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Twisted Ever After #1
The Witch's Tower
Gothel is a witch. Punished for the actions of her mother, her choice is either she stands guard over Princess Rapunzel — or she dies. But just because a choice is easy doesn’t mean it’s pleasant. Protecting Rapunzel means watching as the princess lays trapped in a tower, bedridden by hair that is so long and heavy it’s slowly driving her insane. Gothel’s life has become one of imprisonment and solitude as well — until a prince and his handsome squire appear at the tower.
Only one object can cut Rapunzel’s hair and end the a pair of magical shears. But the shears are guarded by the most terrifying witches in the land, who also happen to be Gothel’s aunts. As Gothel and the prince’s squire, Raj Talmund, work to form a plan, she finds herself more and more drawn to the mysterious young man from the Outerlands. Unfortunately, his destiny is far more dangerous than she wants to to save a princess, he must kill the witch who's been forced to guard her.
THE WITCH'S TOWER is the first in an inspired new series of fairy-tale retellings from award-winning fantasy author Tamara Grantham.
Only one object can cut Rapunzel’s hair and end the a pair of magical shears. But the shears are guarded by the most terrifying witches in the land, who also happen to be Gothel’s aunts. As Gothel and the prince’s squire, Raj Talmund, work to form a plan, she finds herself more and more drawn to the mysterious young man from the Outerlands. Unfortunately, his destiny is far more dangerous than she wants to to save a princess, he must kill the witch who's been forced to guard her.
THE WITCH'S TOWER is the first in an inspired new series of fairy-tale retellings from award-winning fantasy author Tamara Grantham.
272 pages, Kindle Edition
Published March 11, 2019
450 people are currently reading
1538 people want to read
About the author
Tamara Grantham
37 books455 followersTamara Grantham is the award-winning author of more than half a dozen books and novellas, including the Olive Kennedy: Fairy World MD series, the Twisted Ever After trilogy, and the Shine novellas. Dreamthief, the first book of her Fairy World MD series, won first place for fantasy in INDIEFAB’S Book of the Year Awards, a RONE award for best New Adult Romance, and is a #1 bestseller on Amazon with over 200 reviews.
Tamara holds a Bachelor’s degree in English. She has been a featured speaker at the Rose State Writing Conference and has been a panelist at Comic Con Wizard World speaking on the topic of female leads. For her first published project, she collaborated with New York-Times bestselling author, William Bernhardt, in writing the Shine series.
Born and raised in Texas, Tamara now lives with her husband and five children in Wichita, Kansas. She rarely has any free time, but when the stars align and she gets a moment to relax, she enjoys reading fantasy novels, taking nature walks, and watching every Star Wars or Star Trek movie ever made. You can find her online at www.TamaraGrantham.com.
Tamara holds a Bachelor’s degree in English. She has been a featured speaker at the Rose State Writing Conference and has been a panelist at Comic Con Wizard World speaking on the topic of female leads. For her first published project, she collaborated with New York-Times bestselling author, William Bernhardt, in writing the Shine series.
Born and raised in Texas, Tamara now lives with her husband and five children in Wichita, Kansas. She rarely has any free time, but when the stars align and she gets a moment to relax, she enjoys reading fantasy novels, taking nature walks, and watching every Star Wars or Star Trek movie ever made. You can find her online at www.TamaraGrantham.com.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 101 reviews
April 4, 2019
I love a good fairytale retelling, but the writing in this book is just so bad. I couldn't get past the first couple chapters. The concept seems ok, but I can't do it.
June 10, 2019
This book is a mix of things and it left me a bit deflated at the end when I started it in high spirits. The basic premise is a fun twist and the main character has potential. I just struggled with where it goes from there. Oh, I adore the male lead too, so that is a bonus (he is my kinda guy *dreamy sigh*).
