Fairy Tales Archives - Noblebright

Stalks of Gold – Celeste Baxendell

cjbrightley — Wed, 27 Jul 2022 18:56:31 +0000

Magic isn’t a solution; it’s a trap.

All her life, Aurelia has been taught that if she comes across magic, she’s supposed to run in the other direction. Life is no longer so simple. If the tower door opens, and she doesn’t have any gold, her life will be forfeit.

The only person who can help her is the mysterious stranger who appeared on her doorstep and in her tower room. If she takes his deal, she might live, but what will she sacrifice in order to do it?

For years, Sandor has done everything he could to keep Aurelia far away from the king and the truth about his identity, but the second Aurelia stepped into the castle, it was all for nothing. Is the king truly so desperate to get out of debt, he’s willing to believe such nonsense as a girl who can spin straw into gold?

Aurelia is Sandor’s closest friend; if she was a witch, he would be the first to know… unless he’s not the only one keeping secrets.

Time is running out. The trap is springing shut. Sandor is the only one who can save Aurelia from the king… or so he thinks. Is the king the real threat, or is there something more sinister lurking in the shadows?

Stalks of Gold, a reimagining that combines Rumpelstiltskin and Rapunzel, is the first in the Bewitching Fairy Tales Series, a series of interconnected fairy tale retellings that are best enjoyed together but can be read separately. If you enjoy epic fairy tale retellings filled with clean romance, high-stakes adventure, and complex, compelling characters, download Stalks of Gold today!

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 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.

This review was written by Sara Lawson.

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How to Train Your Goblin King – Erin Vere

cjbrightley — Tue, 17 May 2022 15:50:00 +0000

https://amzn.to/3FH8FAL

How to Train Your Goblin King by Erin Vere

Floss is most definitely NOT marrying the Goblin King, even if it saves her a trip through the labyrinth.

Floss, an aspiring law student, has enough troubles to ruffle anyone’s bustle. Her school of choice won’t let her in because of her gender, her equal rights league is hopelessly ineffective, and there aren’t enough calming tonics in the world to stave off her panic attacks.

Now her niece is missing, the roguish Goblin King keeps proposing, and sinister forces threaten Floss’s city. She’ll have to brave a dangerous labyrinth and question everything she believes in to save not only her family, but an entire kingdom down below.

If only the Goblin King wasn’t quite so distracting, she might actually be able to do it.

If you like sensible heroines, ridiculously handsome heroes, fantasy creatures, and dreadful puns, you’ll love this romantic gaslamp romp by Erin Vere.

This was great! Fans of CJ Brightley and Suzannah Rowntree will enjoy this!

This is a retelling of the Labyrinth, with more gas lamp Victorian prose, a mermaid, a fight for justice for minorities and the fight to top a war between the Anglish and the Goblins. It was great. Hilarious, charming. Tongue in cheek humor and an imperfect heroine were all spot on. Floss is trying to become the first female Lawyer when he runs into a hunk of an elf. When her niece is stolen, she must then go through the labyrinth to recover her, but frankly, to grow herself and expand her perspectives. It was lovely! Highly recommend.

This guest post was written by Alora Carter.

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The Bird and the Sword – Amy Harmon

cjbrightley — Tue, 07 Sep 2021 17:41:00 +0000

The Bird and The Sword by Amy Harmon

Swallow, daughter, pull them in, those words that sit upon your lips. Lock them deep inside your soul, hide them ‘til they’ve time to grow. Close your mouth upon the power, curse not, cure not, ‘til the hour. You won’t speak and you won’t tell, you won’t call on heaven or hell. You will learn and you will thrive. Silence, daughter. Stay alive. The day my mother was killed, she told my father I wouldn’t speak again, and she told him if I died, he would die too. Then she predicted the king would sell his soul and lose his son to the sky. My father has a claim to the throne, and he is waiting in the shadows for all of my mother’s words to come to pass. He wants desperately to be king, and I just want to be free. But freedom will require escape, and I’m a prisoner of my mother’s curse and my father’s greed. I can’t speak or make a sound, and I can’t wield a sword or beguile a king. In a land purged of enchantment, love might be the only magic left, and who could ever love . . . a bird?

This one might be more noblebright-adjacent, but it’s worth mentioning.

Words have power.

If I had to describe The Bird and The Sword in three words, they would be ‘subtle’, ‘stunning’, and ‘beautiful’.

