Reading: Ash

Malinda Lo's Ash is ostensibly a retelling of Cinderella, and a lot of the elements of Cinderella are certainly present in the novel. When Ash's father dies shortly after remarrying, her stepmother forces her to work as a servant for her and her two stepsisters, ostensibly to repay his debts; meanwhile, the Crown Prince announces his intention of choosing a bride from among all the eligible young women in the land, and with fairy help Ash is able to attend the ball. However, the story Lo weaves around the familiar framework is very different; the fairy who helps Ash is not a benevolent godmother, but a man whose motivations are obscure but whose help comes at a high price, while Ash doesn't go to the ball to attract the prince but to meet the Royal Huntress, Kaisa, who is the true rival to the fairy Sidhean for Ash's affections.

There's a very fairy-tale feel to Ash; the characters often recount tales to each other, and it's clear that in this world, fairy tales are an important element of the way people make sense of their world, while the narrative is also reminiscent of fairy-tales. It's beautifully written and very charming, and I liked it a lot.