Two hundred years after the magical ball and the glass slipper, Cinderella is dead, and the fairy tale is long since over. In Cinderella is Dead by Kalynn Bayron, the princess’s well-known tale has set a dystopian precedent. Now girls are mandated to appear at an annual ball, where they are put on display for the kingdom’s men to choose and take for their own. This is far from a happily ever after.

The worldbuilding in Cinderella is Dead is rich, clever, and powerful. Author Kaylynn Bayron builds a setting that is equal parts magical and anything but. She twists Cinderella’s familiar story until it is battered and broken, until the truth might not be what is printed in the palace-issued pages, until the fairy tale is a path to female oppression. This story’s descriptive writing style and rich imagery lend themselves to a clear picture of this twisted kingdom. Here, the ball is something beautiful and deadly, and it is something that must be stopped.

Sophia, Cinderella is Dead’s main character, is brave, clever, and perceptive. She sees the flaws in the system, and she is prepared to take risks to bring change. Sophia and Constance, a fiery rebel who descends from one of Cinderella’s stepsisters, work to bring down the not-so-charming king. They discover hidden truths of the Cinderella story, and they learn more about themselves. In the new world Sophia plans on building, she will be free to be who she is and love who she loves.

Cinderella is Dead is a story of feminism, power, and truth. Main character Sophia is Black and queer, so you can expect plenty of representation. I’d recommend Cinderella is Dead to fans of Legendborn by Tracy Deonn and Infinity Son by Adam Silvera.