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A Twisted Fairytale #4
Towers and Braids
Rae's world is safe. Her one room tower is all the shelter she needs from all the scary bandits, beasts, and other dark forces her mother says are roaming her world.
Or is it?
When she overhears her mother's fears that Rae is, in fact, part of a story and that a young man is soon coming to take her away, it changes her entire world. After the young man, Henry, befriends her and is chased off by her mother, Rae learns that she carries a special gift capable of fighting the worst darkness in the world—a gift that her mother wants to keep for herself. And it is also because of this gift that the most evil wizard in the land, Alric, wants to take her life.
Forced to leave her home when the dark wizard comes knocking, Rae's only hope of saving her story and chasing away Alric's darkness is to make sure she has her happily ever after. But to do that, Rae must venture into the dangerous world and find Henry. On the way, she will need to decide where her loyalty lies and who she can trust. A mistake could cost her life and her entire kingdom.
Or is it?
When she overhears her mother's fears that Rae is, in fact, part of a story and that a young man is soon coming to take her away, it changes her entire world. After the young man, Henry, befriends her and is chased off by her mother, Rae learns that she carries a special gift capable of fighting the worst darkness in the world—a gift that her mother wants to keep for herself. And it is also because of this gift that the most evil wizard in the land, Alric, wants to take her life.
Forced to leave her home when the dark wizard comes knocking, Rae's only hope of saving her story and chasing away Alric's darkness is to make sure she has her happily ever after. But to do that, Rae must venture into the dangerous world and find Henry. On the way, she will need to decide where her loyalty lies and who she can trust. A mistake could cost her life and her entire kingdom.
223 pages, ebook
Published August 12, 2016
14 people are currently reading
201 people want to read
About the author
Holly Hook
156 books257 followersHolly Hook is the author of the Destroyers Series, which consists of five young adult books about teens who are walking disasters...literally. She is also the author of the Rita Morse series, a young adult fantasy series still in progress, and After These Messages, a short ya comedy. Currently she is writing Twisted, a spin-off of the Destroyers Series due out in December. When not writing, she enjoys reading books for teens, especially ya fantasy and paranormal series with a unique twist.
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
January 31, 2024
This was my favorite so far! It was great to see “Rapunzel” go through the process of figuring out her story and how her life up to this point was not ok. Loved seeing Stilt and Brie back in such a big role, like guardians or guides.
December 22, 2020
Different from the previous books of the series in a way, but just as enchanting and full of adventure.
July 2, 2017
Kindle Unlimited
The stories {to do this without spoilers just giving the titles} are 1 Thread and Spool, 2 Wolves and Paths, 3 Frogs and Princes, 4 Towers and Braids, 5 Poison and Mirrors, 6 Swans and Silence, and Glass and Death.
Usually notice when lots of errors but by time did the first one didn't want to bo back and look at all the issues, and secone one glitched so just started with 3 onward.
Hair long enough to haul someone up a tower is going to be way too long to drag behind goiong through a forest with all sorts of things getting caught in it, or more than likely getting snagged pretty quickly so that you couldn't move. It is also really 'helpful' if in one part of the story you don't say that she always comes from one direction yet in another part mention going in a new one then in yet another part mention the 'new' one as a path she 'always' takes. How can someone who's, supposedly, never smelled grain before, be talking pages back about eating bread. Saying ''not too long ago'' twice in once sentnce is padding the story with exta words for no reason beyond lowered comprehension, much the same as saying in one sentence wouldn't sit, another that still wouldn't sit, then in the 3rd instance talking about sitting. No, he isn't going to force you out of the tower, because as already been explained, twice before, he has no key to the steps and it would take your hair to let him down so how would you leave. And if he didn't know there was a way out, as in steps or something, then how did he know to mention that he would need a key. And then ANOTHER mention of leaving, sheesh. Also, 'nothing ever good has happened' when she's tried, when she's only tried ONCE in her entire life.... She climbs up the hair, they talk a bit, then she unlocks the stair way and walks down...why? And in all the previous stories, it was to make the story turn out a certain way for that part to go dark, so really more than a little confusing to have it explained one way then another elsewhere just because the writer is not keeping up with what all they are saying. The one trail, and says are on the trail, then who could or would you not see the same things, makes absolutely no reason, especially as to someone else having walked 'the other direction;, uh what. How does one go in one direction but yet it's the opposite direction?
