Review: Gold Spun by Brandie June

  

Gold Spun by Brandie June
CamCat Books
Publication Date: June 8th 2021
Paperback. 368 pages.

About Gold Spun:

"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."

Gold Spun is an engaging, fast-paced, and enchanting retelling of the classic Rumpelstiltskin story. I wasn't entirely sure what to expect from this book other than the fact that it's a fantasy retelling, but I really enjoyed the story that emerged and am so appreciative that I received the opportunity to be sent a copy of this book to read. 

I'm always a big fan of any fairy tale retelling, and Rumpelstiltskin is always one that seems to grab me right away. I really appreciated and enjoyed how the author took the classic story and turned it into her own creation in a really inventive and exciting way. We have a struggling thief who's only to trying to help her and her brothers survive, a prince who is thrust into an unexpected power position, and the mysterious and elusive fay who are believed to be violent and dangerous foes. This was a really fun world to dive into, and I felt completely transported to the new setting and the fantasy political atmosphere of the kingdom. 

Nor is an incredibly tough and resourceful protagonist who has a rather defiant streak running through, but it's important to note that her defiance is largely rooted in her determination to help take care of and provide for herself and her brothers as they con people for a living in order to get by. The majority of the book is narrated from Nor's POV, which really allowed me to get inside her head and try to understand many of her reasons and motivations for the decisions she makes (even if I didn't agree with all of them at times). 

Nor's burgeoning relationships with Casper and Pel, prince and fay, respectively, were exciting to follow. Both had entirely different situations in meeting one another–although both were sudden, unexpected, and not entirely desired at the time–and I loved seeing how Nor connected with them both in different ways. I found Casper a charming character who seemed to place an adequate value on his role as a leader, which I really appreciated seeing. Pel was a slightly more interesting and complex character solely because he was more mysterious in general, and this definitely increased my intrigue in him quite a bit. I am hoping (and assuming) that the sequel will introduce a bit more into the world of the fay in June's world, and I am looking forward to that. There is a bit of romance in this book and a little bit of a love triangle, though the latter element was not overwhelming. I felt that the romance, although a somewhat important part of the plot, was not the main focus of the story and seemed to fit in nicely. It was a little predictable at times, but in a way that felt familiar and fun rather than frustrating or boring. 

Gold Spun is not the most original book I've ever read, but I also don't think it's supposed to be. It feels like something I've read before, but in a good way where I got to see and experience some great elements of a retelling and an exciting new fantasy world with expressive characters and new plots and motivations. This was my 'before bed' book (I tend to read a different book at night than I do during the day because my mind is a bit too... impressionable to read certain things before sleeping, just for clarification), and it was honestly perfect for that. I loved just getting to dive into this fantasy world with Nor and Casper and Pel and read a very fairy tale-like story with great, strong characters before ending my day. This was a really fun YA fantasy that I think hits on a lot of tropes that people love and will enjoy reading in this new setting with some really charismatic characters.

 *I received a copy of Gold Spun in exchange for an honest review.*

Buy the book: Amazon | IndieBound

Review: Beast: A Tale of Love and Revenge by Lisa Jensen

Beast: A Tale of Love and Revenge by Lisa Jensen

Candlewick, 2018

Hardcover. 352 pages.

I started off the week with a book inspired by a fairy-tale, so I'm continuing the trend with a retelling! As you may have guessed, Beast is a retelling of the classic and well-loved story Beauty and the Beast, and it's one retelling that really turns the story on its head.

This was such a roller coaster for me and had me constantly changing my mind and guessing where things would go next. I can safely say that Beast is entirely unpredictable at almost all parts of the story, and I truly did not know at the end whether I would fully love or hate this book. In the end, however, I very much enjoyed this book and was also so pleased where the story ended, as it felt incredibly satisfying on all points and caused me to just back and think about what a gorgeous and well-told tale this was.

