This is undoubtably one of the best books I've ever read - and I read almost constantly. If one reads many rewritten fairytales, you begin to find that they blend together with only small twists in the plot line to ever allow you to recall them individually - if, in fact, you can. This book stands out from all the rest. While it has many elements from familiar tales, it is entirely it's own unique story. The characters are vivid and the entire book comes to life. The story is not purely frivolous romance, either. The story proves to be quite deep and the revelation of what really happened to begin it all is one of the most moving and powerful climaxes in any book I've read.