This is the review for just the A Twisted Fairy Tale (4 Book Series 1-4}
There is also The Twisted Fairy Tale Box Set, Books 1-3 (A Twisted Fairy Tale Book 0)
The Twisted Fairy Tale Box Set, #2 (Books 4-7) Kindle Edition
Plus of course each book individually.
The stories {to do this without spoilers just giving the titles} are 1 Thread and Spool, 2 Wolves and Paths, 3 Frogs and Princes, 4 Towers and Braids, 5 Poison and Mirrors, 6 Swans and Silence, and Glass and Death.
Usually notice when lots of errors but by time did the first one didn't want to bo back and look at all the issues, and secone one glitched so just started with 3 onward.
Hair long enough to haul someone up a tower is going to be way too long to drag behind goiong through a forest with all sorts of things getting caught in it, or more than likely getting snagged pretty quickly so that you couldn't move. It is also really 'helpful' if in one part of the story you don't say that she always comes from one direction yet in another part mention going in a new one then in yet another part mention the 'new' one as a path she 'always' takes. How can someone who's, supposedly, never smelled grain before, be talking pages back about eating bread. Saying ''not too long ago'' twice in once sentnce is padding the story with exta words for no reason beyond lowered comprehension, much the same as saying in one sentence wouldn't sit, another that still wouldn't sit, then in the 3rd instance talking about sitting. No, he isn't going to force you out of the tower, because as already been explained, twice before, he has no key to the steps and it would take your hair to let him down so how would you leave. And if he didn't know there was a way out, as in steps or something, then how did he know to mention that he would need a key. And then ANOTHER mention of leaving, sheesh. Also, 'nothing ever good has happened' when she's tried, when she's only tried ONCE in her entire life.... She climbs up the hair, they talk a bit, then she unlocks the stair way and walks down...why? And in all the previous stories, it was to make the story turn out a certain way for that part to go dark, so really more than a little confusing to have it explained one way then another elsewhere just because the writer is not keeping up with what all they are saying. The one trail, and says are on the trail, then who could or would you not see the same things, makes absolutely no reason, especially as to someone else having walked 'the other direction;, uh what. How does one go in one direction but yet it's the opposite direction?
This is the review for just the A Twisted Fairy Tale (4 Book Series 1-4}
There is also The Twisted Fairy Tale Box Set, Books 1-3 (A Twisted Fairy Tale Book 0)
The Twisted Fairy Tale Box Set, #2 (Books 4-7) Kindle Edition
Plus of course each book individually.
December 9, 2019
Super happy with this continuation of the twisted fairy tale series! Towers and Braids follows Rapunzel's story as Rae discovers she is a Legend. This is the first book in the series that starts in the land of Fable, instead of starting in our world and being transported to Fable. Rae was such a cute character. Reading about her trying to figure out the world since she has been trapped in a tower her whole life really worked. It was also fun to see Brie and Stilt return for a good chunk of the book. I can't wait to continue this series in the next story discovering more about the characters and this world.
June 2, 2025
Good Story
Chapter 8 was the same as chapter nine. It felt like Chapter 8 should have been about Rae leaving the tree and meeting Brie and Stilt. Other than that, it kept me wondering what would happen next.
Chapter 8 was the same as chapter nine. It felt like Chapter 8 should have been about Rae leaving the tree and meeting Brie and Stilt. Other than that, it kept me wondering what would happen next.
September 7, 2021
Great book where we start to see things tying together. We get to see Brie from the first story in the series and have one that starts in the fantasy world, unlike the previous books.
October 18, 2016
Rae has lived in a tower all her life with her mother. She has only left once and she was bitten by a mean rat with bright red eye. Then one night mother didn't return from the market. Rae climbs down the tower to look for her mother and finds her in the woods with a man that made Rae feel awful. Then one day Henry shows up at Rae's tower. They become friends but mother warns her of leaving the tower and Henry wants her to leave the tower and run away with him. One day Rae brings Henry up into the tower and mother is hiding and watching. She chases Henry from the tower and makes the thorns at the bottom of the tower poke at his eyes and makes him blind and he runs away. Mother tells Rae to run when the dark man starts to come through the mirror that has always been turned away. Rae climbs down the tower and takes off towards the direction of the way her mother used to go to the market everyday. Rae finally makes her way to the village and there is a town meeting going on and things are getting out of hand. Rae sees a boy and a girl looking and they approach her. Turns out the boy and the girl know that she is in some sort of story and tell her that they have to help her story turn out the right way so that her kingdom, that is now dark, turn light again. Rae, Brie and Stilt take off towards the village where Mary is to find out Rae's story. Mary is a woman from the other world that has a book of all the fairy tales. After leaving Mary's village in a hurry, Rae, Brie and Stilt head off to find the tower that Rae was supposed to be taken to and where Henry is supposed to go to find Rae. They are in an adventure of going through dark areas, avoiding Alric, the mean, dark man, going into buildings that are under a spell and coming out 10 days later when it seems like only a few minutes and many more things!!
