Weekend Reads: The Light Princess by George MacDonald (Sarah)

 

The Light Princess, a fairy tale by George MacDonald, tells the story of a princess who is cursed to have no gravity—in body, but also in soul. She cannot feel as ordinary individuals do—she possesses no sympathy or compassion, but is always both light of spirit and light of body, which presents all sort of challenges. Her parents are determined to break the curse, yet all their efforts avail nothing.

Then a fault-finding prince enters the picture…and well, you can read for yourselves! It’s a sweet, relatively short book with a strong theme of sacrificial love. I’d read it in the past myself, but I recently re-read it aloud to my daughter, and she was delighted with it. If you enjoy classic fantasy and fairy tales, it’s worth taking a look.

Since it was published in 1864, it’s in public domain, and you can read it online, but I’d recommend getting a nice illustrated edition (I have the leather-bound Rabbit Room Press version with linocut illustrations), especially if you’re going to read it to your kids.

Are you a fan of older fantasy and fairy tales?

Weekend Reads: Kingdom of Dance by Deborah Grace White (Kimberly)

Spring into March with a charming fairytale retelling! Kingdom of Dance by Deborah Grace White retells  The Twelve Dancing Princesses and finishes up her series, The Kingdom Tales. This tale of a princess, a reluctant soldier mage, and dragons make for perfect weekend reading!

Kingdom of Dance: A Retelling of the Twelve Dancing Princesses (The Kingdom Tales Book 6)

My Rating - 4.5 Stars

This was a fun and charming spin on the classic fairytale, The Twelve Dancing Princesses! Zinnia, the eldest princess (and sister to the new king who we were introduced to in book four, Kingdom of Feathers), stumbles into trouble one night when she follows a dragon. Unfortunately, her eleven younger sisters tagged along and were swept up into the curse as well. A year and a half later, her brother has been alerted to something being not quite right with his younger sisters by their destroyed dancing slippers. Which is where our reluctant mage comes into play.

I really enjoyed this take on the Twelve Dancing Princesses. While many of the signature elements of the original fairytale were kept, White does a great job of twisting when, where, and how they show up. I particularly enjoyed the twist with trees of silver, gold, and diamond. Obsidian is a such a fun conflicted hero who must learn to accept his own magic before he can succeed in his new mission - saving Zinnia and helping her save their entire continent.

I liked Zinnia's own conflicting feelings about her place as princess and bearing the burden of her very large family. I also loved her courage in the face of hardship and unexpected challenges. Silencing curses are very effective but they won't keep this princess from doing her best to stop the schemes of an evil dragon.

My favorite thing about this story was the ending. It was totally and completely worth the slow buildup over the series with all the little hints about what is truly going on with the continent of Solstice. Not to mention the sudden rash of curses plaguing the royal families. It ended on a high note and a happy ending but also left room for us to wonder if we might see a familiar face or two in a future series.

I've enjoyed all six books in this series. They're full of adventure, dragons whose superior senses miss human manners at times, and clean romance fit for the whole family. White's next series is all about mermaids and I cannot wait to see what she has in store with that one! In the meantime, I recommend Kingdom of Dance and its series for anyone who loves a good fairytale retelling. The books are technically standalone but the overarching series arc is best appreciated when read in order.

Happy Reading!

Kimberly

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 Snippet: The Last Will and Testament of Captain Nemo (Mary)

 Here in the height of summer, most people find their thoughts (if not their actual bodies) drifting to the pool or the beach. For my part, I just got back from a much-needed trip to the river and it was SO refreshing.

Which got me to thinking about water, and I decided that for this episode of Story Snippets I would share an excerpt from my nautical fantasy novelette, The Last Will and Testament of Captain Nemo - a mashup of 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea and Hans Christian Andersen's The Little Mermaid.

***

Close by the Rackliffe estate was a stretch of beach where, Eyrál knew, the younger Lord Rackliffe was wont to go riding in the early mornings. It was to this place that she travelled, and waited until just before dawn to swallow the witch’s draught.

How the transformation took place, she never knew. Upon swallowing the draught she found her vision distorted, her ears pierced by a deafening ringing, and her senses scattered by an overwhelming dizziness. In this condition she lay on the sand, unknowing, until Lord Rackliffe did indeed happen upon her.

He saw her lying senseless, still half in the water, and drew the natural conclusion that she was the victim of a shipwreck, as he himself had so recently been. Upon discovering that she still lived, but being unable to rouse her, he lifted her in his arms and began carrying her back to his father’s house, utterly unaware that in his arms he bore the woman to whom he owed his life.

Into this situation, Eyrál awoke: borne in the arms of the man whom she had spent the last months loving from afar. And in that moment, her love for him grew deeper still, and she leaned her head on his shoulder and rested in her love and his nearness.

