The Andari Chronicles Review: Goldheart

So....a month ago, I reviewed the other two books of this series, and indicated that this review was coming soon. Unfortunately, a complication known as Real Life interfered with my plans, and took away my blogging time. Today, I've decided to ignore Real Life long enough to get this review written. It'll be short and sweet, just like this book.

Goldheart is a retelling of "Rumpelstiltskin" starring Elaine, an off-screen character mentioned in Traitor's Masque. Elaine is a quiet, timid girl who would like to ignore the rest of the world and paint in solitude. Unfortunately, her father's death leaves her in financial difficulties and forces her to work as a portrait painter. A wealthy, demanding businessman commissions Elaine to paint a portrait of his wife, and locks her in his mansion until she creates the perfect masterpiece. Soon, Will, a friend of the businessman's son, learns about Elaine's plight, and helps her to overcome the difficulties of her situation.

This book is truly beautiful. It's a much simpler story than the other ones in the series, with no political intrigue, few characters, and easily guessable plot twists, but it resonated with me deeply. The three main protagonists are all heavily flawed people carrying pain from their pasts; I cared deeply about each one of them and found their friendship incredibly moving. I loved the book's exploration of the beauty and power of art; it was a wonderful look into the creative process that made me want to take up painting. The plot was simple, but contained very real danger, including a surprisingly and wonderfully intense climax. It's not a perfect story, but its combination of sweetness and sadness had a profound impact upon my heart.

Though different in many ways from the rest of the Andari Chronicles, Goldheart fits the mood and tone of the series and improves upon some points found in the other books. As in Traitor's Masque, the main character receives family-like support from a group of caring servants, but I found the servants' devotion in Goldheart much more touching and better illustrated--probably because Elaine needs much more tender, loving care than Trystan did. As in Pirouette, there's an evil manservant, but in Goldheart, the butler is far more present in the plot, making him more intimidating. Plus, this book's shorter length eliminates the wordiness present in the other two books. I'm not sure if Goldheart beats out Pirouette as my favorite--"The Twelve Dancing Princesses"is my favorite source of retellings, and I love the political intrigue and wit of Pirouette's plot and characters--but Goldheart had the strongest impact upon my emotions and made me bond most deeply to the characters. I'm almost afraid to reread it, in fear that it won't affect me as strongly a second time around, but I know I won't be able to resist for long.

As a bonus, I recently discovered that Kenley Davidson wrote a prequel novella, which is free for people who subscribe to her newsletter. The Countess and the Frog is even shorter than Goldheart, and details the love story of Prince Ramsey's aunt, Countess Norelle, and her husband, Caspar. Caspar is by far my favorite romantic hero in the series (a quiet bookworm with a strong, self-deprecating sense of humor--I was swooning), and the novella is a  cute look at the backstories of several characters from Traitor's Masque.  Definitely worth checking out (as is the rest of the series, in case this set of blog posts hasn't already made that clear).

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Beneath the Surface: A Retelling of The Frog Prince

  If I’d had any choice, I never would have taken the underground train. I had accompanied Roger to a political summit in the city of Roshen, but spouses leave after the opening speeches, and since I couldn’t leave Roger without the hovercar, I had to use public transportation. The train--built by the natives decades before humanity absorbed Arateph into the Interplanetary Coalition--was a horrible excuse for technology. It rattled me to my destination, jolted me into an underground station, and left me so shaken that I could feel my bones clattering as I climbed up the stairs to the street.  The crowd surged around me as I emerged onto the sidewalk. There were far too many tephans. You know what Arateph’s natives look like—almost like humans, but it’s an unsettling almost. Their eyes just slightly too high on their heads, their ears just slightly too far back, and hands (ugh) split into only three fingers and a thumb. Like a person shaped by a sculptor with a hazy memory of how humans
Read more

More Than All the Gems of Earth: A Retelling of Diamonds and Toads

My mother beats me black and blue while I cast diamonds at her feet. The gems fall from my lips with every apology and plea for mercy, and they scatter across the rough-hewn floor like bits of broken glass. My mother would crush them if she could, and she hates them all the more because she cannot destroy them. The vipers from my sister’s lips slither among the diamonds, cold-blooded creatures born of poison words. “You did this!” Mother screams, twisting my arm in her iron grip. “You spiteful little wretch! You’ll pay for this!” It has always been this way–my sister makes the mistakes and I am punished for them. Olive’s task had not been difficult. She had only to walk to the well and give a drink to the old woman who asked. A mere moment of kindness. Yet Olive failed to give even that, and received toads and vipers as her reward. “I’m sorry!” I cry, and I am. It’s a frightening punishment, even for someone as cruel as my sister. I pity her more than I ever have. Olive ha
Read more

Top Ten Tuesday-Ten Books I Read on Recommendation

Image
I've decided to take the plunge and join in on Top 10 Tuesday. Top 10 Tuesday was started by The Broke and the Bookish , and today's topic is to list books that you read because of book blogs, hype or recommendations from friends. I have lots of books that fit this category, because I'm much more likely to read a book if I hear someone else praise it first--and this method has helped me find most of my favorite books.  Little House on the Prairie- This was the book recommendation that shaped my childhood. My mother had loved the TV show when she was growing up, and encouraged me to read the books. I started with Little House on the Prairie , since that was the one the TV show was named after, and I read the entire series multiple times through my childhood. Ella Enchanted- For a time, this was the cool book for every girl at my elementary school. It was my first encounter with fantasy world-building, and the book stuck in my imagination. Several years later, it serv
Read more