes was a very eerie, dark and a twisty retelling of Cinderella. I was completely taken with how wonderfully this dark story was executed. Retellings can become trite but this wasn't. It only became darker.
“Love is madness,” I say. “Doesn't everyone agree that you’d do anything, endure anything, to be with the ones you love? So either you’re willing to let them use you with any sort of cruelty, so long as they keep you—which makes you a fool—or you’re willing to commit any cruelty, so long as you get to keep them—which makes you a monster. Either way, it’s madness.”
Maia, our main character is a maid. She does everyone's work and tries to please them as much as possible. But she's also trying to please someone else. Her dead mother. Her dead mother protects her as a ghost who unleashes demons on anyone who can harm her daughter. Pretty cool mother, huh?
But it's not so simple. If Maia ever drops a single tear, whoever caused that tear will suffer so badly that Maia maintains a fake façade of happiness all the time. Her mother is scary when she's unhappy, so scary that she wouldn't wish it on her worst enemies.
*Cue villainous music*
So, in order to make her Stepmother happy, Maia delivers letters from her sister Kore to Lord Anax hoping that they both would marry. And once they do get married, Kore, Thea and her Stepmother will leave her and go live in the Duke's palace. Then, there would be no more pretending. Then, there would be freedom.
So, Maia does everything she can to make sure Lord Anax falls for her sister Kore. But what if things don't go as planned? What if Lord Anax is falling for someone else?
Maia was a good main character. I felt certain similarities between her and the Cruel Beauty's main character (I cannot remember her name). Both of them wanted to please someone or help someone but I guess even in the original fairy tales, the characters were all about pleasing someone. It would have been nice if Maia was rebellious and spunky like Cinder and that story is really a wonderful sci-fi retelling of Cinderella which you simply must read if you haven't read it yet!
This story is also set in the same universe as that of Cruel Beauty and there are brief mentions and appearances of the Gentle Lord. On the whole, this short novella was very interesting and dark, so dark, I still feel creeped out thinking about it!
But never fear for there is always this!
May 5, 2015
I loved this book!!! It is a very different story from other fairy tales and it grabs you from the start!!!
May 28, 2017
3.5 stars (:
This was surprisingly very good..
I love dark re-tellings xD❤..
Eventhough things got a little messed up at the end, I liked it :')..
This was surprisingly very good..
I love dark re-tellings xD❤..
Eventhough things got a little messed up at the end, I liked it :')..
April 16, 2014
Well, Rosamund Hodge easily became one of my favorite authors.
Gilded Ashes is a story about love and sacrifice and reason, and how too much love can choke a person and make them just as unhappy as the absence of love.
«Ghosts are laid to rest when injustices are righted, when their duties are fulfilled. But my mother’s duty is to make me happy as long as I live. So there is no rest for her, and no escape for me. I will be happy and happy until it kills me.»
It is a story of truth and lies and being yourself. How often do people have to filter what they say? How many times do they have to hide their true selves in order to be accepted and “understood” by others? How many people are there who truly, really know who you are?
«My smiles and my silent submission both feel like a heavy porcelain mask; my face is always tugging against them, trying to take another expression. Trying to speak the truth.»
And this is also a story about reckless decisions and good intentions and how they often pave the road to hell.
«My mother knew that wishes are always bought with pain. She thought she could shield me from the price, but she was wrong. Maybe I could do better. Maybe I could word my bargain carefully enough that nobody I loved would pay. But somebody would. And I know one thing my mother never did. I know what it is like to live every day and every hour by the fruits of someone else’s wretched bargain. To see people suffer and know, They suffer because I am loved.»
This unique and rather dark Cinderella retelling takes place in the Cruel Beauty universe and boy, do people of Arcadia love their bargains with the Gentle Lord! One would think that they would learn something from each other's mistakes, but there is always someone willing to take the risk.
All the characters are unbelievably messed up and everyone is hiding something from everyone else, trying to pretend to be what they are not.
I adore this author's writing. It is clever, insightful and very lyrical and beautiful at places.
«Their attention crawls over my back and shoulders, ice-cold and multitudinous, like the feet of a thousand rats, like dribbles from an ocean of alien hatred. Suddenly I imagine—suddenly I know—that beyond the parchment dome of the sky waits an abyss of demons, and my body shakes as I wonder if the sky will tear like wet paper and let them flow through.»
