Please join Author Andrea Cefalo as she tours with HF Virtual Book Tours for The Fairytale Keeper, from February 16-March 13. Take the Fairytale Keeper Playbuzz quiz and enter to win a Fairytale Keeper Clutch Purse & $25 Amazon Gift Card!
Re-Release Date: February 1, 2015 Scarlet Primrose Press
Formats: eBook; Paperback
Pages: 262
Series: Book One, Fairytale Keeper
Genre: Young Adult/Historical/Fairytale Retelling
Adelaide’s mother, Katrina, was the finest storyteller in all of Airsbach, a borough in the great city of Cologne, but she left one story untold, that of her daughter, that of Snow White. Snow White was a pet name Adelaide’s mother had given her. It was a name Adelaide hated, until now. Now, she would give anything to hear her mother say it once more. A rampant fever claimed Adelaide’s mother just like a thousand others in Cologne where the people die without last rites and the dead are dumped in a vast pit outside the city walls. In an effort to save Katrina’s soul, Adelaide’s father obtains a secret funeral for his wife by bribing the parish priest, Father Soren. Soren commits an unforgivable atrocity, pushing Adelaide toward vengeance. When Adelaide realizes that the corruption in Cologne reaches far beyond Soren, the cost of settling scores quickly escalates. Avenging the mother she lost may cost Adelaide everything she has left: her father, her friends, her first love, and maybe even her life. Seamlessly weaving historical events and Grimm’s fairy tales into a tale of corruption and devotion, The Fairytale Keeper, leaves the reader wondering where fact ends and fiction begins. The novel paints Medieval Cologne accurately and vividly. The story develops a set of dynamic characters, casting the famous villains, heroes, and damsels of Grimm’s fairy tales into believable medieval lives. Though historically set, The Fairytale Keeper brims with timeless themes of love, loyalty, and the struggle for justice.
Praise:
“A…resonant tale set late in the 13th century… with unexpected plot twists. An engaging story of revenge.” –Publisher’s Weekly
“Great historical fiction. Strong emotion injected into almost every page.” –Amazon Vine Reviewer
“…a unique twist on the Grimm’s Fairy Tales. Part fairy tale retelling, part historical fiction… The Fairytale Keeper is a story of corruption.” -Copperfield Historical Fiction Review
“The story that Cefalo weaves is intriguing and leaves you hanging on, wanting more.” -Hooked to Books Book Review Blog
“…it doesn’t feel like any retelling. Because it’s not. The Fairytale Keeper is its own unique story…very entertaining, containing a strong female role, a sweet romance, and much more.” -Lulu The Bookworm Book Review Blog
Excerpt:
Intro: Adelaide and her Father are sentenced to three nights in the stocks for crimes they didn’t commit. Addie’s friend and first love, Ivo, hears of her punishment and comes to see her.
Excerpt:
“What happened?” Ivo kneels before me. His eyes dart back and forth, looking into mine. “Who did this to you?”
“Do not ask,” I say. “If I say, we’ll be killed.” For a heartbeat, his face wells with pity, and then his jaw locks. His brow furrows, and he punches the base of the stock with a thwap that echoes through the frigid, night air. He rises and shakes his hand, muttering curses.
“Was there a hearing?” he asks. “It’s Soren, isn’t it? He did this.”
“Ssssshhhh,” I plead. “Stop, Ivo. You’ll get us all killed.” My teeth chatter. “It’s so cold. Next time I think to defy a priest, remind me to wait until summer.”
He whips off his cloak, ties it around my neck, and rubs his hands against mine to warm them.
“Do you have gloves at your house?” he asks. “Does your father? I’ll fetch his cloak and yours.”
“We don’t have gloves. Besides, the guards would notice them. They probably won’t mind the cloaks, though…but my cloak fell off, into the street, during the chase.”
“Where?”
“Don’t bother looking for it. Someone has surely taken it by now.”
“You keep mine then,” he says.
I want to argue. The mornings shall be cold for him without it, but I don’t know how I’ll make it through the night without a cloak. “Thank you,” I say.
“I’ll fetch your father’s cloak and bring some mulled wine. Does your father have any coin?”
“Yes, at the house. They are in a purse somewhere near his bed. Why?”
“I would use my own coins if I had them.”
“No, I don’t care about the coins. What do you need them for?”
“So I can stay at the Giggling Pig.” He points down the market to a tavern frequented by the Butchers’ Guild. “Just in case.” He shrugs and whips the hair from his eyes. I give him a worried look. “Don’t worry. My parents know. It was my father’s idea. I’ll make sure nothing else happens to you.”
