The StepSister Scheme by Jim C. Hines

The Stepsister Scheme 

By: Jim C. Hines






The Stepsister Scheme is a different take on the classic Cinderella story we all know.  The story we all know still happened it's just that Cinderella didn't settle down to a perfect boring princess life afterwards.  As is the case with anyone who is noticed by the mysterious powers of the universe, being special attracts attention, and much of it is bad.  This story is not what you would expect from Cinderella, but that is what makes it awesome.  The book is a fast paced adventure novel with magic, secret passages, dangerous trips to a Fairy land that is every bit as treacherous as the actual legends imply, and some princesses that kick ass.  I cant really think of anything that I didn't like about this book except that I wish it had been longer and that I had been able to put it down at times.

This story starts out with Danielle(Cinderella) trying to adjust to her "Happily Ever After" life in the palace with her new husband.  Her peace does not last long however, as her stepsister suddenly shows up slinging around industrial grade magic.  She is saved by a girl named Talia, who has uncanny martial arts skills, and taken to a secret safe room in the castle where she meets Snow(white).  It turns out that the queen has been collecting special girls after their happily ever after didn't work out so well, and turning them into her kingdoms magical secret service.  Snow White is a master of mirror magic.  Talia was sleeping beauty, and the all the Fairy blessings make her nearly impossible to hit or hurt. Now she has Danielle, who still possesses a terrifying control of wild animals, for a stepdaughter.  Danielle will have to learn to work with the other princesses, and her mother in law if she is to save her brand new husband who was abducted in the chaos.  Danielle and her new friends will need all of their power if they hope to save the prince because her stepsister got her power from the fairies, and that means that they will have to go to the Fairy kingdom to get him back.  Their enemies among the fairies are about to learn that they have made a grave mistake because these aren't your average helpless princesses, and they are pissed.

This book should appeal to people who enjoy the Disney versions of fairy tales, but complain that they stray from the originals.  Jim C. Hines brings back the danger of the original tales, but pairs it with princesses who have bad ass powers to match it.

This book can be purchased at www.amazon.com in print or as an e-book.