Cinder House

Marske (Swordcrossed) rekindles the fire of “Cinderella” in this gothic, magic-stuffed retelling. Ella is supposed to inherit her father’s house. Instead, when her stepmother’s murder plot goes to plan, the house inherits her: she becomes its resident ghost. Trapped and forced to clean and repair anything amiss, Ella tries to gain freedom from her stepfamily through researching arcane magic, trying her hand at trickery, and even questioning a dangerous fairy. When Crown Prince Jule announces a three-night ball to find his future queen, cruel and beautiful Greta, the younger of Ella’s stepsisters, determines she will win him at any cost. Ella, who just wants three nights to enjoy the life that was taken from her, makes a fairy bargain to allow her to attend the ball in corporeal form—putting her right between Greta and what Greta wants most just as Ella realizes she longs for the same thing. The last time Ella got in the way of this family, she died for it—and her being dead already won’t stop them from trying to kill her again. Marske uses handfuls of familiar tropes to construct a story that stands alone, as strong, beautiful, and clever as its heroine. Fans of T. Kingfisher will love it. Agent: Diana Fox, Fox Literary. (Oct.)