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**I received an ARC for an honest review**
Description
Eunice lives her life by three simple rules: One, always refer to Cinderella as family. Two, never let Cinderella gain access to rats or mice. Three, never look upon Cinderella between the hours of twelve and three a.m.
Cinderella has dark and terrifying powers. As her stepsister, Eunice is expected to care for her and keep the family’s secret. For years, Eunice has faithfully done so. Her childhood flew by in a blur of nightmares, tears, and near-misses with the monster living in the cellar. But when she befriends the handsome Prince Credence and secures an invitation to the ball, Eunice is determined to break free.
When her younger sister, Hortense, steps up to care for Cinderella, Eunice grabs her chance to dance the night away—until Cinderella escapes. With her eldritch powers, Cinderella attends the ball and sweeps Prince Credence off his feet, leaving behind a trail of carnage and destruction as well as a single green glass slipper.
With Cinderella unleashed, Eunice must determine how much of herself she is willing to sacrifice in order to stop Cinderella. Unsettling and macabre at every turn, this page-turning horror will bewitch horror fans and leave its readers anxiously checking the locks on their cellar doors.
Summary
I had the pleasure to read We Kept Her in the Cellar, a dark horror reimagining of the Cinderella fairy tale by debut US author W.R Gorman.
Review
We Kept Her in the Cellar begins with an intriguing set of rules that Eunice must abide by to keep her family and herself safe from Cinderella. These rules hint at the darker side of Cinderella who is outwardly beautiful and perfect but harbours changeling Fae dark and terrifying powers. The choice of the step-sister Eunice as protagonist is well-developed and composed as she struggles to keep the family’s terrible secret. It is Eunice who befriends Prince Credence and secures an invitation to the royal ball, hoping to escape her circumstances. When Cinderella escapes her confinement, it will take of Eunice’s plans to survive.
Gorman blends splatterpunk and body horror with a subversion of the Cinderella fairy tale. This imaginative work adds new perspectives with quite confronting body horror scenes, the character development of Eunice is beautifully done to provide depth and empathy in her struggles and resilience. Gorman maintains a deeply unsettling atmosphere from the first with vivid descriptions and uncanny, weird horror elements.
While Gorman’s subversive reimagining of the Cinderella fairytale is well executed, the graphic body horror is not for the faint-hearted and may not appeal to those who enjoy traditional fairytale retellings.
Conclusion
A highly recommended read! This compelling and unique subversive fairytale retelling of Cinderella, blends horror elements with fairytale motifs. The powerful body horror and uncanny Fae features will appeal to those who enjoy dark fantasy, splatterpunk and body horror themes with changeling folklore and Fae magic. However, due to its graphic content, it may not be suitable for all readers. This work will haunt you deep into the night.
** This is my personal opinion and does not reflect any judging decisions **
Leanbh Pearson 