I love Danielle Paige and this book didn’t disappoint. I enjoyed the story so much and found myself sucked right in at the start.

TBH, “Dorothy Must Die” was one of the first books that was a DNF for me. At the time, it just wasn’t for me.

But as a big fan of the fairy tale retelling, I couldn’t resist picking up “Wish of the Wicked,” a (very) loose Cinderella retelling focused on fairy godmother lore and the burgeoning mistrust of magic.

And IMO, this new Danielle Paige series is off to a great start.

Fair warning, there is so much happening in this story, and it did take all of my effort to track the twists and turns throughout. From a legendary squad of magical guardians called Entente, to a queenly betrayal, to a complex system of royal companions, to reincarnated mothers.

The book clearly deviated from what seemed to be the core conflict several times. But that leaves so many opportunities for the sequel.
Bring it on!

Danielle Paige is the Queen of retellings. I don't read as much Fantasy as I used to at the moment but I enjoyed Wish of the Wicked. And no, not just for that absolutely gorgeous cover. Though, that maaay be a little bit of it. Wish of the Wicked is a sort of Cinderella retelling but with plenty of twists. I definitely recommend picking it up.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for granting me free access to the advanced digital copy of this book.

Aside from the slow start, I had so much fun reading this.

I love that not only is this a different POV for Cinderella, but how early on we get to see this new POV. I enjoyed the balance between a new take and the way in which the original story was included. Danielle Paige has proven yet again that she is great a retellings.

"Wish of the Wicked" by Danielle Paige exceeded my expectations as a fan of the author's previous works. Paige masterfully weaves a captivating and unique retelling, seamlessly blending elements from the original tale with fresh, inventive twists. The story is brought to life through the enchanting perspective of Farrow, a remarkable female main character who adds depth and authenticity to the narrative. Paige's writing is engaging, her world-building impeccable, and the seamless fusion of old and new elements makes this retelling truly exceptional. "Wish of the Wicked" is a delightful addition to Danielle Paige's repertoire, showcasing her talent for breathing new life into timeless stories.

There was so much going on in Wish of the Wicked, that I just generally did not vibe with it towards the end. I liked Farrow, but Paige takes so long to get the story started, I almost stopped reading. After reading a few other reviews, I realized what really bothered me about Wish of the Wicked - there are so many plot lines, that it felt like we should have gotten this story in parts, especially during the "grooming" school years.

With the popularity of Wish and these types of retellings, we will likely purchase this title, but I didn't find this to be especially exciting or unique for the genre.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the ARC. The above is my honest opinion on the book.

"Wish of the Wicked" is a magical and fun book that delivers a good twist on the tale of the fairy Godmother. It was very interesting to see the fairytale of Cinderella in a different light. While the romance was quite enjoyable, especially towards the end, it was pretty fast-paced and maybe a bit too much so. A few more pages would have done it a great benefit.
The plot twists were engaging enough and the concept of magic in this, split into three Fates and the Entente that follows them, was very interesting. The world-building did appear a bit rushed to met at times and I had major issues finding a good connection with the characters.
It's a fun and short read, but nothing that blew me away.

Ok, I LOVED Paige’s Dorothy Must Die, so I was so excited to hear that she has given her own take on the Cinderella story. Farrow, our protagonist, is magical. In fact, she belongs to a magical family that has been council to the Queen for generations. The new Queen, however, is a different ruler; she rules with an iron fist and attempts to extinguish magic by killing all those possessing it. Farrow escapes the mass execution and makes it her life’s mission to exact revenge.
This is a story of revenge, identity, forgiveness, and family. I enjoyed the world-building and the fast-paced plot. Paige has set us up for a continuation of Farrow’s story, and I can’t wait to see what happens to her next!

