Andrea CefaloRecensioni

Downloaded for free during an Amazon promotion, The Countess' Captive is the second novel in the Fairytale Keeper series by Andrea Cefalo.

I read and reviewed the first in the series (The Fairytale Keeper) and I was keen to find out what would happen when Adelaide was forced to leave her home town together with her father, and move in with her new step-mother.

An historical fairytale re-telling of sorts, The Countess' Captive was a very pleasant and entertaining read, and although there was no more shoe-making (boo!) I was instead held captive by Adelaide's reluctant adjustment to her elevated position and new surroundings.

Suitable for YA readers and those who enjoy fairytale re-tellings or just a well-written historical fiction novel. (And don't you just love the font on the cover?)½

Avenging the Queen is book one in the new series by Andrea Cefalo. At first I thought it would only be a retelling of the classic Snow White, but the more I read, the more Grimm characters started to pop up. I don’t want to give away which character is who, but I will say that there are appearances by Snow White (obviously), Cinderella, the Shoemaker from The Elves and the Shoemaker, and a few others. They are woven so well into the story and I loved when new backgrounds were introduced.

But anyways, on to the actual book. Adelaide, nicknamed ‘Snow White’ by her mother due to her snowy complexion, dark hair and bright red lips, must bury her mother after she passes away from the fever that has upset their home in Cologne. Thousands more have been taken, but few are given the Last Rites they deserve which is why Adelaide’s father must bribe the local parish priest to make sure his wife has a proper burial. However, the ceremony goes horribly wrong which prompts thoughts of revenge in Adelaide’s mind. She gets herself and the people she loves into quite a bit of trouble as the story progresses. The beginning was a little slow for me and it took a while to get into the story, but by the middle I couldn’t seem to put the book down!

Adelaide has to deal with things normal 15 year olds wouldn’t even dream of and she handles it all extremely well. Considering the time period, she is also very outspoken and refuses to bow down to what people tell her to do when she knows they are wrong. She was smart, clever and very brave which I liked a lot. Ivo, her best friend and love interest, was also a great character. He was so sweet and caring that I couldn’t stop myself from constantly going “awww”. Both had their own set of problems, but together seemed to strengthen each other.

I love the cover of the book, it would have definitely caught my attention had I seen it on the shelves of my local bookstore. And the fact that it was designed by the author herself just makes it that much better!

I am very excited for the second book in the series. I can’t wait to see what happens next to Adelaide and what prompts her to become the Snow White we know and love today.

Book 2 in The Fairy Tale Keepers Series, The Countess' Captive continues the story of Adelaide, her father, and Galadriel (once known as Cinderella). Adelaide, who also has the nickname Snow White, given to her by her mother as Adelaide's hair is black as a raven's and her skin is fair as can be, is leaving Cologne with her father and Galadriel against her wishes and heading to Bitsch, Galadriel's home, where Galadriel is a countess.

With her husband dead less than a year, Galadriel weds Adelaide's father Ansel who has been widowed barely a month. Adelaide despises Galadriel for this. All Adelaide wants to do is be back in Cologne with her betrothed, Ivo.

I enjoyed this mix of Cinderella and Snow White. Many other fairy tales were told along the way which made this novel even more interesting as I had not heard all of them before.

I also appreciated the mix of historical and fairytale genres. There were no magical fairy godmothers, although there were some very helpful birds.

There were lots of twists in the plot that kept the story fresh and interesting. The pace was moderately fast. This book should hold the interest of fairytale lovers of young adult and older. I gave it 4 stars out of 5.

Thank you to the publishers for providing a copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. A positive opinion was not required. All thoughts are my own.

This review was published on my blog Shelf Full of Books http://kathrynsshelffullofbooks.blogspot.com/2015/04/the-countess-captive-blog-t...

The Countess' Captive picks up right after The Fairytale Keeper leaves off. Adelaide, her father and her mother's cousin, Galadriel are abandoning their home in Cologne after their home was destroyed. Adelaide would much rather stay in Cologne with her betrothed, Ivo and become a hard working like her father. Instead, the trio just barely escapes town on their way to Galadriel’s castle in Bitsch. With her life turned upside down, Addy must now pretend that she is the daughter of a rich merchant and refer to Galadriel as ‘my lady.’ Meanwhile, Galadriel has successfully installed herself as her father’s mistress less than one month after the death of Addy’s mother. With a baby on the way and a wedding she is unable to stop, Addy finds comfort in the stories that her mother once told her, she also creates a new story to tell about her new step-mother.

