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3.94 AVERAGE
3.94 AVERAGE
There really is just something about this series that grabs me and won't let go. I love the fairy tale retellings (I'm a sucker for retellings) and I really enjoy the medieval setting. I love watching the stories of this family unfold. The Golden Braid retells the story of Rapunzel (in fact, that name is still used for the main female character). It is somewhat predictable, but that is the whole point of a retelling so it doesn't bother me a bit. The writing style to me flows well and is easy to read, which helps to make it enjoyable since I'm not having to dig through intricate language all the time.
The ending is just two thumbs up. Obviously I can't tell you because that would result in some huge spoilers, but the way this story ends helps to make this book one of my favorite in the series. Also, Sir Gerek is total heart throb material. Seriously, read it. Even on my second read through knowing most of the twists and turns, it's still great.
The ending is just two thumbs up. Obviously I can't tell you because that would result in some huge spoilers, but the way this story ends helps to make this book one of my favorite in the series. Also, Sir Gerek is total heart throb material. Seriously, read it. Even on my second read through knowing most of the twists and turns, it's still great.
Grade: C-
An e-galley was provided by Thomas Nelson via NetGalley in exchange for review consideration.
The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly: Tangled is one of my favorite Disney movies ever, so I'm always interested in Rapunzel retellings. I've also enjoyed Melanie Dickerson's past books, so it was a given that I would read The Golden Braid. Unfortunately, I didn't enjoy it nearly as much as The Healer's Apprentice or The Merchant's Daughter.
The writing was not nearly as smooth as it could've been. It felt fairly basic for a YA/NA story. There was a lot of telling and not showing. Also, everything seemed too easy for Rapunzel and Gerek. I knew they were going to emerge unscathed. There was also a plot twist that I predicted only a third of the way into the book that turned out to be right.
The Golden Braid is set at the same time as The Princess Spy, and a lot of the events overlap so Ms. Dickerson did a lot of summarizing in this novel. I found that boring and awkward. Honestly, I think the story would've been better had it been set later than the events of The Princess Spy.
And if I'm being honest, I didn't really ship the relationship. Like, in Melanie's first three books, I really wanted the couple to end up together. But I honestly didn't care if Rapunzel and Gerek were endgame (which, I knew they would be).
The Verdict: I feel pretty meh about this one.
An e-galley was provided by Thomas Nelson via NetGalley in exchange for review consideration.
The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly: Tangled is one of my favorite Disney movies ever, so I'm always interested in Rapunzel retellings. I've also enjoyed Melanie Dickerson's past books, so it was a given that I would read The Golden Braid. Unfortunately, I didn't enjoy it nearly as much as The Healer's Apprentice or The Merchant's Daughter.
The writing was not nearly as smooth as it could've been. It felt fairly basic for a YA/NA story. There was a lot of telling and not showing. Also, everything seemed too easy for Rapunzel and Gerek. I knew they were going to emerge unscathed. There was also a plot twist that I predicted only a third of the way into the book that turned out to be right.
The Golden Braid is set at the same time as The Princess Spy, and a lot of the events overlap so Ms. Dickerson did a lot of summarizing in this novel. I found that boring and awkward. Honestly, I think the story would've been better had it been set later than the events of The Princess Spy.
And if I'm being honest, I didn't really ship the relationship. Like, in Melanie's first three books, I really wanted the couple to end up together. But I honestly didn't care if Rapunzel and Gerek were endgame (which, I knew they would be).
The Verdict: I feel pretty meh about this one.
After [b:Bitter Greens|19286545|Bitter Greens|Kate Forsyth|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1405301042s/19286545.jpg|18274399], I needed a lighter retelling of Rapunzel and this fits the bill so well. Rapunzel is a very capable girl especially noting the medieval setting. She hungered for knowledge though she’s yet to learn to read. She hasn’t had the opportunity so far because she and her mother have moved many times but mostly from village to village. This time, however, they are moving to a large city where Rapunzel hopes there will be a better chance in finding someone to teach her to read.
I don’t usually read Christian fiction and I’m not sure whether I realised this was one when I first requested it off NetGalley but it has been a very interesting experience. Whilst I quite enjoyed the read and am touched by Rapunzel’s simple piety; I was mostly struck by the frequency of prayers. This is probably due to my irregular prayers so really, this proves to be a good encouragement for me to pray more often.
The Golden Braid is a lovely retelling of Rapunzel. She’s definitely not an insipid fool but brave, accomplished, and fairly intelligent. There were moments of frustration where I thought she was blind but truly, her upbringing was very sheltered and it takes time to learn of the world. This is a good wholesome and romantic novel suitable for teens aged 13 and up.