Yes, those last two are basically the same thing. The sentiment of the stunning beauty of this book is strong.Harmon has created a fascinating world where words are literally magic. The main character, Lark, can wield those words to make inanimate objects do what she wants—until her mother curses her to silence. The magic is simple, but unique, and it awed and delighted me throughout the whole story. Harmon did an amazing job of showing what it would be like to not be able to talk, how that would completely affect how Lark interacts with the world, and how the world interacts with her. She’s strong yet insecure, self-conscious yet uncaring what others think. It’s contradictory, but it works well, because it’s realistic. Every character felt the same—each was unique, complex, and so very real.

The romance is amazing—Lark and Tiras’ dynamic is a dance, and so much is left unsaid, but shown perfectly.

Harmon is an artist with the words; the prose flows like a river, gorgeous and smooth. And hints foreshadow so subtly that you don’t realize it until you reach the turn in the river that the hint warned you about. It is surprising yet inevitable, in the best way possible.

Lastly, I adore the title. “ ____ and ____ ” is a common formula for book titles, but usually they’re rather mundane and straight-forward. The Bird and The Sword is clever, because it’s more nuanced than you think when you first see it. And details like this abound in the story, making it just a gem—one I’ve been thinking about for days after finishing the last page.

Warnings/anxiety alert: Nothing super in depth, but some steam for those that care.Definitely much peril—there was a moment where I was certain all would NEVER BE WELL. But the ending was appropriately satisfying.

This review was written by Constance Lopez. Constance knows magic is real. Dragons, faeries… and don’t even get her started on unicorns. She grew up having epic duels in the woods with her siblings, and nature is still one of her favorite places to be. If she isn’t out there working on her stories, she’s dragging her children and husband on adventures (they always enjoy it once they’re outside). Except in summer. For those months she hides inside, because Texas heat is real and it hates her.

Books have always been her haven and inspiration, and now she writes her own noblebright stories, hoping to pass those feelings along to others. Fantasy, of course. Because everything is better with magic. Her debut YA fantasy will release in Spring 2021.

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The Lord of Dreams – C. J. Brightley

cjbrightley — Tue, 31 Aug 2021 17:22:00 +0000

The Lord of Dreams by C. J. Brightley

When a fairy king grants a human wish, there’s more at stake than dreams.

Claire Delaney has a good life, despite her adolescent angst. But she wants more. In a moment of frustration, she wishes to be “the hero.”
What she actually wants is to be the center of attention, but what she gets is a terrifying Fae king demanding that she rescue an imprisoned fairy, facing fantastical dangers and hardships she could not have imagined.
Yet the dreams–and the rescue–are only the beginning of her journey. She is at the center of the king’s audacious gamble to end the war that has raged in Faerie for half a century.

The Lord of Dreams follows Claire—she wishes to be a hero, to be noticed, and when that wish is granted by a Fae king, Claire is thrown into an adventure she is woefully unprepared for.

This story is like a puzzle. With each chapter, we are given one more puzzle piece, gain another part of the larger picture. At first we understand very little, but it unfolds, slowly, naturally, until we see everything. It’s subtle and clever and I enjoyed it immensely.

Brightley really has a way with fae, and just like every other story by her I’ve read with them, the fae and their world and their magic shine here too.I loved watching Claire go from selfish and afraid at the beginning of the story to selfless and brave at the end. It was a gradual, subtle shift, and it really was beautiful to watch.

And the fae king. He is a fascinating character to peel back, layer after layer. His hair made me chuckle every time it was mentioned. He’s enigmatic and definitely a little crazy and I loved every moment of it.Like the rest of the story, the romance was subtle and gradual, and it ends with a great HEA.

I highly recommend this story. I hope Brightley writes more about Claire and the fae world one day.