I mean, who else ever described demons as "dribbles from an ocean of alien hatred"?
My personal impression about the writing is that it borders on satire. Not in the "humor" sense, but more like everything is a bit too grotesque to be read as a regular story, but also diluted enough so that it can't be called a full-fledged satire either. This is a spectacle unfolding before your eyes, with characters that are a perfect mix of cartoonish and realistic, and so are their actions. Everything is exaggerated to make a better point, maybe even more here than in Cruel Beauty.
I will gladly read more retellings from Rosamund Hodge, as well as independent stories. I saw she has plans for both.
Gilded Ashes is a story about love and sacrifice and reason, and how too much love can choke a person and make them just as unhappy as the absence of love.
«Ghosts are laid to rest when injustices are righted, when their duties are fulfilled. But my mother’s duty is to make me happy as long as I live. So there is no rest for her, and no escape for me. I will be happy and happy until it kills me.»
It is a story of truth and lies and being yourself. How often do people have to filter what they say? How many times do they have to hide their true selves in order to be accepted and “understood” by others? How many people are there who truly, really know who you are?
«My smiles and my silent submission both feel like a heavy porcelain mask; my face is always tugging against them, trying to take another expression. Trying to speak the truth.»
And this is also a story about reckless decisions and good intentions and how they often pave the road to hell.
«My mother knew that wishes are always bought with pain. She thought she could shield me from the price, but she was wrong. Maybe I could do better. Maybe I could word my bargain carefully enough that nobody I loved would pay. But somebody would. And I know one thing my mother never did. I know what it is like to live every day and every hour by the fruits of someone else’s wretched bargain. To see people suffer and know, They suffer because I am loved.»
This unique and rather dark Cinderella retelling takes place in the Cruel Beauty universe and boy, do people of Arcadia love their bargains with the Gentle Lord! One would think that they would learn something from each other's mistakes, but there is always someone willing to take the risk.
All the characters are unbelievably messed up and everyone is hiding something from everyone else, trying to pretend to be what they are not.
I adore this author's writing. It is clever, insightful and very lyrical and beautiful at places.
«Their attention crawls over my back and shoulders, ice-cold and multitudinous, like the feet of a thousand rats, like dribbles from an ocean of alien hatred. Suddenly I imagine—suddenly I know—that beyond the parchment dome of the sky waits an abyss of demons, and my body shakes as I wonder if the sky will tear like wet paper and let them flow through.»
I mean, who else ever described demons as "dribbles from an ocean of alien hatred"?
My personal impression about the writing is that it borders on satire. Not in the "humor" sense, but more like everything is a bit too grotesque to be read as a regular story, but also diluted enough so that it can't be called a full-fledged satire either. This is a spectacle unfolding before your eyes, with characters that are a perfect mix of cartoonish and realistic, and so are their actions. Everything is exaggerated to make a better point, maybe even more here than in Cruel Beauty.
I will gladly read more retellings from Rosamund Hodge, as well as independent stories. I saw she has plans for both.
November 10, 2017
This is one of the best and creepiest Cinderella retelling I've read.
March 2, 2016
*3 GENTLE STARS*
"Love is madness."
This book was one of the shortest I've ever read, but I liked it nonetheless. This one was a retelling of Cinderella, contrary to Cruel Beauty, the first book in this series, which was a retelling of Beauty and the Beast.
I liked Cruel Beauty a lot more though, just because it was longer and way more detailed. This felt a bit rushed sometimes, especially the ending because everything concluded in about 4 pages or something! Nonetheless, I enjoyed this and I'm definitely going to read more Rosamund Hodge books in the future!
"Love is madness."
This book was one of the shortest I've ever read, but I liked it nonetheless. This one was a retelling of Cinderella, contrary to Cruel Beauty, the first book in this series, which was a retelling of Beauty and the Beast.
I liked Cruel Beauty a lot more though, just because it was longer and way more detailed. This felt a bit rushed sometimes, especially the ending because everything concluded in about 4 pages or something! Nonetheless, I enjoyed this and I'm definitely going to read more Rosamund Hodge books in the future!
July 8, 2019
Might or might not have read this for the cover only.