Towers and Braids was an excellent read!! I have read all of the first four Twisted Fairy Tale books and I look forward to reading the last three. Fairy tales are not my normal genre, but it is nice to get out of my comfort zone and try a different style of writing.
Towers and Braids was an excellent read!! I have read all of the first four Twisted Fairy Tale books and I look forward to reading the last three. Fairy tales are not my normal genre, but it is nice to get out of my comfort zone and try a different style of writing.
August 15, 2016
***I received a copy of this book in exchange for my unbiased review of it. The opinions stated are solely my own and no one else’s. ***
Towers and Braids by Holly Hook is book 4 in her Twisted Fairy Tales series. In Towers and Braids we are immediately introduced to Rae but instead of living in the world we are familiar with she lives in Fable and is already living out her story unknown to herself. Every day she lives her life high up in her tower waiting for her mother to return from the village with food. Rae has only been outside of her tower once as a small child and it was a terrifying experience for her and she decided she didn’t want to leave again. But one day when she sees falling stars streaking across the sky at sunset and sees one fall into the forest not far from her tower she decides to leave to see it. The falling star is healing the piece of the forest that has been going dark but before it can fully heal it is destroyed. Rae hears her mother talking to another person there in the darkness and quickly returns to the tower before it is known that she was even gone. But she soon learns that she is living a story that has played out over and over again and that if she doesn’t help her story to end the way it should…her kingdom will fall dark and evil will triumph.
I really liked this book especially in light of the fact that the story starts off in Fable instead of the real world with the character being forced to come over to Fable through a portal. We get to watch Rae live out her story and have to make decisions that will either help her story end right or will lead to its fall and her kingdom with it. This book has more than a couple of surprises in store which make it all the more engaging and enjoyable.
I give this book 4.5 out 5 stars.
Towers and Braids by Holly Hook is book 4 in her Twisted Fairy Tales series. In Towers and Braids we are immediately introduced to Rae but instead of living in the world we are familiar with she lives in Fable and is already living out her story unknown to herself. Every day she lives her life high up in her tower waiting for her mother to return from the village with food. Rae has only been outside of her tower once as a small child and it was a terrifying experience for her and she decided she didn’t want to leave again. But one day when she sees falling stars streaking across the sky at sunset and sees one fall into the forest not far from her tower she decides to leave to see it. The falling star is healing the piece of the forest that has been going dark but before it can fully heal it is destroyed. Rae hears her mother talking to another person there in the darkness and quickly returns to the tower before it is known that she was even gone. But she soon learns that she is living a story that has played out over and over again and that if she doesn’t help her story to end the way it should…her kingdom will fall dark and evil will triumph.
I really liked this book especially in light of the fact that the story starts off in Fable instead of the real world with the character being forced to come over to Fable through a portal. We get to watch Rae live out her story and have to make decisions that will either help her story end right or will lead to its fall and her kingdom with it. This book has more than a couple of surprises in store which make it all the more engaging and enjoyable.
I give this book 4.5 out 5 stars.
February 20, 2025
Advance Reader Copy
Tower and Braids is the fourth novel of the twisted fairytale series and even still, Holly keeps her readers wanting more.
This time we open up ALREADY set in our magical world of Fable where we have Rae who is stuck in a tower, shielded away from the rest of the world.
Rae has lived and grown up in Fable though she is still unaware of what goes on about the land making her just as oblivious as Candice, Brie and Red were at the beginning of their own tales.
After overhearing a conversation, Rae discovers that she is in fact part of a much bigger story and, after dark events begin to happen, she is forced out into the world to try and save both her story as well as her mother.
We once again meet with Stilt and Brie which is exciting! I'm glad we get to know more of what happened after their story fell and soon both characters are aiding Rae in a race to find her prince and set her story straight before darkness takes over completely.
Not only is this a tale of Princes, Light and Darkness, it also follows the story of someone who has to find the confidence to break out of her comfort zone and journey into the unknown.
Although it took me a little while to complete, I very much enjoyed this book and would recommend it to anyone with a passion for fairytales, magic, fantasy and overall fun.