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Before Beauty – Brittany Fichter

cjbrightley — Tue, 18 Aug 2020 17:00:00 +0000

Before Beauty by Brittany Fichter

Can an accursed prince and a broken beauty move beyond their hatred for one another, not only to break the curse and save their kingdom, but to find love as well?
Prince Everard’s father spent the boy’s youth forging the prince into a warrior. Upon the king’s death, however, Everard realizes he’s lost himself somewhere along the way, and in his pain, makes a decision that brings a dark curse upon both him and the great Fortress that has so long guarded the people of Destin.
The prince’s sin doesn’t simply affect those of his citadel, however. Isa, the daughter of a local merchant, has suffered the prince’s hasty temper before, and it changed her life forever. When Everard’s final outburst cuts off his people’s source of protection with the curse, he demands that she, a crippled commoner, come to help him break it. All the while, Destin’s northern enemy crouches at the foot of the Fortress’s mountain, waiting for the right moment to capture the stronghold that has stood for a thousand years.
Can Ever and Isa move past their brokenness to save Destin together, or will they and their beloved kingdom remain under darkness forever?
Buy Before Beauty today to escape into the world of The Becoming Beauty Trilogy, as well as the Classical Kingdoms Collection, a series of fairy tale retellings for grownups who still believe in sacrifice, true love, and the magic of happily-ever-afters. Even though Before Beauty is an introduction to both series, it can be read as a stand-alone as well.

Princess Nevina’s army threatens the kingdom of Destin putting immense pressure on its prince. Prince Ever, who once cared for his people, grew distant from them and blamed the weak for his problems. Against the advice of his councilors, Ever issues a death sentence against those he views as a detriment to the strength of his kingdom. In return, the Maker’s Fortress of Light withdraws its protection of the Kingdom of Destin and curses Ever.

In the meantime, a chance encounter with a merchant leads the crippled Isa to Ever’s door, forcing him to confront the person he accidentally injured years ago…

“The surprise and loathing on his face was so intense that Isa would have wilted under it, had she not been already battling similar feelings of her own.”

Now to survive, Isa must find a way to break the curse that is slowly killing the person she loathes, in spite of having of no idea what to do.

This spirited and delightful story, loosely based on the tale we all know, introduces us to heartache and hope, joy and pain, drama, suspense and the choices we all must make between good and evil. I found the main characters well developed, and they grew on me as I read. I found Ever and Isa an improvement on the classical characters, since they are more flawed and relatable. Some of the secondary characters were quite interesting. Garin was my favorite, but he would have benefited from a little more development. I would also like to have learned more about some of the other secondary characters.

While there are one or two references to a Maker, there is no overtly religious content, making it an enjoyable read for both non-Christians and Christians. There is a limited amount of fantasy violence, but it is not glorified or frequent so if you are looking for pages of detailed magical battles and gore then this book is probably not for you.

While Ever and Isa are at times heart sick, prideful, foolish and prone to misunderstanding, yet they still hope and care. Join them as they confront the terror of the dark forces arrayed against them … and the darkness and light in their own hearts

I found it quite an enjoyable read. I wholeheartedly recommend it for spiritual fantasy lovers, ages 12 and up.

Themes of good and evil, spiritual fantasy, mild romance and drama
Genre: YA fantasy / Drama
Heat: Some light kissing
Cursing and Profanity: None Violence: There is limited fantasy fighting, but battle detail is sparse and only as needed.

Dave Joutras wrote stories when he was a teen, made up worlds when he was in college, told cliffhangers to his kids at the bus stop, and hasn’t stopped creating new tales at any point in between or since. A devoted Christian, husband, and father of four, Dave loves Kindle Unlimited and all of his published novels can be found there including the Christian inspired fantasy series: The Mole Chronicles , the supernatural Meaghan’s Angel and the superhero series Brother’s Keepers. Some of his favorite authors are Ian Rodgers, Fred Faller, and Marc Secchia.

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Goldmayne – Kate Stradling

cjbrightley — Tue, 05 Jun 2018 17:00:00 +0000

Goldmayne – Kate Stradling

Evil witches, cursed royalty, heroes by happenstance, and happily ever after: Duncan does not believe in fairy tales, but when he runs away from his father’s farm, he tumbles headlong into one. Old Dame Groach recruits him as caretaker of her crumbling estate, where he must tend her poisonous garden, beat her white horse daily, and keep far away from the mysterious closet beneath the stairs… and that’s only the start of his fantastical troubles! A retelling and shameless embellishment of the French-Canadian folk tales, “Scurvyhead” and “Sir Goldenhair.”

This is the third book I’ve read by this author, and, unusually, I read them one after another. (The two Ruses books were the first two.) That argues that I enjoy her writing, and indeed I do.

