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Cinder House
- Author
- Freya Marske
- Narrator
- Anna Burnett
- Publisher
- Pan Macmillan
- Publish Date
- 9 October 2025
- Run Time
- 4 hours 34 minutes
- Format
- Audiobook
- Genre
- Dark fantasy, Fantasy romance / Romantic fantasy, Fairy and Folk tales / Fairy tale retellings, Contemporary horror, ghost stories and supernatural fiction, Ghosts and poltergeists
- Rating
- 5.0 (1 review)
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What to expect
Sparks fly and lovers dance in this gorgeous, yearning Cinderella retelling from bestselling author Freya Marske – a queer Gothic fairy tale novella perfect for fans of Naomi Novik and T. Kingfisher.
‘A spellbinding haunting’ – Lex Croucher, author of Trouble
You think you know Cinderella’s story: the ball, the magical shoes, the handsome prince.
You’re halfway right, and all-the-way wrong.
Ella is a haunting. Murdered at sixteen, her furious ghost is trapped in her father’s house, invisible to everyone except her stepmother and stepsisters.
Even when she discovers how to untether herself from her prison, there are limits. She cannot be seen or heard by the living people who surround her. Her family must never learn she is able to leave. And at the stroke of every midnight, she finds herself back on the staircase where she died.
Until she forges a wary friendship with a fairy charm-seller, and makes a bargain for three nights of almost-living freedom. Freedom that means she can finally be seen. Danced with. Touched.
‘Whimsical, romantic, and bittersweet’ – Ava Reid, author of A Study in Drowning
Rediscover a classic fairy tale in this spellbinding novella from Freya Marske, author of A Marvellous Light and the queen of romantic fantasy.
Critics Review
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Gorgeous, whimsical, romantic, and bittersweet, Cinder House both whisks you away and holds you over a flame. I was bespelled
Ava Reid, Sunday Times bestselling author of Lady Macbeth
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Burnett's portrayal of her longing and frustration is heartrending, especially as she confronts hard truths about herself and her family. Add a royal ball, a handsome prince, a clever princess, and a looming confrontation between Ella and her stepfamily--and the tension is ratcheted up to nearly unbearable levels. When Ella finally embraces her rage, Burnett's performance is stunning.
AudioFile
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Absolutely delightful. One of the most unusual fairy-tale retellings I’ve seen in a hen’s age. I enjoyed it enormously!
T. Kingfisher, bestselling author of A Sorceress Comes to Call
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Compelling characters, a spellbinding haunting and a powerful yearning that transcends death; Cinder House burns for you
Lex Croucher, author of Gwen & Art Are Not in Love
See more reviews See fewer reviews
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One of the best retellings I've read! With immersive prose, memorable characters, and a glittering world, Marske has breathed new and fiercely feminist life into the classic Cinderella story. Ella is a heroine who will haunt you forever
Heather Walter, author of The Crimson Crown
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Full of quiet longing and soft magic . . . Not unlike a bewitched pair of shoes that fit just right. Tender and heartfelt, it’s an ideal match not just for lovers of fairy tale retellings but for anyone in the mood for an elegantly written, unconventional love story
Locus Magazine
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Fresh, incredibly imaginative retelling that's cradled perfectly in novella-length
Bar Fridman-Tell, author of Honeysuckle
User Reviews
Book 5.0
Narration 5.0
-
5.0 5.0
This is one of the most creative retellings of a classic fairy tale I've had the pleasure of reading in some time.
I've loved all of Marske's works to date, and Cinder House has just moved to the top of that list.Paper-Lyall 2025-10-09
Details
- Author
- Freya Marske
- Narrator
- Anna Burnett
- Duration
- 4 hours 34 minutes
- Release Date
- 9 October 2025
- ISBN
- 9781035039470
- Format
- Audiobook
- Publisher
- Pan Macmillan
- Genre
- Dark fantasy, Fantasy romance / Romantic fantasy, Fairy and Folk tales / Fairy tale retellings, Contemporary horror, ghost stories and supernatural fiction, Ghosts and poltergeists
- Rating
- 5.0(1 review)
- Narration
- 5.0(1 review)
Synopsis
Sparks fly and lovers dance in this gorgeous, yearning Cinderella retelling from bestselling author Freya Marske – a queer Gothic fairy tale novella perfect for fans of Naomi Novik and T. Kingfisher. ‘A spellbinding haunting’ – Lex Croucher, author of TroubleYou think you know Cinderella’s story: the ball, the magical shoes, the handsome prince.You’re halfway right, and all-the-way wrong.Ella is a haunting. Murdered at sixteen, her furious ghost is trapped in her father’s house, invisible to everyone except her stepmother and stepsisters.Even when she discovers how to untether herself from her prison, there are limits. She cannot be seen or heard by the living people who surround her. Her family must never learn she is able to leave. And at the stroke of every midnight, she finds herself back on the staircase where she died.Until she forges a wary friendship with a fairy charm-seller, and makes a bargain for three nights of almost-living freedom. Freedom that means she can finally be seen. Danced with. Touched.‘Whimsical, romantic, and bittersweet’ – Ava Reid, author of A Study in DrowningRediscover a classic fairy tale in this spellbinding novella from Freya Marske, author of A Marvellous Light and the queen of romantic fantasy.
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