Book Review: Ella, The Slayer

Title - Ella, The Slayer

Author - A.W. Exley

Genre - Retelling Fairy Tales

Published - June 15th 2015

Format - Kindle

(Goodreads)(Amazon)

Synopsis

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… 

Review

Ella’s life has been rough turned into the scullery maid after her father returned from war brain dead her step-mother took full advantage of her. With her father an invalid it’s fallen on Ella to protect the farm from the vermin known as Zombies. She’s even become the town slayer keeping a log book of all that she’s had to dispatch. After disposing of her most recent kill Ella encounters Seth the Duke who is return from war to run the area. Not wanting to be known as a lowly scullery maid she omit’s who she really is and uses her formal name.

However Ella’s due to have many chance encounters as they both are fighting the war against the undead vermin who are roaming the countryside. Ella’s step sisters and step mother are sure that the Duke will want to marry her sister after all she’s the most beautiful girl. The more time Ella spends with Seth the more she doesn’t want to give him up. What will happen when her step mother finds out about their budding relationship? What about when he finds out the truth about who she really is? What about the zombies who seem to be organized?

I really like Ella she’s not your typical scullery maid after all she carries a katana and slays zombies to protect the town and those she loves. I like the way she and Seth find an unlikely friendship both doing something they are both doing something for the good of humanity. I also liked Henry and Alice in the story they are each unique.

I picked up Ella, The Slayer because it fit my reading challenge this week and I’ve had my eye on the cover. A unique spin on the Cinderella classic I love the idea of Ella as a zombie slayer. I’ve never been a big fan of the Cinderella story it wasn’t my favorite Disney growing which is sad because most kids face something like this every day. I really enjoyed how Ella was this kick-ass- heroine who risked her life to save the town, but she was also really smart and full of compassion. She stayed behind because of her friends and her father even putting up with her step mother’s abuse. This is a fast paced novel it’s easy to get lost in the story and short so just a few short hours I was able to read the whole book. I see a lot of potential for another book in the series and I would really another chance to read about Ella and Seth. Overall it’s a great spin of Cinderella and I bet growing up this would have been one of my favorites.