The Fairytale's Daughter by Carolyn Swanson is a fascinating story that brilliantly recreates the Ethics of Efland with gorgeous characters and a gripping plot, a fantasy that will delight both young and adult readers. Aylan Charming is a courageous girl with a wealthy upbringing, the kind of girl who believes she can get just about anything she wants. Now that she is doing her education in a boarding school, strange things begin to happen. An empty book that was given to her by Godmother begins to spill out secrets about her family, and it’s not long before everyone becomes aware of her parents’ scandal. The consequence is inevitable: she becomes a lonely person, approached only by Gala, a girl with a family of dirtier secrets. The secrets involve two princes and a curse that could determine the future of Aylan, but she has another plan in mind: write the ending of her own story.

The idea behind this story is ingenious and it comes with many lessons for people of all ages. The core message of Carolyn Swanson’s novel is that we are all authors of our destinies, not some power from outside or someone else. But there is more to the story than meets the eye. For fans of fairytales and fantasy in general, this book offers great entertainment. The story is crafted in wonderful prose, featuring powerful descriptions that are packed with emotional and psychological insights. The plot is very complex and the subplots are masterfully crafted to drive the sense of suspense that makes this tale irresistible. The Fairytale's Daughter is a story that children in schools need to read. In most Cinderella stories, the protagonist waits for her Prince Charming, playing a very passive role, but Carolyn Swanson has changed the rules and created a character who shows young readers a more creative and responsible path to follow.

The Fairytale’s Daughter by Carolyn Swanson centers on Aylan Charming who attends a boarding school for princesses, The Royal School for Girls, as insisted on by her mother. Her godmother gives her a magical book as a gift before her departure, and soon enough Aylan learns about her family secret. Together with her new friend, Gala, who has her own secret as well, they unwillingly get involved in a dangerous, centuries-old feud between two families.

The Fairytale’s Daughter is a commendable work from Swanson who deftly combines well-loved fairytale classics of Cinderella, Rapunzel and several others, weaving them into a fresh and fascinating story with some contemporary twist. This character-driven storytelling offers readers a ‘new’ fairytale on its own merit. As a reader who always appreciates humor, I enjoyed the funny situations as well as the witty dialogue. The characters are memorable, well-personified and pulsate with life. I instantly liked the wonderful Gala, who has an interesting bloodline. There are also well-written antagonists such as Olivia DiBourgesse and Ashton Kensington, both with specific personal agendas.

The engaging plot kept luring me into the royal families’ secret pasts filled with love, jealousy, pride, betrayal, fairy magic and even curses. It made me eager to find out how the next event will turn out. There are stories within stories which are connected to each other, and it’s up to Aylan to see that her own story finds a happy ending. Even though The Fairytale’s Daughter is geared toward YA readers, it is surprisingly delightful that adult readers can enjoy it as well.