He had surprises up his sleeve that I never saw coming, too. He was the most animated, and stole every scene. My favorite character was Peter, the thief. She was the opposite of Beryl, who wasn’t able to solve her own problems. She pulls it together and takes charge herself despite the consequences. This is one place where The Amaranth Enchantment succeeds: Lucinda doesn’t wait around for a man to save the day. Beryl begs Lucinda for help, offering to restore everything she lost if she can retrieve the stone, which was stolen by a thief named Peter and sold to the Crown Prince.

This stone is so valuable that an evil man wants it and will stop at nothing to get it back. The “godmother,” Beryl, is from another planet and has a special stone that gives her magical abilities.

The Amaranth Enchantment might read like a fairy tale, but it also has some sci-fi tendencies. In a way, the novel reminds me of a Disney movie because memorable characters include a lovable thief named Peter and a pet goat named Dog (why Dog, idk, but it’s cute!). Following the elements of a fairy tale, she falls in love with a prince and winds up at his ball, but that’s where the similarities end. A magical woman-the book’s version of a fairy godmother-is the catalyst for Lucinda leaving to make it on her own. She goes to live with her uncle and step-aunt, a woman who treats her like a servant. The Amaranth Enchantment is about a girl named Lucinda whose parents died in a horrible accident the night of a ball. What’s better than a traditional Cinderella story? One that steals elements from the tale, but forges its own path. In this magical story filled with delightful surprises, Lucinda will dance at the royal ball, fall under the Amaranth Witch’s spell, avenge her parents’ death, and maybe - just maybe - capture the heart of a prince. Then, on the very same day, a mysterious visitor and an even more bizarre piece of jewelry both enter the shop, setting in motion a string of twists and turns that will forever alter Lucinda’s path. Ever since, Lucinda has been stuck in perpetual servitude at her evil aunt’s jewelry store.

When Lucinda Chapdelaine was a small child, her parents left for the royal ball and never returned.

The Amaranth Enchantment by Julie Berry