Copyright Date:
2024
Edition Date:
2024
Release Date:
02/06/24
Illustrator:
Jiang, Shan,
Pages:
xi, 318 pages
ISBN:
Publisher: 0-316-30046-2 Perma-Bound: 0-8000-5053-3
ISBN 13:
Publisher: 978-0-316-30046-9 Perma-Bound: 978-0-8000-5053-5
Dewey:
Fic
LCCN:
2021031397
Dimensions:
20 cm
Language:
English
Reviews:
ALA Booklist
(Fri Jul 28 00:00:00 CDT 2023)
Alliana's father has died, leaving her in the care of her reluctant stepmother, who forces Alliana to cook and clean for the family, including two detestable stepsiblings, and keep their dilapidated inn from collapsing around them. Only Grandmother Mari is kind, reciting folktales for Alliana, until Mari's death seems to doom Alliana to a life of never-ending drudgery. Determined that she's made for better than her miserable lot, Alliana plots to escape to the shining capital city, and a few surprises, including a novice witch and friendly dragon, give Alliana the push to pursue the life she longs for. This Japanese Cinderella retelling is thrilling and thoughtful, spinning the well-worn story into something fresh and complex. The tale is set prior to Abe's Eva Evergreen (2020); established fans will be delighted to glimpse familiar characters and expand their knowledge about the magical world, though it also works beautifully as a stand-alone story for the uninitiated. An engrossing Cinderella story with deeper friendships, heaps more adventure, and an extra dash of dragons.
Reviewing Agencies: - Find Other Reviewed Titles
ALA Booklist
(Fri Jul 28 00:00:00 CDT 2023)
For fans of Shannon Hale and Gail Carson Levine, comes an enchanting fairy tale retelling of the Japanese Cinderella, set in the magical world of Eva Evergreen, Semi-Magical Witch.
Once upon a time, Alliana believed in dreams and fairy tales as sweet as spun-sugar clouds. Alliana wished on shooting stars, sure that someday she and her grandmother would be able to travel to the capital city to see the queen. Then her grandmother passed away—and those dreams disappeared in a disenchanted puff.
Now Alliana’s forced to attend to the whims of her wicked stepmother—with long days of cleaning her stepfamily’s inn as her skin burns raw or staying up until the crack of dawn to embroider her stepsister’s ball gowns. Until she meets two beings who change her life forever—the first is a young nightdragon who Alliana discovers she can magically talk to. And the second is Nela, a young witch.
Nela needs Alliana’s help navigating the mysterious abyss, filled with dangerous beasts, a place Alliana knows by heart. Alliana sees Nela’s request as a chance to break free of her stepmother’s shadow and to seize a chance at a life she’s barely dared to hope for—but there’s a risk. If caught, Alliana will be stuck working for her stepmother for the rest of her life. Can Alliana truly make wisps of dreams into her own, better-than-a-fairy-tale happily ever after?
Inspired by the Japanese Cinderella story and set in the same world as the Eva Evergreen series, this story can be read as a standalone.
Common Core
STEAM
Graphic
Novel
High/Low
Chapter
Book
Large
Print
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Manga
Big
Book
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Book
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Adult
Language
Mature
Content
Ebook
Ebook
MUA (Multi User Access)
Light Novel
