This promising debut has much to recommend it. Deliciously dark and gothic, the world 'below stairs' in a Victorian household is vividly brought to life and these parts of the story worked best for me.

Billed as a retielling of Cinderella I found this to be a more Faustian gothic melodrama, and a lot of fun for that. However I felt the ending didn't work so well for me - it seemed to shoe-horn in elements of the Cinderella story and felt a little forced to follow the plot of the fairy tale then find it's own way.

Having said that, this is an engaging debut and I'd definitely look out for more by Harwood - I think future books will see her develop as a writer and find a distinct voice.

Those who know me well will tell you that I love a gothic tale, and gothic fairy-tale, even better. I'm inevitably disappointed though. Most authors don't hit the right level of gothic for me, take 'The Miniaturist' for example. This beauty by Harwood though, really hits the spot.

It's not a Cinderella remake and doesn't have you comparing every chapter to a still from the Disney movie. This book stands on its own. In fact, the lead characters name (Eleanor aka Ella) and a silver slipper are the only major similarities.

Like all gothic novels this book takes time to warm up. The tension is built beautifully by Harwood and from different aspects in the book. The tension culminates with Ella meeting the black eyed woman and being offered 7 wishes in return for her soul. Like all fairy-tales the wishes have a twist, and this time there darker ones.

To describe this book as a re-telling on Cinderella is an understatement. Eleanor “Ella” Rose Hartley was once a little girl going on a young lady of society. However, this all came crumbling down, when her charge Mrs Pembroke suddenly died. Now Ella is forced to work for the House in which she once held higher standing; working long and hard days whilst freezing, starving and aching. But one night changes everything.

There is a moral to the story. Would you make the wishes if you knew of the consequences?

TW: sexual assault, abuse, miscarriage

I hope that by having my wish granted on NetGalley, I haven’t lost a part of my soul.

A gothic retelling of Cinderella. I finished my notes for this review by writing “HOW IS THIS A DEBUT NOVEL?!” This is an absolutely fantastic read, well written and dark. Though I do wish it could have been even darker!

In a dark and grimy Victorian London setting, this is a tale of Eleanor. A would-be lady turned servant due to the death of her stepmother, she is put to work by the man she once called her stepfather.

Until nestled between her most loved reads, she summons a black eyed lady through a book she hasn’t seen before. To make seven wishes, pay the price of giving away your soul.

“Wishes were supposed to be nice things.”

With the thought of available wishes behind her, Eleanor keeps her head held high and grows in confidence, but at what cost? She always tries to do the right thing for those around her, but maybe her perception of what that means has become skewed.

So dark and delicious you can’t put it down. I’ve never called a book delicious before but I can think of no better word.

The Shadow in the Glass, JJA Harwood

Review from Jeannie Zelos book reviews

Genre: General Fiction (adult).

I saw all the five star reviews and requested this. Sadly, it just didn't work for me.

I just couldn't get involved in the story, didn't like the characters, although at first it seemed promising. I did feel for the girls, life was – and for many still is – hard if you're female and in that kind of position. It soon lost me though, I wasn't keen on any of the people, and the plot seemed just strange, rather than deliciously Gothic it just felt forced to me.
Still, that's how it goes, some love a book and others hate it. I didn't hate this, just didn't find anything that made me want to keep reading, and I do not like ambiguous endings so that was a hard pass.

Stars: Two, a well written story that just didn't suit my taste.

ARC supplied by Netgalley and publishers

I'm really not sure what to make of this book. From the description I was really intrigued, yet, while actually reading it I found there were bits I really enjoyed and then others I felt were confusing. For parts of the story I'd really feel sorry for Eleanor and then would soon get frustrated by her choices and also some of the other characters.

I thought the setting was good and I could picture the scenes.

Thank you to #NetGalley for a cooy of the book in exchange for an honest review. #TheShadowInTheGlass

A dark goths retelling of cinderella. Totally different to previous versions I have encountered. Find yourself drawn back into 19th century London following Ella, under the care of Mr Pembroke. Working for her keep and subjected to all kinds of horrors. She reads to escape her reality and is offered a deal with a spirit. Wishes to improve her circumstances but it is clear they come at a price.
I enjoyed the book although I did find it an uncomfortable read at times. The atmosphere is dark and harrowing, it really struck me as a mix of Cinderella meets Dorian Grey.

