Ash

Ash by Malinda Lo is a retelling of Cinderella, with a twist. This novel takes place in the same world as her book Huntress.

After Ash's mother dies, her father brings a new wife home from the City - a new wife with two daughters. Then her father gets sick and they all move to his wife's house outside the city. But the city doctors cannot save him.

Now Ash is an orphan. She is far from anyone she knows and in order to pay off her father's debt, her stepmother makes her into a servant.

Unlike the original Cinderella, Ash does not go to the ball to meet the prince. Ash is more interested in the King's Huntress. And Ash makes a deal with a fairy to be able to escape her stepmother's house to go see her. But wishes granted come with a price.

Lo's recreation of the story keeps the romantic feel of the original tale, but builds a relationship based on mutual interest instead of one dance. A must read for anyone who is a fan of fairy tales but wishes they had more substance.

Lo, Malinda (2009). Ash. New York: Little, Brown & Co.

Huntress

Huntress by Malinda Lo is the story of a world out of balance.

Taisin is studying at the Academy. She has been there for six years and she is advancing in her powers. When she starts having visions of herself and another student, Kaede, she goes to the Sages.

Kaede has also been at the Academy for six years. Her studies are not advancing. However, her father's position as the King's Chancellor has kept her there where other students might have been asked to leave.

The King has received an invitation to the Fairy Queen's castle. While the King cannot go due to unrest, he will send his son along with Kaede and Taisin -as Taisin's visions proclaimed.

As they leave for the unmapped parts of the North - a place no human has gone for centuries - Taisin is uneasy. What she saw in her vision makes her think that their journey will be more than just a long walk. The decisions they make will change the course of history.

Lo has created a world that readers will sink into with ease. Her characters struggle to find their place in the world while also changing that world. Huntress takes place in the same world as her book Ash.

Lo, Malinda. (2011). Huntress. New York: Little, Brown & Company.