We Kept Her in the Cellar

By W. R. Gorman

Book Overview

There are always two sides to a story. This dark and twisted reimagining of Cinderella, told from her stepsister's POV, is perfect for fans of T. Kingfisher and Naomi Novik.

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.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1639109145
• ISBN13: 9781639109142
• Release Date: September 2024
• Publisher: Crooked Lane Books
• Length: 304 Pages
• Weight: 0.60 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.1" x 5.5" x 8.4"

Customer Reviews

Darkest version of Cinderella Ever!

Well, this book definitely deserves the title of a Cinderella horror. The darker versions that have the stepsisters chopping off toes and heels to fit the slipper pale in comparison to this bloody tale that adds in a healthy chunk of H.P. Lovecraft and will actually have you rooting for the stepsisters. This was a great retelling with a very interesting twist of why Cinderella was kept in the cellar and why she was treated the way she was. The first bit with Eunice telling the story of how Cinderella entered their lives and the rules she learned in order to remain safe and care for a very unique young woman with eldritch powers capable of wreaking great havoc and destruction if the rules weren't followed or if someone repudiated family connections. As, you can guess (because this tale does follow the timeline of the original story, mostly) everything really starts happening when the king throws a ball to find a wife for the prince. I do like the relationship Eunice ends up having with Credence, it is a nice touch of normalcy amid the chaos that is Cinderella. The ending is definitely dark and bloody and has lots of chaos and destruction but I kind of enjoyed the nice little twist. I will say family connection is very very important and that person deserved what Cinderella did to them. And it was nice that Eunice ended up alright after all that and the seven years she spent taking care of Cinderella. The narrator did a great job of making this Lovecraftian tale very real but still a mostly enjoyable story to listen to. Beware that there are zombie rats and dangling entrails in this book!