January 25, 2021
I liked it, it was just too short!
October 22, 2023
3.5 stars
This is a very creepy cinderella retelling *shivers*
This is a very creepy cinderella retelling *shivers*
May 15, 2021
“There are a lot of things I want," I say quietly and deliberately. "But I think I will keep what I have.”
Gilded Ashes is such a beautifully written short Cinderella re-telling with quite dark atmosphere and a creepy ghost. I like how Hodge's retellings are always so dark and twisted and not too similar to the original fairy tales. I enjoyed this novella very much, but I think this story would have worked out better, and I would've connected to it more, if it was a whole book rather than a short story. Recommended for fans of Cruel Beauty and dark retellings.
“Halfway kindness is worse than none.”
Gilded Ashes is such a beautifully written short Cinderella re-telling with quite dark atmosphere and a creepy ghost. I like how Hodge's retellings are always so dark and twisted and not too similar to the original fairy tales. I enjoyed this novella very much, but I think this story would have worked out better, and I would've connected to it more, if it was a whole book rather than a short story. Recommended for fans of Cruel Beauty and dark retellings.
“Halfway kindness is worse than none.”
June 6, 2020
A Cinderella retelling that features vengeful ghosts/demons.
What's not to like?
What's not to like?
April 1, 2014
Cinderella better be watching, because she's got nothing on this book.
Yeah, you and your glass slipper can go and turn into a pumpkin. I'm going to read this to my children instead. :)
What is this book about? An awesome retelling of Cinderella's story.
Just that....
Instead of a fairy good mother we have the ghost of her mother [she's haunting her XD]:
Her mother loved her so much that she swear to protect her little girl forever. But what happens when your love becomes a burden?
"My mother will never stop loving me, so I can never stop lying."
Then we have Maia:
She must not cry, her mother must never know she's sad, because if she does, bad things will happen to those who made her sad. She's an incredible kindhearted character and I loved her boldness and perseverance. The way she fights to free her family of her curse, even if that means her remaining alone until the day she dies. She's not seeking for love, she knows that not only good can come from it.
"Love is madness," I say. "Doesn't everyone agree that you'd do anything, endure anything, to be with the ones you love? So either you're willing to let them use you with any sort of cruelty, so long as they keep you - which makes you a fool - or you're willing to commit any cruelty, so long as you get to keep them - which makes you a monster. Either way, it's madness."
And her 2 stepsisters...
Maia sees both Kore, the older one, and Thea, the younger one, as fools, the first desperate for her mother's love, the second for Maia's. They are not rightfully described by our main heroine who doesn't want to see them more than liabilities and can't wait to get rid of them before her ghost of a mother decides to do something to them. It does not help that their mother, her stepmother, is a heartless, desperate woman that might destroy them all in the end.
I loved the 2 sisters and the fact that they don't remain cardboard secondary characters. :)
Anax, the unconventional prince:
"He doesn't look particularly lordly. Handsome, yes: he has a jet-black hair and a face of aristocratic angles. Square metal glasses frame his narrow dark eyes."
He's not you're average prince that will dance with the most beautiful girl at the ball and fall for her uttermost awesome outside beauty XD. He likes Maia because she's the only one who is honest with him and he is also recovering after the loss of another girl.
The romance:
Of course it's going to be the "I want him, but I can't have him" type, but I didn't mind, because the execution was flawless and I could totally understand why they fell for each other. He wanted someone honest and she wanted someone who she could be honest with, considering she had to lie and hide her true feeling almost her entire life. I also liked how she let herself believe again in love, bit by bit. :)
What I can't fail to admire is the way Rosamund Hodge constructs her characters, how much kindness they have. And it's not the bad tasting type where the characters are selfless only when it's convenient for the story. In the end, I loved her message, that no one can gain from one person's suffering and even though letting go is hard, sometimes our happiness can be achieved only through change.
An incredible read, just like Cruel Beauty. :)
Yeah, you and your glass slipper can go and turn into a pumpkin. I'm going to read this to my children instead. :)
What is this book about? An awesome retelling of Cinderella's story.
Just that....
Instead of a fairy good mother we have the ghost of her mother [she's haunting her XD]:
Her mother loved her so much that she swear to protect her little girl forever. But what happens when your love becomes a burden?
