Jenn Vs. Ash : Duo Review of Ella, The Slayer by A.W. Exley

Today we are doing a dual review. We both recently read Ella the Slayer and I believe we both loved it. So we are going to review/discuss this wonderful book. 

Title: Ella, The Slayer

Author:  A.W Exley 
Publisher: Createspace

Publishing Date:  June 156th 2015

Pages: 206
Genre: YA Fairytale Retelling/Horror/Historical Fiction

Series:  Not Sure Yet
Source: Kindle

 

The flu pandemic of 1918 took millions of souls within a few short weeks.Except it wasn't flu and death gave them back.
Seventeen-year-old Ella copes the best she can; caring for her war-injured father, scrubbing the floors, and slaying the undead that attack the locals. ‘Vermin’ they're called, like rats they spread pestilence with their bite. Ella's world collides with another when she nearly decapitates a handsome stranger, who is very much alive.
Seth deMage, the new Duke of Leithfield, has returned to his ancestral home with a mission from the War Office — to control the plague of vermin in rural Somerset. He needs help; he just didn't expect to find it in a katana-wielding scullery maid.
Working alongside Seth blurs the line between their positions, and Ella glimpses a future she never dreamed was possible. But in overstepping society's boundaries, Ella could lose everything – home, head and her heart…

Okay so this is basically retelling of Cinderella but with zombies.... YES ZOMBIES.... how cool is that. Ella is of course Cinderella  and she lives with her evil step mother and step sisters... but they are not the only evil or the evilist. There are zombies... she is the town's zombie killer. She rocks. Of course there is a prince... there needs to be a prince and romance and the good stuff. The rest is pretty much the story of cinderella... the chores the ball. the slipper I mean boot I mean zombie hunting clothes. Yes its all there for a good time. 

I am sure Ash may have some things to add too.

Pretty much just as Jenn said, cinderella, zombies, action and romance, etc. 

Okay so what is on my mind about this book is what stands out most for me. Ella is a kick butt awesome rock star that I just love. She was a great heroine. I just adored her and her attitude. She was kind of course. She is Cinderella. But she was also a bit snarky and very independent and so so courageous. Yup... and oh the Prince. I loved the Prince. He was Charming for sure

your thoughts on these two characters Ash.....

I agree with the butt kicking, and the snarky, independence,etc. That is one thing that I love about this retelling, is that she isn't just some princess. She is a bad ass zombie fighting.. princess? Though not really a princess, you know what I mean. I also very much like the prince. I have always loved the prince in Cinderella, and this one isn't any different. He is kind, funny, and even protective of Ella, but at the same time, he knows that she can kick zombie butt.

I also very much liked the action. There was a lot of action. Romance and Zombie Slaying equals action and goodness. There was a ton of fighting and slaying and running. It was good. The romance was of course there but it wasn't to heavy or mushy... it was just enough to make sense that its Cinderella  and Prince Charming. It was a nice slow burn kind of romance. 

Pretty much what I was thinking,  I'm really not big on romance books, but this was the kind of romance that did not take over the story and I didn't want to roll my eyes while I was reading it. I was actually excited every time that she got to meet up with the prince. The action was good, it was believable and not too much. 

It was written really well. It was fast paced and quite the page turner. I did love the historical fiction aspect of the book. The setting and the time period. The tone was good for era and for the fact there was zombies. 

Very fast paced book, I finished it really quickly. I was reading before work, on break, on lunch, on break again. I did not want to put it down. And I am quite disappointed I finished it. The writing was really well done, as in it sounded like the time it was supposed to be, it was believable.. well, except the zombies maybe?

The ending did go a little strange on me... the author had a new kind of explanation for the zombie outbreak. It was interesting although I didn't quite get it and it didn't feel like it matched the story. It did leave a bit to believe this is a series. Amazon states yes... Goodreads doesn't say... fingers crossed it is. 

I don't really care for the different take on zombies, it's definitely very.. different. I do however like that the author left it open so there can be a series. There better be a series, or I will be sad. 

 A very fun read for me. I did like it and I will read more if there is more and I am hoping for more. It was a different take on zombies and new and fresh idea for a Cinderella retelling. Fairytales and Zombies both get my love. 

Retellings and zombies!? Two of my favorite things! Well written, loved the characters, and there better be more. Overall it was a pretty amazing book that left me wanting more and more. 

Jenn: 

Ash: 

Books and writing have always been an enormous part of my life. I survived school by hiding out in the library, with several thousand fictional characters for company. At university, I overcame the boredom of studying accountancy by squeezing in Egyptology papers and learning to read hieroglyphics.
From my home in rural New Zealand, I write fantasy historical novels with a steampunk twist. I share my life with an assortment of weird and wonderful horses, cats, a mad boxer and chickens who think they are mini Velociraptors.
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