Cinder House

A queer gothic Cinderella retelling from the Sunday Times bestseller

By: Freya Marske

Narrated by: Anna Burnett

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.

Critic reviews

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)

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.

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)

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)

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)

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

Fresh, incredibly imaginative retelling that's cradled perfectly in novella-length (Bar Fridman-Tell, author of Honeysuckle)