Freya Marske fans, mark your calendars for October 7, when her new novella Cinder House comes out. It’s a Cinderella retelling, which I am always a fan of, with some fun fresh twists that left me enthralled. It’s a quick read, perfect for a cozy afternoon in front of your own hearth.
In Cinder House, the titular Ella is a ghost. Murdered by her stepmother, her spirit is tethered to her house, leaving her at the mercy of her stepfamily and desperate to keep herself together and sane. When the royal family declares that every eligible woman in the kingdom is invited for three days of festivities in the palace so that Prince Jule can choose a bride, Ella makes a bargain with a fae—not for the chance to win the Prince’s hand, but for the chance to be touched and to touch the world around her again. Trying to keep herself both out of her stepfamily’s sight and out of the spotlight so she can enjoy the buffet, Ella makes several discoveries that could affect the entire course of her afterlife.
First of all, I love Cinderella retellings. I think it’s an easy story to make fresh and add new elements to while still remaining recognizably Cinderella, and Cinder House hits the mark. Ella’s plight as a spirit adds an extra layer to her misery and to the stakes, because there’s additional questions about how she can even escape her plight, plus some additional spooky elements give it a nice tone. As a novella, there’s not a ton of time to work with, but Marske does an interesting job of fleshing out the stepmother and stepsister’s motivations. I appreciate that the stepmother was not a good person, but did have actual motivations and feelings.
As for the romance, the presence of this review on a site such as The Lesbrary is a pretty good indication that this story does not do the typical love-at-first-sight with the Prince. Nor does Marske merely genderswap the Prince with a Princess. No, Prince Jule is a man and has his own problems to deal with (besides having to choose a bride at a party). If you don’t want spoilers—and I think the outcome is a delightful surprise to be unspoiled for—suffice to say that the romantic outcome is exquisitely queer and fun. If you would like more specifics, (SPOILERS, highlight to read) it turns out that Prince Jule was already engaged before the ball, to Princess Nadya of the neighboring country, and the ball is just a ruse to do the final negotiations and paperwork, even while he is becoming enmeshed with Ella. Princess Nadya, whom I adore, also turns out to be in love with Ella, and they have a delightfully unusual triad, considering one of them is a ghost that only the other two can see. Jule and Nadya have a physical romance between themselves, and an emotional and voyeuristic relationship between themselves and Ella. It’s delightful. I am delighted. 10/10 ghost goals. (END OF SPOILERS)
In conclusion, set your timer for fall, and look forward to a delightful, mildly spooky Cinderella retelling. Cinder House comes out October 7th, and Freya Marske once again deftly blends magic, the supernatural, and romance into a fun and queer romp that sets a light tone for the start of spooky season reading.
