Fairy Tale Retellings

Fairy Tales, myths, and legends retold/reinvented.

Review of The Rumpelstiltskin Problem by Vivian Vande Velde

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Synopsis:
Have you ever wondered just what was going on when that odd little man with the long name stepped up and volunteered to spin straw into gold for the miller’s daughter? If you stop and think about it, there are some very peculiar and rather hard-to-explain components to the story.

Vivian Vande Velde has wondered too, and she’s come up with these six alternative versions of the old legend. A bevy of miller’s daughters confront their perilous situation in very different ways — sometimes comic, sometimes scary. Most of the time, it’s the daughter who gets off safely, but sometimes, amazingly, Rumpelstiltskin himself wins the day. And in one tale, it is the king who cleverly escapes a quite unexpected fate.

Review:
A Fairy Tale in Bad Taste
This was a unique take on who Rumpelstiltskin was and why he wanted a baby. It did give a bit more depth on who Rumpelstiltskin was, and some more backstory than the original tale. The ending was a bit surprising but also fair considering.

Straw Into Gold
I quite enjoyed this take on the classic tale, where Rumpelstiltskin helps multiple times. I absolutely loved the ending, and only wish such a short tale had been longer.

The Domovoi
This was a great take on WHY Rumpelstiltskin appeared and wanted to help spin straw into gold for no reward. I also quite liked the moral of the ending– “Some people… just aren’t happy unless they aren’t happy..” (Page 59)

Papa Rumpelstiltskin
This was one of the better tales in who/what Rumpelstiltskin is and why he wanted so desperately to help the miller’s daughter. Cute!

Ms. Rumpelstiltskin
This was another short story that did a great job of fleshing out the character of Rumpelstiltskin to showcase why someone may have wanted the miller’s daughter’s baby in the first place. The ending was also quite enjoyable.

As Good As Gold
This one I quite loved- one in which the King isn’t the big instigator of such drama. The ending was perfection.

I would recommend this little book for anyone who loves retold fairy tales and quick little reads.

Star rating: ✯✯✯✯

Review of Enchanted by a Beast by Jenny Swan

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Synopsis:
Some books can change your life. But what if one could transport you into a fairy tale?

For Isabelle, working as a librarian means living vicariously through the adventures in her beloved books—until she discovers an ancient map that magically whisks her away to an enchanted kingdom. There, she finds herself standing before a magnificent castle, its halls eerily empty and shrouded in darkness… or so it seems.

By morning, the castle springs to life with servants who treat her arrival as if it were destined. But it’s her encounter with the castle’s master that truly sets her world spinning. The prince is everything a fairy tale hero shouldn’t be: arrogant, bitter, and determined to push her away. Yet beneath his harsh exterior, Isabelle glimpses something that catches her curiosity—a mystery that refuses to let her go.

When whispers of an ancient curse reach her ears, Isabelle’s adventurous heart quickens. Could the rumors be true? Is the prince hiding more than just his heart behind those palace walls? As she peels back layers of dark secrets, Isabelle discovers that some curses can only be broken by someone brave enough to see beyond the beast and fight for love against all odds.

Review:
This retelling of Beauty and the Beast featured a unique magic transportation and featured a librarian, but beyond that I found it was rather flat. The story is written without depth, in a way where nothing is really shown but often thrown in as if background information, such as Isabelle having taken lessons riding as a child. That being said, horse riding was a large part of this book, and it was clear that the writer did not have any knowledge of doing so, or horse behaviours in general. Always happy to see a happy ending, but I wish there had been more flourish and depth along the way.

Star rating: ✯✯✯

Review of Ten Thousand Stitches by Olivia Atwater

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Synopsis:
A housemaid needs some magical help when she falls for a high-society gentleman in this captivating historical fantasy full of wit, charm, and heart-fluttering romance.Effie has most inconveniently fallen in love with the dashing Mr. Benedict Ashbrooke. There’s only one problem: Effie is a housemaid, and a housemaid cannot marry a gentleman. It seems that Effie is out of luck until she stumbles into the faerie realm of Lord Blackthorn, who is only too eager to help her win Mr. Ashbrooke’s heart. All he asks in return is that Effie sew ten thousand stitches onto his favorite jacket.

Effie has heard rumors about what happens to those who accept magical bargains. But life as a maid at Hartfield is so awful that she is willing to risk even her immortal soul for a chance at something better. Now she has one hundred days—and ten thousand stitches—to make Mr. Ashbrooke fall in love and propose…if Lord Blackthorn doesn’t wreck things by accident, that is. For Effie’s greatest obstacle might well be Lord Blackthorn’s overwhelmingly good intentions. 