My wish was granted to read this book ... just like Eleanor’s wishes are being granted!

A dark and eerie tale of a housemaid who sells her soul for wishes. It was a very cleverly written story and kept me hooked!

I liked the history of the book, it set the scene well. The dirty, cobbled streets. The servant chambers, grand houses for the rich.

It was an enjoyable read although I’m left quite confused by the ending. I feel it hasn’t really ended? Or there should be more to whats happened. I want to know who actually did the murders and I’d like to have know more about the woman with black eyes. Why she was granting wishes? Who is she?

Thank you for the opportunity to read this book !

Damn... I need a moment to process that.

Against the background of gritty Victorian London, we meet Ella, our main character.

Ella is a maid for Pembroke Estate but she wasn't always a maid and desperately wishes for her parts of her previous life back.

But, maybe Ella should be careful what she wishes for...

Overall, this is a chilling and creepy retelling of Cinderella, 4/5 stars.

trigger warning
<spoiler> rape, child abuse, child death, abortion, mutilation, trauma, grief, being orphaned, being drugged, drug abuse </spoiler>

Eleanor makes a deal with a demon: Seven wishes she'll be granted, in exchange for her soul. She is determined to not use the last wish, so she won't have to surrender her soul, whatever that is. And she won't become bad, she'll care for those she loves.

Background: Eleanor is the rich couple's ward and is treated like their own child, Charles, until Mrs. Pembroke dies and Mr. Pembroke lets Ella work for her keep. For three years, she works her fingers to the bone, and then the deal is struck - at a time when her best friend Leah has been thrown out because the master raped and impregnated her, and the housemaids are wondering who will be next.

The first wish Ella makes is innocent, to confirm that all that magic business was not a dream.
She wishes for shoes the colour of moonlight.

Then my problems with the book start. Ella is so high and mighty that she thinks she'll do right, because she is a good person, isn't she? She waits with her wishes till something bad happens and she has to use one to fix things from turning even worse. She doesn't act, she reacts, and is appaled by the consequences she gets.
Instead of trying to plan her further path, she berates herself, wallows in guild, until she has convinced herself she has nothing to do with the tragedies that surround her, and tries to be good, until - again - something happens that makes her react with a wish.

It's so very frustrating.
You as the reader are able to see the main direction the plot is going, especially that she is <spoiler> the main murder suspect and will be treated as such at some point in the future </spoiler>.

The ending is quite absurd and doesn't fit in at all. It kind of reads as if the ending was thought of first, and then the rest of the book had to be written to make it happen. If you're looking for a Cinderella retelling: Go to the last chapter. The rest of the book is more a Faust retelling. The Marlowe version, but since I am more familiar with the Goethe one, it's Faust for me.

Bad things that happen are plot devices. The author treats their characters as props and doesn't care what reactions there might be to the traumatising and triggering events mentioned. I am so over rape as a plot device.
Listen, I just went through the reviews and kinda think all the people must have read a different book the one I was given.

The only reason why I read this to the finish was 1) I was wondering where the Cinderella aspect was lurking and 2) because I dnf-ed quite a few arcs in the last few weeks and didn't want to add another one on top.

The arc was provided by the publisher.

A dark cinderella retelling, that was frankly...terrible. I would have DNF'd if this was not a review for netgalley.
Spoilers ensue.
The good: pregnancy and rape depicted realistically. Dog eat dog attitude of servants also seemed realistic.
The bad: I hate the magical get out od jail free card. I don't understand any of the motivations for any of the characters - why does Charles love Eleanor when he doesn't even know her? An instaromance that doesn't make sense despite their supposed history. The ridiculous relationship between Eleanor and Felicity doesn't make sense - realistically, Felicity wouldn't care about a 'lowly' maid. Eleanor makes the most outrageously stupid wishes with no foresight into her wording and they do nothing to really improve her condition. She's so gullible with the wishes - it's like she's never read a book or thought about consequences, but she reads a lot (apparently). Further, why would a random ass lady give you a ton of money, when she's already helping you out so much with ettiqutte lessons.
This book was paired with an even more terrible ending (why would you agree to a changed bargain lol). It's like the book wanted to hit me on the head with her bad decisions. Also, it's never resolved as to why Eleanor can't remember her childhood, in which she was apparently a 'terror'.