Thanks Thomas Nelson for eARC via NetGalley in exchange of honest review
I don’t usually read Christian fiction and I’m not sure whether I realised this was one when I first requested it off NetGalley but it has been a very interesting experience. Whilst I quite enjoyed the read and am touched by Rapunzel’s simple piety; I was mostly struck by the frequency of prayers. This is probably due to my irregular prayers so really, this proves to be a good encouragement for me to pray more often.
The Golden Braid is a lovely retelling of Rapunzel. She’s definitely not an insipid fool but brave, accomplished, and fairly intelligent. There were moments of frustration where I thought she was blind but truly, her upbringing was very sheltered and it takes time to learn of the world. This is a good wholesome and romantic novel suitable for teens aged 13 and up.
Thanks Thomas Nelson for eARC via NetGalley in exchange of honest review
adventurous
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
A large portion of the book was dull and the writing remains stilted. But there was more depth to the characters than usual for Dickerson, and the ending had good parts.
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The Golden Braid brings to life an interesting re-telling of Rapunzel with a Christian twist that fits well with the characters and themes we already enjoy in the world of Hagenheim, and tacks on another good moral for the readers to mull over.
Set partially concurrently with the events of the previous book in this series, The Princess Spy, the next installment in Dickerson's Hagenheim books met all the expectations that I've come to have for her and her novels. Rapunzel, with her name actually sticking to Rapunzel oddly enough, was a very shy girl sheltered from the world by an overbearing mother who could be seen right from the beginning to have more than one side than the one she showed her daughter. She was afraid of all men for fear of becoming entrapped in their lies and being left alone to take care of a babe out of wedlock.
The comes along the hero of the story, Sir Gerek, who is actually quite arrogant. I didn't think he'd be as prideful as the synopsis depicted him, but he set on marrying a wealthy widow just to prove to himself that he can and does deserve such riches. His interactions with Rapunzel initially didn't capture too much of my intention as the pace was slow around this point.
It wasn't until more towards the middle of the book that everything picks up more. We see how the storyline with Margaretha from the previous novel intersects with Rapunzel's story, and the aftermath of those events in her POV. I rather enjoyed the character development, particularly in Sir Gerek. It was humbling to see the two of them learn to put the other first, and above all, God at the top. The big "plot twist", although it might not have been meant to be such a surprise, was very predictable. As soon as both points were mentioned in the book, you'd so easily connect the dots way before anyone else does, especially if you know the story of Rapunzel well.
Although predictable and occasionally slow, The Golden Braid is another example of combining Christian elements with a fairy tale we find very familiar. Dickerson continues to write in a manner that's consistent with my expectations, but maybe one of these days, I hope to be surprised by her to bring up a rating.
Overall Recommendation:
The Golden Braid brings readers a re-telling of Rapunzel in the land of Hagenheim. With wonderful continuity with the previous novels of the series, Rapunzel's story fits extremely well with what happened in an earlier novel. Rapunzel and Sir Gerek's character development turned them from slightly irritating people to stronger people with better goals in life. Fitting with my expectations from Dickerson these days, I found myself mildly entertained by the book as it's not meant to be unpredictable but rather a pleasantly familiar journey to walk through on a lazy afternoon (or night).
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For more of my reviews, check out Down the Rabbit Hole:
The Golden Braid brings to life an interesting re-telling of Rapunzel with a Christian twist that fits well with the characters and themes we already enjoy in the world of Hagenheim, and tacks on another good moral for the readers to mull over.
Set partially concurrently with the events of the previous book in this series, The Princess Spy, the next installment in Dickerson's Hagenheim books met all the expectations that I've come to have for her and her novels. Rapunzel, with her name actually sticking to Rapunzel oddly enough, was a very shy girl sheltered from the world by an overbearing mother who could be seen right from the beginning to have more than one side than the one she showed her daughter. She was afraid of all men for fear of becoming entrapped in their lies and being left alone to take care of a babe out of wedlock.
The comes along the hero of the story, Sir Gerek, who is actually quite arrogant. I didn't think he'd be as prideful as the synopsis depicted him, but he set on marrying a wealthy widow just to prove to himself that he can and does deserve such riches. His interactions with Rapunzel initially didn't capture too much of my intention as the pace was slow around this point.
It wasn't until more towards the middle of the book that everything picks up more. We see how the storyline with Margaretha from the previous novel intersects with Rapunzel's story, and the aftermath of those events in her POV. I rather enjoyed the character development, particularly in Sir Gerek. It was humbling to see the two of them learn to put the other first, and above all, God at the top. The big "plot twist", although it might not have been meant to be such a surprise, was very predictable. As soon as both points were mentioned in the book, you'd so easily connect the dots way before anyone else does, especially if you know the story of Rapunzel well.