My main frustration: We seem to drag characters along/introduce them just so things can be set up for later books. I liked the characters that joined the party and their basic premise, they had a lot give to the plot, but...they just didn't get the chance. *sigh*
I know the author wanted to focus on developing the plot for the two mains, but by doing that at the cost of using several other characters as named tools only the book lost depth and warmth for me. The pace also felt odd, or should I say, the travelling pace and how long various stops and distances take them. It made the world building and immersion understandably difficult.
There were a few specific plot points I really struggled with but I want to keep this spoiler free.
The characters themselves have such potential though, so I hope they get drawn out in future books. I also liked several of the twists and a potion user will always hold a special space in my heart.
Room for improvement, but also a fun and casual read. If you enjoy spotting fairytales and mixing things up, this is a nice read for an evening or two.
My main frustration: We seem to drag characters along/introduce them just so things can be set up for later books. I liked the characters that joined the party and their basic premise, they had a lot give to the plot, but...they just didn't get the chance. *sigh*
I know the author wanted to focus on developing the plot for the two mains, but by doing that at the cost of using several other characters as named tools only the book lost depth and warmth for me. The pace also felt odd, or should I say, the travelling pace and how long various stops and distances take them. It made the world building and immersion understandably difficult.
There were a few specific plot points I really struggled with but I want to keep this spoiler free.
The characters themselves have such potential though, so I hope they get drawn out in future books. I also liked several of the twists and a potion user will always hold a special space in my heart.
Room for improvement, but also a fun and casual read. If you enjoy spotting fairytales and mixing things up, this is a nice read for an evening or two.
February 18, 2020
Oh this was FUN! A great YA novel with endearing characters and real depth to the story. I loved the way Rapunzel was not as she is so often portrayed. Instead we are given a far more believable character.
An enjoyable read that kept me entertained right up to the end.
An enjoyable read that kept me entertained right up to the end.
May 13, 2023
It was okay. Certainly different from a typical fairy tale retelling and not just because Gothel is a good person but because it also didn’t really feel like a retelling much? It was more of a quest adventure with a romance and only a sprinkling of fairy tale retellingness which wasn’t bad, just not all I was expecting, I guess.
I liked the characters and my favorite parts were them all interacting with each other which didn’t happen that often except in certain chunks which is strange for a quest type novel. The descriptions of scenery really dragged at times and made me frustrated a few times as the pacing seemed to stall out there before moving on to something more interesting. The romance was cute though I gotta say Gothel noticed Raj’s muscles a little TOO much and this is coming from a girl who doesn’t mind a bit of noticing in books since I find it realistic. Just something about noticing the muscles in his hands seemed a bit overkill, you know?
The Rapunzel elements were very few and outside of the tower, long hair, and the famous phrase there was really nothing and Rapunzel wasn’t even a chief character which I knew would be the case but was still disappointed by though I do appreciate the author addressing the question of how in the world would anyone live and function with so much hair? (Short answer: you don’t)
It was an okay, fun read, but I probably won’t read it again nor do I have an interest in reading the other books in the series.
‼️Content‼️
Language: bloody; bastard; hellish
Violence: injuries and blood (not detailed); a man grabs a woman’s arm twice; wolves attack characters who fight them off (not detailed); a character is stabbed; fighting with weapons and magic (not detailed); a character is enchanted/brainwashed into nearly killing another; a character falls from a tower to their death
Sexual: kissing (not detailed); a character’s parents were unfaithful resulting in an illegitimate child; a girl notices a guy’s muscles quite a bit
Drug/Alcohol: magic poisons a man; an elf drinks ale and wine from flasks
Other: magic; magical abilities, powers, races, places, creatures, and objects; mentions of praying to a fantasy goddess in a fantasy world; a skeletal body is found in the woods (not detailed); witches and sorcerers; characters are cursed; a body is seen in a cell (not detailed); a barn is set on fire; death and grief; a forest is burned
[Read as one of my 2023 Specific Ebooks to Read goal]
I liked the characters and my favorite parts were them all interacting with each other which didn’t happen that often except in certain chunks which is strange for a quest type novel. The descriptions of scenery really dragged at times and made me frustrated a few times as the pacing seemed to stall out there before moving on to something more interesting. The romance was cute though I gotta say Gothel noticed Raj’s muscles a little TOO much and this is coming from a girl who doesn’t mind a bit of noticing in books since I find it realistic. Just something about noticing the muscles in his hands seemed a bit overkill, you know?