I really enjoyed the first half of this book. Being granted wishes,but having to be oh so careful exactly what you wished for,as the consequences were huge.
The middle part I felt was a tad predictable,the writing wasnt any less enjoyable,but the route the story took hold no surprises.
All came together nicely at the end,and I was left feeling very satisfied,as it really couldn't have ended any better way.
A little bit creepy in parts,and just a lot of fun seeing how those wishes would turn out.

I was kindly given a copy of this ARC by NetGalley in return for an honest review.

4**** Addie LaRue meets Cinderella.

Eleanor (like Addie LaRue) is a dreamer. She dreams of being more than a servant. She wants to be a lady, to be adored and to travel the world.

Eleanor (or Ella as she is nicknamed) was taken in by a wealthy family as a child and brought up to be a lady. Unfortunately tragedy struck and she found herself a servant in the house instead. She dreams of her past life where she had smooth hands, beautiful dresses, as much food as she could want for etc. One thing she has gained with this poorer life is her stories and her friends. She is a kind girl who cares for her friends. This theme of her trying to help people less fortunate, to play the hero, is kept throughout the book. One day she is able to make a wish.....and that wish changes her life forever.

Sometimes the writing was repetitive (I'm not sure if this is because it's aimed for younger adults/teenage readers). I didn't need to keep getting told the same information over and over again. The twist however, was very good. At around 80% of the book you realise what is happening and the last 20% was almost sad to read. It was a great idea to hint (I would say reveal but some people might not have clicked) the twist because as I was reading the end I just knew how it was going to end.

I did enjoy this book and suggest if you enjoy fairy tales then you'll really like this book.

Poor Ella. At one time she was being brought up as a lady and then her benefactor dies leaving her to be used as a maid. Victorian life was not picnic for those in such a lowly position. One night an apparition of a lady appears and promises her 8 wishes in return for her soul. Desperate Ella agrees but soon regrets this decision. For every wish she has granted there is a consequence. The reader follows Ella as she tries to navigate her way out of this conundrum and improve her life and to be with her love, Charles.

A unique gothic fairytale. I absolutely loved being swallowed up in this wonderful world. I look forward to reading more from this author.

A dark, gothic Cinderella re-telling. Eleanor is a ward of Mr. Pembroke who has been forced into service in the house after the death of her protector, Mrs. Pembroke. Eleanor and the other young servant girls in the house are at constant risk from the lecherous Mr. Pembroke. Eleanor loves to sneak into the library and read to escape her difficult, grim situation and one night that leads her to Dr. Faustus and the appearance of a very dark spirit who grants Ella 7 wishes. It's clear that these wishes will come with a heavy price and Ella tries her very best not to use them, but circumstances continually push her to do so to deadly consequence. Things begin to look up when Mr. Pembroke's son Charles returns from school and he and Ella renew their friendship which leads to a much more serious relationship. As Ella is forced to use her wishes and deaths begin to pile up, things begin to spiral out of control and the darkness surrounding Ella grows.
I certainly found Eleanor to be a sympathetic character as with the other serving girls in the house as their life is definitely one of struggle and Mr. Pembroke embodies all the negative aspects you come to expect from this time period and how men often viewed and treated women. Charles was a bright spot in the story and I enjoyed his character. I found the ending to have left me hanging a bit, feeling like it could have had a more impactful end, but I think for YA readers who like darker fairy tale re-do's this would be a satisfying story.

My rating is 3.5 rounded up to 4 stars.

I absolutely love retellings and I loved the concept of this but unfortunately I just found it incredibly slow. Whenever I thought something was about to happen it would then just go onto the next day or another incident. For a YA this was dark and intriguing but just far too slow.

One of the things that struck me quite strongly was how little power women living in the Victorian era had. Some of Ella’s choices are frustrating and I had to keep reminding myself that the time that she lived in was so different to ours. The wishes she chooses particularly in the beginning had me sighing with irritation! The backdrop, the research is very detailed and accurate which is satisfying and I enjoyed pretty much everything about this book. The only criticism would be the rather clichéd antagonist. The more fantastical the outward appearance of the ‘godmother’ the less believable she becomes for some reason.

