Saturday, August 23, 2008

Expectations

I find when I go into a book with certain expectations, I'm generally let down. Lately I've read wonderful reviews for Elizabeth Bunce's A Curse Dark As Gold--a YA fantasy. Supposedly it's a retelling of Rumpelstiltskin...and it is, in a way.

What a lovely cover. The book also had a pretty font--the same one that Libba Bray's trilogy used (I could go look it up but the book is across the room and while I love fonts, I don't care enough to tell you the name of it).

The story doesn't follow the tale of Rumpelstiltskin...there's no king and no girl locked away. I really wanted to read a retelling/revisioning of that plot...but this book takes elements of that story and kind of makes it into a retelling...

There is a mysterious weaver named Jack Spinner who offers his aid to Charlotte and Rosie Miller, two sisters. The Miller girls take over their family's mill after their father dies. The mill is rundown and the girls are constantly fighting overwhelming debt. Although Charlotte doesn't want to deal with magic, she must; eventually she realizes there is a curse on the mill. She is then forced to determine what she will sacrifice in order to save the mill--and the people who work there.

There's also some romance--but Charlotte was so annoying in that relationship (seriously girl, just open up and tell him about your troubles!) that it didn't do much for me. Most of the secondary characters were interesting and decently developed.

This story had so much potential. I'm not sure if it was my mood or the book itself, but I never become fully engaged in the story. Still, it was well written. And I really did like the book's font (it had little diamonds for periods!). I'm just going to rate it for myself.

Rating: 7/10

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