Holly Black¿s The Cruel Prince meets Jennifer Donnelly¿s Stepsister in this fairy-tale
reimagining featuring a kingdom on the brink of ruin and one wicked stepsister¿s journey to
become the heroine of her own quest.Aralyn has lost everything¿the coveted glass slipper the
prince¿s hand in marriage and her only chance to save her mother and sister from destitution.
Now she spends her days sweeping the cinders and washing dresses as her stepsister Ellarose
once did plotting her revenge against the girl who robbed her of her future. But when Ellarose
now the princess comes to beg her help in saving the kingdom from ruin Aralyn seizes the
opportunity to get everything she¿s ever wanted. She discovers a prophecy an ancient blade
from the original fairy godfather of the kingdom of Novador that could restore the kingdom to
its former prosperity. She¿s determined to find the missing pieces of the blade and use its
power for her own gain even if it means dragging her bumbling fairy godmother and an annoying
lady knight along with her. But as Aralyn has to put her trust in others to survive the
challenges of retrieving each lost piece of the blade she begins to question everything her
mother has taught her about survival and success. Maybe the prince was never the key to her
future and maybe she¿ll have to fight to find her own happily-ever-after.