"My mother will never stop loving me, so I can never stop lying."
Then we have Maia:
She must not cry, her mother must never know she's sad, because if she does, bad things will happen to those who made her sad. She's an incredible kindhearted character and I loved her boldness and perseverance. The way she fights to free her family of her curse, even if that means her remaining alone until the day she dies. She's not seeking for love, she knows that not only good can come from it.
"Love is madness," I say. "Doesn't everyone agree that you'd do anything, endure anything, to be with the ones you love? So either you're willing to let them use you with any sort of cruelty, so long as they keep you - which makes you a fool - or you're willing to commit any cruelty, so long as you get to keep them - which makes you a monster. Either way, it's madness."
And her 2 stepsisters...
Maia sees both Kore, the older one, and Thea, the younger one, as fools, the first desperate for her mother's love, the second for Maia's. They are not rightfully described by our main heroine who doesn't want to see them more than liabilities and can't wait to get rid of them before her ghost of a mother decides to do something to them. It does not help that their mother, her stepmother, is a heartless, desperate woman that might destroy them all in the end.
I loved the 2 sisters and the fact that they don't remain cardboard secondary characters. :)
Anax, the unconventional prince:
"He doesn't look particularly lordly. Handsome, yes: he has a jet-black hair and a face of aristocratic angles. Square metal glasses frame his narrow dark eyes."
He's not you're average prince that will dance with the most beautiful girl at the ball and fall for her uttermost awesome outside beauty XD. He likes Maia because she's the only one who is honest with him and he is also recovering after the loss of another girl.
The romance:
Of course it's going to be the "I want him, but I can't have him" type, but I didn't mind, because the execution was flawless and I could totally understand why they fell for each other. He wanted someone honest and she wanted someone who she could be honest with, considering she had to lie and hide her true feeling almost her entire life. I also liked how she let herself believe again in love, bit by bit. :)
What I can't fail to admire is the way Rosamund Hodge constructs her characters, how much kindness they have. And it's not the bad tasting type where the characters are selfless only when it's convenient for the story. In the end, I loved her message, that no one can gain from one person's suffering and even though letting go is hard, sometimes our happiness can be achieved only through change.
An incredible read, just like Cruel Beauty. :)
May 28, 2019
I love retelling books but Gilded Ashes was just alright.
Just like most re-tellings, it will feature a princess or prince that is pretty well known. Enter Cinderella. This is a bit darker than some of the ones I've originally read but not dark enough. I liked the little twists, turns, and darker touches though. Yet, my heart and soul are super dark and black and will rarely be satisfied.
It has definitely been a while since I've read a retelling book so I was a bit intrigued when I came across this one. I honestly wanted to like it more than I did (which I feel like I've said this saying 500 times today) but it's true. Certain things weren't really clicking in this one and the pacing was a bit off for a novella.
Then there's Maia, who was enjoyable to a point, but I just wanted more from her. She was cute and I even shipped her and Anax from time to time. It was a nice short read and that's all.
Just like most re-tellings, it will feature a princess or prince that is pretty well known. Enter Cinderella. This is a bit darker than some of the ones I've originally read but not dark enough. I liked the little twists, turns, and darker touches though. Yet, my heart and soul are super dark and black and will rarely be satisfied.
It has definitely been a while since I've read a retelling book so I was a bit intrigued when I came across this one. I honestly wanted to like it more than I did (which I feel like I've said this saying 500 times today) but it's true. Certain things weren't really clicking in this one and the pacing was a bit off for a novella.
Then there's Maia, who was enjoyable to a point, but I just wanted more from her. She was cute and I even shipped her and Anax from time to time. It was a nice short read and that's all.
April 2, 2014
If your mind inevitably links Cinderella with Disney, think again!
Ms. Hodge draws on older versions of a classic tale in this intense re-imagining of Cinderella in which the heroine's dead mother, rather than a fairy godmother, sends the heroine to the ball. But this story is set in the universe of Cruel Beauty. So . . . demons, magic, Victorian Britain, Graeco-Roman gods, and really bad bargains.
Also love: false love, twisted love, feigned love, true love and . . . .
Well, I can't say any more without spoilers. I'll simply mention that Amazon sent it to my Kindle just after midnight, and I couldn't -- just couldn't -- go to bed until I'd finished it.
