Stalks of Gold (Bewitching Fairy Tales Book 1)

Stalks of Gold is a novel-length fairytale that knits together plot elements and characters from traditional fairytales such as Rumplestilskin and Rapunzel into a new complex story. The protagonist, Aurelia, is a single young miller's daughter who spends her day spinning yarn into wool. The main action of the story begins when Aurelia is abducted on behalf of a cruel and evil king who falsely believes that she can spin straw into gold. This is gold which is desperately needed by the bankrupt king who has foolishly squandered his fortune. From Aurelia's imprisonment in the castle, the story grows and takes many twists and turns. As with all fairytales, there is a happy ending. However, this book does not have a stereotypical or trite show more fairytale ending. As with many other aspects of the book, the resolution of the plot is pleasantly satisfying while blending aspects of grief and hope for the future.

This story has many remarkable characteristics that make it interesting. First of all, while there are some instances where Aurelia finds herself in peril and needs someone to come to her rescue, there are also many times in the story where she uses her own skill and strength to overcome seemingly impossible circumstances. Second, while there is a predictable presence of good and evil characters in the story, their presentation is not flatly dichotomous. This is particularly true of two of the three men who vied for Aurelia's love. Sandor, who is her good suitor, is flawed and imperfect. He suffers from self-doubt and self-loathing. He is not always there for Aurelia. Yet he is a good and loveable suitor. The Imp, Ruskin, on the other hand, is the evil suitor. He is cruel, possessive, manipulative, and generally psychologically abusive. Yet, there are points in the story where aspects of Ruskin's tragic life are revealed. While readers are not lead to a point where they might feel forgiveness for Ruskins inexcusable behavior, pathos and a bit of compassion for this character are evoked. This level of complexity in the development of a character is clearly something that is not typical for a fairytale. A third interesting element is that some of the characters actually learn from their mistakes and do this early enough in the story to redeem themselves. This is particularly notable with the witch Gothel. As the story is revealed, we find out that she is responsible for saving the main characters despite all of her past evil actions. Her past evil brought about a complex mix of good and detrimental outcomes. Ironically, if some of the outcomes had not occurred, there would have been no story to tell. A fourth interesting element is that the happy ending is not one in which the main characters live out their lives like a king and queen living in an opulent castle. While there definitely is a king and queen living in a castle at the end of the story, it is not the characters that the traditional fairytale plot would have dictated.

The writing style of Stalks of Gold is also notable. The mechanics of the writing seem quite simple and lacking in whimsy, literary devices, or poetic imagery. At first, the reader may feel a little underwhelmed by such a simplistic-seeming writing style. However, once the reader progresses through the plot, this writing style is much appreciated because it can carry the tangled plot and psychological complexities of the characters. An overly complex writing style would undoubtedly have overwhelmed most readers later in the novel. It is the interweaving of the life-stories of the main characters in the novel and the challenges that they need to overcome that draw the reader in and keep them engaged. While Aurelia's life at the beginning of the novel seems simple and straightforward on the surface, her family history is full of secrets and magic. These secrets are gradually revealed throughout the novel. As each secret is revealed, a new complexity in both the plot or the character develops and a new relationship is revealed. Some storylines end up being like a maze wherein characters sometimes take a wrong turn and end up at a dead-end and then have to return to where they began and rethink their way through the puzzle.

Any reader who enjoys fairytales will undoubtedly savour this book but it likely has a much wider audience. That audience may include young adult readers and adult readers who like fantasy and romance novels. While some tweens may enjoy the book, it is important to note that there are scenes that involve violence and injury. None of it is gory or sensational. It may make a pleasant read-aloud book for classrooms or families. While the epilogue implies that there will be follow-up novels, prequels, and other books involving the characters in Stocks of Gold, the novel is complete and a satisfying read in and of itself. Overall, a good read. show less

I've been admiring this cover for ages and was thrilled when Celeste offered me an ARC copy. The story hidden within the pages was every bit as beautiful as the cover.

Aurelia is a simple miller's daughter. But when the king hears a rumor that she can spin straw into gold, he arrests her and holds her captive until she can come up with enough gold to pay the nation's debt. Of course, that isn't even the real story, simply the first in a long string of plots and events centered around the miller's daughter. She must find a way to escape several towers and guess the name of the man behind all of the schemes or she could stay trapped forever.

It's a brilliant mashup, really. But while the core of each fairy tale is there, plenty of the show more details are different and there are enough twists to keep you guessing all the way to the end. I loved it. And I think anyone who loves a good fairy tale (or in this case, two) will love it as well.

I received a free ARC copy of the book from the author and have reviewed it willingly. show less

I was captivated by this beautiful tale.

Magic is not everything, certainly. The force of our love makes us put aside all our fears and step up for the ones we love.

Do you think Aurelia will need to discover in her any power? Maybe she doesn’t have any power. Maybe she has. She doesn’t need any magic, she should trust her instincts.

Yes, one bit is like Rapunzel, but I like this version and the sequence of the events.

I'm only a third of the way through, so I will come back and update this if I finish it. Early Reviewers Giveaway copy.

I was expecting a lighthearted fairy-tale. The writing flows pretty well, and keeps interest. There are a couple different fairy tales woven in through the story so far. The king is an alcoholic, with an extremely severe domestic abuse problem. All the characters are caught up in this, and they are all reacting as victims would. I'm going to put it down for a while because everyone keeps getting beaten up.