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4.5 AVERAGE
4.5 AVERAGE
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
adventurous
emotional
funny
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Rapunzels Gambit is an absolute masterpiece! The characters were beyond lovable, the world building was excellent, and the unexpected plot twists are the epitome of perfection. I thoroughly enjoyed the banter and humor between the two love interests, and how naturally their relationship progressed. If you crave a morally grey heroine, dragons, and strong tension with no spice involved, then this is the book for you!
P.s. I think Rapunzel may need a cooties shot from all of the boys she kissed 😂 -sincerely a germaphobe
adventurous
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Very fun book!
adventurous
emotional
funny
inspiring
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
When the kingdom is tormented by a dragon the king offers his daughter’s hand in marriage to any noble man who kills it. The princess doesn't appriciate her father’s solution; she doesn't want to get married to some greedy and power-hungry man. Instead she stages her own kidnapping and forms a bargain with the dragon. Together they plot a scheme to make them both rich beyond their wildest dreams.
"Some princesses would rather be the villain than the damsel in distress."
Princess Rapunzel is snarky and enjoys teasing and flirting. We get her POV throughout the book, so it's easy to understand her behavior. Griffin, a squire, wants nothing more than to save Rapunzel from the dragon, and he's very different from the cocky and confident knights, which draws Rapunzel's interest. My favorite character is Pollox, the dragon. At first glance he's big and terrifying, but maybe not as ruthless as his reputation. Without revealing too much I can say that all three have more than one side...
The banter between Rapunzel and Pollox is often funny, but a rescue attempt by a knight had me laughing out loud! There are a couple of twists in the later part of the story; one I saw coming, the other took me by surprise. Sometimes I found the pacing a bit slow, but the ending was very satisfying!
To conclude I will say that chess isn't my kind of game, but I still appriciated the chess matches we got to experience, and other references to the game. Mecham has her son Ryan to thank for the chess inspiration, since he's a talanted player.
* I received an ARC from the author and I'm giving my honest review. *
"Some princesses would rather be the villain than the damsel in distress."
Princess Rapunzel is snarky and enjoys teasing and flirting. We get her POV throughout the book, so it's easy to understand her behavior. Griffin, a squire, wants nothing more than to save Rapunzel from the dragon, and he's very different from the cocky and confident knights, which draws Rapunzel's interest. My favorite character is Pollox, the dragon. At first glance he's big and terrifying, but maybe not as ruthless as his reputation. Without revealing too much I can say that all three have more than one side...
The banter between Rapunzel and Pollox is often funny, but a rescue attempt by a knight had me laughing out loud! There are a couple of twists in the later part of the story; one I saw coming, the other took me by surprise. Sometimes I found the pacing a bit slow, but the ending was very satisfying!
To conclude I will say that chess isn't my kind of game, but I still appriciated the chess matches we got to experience, and other references to the game. Mecham has her son Ryan to thank for the chess inspiration, since he's a talanted player.
* I received an ARC from the author and I'm giving my honest review. *
adventurous
funny
tense
fast-paced
adventurous
funny
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Thank you to the author for my gifted copy. All opinions are my own.
This is the book about a dragon I didn’t know I needed in my life. I devoured this book up. The characters are so well written and developed! I loved Pollox for so many reasons! The banter/wit is top notch! The plot was engaging and entertaining on so many levels! The ending was so satisfying. Do yourself a favor and read this book today!
This is the book about a dragon I didn’t know I needed in my life. I devoured this book up. The characters are so well written and developed! I loved Pollox for so many reasons! The banter/wit is top notch! The plot was engaging and entertaining on so many levels! The ending was so satisfying. Do yourself a favor and read this book today!
adventurous
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I’m so grateful to have received this ARC and be part of sharing this new release! This book just published on 5/24/2025 and it is one you won’t want to miss!
