Eleanor Hartley lives at Granborough House, tucked away in the centre of London. Since the death of its mistress, the house has fallen into disrepair and ruin. Guests no longer call, servants abandon their posts. And the master, a drunkard and lecherous man, turns his eye to Eleanor, who slaves away with a bent back and red-raw fingers.

Ella dreams of more. Of going farther than the butcher’s or apothecary, of setting her feet down on exotic land and travelling until her heart is full and her shoes are worn through. She dreams of those exciting places she can only access through the pages of books. Even this is breaking the rules; the Granborough library is off limits to a lowly servant. But that doesn’t stop her stealing precious moments with old books and hoping for more than her lot.

Then a woman appears, a strange woman who is cloaked in black and smiles like a devil, and who tells Ella she will grant her seven wishes. For these wishes, Ella will have to pay a terrible price. But is it a price she can afford to pay?

I love the classic tale of Cinderella and I absolutely adore retellings so I was very excited about diving into The Shadow in the Glass. It was everything I had hoped for! This is a glorious, rich gothic historical fantasy. It is very dark. At times is feels like a character study almost, of one girl and the influence and lure of power. It is magical and transportive.

The author’s descriptions of Victorian London are authentic and compelling, I felt as if I was walking the grimy, filth-flecked streets with Ella herself.
The characters will draw you into their home within the pages and keep you there until the last word on the last page. I cannot say much more because I would hate to give anything away.

A dark and deliciously twisted retelling that concerns innocence, greed, morality, love and the lures of power. I so enjoyed this.

It’s been quite some time since I’ve read a Cinderella retelling – in fact I think I might not have read one…I’ll have to check my records. Suffice to say I don’t feel as burned out on Cinderella as I might do on other stories. So I went into this book with a reasonably open mind excited to see how this Victorian setting for the fairytale might play out.

On the one hand I can see a lot of good things about this book. I liked the way the story worked with the setting, keeping Ella as a servant but in a very different way to how she is in the main book. I thought that putting her in a setting where there is some friendship and comradery amongst the maids was a great way to twist the fairytale and often a great emotional tool within the story – it’s one thing for Cinderella to be hated by everyone in the household but it’s so much more powerful for her to be liked and then to have that attitude shift. I think that in a lot of ways it was very clever to change the villain of the piece from the wicked stepmother to the lecherous man of the house. It certainly did make for a scary start to the book and a good explanation for why things become quite as dramatic as they do get.

I think this is partly where my personal preference comes in, I happened to read this book in the same week as a lot of news stories around women’s safety were circling and I think that perhaps reading a book about a person who is constantly at threat of sexual assault in a house full of other women also at risk was perhaps not the best timing. I also tend to not love stories that have that as a focal point – which might be different for you – so make of that what you will.

Personally, I think I could have liked this book a lot more were it not for two things. For one thing I don’t think I found the narrative particularly empowering – and it didn’t necessarily need to be – I just wanted everything to turn around and even if things didn’t necessarily have a happy ending that the bad guys would get their comeuppance somehow. I won’t say how this story ends but I have to say I didn’t find it particularly satisfying.

The other issue I had was with Ella as a character, she is set up within the story as a lover of books and of fairytales and I find it very hard to believe that a person with such a grounding in that kind of story would not be very wary of wishes in any form. For me that’s rule number one – if you’re a woman in trouble and someone offers you wishes you better make those wishes iron clad and confirm the potential costs and ramifications up front. While early on in the book I could understand Ella acting both out of disbelief that things might happen and also desperation at her alternatives later on I just started to feel like she wasn’t acting in her own best interests and it was mildly frustrating.

I suppose that could have been intentional, with the story acting similar to Victorian moral tales about little matchstick girls and how we shouldn’t make pacts with the devil but to then also make the book about women getting control over their own lives and bodies it didn’t quite gel for me.

I won’t say that I had a bad reading experience while reading this book. The writing is fine, the setting is fine. I enjoyed the descriptions of clothes (despite rolling my eyes at the (debunked) idea that corsets were horrible things that no one liked wearing). This book just didn’t give me the payoff at the end that it really needed so instead of feeling cathartic and emotional it felt more frustrating.