An enchanting faerie tale set in Olivia Atwater’s magical version of Regency England, Ten Thousand Stitches is “a delightful, romantic romp” (Hannah Whitten) with a Cinderella twist and heaps of heart. 

Review:
“Why, her soul is made of the very finest thread I have ever seen!” (Chapter 10, page 138)

Effie does so much to try to be the best housemaid, and to keep her own anger in check. She pays attention to all the rules about the fae and other creatures and yet, she still ends up trapped in an agreement with one. I absolutely loved this story from start to finish. I thought that Effie was a sensible, likable character and I loved how everything developed and worked out. I loved the concept of how what you have too much of sometimes accidentally ends up spread to others, even if it isn’t complimentary. This world is truly amazing, and I was so grateful to get to step back into it.

Effie had such a great character arc where she truly learned and grew. It was awesome to see how she learned to harness her feelings and abilities for what is right, and to do what truly would make her happy in the long term.

Star rating: ✯✯✯✯✯

Review of A Throne of Blood and Ice by T. A. Lawrence

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Synopsis:
Silly servant girl, only princesses get happy endings.

While the first three books in The Severed Realms are interconnected standalone novels, this book is not a standalone. It should be enjoyed only after reading A Word so Fitly Spoken and A Bond of Broken Glass. A Throne of Blood and Ice is the first in a two-part finale to the series.

Blaise wasn’t supposed to be the villain.

She was supposed to charm the prince, the male she’s loved for years. That was all the potion was supposed to do—give her another face, and only for a few hours. All so she could prove the prince loved her. Except Blaise got more than she bargained for, and instead of a beauty potion, now she’s infected with a magical parasite who takes control of her body every full moon. A parasite who would rather take control permanently.

When Blaise is kidnapped from her prison cell, she wakes in a dungeon only to find herself the object of the Queen of Mystral’s magical experiments.

The queen wants the parasite.

The parasite wants Blaise.

And Blaise wants… Nox, the brainy, sarcastic fae tasked with extracting the parasite from Blaise’s body.

Nox is different from any fae she’s met. For one, he can actually lie. Then there was that time she sliced her finger and he couldn’t stop staring at the drop of blood. The queen definitely has something over him, but Blaise can’t figure out what. She just has a feeling she won’t be making it out of these dungeons alive.

Witty, heartbreaking, and devastatingly dark, A Throne of Blood and Ice transports the reader to the kingdom of Mystral, where betrayal rots the queen’s cold heart and vampires lurk in the shadows. A Throne of Blood and Ice is a loose fairytale retelling of The Snow Queen and is the fourth installment in the fantasy romance series The Severed Realms. It is the first in a two-part finale.

Review:
Not so spoiler: I hadn’t liked Blaise in the previous book she was in. Honestly, this book made me feel for her a bit- there is quite some tragedy in her past. This book had a lot of trauma built within it, as well as a lot of uncertainty about what things should look like from someone who didn’t have the best upbringing. “And is that what love is? Losing your sense of self in that of another?” (page 481) Honestly, while Blaise is clearly the main character of this story, I still didn’t find myself completely enamoured or forgiving of her. She is constantly given the opportunity to make choices and consistently chooses to make ones that negatively impact the majority of people while only vaguely benefitting her (or at least she thinks they do/will at the time).

While I do love this series, given Blaise’s nature I am not sure if or when I will finish the last book.

Star rating: ✯✯✯

*This book was read in August, though reviewed now.

Review of Glint by Raven Kennedy

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Glint (The Plated Prisoner Series Book 2) by [Raven Kennedy]

Synopsis:
“You want to make your life easier? Then be the caged bird that you are and sing.”

For ten years, I’ve lived in a gilded cage inside King Midas’s golden castle. But one night changed everything.

Now I’m here, a prisoner of Fourth Kingdom’s army, and I’m not sure if I’m going to make it out of this in one piece. They’re marching to battle, and I’m the bargaining chip that will either douse the fire or spark a war.

At the heart of my fear, my worry, there’s him—Commander Rip.

Known for his brutality on the battlefield, his viciousness is unsurpassed. But I know the truth about what he is.

Fae.

The betrayers. The murderers. The ones who nearly destroyed Orea, wiping out Seventh Kingdom in the process. Rip has power sizzling beneath this skin and glinting spikes down his spine. But his eyes—his eyes are the most compelling of all.

When he turns those black eyes on me, I feel captive for an entirely different reason. I may be out of my cage, but I’m not free, not even close.

In the game of kings and armies, I’m the gilded pawn. The question is, can I out maneuver them?

This is the captivating second book of The Plated Prisoner series. It’s an adult epic fantasy story blending romance, intrigue, and beautiful imagery. Return to the seductive story of magic inspired by the myth of King Midas, and get caught up in the world of Orea.