The creativeness that lies behind retellings is unmatched! No matter how many times a fairytale gets retold, I’m always floored by the author’s ability to make the story their own. Danielle Paige did a splendid job taking a story we all know and love and creating pure magic and wickedness. This had all of the elements of a great fairy tale: good vs. evil, magic, conflict, etc. If I had to give fellow readers an idea of the kind of story that lays beyond these pages, I would say this was Cinderella meets Maleficent meets Colombiana. Overall, this was a delightfully dark retelling that served as a reminder that there are always three sides to every story.

thanks to NetGalley for the eARC

⭐️=2.5 | 😘=2.75 | 🤬=2 | ⚔️=3 | 14+

summary: Cinderella retelling from the fairy godmother’s POV

thoughts: this is a stupid thing to be mad about, but all the boys have extremely stupid names in this book. Mather? South? Tork???? girl what?

more importantly, it takes like 300+ pages for anything to remotely resemble Cinderella, which is rough since the fun part of reading a retelling is seeing the bits and pieces of something familiar turn into something new. this was just confusing and boring in general and took forever to resemble anything at all. idk. didn’t love this, but it didn’t make me, like, actively upset, except for the stupid boy names.

A big thanks to NetGalley and Bloomsbury for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I wasn't the biggest fan of Danielle Paige's Dorothy Must Die series, and this one wasn't doing it for me either.

Wish of the Wicked by Danielle Paige is a YA fantasy that helps provide a backstory to the Fairy Godmother in Cinderella. Everyone knows a fairy godmother helped Cinderella get to the ball. But no one knows why.For centuries, Farrow's family-the Entente-have been magical advisors to the Queen. Their wisdom and foresight kept the Thirteen Queendoms in harmony. Until a new queen, Magrit, takes power, outlaws magic, and executes the Entente. Only Farrow survives, with her magic warped beyond repair. She can now use it only to fulfill the feeble wishes of commoners. Since that day, Farrow has dreamed of revenge. The one way to reach the queen is through her son, Prince Mather, who is nearing the age when he must select a bride. When a special ball in his honor is announced, Farrow sees her opportunity. All it will take is a young woman named Cinderella who dreams of true love. With one night, one chance to reclaim her magic and destroy the queen, Farrow will stop at nothing.

I think what always throws me off with Paige's books is the pacing. The premise is good and the characters are relatable. But there's not enough beats to keep me engaged. I think I was wanting something like Marissa Meyer's Heartless, but got something completely different.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for giving me a free eARC of this book to read in exchange for my review!

A unique reimagining of Cinderella's featuring a fairy godmother who wants revenge against the Queen who killed her family and will need the help of Cinderella to do so. Farrow is an Entente, magical advisors to the Queen and they grant wishes. Ententes have been advisors to Queens for centuries and have lived in harmony and kept the peace in the kingdom. Yet when the new queen Magrit takes power, she immediately exiles magic and executes the Entente. Farrow is the only one to survive and her magic was broken beyond repair... yet now she spends her days pretending to be a human plotting her revenge against the queen. Farrow has only one goal: kill Queen Magrit. She spends years planning and finally gets the chance when she takes up the position as a special companion to the queen's son, Prince Mather. Mather is nothing like she expects and he genuinely begins to fall for her, yet Farrow has a mission and she will go through with it. The only way to reach the queen though is at the ball where Prince Mather will choose his bride... and the perfect bride for the job is Cinderella. Farrow will need Cinderella to complete her goals, yet things are only further complicated when those from her past come back and her own complicated feelings for the prince arise. This was definitely a unique reimagining of the classic story and it had so much going on yet I honestly wish it was condensed down a bit. This is only the first book in the series and I really don't see myself reading the rest of the books. While it was a unique retelling, it just was a bit much and I found myself getting bored and checking out of the book a lot. I think this would make a great read for fans of a darker twist on classic fairytales with a fantasy romance aspect though. While it didn't stand out to me, it definitely would make a great read for others!

*Thanks Netgalley and Bloomsbury USA Children's Books, Bloomsbury YA for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

A unique Cinderella reimagining with elements of Sleeping Beauty and even some inspiration from the Salem Witch Trials, Wish of the Wicked is told from the fairy godmother’s point of view and begins when she is young. Farrow’s life takes on a whole new trajectory when all of the other members of the Entente are seemingly killed, and vengeance becomes Farrow’s sole goal. Cannot wait for the second novel in this new series!

*Special thanks to NetGalley and Bloomsbury USA Children's Books for this e-arc.