It also makes me aware of patterns, though. The fact that all the characters hum when they’re ambivalent about something. The habit of putting in an unnecessary comma after “Then” when it’s the first word in a sentence. Spelling “altogether” as “all together”. The occasional incorrect choice of vocabulary words (such as “courtesan” for “courtier” here – those are two very different occupations, or so one would hope). And two much larger flaws: passive main characters, and arrogant, annoying love interests.

It’s a sound rule of thumb in writing that the viewpoint character should be the one who has the most at stake, the one who’s most motivated and driven to solve the story problem, the one who’s working hardest and sacrificing most, and often the one who’s most competent to bring about a resolution. In all three of these books, though, the viewpoint character is not these things. They’re resistant to taking action, not just at first, but almost throughout; they often have to be bullied into action by the arrogant, annoying love interest – and also, in the case of this book, by the talking animal sidekick, who is smarter and more capable than the theoretical hero, and for most of the book has more at stake.

The arrogant, annoying love interest is a trope of the romance genre, and one I’ve never liked. It’s hard to identify with a character who’s attracted to someone who I, in real life, would find extremely irritating and not especially attractive. It’s also harder to identify with a character who’s passive and not the one who takes decisive, effective action at key moments in the story.

I don’t mind books that are written to a formula if it’s a formula I like. If the formula has elements I don’t like, it’s usually a problem.

And yet I do enjoy these books. What would usually be fatal flaws are still drawbacks, to be sure, but not dealbreakers. I think this is because the books mostly read smoothly; the main characters, while often passive, are genuinely good-hearted; and there’s a good amount of tension that ebbs and flows as it should.

I don’t know that I’ll read any more of these for a while. But this is an author I probably will come back to when I’m in the right mood.

This book review is by Mike Reeves-McMillan and originally appeared on Goodreads.. Mike writes the Gryphon Clerks novels, a series featuring heroic civil servants and engineers doing their best in a difficult world; the Auckland Allies contemporary urban fantasy series, about underpowered magical practitioners stepping up to defend their city when nobody else will; and the Hand of the Trickster sword-and-sorcery series, in which a servant of the trickster god exalts the humble and humbles the exalted. His short stories have appeared in a number of professional and semiprofessional venues, including the Terry Pratchett tribute anthology In Memory.

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Kingdom of Ruses – Kate Stradling

cjbrightley — Tue, 30 Jan 2018 18:50:00 +0000

Kingdom of Ruses – Kate Stradling

Viola Moreland’s life is a well-orchestrated lie. For generations her family has fabricated the existence of the Eternal Prince, a mysterious and powerful protector who watches over the small kingdom of Lenore. This practiced deception cracks, however, when a nameless stranger stumbles across the truth and promptly assumes the Prince’s identity. Unable to produce the genuine figurehead, the Moreland family—and Viola in particular—must cater to the impostor’s whims or risk having the web of carefully constructed ruses crumble to pieces.

Of course, as with any good lie, nothing really is as it seems. Contrary to Viola’s desires, this false Prince with his cryptic agenda may well be the only thing that stands between the true magic of Lenore and certain destruction.

An entertaining, light fantasy romance, with the romance as a strong B plot rather than the main event.

Suffers a little from a common drawback of romance (the male lead is actually arrogant and annoying, which makes it harder to believe that the pragmatic, capable heroine falls for him), and the heroine has to be rescued, but apart from that it holds together well. The fate of the kingdom is at stake, an extraordinarily long con is potentially about to be exposed, and in general a challenging time is had by all. I liked and admired most of the characters (apart from the villains, of course), and the central characters, in particular, ended up having some depth to them.

This book review is by Mike Reeves-McMillan and originally appeared on Goodreads. Mike writes the Gryphon Clerks novels, a series featuring heroic civil servants and engineers doing their best in a difficult world; the Auckland Allies contemporary urban fantasy series, about underpowered magical practitioners stepping up to defend their city when nobody else will; and the Hand of the Trickster sword-and-sorcery series, in which a servant of the trickster god exalts the humble and humbles the exalted. His short stories have appeared in a number of professional and semiprofessional venues, including the Terry Pratchett tribute anthology In Memory.

