This was great! A dark fantasy retelling of Cinderella with the fairy godmother character as some sort of sinister demon that grants 7 wishes and then takes your soul.

For the setting itself, I got some major Downton Abbey vibes. Please note that I just said "setting." Nothing about the fantasticalness in this story is like Downton Abbey lol.

Some major trigger warnings should be noted though - sexual abuse, abortion, alcoholism. Honestly, the sexual abuse/rape is a big theme in this book and it's what drives Eleanor to make a lot of these wishes. If that's a trigger for you, don't pick up this book.

That being said, it's not a trigger for me, so I ended up really enjoying this dark retelling. I liked that the evil stepmother figure was recast as an abuser who ended up being a father figure for Eleanor as she was his ward. I liked that her wishes actually had meaning behind them instead of just wanting to go to a ball to meet the prince. It made the stakes higher all while making me cringe internally because I knew she was going deeper and deeper down the rabbit hole.

I also liked the way the key elements of Cinderella were woven in here - the clock strikes for midnight, the slipper left behind, the literal rags to riches story. There were some really nice things in here.

I'm hovering between 4 and 5 stars so I guess this is a 4.5. Great debut and I'd definitely read from this author again.

I wanted to like this book and tried reading it but could not get interested in the story. The description made it sound interesting but I couldn’t get far enough into the book to keep my interest

I finished this book, but I didn’t enjoy it.

Ella starts out fine in this recognizable take on the Cinderella story. Her goals are understandable and even admirable. But she makes a faustian bargain to get out of her situation, and it’s all downhill from there. This book is daaaaaaark, like those movies that are shot entirely half-lit.

She was told she’d lose part of her soul every time she makes a wish, and she’s determined not to keep making wishes—and yet, she always makes another one. She becomes self-centered and amoral and is just not a likable character. The “prince” in this story isn’t very likable either.

And of course, it’s clear to us what’s happening when Ella’s wishes are granted—but she’s too obtuse to realize it.

This is not billed as part of a series, but it ends on quite a cliffhanger.
Possible Objectionable Material:
Selling one’s soul, basically. Violence. Murder. Unmarried sex. An abortion of sorts. Swearing.

People Who Might Like This Book:
If you, as I do, like retold fairytales, you might want to give this a try. If you like darkly gothic tales with unlikeable protagonists, it might be for you.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Also reviewed at http://biblioquacious.blogspot.com/2021/08/what-contrast.html

This book really surprised me! I went into it with low expectations and ended up really enjoying it. While Ella, the main character, is sometimes frustrating to follow and understand, she is all the most likable due to how realistic and genuine her character comes off as. I loved guessing and anticipating her decisions and gasping at how far she’d go. Overall, it was a great Cinderella retelling and I really enjoyed the journey it took readers on.

I don't really love where this book is going. It also is in DESPERATE need of trigger warnings for rape, miscarriage, and other things. And the main character is irritating and thinks she's better than everyone else, which I don't love. Women turning on other women is an issue here too, so I will not be finishing this book at this time.

it was good. it was dark and twisted and took unexpected turns. i’m still confused about the ending. but it was enjoyable.

I am such a big fan of retellings of well known and loved stories, especially if they have a dark twist to them! I was really excited for this book when I read the description, a dark gothic story inspired by Cinderella sounded so interesting, but unfortunately didn’t quite live up to the expectations I had. I found the main character Ella rather unlikeable, and was never really felt drawn into her story. Overall I struggled to really get invested in the story and for me the ending fell flat. The story had a lot of potential, but overall didn’t really deliver for me.

This is a dark retelling of Cinderella and I have to say I'm living for it. We don't often get a dark retelling of this classic and I want more. Mr Pembroke was a piece of shit human being and I wished for his death. This story was great and I can't wait for more from the author.