Lord Rackliffe, for his part, took Eyrál back to his father’s house and saw that she received the ministrations appropriate to the circumstance of a shipwrecked woman. His efforts to ascertain her name, as well as every other line of questioning or conversation, were met only with silence, for the Mer speak a language unique to them. Eyrál understood not a word that was spoken by Lord Rackliffe or any of his household, and dared not speak a word in her own tongue for fear of betraying her identity. Instead, she maintained an unbroken silence until those around her reached the consensus that she was a mute.

As she had in the way of worldly possessions only the sharkskin garment she had been wearing when she swallowed the witch’s draught, a wardrobe was provided for her. As she had never before possessed human legs or feet, she found walking both painful and difficult. This was easily explained in the minds of her hosts, who believed she simply needed time to convalesce. She mastered her newfound limbs quickly, however, and within a few days was walking well, though her feet remained tender and delicate.

Over the span of her convalescence, Lord Rackliffe grew fond of her as one would of a foundling dog, and treated her as one, but so hopelessly in love was she that she suffered all without complaint—even with gratitude! When he had her dressed as a pageboy so that no one would question her accompanying him on hunting trips, she complied with a naïve sweetness that only made his behavior more repulsive by comparison. When he placed a cushion on the floor outside the door to his private rooms for her to sleep on at night—as if she, a princess of the Mer and the savior of his very life, were truly nothing more than a favored dog!—she accepted all with gladness.

Her sweetness of temper and beauty of spirit made her a favorite among everyone in the Rackliffes’ household, from the Lord and Lady to the lowliest servant. However, if she believed that her perfect devotion and saintly submission to Lord Rackliffe’s unforgivable cruelty would win his love, she was sadly mistaken. While she slept on her cushion outside his door and accompanied him on his hunts and attended his lavish shipboard parties, his affections were being lost to another: the temple maiden who had discovered him on the beach where Eyrál had dragged him after the sinking of his ship.

A few months after Eyrál’s arrival, an announcement was made of the younger Lord Rackliffe’s engagement to that same temple girl, the daughter of a wealthy and influential Egyptian businessman. Arrangements for the wedding were made, a grand celebration aboard Lord Rackliffe’s finest ship was planned, and of course, Eyrál was invited.

The Mer princess knew full well that Lord Rackliffe’s impending marriage would mean her death, thanks to the sea-witch’s spell, and her heart broke at the realization that the man for whom she had sacrificed everything—for whom she was about to give her life!—shared nothing of her devotion. And yet so great was her love of him, and so good was her heart, even in the face of losing both love and life, that she held up her head, smiled upon Lord Rackliffe and his new bride, embraced them both to show her goodwill, and danced with more joy and abandon than any of the other guests at the celebration.

The wedding night came. The guests, weary from their revelry, retired to their cabins. Lord Rackliffe and his bride withdrew to the tent that had been erected for them in the middle of the ship. Only the night watchman and Eyrál still stirred.

As she stood at the bow of the ship, a cry came to her from the sea. Her sisters, distressed by her rash and vain pursuit of the prince, had themselves gone to the sea-witch to seek a counter-spell, one that would allow their sister to return to her life among the Mer. The witch had granted their boon in the form of a knife. If Eyrál were to use this knife to slay the prince before the approaching sunrise brought her death, her Mer form would return to her and she would be free to rejoin her sisters.

Pained by their mournful entreaties, Eyrál accepted the knife her sisters offered and stole into the tent where Lord Rackliffe and his bride blissfully slept in each other’s arms. But so great was her love, so good was her heart, that even in the face of her own destruction she could not take his life.

She returned to the bow of the ship and looked down to where her sisters eagerly waited. But to their dismay, she cast the knife from her and withdrew to the center of the ship, away from their sight so that she might not inflict upon them the pain of witnessing her end.

The sky colored, the sun rose, and yet Eyrál did not die as she had anticipated. No, indeed, for the witch’s spell had not required the love of Lord Rackliffe himself; it had only required the love of a human—and there was a human on board that ship who loved her with body, heart, and soul: myself.

***

I hope you enjoyed this excerpt! If you'd like to read the rest of the story, you can find it here.

Weekend Reads: Jane Eyre (Lauricia)

 Happy April, everyone! Can you believe we’re already one-fourth of the way through the year? Where I live spring is running a little bit late, as we’re experiencing unseasonably cold weather, but everything is blooming anyway, as if to defy the temperatures. This weekend even promises rain, which means perfect reading weather!

