Fishbone Cinderella by Elizabeth Lim ARC Read

Mar 19
5 min read

Firstly, I want to express my gratitude to NetGalley and Del Rey Books for granting me access to this ARC. I entered with minimal expectations, unsure of what to anticipate, and emerged from the story completely amazed.

Book cover for Fishbone Cinderella by Elizabeth Lim

This is my first book by Elizabeth Lim, even though I have all her books, plus the special edition of Forgery of Fate, which I have yet to read. However, after this book, I am going to spend a month reading all her books. Her writing is something I aspire to achieve.

Summary - This historical adult fantasy draws inspiration from Elizabeth's grandmother's life story, alongside the Chinese interpretation of Cinderella. In this tale, the fairy godmother takes the form of a golden carp, and Cinderella seeks the magic of its enchanting bones through prayer.

It follows the journey of two women—a mother and her daughter—navigating dual timelines in this multigenerational tale that explores themes of love, loss, and redemption. They must confront their family curse by facing the challenges posed by war and immigration.

Thoughts - Fishbone Cinderella was a complex, compelling, poignant, brilliant, and moving read, and I loved every bit of it. It starts with Helen's life and the challenges she endured at such a young age. It sets the premise of the family curse and how she first finds out about her power. As the Japanese invaded China and caused horrendous suffering, Yut Ying (Helen) discovers her family curse, and this is where I think it hooked me. It was so well written that I almost didn’t think it was historical fantasy, just a historical read. The way the Chinese variation of Cinderella was interwoven within this story, and created to explore several versions of the tale, was great. As we move through the years and timelines, we start in Tunglam, Guangdong Province, then to Hong Kong, and later to the USA.

I really felt for Yut Ying. She suffered at the hands of her family to the extreme, and as a girl and female, she was seen as nothing more than a problem, an object. The way her grandma and brothers treated her at the start, through to her father and second mother. Even when she and Yi Gor moved to Hong Kong, he was somewhat harsh and distant from her, though they bonded over their hate for Sai Ma that was the extent of their bond. The dynamic within Chinese culture is very different, especially back in the 1940s. It really gives you a different perspective on how culture, history, and generations evolve over time. Going between the way Marigold was brought up compared to Helen was a very different upbringing. I did feel saddened by the way Helen and Marigold's relationship turned out. I really thought Helen might have been different because of her upbringing, but I do understand the reason for Helen being so harsh, as you will when you read the book. Helen didn’t really learn what unconditional love, kindness, or compassion were. While some people within her life showed glimpses of it, in the end, it was very different. Helen had to just live. She didn’t have the luxury to explore anything else. Really, she was always in a fight-or-flight situation, and that broke my heart. But I think what ruined me the most was that the very few people who showed her anything that resembled love in the end destroyed that as well, whether by accident or on purpose. It was just a shame that Marigold had to go through this as well. While it was a different time, place, and situation, it became a repeat between Helen and Marigold. Helen didn’t know any different. Her whole life was harsh, but I was hoping Marigold could have experienced love differently from the way her mother did.

The focus on Helen’s powers and the way it evolved throughout the story had me on edge, because I really thought the curse was going to end up being the very thing to ruin her, but in the end, it helped mend a bond between mother and daughter, which I very much adored. Marigold’s curse was, I think, more of a positive power, and without it, I think the curse on the family would have kept going through the generations. While the curse helped Helen at the start of her life and childhood, especially in some dire situations, it really took a toll on her towards the end. The way this was portrayed felt so authentic, as if it could truly happen, and the connection between the curse and the Cinderella tale was beautifully intertwined.

I would say my favourite people were Helen (Yut Ying), Lily, and Marigold. While there were other characters, like Marigold’s sisters, these were my favorites. Now, for the people whom I disliked with a passion, where do I start? From the very beginning with Ah Ma, to getting to understand and realise how villainous Sai Ma was, to realising just how messed up Baba was with his views, struggles, and ideology. But I think Tommy was the person who angered me the most, which is why Part One was called Broken Promises. Even though Philip was a means to something other than love, he was Yut Ying’s escape, her freedom, and for that, he has my respect. Though he was somewhat an annoying and frustrating character in parts, he was also very complex, like Helen, and that made the relationship an interesting aspect.

There were so many moments I bawled my eyes out. I am not spoiling these parts; you have to suffer them yourself. I felt the rawness of the characters, and I think that is what made this book so good. Not only did I feel through each character, but my senses were pulled in by the way Elizabeth writes. It truly immerses you in the experience. You can almost smell and see the landscapes of Hong Kong. In an instant, I was transported to the village of Tunglam, Guangdong Province, witnessing the unimaginable horrors that Helen and her family endured during the Japanese invasion. The writing of this story and the world-building weren’t epic, descriptive fantasy, but they were visually bold and thoroughly tragic. I could nearly smell the city of Hong Kong when Helen and her brother arrived at the harbor. While I may never fully understand their experiences, I could feel a glimpse of it through Helen's eyes on these pages.

This was a straight 5-star read for me. I honestly could even rate it 5.5 stars. It was that good. I would highly recommend anyone interested in historical fantasy or who would like to understand a different culture, country, and time to read this.