A review by sheryl_reads
The Shadow in the Glass by J.J.A. Harwood

dark mysterious slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

2.0

I was sent a free ebook copy of this book from NetGalley in return for a honest review

The Shadow in the Glass is a retelling of Cinderella - it follows the story of Eleanor, a housemaid who was once the ward of the lady of the house, who is granted 7 wishes by a mysterious dark lady. If she wishes 7 times, her soul will belong to this dark lady.

The premise of the book had a lot of promise and I think if the main character was more likeable, then it would be more enjoyable. However, I found Eleanor to be greedy, selfish and very difficult to root for.

Her intentions are meant to be good - helping her fellow servants and making a better life for herself. But all of her decisions are wrapped up in an overarching sense of entitlement. She was orphaned as a child, taken in by a rich lady and brought up to expect to be living a certain life. And she’ll go to any lengths to get that wealthy life, even when it becomes clear what the costs are. She comes over as bratty rather than determined.

The pace of the book is slow also. The 7 wishes feel drawn out and I felt that there was no great mystery as to how it was going to turn out. The characters life is fairly limited, so there’s only so many people she can affect by wishing. The end is also very drawn out and contrived to fit the Cinderella story. The last chapter has Eleanor waiting from 11.15 until midnight to make a last attempt to save her soul - it’s fair to say 45 minutes it too long to keep up any level of suspense... 

Overall I give this 2 ⭐️- I finished it, but I didn’t enjoy it. I wouldn’t recommend it to others - there are better fairytale retellings available. 
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