Yes, it's a dark story, but sometimes darkness serves to bring the light into sharper focus.
Ms. Hodge draws on older versions of a classic tale in this intense re-imagining of Cinderella in which the heroine's dead mother, rather than a fairy godmother, sends the heroine to the ball. But this story is set in the universe of Cruel Beauty. So . . . demons, magic, Victorian Britain, Graeco-Roman gods, and really bad bargains.
Also love: false love, twisted love, feigned love, true love and . . . .
Well, I can't say any more without spoilers. I'll simply mention that Amazon sent it to my Kindle just after midnight, and I couldn't -- just couldn't -- go to bed until I'd finished it.
Yes, it's a dark story, but sometimes darkness serves to bring the light into sharper focus.
June 3, 2016
Rosamund Hodge is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors. Gilded Ashes is just a novella and I actually liked it way more than her novel Cruel Beauty. And my one complaint about this novella? It ended :(
Read
April 12, 2020I don't know what to rate this, so I won't. But I liked it ♡
May 30, 2021
Okay,i'm not sure if i loved this book or not. It didn’t blew up my mind but it wasn’t bad either.
So it's kind of a horror retelling of Cinderella. Where Cinderella's (Maia) fairy-god-mother is not actually a fairy but a GHOST. But yeah,like the real story she tries to save Maia but in a creepy way. Maia smiles and pretends that her life is perfectly normal. Story starts when her step sister writes a letter to the duke's son and give it to Maia for delivering.
Duke's son can't help falling for Maia but he doesn’t know Maia's life is way more complicated than the real Cinderella.
I think the plot is good,really good. Cinderella in a paranormal world? Well that's interesting. But it could be better. Because the ending wasn’t satisfying for me.
I didn’t care about Maia or Anox (duke's son). Maybe because it's a novella? I loved Cruel Beauty way more. So maybe I expected much from this one.
So it's kind of a horror retelling of Cinderella. Where Cinderella's (Maia) fairy-god-mother is not actually a fairy but a GHOST. But yeah,like the real story she tries to save Maia but in a creepy way. Maia smiles and pretends that her life is perfectly normal. Story starts when her step sister writes a letter to the duke's son and give it to Maia for delivering.
Duke's son can't help falling for Maia but he doesn’t know Maia's life is way more complicated than the real Cinderella.
I think the plot is good,really good. Cinderella in a paranormal world? Well that's interesting. But it could be better. Because the ending wasn’t satisfying for me.
I didn’t care about Maia or Anox (duke's son). Maybe because it's a novella? I loved Cruel Beauty way more. So maybe I expected much from this one.
January 22, 2016
Gilded Ashes: A Cruel Beauty Novella by Rosamund Hodge is a haunting, creepy and beautifully written take on the classic fairy tale of Cinderella.
Last summer (2013) I read the arc of Cruel Beauty and I was amazed by it. It turned out to be my favorite read of the year. So of course I couldn't wait to get this novella, which takes place in the same world and I'm so happy to be able to say that thid novella was just as amazing.
I won't talk too much about the story so I don't give too many spoilers away but it was truly fanastic novella. It had a very creepy feel to it and I loved that. It was definitely not your typical Cinderella story.
So yeah, I can't wait to see what Rosamund Hodge has in store for us next. I'm sure whatever she's going to write in the future is going to be just as amazing.
Last summer (2013) I read the arc of Cruel Beauty and I was amazed by it. It turned out to be my favorite read of the year. So of course I couldn't wait to get this novella, which takes place in the same world and I'm so happy to be able to say that thid novella was just as amazing.
I won't talk too much about the story so I don't give too many spoilers away but it was truly fanastic novella. It had a very creepy feel to it and I loved that. It was definitely not your typical Cinderella story.
So yeah, I can't wait to see what Rosamund Hodge has in store for us next. I'm sure whatever she's going to write in the future is going to be just as amazing.
August 1, 2018
sooooo much better than cruel beauty that i don’t even want to associate it with that one, even when it’s set in the same universe
October 11, 2015
A Cindrella fairytale retelling in the gorgeous world of Cruel Beauty?
How was it?
Rosamund Hodge keeps amazing me! Her imagination has no limits...
