Once upon a time there was a beautiful princess named Snow White. There's a wicked queen, a poisoned apple, seven dwarves and a handsome prince. You probably know that story.
But you don't know this story. It has a beautiful white-haired princess named Princess Snow nicknamed Essie. Essie lives on the planet Thanda where she stitches machines and robots and all things technical together with her brains and natural gifts. It's a world of miners and Essie has designed seven robots to go down into the mines taking some of the burden off the men.
Essie is a self-reliant woman who lives alone and takes on opponents in cage fights to earn extra money. No one gets the better of her until the day a shuttle crashes and Essie decides to help the pilot, Dane, get his ship back together so he can continue with his mission to find the treasure of Thanda and save his planet Garam.
Astutely weaving all the requirements of a Snow White tale into a world of three planets at war, this story rests much on its technology and the evil we know will be present in the form of a stepmother. The robots are delightful characters who draw your affection and allegiance early on.
Dane and Essie are destined to fight the world as a team and as they spend time in each other's company, the inevitable takes place though at a slow pace and without much steam or intensity.
For those who loved Cinder this is an interesting diversion. With a brush of romance, a strong female protagonist who doesn't want to lean on anyone but herself, and an amusement park's worth of gadgets and machines for Essie to stitch, this adventure holds together like a good fairytale should.
The question is, of course, who will be left to live happily ever after?
Ages 14-18 (incest) 978-1423187974 336 pages
Recommended by: Barb, abookandahug.com