Thoughtful, imaginative and fast-paced, I loved learning more of Adelaide’s story and a look into Medieval life for a Countess and her household. Even though I knew where her and Galadriel’s relationship was heading, I was still surprised at how their relationship formed. Carved out as the wicked step-mother character, I really couldn’t decide on my feelings for Galadriel. However, I still did love Adeline as she grew and learned to deal with her lot in life with the help of Father Hannes. Just as in The Fairytale Keeper, several fairytales are woven together artfully, and so that it doesn’t feel like a retelling, but more of actual events that could be construed into a fairy tale as time passes. I can’t wait to see what lies ahead for Adelaide in the The Baseborn Lady.

This book was received for free in return for an honest review.½

The Fairytale Keeper is a very different look at the various fairytale characters that we are all familiar with, in this story we find Snow White and Cinderella as the main protagonists, but those are not their real names. Snow White's real name is Adelaide and Cinderella's real name is Galadriel. Their lives are nothing like you've read in the fairytale books. There was much more to their lives than what the fairytales we've all heard encompassed. So that makes Fairytale Keeper both a historical novel as well as a fairytale retelling.

I had a little difficulty at first understanding what was going on with the changes in viewpoint from which the story was being told, but as I moved further into the book this cleared up and it all made sense.

I very much enjoyed the story about Adelaide. I loved how the author was able to intertwine the other fairytales into the story. The romance between her and Ivo was wonderfully clean and suitable for all ages.

There was also suspense and mystery involved as the plot twisted and turned. Where it will all lead at this point is uncertain but for now everyone appears to be safe.

I liked Addie's character. She is a strong female but not so strong that she doesn't need the assistance of her man Ivo. They work well as a team. Sometimes Addie is a little headstrong and that gets her into trouble, but often for a good reason.

If you enjoy fairytales and would like a unique perspective on them you should definitely read The Fairytale Keeper. I gave it 4 stars out of 5.

Thank you to the publishers for providing a copy of the book in exchange for a fair and honest review. A positive opinion was not required. All thoughts are my own.

This review was published on my blog Shelf Full of Books http://kathrynsshelffullofbooks.blogspot.com/2015/03/the-fairytale-keeper-book-t...

I thought this was a nice follow up book from the first, The Fairytale Keeper. I like this series. The way the author has approached this series is creative. In this book, Adelaide has really grown up and matured. She is a strong woman. I thought the way she handled Galadriel was great. I myself was not that fond of Galadriel. Although she was also another strong, intelligent woman. Galadriel and Adelaide were eventually matched in wits. Which they were the only ones that I found held the story together. This time Adelaide's father turned me off with his attitude. For me this time, I read the book and liked it but I was not in love with it like I was the first one. Yet, as I said before this series is different and I do want to read the next book.

I love fairytale re-tellings, and when I saw the gorgeous cover for The Fairytale Keeper and heard it was an historical fairytale re-telling I couldn't wait to get reading.

I instantly fell in love with Adelaide and her father (a shoe-maker) and each time Adelaide helped her father with the shoe-making process I was transfixed. The tragedy of her mother's passing and cruel treatment by the priest at her funeral service really sets the scene for what is to follow and the period details throughout really added to my enjoyment. The references to fairytales were scattered throughout this YA novel, but I was surprised to find that my interest in the fairytale aspect completely fell away and I was just interested in Adelaide's story. The Fairytale Keeper was a quick and enjoyable read and really felt like a straight up YA historical fiction novel (which of course it is) but without the strong fairytale focus that you find in novels like Bitter Greens.

The Fairytale Keeper is the first in a series and thankfully didn't end on a cliffhanger (I hate that) but as soon as it finished I wondered what will happen to Adelaide in the next phase of her life. To find out though, I'll have to read The Countess' Captive, which I might just do! I just hope there's still some shoemaking in the next novel.

Adelaide's mother has lovingly nicknamed her Snow White as she tells Adelaide the story of her birth within the small village of Cologne in the 13th century. After a fever sweeps the town, Adelaide's mother perishes. Adelaide's father, a humble shoemaker scrapes together enough money to bribe the town priest, Father Soren, to give a proper funeral for her mother. When the funeral goes awry, Adelaide becomes enraged at Father Soren and begins to learn of the wrongdoings of the church, she is also set on revenge and the redemption of her mother.

I am a sucker for fairy tale retellings and could not wait to read this series. Adelaide's story is set firmly in historic reality but shows a glint of fantasy and magic here and there that would lend to the stories being woven into fairy tales through time. Through the writing medieval Cologne was brought to life along with the struggles of the people at the time. Adelaide, her family and some other townspeople are all firmly set in this installment. I immediately loved Adelaide's fiery spirit and willingness to right a wrong. I also fell in love with Ivo, a young man apprenticing as an armorer that Adelaide is friends with and grows fond of. Their beginning romance is done well, and is incredibly sweet so far. Adelaide's father and her mother's cousin, Galadriel were not as likable of characters, but their places within Adelaide's story are foreshadowed. This is only the beginning of Adelaide's story and I can not wait to see what happens with the characters as well as how more fairy tale elements are woven in with the next book, Countess Captive.

