Yuki: A Snow White Retelling - Nicolette Andrews

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Author: Nicolette Andrews

Narrator: Joanna Roddy
Series: Tales of Akatsuki #2
Genre: Retelling, Fantasy
Stars: 4.25 stars.

In a Nutshell: A retelling of Snow White with a Japanese folklore twist. Mostly predictable (as we all know the original story) but so much fun! Enjoyed it.


Story:
Hotaru has unexpectedly become the clan leader after his elder brother abdicated the post for love. But this abdication led to some political upheavals and war with the powerful Fujikawa clan looms on the horizon. To boost his position, Hotaru needs to marry into the clan who resides in the mysterious forest. The leader of this clan has been sickly, and he too desires his sister Yuki to be married before it is too late. Yuki however has no intention of marrying, least of all to a person who seeks a political alliance than love. With time running out for both of them, how will Hotaru save his clan, and how will Yuki ensure that she doesn’t compromise on her ideals?
The story comes to us in a limited third person perspective.


Where the book worked for me:
🌹 Snow White is a fairy tale that we all know. To provide surprises within a known story is a tough task. The author takes some dark elements of the original German tale, intermingled with some elements from the Disney version and adds her own twists. This retelling thus provides a refreshing experience of Snow White.

🌹 I loved how smoothly the setting has been transferred to Japan. The Japanese setting is very well used, not just with the locational details but also with folklore characters such as tanuki and yokai having a strong role to play in the narrative.

🌹 Historical marriages among the nobility were mostly to ensure a strategic alliance among the male rulers. But in this story, Yuki has a strong and independent role to play. She isn’t written as a typical historical/fairy tale heroine, waiting for someone to come and rescue her. Quite the opposite, in fact. She holds her own, is outspoken and fiesty and loyal. She makes for a much better fairy-tale heroine as she is not the typical Ms. Goody Two Shoes.

🌹 Hotaru is an interesting character. He begins as a cocky “What girl can resist me?!” kind of fellow but soon shows his sensitive side that he is forced to keep hidden for the sake of appearance. The growth in his character is most enjoyable.

🌹 We know how, in the original fairy tale, Snow White is rescued from her eternal sleep by a kiss from the Prince. (Consent be darned!!) I won’t tell you what happens in this story but whatever happened was so perfect! I really loved that turnaround.

🌹 The writing is pretty quick-paced and there was enough action to keep me engrossed from start to end.


Where the book could have worked better for me:
⚠ There are minor language-based/writing-based errors and it becomes slightly repetitive midway. This wouldn’t affect most readers but I am a bit of a grammar fanatic, so I can’t ignore these. As this is an indie work, I am not going to deduct stars for this issue.

⚠ You already know who the villain is if you know the original. I liked the build-up to her evil deeds, which are very clear to us readers though no one in the story knows who it is. However, the scene where she gets her due is too short and over before it even begins. This was the only real disappointment in the book.


The audiobook experience:
The audiobook, clocking at 5 hrs 14 min, is narrated very well by Joanna Roddy. She provides the right inflections and character voices without resorting to clichéd Japanese accents. I enjoyed her performance and would definitely recommend the audio version.


Overall, I loved this retelling. While staying true to the original, it adds enough of novelty to ensure an entertaining experience. I want to read the rest of the series for sure.

Recommended for older teens (15+) and those looking for an unusual fairy tale retelling.

4.25 stars.

I received a complimentary copy of this audiobook from the author through ‘StoryOrigin’ and these are my honest thoughts about it.


To read my review of the first book of this series, 'Kitsune: A Little Mermaid Retelling', click HERE.

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