The fourth book in Kirsten Fichter’s Once Upon a Twist Tales series is almost HERE! And I am thrilled to squeal about review it today.

GUYS. This is a Snow White and Rose Red retelling which just— *FLAILS* We need more retellings of this woefully obscure fairy tale. NEED. When Kirsten said the next book in this series was a SW&RR retelling I may have nearly broke my face from too much grinning. I LOVE this novella series and ADORE that fairy tale, so putting them together? YES PLEASE.

Oh, it also involves a circus.

*cue me flailing eternally*

Today I’m joining in on the blog tour for this delicious novella via a review, and shall attempt to get my fangirly thoughts together in some form of coherent order (though no promises).

SYNOPSIS

When their father runs away, Marita and Diamond Kadlec realize how different twins can be. Marita’s ready to forget Lucas entirely, but Diamond wants to give him the second chance she’s never been able to give before. That’s before they discover that Lucas is indebted to the ill-tempered D’vard and his traveling circus, the Rosethorn Ring. The Ring’s entertainment lacks a bear, and Lucas must play the part of the savage creature to regain his freedom.

Lorcan D’vard cares only for three things: tending to his beloved beard, promoting his Rosethorn Ring, and eradicating the assassin out to kill him. With time running out, D’vard agrees to cancel Lucas’s debt and let him go free – if Marita and Diamond can apprehend the assassin before the assassin ends the show.

This is Snow White and Rose Red with a twist like you’ve never seen it before.

AMAZON | GOODREADS | AUTHOR’S BLOG

As mentioned, this is the fourth book in the Once Upon a Twist Tales series—a series of novellas each set in the same world and retelling a different fairy tale. Though they can more or less be read as standalones, this fourth addition ties in pretty heavily with the last two books and features the protagonists from them. If you want to dive into this one, go for it! But I personally suggest starting from the beginning, or with book #2 at least.

My reviews for the previous stories:

• The Rose and the Balloon (Book #1)
• Spindle Dreams (Book #2)
• Diamond (Book #3)

MY THOUGHTS

One of the greatest draws for me with this series is the coziness. It’s like Lucy stepping into Narnia and having tea with Mr. Tumnus—the narration pulls your right into a quaint, homey world, full of delightful characters and a gorgeous setting that is perfect to settle in with for afternoon tea. Every time I read one of these stories, they fill me up with contentment and happiness.

This fourth book was no different.

The story follows strong-headed Marita and soft-hearted Diamond on a quest to find their father, who has a knack for getting himself into trouble. This time he’s fallen into debt to a circus master and has to play a rather demeaning role of a bear. D’vard, the hot tempered circus master, is convinced an assassin is after him. If Marita and Diamond can vanquish the threat, their father’s debts will be paid. But trying to find an assassin in the chaotic world of a circus isn’t exactly an easy task, and soon the girls find themselves as performers…

Okay, first of all, can we talk about the circus??? I LOVE the circus aesthetic. It’s one of my favorite settings for stories, so I was soaking it up. It truly came to life in this book from the colorful tents, to the dynamic performers, to the thrilling performances themselves—this story makes you feel like you’re there living the thrilling life of the “Ringers” as the performers call themselves. I adored how we got to experience the circus from the inside out, getting both behind-the-scenes moments and feeling like the audience watching the show. Just CIRCUSES. I love ‘em!

Secondly, SISTER STORIES. This was very much a sister story, which is another one of my favorite things. I loved how opposite Marita and Diamond are, and how it is through their opposite personalities they bring out the best in one another. Strong-willed Marita inspires mousy Diamond to speak up more, while Diamond helps tamper Marita’s fiery spirit and teaches her love and forgiveness. They were precious, and it was a treat watching their relationship. (Especially in light of certain events from the last book of which I will not divulge on because #spoilers.)

True to all of this author’s books, all the characters were pure DELIGHTS. In addition to Marita and Diamond, Felix from Spindle Dreams (book #2) is also along for the ride and just— FELIX!!! He may be my favorite Once Upon a Twist Tales character to date, so having this charismatic, ridiculous man who refuses to wear shoes half the time as a main character in another book was. THE. BEST! And, of course, we can’t have Felix without his rambunctious horse Samson—who stole the show in more ways than one. *secret smile*

I instantly fell in love with the new characters too. We got such a fun supporting cast via the circus performers from chipper Dove to easy-going Armund. And then there’s D’vard. OH GOODNESS. The unreasonable circus master with an unhealthy affinity for his beard had me rolling. I started giggling pretty much every single time he was on page (except for the few times I wanted to slap him). This book is worth reading for D’vard alone. He was a riot!

