Member Reviews

I thought this was very good and I will have to add this to the shop shelves. Thank you for the chance for us to review.

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What an utterly charming twist to Hansel and Gretel. The story is focused on the siblings as adults, essentially the aftermath of defeating the evil witch and how the effects of traumatic experiences can affect you well into adulthood.

The characters are charming and engaging. My favorite, without a doubt, is the villain. It was an unexpected and engaging viewpoint! The Gingerbread Queen is a sweet tale with a fairy tale ending but plenty of action and magic in between!

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Gretel is all grown up and needs to discover if she will become the new cruel witch or have a happily ever after. This is a great retelling of Hansel and Gretel! I can't wait for book 2!

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I love good twisted fairytales and this one was so unique in having the oringinal tale as part of the narrative! Loved it!

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A delightful tale about the future fate of Hansel and Gretel after their fateful run in with the witch of the woods. This story is packed with unexpected adventure, young romance, and the power we each hold to choose good over evil, once we accepted who we were meant to be. Recommended for readers of all ages. A perfect holiday read!

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A Hansel and Gretel retelling. This book gives off cozy fairytale vibes. A perfect read for autumn or winter. There’s enchantments, witches, a magical duck, faeries, nixies and much more. The writing style is very nice. There isn’t really one big plot but rather a bunch of mini-plots that contribute to an all-over cozy vibe. 4.25 stars!

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A gorgeous fairytell retelling that left my heart full and my soul happy. Definitely checking out more by this author. Thanks netgalley for the arc

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Carrie Anne Noble offers a fun look at a grown up Hansel and Gretel. Their father has died, but the jewels they got from The Gingerbread Queen(paper from Oliver Heber Books) let them live comfortably in a larger village. Hansel has been enjoying life, gambling and whoring, until his gambling debts force them both back to the gingerbread house. The duck that had assisted them the first time to go across the pond is still there, because he once was a wizard. But in getting to the gingerbread house, Hansel abandons Gretel and runs back to pay off his debts leaving Gretel with a wounded duck. The only way to get help is with a baker’s son in a village where everyone thinks she is a witch. The enchanted forest has a purpose for Gretel, and fulfilling that purpose is the only way for Gretel to survive. Light fun.

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Rating: 4 stars!

A retelling of the famous story of Hansel and Gretel but AFTER they escape the evil witch. I thoroughly enjoyed the magical telling of Gretel and her adventure back to the evil queens gingerbread house and the characters she met on her adventures from the lake creatures to the special guest. I'll never get tired of fairytale retellings!

Thank you NetGalley and Oliver Heber Books for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

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Thank you Netgalley and Oliver Heber Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Carrie Anne Noble's "The Gingerbread Queen" offers a dark, imaginative continuation of the classic Hansel and Gretel fairy tale, set thirteen years after their escape from the wicked witch's gingerbread house. I definitely recommend this book for fans of Grimm retellings, especially ones with unique twists. I don’t think I’ve read a Grimm remix that actually “extended” the story like this one did.

The story follows Gretel, now known as Margarethe, who is 19 and struggling with the traumatic memories of her childhood ordeal. Unlike her brother Hansel, who has succumbed to greed and gambling, Gretel is wiser and more resilient. Forced to flee into the woods and return to the old witch's gingerbread cottage, Gretel faces new challenges and mysteries. Hansel's betrayal and subsequent abandonment leave her to fend for herself, but she finds an unlikely ally in a magical duck and begins to discover latent magical abilities within herself.

The book's setting, Germany in 1825, is vividly brought to life with Noble's descriptive storytelling. The quaint village and eerie forest surrounding the gingerbread cottage evoke a sense of both wonder and menace. The forest, in particular, feels like a living entity, adding layers of mystery and magical realism that enhance the dark fantasy vibe. I absolutely loved the world that Noble created, and I couldn’t pull myself away as I was reading. The setting is incredibly important with atmospheric books like this, and Noble definitely nailed it. I also really enjoyed the duck character in this book. The duck was so unique and fun! I would recommend this book solely just for the duck.

Gretel's character is well-developed, with her internal struggles driving much of the story. Her fear of becoming the next witch-queen and her desire for a normal life create a tension throughout the book. There were some plot points that felt a bit rushed and underdeveloped, making the pacing a bit uneven at times. Yet the characters (especially the duck) kept me engaged throughout.

Overall, "The Gingerbread Queen" is a captivating read that will appeal to fans of dark fairy tales and fantasy. Its rich atmosphere, complex protagonist, and intriguing plot twists make it a highly recommended addition to any fantasy lover's bookshelf.

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Sort of a sequel to Hansel and Gretel.

Hansel and Gretel escaped the gingerbread cottage and returned to their village, but they weren’t unscathed. Hansel grew abnormally large for a man and coped with heavy drinking, gambling and women. Gretel never grew much at all and is thought to be the witches apprentice by her village neighbors. She’s traumatized by the sight of crumbs and changes her name to Marga.

When Hansel gets himself into a debt he can’t repay the two are forced to return to the cottage in the woods for treasure they left behind. And it’s there Hansel abandons Marga.

Incongruously, she begins to feel at home in the cabin and grows more aware of her powers.

But will she be as the witch before her?

I appreciated this update to the classic fairy tale and had a great time reading it.

