Think twice if…
- Content warnings: Death, Death of loved one, Parental death, Grief, Mental illness, Captivity, Imprisonment, Violence, Animal attack
Of Cinder and Madness
by Nicole Zoltack
Book 1 in Once Upon a Darkened Night
Worth it for the POV flip alone: Cinderella is not the innocent center of the story, and the woman trying to stop her is not the cartoon villain you remember.
goodreads 3.56/5 273 ratings
Quick fit
Is this story right for you?
A decision-first view of the reading experience.
Length276 pages
Series statusCompleted series · 15 books
Spice0/5
PacingFast
Story profile
What the story promises
The strongest reviewed signals about romance, fantasy, and the reading experience.
Romance promise
- None
- Perspective shift
- Thought-provoking
Fantasy promise
- Ya fantasy
- Manor house / estate
- High fantasy
- Witches/wizards/warlocks
- Royal court / palace
- Grimdark / dark fantasy
Show more
- Fae
- Prison / captivity
Reading experience
- First person
- Fast
- Dark
- Moderate
- Medium
- Caretaker
Show more
- Gothic
- Atmospheric
- Morally gray
- Mysterious
- Introspective
- Bittersweet
- Tense
- Cinderella retelling
- Morally complex
- Slow descent into darkness
- Plot twist heavy
Similar stories
Similar in ways that matter
Matched by the most important shared story signals, with the tradeoffs made explicit.
182 pages Completed
Of Slumber and Discord
Nicole Zoltack
Similar because
Bittersweet · Ya fantasy · Fast
382 pages Completed
Clariel
Garth Nix
Similar because
Ya fantasy · Morally gray · Slow descent into darkness
Different because
Medium pacing rather than Fast. A longer read (382 vs 276 pages).
320 pages Completed
The Sin Eater's Daughter
Melinda Salisbury
Similar because
Plot twist heavy · Prison / captivity · Ya fantasy
Different because
Spice is higher (1/5 vs 0/5). Slow pacing rather than Fast.
Book details
- Length
- 276 pages
- Publisher
- CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform
- Language
- English
- Format
- Book