The Stepsister Scheme

Title: The Stepsister Scheme

Author: Jim C. Hines

Genre: Fantasy

First Published: 2009

Challenge: None

What do you get when Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty and Snow White get together after the end of the supposedly happily-ever-after? In the Stepsister Scheme, Jim C. Hines, combines the beauty and intelligence of these well-known fairy tale princesses into an utterly chick fantasy adventure that is far from the fairy tale we all know it to be. Princess Danielle Whiteshore (also known as Cinderella) is on a quest to save her prince who has mysteriously disappeared a few months after their wedding. It turns out that the Princess’ stepsisters had something to do with it. In come Talia (aka Sleeping Beauty) and Snow (aka Snow White), the Princess’ allies. Together, they embark on a thrilling adventure filled with sword-fighting, magic and twisting treachery.

I have to say, although with the promising storyline and funny characterisations, this book fell a little short for me.  It was adventurous enough, with many cliff-hanging scenes, but somehow the entire adventure felt a little farcical compared to other fantasies that I’ve read before. I guess this mainly had to do with the fact that the intended humour didn’t quite reach out to me – it just wasn’t as funny as I expected. The idea behind this book was brilliant though; a refreshing take on the conventional fairy tale plot, and Cinderella wasn’t as fragile as I thought she’d be. My favourite character would be Snow though – she’s hot, bursting with spiritual energy and is bubbly through and through.

There are 2 other books in this Princess Series , The Mermaid’s Madness and Red Hood’s Revenge. Again, the synopses for these look interesting but I’m not so sure if I’ll be picking these up any time soon. We shall see.