The Shadow in the Glass by JJA Harwood was, at its core, a dark re-telling of Cinderella. Very dark. The concept was interesting and the author has a fantastic writing style. However, I found myself feeling very irritated with the main character because I refuse to believe a teen or young adult would make this many naive wishes that are obviously making the circumstances worse. How was there never an option or consideration to make a wish to do something about the terroristic stepfather who kept everyone fearful of being raped and abused? This left me feeling baffled. Also, I disliked the ending...some may disagree but I felt robbed. I read through all of this for that ending.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Shadow in the Glass introduces us to Eleanor aka Ella, a maid who wishes for a different life. When she was younger and her parents died, Ella was taken in by a Lady and raised as such. Upon the Lady's passing, her husband made Ella a maid, stripping her of the comforts she had known. When a black eyed figure appears to Ella offering her seven wishes for her soul, Ella reluctantly agrees. After some time and some wishes however, Ella realizes that not all wishes should come true.

This was a very dark retelling of Cinderella. It has our main character and her fellow house staff in constant fear of being raped by the man of the house. This theme continues on throughout the entire novel and makes it hard to understand why Ella wouldn't wish for reprieve for not only herself, but her co workers. Ella herself is not very relatable or reliable as a narrator, and all other characters fall flat or aren't properly developed. The Black Eyes Woman's origins are never divulged, nor even what she is and why she would want a soul. We can assume she's a demon, but no hard evidence to support it. This story started strong, but Ella wasted away her wishes(in my opinion) and didn't really get much out of it.

Overall, this is not stable for anyone under 17, and even then I'd rather say 20+ due to the creepy nature of the lord of the house. This one wasn't for me, even as a twisted tale, so it only receives two stars from this reviewer.

This is a Cinderella type tale with no prince. The heroine has a horrible life being treated cruelly by those around her. After about 150 pages, I skipped to the end to see if she ever escaped the dreadful life she was a victim of and she didn’t. If you like extremely depressing novels, this is for you.

Thank you Harper Collins and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review. And honestly I don’t really know what to make of this story. You read this review at your own risk (I apologize in advance, it’s somewhat spoilerish).

I suppose if I were to describe it in a sentence, I’d say this is a bleak, Faustian retelling of CinderElla. It’s gothic and atmospheric and set in the nineteenth century. But had I known I was in for an ambiguous, and frankly tragic, ending, I’d have passed. And you should too if you’re easily triggered by the subject of rape and abortion. No graphic details, thankfully, but still. Fair warning.

But that’s no reason to slap it with a one star and move on. The author is a fabulous writer who weaves elegant prose into a dark, twisty atmosphere. I hardly recognized this as Cinderella retelling. The fairy godmother is, instead, a sinister character with lifeless eyes and an obscure origin. I suppose that’s the point. We never truly get to understand the black-eyed woman further than the fact that she wants Ella’s soul in exchange for 7 wishes.

Let me be honest here. I really didn’t care much for Ella. She was at times a little annoying and unlikable. But you can’t help feeling sorry for her because most of the time she is her own worst enemy. And it’s frustrating the way nothing really ever works out for her. And it’s hard not to sympathize with a teenager dealing with various degrees of maltreatment.

But more than anything, my teeth were ground down to stumps every time she made a wish. I’m stupefied by the ridiculous wishes she makes…and the more wishes she makes the more her life becomes a tangled mess.

And then there’s that ending. Good God!

Don’t worry, I won’t spoil it for you. I’ll just brood in silence and let you decide for yourself if you’re in the mood for a gothic tragedy. I wasn’t…and I don’t generally seek these sorts of depressing stories out. Not unless I’m feeling masochistic. Which is never. Anyway, I am glad I read it because the writing was a delight overall. Ella herself was an interesting character. I didn’t hate her and I didn’t love her. As for Charles? Talk about a bit of a spineless puppy. But I suppose he’s the one we really need to feel sorry for. He’s just the poor schmuck at the end with a glass slipper in hand and no Princess to show for it. And like him, I feel abominably cheated by the ending.

This book had me at a dark gothic retelling of Cinderella. The writing is really lovely and enjoyed reading the story for the most part. However, the pacing is a bit stop and go and the plot is just a bit underwhelming until the ending. Overall, I did like the story, the characters and the creepy gothic tone.

