“The sweetest story ever told” gets retold in a new way in So This is Love: A Twisted Tale by Elizabeth Lim from Disney Hyperion. The series takes classic Disney stories and adds a twist that causes them to go off in a different direction, almost like a parallel universe. This time around, the twist is on the story of Cinderella: What if she never tried on the glass slipper?
The book starts with the Grand Duke arriving at Lady Tremaine’s house with the glass slipper. Locked in her tower, Cinderella’s mice are unable to free her and she never gets to try on the slipper. What’s worse is that her wicked stepmother has sold her into indentured servitude in another kingdom, with Bruno coming to her rescue. She finds herself accepting the kindness of a stranger who secures a job for her at the palace where things are a little more complicated than they seem.
This version of Cinderella twists things further than simply making it so Cinderella never tries on the glass slipper. Entire character’s are amended, with the Grand Duke becoming a villain now that Lady Tremaine is not part of the main storyline. Prince Charming is given a name (Charles), as is the Fairy Godmother (Lenore), and the kingdom (Aurelais).
So This is Love adds in some plot elements from other works, particularly Charles Perrault’s version of Cinderella by having the kingdom throw another ball after being unsuccessful in finding the mystery girl that captured the Prince’s heart. There is civil unrest that the King and Prince are unaware of, which was added to the recent stage adaptation of Roger & Hammerstein’s Cinderella, which also made the Grand Duke a secondary villain. And magic is forbidden from the kingdom, which feels a little derivative of Maleficent. That last add-in is the reason why the Fairy Godmother is unable to intervene this time around.
Cinderella is assigned to the King’s sister Genevieve, who has recently returned to the palace after spending years away. Her uniform includes a wig, which is why Prince Charles doesn’t recognize her when they pass in the halls. As for why Cinderella doesn’t just tell him who she is, she’s full of fear that he will reject her if he finds out that she’s a palace servant. While she’s happy to be free of her oppressive stepmother, she’s also full of heartache every time she sees him, especially as the Grand Duke plans for an arranged marriage if they can’t find the girl who fits the glass slipper in time.
Elizabeth Lim’s previous Twisted Tale, Reflection, is my favorite so far in the series and So This is Love is another exciting read. She remains true to the character of Cinderella and this version of the story also allows her and Charles to fall in love through more than just a dance, adding a new emotional layer to the tale. It’s an exciting twist on a familiar story that will lift your spirits and make you root for love and happy endings.