overbookedmomma's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Interesting take on a alternative version of Rapunzel. This book touches on religion, magic, family, politics and more. It seemed like this book was slow to start and slow in different parts of the book. It was interesting to see how the main character, Haelewise, grows from a child to an adult as different events happen throughout her lifetime.
Thank you Redhook Book and NetGalley for this ebook for an honest review.
saphiraas's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
4 stars.
An enjoyable read! This story flips the fairytale we all know, Rapunzel, on its head by instead focusing on the life of Mother Gothel, the "villan" of the tale. Reading this, however, you realize Gothel / Haelewise isn't a villan at all. It's really the terrible men and the patriarchy that is the true villan of the story as the suppress and perpetuate violence against women. In the end it's the men in this story twist and turn the fairtyale so that completely divorced from the actual truth.
The love story between Mattaes and Haelewise was both heartbreaking and heartwarming at the same time. I think that was probably my favorite part of thee whole novel. Watching them chose each other again and again despite all the obstacles the world threw at them. The celebration of their love was really beautiful and perfectly written and I love how it wasn't tied to shame, only joy and pleasure. Their love was far from perfect but it grew from childhood friendship and it was long-lasting until the very end. Incredibly powerful and romantic <3
This story is a real testament to all the crap women had and still have to endure in a patriarchal world. The way the witches in this story are persecuted, vilified, and called sinful heretics felt very relevant to the real world. Also, the way this world completely disregarded the "Mother" diety in favor of the "Father" felt relatable to the way women's accomplishments and power and constantly downplayed and taken over by men irl.
This story is definitely a slow burn and there were times when it didn't quite grab my attention as much. There were definitely a few sections that could have been shortened, but as a whole I enjoyed reading about the mysterious earth magic and hidden coven of powerful witchy women hidden in plain sight. I'm glad I read this in the fall because it provided the perfect druid, witchy ambience.
"Everything that is done can be undone."
An enjoyable read! This story flips the fairytale we all know, Rapunzel, on its head by instead focusing on the life of Mother Gothel, the "villan" of the tale. Reading this, however, you realize Gothel / Haelewise isn't a villan at all. It's really the terrible men and the patriarchy that is the true villan of the story as the suppress and perpetuate violence against women. In the end it's the men in this story twist and turn the fairtyale so that completely divorced from the actual truth.
The love story between Mattaes and Haelewise was both heartbreaking and heartwarming at the same time. I think that was probably my favorite part of thee whole novel. Watching them chose each other again and again despite all the obstacles the world threw at them. The celebration of their love was really beautiful and perfectly written and I love how it wasn't tied to shame, only joy and pleasure. Their love was far from perfect but it grew from childhood friendship and it was long-lasting until the very end. Incredibly powerful and romantic <3
This story is a real testament to all the crap women had and still have to endure in a patriarchal world. The way the witches in this story are persecuted, vilified, and called sinful heretics felt very relevant to the real world. Also, the way this world completely disregarded the "Mother" diety in favor of the "Father" felt relatable to the way women's accomplishments and power and constantly downplayed and taken over by men irl.
This story is definitely a slow burn and there were times when it didn't quite grab my attention as much. There were definitely a few sections that could have been shortened, but as a whole I enjoyed reading about the mysterious earth magic and hidden coven of powerful witchy women hidden in plain sight. I'm glad I read this in the fall because it provided the perfect druid, witchy ambience.
"Everything that is done can be undone."
catriona_v's review
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
jcone's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
timgo10's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
caitastrophe457's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
alibi313's review
3.0
Pros: interesting takes on familiar fairytales, feminist themes, including depictions of midwives as providers of essential healthcare (ie, contraception and abortion). Cons: uninspiring love interest (think The Hunger Games’ Peeta), a repetitive narrative, and a paucity of plot. I expected more story in 14 hours of audio.
jmckendry's review against another edition
2.0
I really wanted to like this book, and I really enjoyed the first couple chapters, but it was so hard to find motivation to keep reading after that. At around 65% it got a lot more interesting and I read the rest rather quickly! The last 40% deserves 3.3 stars from me, but it just took way too long to get interesting.
I really liked how the women's magic was revealed, I loved the mythology of the Mother and how she wanted to be restored to her rightful place beside the Father, but she had been forgotten. I also liked Matthias.
I didn't like how mundane everything felt, even when things were getting interesting. I also didn't like how this was marketed as a Rapunzel-retelling, when it was really only about Rapunzel's mother and how she became the person she did. While reading this, I never really FELT anything. I sort of cared about the characters, but not very much.
Overall, I was just hoping for a lot more from this book and it didn't deliver. The ending was very touching though!
I really liked how the women's magic was revealed, I loved the mythology of the Mother and how she wanted to be restored to her rightful place beside the Father, but she had been forgotten. I also liked Matthias.
I didn't like how mundane everything felt, even when things were getting interesting. I also didn't like how this was marketed as a Rapunzel-retelling, when it was really only about Rapunzel's mother and how she became the person she did. While reading this, I never really FELT anything. I sort of cared about the characters, but not very much.
Overall, I was just hoping for a lot more from this book and it didn't deliver. The ending was very touching though!
alle_kat97's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
gumboghost's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75