Holly Black s The Cruel Prince meets Jennifer Donnelly s Stepsister in this fairy-tale reimagining featuring a kingdom on the brink of ruin, and one wicked stepsister s journey to become the heroine of her own quest. Aralyn has lost everything the coveted glass slipper, the prince s hand in marriage, and her only chance to save her mother and sister from destitution. Now she spends her days sweeping the cinders and washing dresses as her stepsister, Ellarose, once did, plotting her revenge against the girl who robbed her of her future. But when Ellarose, now the princess, comes to beg her help in saving the kingdom from ruin, Aralyn seizes the opportunity to get everything she s ever wanted. She discovers a prophecy, an ancient blade from the original fairy godfather of the kingdom of Novador that could restore the kingdom to its former prosperity. She s determined to find the missing pieces of the blade and use its power for her own gain, even if it means dragging her bumbling fairy godmother and an annoying lady knight along with her. But as Aralyn has to put her trust in others to survive the challenges of retrieving each lost piece of the blade, she begins to question everything her mother has taught her about survival and success. Maybe the prince was never the key to her future, and maybe she ll have to fight to find her own happily-ever-after.