Please note: There is explicit language and romance in this book, not suitable for those under the age of 18.

Review:
Finally. Finally, Auren becomes the her that I thought was hiding underneath. She’d guided to see herself and stop hiding what she is, who she is, and facing up to how she is treated versus how she’s perceived herself to be treated. This book was perfect. There was a slow build, tension, but we truly see how strong Auren is, and what she could be, if cultivated. I love Rip. I did suspect what we learn of Midas’ power, but I would think that wouldn’t be a hard deduction.

A few highlights were in chapter 18 when Malina thought, “The women might not all be the heads of their houses, but they speak into the ears of the men who are. If done right, those whispered encouragements can become the subconscious thoughts of ignorant men.”

Another gem would be, “Foolish is the king who does not prepare for attack. From outsiders, as well as those within.”

Another, from the illustrious Rip, “Yes, how magnanimous of him to lock you behind bars all day and call you his favored whore.”

Writing this review as soon as I finished the book, because I cannot wait to get and dive into book 3! *Warning, this book ends in a delicious cliffhanger. Thank goodness the next book is already out!

Star rating: ✯✯✯✯✯

Review of Curiouser and Curiouser by Melanie Karsak

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Curiouser and Curiouser: Steampunk Alice in Wonderland (Steampunk Fairy Tales Book 1) by [Melanie Karsak]

To save the Hatter, Alice must work with the one man she despises so much that she might still love him.

Alice thought she’d turned over a new leaf. No more working for Jabberwocky. No more making deals with the ruthless Queen of Hearts. No more hanging around The Mushroom with tinkers, tarts, scoundrels, and thieves in London’s criminal underbelly. But she’d been bonkers to dream.

Hatter’s reckless behavior leads Alice back to the one person she never wanted to see again, Caterpillar. Pulled into Caterpillar’s mad schemes, Alice must steal a very big diamond from a very royal lady. The heist is no problem for this Bandersnatch. But protecting her heart from the man she once loved? Impossible.

Sometimes love is mad.

Curiouser and Curiouser is a retelling of Lewis Carroll’s classic Alice in Wonderland fairy tale set in New York Times best-selling author Melanie Karsak’s steampunk universe. Journey to gaslamp London during the 19th century to see how Melanie puts a steampunk spin on this reimagined fairytale.

Review:
I will admit that Alice in Wonderland is probably one of the fairy tales/Disney movies I wasn’t that enamoured with, however I did quite love the Tim Burton movies. I did, however, find this as a completely interesting and unique take on the story and I quite loved it. The names might resemble those of the story, but nothing is quite like anything you’d expect from the other popular tales of Lewis Carroll and the reiterations thereof.

I definitely saw the connection with the Red Queen before it was revealed, but it was quite expertly tied together and I’m not sure the average reader would have had my same mindset going into it. There were still parts that I found chilling and disturbing, even though I had figured out major plot points long before they were revealed and was rather annoyed that Alice didn’t simply ask Caterpillar, or at least ASSUME what it might be that he botched.

As always, love Karsak’s book, and look forward to reading her next one!

Star Rating: ✯✯✯✯✯

Review of Bitches and Brawlers: A Steampunk Fairy Tale by Melanie Karsak

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Bitches and Brawlers: A Steampunk Fairy Tale (Steampunk Red Riding Hood Book 4) by [Melanie Karsak]

Synopsis:
Just when things start going well for Agent Clemeny Louvel, a bitch has to make trouble.

Since Cyril’s death, an uneasy peace has existed between Alodie and Lionheart. Her brothel closed, her rank in the werewolf pecking order obliterated, and shunned by the Templars, Alodie has been living on the fringes of the dark district. Determined to get vengeance on Lionheart and Clemeny, Alodie hatches a monstrous plan. Just in time to ruin Clemeny and Edwin’s first outing as a couple.

Alodie will do anything to see a new alpha rise.

Unless Clemeny can stop her first.





Review:
Clemeny is stuck between her duty as one in the red cape society and her obvious need to keep her particular division taken care of. Unfortunately, when some attempts for leniency were made, it meant that there was the potential for an uprising. It was great to get to see Clemeny and Edwin fully in action together again, but at what cost?

As with the others in this series I zipped through it quickly, which is why now I’m stuck reviewing the last three books instead of delving into another series/author as I will be continuing to do once I’m finished here. In some regards it almost feels like the solutions are too quick and precise in these books, but that is partially why I love them. In the real world, that’s how many problems appear and are solved–so much time spent in introspection and consideration, just for the solution to be quite simple and instantaneous.

Star Rating: ✯✯✯✯✯