To clear up any confusion, Cendrilla has be re-titled as The Magestaff. These are the same book, but I purchased it when it was still titled Cendrilla, so that's what I'll refer to it as.I absolutely adored this book! It was a truly fabulous one-night read and was just so fun. There are a lot of references to different fairy tales, rather than just being a retelling of a single tale. I found that to be really enjoyable.It is very clear from the beginning that there is something unique and special about Cendrilla. There is, of course, the fact that she is the title character of the book, but there's more than that. She looks different, she feels different, she is just...different. At a mere 16 years old, she finds out that a major "fact" of her life is not true at all. She begins finding a new level of strength within herself and - what I found so important to the story - she chooses to pursue and nurture that strength actively, deliberately. What a bold choice!Given that the book is so short and it is a Cinderella retelling, I had vague illusions that Bluebeard had swept in to rescue Rilla and transport her to a much better life than any she'd known. That, perhaps, along the way she would teach him to be gentle, and he would help her build her strength. And...I was wholly wrong, it would seem. Bluebeard is a despicable creature, even if his anger stems from a somewhat understandable place.At this point, we know that this is merely the first chapter in a fairly lengthy series of books. As such, I expected to essentially be introduced to a few key characters and get a baseline of the story. That is precisely what happened. We meet Cendrilla, Jack, and Bluebeard. We find that Cendrilla's story will span at least five years - until she reaches her majority and can claim her life in every sense. We begin to see Cendrilla's character take shape. She is young, perhaps a bit naive, but determined and intelligent. She is compassionate, brave, and very, very fierce. She is, 100%, a Warrior Woman. I adore her and can't wait to read more!