The Rapunzel elements were very few and outside of the tower, long hair, and the famous phrase there was really nothing and Rapunzel wasn’t even a chief character which I knew would be the case but was still disappointed by though I do appreciate the author addressing the question of how in the world would anyone live and function with so much hair? (Short answer: you don’t)
It was an okay, fun read, but I probably won’t read it again nor do I have an interest in reading the other books in the series.
‼️Content‼️
Language: bloody; bastard; hellish
Violence: injuries and blood (not detailed); a man grabs a woman’s arm twice; wolves attack characters who fight them off (not detailed); a character is stabbed; fighting with weapons and magic (not detailed); a character is enchanted/brainwashed into nearly killing another; a character falls from a tower to their death
Sexual: kissing (not detailed); a character’s parents were unfaithful resulting in an illegitimate child; a girl notices a guy’s muscles quite a bit
Drug/Alcohol: magic poisons a man; an elf drinks ale and wine from flasks
Other: magic; magical abilities, powers, races, places, creatures, and objects; mentions of praying to a fantasy goddess in a fantasy world; a skeletal body is found in the woods (not detailed); witches and sorcerers; characters are cursed; a body is seen in a cell (not detailed); a barn is set on fire; death and grief; a forest is burned
[Read as one of my 2023 Specific Ebooks to Read goal]
December 16, 2024
absolutely loved it ate it up can’t wait for the second one😎
October 25, 2019
I am so sorry to not like this book. I loved the concept. I didn't mind the breezy young adult writing style. But it had a few issues that just did it in for me.
Let's start with the recap: Gothel is a witch. She lives in a tower with her charge Rapunzel, a princess cursed to have uncuttable hair so long it's left her bed-ridden and, after so many years of isolation, rather disturbed. The only way her curse can be broken is if a worthy prince with a pure heart rescues her. The world seems quite short on those, especially with wars raging between the kingdoms. One prince does take a chance, and Gothel helps him enter the tower. Not pure enough by far, he too succumbs to the prince-related part of the curse: he's poisoned by magic, driven doolally and dying slowly hidden in the tower. His squire, Raj, wishes dearly to save his kind master's life and recruits Gothel to help. To break the curse on him, they need some magic shears to cut Rapunzel's hair. It's won't be easy to get them considering they're owned by two wicked witches who will want something in return. So Gothel and Raj go on a mighty quest to find a piece of enchanted radish that they will trade for the shears and save the two trapped royals.
I managed 50% of the story before deciding to skim-read the rest to see how it resolved. The pacing could be a bit of a drag, and the side characters just turned up and tagged along with that video game logic of "I just fancy an adventure - you'll do".
The first part of the adventure is about an enchanted... radish? When I heard that I thought we might get a bit of comedy going, but it's constantly played straight. Later characters also sounded like they should bring in a bit of humour, but even the tipsy Drekken didn't offer much. Post-radish, the rag-tag bunch of fairy tale misfits do some more travelling, pick up some more people, do some more... stuff. The character's were a bit shallow and the action a bit odd, but I generally didn't mind the strangeness.
What did it for me really was the tell-not-show romance that ended up taking over. Gothel's constant reflection on how she feels about Raj starts to drown out the actual plot. She's on a quest to save lives, leaving her home for the first time after 5 years of isolation, and yet all she does is ask herself questions about why she's got butterflies every time Raj looks at her. She really didn't need to analyse her feelings like that, they were obvious enough from the description. It's also really fast, out-of-nowhere stuff. A bit too YA for my taste. Couple that with referring to Raj as "exotic" enough to make me a little queasy, and I really didn't feel invested in the story.
