Disenchanted: The Trials of Cinderella (Tyme #2) (2) Hardcover – October 11, 2016

Disenchanted is the second book in the Tyme series, which started with Grounded, based on Rapunzel. Both books are amazing and I highly recommend them, but if for some reason you can't get your hands on Grounded (in other words, your library is problematic and orders book 2 before book 1, ugh) then you'll have no trouble reading Disenchanted. All of the concepts introduced in Grounded are reintroduced in Disenchanted, and the characters from Grounded only make a cameo (similarly to the way a certain blue fairy makes a 'reverse cameo' in Grounded). Don't hesitate! Pick this gorgeous cover up as soon as you can get your grubby little hands on it.That said, it's time to actually review the book.Characters- Characters are definitely Megan Morrison's strong point; and when I say that, I mean it's what helps her stand out from other writers. Her pacing and narrative and world-building are all amazing, but dang, I see very few writers who can draw out a character like Morrison. This review used to be super long, with a description of every character, but now I'm just going to say that Disenchanted uses character development extremely well. Every time I read this book it feels like the first time because I love following the characters' journeys so much. I also love that Morrison writes diverse characters without hiding behind excuses about fairy tales' countries of origin or anything ridiculous like that.Plot- As other reviewers have noted, Disenchanted goes from Ella Enchanted style boarding school fairy tale to, spoiler redacted here because I don't know how to hide spoilers on Amazon, a much higher-stakes plotline with ties to world history. It's done very well, but to prevent spoiling anything I'll just say that Morrison does stray very far from the original Cinderella, just like with Grounded. This is great because there are already a bunch of bland retellings of Cinderella. Morrison does something new.Setting- Tyme, Morrison's backdrop for each of her revisionist fairy tales, is extremely well developed. The way Morrison has created such a thoughtful, vibrant universe that extends past the story she tells in each book and into the next reminds me of high fantasy, Tolkienesque worldbuilding, but it doesn't strike me as pretentious and bloated the way worlds inspired by Tolkien often do. Quintessential is a rich area in the Blue Kingdom with an economy inspired, I believe, by Gilded Age America. Blue has a sort of constitutional monarchy going, which is great because it always taints the end of a Cinderella story to think that no matter how benevolent she and her prince are, the populace will eventually be at the mercy of one of their less benevolent descendants. The way Morrison has split her setting into specific, unique regions allows her characters to bring about important, lasting change without an unnecessary amount of 'saving the world' stories or over the top dramas centered in one place. This ain't Cabot Cove, folks.In conclusion, it's just SO nice to read a book that's so far removed from the horrible standards in which poor novels (especially YA) are so deeply mired, and I admire Morrison highly for her work.

The book was well written and entertaining, even for an adult. I collect classic fairy tales and re-imagined fairy tales. This is one of the better of the latter, comparable (albeit for a younger readership) to Meyer's "Cinder" in its total remake of the original inspiration. That is, you can see the inspiration, but it drives the ball so far from the classic as to be a totally new story. The book came properly packaged and in good time.

Well written and unique direction for Cinderella story. (I especially loved how Ella realizes through time her stepmother is an amazing person who deeply cares for her - it's only her preconcieved biases and grief over her mother's death that causes her to initially hate her.) However, as with the previous book, "Grounded" it travels into some very emotionally deep and serious ground, which may not always appeal to readers who.prefer their fairy tale re-imaginings lighter and funnier. If teen or younger readers are not put off by the more serious direction, it's a very worthwhile read.

Gorgeous and crafty storytelling. Loved the characters, the depth of the twists and turns of the plot was fascinating and fun. I'm a middle school English Language Arts teacher, and when I read this book (ahem, as market research) and presented it to the class to model how to do a Book Talk, kids were enthralled and all wanted to read it! Some did, and loved it! I have ordered this to be in my classroom library.

The story incorporated an idealistic prince, a brave heroine, and the social conflicts of greed and jealousy within a story that kept the avid interest of a 4th grader and her grandparents who read it aloud. This is a great fairy tale that deals with timeless social issues. It was well worth our time. We eagerly await the next book by Megan Morrison.

I love fairy tales (told well) and this book was a breath of fresh air. It gave a new perspective on Cinderella without taking away all the timeless aspects of the original, and the story was simply a great mix of a magical world, likable characters, and well written dialogue. Goes to show that sometimes you do get what you pay for. 2 thumbs up!

Wow wow wow wow wow!! I loved Grounded, and I am head over heels for Disenchanted. The Blue Kingdom feels like such a distinct entity from the lands Rapunzel visited in the first Tyme book, and Morrison's take on (Cinder)Ella is so original!! I need more Tyme books!!

This is a great twist on fairy tales. Enjoyed this Cinderella story as much as I enjoyed Rapunzel. Looking forward to the next one.

This book was better than the first. It deals with sweat shops, feminist issues and equality. A great fairytale read for older kids...there is one part near the end that may be traumatizing ( a fire with descriptors of causalities.) for sensitive children or younger ones...Otherwise an excellent twist on a fairytale and I ( even as the mom) enjoyed the read immensely.