Forget everything you know about fairytale retellings when you read Ashen by H. L. Burke. Most retellings either are a straight-up novel length version of a story you’ve read before, or they include some type of gimmick to make the narrative fresh. Reading these types of retellings are like playing connect-the-dots as you “recognize” something from the original tale. The reader may almost anticipate the next scene (“here comes the part where Cinderella’s godmother turns her into the belle of the ball.”).
And then there’s Ashen.
Instead of connect-the-dots, Ashen is more like a hidden picture puzzle. Ashen ties itself to the Cinderella legend in its marketing materials, but don’t expect this story to be either a straight-up or flipped novel of that famous fairy tale. This offering is a fantasy novel with a strong heroine at its center, a more realistic setting, and a highly creative backstory. This novel drew me in on the strength of its originality, not on the similarities to Cinderella.
Lizbete is not the glamorous yet oppressed maiden, but a girl with a real challenge in her life. Her stepmother isn’t wicked at all. Lizbete doesn’t really want to attend “the ball.” You’ll be hard-pressed to find a traditional prince and evil stepsisters here, although certain characters play similar roles.
Lizbete is a girl who has lived in the same town all her life but has never been accepted by its residents. Life has conspired to give her a number of disadvantages—the first one being she was abandoned on the doorstep by her parents. Still, she has found some friends in the place where she works. And then there’s a certain boy…
If you think you know this story, I promise you, you do not. If you read it, you’ll discover a tale of high fantasy that stands apart from Cinderella. Action, mystery, and a few deeply moving scenes await the person who picks up Ashen.
Naturally, some parallels exist between Ashen and Cinderella, but they don’t broadcast themselves. Just like the hidden pictures analogy above, you’ll come across a passage and suddenly realize the scene was remarkably similar to the fairy tale. The similarities are wonderful, yet they do not make the story. What makes this such a fantastic read are the original parts. You’ll associate with Lizbete and her plight, and enjoy the adventure she goes on.
Does your home library include books like Grimm’s Fairy Tales or Pinocchio? Does it also have novels like the space opera Cinder or the high fantasy of Prydain? Good. Add Ashen to the long pantheon of fairy tales. It deserves a place on that particular bookshelf.