This author participates in the Readers' Favorite Free Book Program, which is open to all readers and is completely free. The author will provide you with a free copy of their book in exchange for an honest review. You and the author will discuss what sites you will post your review to and what kind of copy of the book you would like to receive (eBook, PDF, Word, paperback, etc.). To begin, click the purple email icon to send this author a private email.
This author participates in the Readers' Favorite Book Review Exchange Program, which is open to all authors and is completely free. Simply put, you agree to provide an honest review an author's book in exchange for the author doing the same for you. What sites your reviews are posted on (B&N, Amazon, etc.) and whether you send digital (eBook, PDF, Word, etc.) or hard copies of your books to each other for review is up to you. To begin, click the purple email icon to send this author a private email, and be sure to describe your book or include a link to your Readers' Favorite review page or Amazon page.
This author participates in the Readers' Favorite Book Donation Program, which was created to help nonprofit and charitable organizations (schools, libraries, convalescent homes, soldier donation programs, etc.) by providing them with free books and to help authors garner more exposure for their work. This author is willing to donate free copies of their book in exchange for reviews (if circumstances allow) and the knowledge that their book is being read and enjoyed. To begin, click the purple email icon to send this author a private email. Be sure to tell the author who you are, what organization you are with, how many books you need, how they will be used, and the number of reviews, if any, you would be able to provide.
Reviewed by Emily-Jane Hills Orford for Readers' Favorite
In The Mysterious Mandolin by Aneta Cruz, all Mathelda wants is to be beautiful like her stepsister, Rosalynn. It's not a vicious desire, because Mathelda is not really like the wicked stepsisters in Cinderella. It's just a desire to be accepted as someone who is good to look at and good to listen to. Neither are qualities that Mathelda possesses. What makes her fate even more dire is the fact that she is weak; she lacks courage to confront her overbearing mother, who just happens to be the wicked witch, Dethdemona. Ah! Even the name Dethdemona suggests evil: death and demons all in one.
While Mathelda wants to be beautiful, Dethdemona wants to avenge her evil sister's death at the court of King Henry. And what better way to avenge the death than to marry her weak-minded daughter to the king and, through her, take over the kingdom. Poor King Henry is clueless to the plot as he is led to believe that he will be marrying the beautiful Rosalynn, who just happens to be very talented with her mandolin. Her music lures King Henry and wins his heart. But Dethdemona uses her evil witchcraft to dispose of Rosalynn and make her ugly daughter, her weak-minded Mathelda, look as beautiful as Rosalynn.
There is a price to pay for all evil deeds. And Dethdemona is lured into a trap by the good witch, Saraphina, with the help of Rosalynn's father, whom she previously believed to be dead. It's a very complex plot, presented quite simply as a fable of good versus evil and, in the end, good always triumphs. Aneta Cruz has created a spell-binding tale of witchcraft and evil spells, a battle of good over evil. Well done!