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Masque – W.R. Gingell

cjbrightley — Tue, 06 Jun 2017 18:27:02 +0000

Masque by W.R. Gingell – I loved this. Seriously loved it. It’s classed as dark fantasy on Amazon, but don’t be turned off if you’re not into “dark”… most of the characters are absolutely charming and the world is far from grimdark. It’s “dark” because there is indeed bloody murder; the reader doesn’t have to wallow in the darkness, but it’s definitely on the page. But it’s so much fun! The interactions between Isabella and Lord Pecus reminded me of Beatrice and Benedick in Much Ado About Nothing – teasing, poking, prodding, irritating, infuriating each other while falling in love. Even though you know the ending, you’ll enjoy every minute of the journey there. It’s free on Amazon, too.

“…an inventive and funny mystery with a dynamic lead, which will make you want to pick up the next book in the series.” Self-Publishing Review, 4½ Stars

Beauty met the Beast and there was . . . Bloody murder?

It’s the Annual Ambassadorial Ball in Glause, and Lady Isabella Farrah, the daughter of New Civet’s Ambassador, is feeling pleasantly scintillated.

In the library is Lord Pecus, a charming gentleman whose double mask hides a beastly face, and who has decided that Isabella is the very person to break the Pecus curse.

In the ball-room is young Lord Topher, who is rapidly falling in love with an older woman.

And in the card-room, lying in a pool of his own blood, is the body of one of Isabella’s oldest friends: Raoul, Civet’s Head Guardsman. The papers sewn into his sash seem to suggest espionage gone wrong, but Isabella is not so certain.

Lord Pecus, as Commander of the Watch, is of the opinion that Isabella should keep out of the investigation and out of danger. Isabella is of the opinion that it is her murder to investigate, and that what a certain Beast-Lord doesn’t know won’t hurt him. . . .

Will Isabella find the murderer before Lord Pecus does, or will she end her investigation as a bloody spatter on the parlour floor?

This book review originally appeared on C. J. Brightley’s blog.

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The Bone Knife – Intisar Khanani

cjbrightley — Tue, 30 May 2017 20:05:00 +0000

The Bone Knife by Intisar Khanani

Rae knows how to look out for family. Born with a deformed foot, she feigns indifference to the pity and insults that come her way, learning to be wary of all things beautiful. So Rae instantly distrusts their latest visitor: an appallingly attractive faerie whose mere presence imperils the secret her sister guards. But when the local townspeople show up demanding his blood, Rae must find a way to protect both her sister’s secret and their guest. Even if that means risking herself.

This was actually the first of Khanani’s stories that I read – it’s free on Amazon (as of this writing). I’m always intrigued to see how other authors treat faerie, and I was not disappointed. Khanani’s faerie is alien, dangerous, and unpredictable, and the world is richer for it. This is a short story.

This book review originally appeared on C. J. Brightley’s blog.

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Spindle – W.R. Gingell

cjbrightley — Thu, 18 May 2017 16:30:40 +0000

Spindle by W.R. Gingell – I have discovered another favorite indie author. This was the first book I read by Gingell, and it’s a retelling of Sleeping Beauty. That was never my favorite fairytale, and I haven’t really jumped into the fairytale retelling trend anyway. But I decided to take a chance, and I’m so glad I did. This book seemed to start off a little slowly; my initial thought was that Gingell took a while to find her stride with the story, but in retrospect I think it was more a result of the narrator’s personality and the curse/situation than a writing issue. Nevertheless, be forewarned… it doesn’t start out with grab-you-by-the-throat tension, but rather with funny interactions and some not-entirely-urgent story questions. Just go with it and enjoy the ride. Also, if you’re a Whovian, you’ll find that Luck may seem irritatingly and endearingly familiar.

“A roller-coaster ride of creative and fantastic fairy tale retelling! I think I just found a new favourite author!” -Wishful Endings Book Blog

She’s not a princess . . . but then, he’s no prince.

Polyhymnia is deep in enchanted sleep. High in a tower, behind an impenetrable barrier of magical thorns, she sleeps, dreams, and falls ever deeper into her curse.

Woken by a kiss, Poly finds herself in an alien world where three hundred years have passed and everyone she has ever known is dead. Luck, the enchanter who woke her, seems to think she is the princess. Understandable, since he found her asleep on the princess’ bed, in the royal suite, and dressed in the princess’ clothes.

Who cursed Poly? Why is someone trying to kill her and Luck? Why can’t she stop falling asleep?

And why does her hair keep growing?

Sometimes breaking the curse is just the beginning of the journey.

This book review originally appeared on C. J. Brightley’s blog.

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