Weekend Reads: Gothel and the Maiden Prince (Sarah)

 

I’m a big fan of WR Gingell’s books, particularly the City Between series, so when she shared about a series entitled A Villain’s Ever After it caught my attention. This series of novellas offers reinvented fairy tales with the traditional villains cast as protagonists, written by a variety of authors.

Fairy tales from the perspective of the villain have become more mainstream in recent years, with Disney offering a number of movies and books along these lines, but there’s always room for a new twist on the old tales (or at least that’s my perspective as a fairy tale enthusiast!).

In Gothel and the Maiden Prince, Gingell offers her version of Rapunzel, and as the title suggests Mother Gothel takes center stage. The prince is kind and sensitive, which makes him a good foil to the forceful, wary Gothel. The length constraints of a novella can make it harder to convey character growth, but Gingell achieved a satisfying arc for all the primary characters—although I would have loved to see what came next for Gothel, Rapunzel, and the prince! 

I found this an engaging rendition of Rapunzel in an intriguing setting, and I believe Gingell intends to return to the world she created for more fairy tale retellings. If that’s the case, I’ll certainly be picking them up.
 
If you’re looking for a quick yet satisfying read, I would check out Gothel and the Maiden Prince. And if you have interest in the series as a whole, take a look at our interview with one of the other series authors, Allison Tebo.

Please note, I have only read two of the novellas in this series, so I can’t say if the series in its entirety is clean. Also, trigger/content warning/possible spoilers….




childhood sexual assault and abuse are discussed in Gothel and the Maiden Prince.

Story Snippets: Reclaiming Ryda (Once Upon a Duchy Book Two) (Rachel)

Reclaiming Ryda, the next novel in the Once Upon a Duchy series is debuting on April 20th. I can't wait to share it with readers. Until then, I am going to offer a bit of a sneak peek into the second chapter of this Rapunzel-inspired novel.

Top 3 Reasons To Read The Hero's Guide to Saving Your Kingdom (Julie)

While I was in the states over the summer, I went to a book store to browse around for some interesting looking fantasy books to bring back with me. One I chose was The Hero's Guide to Saving Your Kingdom. It promised action, adventure, comedy, and a slightly different version of the fairy tales we all know and love.

I've thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and look forward to continuing the adventure with the characters in their next two books.

So here's my top 3 guide as to why you should read this book:

1) Expect the unexpected. We have four Princes Charming and the four princesses that go with those stories: Cinderella, Rapunzel, Snow White, and Sleeping Beauty. No one is truly who you imagine from the stories/Disney versions. Which gives a fresh slant. The one thing I didn't like about these characters was Sleeping Beauty's portrayal. She's one of my favorites, but here she is a spoiled BRAT. However, having read book one, I'm of the opinion that she may go through a personality change as the series continues.

2) Only one of the four princes is an actual hero. Rapunzel ended up saving her "hero" after he got tossed out of the tower by the witch. Cinderella's "hero" never even left the castle to find her, just sent his servants. Snow White's "hero" had gotten lost in the woods when he came upon the dwarves who insisted he kiss Snow White. Then there's Sleeping Beauty's hero. He did battle the witch and save the day, only to discover Sleeping Beauty wasn't the charming princess he thought she'd be.

3) Improbability at its finest. This is truly a fairy tale, by which I mean, it in no way resembles real life. For example, Gustav, one of the princes, gets in the way of a fire-breathing dragon. Does he get burned to a crisp? Nope. He just loses his hair. Another is a ten year-old bandit king who is the terror of the kingdoms. His favorite punishment is his spitball wars, which his men are deathly afraid of. All these improbabilities add to the charm and humor of

the story.

Lastly, being an incurable romantic, I'm curious to see how the romance plays out among the princes and princesses. It's possible that all the princesses get a Prince Charming, but which one?

Lizzie, a.k.a Rapunzel: Which fairy tale character do you relate to most? (Lizzie)

When I am staring out my window in my tower, I feel very much like Rapunzel. You would too if you worked in my tower, I mean, office.

My tower view. Nice, isn't it?

It is on the third floor of a large, brick building, which, is sorta like a tower since it's tall and sturdily built. I (and a co-worker not so fortunate as to have a window) often enjoy the view, wishing to be free to leave the tower, but since leaving it too often would, rightfully, mean no job, I stay inside, feeling like Rapunzel.

What about you? Do you relate to any fairy tale character in particular?