This book was received for free in return for an honest review.

I have recently re-discovered fairy tale stories. This genre is a great one. I have yet to really find a book that I did not like in this genre. So for now the vampires, werewolves, and zombies are gone.

This book is probably one of the most unique takes on a fairy tale. The story while as a whole focus's on Snow White. It also incorporates other fairy tales and brings them to live. As the premise of the story goes Adelaide aka Snow White's mother was s story teller. So within this book are stories of other tales like Cinderella, The six swan brothers, and more. Although, even these tales did not feel like fairy tales but real stories. I like that the author really brought to life Snow White. It did seem like she was a real person who existed at one point in time. I would agree with the author that this is historical fiction but with a twist. Now that I have found this series and author, I plan to read more books in this series. A quick read.

In Germany in the 1200′s, much of life revolved around the church. However, pre Martin Luther, many people in small towns still rely exclusively on sometimes corrupt officials to interpret the bible for them. When Adelaide’s town suffers a plague, the church abandons the people. Although tithes continue to increase, few priests are brave enough to provide the funeral services they claim are necessary for a happy afterlife. After a bribable but cowardly priest disrespects her mother’s funeral, Adelaide is determined to bring down the corrupt priests, despite having to work within the many rules restricting women’s rights in the middle ages.

Surprisingly, the fairy tale aspect of this story was my least favorite part. Although Adelaide’s nickname is Snow White, the resemblance between her story and the fairy tale is very thin. That wouldn’t have bothered me too much if the author hadn’t also tried to bring in a bunch of other fairy tales. Most of these other stories are included by having characters relate them. They in no way connect to the plot. They’re just randomly related by characters as fables or as their past experiences. As a result, the very good historical fiction plot drags a lot more than it needed to. The inclusion of many unrelated dreams and memories slows the plot down as well.

As historical fiction though, this story had much potential. I was truly impressed that the author managed to have her heroine act within the restrictions faced by women in the middle ages. Without doing anything unbelievable, she manages to be a strong heroine, taking control of her own life. She does so by either cleverly acting within the boundaries she faces or by sneaking around them. I was also very impressed by the historically accurate details, such as the fact that most families in the middle ages almost exclusively drank ale or watered down wine. I think if the author hadn’t tried to try this into the recent fairy tale craze, it could have been a very good book. I’m hoping the next book in this series will capitalize on that potential and would also be very excited to read any historical fiction the author writes in the future.

This review first published in Doing Dewey.

First I would like to jump up and down and say hooray for the use of the actual Fairy Tales. I remember the first time I read the real version of Cinderella, when the sisters were trying on the shoes…well I’ll leave it that.
I thought this book was amazingly clever the way that Andrea Cefalo worked the fairy tales into the actual story. I was excited every time she would introduce us to another tale, wondering how it was going to relate to our characters. The fairy tales did drop off towards the end and even though I noticed it, I was so engrossed in the story at that point that I didn’t dwell on it.
I loved Adelaide and Ivo. I felt that Adelaide is strong, steady and fiery. Even though her mother passes away and she is grief stricken, we see her slid quickly into her mothers shoes. Making sure things stay in order and trying to keep her father out of trouble. Of course she is still a kid and so she at times can be reckless. She takes the bad things that happen to her and turns them into opportunity.
Ivo is of course the perfect guy. He is strong, caring and protective of Adelaide. He has been her childhood friend and now love interest. He is her rock and I think she is his as well. There is something we find out about Ivo later on that makes you just want to hug him. The relationship between Adelaide and him is so sweet and I think they keep each other well balanced. You can tell that the things he does, he does them for her.
I love the historical setting of this book and the description of the Cologne. It was easy to submerse myself into the story as if I was there while reading. The plot was developed at a great pace. I wasn’t sure how things were going to go along and I really liked the path they took. Adelaide takes on the role of not only avenging the way her mother was treated but also how the people in the city of Cologne are treated now. The way that things were set-up at the end of the book makes me anxiously awaiting the next installment.

