Kristina Wojtaszek

In this retelling of the classic Snow White tale, the daughter of an owl is forced into human shape by a wizard who’s come to guide her from her wintry tundra home down to the colorful world of men and Fae, and the father she’s never known. She struggles with her human shape and grieves for her dead mother—a mother whose past she must unravel if men and Fae are to live peacefully together.

Trapped in a Fae-made spell, Androw waits for the one who can free him. A boy raised to be king, show more he sought refuge from his abusive father in the Fae tales his mother spun. And when it was too much to bear, he ran away, dragging his anger and guilt with him, pursuing shadowy trails deep within the Dark Woods of the Fae, seeking the truth in tales, and salvation in the eyes of a snowy hare. But many years have passed since the snowy hare turned to woman and the woman winged away on the winds of a winter storm leaving Androw prisoner behind walls of his own making—a prison that will hold him forever unless the daughter of an owl can save him.

MY THOUGHTS:

I received this book in exchange for an honest review. I don’t read many novellas, not out of choice, but I’ve never stumbled across any that caught my eye. Then I saw this book.

An original (which is an accomplishment in itself) retelling of an old fairy tale. Such a stunning tale woven lyrically into a book you just can’t put down. A quick read, one easily done in one sitting, I whipped through this book unable to stop reading because I needed to know what was happening next.

And the writer’s voice was mesmerizing, wonderfully hypnotic/spell-binding and gripping. The plot flowed expertly, catching you off-guard now and then with unexpected twists and turns… just perfect. I absolutely loved the character development, with secondaries propelling the Protagonist toward her ultimate goal in such a compelling way.

I found myself emotionally invested in the writing, constantly nodding my head and smiling. And, there were a few sad tears too. A beautifully written retelling that I recommend to everyone who loves fantasy writing, beautiful world-building and extraordinary story-telling. show less

[A] retwisting of the classic Snow White tale in which the daughter of a snow owl must find her own identity while unraveling the story of her parents and her people.

Opal set itself apart from others by its premise and its vivid imagery. The main character is an animal transformed into a human just as her journey to the truth begins. Normally, in a fairy tale, getting turned into an animal is a curse the protagonist has to overcome by breaking a spell or accepting their true self. Not in show more this story, and that was only one of the twists in Wojtaszek's fairytale-inspired fantasy. I wasn't sure if the alternating viewpoints ("Fire" for the owl-turned-human; "Stone" for the abused prince) would work for me, but ultimately, they did; I found switching between the two added a bit of tension and suspense as the owl-turned-human's journey brought her ever closer to Prince Androw's tale. All in all, an enjoyable story and I look forward to reading more by this author.

4.5 stars

(I docked half a star because 20-30 more pages would've added more depth to three "chapters" of the story that felt a bit rushed.) show less

This is the story of an owl who is changed into a girl when her mother dies— which seems almost the reverse of your usual fairy tale when the changing happens the other way. In Opal, when the young owlet becomes a girl, she starts to unravel the story of her mother, who was well-known to be as white as snow, as black as ebony, red as . . . Well you know that story right?

While it might have some familiar fairy tale elements, Opal is a very different from any fairy tale I’ve read.

It’s show more so fun to discover a book, and if you’ll excuse the obvious pun, Opal is truly a hidden gem.

Opal is lyrical, beautiful, and haunting. It’s very original despite being a fairy tale re-take and fabulously well written. My only criticism was that it didn’t feel like it told the whole story. The main character does undergo a massive change in the novel, but she’s not very active in making it come about. Still, the novel is so enchanting, I didn’t mind.

And if Opal is, in fact, just the beginning of a story, I’ll happily pick up the next one by Kristina Wojaszek. She’s a talented new author and one well worth watching. show less

Fire is never tame—least of all the flames of our own kindling.

Raised in isolation by the secretive Circle of Seven, Luna is one of the few powerful beings left in a world dominated by man. Versed in ancient fairy tales and the language of plants, Luna struggles to control her powers over fire. When her mentor dies in Luna’s arms, she is forced into a centuries-long struggle against the gravest enemy of all Fae-kind—the very enemy that left her orphaned. In order to save her people, show more Luna must rewrite their history by entering a door in the mountain and passing back through time. But when the lives of those she loves come under threat, her rage destroys a forest, and everything in it. Now called The Char Witch, she is cursed to live alone, her name and the name of her people forgotten.

Until she hears a knock upon her long-sealed door.

Interwoven with elements of Hansel and Gretel and The Seven Ravens, Char is the stand alone sequel to Opal, and second in the Fae of Fire and Stone trilogy.

MY THOUGHTS:

I was given this book in exchange for an honest review. First, can we talk about these beautiful covers used for this series of novellas. This book follows the wonderfully written “Opal” in this trilogy.

My first suggestion, is do NOT read this book without reading “Opal” first, even though this book is suppose to be a stand-alone. True, you will be able to make sense out of 88% of the book without reading the first one, but in all honesty, it will help. Opal makes an appearance in “Char.”

There is a relationship triangle and heart-break that takes the character on a drastic emotional ride. Although set in the same world, I felt it would have been nicer to see more of the writer’s creative genius as shown in the first book. There just seemed to be something missing when it came the lyrical flow of the story because of what was lacking. However, this story is still wonderfully told, perhaps, not my favorite between the two, but I can hardly wait for the third book to see where the author is going with this trilogy. Fascinating premise once again and an original retelling promising a fantastic ending to the series. Looking for book three! show less