For those of you who don’t know, I teach high school English for ninth through twelfth grades at a small private school. All of my classes read at least four novels per year in addition to their regular coursework, and I like to re-read the books I teach about once every five or so years. Currently I’m re-reading Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte, and I’m having a grand time, which is why I’m recommending it for this week’s Weekend Reads.

Jane Eyre is perfect for fantasy lovers because it was written during two literary periods that appeal to our enjoyment of the supernatural: the Romantic period and the Gothic period. Without using my teacher-voice, literature written during the Romantic period is characterized in one aspect by spiritual and supernatural elements. Gothic literature is an exploration of the dark side of man, so it is filled with elements such as ghosts, lunatics, crumbled castles and mansions, and the like. Both of these periods make Jane Eyre the perfect classic for lovers of fantasy.

The novel tells the story of Jane Eyre as she grows from youth into adulthood. It is divided into five parts, and this go-around I’m noticing each part seems to have hints of a specific fairy tale. The parts are referred to by the locations where Jane lives: Gateshead, Lowood, Thornfield, Moor House, and Fernden. I’m only in the middle of the book, but my students and I agree that the Gateshead section contains definite Cinderella vibes and the Lowood section smacks of Little Red Riding Hood. Our first impression of Thornfield was echoes of Beauty and the Beast, but Charlotte Bronte actually refers to the Legend of Bluebeard in this one, so we had to concede the point; especially when we met the character named Bertha Mason. I’m excited to see which fairy tales (if any) can be found in the last two sections. I’m guessing Snow White for Moor House, but I can’t remember much about Fernden yet, and I refuse to “cheat” by looking it up until after I’ve finished the book.

Other elements of this story include ghosts, a lunatic who lives in an attic, lots of references to fairies and elves, and a classic romance that helped establish the archetype of the moody but desirable male lead. If you’re looking to read outside the strictly fantasy genre, but you don’t want to deviate too far, Jane Eyre is the book you need to read next.

Are there any pieces of classic literature that you're fond of? I'd love to hear about them, or about your impressions of Jane Eyre if you've read it, in the comments.

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.

Story Snippets: Beauty and the Beast illustrated by MinaLima (Sarah)

While I primarily read ebooks these days, I still love to collect beautiful books. Nothing compares to the sensation of textured pages in your hands or to the beautiful artwork, imagery, and covers that are so much richer off the screen. So with great pleasure I’ve been perusing one of my Christmas gifts from my husband—a beautiful edition of Gabrielle-Suzanne Barbot de Villeneuve’s Beauty and the Beast (which happens to be one of my favorite fairy tales) illustrated by MinaLima. If you’re not familiar with the history, Villeneuve penned the original tale in French in 1740, and there have been nearly-infinite variations since. This English translation contains lavish illustrations, beautiful artwork for the opening of each chapter, and intriguing interactive elements such as fold-out maps, spinning wheels, and doors that open and shut. 

For those of you who haven’t read the original tale, I’ll share a few snippets below. The story starts by giving us the background on Beauty’s family: 

In a country very far from this is to be seen a great city, wherein trade flourishes abundantly. It numbered amongst its citizens a merchant, who succeeded in all his speculations, and upon whom fortune, responding to his wishes, had always showered her fairest favors. But if he had immense wealth, he had also a great many children, his family consisting of six boys and six girls. None of them were settled in life: the boys were too young to think of it; the girls, too proud of their fortunes, upon which they had every reason to count on, could not easily determine the choice they should make…

 
Then, of course, the wealthy merchant loses everything and must take refuge in a small country home, wherein begins the sequence that causes Beauty to meet the Beast. At their first meeting, Beauty is filled with dread, but nevertheless chooses courage: 

Seeing the Beast approach, whom she could not behold without a shudder, she advanced with a firm step, and with a modest air, saluted him very respectfully. This behavior pleased the Monster.

After having contemplated her, he said to the old man, in a tone which, without being one of anger, might, however, fill with terror the boldest heart, “Good evening, my good friend;” and turning to Beauty, he said also to her, “Good evening, Beauty.”

The old man, fearing even instant that something awful would happen to his daughter, had not the strength to reply.

But Beauty, without agitation and in a sweet and firm voice, said, “Good evening, Beast.”

I hope you’ve enjoyed these snippets from the original Beauty and the Beast and that they encourages you to seek out and purchase this lovely, full-color edition of the tale (and perhaps some of the other classics illustrated by MinaLima…a great set for all book lovers). 

I’d love to know…do you collect physical books or do you stick with ebooks only?

Weekend Reads: Shadow Light by Sarah Delena White (Laurie)

Welcome to this week's edition of Weekend Reads! And to the blog tour for Shadow Light by Sarah Delena White! I'm excited to share about this brand new fairy tale, which just released on March 31st!

