Review Detail

If there's anything you should know about me it's that I love fairy tale retellings. They're my absolute favorite, and I loved this book! It’s a Rapunzel retelling, and if you follow me anywhere online, you know I’m obsessed with "Tangled." The connection is subtle, though. Etta has golden hair and magic, but until the end, that’s about the only likeness to the story I recognized. I will admit I don’t know the full Rapunzel story outside of Disney, so there might be more that I just didn’t catch onto. Regardless, it was a fantastic book. It felt like I was reading a brand new fairy tale that will one day be a classic. There’s also a reference to Sleeping Beauty when explaining the curse’s history, which made me happy.

M. Lynn is a new author to me, but after this book, I’m hooked. The story is quick-paced, but it doesn’t feel rushed. It is well written and easy to follow through the histories and changing POVs. It has everything you’d want from a YA fairy tale, but it is told in a more modern way while still taking place in a historical setting.

For the most part, I love the characters. Alex is very wishy-washy, especially in the end, but with everything going on, it was to be expected. Even if I didn’t like his actions. Etta is pretty awesome. I love a good, strong heroine who doesn’t take crap from anyone. Those are the two main characters, but it is actually Edmund and Prince Tyson who are my favorites. Edmund is Alex’s best friend and head of his personal guard. We also find out early on that he’s in love with Alex. It is rare to see LGBT representation in a fairy tale like this and I really love it. It wasn’t a main plot point, he never acts on it, but it is there. Tyson is the youngest royal sibling, who has secrets of his own, and throughout the story we see this warm, caring character who you just can’t help but love.

I fully intend on jumping into the next book ASAP. I’m so glad all three books are out already and I don’t have to wait for more of the story. There are two books after that as well, which are based on Cinderella and take place in the same world. The covers are absolutely beautiful, and I should probably mention my weakness for Cinderella retellings... I love them.

If you like fairy tales, check out this series! I will definitely be continuing and looking for more of Lynn’s books.

*Original review was posted on Functionally Fictional: https://functionallyfictional.com/2019/03/21/cait-golden-curse/