“What about your apprenticeship? Does the armorer know? Will he let you take leave?”
“He knows I need leave, but he’s been told that it is best he doesn’t know why.” He puts his hand against my face and knits his brow. “Don’t let such things worry you.”
I let my neck release and rest my head in his hands. He kisses me on the forehead and is gone.
It's books like this one, that makes me realize why I love historical literature.
The setting is 1247 and Adelaide is enamored with her mother. She has a way of telling a story like no one else. She made Adelaide believe in her stories, she actually believed in her mother's fairytales. However, her mother left one story out, the story of her daughter being Snow White. Quite quickly her mother passes away without even a funeral to speak of. The people of Cologne don't bury the ones that succumb to the fever.
The strong vocabulary paints a picturesque setting. The author successfully melds fairy tale and historical fiction, creating a strong heroine. The imagery is so vibrant that one can see, hear, feel, and smell the town of Cologne and the surrounding countryside as well as the people who dwell there. I was mesmerized by how Andrea literally brings the surroundings of the story, to life.
I loved that Adelaide (Snow White is a hated nickname given to her by her storytelling mother) is a feisty, empowered, young woman. She’s a problem solver, and it’s her mixture of innocence and knowledge that really seem to make this character come to life. I also liked that she has a friend – a young man named Ivo – who she’s on the brink of romance with (he brings her jars of fireflies), but that the author handles the romance in a historical and traditional way.
Another beautiful component of this novel is the fact that many chapters beginnings start with a excerpt from a popular fairy tale. The reader gets to read a bit of a classic fairytale that to me seemed to flow well with where the storyline was going.
The book is an easy read. It literally sucks you in, and is paced well, with easy language that never feels too contemporary – a trick that can be hard to pull off, in my opinion.
I’ve requested the sequel to this novel as well and can't wait to review it in March. I have a feeling I am going to be just as excited about that book as I am about this one.
If you are intrigued by fairytale retellings and folklore, this gem of a book is for you. I can hardly wait to see where the author takes this story to in the second novel. Oh and don't you just LOVE that cover?
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About the Author
Besides being the award-winning author of The Fairytale Keeper series, Andrea Cefalo is a self-proclaimed medievalist, hopeless bookworm, and social media junkie. She graduated with honors from Winthrop University in 2007 where she studied Medieval art history and children’s literature. The next three books in The Fairytale Keeper series—The Countess’ Captive, The Baseborn Lady, and The Traitor’s Target—will debut in 2015 and 2016. She resides in Greenville, South Carolina—ever perched before her trusty laptop—with her husband and their two border collies. For more information please visit Andrea Cefalo's website.
You can also find her on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest. Follow The Fairytale Keeper Pinterest Board.
Blog Tour Schedule
Monday, February 16 Spotlight at Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers
Tuesday, February 17 Review at Book Drunkard
Wednesday, February 18 Review at Bibliotica Review at With Her Nose Stuck in a Book Thursday, February 19 Review at Cheryl's Book Nook
Friday, February 20 Review at Back Porchervations Spotlight at Caroline Wilson Writes Saturday, February 21 Spotlight at I Heart Reading
Monday, February 23 Review at Bookish
Wednesday, February 25 Review at 100 Pages a Day - Stephanie's Book Reviews
Thursday, February 26 Review at Carpe Librum
Friday, February 27 Review at The Bookish Outsider
Monday, March 2 Review at A Bibliotaph's Reviews
Tuesday, March 3 Spotlight at A Literary Vacation
Wednesday, March 4 Spotlight at The Lit Bitch Spotlight at Let Them Read Books
Friday, March 6 Spotlight at What Is That Book About
Monday, March 9 Review at Shelf Full of Books
Wednesday, March 11 Review at Brooke Blogs Review at Boom Baby Reviews
Thursday, March 12 Review at A Leisure Moment Guest Post at Brooke Blogs
Friday, March 13 Review at Library Educated Review at Oh, For the Hook of a Book
Giveaway
To enter to win a Fairytale Keeper Clutch Purse & $25 Amazon Gift Card please complete the giveaway form below.
* Giveaway is open to US residents only.
* Giveaway ends at 11:59pm on March 13th.
* You must be 18 or older to enter.
* Only one entry per household.
* All giveaway entrants agree to be honest and not cheat the systems; any suspect of fraud is decided upon by blog/site owner and the sponsor, and entrants may be disqualified at our discretion.
* Winner will be chosen via GLEAM on March 14th and notified via email. Winner have 48 hours to claim prize or new winner is chosen.
* Please email Amy @ hfvirtualbooktours@gmail.com with any questions.
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