My rating: 2/5 stars (was my gut reaction – it’s a high 2 star though)

I received a free review copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley – all opinions are my own.

What a Grim, Dark, Twisted tale this is!

The blurb of this book says that this is a dark retelling of Cinderella. I could not imagine how dark this book could get! If you are entering this book expecting happy things to unfold with a touch of a gothic vibe, then this is not the book for you.

I would like to issue a trigger warning for sexual and physical abuse.

Our Cinderella is Eleanor Hartley, the ward of the Pembrokes. After the death of Mrs Pembroke, Eleanor is left under the guardianship of the drunk and lecherous Mr Pembroke. Mr Pembroke refuses to care for Eleanor and so she has to earn her keep in the house by working as a parlour maid.

For 3 years Eleanor has toiled in servitude seeing all her hopes of a comfortable life crumble to dust. For 3 years, Eleanor has watched Mr Pembroke force himself on the other maids in the house, unable to do anything to help them. Mr Pembroke's attention is now turning towards her, and Eleanor is scared that soon, she will fall a victim to his cruel advances.

Eleanor's only escape is the house's library, where she sneaks off to at night to read and escape her life of drudgery for a while.

One night, she finds a peculiar book in the library, with illustrations of demons. She spots a dark eyed watching her. The dark eyed woman offers a deal to Eleanor. She will fulfill 7 wishes that Eleanor will make. After the 7th wish, Eleanor will surrender her soul to the black eyed woman. Wanting an escape, Eleanor accepts this offer. Ofcourse she thinks this is all a dream.

To test out if the wishes are real, Eleanor makes a wish and when it is fulfilled, she starts making plans for her future. But she soon discovers that her wishes have dark consequences.

The story keeps getting darker and grimmer after this point. Eleanor tries so hard to improve her circumstances and to help her friends. But when each attempt leads to failure, she starts thinking about using her wishes. The plot thickens and twists. There is a point, where I started feeling desolate and hopeless because that's the way Eleanor's life was turning out to be, no matter how hard she tried.

Eleanor is not kind or gentle and sweet like the fairy tale Cinderella. She's selfish, greedy and vain and that makes her more realistic and relatable. There's also a psychological thriller aspect to the story, where the satk eyed woman is manipulating Eleanor's thoughts making Eleanor doubt her decisions at every step.

Just like the fairy tale, Eleanor also goes to a grand ball in the end wearing beautiful shoes ans dress. All throughout the story, we know where the direction in which the plot is hurtling towards, still the way it is executed is excellent! The ending is written superbly, just keeps you in the edge of your seat.

Overall, this book is pretty intense and impressive.

I was intrigued by the concept of this book, but I think calling it a dark retelling of the Cinderella story might be a bit of a stretch, as on the whole it drew a lot more heavily on Dr Faustus. It was certainly atmospheric, but I struggled with the writing style. It was very formal, I imagine in an effort to fit in with it being a historical novel, but it made it hard for me to really get into it, and I couldn't connect to any of the characters. It was quite repetitive at times and it just didn't click for me. However, I think fans of historical dramas set in big houses will probably enjoy the style and the evocative descriptions of historical London.

YOU NEED TO READ THIS BOOK! Omg this was so amazing! I just don't have words! I love fairytale retellings and this one definitely exceeded my expectations! 5 stars!

I was immediately sold on this book by the Victorian setting (my favourite) and the promise of a dark, gothic story. It wasn't until I attended a book launch event online that I really registered that it was a spin on the Cinderella story - so I read it looking out for the links to the fairy tale!

The story is about Ella, a maid working in the house where she used to be the adopted daughter of the family. After the death of the mistress of the house, the master moves her below stairs where he has a sinister reputation for interfering with the housemaids. One night, taking refuge in the library she is not permitted to use, a fairy godmother arrives and offers Ella seven wishes. Unfortunately, these wishes come at a price and it may be more than Ella is willing to pay.

