Reviewed
by: ?wazithinkin
Genre:
Fairy Tale/Romance/Young Adult/Steampunk
Approximate
word count: 20-25,000
words
Availability
Click
on a YES above to go to appropriate page in Amazon, Barnes &
Noble, or Smashwords store
Author:
“Katharina
Gerlach was born in Germany in 1968. She and her three younger
brothers grew up in the middle of a forest in the heart of the
Luneburgian Heather. After romping through the forest with
imagination as her guide, the tomboy learned to read and disappeared
into magical adventures, past times or eerie fairytale woods… For
a while, reality interfered with her writing but after finishing a
degree in forestry and a PhD in Science she returned to her vocation.
She likes to write Fantasy, Science Fiction and Historical Novels for
all age groups.
At
present, she is writing at her next project in a small house near
Hildesheim, Germany, where she lives with her husband, three children
and a dog.”
Learn
more about Katharina Gerlach on her website or follow her onFacebook.
Description:
“Once
upon a time in a world where magic and technology collide with
unexpected consequences…
Even
with her powers as a witch, Isabel cannot find a trace of her
stepchildren. Desperate, she crosses the Old Forest, filled with as
much malignant as benevolent magic, to reach the distant mountain
kingdom she left as a young girl when her magical powers manifested.
She soon realizes that a sinister creature holds the unsuspecting
kingdom in thrall. It will take all she's able to give to save her
children and the kingdom she once loved.
What
if the Brothers Grimm painted a wrong portrait of the stepmother in
the original tale of ‘Little Brother, Little Sister’? The book
includes a bonus story and the original fairy tale.”
Appraisal:
Ms.
Gerlach has a wonderful talent of taking these fairy tales and
reimagining them without losing certain aspects of the old story.
They really are a joy to read.
Isabel
was a science-oriented witch, but she wasn’t the evil stepmother in
the original story. Magic is slowly leaving the world at large and
didn’t exist in some places any longer. Ellie, perhaps fifteen
years-old, and Tobi, about eleven years-old, ran away from home under
a terrible misunderstanding after their father had passed away.
Isabel has been searching for them, for three years, across the
countryside. Not being able to locate the children with her powers
she decided to pay Bergia a visit. Isabel has grown up in the small
mountain kingdom and knew it well. To get there she has to cross the
Old Forest, which was still filled with magic, and arduous to cross.
Once
there Isabel is able to secure a job in the palace. She feels the
tingle of magic around but has trouble locating the source. She keeps
her magic hidden deep inside until she can learn more. It’s a
fascinating tale full of intrigue and betrayal that threatens the
whole kingdom. There is also a love story, and an examination of
family relationships. The characters are well developed and the
search for the soul-sucking demon is intense. This story also employs
a small bit of steampunk type elements that surprised me. Only a
science-oriented witch would have been able to see through the
disguise. I found this story highly entertaining.
FYI:
The
Stepmother: Little Brother, Little Sister
is Book 2 in the Treasures
Retold series. There is
also a bonus story, Star
Coins, which continues
with the steampunk elements. It is a delightful story with some
difficult issues. You may want to read this first before sharing with
small children. The book also contains The
Original: Little Brother, Little Sister by
the Brothers Grimm. I
really appreciate these originals being included, it’s a nice
bonus.
Format/Typo
Issues:
I
found no significant issues with the first and last stories. However,
the story Star Coins
had a few issues with wrong words being used. I don’t know if this
problem is in the published edition or if it was only in the review
file I was given, which is possible.
Rating: ***** Five stars
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