Although predictable and occasionally slow, The Golden Braid is another example of combining Christian elements with a fairy tale we find very familiar. Dickerson continues to write in a manner that's consistent with my expectations, but maybe one of these days, I hope to be surprised by her to bring up a rating.
Overall Recommendation:
The Golden Braid brings readers a re-telling of Rapunzel in the land of Hagenheim. With wonderful continuity with the previous novels of the series, Rapunzel's story fits extremely well with what happened in an earlier novel. Rapunzel and Sir Gerek's character development turned them from slightly irritating people to stronger people with better goals in life. Fitting with my expectations from Dickerson these days, I found myself mildly entertained by the book as it's not meant to be unpredictable but rather a pleasantly familiar journey to walk through on a lazy afternoon (or night).
---------------------------------------------------------
For more of my reviews, check out Down the Rabbit Hole:
Be ready to be wrapped back up in your childhood. Reading this reminded me of being a kid and listening to fairytales. Such a page turner and an awesome retelling of one of my favorite fairytales.
I was so excited when I received this in the mail! The cover most certainly drew me in first. It is beautiful and makes you want to read it. I must admit I don't normally read YA fiction because it is most always fantasy/dystopian/sci-fi which I don't enjoy at all. This however was very different from that. Melanie takes you on a journey in a story you think you already know and then all of the sudden it's a brand new story that you don't want to stop reading. I loved how she took a well loved story and added her own spin to it without taking away from the original feel of it. My favorite part of this book is the spiritual element that was added. It makes me want to share these fairytales with my daughters because I can show them how even their favorite princesses could have loved God and served him!
I feel like this book is great for most ages starting around 11 or 12, I plan on sharing it with my 10 year old who is mature for her age. The romance element is sweet and not very strong. There are no inappropriate scenes or scenes that take the romance too far. It is mentioned that men are evil and only want certain things and will then leave you alone, but those things are not discussed in great detail. I very much enjoyed this book and can't wait to read more by Melanie.
Thank you to the Fiction Guild for the opportunity to review this book. A positive review was not required.
I was so excited when I received this in the mail! The cover most certainly drew me in first. It is beautiful and makes you want to read it. I must admit I don't normally read YA fiction because it is most always fantasy/dystopian/sci-fi which I don't enjoy at all. This however was very different from that. Melanie takes you on a journey in a story you think you already know and then all of the sudden it's a brand new story that you don't want to stop reading. I loved how she took a well loved story and added her own spin to it without taking away from the original feel of it. My favorite part of this book is the spiritual element that was added. It makes me want to share these fairytales with my daughters because I can show them how even their favorite princesses could have loved God and served him!
I feel like this book is great for most ages starting around 11 or 12, I plan on sharing it with my 10 year old who is mature for her age. The romance element is sweet and not very strong. There are no inappropriate scenes or scenes that take the romance too far. It is mentioned that men are evil and only want certain things and will then leave you alone, but those things are not discussed in great detail. I very much enjoyed this book and can't wait to read more by Melanie.
Thank you to the Fiction Guild for the opportunity to review this book. A positive review was not required.
Overall I really enjoyed this book. I haven't read a lot of Rapunzel adaptations, so this was a lot of fun to see how the author used the original fairytale. I liked Rapunzel's character development and the way her views changed on her relationship with her 'mother'. The reason the story only got 4 stars is because I felt like the last quarter of the book got a little heavy-handed with the Christianity. The monastery at the beginning, perfectly believable for a medieval setting. The vision and divine guidance at the end, not as much. All in all though, I look forward to reading more of her fairytale adaptations.
This is such a fun read. Once I got into it, which took a few chapters, I couldn't stop reading! This is such a fun story, especially for those of us who still love those fairy tales. I have a thing for them. :) Rapunzel is a great character. She is a curious girl and isn't a wimpy female protagonist. She does rely on a man to save her a few times, but she also is able to take care of herself. She is a well developed character and I loved that about her! However, her well developed character also meant there were lots of details in the book. I know there are a lot of people who love the details, I am not one of them, so sometimes I'd skip paragraphs to move the story along. This isn't necessarily a bad thing for some, for me, it was. I loved the research that went into the history of this time period. I could tell there was quite a bit done in it... the food, the homes, the traditions... it was all there. I would recommend this book.
To see full review, go here: http://smithlinda60ls.wixsite.com/lrrsmith/single-post/2016/08/12/Book-Review-The-Golden-Braid
To see full review, go here: http://smithlinda60ls.wixsite.com/lrrsmith/single-post/2016/08/12/Book-Review-The-Golden-Braid