So, clearly there are some similarities to Cinderella with iffy stepfathers and a fairy godmother. However, do banish any thoughts of a cosy Disney-fied fairy tale from your mind! This is a creepy fairy godmother and Ella finds herself in a hellish pact, struggling to understand the terms of what she has done. The iffy stepfather isn't just cruel - he's attacking maids and casting them out when pregnant. The anticipated 'prince' isn't perhaps as honourable as he could be. And Ella herself is....let's just say she is maybe not as virtuous as our expected heroine.

I absolutely loved this book! It is compulsively creepy and deliciously dark. The setting of the Pembroke house is beautifully done - a house that has reminders of its former glory but is descending into shabbiness as the money dwindles. As someone who reads a lot of books set in or about Victorian times, I found it convincingly portrayed and immersive - I could feel the damp seeping into Ella's garret bedroom and the icy coldness of the house deprived of coal for the grates.

Ella is also a fascinating character - the reader is caught up in her story and roots for her throughout. She seems kind and her motives pure, but there are also little hints that she perhaps isn't wholly 'good', especially given the choices she makes and the narratives used to justify them. In fact, she seems wholly credible and flawed in a very human way - something that lifted the story out of being a simple morality tale and took it in interesting and more nuanced directions.

As a life-long cynic, I was worried that the fairy tale elements might the book unbelievable or incredible in all the bad ways. I was wrong. JJA Harwood has crafted a story that has supernatural elements, but these never cloud the story. At the heart of the book is Ella and the choices she makes, grounding the story in something much more worldly and disturbing than a fairy godmother waving her wand. There is nothing magical about the results of Ella's wishes.

I would whole-heartedly recommend this book to anyone who loves well-plotted and immersive historical fiction. It doesn't even need to be read as a spin on Cinderella - other influences are evident, not least Dr Faustus and his pact with the devil or even Freud's ideas of suppressed desires. Fans of Laura Purcell or Sarah Waters' spookier books will love this.

Thanks to NetGalley for my copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The Shadowin the Glass is the deliciously dark debur novel from J.J.A Harwood. This adult fantasy read combines the basic story of Cinderella with a touch of Goethe’s Faust woven in. Eleanor, known as Ella, had a promising future, ward of Mr and Mrs Pembroke, she was educated and lived the life of luxury. When Mrs Pembroke dies Ella finds herself below stairs, working as a maid to earn her keep, all vestiges of her old life gone. Her sanctuary is in the library at night, the books taking her away from her troubles, when one night her wishes to change her life are answered. Seven wishes are offered in return for her soul after the last wish is granted, an offer Ella jumps at only to learn that magic comes with dire consequences. Just how basly does she want a new life, and if she is willing to pay the price for it.

The Shadow in the Glass has the wonderful darkness and gothic feel of the origional fairytales from the Brothers Grimm, mixed with Goethe’s Faustian bargain with the devil. J.J.A Harwood really turns the traditional fairytale on its head with this book. Ella is obviously inspired by Cinderella, but instead of the wicked step-mother, there is the lecherous Mr Pembroke who terrorises the young maids, with many having to leave finding themselves pregnant. There is also the so called fairy godmother in this book, that is far from the motherly, soft and fairy like character we are use to. This fairy godmother may look motherly at first sight but her eyes are completely black and sinister looking. I also loved the idea of the wishes and magic coming at a cost, and as Ella finds out the consequences are severe, so her happiness comes at the cost of others. The darkness of this book is matched by the gloomy setting of Granborough House, looking worn and tired like it’s owner, a place past its best. J.J.A Harwood also refelects the dark nature of the story in the smog and dirt of London’s streets and the poor and homeless who live along side the rich. By having this gloomy atmosphere through every aspect of the book, J.J.A Harwood maintains that sense of the gothic, the sinister, and disturbing feel of the book.

The central character of Ella is one that I loved, and I really wanted her life to work out even though at my heart I knew this was never going to end well. After her mother’s death, Mrs Pembroke raises Eleanor to be a lady, to be educated and taught how to behave in society with the hope of a good marriage. It is a long way to fall to now be a servant, working with those who once served her. What makes Ella such a wonderful character is how she adapts to this, cares for her fellow maids, always wanting to protect them from the lecherous Mr Pembroke, putting herself in danger to secure ther safety. She tries to be a moral person as well, wanting to do the right thing especially after seeing the devestation her wishes cause. She deperatly tries to use them sparingly, or even not at all, hoping to out play her chilling fairy godmother and keep her soul intact. I did have sympathy for her situation, wanting her to be happy and get her life back, but the undercurrent of malevolence and the always watchful fairy godmother really unsettled me; I was almost reading through my fingers, not wanting to know how the book ended, but also knowing I had to.