This is the perfect no-spice book for readers who love:
✨ Snarky dragon sidekicks
✨Diabolical princesses who kidnap themselves
✨Swoony chess champion squires
✨Villain vibes
✨Con artists and swindles
I really have to admit it took me a good beat to get into this one. (I do think that was me though because I was reading slumping with everything I picked up lately) That being said, once I hit 25% things definitely picked up in the plot and I finished the book very quickly! (Like one sitting, stayed up way too late to finish it quickly) It’s a true YA read, so if you’re in that age group or generally enjoy reading YA, it’s great! The snarky dragon is a hoot and definitely stole the show for me (I’m seeing a trend in dragons stealing the show for me in books, not sure what that says about me but… it is definitely becoming a thing). I loved Rapunzel’s character growth and the plot twists were surprising, I definitely didn’t see them coming!
💖 no spice, but plenty of swoon
🤭 in-world slurs, no explicit language
“I was struck again by the irony that I was doing more for my people as a supposedly imprisoned outcast than I ever had done for them as a princess.”
“Men were far more dangerous, and far more stupid, than dragons.”
adventurous
challenging
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Rapunzel’s Gambit is exactly what fairy tale retellings aspire to be. This retelling was the perfect balance between staying true to the original tale and originality. Rapunzel is imprisoned in a tower - but not the way the tale usually goes. We get a dragon and a runaway princess teaming up, blood curses, rescue attempts aplenty, and a parental redemption arc, all in one delightful novel.
Rapunzel’s character development is so well written. She’s both relatable (especially when you consider her age) and also exasperating, and it makes her such an engaging protagonist. Griffin and Pollox are both really fascinating too; both have layers upon layers to their character, with many unexpected aspects. The plot is incredibly well planned and the details and twists are fascinating; I can’t say more without spoilers or I’d be more detailed!
This is the first of Mecham’s books for me, and I’m incredibly excited to devour the others! I love a well done, unique fairytale retelling and Rapunzel’s Gambit shows that she is exactly my kind of author. I expected to enjoy this book, but was a bit blown away by how much I did!
Highly recommend! Thank you to the author for the ARC; all opinions are my own.
Rapunzel’s character development is so well written. She’s both relatable (especially when you consider her age) and also exasperating, and it makes her such an engaging protagonist. Griffin and Pollox are both really fascinating too; both have layers upon layers to their character, with many unexpected aspects. The plot is incredibly well planned and the details and twists are fascinating; I can’t say more without spoilers or I’d be more detailed!
This is the first of Mecham’s books for me, and I’m incredibly excited to devour the others! I love a well done, unique fairytale retelling and Rapunzel’s Gambit shows that she is exactly my kind of author. I expected to enjoy this book, but was a bit blown away by how much I did!
Highly recommend! Thank you to the author for the ARC; all opinions are my own.
challenging
funny
fast-paced
Reader’s Notes:
– this is part of a series, but meant to be read as a stand-alone
*this book is set in the same world as Assassin of Fire and Sacrifice, but that book doesn’t need to be read to enjoy this one (no cross over characters ‘seen’, only mentioned once in passing)
– this is told from Rapunzel’s point of view
Review:
*Gasp* This is so good and there is so much to say on the storyline, but not enough of it would be spoiler free! 🫣 So…
I loved this version of Rapunzel! I loved her trickster ways and how well others fell for it! 😂 Pollux (the dragon) was a phenomenal coconspirator and I had a lot of fun getting to know him. I also loved the brilliant mind Griffin had and how even Rapunzel was impressed by his intellect! There were so many little twists to this story that made it so good and I can’t wait for Mary’s next release! 😍
Summary:
Rapunzel has had it with being a pawn in her father’s reign. And being offered as a prize for whoever slays the dragon plaguing their kingdom is the last straw. Rather than allow her fate to be in the hands of others, Rapunzel is going to take hold of it herself. Her plan: she’ll pretend to be kidnapped by the dragon and join forces with it to swindle anyone who might try to save her. The only light beyond her scheme comes in the form of Griffin, a brilliant squire who challenges Rapunzel at every turn. Such a different man from the knights he serves and have tried to save her from the tower.
But being on uneven footing with her dragon coconspirator and the dwindling time to extend their robbery before interest is lost has Rapunzel’s wondering if she’s made the right decisions. Pulled in multiple directions, Rapunzel must decide how long she’ll keep up her ruse and what she’ll do when things are said and done…