With thanks to NetGallery for receiving a copy in advance for an honest review.

2.5 stars overall.

I didn’t hate this book, but it was just too full of cliches and repeated descriptions that I just couldn’t get on board.
The story comes down to:

Makes a wish
something bad happens with it
She says never making another wish
Makes another wish
Seems shocked it goes wrong
And repeat.


Add to this an ending that is totally unfulfilling, I can’t say I would recommend this book sadly. It sounded so interesting but there is nothing new here that I think would interest regular fantasy readers, though the more casual readers might enjoy it more.

Many thanks to the author, publishers and Netgalley for a free ARC of this ebook.
This is a well written gothic Faustian fantasy. The story is well paced, and the characters are well written. The protagonist Eleanor is a flawed, but not without saving graces. The reader can sypathaise with what she does and why, but she's still going to go to the Devil. The author describes a dirty woeful wildly descrimitory London and does it well. I enjoyed this book enormously.

‘Wishes were supposed to be nice things. They were granted by smiling fairy godmothers and left everyone living happily ever after. They couldn’t leave her like this – lost in horror and disgust that was deep enough to drown in.’

Eleanor “Ella” Rose Hartley was once a little girl going on a young lady of society. However, this all came crumbling down, when her charge Mrs Pembroke suddenly died. Now Ella is forced to work for the House in which she once held higher standing; working long and hard days whilst freezing, starving and aching. But one night changes everything. A woman appears to Ella and offers her seven wishes that’ll enable her to change her life. The problem is, all magic comes with a price, and it’ll cost Ella’s soul.

To describe The Shadow in the Glass as a dark retelling of Cinderella is an understatement. It’s a story brimming with cruelty, vengeance and desire. To liken it to Laura Purcell’s work is a good starting point as I imagine other Purcell fans will notice the similarities to The Corset.

The Shadow in the Glass embodied such an ominous essence in a multitude of ways to easily describe it as harrowing. To put it bluntly, especially when Goodreads classifies this as YA, I felt this book’s nature was violent. There is physical abuse of the household maids, multiple references to past rape and potential future rape of maids, and also a graphic description of abortion and miscarriage. All of this left me feeling suffocated because of how gut churning and worried I was for the characters, and so, it certainly isn’t a light read.

By the book’s end, it’s easy to understand Ella’s decisions and actions even if one does not agree with them. She envisioned a particular life for herself, one she feels was robbed from her, and from where the story picks up, Ella imagines bitterly what life would’ve - should’ve - been like. It’s this bitterness in her heart that underpins everything and prevents her from seeing herself as anything but prey and a victim. She was ambitious, conceited and devious, punishingly so, often making her a rather off putting protagonist. However, in the same vein, she’s good hearted, rounding out her more questionable traits. Because of this, I found her a strong founded and well developed morally grey character.

I really enjoyed the novel’s predominant theme of power; through the power imbalance of employer and employee, societal social standing and also the magical elements of the power the wishes offered. The historical time period permitted such illustrious portrayals of Ella and her fellow maids being subject to the House’s hierarchy and the judgement and gossip of better off ladies in wider society.

The power the wishes held over the whole story, and not just Ella’s options, provided such a foreboding feeling about how things would turn out. It was impossible not to worry that things wouldn’t spell well for Ella. However, it became hard to accept that Ella wouldn’t use her wishes when she faced particular challenges, especially when it was clear how conniving Ella could be yet acted holier than thou with respect to the wishes - this issue, I felt, was primarily because of the novel’s weakest link: leaden prose. It wasn’t merely descriptive, it was excessive at times and subsequently sluggish. The book really would have benefited from its length being refined to not feel so overloaded. That’s ultimately what’s knocking my rating from 4 stars to 3 stars to an otherwise enjoyable debut.

This was a real pageturner for me - I’m talking laying awake at night itching to pick up my kindle and continue reading. I couldn’t get my mind off it. I stayed up into the wee hours to finish it. Other than some repetition and drawn out parts, this was an excellent debut. It’s not the first of its kind but it offers a grimly exhilarating spin on a classic fairytale and insight to the potential this author has going forward. Definitely worth picking up, especially if you love Laura Purcell.