Before I get into the real bulk of this review, I just want to note that this book is not going to be for everyone. Back when I read Alias Hook, I discovered that Jensen's writing style was very unique, somewhat dense due to her descriptions, and fairly divisive. Personally, I love it, so I already knew that if people disliked Beast for the writing style that that would be fine with me. After finishing the book, I went to Goodreads and noticed a lot of DNFs for this book and I just want to say that this is a book in which the ending/reveals are crucial to understanding the events prior to that, so DNF-ing too early will not give a good impression of what this book is really about. There is also a content warning here for rape, which you might be able to guess is coming, but also feels sort of out nowhere, so do be aware of that (more information at the end of this review). Now all that aside, let's jump into my review!

As far as retellings go, this one was incredibly unique to me. The way Jensen takes the original storyline and twists it fully into her own story was incredible well-executed. What I most enjoyed was how many elements from the original story and actively engaged with the themes and plot points used in the original, which in turn created an extremely thoughtful and through-provoking story. There is such a fine line between not changing a retelling enough and changing it too much, and Jensen balanced the line perfectly. In addition to this is Jensen's gorgeous prose that flows so easily and makes it easy to just keep reading and never want to put the book down. There were so many lines that I had to highlight because of how relevant they felt to life, no matter the time period or situation, and that is always a sign of a great writer to me.

There are not all that many characters in this book, with the main ones being Lucie, Jean-Loup/Beast, the wisewoman, and eventually Rose. Lucie is an incredibly interesting character and one who constantly surprised me with her actions and let her desire for vengeance and justice overtake her--both of which felt entirely justified to me, so I found myself completely immersed in watching how she navigated all of her emotions and the circumstances she was thrust into.

I don't want to say much about Jean-Loup/Beast because of the potential for giving away too much, but suffice to say he was, at different times, a combination of: frustrating, horrible, wonderful, and confusing, but at all times he was compelling. The last character I want to mention is the wisewoman, and she is probably my favorite from this book. She really lived up the 'wise' part of her name and I loved her personality, despite how little she showed up in the book. I really enjoyed her different roles in this book and how she handled various situations.

This is a slow, completely character-focused book, so if you need action and constant plot intrigue to keep you engaged, you might not enjoy this one as much as I did. If you don't mind a slow plot, descriptive prose, and a majorly character-centric story, then I would absolutely recommend you give it a shot. Also, if you are a diehard fan of the original story, then I really have no idea if you'll this one or not (and if you are and you do read it, do let me know your thoughts!). My sister is obsessed with all things Beauty and the Beast now has a copy of Beast and I am so interested to hear her thoughts on it as someone who loves the original the so much.

Overall, I've given Beast four stars!

Content warning: As mentioned, there is a rape scene at the beginning of the book that is not overly graphic, but could still be a bit much for some people. There is also an attempted suicide (not graphic) in this book.

Buy the book: Amazon | Book Depository

*I received an ARC of Beast: A Tale of Love and Revenge courtesy of Candlewick and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This has no effect on my rating or enjoyment of the book.*

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Alias Hook by Lisa Jensen
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Lost Boy by Christina Henry: Review + GIVEAWAY!

*Lost Boy will be released Tuesday, July 4th!*

Lost Boy by Christina Henry. Berkley Books, 2017. 304 pages. Paperback.

**I received a copy of Lost Boy in exchange for an honest review. This has no bearing on my feelings for the book.** 

I don't cry while reading books very often. In fact, it's incredibly rare for that to happen. I may tear up occasionally, but usually no matter how much a book might be ripping out my heart, I maintain my stone-cold exterior. Lost Boy broke that wall just a bit and left me feeling tears on more than one occasion.

Despite not being a huge fan of Peter Pan (the Disney version, anyway) growing up, I've grown really fond of Peter Pan-inspired retellings/reboots/etc. in the past few years, and I was so excited to see Lost Boy on NetGalley - even more so when I got the  email telling me that I was approved to read it. It did not let me down at all! This is a dark, brutal story that is everything I crave in retellings like these. Some of my favorite retellings are those that are dark and twisty and take classic stories, lands, and characters into new territories that retain the magic of the original, but add in so much more. This was why I loved Heartless by Marissa Meyer and Tiger Lily so  much - they took the classic stories and just completely flipped them. Lost Boy did very much the same, as it is quite a divergence from the ever-popular Disney version and even the original by J.M. Barrie.