The Shadow in the Glass is a disturbing and atmospheric gothic fairytale, full of tension and twists and turns. Ella plays the perfect tragic heroine, a good person at heart but wanting to get her old life back. I loved how this book turned the traditional fairtytale in its head, with a wicked guardian rather than stepmother and a fairy godmother you would never want to meet. In my opinion, this is dark magical fantasy at its best, chilling, captivating and very disturbing.

Ella is servant in a grand Mayfair house but before she used to live above stairs in the same house. One night she creeps into the library and stumbles across a book that contains a woman who promises to answers her wishes, The only snag is that she must give her souls the mysterious woman who will grant her wishes. What follows is a glorious mash up of Cinderella and Faust. Myth, history and gothic fabulousness are three things that I love in a novel.

An extremely dissatisfying book. A ridiculous bargain, an even more ridiculous love story. By the end of the story I wanted everyone to die including the protagonist and her love interest.

Everyone blushes a bit too much in this book. The housemaids blush, the protagonist blushes, her lover blushes, the chair, table, windows....everything blushes!

*I received an eARC in exchange for an honest review from the publisher via netgalley

Wow I was not prepared for how dark this was! Ella makes a deal with the 'devil' or in this instance her very sinister fairy godmother to have 7 wishes but the last comes with the consequence of losing her soul. Of course we know exactly where this story will end as greed takes over. There is A LOT of death in this novel as well as sexual assault of minors, abortion and i'm sure many other things I have forgotten. It was a good read but I don't think I would reach for it a second time.

In this dark Cinderella retelling, we question our morals as to how far would one person go for their sake of their happiness?

Ella finds herself taken in by the Pembrokes when her parents sadly die. Everything seems great but she is soon forced into a life as a maid by her stepfather when her stepmother also dies. She soon seeks refuge in a forbidden library where she dreams of a better life away from Mr Pembroke.

When Ella meets her fairy godmother who grants her seven wishes, she then makes a wish and someone soon shows up dead. Was she responsible for the death?

Feeling guilty and responsible for what happened, she vows to never make another wish again but when her happiness is threatened once more, would she go that one step further?

I felt real empathy for her from time to time. Ella longs to be happy but it seems her happiness comes at a price. As the story goes on, you see how much the darkness overtakes her as she becomes more determined to get the happy ending she so desperately wants.

It’s easy to read and I was thoroughly gripped throughout the story. There are a few moments when it gets really dark but I found myself unable to put this one down.

The author has done a fabulous job of creating something new here that you almost forget that you’re reading a retelling of Cinderella. However, if dark retellings are your thing then you should definitely check this one out as it does follow the same kind of basis.

Thankyou to netgalley and the publisher for allowing me an ecopy of this book. A cinderella retelling with a dark twist got me intrigued but it fell a little bit flat for me unfortunately. The concept of a fairy godmother granting wishes where you lose a piece of your soul each time had so much promise but each time it felt like the same thing happened but in a different way. I did enjoy the writing style but overall it just wasnt for me,

A dark, gothic and mysterious twist on the classic Cinderella, The Shadow In The Glass will definitely leave you wanting more.

Reading this, I didn't actually know that the book was based on a classic fairytale as there weren't many similarities.

The story is based on Ella, a young woman, who works (along with other hired helps) as a Victorian housemaid. Life is pretty grim for Ella, and in her moment of a need a mysterious book comes to her attention with everything that she needs to leave the life she knows behind her. However, everything comes with a consequence!

If you're thinking 'Here we go again, another predictable Cinderella spin off', think again! There is so much more to The Shadow In The Glass, and
JJA Harwoid cautiously tackles abusive topics well.

Loved it!

