Author: Melanie Dickerson
Series: Fairy Tales #6 (Companion series)
Genre: Historical Fiction/Christian Fiction/Fairy-Tale Re-telling
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
Publication Date: November 17th 2015
Edition: Kindle Edition, 368 pages
Source: NetGalley
Purchase: Amazon US | Kobo | Barnes and Noble | Book Depository
Synopsis:
The one who needs rescuing isn’t always the one in the tower.
Rapunzel can throw a knife better than any man around. And her skills as an artist rival those of any artist she’s met. But for a woman in medieval times, the one skill she most desires is the hardest one to obtain: the ability to read.
After yet another young man asks for Rapunzel’s hand in marriage, Mother decides they need to move once again, but this time to a larger city. Rapunzel’s heart soars—surely there she can fulfill her dream. But Mother won’t let her close to a man. She claims that no man can be trusted.
After being rescued by a knight on the road to the city, and in turn rescuing him farther down the road, Rapunzel’s opportunity arrives at last. This knight, Sir Gerek, agrees to educate Rapunzel in order to pay back his debt. She just has to put up with his arrogant nature and single-minded focus on riches and prestige.
But this Rapunzel story is unlike any other and the mystery that she uncovers will change everything—except her happily ever after.
Review:
Not gonna lie, had I known before hand that this was christian fiction, I would not have read this book. That being said, I love a good re-telling, this was just not one of them. It just wasn't original at all.
I expect a retelling to be familiar in ways that the reader can tell which tale is being retold. The title in this case clearly tells you what the story is. What I had issue with, was basically this was Tangled re-told minus the magic and add in a whole lot of religious themes. Instead of Rapunzel wanting to see lanterns, she wants to read. Could have been done in a more interesting way. The lessons she eventually gets, slowed down the story quite a bit.
The romantic interest for Rapunzel is a douchey Knight that doesn't want to be around her because he made a vow not to be with a woman until he is married and wants to marry a woman from a wealthy family, and Rapunzel is a pretty peasant, who might "tempt" him. *rolls eyes*
Rapunzel would also like to be married but her mother, Gothel, says that men will only use her to get what they want then leave. Rapunzel is the most gullible human on the face of the earth. Sure, it's her "mother" but logically in Medieval times, a woman got married around 15, or 16. Rapunzel is 19 in this book and is damn near an old maid of the era. There was a lot of talk of marriage and vows of celibacy and other annoying shit.
Bottom line, I knew right away what the end was going to be and all the "twists" that were going to be revealed. I couldn't get interested in the characters or the story. They were all boring and often a little dumb. I wanted to read a new version of a classic tale, all I got was something very cookie cutter with almost too much religious context.
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