Tower and Braids is the fourth novel of the twisted fairytale series and even still, Holly keeps her readers wanting more.
This time we open up ALREADY set in our magical world of Fable where we have Rae who is stuck in a tower, shielded away from the rest of the world.
Rae has lived and grown up in Fable though she is still unaware of what goes on about the land making her just as oblivious as Candice, Brie and Red were at the beginning of their own tales.
After overhearing a conversation, Rae discovers that she is in fact part of a much bigger story and, after dark events begin to happen, she is forced out into the world to try and save both her story as well as her mother.
We once again meet with Stilt and Brie which is exciting! I'm glad we get to know more of what happened after their story fell and soon both characters are aiding Rae in a race to find her prince and set her story straight before darkness takes over completely.
Not only is this a tale of Princes, Light and Darkness, it also follows the story of someone who has to find the confidence to break out of her comfort zone and journey into the unknown.
Although it took me a little while to complete, I very much enjoyed this book and would recommend it to anyone with a passion for fairytales, magic, fantasy and overall fun.
September 14, 2018
Received an arc ebook from the author in exchange for my review so here it is: although I'm not exactly a fan of such fairy tale re-tellings, I am a fan of the author so obviously I'd give it a go when she started these series.
This time we start of in Fable, but Rae is as much a newcomer to the lands and customs of fable as the previous Legends (the main characters n the previous 4 books of the series, all of them came through a portal after living on Earth, oblivious to who they are and where they came from). After living high up her tower for most her life, sheltered from the terrible, dangerous world, certain events start to unravel and Rae is forced to flee the safe circular home, the only place she's ever known. A difficult task for a girl who's been alienated from he world as Rae has lived out her life high up in her tower, letting Mother climb her long braided hair up and down the tower to go out to the market or so for supplies. And with the memory of the traumatic experience of being bitten by a vicious rat when she was only 8 and was allowed for once to venture outside with Mother on the way to the market, she believed Mother that only high up in her tower she could be safe. But Rae is forced to flee and eventually meets a couple that we've already been introduced to in her previous books in these series. So that's defenitely a bonus to this story! I'm looking forward to reading the next book! This one is my favorite so far!
This time we start of in Fable, but Rae is as much a newcomer to the lands and customs of fable as the previous Legends (the main characters n the previous 4 books of the series, all of them came through a portal after living on Earth, oblivious to who they are and where they came from). After living high up her tower for most her life, sheltered from the terrible, dangerous world, certain events start to unravel and Rae is forced to flee the safe circular home, the only place she's ever known. A difficult task for a girl who's been alienated from he world as Rae has lived out her life high up in her tower, letting Mother climb her long braided hair up and down the tower to go out to the market or so for supplies. And with the memory of the traumatic experience of being bitten by a vicious rat when she was only 8 and was allowed for once to venture outside with Mother on the way to the market, she believed Mother that only high up in her tower she could be safe. But Rae is forced to flee and eventually meets a couple that we've already been introduced to in her previous books in these series. So that's defenitely a bonus to this story! I'm looking forward to reading the next book! This one is my favorite so far!
August 21, 2016
Again Holly has presented us with another fun twist to a classic fairy tale of Rapunzel caught in her tower by her "mother" but the twist on this story brought them all together further. While tying the previous three storylines together interweaving the fight with the evil Alric and still telling the original tale Holly was able to bring in aspects from all of the other stories as well foreshadowing possible outcomes in future books. I Love that we also finally get to find out more about the elusive Brie and her elf buddy, and that this tale all takes place in Fable.
Holly Hook has done even more though in this book playing with words like making the girl of light nicknames Rae and pushing all of her storylines at once. As you follow Rae in her search for her story you also see a young girl escape a bad situation and go out into the scary world. This is no simple fairy tale of escaping the bad guys and finding the prince, so much more is going on. So if you are reading this as you first book in the series or following them in order It does not matter the fast paced tale is too fun to put down.
Holly Hook has done even more though in this book playing with words like making the girl of light nicknames Rae and pushing all of her storylines at once. As you follow Rae in her search for her story you also see a young girl escape a bad situation and go out into the scary world. This is no simple fairy tale of escaping the bad guys and finding the prince, so much more is going on. So if you are reading this as you first book in the series or following them in order It does not matter the fast paced tale is too fun to put down.
August 19, 2016
Towers and Braids is Book 4 in Holly Hooks A Twisted Fairy Tale series.
This time we visit Rapunzel.