Ella after the death of her parents is adopted into a well off family. But after the death of the mistress, she is delegated to being the house maid. Her reduced circumstances comes with many dangers including the unwanted attention of her guardian. So one night when she’s flat out of options to save herself, she makes a deal with an evil godmother who grants her seven wishes in exchange for her soul.
At the beginning of the book, I felt sorry for Ella but that feeling evaporated pretty soon. The entire book was Ella making excuse after excuse for herself and the dire consequences of her poor decisions. It quickly became annoying. I went in expecting a gothic atmospheric Cinderella retelling and instead got a long dreary book with a very annoying, whiny heroine. Would not recommend.

Ella once dreamed of becoming a lady, and living a life of leisure, before her circumstances changed and she was forced to become a maid, working for the lecherous widower she once held as a father figure. Her only escape is in the books she holds so dear, secretly read by candlelight at night while she dreams of a better future. And one night, it looks like her luck has changed, when a fairy godmother of sorts appears before her, and offers her the opportunity of a lifetime - 7 wishes, all of Ella's own, to do with what she wants. But there is a price to be paid, and Ella must soon decide if she can live with what she's started...

This is a hard one for me to review. As soon as I read the synopsis I was seriously intrigued, as the idea of a gothic retelling of Cinderella just sounded fascinating. However, I was unfortunately left a bit disappointed. The beginning of the book was definitely gripping enough, and it pulled you right into the narrative and the hardships of Ella's life. However, once Ella was granted the wishes, everything changed for the worst. It quickly fell into a pattern - Ella dreamed of how the wishes would change her life, she promised to save them for something good, something happened and she reacted by making a wish, then she regretted it and promised herself not to do it again. Then she learned what the cost of the wishes was, and the pattern turned into promising not to make a wish, making one anyway, and pretending to feel bad about the consequences. It was just boring.

Plus, Ella was just such a thoroughly unlikeable character! I honestly didn't care about what happened to her, but I ploughed on anyway, determined not to miss out on the great book all the other reviews talked about. But ultimately, there was nothing about it to keep you interested. Ella was a horrible person, the 'love story' was dull and predictable, and all of the drama just felt so forced and repetitive that I'm honestly impressed by the fact that I made it through to the end. Speaking of which, the ending is thoroughly unsatisfying. Ultimately, just not the book for me at all.

Disclaimer - I was fortunate enough to be provided with an advance reading copy of this book by NetGalley. This has not affected my review in any way, and all opinions are my own.

The Shadow in the Glass is a wonderfully gothic and creepy retelling of the Cinderella story, and it is deliciously unsettling. The dark and twisted version of a typical fairy godmother character was something I’d never seen before, and I loved the idea that a wish must be paid for with blood. Eleanor, the heroine, is a fully fleshed out character, and I felt her inner conflict screaming out on each page. I loved the Victorian setting, and how Eleanor is forced to fight to live a happy life that is threatened with challenges throughout. She must avoid the lecherous grips of her master, and fight to save her friends, whilst battling with her own grief and desires. For a debut novel, this is a very impressive read. I devoured it in two days

Thank you to Netgalley for my arc of this book!

After reading the blurb of The Shadow in the Glass I had to request it, love a fairy tale retelling, however this book was nothing like I thought it would be and I'm so disappointed 😞
I thought this was going to be magical but it was the total opposite!
I didnt like any of the characters and the narrator, Ella was boring and whiny.
It was going to be a DNF however I was hoping there would be a twist or something I didnt want to miss, however that just didn't happen. Nothing really happened and I just didn't engage with the book at all.
Heartbreaking to say a 1 star read.

‘I’d like to propose a bargain. I will offer you seven wishes. Whatever you ask for, I shall grant you. There are few limits.’

The Shadow in the Glass is the debut book from J.J.A Harwood, and surprisingly this doesn’t read as a debut. It’s one reason I normally stay away from debuts, as I like to give the author a chance and see what happens with their next book, but I was pleasantly surprised with this!

The Shadow in the Glass follows Eleanor, a housemaid for a not so great man. She dreams of having a better life, not being stuck in her current circumstances, while helping those around her out of their similar circumstances. When reading in the library one evening, a woman with black eyes appears, offering her seven wishes, for her to use as she pleases, but they come at a cost.