Wish of the Wicked is a very original retelling of Cinderella and The Fairy Godmother.

Once upon a time, there was a girl called Farrow, she belonged to the Entente, they lived in a sisterhood, separated from humans, they had magic and they were advisors to the queens until the new Queen Magrit decided to hunt them. Farrow survives, loses her magic, and is in a human orphanage, she swears revenge.

Years have passed, and Farrow has been able to infiltrate the castle, she tries to assassinate the queen but is distracted when she finds one of her sisters imprisoned, they flee and discover that more Entente have survived in hiding, they have been living alongside humans, even though they despise them. Farrow is happy to reunite with her best friend, but she will soon enter into a dilemma, her friend is not the same, she has become cruel, and she plays with humans, especially with Cinderella, who is now a servant in her own house and is afraid of the Entente. With Cinderella, Farrow will discover her magic, she has not lost her powers, and her magic is based on granting wishes to others.

Farrow continues with her plan to assassinate the queen, and her sisters too, but their plan is very different, Farrow only wants to attack the queen, she believes that the prince deserves a chance, while her sisters want to destroy both and they want to rule. Farrow, Cinderella, and South (the only Entente boy who agrees with Farrow) will have to organize and win.

I like how original the story is, Cinderella doesn't appear until halfway through and her role is relatively little until the end. Farrow is a morally gray character, she wants revenge and it is justified but she is not a bad person, her sisters do not care about harming humans, they not only mistreat Cinderella but also the neighbors and servants, the queen is pure evil but they are not better.

My favorite was South, He sees the good and bad in both, and he is not blinded by his love for Entente, even if they are your family. The Prince was nice too, like South he sees that his mother is wrong and he wants to stop the witch persecution that his mother has. There is a love triangle in the background. Cinderella is sweet, but not stupid, she doesn't want revenge, just a better life for herself and her friends.

Magic is interesting, every girl has a different ability, and Farrow's is unique, which makes Farrow feel inferior and somehow her sisters make her feel that way too.

The ending is so good, it leaves you satisfied, the main plot is mixed up but it leaves you wanting the second book

Read if if you like:
• Original Retelling
• Morally Grey Characters
• Interesting Magic System

"We can all be saved or lost by a kiss or a kill. Either takes seconds and changes everything."

Fairy Godmother's origin story reveals the lengths the heart is willing to go for love or revenge.

Danielle Paige masterfully writes the conflicting emotions we all experience when we've been wronged or when we've wronged another—how guilt can slither its way to the heart and darken our decisions.

WISH OF THE WICKED is a magical tale of how the past, present, and future can shape us, but it's the difficult choices we make that truly show who we are. And I loved every moment of Farrow's journey.

Thank you Netgalley and the Publisher for an eARC version of this novel in exchange for an honest review! Opinions are my own.

I loved everything about this Cinderella Retelling told from the Fairy godmother's point of view. It was a magical story. The Entente and their relationship with each other as sisters is deep. I enjoyed Farrow and her character development. It also has a glimpse of sleeping beauty. The plot has so many twists. It is fast-paced. Overall, i thoroughly enjoyed this story.

The story was kind of slow in the beginning, but when it picked up it truly picked up. I think that is my biggest thing for me is how long it took for me to truly get in/on board with the story. Once I was locked in there was truly to getting me out of the story!

Farrow was such a great FMC. I found it truly admirable that after everything she went through, yes she was filed by getting revenge, but was able to see that what she truly needed to do for the greater good.

My favorite parts were the portions of the story that are from the original Cinderella that was such a fusion! I honestly thought I was going to see more the Disneyish version of Cinderella incorporated.

Overall a very nostalgic read, and I can’t wait for the rest next book!

Things I liked:
- The matriarchal society. This is probably the best part of the book, or at least for me, it was the best thing. There are no kingdoms but there are Queendoms and they are helped by Entente (a group of witches led by three fates, one for the past, one for the present, and one for the future.) It’s a story dedicated to women.
- Cinderella retelling from the fairy godmother’s POV
- Interesting mixture of witches with various mythological women
- For a change, two men have to fight in a world led by women to make their place, a prince and a human living with witches.