Review: Cinder by Gryvon

Genre: Fantasy, Fairy Tales
Elements: magic, bonding, magical beings, BDSM

Rating:

• Characters - 4 - I very much enjoyed the characters in this, though they are a bit archetypal. The main character and his love interest are the true stand-out characters in the piece.
• Setting - 4 - The setting is a little murky, but not horribly so, and once Cinder is at the celebrations, the location is elaborately detailed.
• Plot - 5 - An excellent take on a story that's been done to death, which really does a fantastic job of making the story its own.
• Genre Elements - 5 - The story features a great deal of detail when it comes to the fairy tale aspects of the story, and the BDSM elements are quite well done.
• Voice - 4 - Only a little muddy, but the main voice we hear is the main character, so the overall detriment to the story is minimal at best, and Cinder's voice is very consistent.
• Romance Elements - 4 - A little quick for my tastes, but then given this is Cinderella, there has to be an aspect of quick to it. The three nights definitely helps the growing attraction seem more natural.
• Overall - 4 - One of my favorite fairy tale slash tales. Well worth reading.

Basic story -
Cinderella is a boy named Cinder who is horribly abused by his step family. When a prince comes to town to find a suitable mate, magic and cunning help Cinder escape his family's clutches and win the prince's heart.
My thoughts -
I know, another fairy tale. But even though my first review was one as well, this one definitely deserved to be one of the first I reviewed. I promise a very different type of story next time.

Cinder is one of those stories that makes me wonder why it has not been polished and sent to a publisher. It's a (generally) light story, but one that has a lot of great detail to it. I definitely think, given the right publisher, it could be sold.

Cinder's story at the beginning is not a happy one, but that's true of all Cinderella stories. I loved the twist on the fairy godmother, and how limited her power was to help him, which is important to understand, given that Cinder has had to endure quite a lot of abuse in his life. If she had helped him then, she could not have given him this now. And, if I recall correctly (it has been a little while since I read the actual story), she actually gives him a choice as to how she should help him. It's much more than a lot of Cinderella stories do.

The Prince is intriguing as well. Here I would have loved a lot more detail. What exactly the Dragon Prince is, and his powers, and where his people came from. I'd also have loved more time with the two of them talking together, getting to know one another, though of course that would have meant less smut...

Mostly, what I loved about this story was that it used the classic three balls instead of the Disney single ball. It gave us time to get to know the two characters, gave Cinder time to realize what he wants, and time for the Prince to decide that Cinder is the right choice.

Gryvon is someone you will see on this blog a few times, as I went through their catalog of stories back when I first started looking for slash tales. But this is my favorite of their stories overall. I definitely recommend it to those who like BDSM and fairy tales.
Warnings -
This story comes with some pretty heavy warnings. Cinder's step-brothers do rape him, and there is a fairy graphic scene at the beginning showing it. And anyone who has issues with BDSM should also stay away from this story, as the Prince's tastes are definitely not light BDSM.
Overall Recommendation -
This one is great for fans of fairy tales and BDSM, though I think if you're not into the latter, this isn't one for you. The reverse is not true, though. I think anyone who likes fantasy and BDSM would enjoy this story. Strongly recommended.  

Link to the story - Cinder (free on AO3)
Author Link - Gryvon @ AO3
If you liked this story, try -

• Dream of a Thousand Nights by Shira Anthony (Goodreads Page) (read my review here)
• The Mist Behind and the Light Before by Cathalin (AO3)
• The Fairest in the Land by LuccaAce (FictionPress - unfinished story)
• Under Contract by Helen Saito  (Goodreads Page) (read my review here)
• The Violet and the Tom by Ocotillo (Fiction Press) (read my review here)