An interesting thing about this book was that it took a while for the fantasy elements to appear. Initially when reading, I wondered if I had potentially shelved it wrong, but when they did finally appear, it felt so intriguing, and added so much to the story.

This reads fairly historical initially, as to me, it felt set in a somewhat Victorian setting, although there were current day references that conflicted this feeling. Normally, I’m not a fan of historical books, they just don’t interest me, but I found myself reading on to see what the fantasy element was going to be, and when it appeared I felt compelled to read on and discover how the story would play out.

This first part of the book really allows you to become attached to the characters, and their individual storylines. Although you are following Eleanor’s journey, you become acquainted with other characters along the way, that are equally as important.

I really enjoyed this book and thought it was a strong debut and I would be interested in seeing what this author produces in the future too.

I would recommend this book to readers who like their fantasy light, but their storylines dark.

This received a rating of 4/5.

*Thank you to Harper Voyager and NetGalley for the eArc to review*

Wow,wow,wow words cannot explain how great this novel is! A debut and such a richly written and immersive story I couldn't wait to see what happens but didnt want it to end. One of the best stories I have ever read. 10/10

When her beloved guardian, Mrs Pembroke, dies, Eleanor's life of being a lady is stripped away and she's banished below stairs to work as a maid. But being a lady is all she's ever wanted to be, and when one of her secret nighttime trips to the library brings a black eyed woman who promises her seven wishes, the future she wants might just be in her grasp. But the price of these wishes is her soul and the black eyed woman always collects...

The first thing I have to note about this book is that the writing style really does throw you into the world of Victorian London immediately and I loved that. A fantastically described setting is always a winner when it comes to trapping your readers and this book manages it brilliantly. I felt like I was right there with the maids scrubbing the floors and jostling amongst crowds in the streets. It reminded me a little bit of Elizabeth Macneal's storytelling in <em><a href="https://hannnahsbookshelf.wordpress.com/2020/07/02/review-the-doll-factory-by-elizabeth-macneal/">The Doll Factory</a></em> which I loved! This world building extends from just the setting to the characters, making them all easy to visualise and connect with. Eleanor is, perhaps obviously, the stand out as we read from her point of view yet still get to see her character growth. She goes from this nervous young girl, wanting nothing more than a shot at the life she feels like she was meant to have, to a manipulative young woman who has no problem using the power of the wishes to do whatever she likes, consequences be damned. This annoyed me a little at first as she flips so quickly from innocent to cold but the more I read, the more I appreciated that we could see the wishes leaving their impact on her so obviously, even if none of the other characters really noticed.

Also, I can't write a review for this book without sharing some love for the fantasy aspect. A lot of the book could just be billed as historical fiction but the appearance of the black eyed woman really spiced things up and got me thinking about what I'd wish for - it would have to be something pretty spectacular to lose a soul over! I liked that the chapters of the book were spilt up into each of the wishes and it worked really well for us to follow along Eleanor's journey of losing her soul. The black eyed woman is also written really well as she felt like a character I wouldn't want to meet but if I did, I wouldn't be able to take my eyes away from her. That sort of arresting uneasiness really came across in the writing and I loved it! I would have loved to know more about the black eyed woman, where she came from and what world she spoke of to Eleanor.

As for what I disliked, I was left with a lot of questions by the end. I'm officially putting in a SPOILER alert for this paragraph! What happened to Aoife and Daisy? And Mrs Fielding and Mrs Banbury? Did Eleanor actually murder those people? Was she the wild child that everyone remembers her being? Eleanor alludes that she might have managed to trick her way out of the black eyed woman's deal at the very end, yet she disappears just the same. Did it work? Was it wishful thinking? I'm a reader that likes my questions to be answered by the end of the book, especially if there isn't going to be a sequel (which I think is the case here?) so if they're not I'm always left a bit lost. To add to that, this book is being described as a Cinderella re-telling. Now, while there definitely are similarities to the original story, if you're expecting something light and fluffy this isn't the one for you! Personally, I liked that even more as a dark fantasy edge is always more exciting.

Overall, I would recommend this book if you're after something with a really fantastic historical feel or are a big fan of Cinderella re-tellings with a deliciously dark edge!