In Shadow Light, the world is under attack by shadow creatures seeking to rid the world of light. Aeric, who wields the sun and brings day each morning, fights the creatures relentlessly but can't win the battle alone. He seeks out Layla, who has charge of the moon and stars but hides in a remote tower after the people rejected her. Aeric slowly draws Layla from her seclusion, but even when they fight together, the loyalties of the people they desire to save are fickle and the darkness is more powerful than they could've imagined. Can Day and Night overcome their doubts and insecurities to bring light and hope back into the world?


Shadow Light is described as a short fairy tale, and it really is! I finished it in a little over an hour. Its feel is much more like a fable or a fairy tale by the Brothers Grimm or Hans Christian Andersen than a modern fairy tale retelling. The narrative was told in an allegorical way from an omniscient point of view, which gives it the sense of being told a story rather than experiencing one. I'll admit that I wouldn't typically consider most of these items selling points, but in this case the writing is beautiful and the storytelling is really well executed, which makes all the difference! The personifications of day and night are creatively handled, the descriptions are lush and vivid, and the message of light and love conquering darkness is a reminder we could all use right now. Plus, did you check out that amazing cover?!


I'd recommend Shadow Light for fans of lyrical prose and classic fairy tales looking for a quick read! You can find it on Goodreads and Amazon.


And here's a little more about the lovely author (you may remember her from past visits to Lands Uncharted, in which she shared this post about her Top 3 Faeries to Meet in Halayda and this behind-the-scenes post about unconventional families in her books)!

Sarah Delena White was raised by wolves in an alternate dimension. She writes eclectic speculative fiction that reworks mythology with a fine balance of poetry and snark. She's an experienced world traveler who loves to weave world folklore and ancient concepts into vibrant, original story worlds. She is the administrative manager for Uncommon Universes Press. When she's not writing, she can be found making elegant designer bead jewelry, traveling to festivals as a professional ballad singer, drinking tea, and seeking to create the perfect latte. She can be bribed with dark chocolate.

Find out more about Sarah (and follow the rest of the Shadow Light blog tour!) by connecting with her on her Website, Facebook, Reader Group, or Instagram.

Congratulations on your new release, Sarah, and have a great weekend everyone!!

Review of The Piper's Pursuit (Katie)

Review of Melanie Dickerson's The Piper's Pursuit

What We're Reading (Katie)

Aren't books the best? They can pick you up when you're down, welcome you home when you've been away, or take you away when you've been in one place too long. I've been reading a bunch of great books over the last six weeks, and today I'm telling you about The Piper's Pursuit by Melanie Dickerson.

A plague of rats. Children going missing. A giant beast attacking just outside the walls of Hamlin.  And one young woman determined to save her town.

Katerina’s stepfather, Hennek, is neither a good father nor a good husband, but he is the mayor of Hamlin. Could he somehow be causing the misfortunes that have befallen her beloved town? The evidence points to a beast of unusual size—a wolf, perhaps, or a large dog—killing people who venture too far from town. But does that explain the disappearance of so many children, many of whom seem to have gone missing from inside the town walls?

Steffan knows he must reconcile with his father, the Duke of Hagenheim, but he’s not sure he’s ready. In the meantime, he roams from town to town seeking adventure and reward. When he hears of a giant beast terrorizing the town of Hamlin and an equally giant reward that includes gold, money, and the mayor’s daughter in marriage, he heads to Hamlin. Steffan plans to kill the beast, rid the town of its rat infestation, and take the reward—everything except the girl in marriage. However, when he meets Katerina, he’s not so sure. Perhaps his plans need changing.

Katerina is hunting the Beast of Hamlin for herself, determined to win liberation from her conniving and controlling stepfather. When she finds one of the children who has been missing for many months, dirty and wandering around the woods, the mystery only seems to deepen. Katerina will have to team up with Steffan, the handsome but brash duke’s son who infuriates her—he’s the only one in town who isn’t controlled by the mayor. Danger dogs them from both man and beast. Can Katerina and Steffan stop the “Pied Piper” from stealing every last child from Hamlin? Or will their interference create an even worse fate? 

I've been reading and enjoying Melanie's books for several years now, and while there are some books I've liked more than others I was thrilled with The Piper's Pursuit. I thought I'd give you a few of my favorite parts.

* Katerina's raw emotion throughout the story

* The "realness" of the antagonist (aka the bad guy)

* Steffan's gentle yet strong presence

* The orphans (love kids involved in the story like this!)

* And, as always in Melanie Dickerson's stories, the great adventure and action throughout the story

If you want to learn more about The Piper's Pursuit you can check it out here on Goodreads. It will be available for the general public in December. However, I was given an advanced copy by the publisher. All thoughts are entirely my own.