Serena Valentino

"Adapted in part from the Disney film Cinderella"--Copyright page.

A Tale of the Wicked Stepmother

Cold Hearted

Briar's Reviews

I have a thing for fairy tales. I love jumping back into old stories and then seeing what people can do with them. I even took a course in University all about the re-tellings of famous stories. We call them "Intertexts". This one is a continuation of good ol' Cinderella. You've heard her story, you've watched the Disney movies (cartoon, sequels and live action remake) and I'm sure you've watched the Brandy version too. There's so many retellings of this story! A Cinderella Story has been redone so many times too. There are even organizations named after the story! 

But... what about Lady Tremaine? The evil woman with the cat (that I want, by the way. I like cats. I don't care if they are the bad guys... They are fluffy) and the ugly step sisters (who weren't that ugly, honestly). Anastasia and Drizella... There is so much there for a story! So much! I am not surprised at all that Serena Valentino decided to add her spin to this story. Wicked step-mothers aren't always wicked... Maybe just not well informed.

We open up with a bit of a synopsis if you somehow did not know the basics of this story, and then get thrust into the Fairylands! Fairy God Mother gets a request from Cinderella, and it turns out she has to help her ward. The whole point Fairy God Mother brings up that villains deserve their bad endings... But do they? Do they? Look how many live action remakes we are getting with villains... It can't be true. Maybe they deserve a second chance...

This book is a roller coaster ride of fun. It gives a lot of life to Lady Tremaine and makes her story way more interesting than a brooding old bat who's just a jerk. Seeing this woman be hardened over time and what happened to her... It makes you understand the story a bit more (but obviously still feel bad because Cinderella didn't deserve all the hate).

Overall, great book! I recommend it if you love Disney retellings.

Four out of five stars.

Thank you to NetGalley and Disney Publishing Worldwide for a free copy of this book in exchange of an honest review.

Tatyana

Another awesome story. Lady Tremaine still grieving over her first husband and raising her daughters soon meets Sir Richard and her life is literally turned upside down. Knowing that she wasn't always cold hearted and hearing her story actually made me feel a little bad for her.

Paige Green

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher. Thanks! All opinions are my own.

Book: Cold Hearted

Author: Serena Valentino

Book Series: Villains Book 8

Rating: 5/5

Recommended For...: Young adult readers, retelling, Disney retellings, Cinderella story

Genre: YA Retelling

Publication Date: July 6, 2021

Publisher: Disney Books

Pages: 294

Recommended Age: 13+ (death, emotional domestic abuse, emotional child abuse)

Explanation of CWs: There is a lot of death in this book with parents. A certain parent also contributes to a certain amount of emotional abuse to Lady Tremaine and there is emotional child abuse to Anastasia and Drizella and some to Cinderella.

Synopsis: It’s a familiar tale: A kind and beautiful young girl, reeling from loss. A doting father, frantic to bring a mother’s love back into his daughter’s life. And the selfish, cruel woman who insinuates herself into that family―a woman so unfeeling, so cold hearted, that when her new husband dies, she makes the girl a servant in her own home.

But who is that evil stepmother, that icy lady of the house? How did she become so closed off that, in the face of a child’s grief, she thought only to seek wealth and power for herself and her abhorrent daughters? Before that fateful ball, before the glass slipper and the prince, there was another story―a story of love and grief, of hope and of dreams dashed. It is the story of Lady Tremaine.

Even the coldest of villains are sometimes wives and mothers, women who loved and lost and hoped for something grander for their lives . . . once upon a dream.

Review: I really enjoyed this one! I absolutely love this series and while I'm not the best at reading them in order I do love that you CAN read them out of order. I love how the author made me sympathetic to Lady Tremaine and how well she crafted this revenge story. I also loved the character development and world building. The pacing was also spot on and I finished this one in one sitting!

My only criticism of the book is that I didn't get that one satisfying death I wanted to see lol.

Verdict: Highly recommend!

Cold Hearted A Tale of the Wicked Stepmother

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