Based on the two books I've read (Cruel Beauty & Gilded Ashes)Rosamund's work emphasizes on:
1)Betrayal of the loved ones and its consequences
2)Difficult and traumatic childhood
3)Broken, dysfunctional family relationships
4)Different personality traits, negative and positive => realism
5)Life difficulties and struggles (Life is not a fairytale)
6)Foolishness of humans and its price
7)Unfairness
8)Selfish wishes and the payment for them
9)The fact that love can vary but it is for everyone (no matter of status and personality) => no barriers
10)The choices that people make in their lives
11)The fact that you cannot have anyhting you wish for
12)The fact that everyone deserves to love and to be loved
13)The fact that true love can forgive everything
+ In those two books of her there was:
DUTY vs. FEELINGS and SELF ESTEEM => SACRIFICE or BETRAYAL
My thoughts in brief:
- The world did not feel the same. Don't know whether that's good or bad... Maybe, the author chose to present it that way so as the readers get to know other aspects of it.
- Gilded Ashes caused other feelings to me than Cruel Beauty.
- Those plot twists though ... WOW... So unexpected!
- Rosamund Hodge kept me constantly in a state of suspense and thus I could not put the book down.
- The fairytales we all know from our childhood transformed into perfect fantasy stories.
- The life-lessons in her books were highly appreciated.
- In both books, the characters are very interesting and graceful. (I also thing that Aunt Telomache is an analogue to Stepmother)
- Both heroines learn what love is in their own way, something that I liked.
- At first, I could not underestand the Mother curse and was slightly confused.
- I could imagine the final wish to the Mother, that is the end of the book but COME ON we all know the end to Cinderella's fairytale...
- I loved the romance more in this book than in Cruel Beauty
BUT even though Anax is a fascinating character I liked Ignifex more :)
- I wanted this book to last longer.
- I was utterly satisfied with this novella!
How was it?
Rosamund Hodge keeps amazing me! Her imagination has no limits...
Based on the two books I've read (Cruel Beauty & Gilded Ashes)Rosamund's work emphasizes on:
1)Betrayal of the loved ones and its consequences
2)Difficult and traumatic childhood
3)Broken, dysfunctional family relationships
4)Different personality traits, negative and positive => realism
5)Life difficulties and struggles (Life is not a fairytale)
6)Foolishness of humans and its price
7)Unfairness
8)Selfish wishes and the payment for them
9)The fact that love can vary but it is for everyone (no matter of status and personality) => no barriers
10)The choices that people make in their lives
11)The fact that you cannot have anyhting you wish for
12)The fact that everyone deserves to love and to be loved
13)The fact that true love can forgive everything
+ In those two books of her there was:
DUTY vs. FEELINGS and SELF ESTEEM => SACRIFICE or BETRAYAL
My thoughts in brief:
- The world did not feel the same. Don't know whether that's good or bad... Maybe, the author chose to present it that way so as the readers get to know other aspects of it.
- Gilded Ashes caused other feelings to me than Cruel Beauty.
- Those plot twists though ... WOW... So unexpected!
- Rosamund Hodge kept me constantly in a state of suspense and thus I could not put the book down.
- The fairytales we all know from our childhood transformed into perfect fantasy stories.
- The life-lessons in her books were highly appreciated.
- In both books, the characters are very interesting and graceful. (I also thing that Aunt Telomache is an analogue to Stepmother)
- Both heroines learn what love is in their own way, something that I liked.
- At first, I could not underestand the Mother curse and was slightly confused.
- I could imagine the final wish to the Mother, that is the end of the book but COME ON we all know the end to Cinderella's fairytale...
- I loved the romance more in this book than in Cruel Beauty
BUT even though Anax is a fascinating character I liked Ignifex more :)
- I wanted this book to last longer.
- I was utterly satisfied with this novella!
Want to read
August 5, 2016This is one of those times that time travel would come in handy. Just a quick jump to the future, nab this book, maybe check to see if Ryan Gosling is still hot, and come back and read this swoon-worthy novel all before you can say "pudding". Ahh, wouldn't that be nice.
March 6, 2021
Honestly I don't like Cinderella story and I wasn't sure I'd like its retelling but Gilded Ashes for me was exactly what was missing from the original fairytale.
I loved it 💜
I loved it 💜
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