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| Love fairy tales and mythology? Fans of mermaids, dragons, unicorns, and other mythical creatures? Enjoy when a beloved classic tale is retold? A Twist in the Tail Thursdays features all this and more! |
“There was nothing worse than a fay being commanded by his true name, forced against his will to follow he command, no matter how much he loathed to do so. It is why faeries kept their true name so close, often only confiding in their monarchs and the most intimate family members. When the queen ordered Pel to personally handle Nor's capture, he thought he had reached the height of humiliation. But he was so very wrong...”
~GOLD SPUN
Last year on Instagram, I saw some cover reveal posts for GOLD SPUN by Brandie June that immediately made me sit up and read the summary. A new fairy tale retelling, hopefully?? Yes indeed -- one inspired by Rumpelstiltskin, no less! And the sequel, CURSE UNDONE, is inspired by a second tale, but I don't want to give it away because it's a big surprise -- and makes the book even more enjoyable for being a big sub-plot in the novel's back half!
I didn't get a chance to read GOLD SPUN until this year, so read both books back to back and will review them together instead. I will, however, try to keep it fairly spoiler free for you!
Nor's parents died in the war. In order to eat or feed her brothers, she has turned to a life of petty crime. After stealing a golden signet ring from a wealthy stranger, she is horrified to run into him again the next day -- even moreso upon finding out that he is the newly anointed king. Not only that, he just witnessed her conning an entire village into believing she can turn straw into gold, and has now demanded she turn an entire room into gold. If she succeeds, he will marry her. If she fails, her entire family will be exiled and killed if they ever return to Reynallis. Thankfully, Nor saved a faerie named Pel in the woods and he is in her debt. Will calling upon him be her smartest idea...or her worst one yet?
GOLD SPUN is a fun new spin on an old tale. I love how our Rumpelstiltskin character is nuanced and not a straight-out evil villain. He is a sympathetic character. Both enchanting and mysterious, readers won't know whether or not to trust them, adding to his appeal. I also liked the way Nor got herself into the situation. She wasn't sold off by her father or dragged off by the crown for no reason. Instead, she is a thief. She is a flawed character who gets greedy for more -- and who can't relate to that? Nor and Pel also only spin together once, not three times, and the price Nor pays is significantly higher than in other versions of the tale.
In addition to the fairy tale elements, author Brandie June layers in a war between the humans and the faeries that has set everything into motion. Our main hero, Prince Casper, is only about to be crowned king because a faerie has murdered his brother the king. The royals have put out a bounty on any faeries encountered in the land, which is how Nor comes upon a kidnapped Pel in the first place. And because of the fact that humans murdered a prince of the faerie realm, the Faerie Queen wants the royal family to suffer. Everything comes to a head in a surprising climax that changes the course of the story. The cliffhanger drops at a very tense time, and readers will be glad they can go straight into CURSE UNDONE and don't have to wait to get their hands on it (I know I was!).
CURSE UNDONE, on the other hand, deals with the fallout of everything that went down in the first book and circles around the repercussions of Nor's actions and choices. The story takes a sharp turn as Nor winds up in the faerie realm and must sacrifice more than she ever imagined possible if she wants a true happy ending with King Casper, whom she has grown to love. But new obstacles stand in her way that will change everything. Forever. And I can't talk about these elements without spoilers, but it adds so much scope to the world and expands the tale so much more than I thought to be possible when I first began reading the duology. I really loved the way a curse twists up into another fairy tale in the most unusual way and became a stand-out element of the series to me. There also are a couple of loose threads that could lead to a companion novel with a new villain in the future, should the author so choose, but Nor's tale comes to a close in a way that works for whom she has become and all that she has learned over her journey.
If you are a fan of books inspired by fairy tales that truly become their own tales, you'll definitely want to pick up the Gold Spun duology!
BOOK TRAILER
EXCERPT
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O F F I C I A L I N F O:
Publisher: CamCat Books
If Nor can’t spin gold, she can always spin lies.
When seventeen-year-old Nor rescues a captured faerie in the woods, he gifts her with a magical golden thread she can use to summon him for a favor. Instead, Nor uses it for a con—to convince villagers to buy straw that can be transformed into gold. Her trick works a little too well, attracting the suspicion of Prince Casper, who hates nobody more than a liar. Intent on punishing Nor, he demands that she spin a room of straw into gold and as her reward, he will marry her. Should she refuse or fail, the consequences will be dire. Desperate for help, Nor summons the faerie’s aid, launching a complicated dance as she must navigate between her growing feelings for both the prince and faerie boy and who she herself wishes to become.
Publisher: CamCat Books
Two crowns. Two kingdoms. One chance to rule.
Nor and King Casper are captured by the fay army and forced to face the indomitable Faerie Queen, Marasina. At her command, Casper is thrown into a mysterious prison while an even sinister fate is in store for Nor―a deadly fay poison that reveals Nor’s true nature. She’s not only half-fay. She is Queen Marasina’s heir.
Enter now!
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