The Stepsister Scheme

By: Jim C. Hines

Narrated by: Carol Monda

What would happen if an author went back to the darker themes of the original fairy tales for his plots, and then crossed the Disney princesses with Charlie's Angels? What's delivered is The Stepsister Scheme, a whole new take on what happened to Cinderella and her prince after the wedding. And with Jim C. Hines penning the tale, listeners can bet it won't be "and they lived happily ever after."

©2009 Jim C. Hines (P)2012 Audible, Inc.

This isn't Disney...

What made the experience of listening to The Stepsister Scheme the most enjoyable?

A lot of current fantasy is pretty dark and brutal, which I don't have a problem with, but it's nice to listen to something with a sense of humor. Not to say that there aren't dark moments, because there certainly are, but they are well balanced with lighter scenes.

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Stepsister Scheme?

When Talia (Sleeping Beauty) reveals what happened to her while she was asleep. It's one of the darkest parts of the book, but evokes (for me, anyway) a deep sympathy for the character, and gives insight into why she isn't one of the most trusting people. There was another moment involving her and Snow that was surprising, as well.

What about Carol Monda’s performance did you like?

Well, at first I had some doubts about her, as she didn't seem to differentiate character voices much. But as the book moves along and she gets more comfortable with the characters, that changes. I thought the beginning was a bit rough, but I'm glad I stuck with it.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

It would be nice, but it's just not possible.

Just average

Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?

No, it was just an average book. Nothing ventured nothing gained

Would you recommend The Stepsister Scheme to your friends? Why or why not?

no, it was just ok

What three words best describe Carol Monda’s performance?

She was ok.

If this book were a movie would you go see it?

no

Fairy tale princesses rebooted

The fairy tale princesses didn't end up with their happily ever afters, no matter what Disney says. Instead they end up in a sort of magical Charlie's Angels attempt to rescue a prince.

I had good fun listening to it and its mouth-quirking humor. But the story didn't hook me as much as I had hoped. I listened through because I cared about the characters, but I think I cared more because I wanted to see how their fates had been twisted from their fairy tale originals than because these new versions caught my interest.

To me, this was light entertainment with little need for own brain power. I'm glad I read/heard it because the concept appeals to me, but I don't feel any inclination to buy the sequel.

Fun light hearted novel

I enjoy fairytale retellings. This one was entertaining. My only pet peeve was that it needed another round of edits to get rid of double uses of words in one sentence but otherwise it was not badly written.

You won't regret reading this book!

Princesses go kick some evil butt! Well written, amazing look at happily ever after and how it's more complicated than a fairy tale.