I loved the concept, but the tangled and hyper-focused on romance execution didn't do it for me.
Let's start with the recap: Gothel is a witch. She lives in a tower with her charge Rapunzel, a princess cursed to have uncuttable hair so long it's left her bed-ridden and, after so many years of isolation, rather disturbed. The only way her curse can be broken is if a worthy prince with a pure heart rescues her. The world seems quite short on those, especially with wars raging between the kingdoms. One prince does take a chance, and Gothel helps him enter the tower. Not pure enough by far, he too succumbs to the prince-related part of the curse: he's poisoned by magic, driven doolally and dying slowly hidden in the tower. His squire, Raj, wishes dearly to save his kind master's life and recruits Gothel to help. To break the curse on him, they need some magic shears to cut Rapunzel's hair. It's won't be easy to get them considering they're owned by two wicked witches who will want something in return. So Gothel and Raj go on a mighty quest to find a piece of enchanted radish that they will trade for the shears and save the two trapped royals.
I managed 50% of the story before deciding to skim-read the rest to see how it resolved. The pacing could be a bit of a drag, and the side characters just turned up and tagged along with that video game logic of "I just fancy an adventure - you'll do".
The first part of the adventure is about an enchanted... radish? When I heard that I thought we might get a bit of comedy going, but it's constantly played straight. Later characters also sounded like they should bring in a bit of humour, but even the tipsy Drekken didn't offer much. Post-radish, the rag-tag bunch of fairy tale misfits do some more travelling, pick up some more people, do some more... stuff. The character's were a bit shallow and the action a bit odd, but I generally didn't mind the strangeness.
What did it for me really was the tell-not-show romance that ended up taking over. Gothel's constant reflection on how she feels about Raj starts to drown out the actual plot. She's on a quest to save lives, leaving her home for the first time after 5 years of isolation, and yet all she does is ask herself questions about why she's got butterflies every time Raj looks at her. She really didn't need to analyse her feelings like that, they were obvious enough from the description. It's also really fast, out-of-nowhere stuff. A bit too YA for my taste. Couple that with referring to Raj as "exotic" enough to make me a little queasy, and I really didn't feel invested in the story.
I loved the concept, but the tangled and hyper-focused on romance execution didn't do it for me.
June 3, 2019
The Witch’s Tower wasn’t for me, but it was still a fun read. The adventure was fast paced and engaging, with an interesting take on the Rapunzel fairy tale. However, the story focused too much on the romance. If you like a lot of romance, then great! I’d definitely recommend this book. But if not, you might want to pass.
March 11, 2019
What an amazing story and I enjoyed it from beginning to end.
The characters were awesome. I loved the journey Gothel had to go on and the things this character went through physically and mentally made this character that much stronger and kept me wanting to read more.
The story-line is incredible. Grantham has a knack for storytelling and making us feel as if we are a part of the story. She also is very good at reeling in her audience and I was completely fascinated by this story and all the twists and turns that I never saw coming until they were ready to be revealed. I highly recommend this read.
The characters were awesome. I loved the journey Gothel had to go on and the things this character went through physically and mentally made this character that much stronger and kept me wanting to read more.
The story-line is incredible. Grantham has a knack for storytelling and making us feel as if we are a part of the story. She also is very good at reeling in her audience and I was completely fascinated by this story and all the twists and turns that I never saw coming until they were ready to be revealed. I highly recommend this read.
December 22, 2024
3.5/5 stars
Tamara Grantham's The Witch's Tower felt like diving into a fairytale, but one that’s been flipped, spun, and given a sassy edge.
It’s Rapunzel, but she’s not some helpless damsel—she’s snarky, determined, and stuck in a tower for reasons more complicated than “the witch is evil.”