Captain Hook has always been one of the main characters from Peter Pan that has most fascinated (Tinkerbell and the mermaids being the others), and Jamie was such a fascinating rendition of this character. He was very real and flawed. He wanted to do good and as a protector to the boys, but he had his own temper and his own tendency towards violence. And there's the fact that as much as he hated Peter, there he was however many years later, still caving to his every request and whim - of course, there are reasons he is trapped under Peter's 'rule,' but it does bring an interesting angle to the story.

The description of Peter was also fantastic and so fitting for some of the images I've had of Peter in my own interpretations. He's this completely unsympathetic 'villain' that is just so true to his character: a boy that insists on staying young forever, living on an island where only young boys and absolutely no girls or adults are allowed, wanting to play and fight all the time? Yeah, I don't think that's someone many of us would want to be around. Peter is awful, but also rather clever and mysterious, and he was developed wonderfully.

The remaining characters were no less developed or interesting than Peter or Jamie. Sal, Nod, Fog, and Charlie my favorites of the children and were all also uniquely developed. Nod and Fog are twins and, to me, the quintessential fit for a place like Neverland. They're just boys who never want to grow and don't mind having a leader like Peter Pan to take care of them. The rest of the boys seem okay with the situation at times, but there does seem to be a bit of lingering suspicion among them regarding the entire situation.

Lost Boy is very much focused on specific character relationships and developments. There are major events that occur, but they aren't really the focus -- it's more about how the characters react and how each event changes the dynamics, even if only ever so slightly. There is meaning in every glance, every touch, every movement - whether it is realized or not, not one action is meaningless.

I also thought the backstory of Jamie and Peter's friendship was really well-written, especially with how slowly the truth of their relationship was revealed and the impact it had. I liked how Neverland and the Other Place (aka, where we all live) existed in relation to one another, as I'm always interested in how alternate places are developed in stories.

Overall, I've given Lost Boy five stars. I'm a huge fan of these types of stories and this one was everything I wanted.

And now...

GIVEAWAY

The lovely people over at Berkley Books have been kind enough to provide me with one copy of Lost Boy for a giveaway! 

**PLEASE NOTE: This is a US-ONLY giveaway. Please also be aware that I will be forwarding your mailing address to the publisher for them to send you a copy. Your personal information will be used in no other way than to send to the publisher to send you your prize if you win. 

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Heartless by Marissa Meyer

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Uprooted by Naomi Novik

Alias Hook by Lisa Jensen

Alias Hook by Lisa Jensen. St. Martin's Griffin, 2015. Paperback. 368 pages.

Most of you probably know the story of Peter Pan, or have at the very least seen the Disney movie version of Peter Pan. From those stories, we know that Captain Hook loses the fight against Peter Pan and is fed to the crocodile. But what we don't know, according to Alias Hook, is that he didn't actually die in that fight because Captain Hook is cursed to lived forever in Neverland and cannot physically die. It's really a pretty unfortunate situation, but Lisa Jensen tells the story beautifully.

Alias Hook was a little difficult to get into at first, and there were a few chapters towards the beginning where I was still very unsure whether or not I wanted to continue on with the story. I plowed through, however, because the prose was lovely and premise fascinated me, and I must say that it paid off and I'm incredibly glad to have read this book.

The world of Neverland that Jensen created is fantastic and so full of the magic and darkness that I crave so much in retellings like these. I adore what Jensen has created, from the nuances and 'rules' that Peter Pan has for the world, to the way in which Neverland exists and people can visit and the various inhabitants of the land. Jensen has captured a unique magic that combines the nostalgia and excitement of youth with the adventurous and difficult journeys of adulthood, including both love and loss.

I really enjoyed exploring the different aspects of Hook's character that are often overlooked. He is jaded and hopeless, stuck in a land where he can never win, never leave, and never die. But at the same time, we are able to discern a small piece hope in him that surfaces at various moments throughout the novel that lend to some truly beautiful, exciting moments.

