Cinder House

De: Freya Marske

Narrado por: Anna Burnett

Sparks fly and lovers dance in this gorgeous, yearning Cinderella retelling from bestselling author Freya Marske—a queer Gothic romance perfect for fans of Naomi Novik and T. Kingfisher.

“[Narrator Anna] Burnett's portrayal of [Ella’s] longing and frustration is heartrending... [her] performance is stunning.” — AudioFile

Ella is a haunting.

Murdered at sixteen, her ghost is furiously trapped in her father's house, invisible to everyone except her stepmother and stepsisters.

Even when she discovers how to untether herself from her prison, there are limits. She cannot be seen or heard by the living people who surround her. Her family must never learn she is able to leave. And at the stroke of every midnight, she finds herself back on the staircase where she died.

Until she forges a wary friendship with a fairy charm-seller, and makes a bargain for three nights of almost-living freedom. Freedom that means she can finally be seen. Danced with. Touched.

You think you know Ella's story: the ball, the magical shoes, the handsome prince.

You're halfway right, and all-the-way wrong.

Rediscover a classic fairy tale in this debut novella from "the queen of romantic fantasy" (Polygon).

A Macmillan Audio production from Tor.com

Reseñas de la Crítica

“Gorgeous, whimsical, romantic, and bittersweet, Cinder House both whisks you away and holds you over a flame. I was bespelled.” —Ava Reid, #1 New York Times bestselling author

"One of the best retellings I've read! With immersive prose, memorable characters, and a glittering world, Marske has breathed new and fiercely feminist life into the classic Cinderella story. Ella is a heroine who will haunt you forever."—Heather Walter, author of The Crimson Crown

“Compelling characters, a spellbinding haunting and a powerful yearning that transcends death; Cinder House burns for you.” —Lex Croucher, author of Gwen & Art Are Not in Love

"Absolutely delightful. One of the most unusual fairy-tale retellings I've seen in a hen's age. I enjoyed it enormously!"—T. Kingfisher, New York Times bestselling author

"Tender and heartfelt... an ideal match not just for lovers of fairy tale retellings but for anyone in the mood for an elegantly written, unconventional love story."—Locus

"Cinderella finds her happily ever afterlife in this sharp, smart addition to the fairy-tale canon."—Kirkus (starred review)

"Rekindles the fire of “Cinderella”...As strong, beautiful, and clever as its heroine. Fans of T. Kingfisher will love it."—Publishers Weekly

Praise for Freya Marske

"Marske writes what I crave most in romantasy: brilliant craft, fresh voice, characters worth obsessing over, and genuine honest-to-god heat."―Casey McQuiston, New York Times bestselling author of Red, White and Royal Blue

"There's nothing in fantasy or queer romance that Marske can't do."―Sarah Rees Brennan, author of Long Live Evil

"The perfect blend of charm, yearning and romance."―C.S. Pacat, New York Times bestselling author of Captive Prince, on Swordcrossed

“Freya Marske’s books are something special.”―Sarah MacLean, New York Times bestselling author

"The prose is sublime, the world-building top-notch, and the magic system is fascinating and unique.”―TJ Klune, New York Times bestselling author of The House on the Cerulean Sea, on A Marvellous Light

"Stunning―the writing is lush, the world-building is fascinating, and the romance is searing hot. I am completely obsessed."―Cat Sebastian, author of The Queer Principles of Kit Webb, on A Power Unbound

“Delightful and spicy . . . Marske is simply superb at her chosen genres.”―The New York Times on the Last Binding trilogy

Put a smile on my face

I thought nothing could ever beat Swordcrossed and while that's true, this was the warm fuzzy socks in front of a crackling fire story I didn't know I needed. And the ending did not disappoint. Wonderful narration as well. Save this one for when you've got a couple of evenings to spend curled up with a blanket, a cat, and a thoroughly enjoyable story.

A unique retelling

I loved the unusual choice of the protagonist being a ghost, it allowed for some intriguing difficulties. I enjoyed the subtleties of the various relationships, everything wasn’t just black and white. To my surprise there was some spice, it worked well. The narrator did an excellent job. I especially appreciated how the book achieved its happily ever after.

Brilliant iteration and performance

Marske gifts us with an elegant and aching retelling of a familiar fairy tale. Ella will stay long after Burnett’s final words of the story have echoed their last in audience’s ears. It isn’t necessarily a happy ending, but rather an ending with happiness in it.

Another Marske masterpiece

I’ve been devouring Freya Marske’s books and this novella absolutely held up to the masterful storytelling of her Last Binding series. This is a really interesting and beautifully written take on an old classic. These kinds of “rewritten classics” are hit or miss I think, and this is a wonderful rare hit that deserves the eager eyes or ears of any lover of ghost stories or fairytales.

The Robin McKinley vibes are strong with this one

From the time I was about 10 years old, I have loved Robin McKinley‘s fairytale retellings, as well as her other books. She always writes strong female main characters, inverts tropes, treats magic as matter-of-factly as real world concepts and paints incredible imagery with words. If you took one of McKinley‘s fairytale retellings and subbed in queer characters, you would get this book. I’ve enjoyed Freya Marske’s other fiction, and I’m looking forward to reading more of it, but this book really hit me in the feels because it reminded me so much of the McKinley stories I grew up reading, some of which are even now sitting in my audible favorites list. I don’t typically enjoy books that are on the shorter side, but. Marske fits a full, colorful story with a lot of depth into these few hours. Definitely worth a listen, especially if you’re a McKinley fan.