#72 A Curse as Dark as Gold by Elizabeth C Bunce
After the death of her father, Charlotte Miller must take over control of her family’s mill. Ever practical, she ignores the rumors that the 
mill is cursed, a curse that has resulted in the death of all male heirs in the Miller line. When she and her sister discover that her father has left behind a serious amount of debt, the two make a pact with a mysterious man named Jack Spinner who can spin straw into gold. Charlotte tries to put her dealings with Jack behind her but finds that she is forced to ask for his help again and again. Could her family’s history of bad luck be more than just luck? Is there any truth behind this curse?
A Curse as Dark as Gold is a beautiful book, from its cover art and binding, to the authors lovely prose style. The story told here is a retelling of the fairy tale Rumpelstilskin, with a few notable changes. The story takes place in during the early industrial revolution, and instead of having “the miller’s daughter” as the heroine, Charlotte is the head miller herself. Although this story is obviously a fantasy, for the most part it reads like a historical novel. Most of the text is about Charlotte, her attempts to keep the mill from dying, and her relationships with her family, most notably her sister and her foppish uncle. Despite this historical aspect a lot of the issues, such as Charlotte’s struggle with the threat of foreclosure, felt current, and should resonate well with modern day readers. Charlotte is an interesting narrator. She is cast as a proud woman, wise beyond her years, so independent that she struggles with accepting help from others. At times this makes her a very frustrating person to read about, but for the most part, I found that I admired her strength of character and maturity. There is a romantic storyline to be found here as well, which despite the current trend in young adult lit, it is not cast as ideal. I loved the fact that there characters found here are all so complex, even the more villainous ones.
This is Elizabeth’s Bunce’s first novel, and I’m quite happy that I picked it up. Her lovely writing style, strong characterization and intermingling of the fantasy and historical elements, makes for a strong debut. I look forward to her future offerings.
Rating: four and a half stars
Length: 395 pages
Source: Lewiston Public Library
TBR Pile: 144 books
Similar Books: For other blends of history and fiction, check out works by Juliet Marillier ( my reviews), Monica Furlong, Kara Dalkey ( my reviews) and Midnight Never Come by Marie Brennan ( my review)
Other books I've read by this author: This is my first
Caught up on reviews now! I'm currently reading Juniper by Monica Furlong, and listening to Dead Until Dark by Charlaine Harris. Reviews will be up once I've finished them.
xposted to bookish and temporaryworlds
mill is cursed, a curse that has resulted in the death of all male heirs in the Miller line. When she and her sister discover that her father has left behind a serious amount of debt, the two make a pact with a mysterious man named Jack Spinner who can spin straw into gold. Charlotte tries to put her dealings with Jack behind her but finds that she is forced to ask for his help again and again. Could her family’s history of bad luck be more than just luck? Is there any truth behind this curse?
A Curse as Dark as Gold is a beautiful book, from its cover art and binding, to the authors lovely prose style. The story told here is a retelling of the fairy tale Rumpelstilskin, with a few notable changes. The story takes place in during the early industrial revolution, and instead of having “the miller’s daughter” as the heroine, Charlotte is the head miller herself. Although this story is obviously a fantasy, for the most part it reads like a historical novel. Most of the text is about Charlotte, her attempts to keep the mill from dying, and her relationships with her family, most notably her sister and her foppish uncle. Despite this historical aspect a lot of the issues, such as Charlotte’s struggle with the threat of foreclosure, felt current, and should resonate well with modern day readers. Charlotte is an interesting narrator. She is cast as a proud woman, wise beyond her years, so independent that she struggles with accepting help from others. At times this makes her a very frustrating person to read about, but for the most part, I found that I admired her strength of character and maturity. There is a romantic storyline to be found here as well, which despite the current trend in young adult lit, it is not cast as ideal. I loved the fact that there characters found here are all so complex, even the more villainous ones.
This is Elizabeth’s Bunce’s first novel, and I’m quite happy that I picked it up. Her lovely writing style, strong characterization and intermingling of the fantasy and historical elements, makes for a strong debut. I look forward to her future offerings.
Rating: four and a half stars
Length: 395 pages
Source: Lewiston Public Library
TBR Pile: 144 books
Similar Books: For other blends of history and fiction, check out works by Juliet Marillier ( my reviews), Monica Furlong, Kara Dalkey ( my reviews) and Midnight Never Come by Marie Brennan ( my review)
Other books I've read by this author: This is my first
Caught up on reviews now! I'm currently reading Juniper by Monica Furlong, and listening to Dead Until Dark by Charlaine Harris. Reviews will be up once I've finished them.
xposted to bookish and temporaryworlds