I also loved Stella. She is a bold, exciting, and endearing character that I felt had a wonderful relationship dynamic with Hook. This story would not exist without Stella, and she is the perfect catalyst for ever aspect of change that occurs throughout the story. I loved the interactions between Stella and Hook, and their chemistry was simply perfect. They are two very different people, but they still fit so well - they bickered and they had different hopes and dreams, but it all came down to them at the end, and I think it was written wonderfully well.

On the whole, I have very conflicting thoughts on this book. I loved the concept, the storyline, the worldbuilding - all of the major components of this book were brilliant, and it was whimsical well thought-out. This book contains a very elegant prose style, and because of this the writing did not always feel exceptionally accessible. I kept having to reinforce my reading and make sure I was focusing on the story and not zoning out instead. But... although the prose is somewhat difficult to connect with, it is also very beautiful at the same time, and by the end of the book I realized that I didn't mind the extra effort involved at all. There were many times when I wished to highlight or mark various passages, and I felt very moved by many of the emotions and events Hook undertook.

Overall, I am giving Alias Hook four stars! I truly cannot wait to read more from Lisa Jensen.

And if you are looking for even more Peter Pan-inspired stories that are absolutely gorgeous, I would like to take the time to highly recommend you go check out Tiger Lily by Jodi Lynn Anderson!

Buy the book: Amazon | Book Depository

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Heartless by Marissa Meyer

Heartless by Marissa Meyer. Feiwel & Friends, 2016. Hardcover. 449.

I'm a sucker for retellings and I also love Alice in Wonderland, so a retelling set in the wonderful world Lewis Carroll created sounded perfect, especially considering it's about the Queen of Hearts before becoming the Queen — this definitely sounded like it would hit the sweet spot of books for me. And it did. 

Before I begin my review, I'd just like make a quick note that  I have not yet read Meyer's Lunar Chronicles, so I really had no idea what to expect from Meyer going into Heartless. I haven't been particularly interested in the Lunar Chronicles, but I may eventually get around to them. Or I might not. I'm not sure. Anyway, let's review Heartless!

I don't even know how to put into words how incredible this book was. This was everything I wanted. I know there have been some mixed reviews on this, and I completely understand each and every one of them and both their negative and positive points, but I personally enjoyed reading this book so much that I could not help but fall in love with it.

The biggest aspect of this book that I loved was the world itself, which also includes Meyer's exquisite writing and description. This world had whimsy and wonder and such a sharp attention to detail that I was incredibly captivated by everything. I never wanted to leave. Everything in this book had a personality, from the doorknobs to the candles, and I love that kind of thing. Some of my favorite parts of books are when authors mention tiny details of background happenings that are quirky or just add more fleshed out layers of worldbuilding. It made everything feel so authentically Alice in Wonderland, and I felt so sucked into the world.

Another great part of Heartless was the witty dialogue. Page after page of wit, banter, rhymes — it made this book such an enjoyable experience and a breeze to read. I didn't want it to stop. It also had darkness.  Oh boy, it had darkness. Heartless went so subtlety from a whimsy, sweet romance, to hidden madness and unease, then complete anger and darkness and I loved it.

Now, here's what's tricky to explain. In the beginning and first half of the book, I wasn't overly impressed with the plot and the romance that was happening. It was entertaining and I enjoyed it, but the purpose of the book so far didn't seem overly strong  was this just a book about her not wanting to marry the king and trying to find a way to open her bakery and run off with her true love? (Answer: Yes and no) But the fact is that the world building and the writing and the details were all done so well that I didn't even care and I just enjoyed it for what it was without dissecting anything. Plus, it felt like there were enough subtle hints about things that I had a feeling more might happen. And boy did it. There is definitely a lot more to this book than meets the eye.

Cath is an interesting character. I'm not sure that I can ever say I truly loved her character, and I think that is where a lot of the reviews turn negative. She's an endearing character in some ways - her sweet disposition, her passion for baking, her wittiness — but she's also a bit frustrating and not always the nicest person, such as her making fun of people, her refusal to be honest with the king, etc. But the thing about this is that I'm not sure if we're really meant to fall in love with her. I certainly empathized with her and, on the whole, loved reading about her and her personality, but I can see where she might have rubbed some people the wrong way. Her development and dynamic features, however, were incredibly well-done, and I can't say that enough. I felt her passion and dream to open a bakery and her desire not to  ignore her dreams and just do what was required by her parents. Cath didn't have the strongest backbone of the characters for the entire story necessarily, but I admired how she grew and developed more confidence and strength in herself as the story progressed. And I sort of love the final result. The entire change that Cath goes through was just remarkable in my opinion, and while I'm not one that necessarily thirsts for revenge in circumstances, I completely understand how pain and rage can turn people into someone they don't know anymore.

