The Princess Pact: A Twist on Rumplestiltskin by Melanie Cellier
Fairy Tale. 259 Pages. 5 Stars
Synopsis:
Spinning straw into gold was only the beginning of the story…
Marie, the dutiful princess of Northhelm, chafes under the rigid protocol that governs her life. Then a growing darkness threatens the kingdom and uncovers the lie at the centre of her whole life – a single pact that changes everything.
Throwing off convention, she joins Rafe, a handsome, charming newcomer, on a quest to save her kingdom. Except he doesn’t know she has a mission of her own – to discover the truth about her identity. Increasingly drawn to Rafe’s strength and good humour, Marie is torn by her double purpose. With time running out and death and destruction looming, Marie will have to unravel the bargains that surround her and choose where her true allegiance lies.
In this twist on the classic fairy tale, Rumpelstiltskin, a hidden identity is just one of the things Marie will have to unravel.
My Review:
Y’all, I’m hopelessly obsessed with this series and I want it in paperback now on my shelf! Kay, this was the third book in the Four Kindom’s series by Mrs. Cellier, and no less an excellent read! I’ve always liked Rumplestiltskin’s story. He’s a creepy, little man, in many ways. Anyways, not relevant. Sorry.
Melanie Cellier has proven once again to be a masterful weaver of plot! I think by now it’s obvious I adore her characters and her world-building and plot-twisting, so I’ll try not to gush too much. However, I particularly enjoyed the way this story dealt with it’s original fairy tale counterpart. The previous stories have had clever allusions and subtle tie-ins, but this was the first to be more of a…continuation of the original fairy tale. I don’t want to give anything away, but let’s just say Rumplestiltskin’s story was the backstory and Marie’s story was fresh meat. The inter-political intrigue was just as thrilling in the lovely Four Kingdom world. Fresh new characters to add to the list of beloved ones from before. I kinda hope we get to see William’s story at some point. I mean, he was adorable! And, though I must say Rafe’s secret was kind of easy to guess, I absolutely loved him. I liked the camp setting and the activities of the camp. It was the outside-of-palace life, foraging, living off the land kind of thing that I enjoy in other genres. Well, as usual: well-written, charming characters with lovable dialogue and banter, engaging plot, and an another excellent look into one of the four kingdoms. One more to go, y’all!
Clean, a-freaking-dorable romance; no language; very mild violence.
More:
Book 1 of The Four Kingdoms is The Princess Companion: A Retelling of the Princess and the Pea (5 Stars)
Book 2 is The Princess Fugitive: A Reimagining of Little Red Riding Hood (5 Stars)
Novella 2.5 is Happily Ever Afters: A Reimagining of Snow White and Rose Red (4 Stars)
Novella 3.5 is A Midwinter’s Wedding: A Retelling of the Frog Prince (4 Stars)
Book 4 is The Princess Game: A Reimagining of Sleeping Beauty (5 Stars)
Book 5 is The Princess Search: A Retelling of The Ugly Duckling (4 Stars)
I have reviewed each of the above on Goodreads. Follow the links to find more info on the books and then scroll down to see the reviews. Mine is among them.
Although these stories are each technically independent of one another, I would highly recommend reading them in order. The later books do include spoilers for the previous ones. It isn’t necessary to read the novellas in order with the series, but it’s a nice touch.
Also, you can check out the spin-off series Beyond the Four Kingdoms!
ON GRACEBOUGHT
If you missed it, check out my review of the previous books here! And stay tuned next week for my thoughts on the next book in the series.