First I would like to jump up and down and say hooray for the use of the actual Fairy Tales. I remember the first time I read the real version of Cinderella, when the sisters were trying on the shoes…well I’ll leave it that.
I thought this book was amazingly clever the way that Andrea Cefalo worked the fairy tales into the actual story. I was excited every time she would introduce us to another tale, wondering how it was going to relate to our characters. The fairy tales did drop off towards the end and even though I noticed it, I was so engrossed in the story at that point that I didn’t dwell on it.
I loved Adelaide and Ivo. I felt that Adelaide is strong, steady and fiery. Even though her mother passes away and she is grief stricken, we see her slid quickly into her mothers shoes. Making sure things stay in order and trying to keep her father out of trouble. Of course she is still a kid and so she at times can be reckless. She takes the bad things that happen to her and turns them into opportunity.
Ivo is of course the perfect guy. He is strong, caring and protective of Adelaide. He has been her childhood friend and now love interest. He is her rock and I think she is his as well. There is something we find out about Ivo later on that makes you just want to hug him. The relationship between Adelaide and him is so sweet and I think they keep each other well balanced. You can tell that the things he does, he does them for her.
I love the historical setting of this book and the description of the Cologne. It was easy to submerse myself into the story as if I was there while reading. The plot was developed at a great pace. I wasn’t sure how things were going to go along and I really liked the path they took. Adelaide takes on the role of not only avenging the way her mother was treated but also how the people in the city of Cologne are treated now. The way that things were set-up at the end of the book makes me anxiously awaiting the next installment.

Read full review here - http://punkshouse.wordpress.com/2013/01/23/the-fairytale-keeper-avenging-the-que...

Read full review here - http://punkshouse.wordpress.com/2013/01/23/the-fairytale-keeper-avenging-the-que...

I love a good historical that captures me with a fairytale. In fact, in fairytale re-tales capture me no matter what.

I loved the plot of the book. Told from a different point of view, the reader meets Snow White who's life is not what we expect. It's hard, it's messy, and you just want Snow White to come out on top after all is said and done. I liked that her life is depicted by anything that is not a fairy tale. She doesn't sing or make forest animals come to her instead she is living a hard knocked life.

There is a love interest in the book that gave the book some balance. Since Snow White's life is so hard, as the reader, I yearn for some peaceful moments for her. In those stolen moments, she's smiles and is carefree. You can tell how easily her guard is let down and how much she enjoys her time with him. He as well is very much taken with her. It's enduring and wonderful to read.

My only gripe about this book is the fairy tale all together. Other than the fact that Adelaide has fair skin, red lips, and black hair, I don't see or get the connection to Snow White. Yes, her life is tough, but it seems more of a historical romance other than a fairy tale re-tale. You know what I mean? The story is good, don't get me wrong. I just don't know what all of Adelaide life has to do with Snow White. Unless, the author is planning on writing a sequel to help make that connection much more stable, than I would love to read it to see how it will all come together.

The Fairytale Keeper is a great book! Once in the shoes of Adelaide, the world building around her is magnificent. The emotional ride or life, lost, and love is solid. The reader is engulfed in a whole new world capture by a very vivid imagination. The Fairytale Keeper is fantastic!

The Fairytale Keeper series is definitely one that I am going to be following. Although, I do have some mixed feelings with the first book, in the end, I truly did enjoy it.
Andrea Cefalo's writing flows quite nicely. The entire setting is quite pictures-tic and beautiful. The storytelling is easy to follow and enjoyable. And I immediately liked Adelaide, who her mother nicknamed Snow White because... "would that I had a child as white as snow, with lips as red as blood, and hair as black as the wood of the window frame."

The book truly sticks to the summary - Adelaide's mother passes away from 'the fever' and because of the high number of deaths in the area, it is difficult to have a proper burial. The most disrespectful and saddest events take place during at this moment, which then leads to Adelaide and their city seeking justice against the corrupt 'government'.
Adelaide's father, Ansel, is a shoemaker. And Galadriel, Adelaide's mother's cousin, is our Cinderella in this series. We all know what Cinderella went through before she became a princess, and in this book, her story just gets sadder. And then we have Ivo, Adelaide's childhood best friend turn boyfriend (fiance?). He is everything I expected him to be and more for Adelaide.

Now, I do have an issue with this book, and it has to do with its cover.
First, part of the title, "Avenging the Queen" - what Queen? I know that this book is part of a series, but there is no mention of any type of queen at all in this first book. It's a bit misleading; I was under the assumption that there was going to be a "wicked queen" in this story, and sadly, there was not.
And also, the caption above the title, "Many called her Snow White, but few knew her as..." -
no one called her Snow White. Adelaide mentions only her mother calling her Snow White, and how much she hated that her mother did call her that numerous times. But, she never mentions anyone else saying it and no others ever call her Snow White at any point of the story, not even her father.
Perhaps, and I really hope, these are two things that will be addressed in future books/stories to the series.