Jest was lovely. I loved his wit, charm, and his overall suave. He seemed so innocent and adorable in the beginning, but we soon learn that he has a quite more than to him than is apparent to the eye. He carries with him an air of mystery that matches his level of charm and humor.

And then we have the king, a man that I liked and disliked at the same time. He was adorable in some ways, but I can also completely understand how infuriating he is - and, frankly, how infuriating all of Hearts. They are not a society that likes to confront and deal with conflict, but instead prefer to brush it under the rug and pretend it never happened. I can completely understand this outlook, but it's not exactly a wise way in which to live one's life.

The rest of the characters, such as Hatta, Haigha, the turtle, Mary Ann, and many others were all a delight to read about. I'm not going to go into much more detail on much more than I have, however, because I think this book is fun to go into and explore all on your own.

And a quick warning: Heartless will make you want to eat any and all baked goods in sight, or you will want to go buy or make delicious treats and pastries, so be warned!

Overall, Heartless gets five stars from me!

Buy the book!

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Hag-Seed by Margaret Atwood

Hag-Seed by Margaret Atwood

*Hag-Seed by Margaret Atwood will be released Tuesday, October 11th!!*

Hag-Seed by Margaret Atwood. Hogarth Shakespeare, 2016. Ebook. 256 pages.

*I received an ARC of Hag-Seed courtesy of Hogarth Shakespeare and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.*

Margaret Atwood is an incredibly intelligent, adept, and inspirational woman that has written countless incredible works and continues to do so with her newest release, Hag-Seed. Hag-Seed is part of Hogarth Shakespeare's project to have a variety of bestselling authors retell many of Shakespeare's most classic works. I am really excited about this project, and I think it is an exciting way to bring Shakespeare's work to life in new and imaginative ways.

I honestly feel like I don't even know where to start with this magnificent book. I am not overly familiar with The Tempest itself (I vaguely remember reading it years ago, maybe it's time to re-read), so I understand that I may not have understand every reference or interpretative view, but I understood the basics and the fact that this book is outstanding. I sincerely enjoyed this book and breezed right through - though that is not to say that this was a lighthearted read. Hag-Seed is filled with so many layers, all of which add a greater level of depth to the story.

I loved the entire setting. I thought the entire prison literature program that Felix was in charge of was brilliant. Having the prisoners partake in a play retelling Shakespeare plays? It doesn't get more interesting or better than that. I enjoyed seeing the different ways in which the prisoners got excited and how they manifested their eagerness for the play.

Atwood once again creates remarkably intriguing characters. He's not exactly a lovable man, but there is something about him that draws you in and makes you want to follow his story. At heart, he is a man still struggling deeply to overcome the death of his daughter and the loss of his job - his whole life. He is looking for a way to begin and for a way to enact revenge upon those who helped to ruin his life. He is careful and unassuming, the perfect role for his own personal play. The other characters were also extremely fun to dissect and learn about, and Atwood brought each one to life with a vibrant, unique personality. I particularly enjoyed Anne-Marie's character, who is the woman Felix hires to play the role of Miranda, which turns out to be an exceptionally important role to Felix.

This isn't a comedy, but there is an abundance of comic relief - both overt and subtle - that truly made this book a joy to read. Everything in this book is brilliant and only further enforces the fact that Atwood is a genius. The plot of this story centers on Felix's play, which the play itself then sets the stage and becomes a plan for revenge. Felix himself is the character he plays - both in his own life and the play. This book is so subtle in its meta qualities. Hag-Seed is a retelling, but it also retells the basic play itself. Through the prisoners we are able to truly study the characters of the play: their motivations, personalities, ideas, and so much more.

Overall, I will be giving Hag-Seed four stars!

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