This instalment is different to the others in that the main characters are all solely from Fable. There is no crossing from our world to the other. Rapunzel, or Rae, is very much the naive girl trapped in a tower all her life and we follow her as she discovers who she is, that her mother, Gothel, is not who she always thought, and we journey with her as she meets Prince Henry and discovers her story with hopes to let it play out as best she can.
Rae and Henry are both very likeable characters and it was great seeing Rae grow into a strong, brave and independent woman as she ventures forward in her story. Brie and Stilt from Book 1 are re-introduced and help Rae discover who she is and what she needs to do to save her story. And more pieces fall together as we see more and more of Alric and his power and influence. It was great getting a HEA at the end of this one too.
I was gifted a copy by the author in exchange for an honest review.
This time we visit Rapunzel.
This instalment is different to the others in that the main characters are all solely from Fable. There is no crossing from our world to the other. Rapunzel, or Rae, is very much the naive girl trapped in a tower all her life and we follow her as she discovers who she is, that her mother, Gothel, is not who she always thought, and we journey with her as she meets Prince Henry and discovers her story with hopes to let it play out as best she can.
Rae and Henry are both very likeable characters and it was great seeing Rae grow into a strong, brave and independent woman as she ventures forward in her story. Brie and Stilt from Book 1 are re-introduced and help Rae discover who she is and what she needs to do to save her story. And more pieces fall together as we see more and more of Alric and his power and influence. It was great getting a HEA at the end of this one too.
I was gifted a copy by the author in exchange for an honest review.
May 5, 2017
I received an arc of this book for an honest review. I don't know how Holly does it but she wrote another great fairytale. Towers and Braids starts in Fable this time and is about one of my favorite fairytales Rapunzel and her journey in Fable to help defeat Alric. Even though Rae lives in Fable she is just as new to it as Brie, Red, and Candice. She actually knows what is supposed to happen in her tale because she listened to Alric and her mother talking about it. Rae is actually reluctant for it to happen, because she loves her mother. When Alric stops by the tower Gothel tells Rea to "Run. Leave this tower and never return." Rae meets Stilt and Brie on her way to find Henry and they help her out with accepting that she is a tale like them. I really hope Rae sees Gothel again she really seemed to care about Rae. All the girls have one thing in common to be their Fairytales and live Happily Ever After, but first they have to get rid of Alric the evil that rules Fable.
August 16, 2016
Once again we have a fairy tale revisited and coming up strong!!! I love this version of Rapunzel but it sure isn't the one your parents read to you but boy is it a goody. Twisted about sums it up as we are now visiting how Rapunzel can change her ending. The intrigue and excitement is still here and so is Henry. Full of excitement and adventure, some laughter, some breath holding and a whole lot of action.
Ms Hook takes us back to Fable where the action never stops and neither do the twist. Between Rae finding out her life isn't what she thought and taking a chance on someone she doesn't really know the fallout is a blast and so is the story. I can't wait to see who we are checking out in the next story. I refuse to tell anymore because I hate spoilers just believe these twisted tales are definitely twisted and definitely worth the read. I highly recommend them.
Ms Hook takes us back to Fable where the action never stops and neither do the twist. Between Rae finding out her life isn't what she thought and taking a chance on someone she doesn't really know the fallout is a blast and so is the story. I can't wait to see who we are checking out in the next story. I refuse to tell anymore because I hate spoilers just believe these twisted tales are definitely twisted and definitely worth the read. I highly recommend them.
October 31, 2016
This is the fourth installment in Holly Hook’s retelling of famous fairy tales - this time, it's Rapunzel's story. I have mixed feelings about this one. I can’t pinpoint exactly what’s wrong for me but neither did I get into it nor enjoyed it as much as the first three books. However, I’ve liked how the author depicted Rae’s naïveté – that was pretty well done. Also, it was fun to revisit with Brie and Stilt and to see that this twisted tale is as twisted as the others.
I voluntarily reviewed an advanced reader copy of this book.
I voluntarily reviewed an advanced reader copy of this book.
September 6, 2016
love. Love. LOVE. This book is my love. I can't believe it took me forever to read this, sadly school takes over sometimes. *sadness* but yeah. This was great. As always, keep up the good work with this series!
August 8, 2016
Another great addition to her Twisted fairytale series! Holly tells how another character takes control of their happily ever after.
August 22, 2016
Loved it!!!! I really like the way the charactersame from the previous stories appear in others..it makes Fable seem to build a whole new world.
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews