Fairytale Reimagining

Book Review: LADY TREMAINE by Rachel Hochhauser

| Jessica Crawford

Lady Tremaine by Rachel Hochhauser is a 352 page standalone novel with a publish date of March 3rd, 2026.

Genre:

Fairytale Retelling, Historical Fiction

Blurb:

A breathtaking reimagining of Cinderella, as told through the eyes of its iconic “evil” stepmother, revealing a propulsive love story about the lengths a mother will go to for her children

A widow twice-over, Etheldreda is now saddled with the care of her two children, a priggish stepdaughter, and a razor-taloned peregrine falcon. Her entire life has become a ruse, just like the manor hall they live grand and ornate on the exterior, but crumbling, brick by brick, inside. Fierce in the face of her misfortune, Ethel clings to her family’s respectability, the lifeboat that will float her daughters straight into the secure banks of marriage.

When a royal ball offers the chance to secure the future she desperately desires, Etheldreda must risk her secrets, pride, and limited resources in pursuit of an invitation for her daughters—only to see her hopes fulfilled by the wrong one. As an engagement to the heir of the kingdom unfolds with unnerving speed, she discovers a sordid secret hidden in the depths of the royal family, forcing her to choose between the security she’s sought for years and the wellbeing of the feckless stepdaughter who has rebuffed her at every turn.

As if Bridgerton met Circe, and exhilarating to its core, Lady Tremaine reimagines the myth of the evil stepmother at the heart of the world’s most famous fairytale. It is a battle cry for a mother’s love for her daughters, and a celebration of women everywhere who make their own fortunes.

Opening Line:

I’ve been warned to be wary of strangers in the woods since I was a little girl.

My Thoughts:

Well, I had no idea I needed the story of Cinderella’s stepmother in my life, but it turns out I very much did!

This book does not contain any wand-waving magic, just a mother fighting to secure stable futures for her daughters. It gifts readers with the stories of Ethel’s girlhood and two marriages, setting the scene for the circumstances in which she finds herself when her two daughters and one stepdaughter all come of marriageable age. The flames of hope are fanned anew within the family when the palace issues invitations to a ball being held for the purpose of finding the prince a wife. Amidst the stresses of preparing the young women for the big event is Ethel’s worry that her own personal history with the prince’s mother, the queen herself, might stand in the way of the family’s happily-ever-after.

The author skillfully makes each of the characters from the story of Cinderella (well, most of them, at least!) sympathetic while also making the reader want to grab ahold of each of them at times and shake. Additionally, the manner in which the details from the Disney tale were woven into this version were often delightful. I was invested in these characters and the course their lives would take, and I have to say, the resolution was both rather shocking and epic!

Lady Tremaine is not perfect, but she is a wonderful heroine to spend your reading time with, and her inspiring story is not likely to leave my thoughts any time soon.

Thanks so much to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the eARC in exchange for my honest review.

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Book Review: HEMLOCK & SILVER by T. Kingfisher

| Jessica Crawford

Hemlock & Silver by T. Kingfisher is a 368 page standalone novel published in 2025 by Tor Books.

Genre:

Fantasy, Fairytale Reimagining

Synopsis:

From New York Times bestselling and Hugo Award-winning author T. Kingfisher comes Hemlock & Silver, a dark reimagining of “Snow White” steeped in poison, intrigue, and treason of the most magical kind

Healer Anja regularly drinks poison.

Not to die, but to save—seeking cures for those everyone else has given up on.

But a summons from the King interrupts her quiet, herb-obsessed life. His daughter, Snow, is dying, and he hopes Anja’s unorthodox methods can save her.

Aided by a taciturn guard, a narcissistic cat, and a passion for the scientific method, Anja rushes to treat Snow, but nothing seems to work. That is, until she finds a secret world, hidden inside a magic mirror. This dark realm may hold the key to what is making Snow sick.

Or it might be the thing that kills them all.

Opening Line:

I had just taken poison when the king arrived to inform me that he had murdered his wife.

My Thoughts:

Five isn’t a lot when it’s grains of rice, but a great deal when it’s bites of hemlock or forty-foot monsters.

Another lovely story from one of my autobuy authors! This one includes:

➼ A thirty-something big and tall scholarly female main character
➼ The mystery of how a twelve year old princess is getting poisoned
➼ Frightening magic mirrors (just wait until you meet the mirror-gelds!)
➼ A dash of romance
➼ A very special and cryptic cat

Hemlock & Silver is a reimagining of the story of Snow White (not the Rose Red version, although this Snow does in fact have a sister named Rose). Kingfisher’s signature wit is on display as she weaves her tale about an expert in poisons and antidotes being brought in by the king to try to save his daughter. The scope of this fantasy story is limited to a city called Four Saints and a private villa called Witherleaf, but there is plenty of worldbuilding in regards to the theology and customs of the land. And, of course, some laugh out loud lines sprinkled throughout the narrative.

There were no severed limbs and faces lying on the ground below, which was a relief, and also not something that I’d ever had to worry about before.

I have to admit, though, that the pacing of this one felt a bit off to me. I grew a tad bored at times. Additionally, I had a hard time following some of her descriptions of how things worked with the mirror world, so just had to shrug and go along for the ride. But things got exciting by the end, and when I was finished with the book I had the urge to to hug it–always a good sign!

Maybe the point of gods and saints is that they can make the monstrous choices that people can’t.

Kingfisher’s autobuy status continues!

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