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These last few years, publishing has been flooded with retellings (don't get me wrong, I love most of them, but it can get a bit tiresome). I can safely say that The Gingerbread Queen is just the right amount of different and whimsical to stand out amongst other retellings while also keeping the heart of the original story. And the fact that it remixes a story usually ignored by publishing certainly helps!

With characters that have as much heart as they do dubious intentions and a grimm like vibe that somehow takes a story about kids almost being eaten alive and makes it slightly more gothic, one thing this book somehow manages to be is sweet (pun intended).

So if you're a reader that wants to read whimsical, suspend your disbelief and you will love it, odd sibling relationship books, this one is for you!

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This was magical. A twist on the classic fairy tale Hansel and Gretel which I didn't know much about. I love fairy-tale retellings, they make me reimagine my favourite childhood stories. This brought a new twist to it.

The Gingerbread Queen is set 13 years after the original story where Gretel pushes the witch into the oven. Gretel (Marga) and Hansel have to return to the gingerbread cottage from the past. Hansel turns his back on his sister as he is addicted to gambling and brothels. Gretel has to survive alone with the help of a magical duck.

I don't want to ruin this book but it is full of magic, suspense, longing, fear, and danger. I loved reading this. It was my favourite book of June.


Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for a review.

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The Gingerbread Queen offers ample whimsy and folklore to it's readers, spinning a tale that is hard not to love.

Thirteen years after the original tale, we get a peak into the fraught lives of Hansel and Gretel. The sibling have relocated to a small town but whispers of their bewitched passed plague them as they try to heal from the traumas of their youth.

Lovers of stories steeped in folklore with find this one worthy of their TBR stack!

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Yeah this was pretty decent! Hansel and Gretel part 2, with solid Grimm vibes. Slightly less dark maybe. I liked the dual pov even though I disliked Ansgar thoroughly.

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A sickly sweet reimagining of Hansel & Gretel's future fate that you will surely crave!

One thing I love about The Gingerbread Queen is that it is delightfully descriptive as it is easy to read. It is packed, with all things it is needed it to be. And shown in its most essentially twisty form, it is the most mystical at its very finest.

With characters both wicked and whimsical one may begin to wonder in all odds, who's really worth rooting for?

Written in captivatingly fun details, outstandingly cozy worldbuilding, and mystifyingly enchanting elements; I say, be wary of this gorgeous dark tale! 😉

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We all know the story of Hansel and Gretel: siblings, bread crumbs, candy cottage in the woods, cannibalistic witch, death by oven. But what happens after the siblings escape?

It turns out that their lives aren’t so happily ever after. Hansel has turned into an unpleasant young man, racking up loads of gambling debts in town. And Gretel (now going by Marga, short for Margarethe), despite her best efforts to overcome the trauma inflicted upon her by the witch, is the subject of town rumors and suspected of being a witch herself for her involvement in the events in the forest so many years ago.

When Hansel’s gambling debts catch up to him and the pair are forced to flee back to the gingerbread cottage in the woods in search of treasure, their paths intersect with a magical duck who has been waiting on them to undo the curse placed upon him by the same witch many years ago. In order to do that, he must convince Gretel to take her rightful place as the new witch-queen of the forest, a role she wants nothing to do with.

We always love a good fairy-tale retelling, and Noble’s version of events is an enjoyable one. We liked Gretel (and the handsome town baker) from page one, and we were rooting for her as she worked to overcome her traumatic past (and her horrible brother and neighbors) and build the life she deserves. We hope you and your students do, too!

Thank you NetGalley, Xpresso Book Tours, and Oliver Heber Books for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are our own.

This review will be posted at https://threeheads.works/category/blog/ya-books/ on July 1, 2024.

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I really enjoyed this spin on a classic fairytale. This tale was on of my favourites as a child. No spice so perfect for teens. I did find the first 48% of the book quite slow (but for me that’s normal). The rest of the book I sped through in the space of 2 days. Great book, one I will be purchasing when my daughter gets older that’s for sure.

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As soon as I saw that this book was a fairy tale continuation I had to have it, I feel like there are so many retellings out in the world lately that a Hansel and Gretel reimagination was going to be great. I don't think I have seen one before I read this book.

I loved it. This is such a fun twist on a childhood story. If you are someone who always wonders "but what happened next?" this is a good book for you. I really loved it.

A small word of warning. Do not go into this book thinking it's an adult retelling. Nope. This is 100% a book where the good guy gets the girl. When you have read too many dark fantasies like I have it definitely felt weird.

But really, I loved this book. Gretel is everything.

Thank you to NetGalley and and the publisher for the advance copy in exchange for my honest feedback.

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If you like fairytales this is the book for you! I received this as an Arc and enjoyed it. This book is set after the events in Hansel and Gretel. The witch is dead and Hansel and Gretel have changed their names and have tired to move on with life. The town thinks Gretel is a witch because she goes to visit her father’s grave at night. Hansel has a gambling addiction and owes money, which lead them back to the Gingerbread House to retrieve items to pay the debt. The same white water fowl is there to help the, cross the lake but has an ulterior motive what is it? Why is the Forrest helping her? There is romance with the baker’s son, will she get her happily ever after or will his family be her demise since they think she bewitched him?

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