Autumn Fairy Tales: Willow and the Harvest Moon – Kayla Eshbaugh

In a way the Ugly Duckling is a story that should speak to me. I am one of those outsiders. I’ve never been part of the in-crowd. I’ve never belonged. And yet I never really liked the tale. I’m therefore always curious about retellings. Depending on which elements they highlight I can either hate or love it. I was therefore really glad I got an arc for this book to give it a try.

What I absolutely loved about this book is that it incorporates elements of the original story very well and yet also adds a lot of original context. I’ve never read a book set in this world, so everything was new to me, and I loved exploring the kingdom, learning about the history and discovering a new part of the world filled with magic.

I also loved the characters in this novel. They do sound a little young at times but in a way that also makes them endearing. Especially because those two characters share the kind of love I long for myself. It’s not about burning passion. It’s about trust and friendship. It’s about standing up for someone. It’s about seeing someone’s beauty before they do so themselves.

What I also really liked is that our heroine doesn’t automatically fit into her family when she discovers she has one. All too often people reconnect with their family and all of a sudden feel at home, but that wouldn’t have been realistic in this case. I think the author did an amazing job writing the perfect ending for these characters and this story.

I also got really curious about the other stories set in this world!