DNF.

I really struggled to connect with this story and was honestly not sure if it was the best fit for me! The writing style is quite slow, and the beginning took quite a lot of time to pick up from. There seems to be a black and white dichotomy of good and evil here, and I truly wished for more characters to have greater depth.

3.5 stars

The Shadow in the Glass was a dark fantasy that will lure you in but may not meet all expectations.

After her mother died, Ella was taken in by the lady of the house and given a life of luxury. The lady unexpectedly passed and Ella was abruptly sent to the lower levels with the maids. After finding an old book in the library, Ella accidentally summoned a mysterious woman who promised to grant Ella wishes in exchange for her soul. Even after promising that she wouldn’t use her wishes, Ella found herself falling deeper and deeper into the darkness to have what was originally unobtainable.

The Shadow in the Glass was an atmospheric historical fantasy that moved fairly slowly. Ella was young and desperate to protect her friends, but her desire to be part of the aristocracy began revealing her true colors. Ella was unlikeable oftentimes, but Harwood expertly pulled back the curtain of Ella’s mind to explore her motivations. The Shadow in the Glass was a loose retelling of Cinderella, but the dark ending was the perfect ending for Ella.

Readers who a desperate for an atmospheric retelling with a darker edge will want to add The Shadow in the Glass to their shelves immediately.

This book was dark and magical. I loved every minute of it. It had twists that I never saw coming. I definitely recommended this book to anyone who loves magic!

Unfortunately, I don’t think "The Shadow in the Glass" was for me. I really wanted to enjoy it but I didn’t. I found the main character unlikeable and very frustrating. The ending of the book was decent. I wish the rest of the book would have been as good.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy in exchange for an honest review.

Title: The Shadow in the Glass
Author: J.J.A. Harwood
Pub. Date: May 4, 2021
Rating: 2

This will be a spoiler free review. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

Jfc, this was honestly so boring. Ella was just such an annoying character. And the ending. The ending pissed me off, because it leaves so much up in the air.

I had high hopes for this book. It was supposed to be a dark, gothic take on Cinderella, and while it was darker, it was boring as hell.

Ella – our “Cinderella Character” is tedious, and honestly quite dumb. Her whole personality is “I was jilted out of becoming a lady” and it was obnoxious. I can understand how and why she might be upset, but she never finds a purpose outside of lament of what should have been. In Cinderella stories, you’re supposed to feel for the character, and I just wanted to shake her and tell her to grow up. And then there is the whole “Fairy Godmother” character *cough* not a Bippity Boppity Boo kind of Wish Granter *cough* and that whole mess. The mess of 7 wishes, and Ella going on and on about how they’re not worth the cost, and then makes them anyway. And then it’s a crisis on conscious. And this happens every single time. It’s beyond repetitive. And then she’s somehow the victim.

The love interest was marginally more interesting – but I think that was me projecting my hopes that he would be the Prince Charming character and save her. If only to shut up her whining.
But no, not really. He’s all “I didn’t know of your circumstances” and “I’m sorry” and other bullshit responses. I still liked him more than Ella.

As for his fiancé, I’m assuming she was one half of the evil stepsisters – Lizzie being the other. And talking about evil – Lizzie is 100% terrible and her fate is 100% justified. The fiancé was just terrible for no reason. We don’t get enough on her backstory to really care about her, so she just comes across as a bitch to be a bitch.

I had high hopes for this – it could have been dark, atmospheric and magical, but instead it’s just a mess, full of abuse and unlikeable characters. It was a mess and it definitely didn't work for me.

I dnf’d this quickly. I wish I had the chance to get into it, but I got bored within the first couple of pages.

If you have a taste for both fairy-tales and darkly gothic tales, then The Shadow in the Glass is a perfect read. With an intricate story-line, deeply flawed yet compelling characters and a story you might want to keep the lights on for, this is not a book for the faint of heart. Richly detailed and an interesting take on a genre, it will be interesting to see what other stories bloom from the pen of this author.