All the characters, from new to old, truly brought the tale to life. The witty narration, lovable cast, and crazy antics had me smiling SO. MUCH.

There’s also a mystery! And I love me a good mystery. It was so fun experiencing the magical world of the circus life while also knowing something sinister is going on in the background.

And we can’t forget this is a fairy tale retelling! I would have never thought of making Snow White and Rose Red a circus story, but it worked perfectly being as how that fairy tale focuses heavily on a bear. So turning “the bear” into a circus performance was brilliance! All the twists on the original fairy tale were just spectacular, and I was thrilled every time I came across another nod to the fairy tale. It was such a great retelling, all while feeling so fresh and clever.

CONTENT CAUTIONS

Perfectly clean! These stories are very much family-friendly reads, and though I think the target audience is YA, they’d be great for slightly younger readers as well. A little bit of action and danger in the climax, but nothing too scary.

They’re also non-magical fantasy! So if you want a good clean fantasy with no magic, these books are perfect.

CONCLUSION

There’s so much to love here, from the vivid circus backdrop, to the lovable familiar characters and fantastic new ones, to an intriguing mystery, all wrapped up in a fresh new look at a dear little fairy tale. It was just a delight all the way around! It’s got such a beautiful mix of humor and fun woven with plenty of heart. And I especially appreciated how the story focused so much on family, from the sisterly bond between Marita and Diamond to their strained relationship with their father.

This is also a super quick read! (Which is why my review is a bit shorter than normal. I’m trying my best to not spoil things for this book or previous ones.) It is a wonderful story to curl up with for a couple of hours if you’re looking for a lighthearted, witty, touching little fairy tale.

A circus, a mystery, sisters, a charming setting, a clever take on a fairy tale, and all sorts of antics and fun—this an enchanting novella from start to finish!

Annnd you can snag it very soon because The Bear of Rosethorn Ring releases on…

APRIL 6TH, 2021

YES. Tomorrow!!! It’s almost here! *flings glitter and dances around* AND you can preorder it right this minute over on Amazon and have it appear on your Kindle by tomorrow! Don’t forget you can add it on GoodReads as well.

I think you’re all going to adore this one!

About the Author

Kirsten Fichter is a twenty-something Christian writer who loves being the wife to her favorite person ever, mommy to two precious blessings, a piano enthusiast, a dragon buff, a serious bookworm, and an INFP synesthete. Fairytales have always fascinated her, and she has made it her goal to rewrite as many as possible and become known as the “Grimm Dickens” (i.e. mixing Grimm fairytales with a Dickens style). She is present in many online circles under the name “Kiri Liz” if you care about things like that. As you read this, she’ll be somewhere under a maple tree – trying very hard to finish the seventeen and half other stories she unwisely started all at once.

Find her on: Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Blog | Goodreads

Blog Tour

Here’s a list of all the other blog tour stops happening throughout the week. There is so much fun to be had!

Blog Tour Schedule

April 5^th

• Welcome & Giveaway @ A Synesthete Writer
• Author Interview @ Living Outside the Lines
• Favorite Fairytales About Siblings (Guest Post) @ Lands Uncharted
• Book Review @ Christine Smith (You are here!)
• Book Review @ Tower in the Plains

April 6^th

• Snow White and Rose Red Tag @ A Synesthete Writer
• Author Interview & Book Review @ Madi’s Musings
• Looking Ahead at the Twist Tales (Guest Post) @ Virtual Paper
• Book Review @ E. Kaiser Writes

April 7^th

• Snow White and Rose Red Mad Libs @ A Synesthete Writer
• Inspiration for The Bear of Rosethorn Ring (Guest Post) @ Ink Castles
• Favorite Characters from the Twist Tales (Guest Post) @ Living Outside the Lines
• Book Review @ Shieldmaidens of Shiloh
• Book Review @ Live. Love. Read.

April 8^th

• The First Chapter @ A Synesthete Writer
• Awesome and Obscure Fairytales (Guest Post) @ Madi’s Musings
• SWRR Elements in The Bear of Rosethorn Ring (Guest Post) @ Abigail Falanga
• Book Review @ Blooming with Books
• Book Review @ C.O. Bonham

April 9^th

• Winner & Wrap-Up @ A Synesthete Writer
• Author Interview & Book Review @ Virtual Paper
• Retelling an Unknown Fairytale (Guest Post) @ Live. Love. Read
• Book Review @ Living Outside the Lines
• Book Review @ Ink Castles

What do you think? Does this sound up your alley? Have you read any in this series? Who thinks we need more Snow White and Rose Red retellings? *flails hand in the air* And do you like sister stories???