What is your opinion?
Fun, Steampunky Read
"The detail that you have when describing the steampunk creations is fabulous and really draws you in. I was surprised by the fresh plot twists and the strong characters. It did not feel like a simple retelling, but a variation of it's own. My only critique would be how the spindle was handled, I think it could have been more interwoven in the plot, but it really didn't take away from this fun, steampunky read!"
Wonderful View
"I've read this a couple of times and I can see myself re-reading this gem. I love steampunk and fairytales so mixing the two made my day. It's different and yet the same to the original fairytale, although it's not a copy. So many times when someone tries to re-write a fairytale they come out wrong but not here. This is a truly wonderful story in its own right. A round of applause for the author."
This is how to re-tell a classic tale
"I've read a lot of fairy tale re-imaginings, on this site and throughout literature. Needless to say, it's one of my favorite subgenres of fantasy, since these stories were meant to be told and re-told, as they contain basic myths and ideas that are central to our culture. However, usually the only thing that changes is that the stories are made more "cute' by adding modern slang, or a modern character type, or a modern setting. Interesting, but usually ho-hum. This story trumps all of that by adding not only the steampunk element but also clever, sparkling writing. Without saying a word about the story (which you probably know the skeleton of as it is), it's fun, funny, clever, cool, and makes you forget that it's a variation on an old tale. The only criticism is a title that better disguises its origins, so we can have a greater surprise when we realize "hey, I know this story...""
Malena the Mechanic?
"I was a little disappointed in the story at first. I guess just running into a retelling of Sleeping Beauty that struck me of being a retelling of Disney's retelling, was a bit of a let-down to me because I am also familiar with other versions of the fairy tale, such as Dornröschen. However, it quickly became clear that the story has its own twists. I especially enjoyed the kidnapping scene and Malena's purpose in coming to the party, and my only further complaint about the plot was that the story's ending felt like a cliffhanger to me - we know that things work out for the princess, but what about the main character? The steam punk setting works well in this story and made it really fun to read. Malena's mechanical dragon sounds pretty awesome without being disbelievingly so. I also enjoyed the author's fairly straightforward writing style with just enough detail to make things interesting. Overall, I would recommend this story to others."