The world-building was whimsical but layered, with a dash of humor that kept me grinning. The twist on the classic rescue story was a nice surprise, and the banter between characters? Chef’s kiss.
That said, it dragged in parts, leaving me checking how many pages were left. Still, Rapunzel’s boldness stuck with me—it’s her unapologetic vibe that lingers.
Tamara Grantham's The Witch's Tower felt like diving into a fairytale, but one that’s been flipped, spun, and given a sassy edge.
It’s Rapunzel, but she’s not some helpless damsel—she’s snarky, determined, and stuck in a tower for reasons more complicated than “the witch is evil.”
The world-building was whimsical but layered, with a dash of humor that kept me grinning. The twist on the classic rescue story was a nice surprise, and the banter between characters? Chef’s kiss.
That said, it dragged in parts, leaving me checking how many pages were left. Still, Rapunzel’s boldness stuck with me—it’s her unapologetic vibe that lingers.
September 28, 2024
For five years, Gothel has been in charge of guarding the king/high sorcerer's daughter as she slowly descends into madness, unable to stand or move around due to the weight of her cursed hair. Gothel occasionally rues the day when her mother cursed the princess, but when two brave knights arrive, Gothel allows herself to hope that this will at last be the rescuers of prophecy. Alas, one falls ill under the curse, and his squire, desperate to save him, enlists Gothel's help on a quest that will take them through cursed forests, cursed castles, deadly deserts, and freezing fortresses, meeting quirky characters on the way. Gothel expects the quest to be impossible, but what she does not expect is to start having unexplained warm fond feelings for the squire.
A lot happens in a very short book, and most of it, well, you have to squint a little to make it actually fit reality. I'm not a betting man, but if I were, I'd bet money Tamara Grantham has never ridden a horse, and although it's not as sure a bet, I don't think she's ever been stabbed either. I was a bit stunned by the lack of healing spells or anything to explain the many discrepancies, and I can't believe they just abandon the horses in a frozen courtyard and never think about them again. But once I started thinking of this as a dramatized DND campaign, I enjoyed it a lot more. The plot really was a lot of fun, and although I didn't really love the characters, I have a begrudging fondness for at least a few of them. This book needed a little more time to let feelings develop and far fewer continuity errors, but I'd still recommend it to someone looking for a lighthearted fantasy romance with a lot of action and some fun problem-solving.
A lot happens in a very short book, and most of it, well, you have to squint a little to make it actually fit reality. I'm not a betting man, but if I were, I'd bet money Tamara Grantham has never ridden a horse, and although it's not as sure a bet, I don't think she's ever been stabbed either. I was a bit stunned by the lack of healing spells or anything to explain the many discrepancies, and I can't believe they just abandon the horses in a frozen courtyard and never think about them again. But once I started thinking of this as a dramatized DND campaign, I enjoyed it a lot more. The plot really was a lot of fun, and although I didn't really love the characters, I have a begrudging fondness for at least a few of them. This book needed a little more time to let feelings develop and far fewer continuity errors, but I'd still recommend it to someone looking for a lighthearted fantasy romance with a lot of action and some fun problem-solving.
March 24, 2019
This is Rapunzel but from the witch Gothel's perspective and it's up to her to save Rapunzel and the kingdom. She set's off on her quest with the prince's squire and picks up some eclectic characters along the way. There's twists and turns and of course romance. Insta-love usually bothers me but in this case I think it worked with the story. Since Gothel's been locked away in a tower for years it makes sense that she would develop a crush on the first cute boy she spends time with. This was a fun story that introduced characters from other fairy-tales as a set up for future books in this series. I'm looking forward to the next in this series.
If you're a sucker for a fairy-tale retelling like me I would recommend this book.
If you're a sucker for a fairy-tale retelling like me I would recommend this book.
June 9, 2019
A clean, action-packed, and imaginative retelling of Rapunzel, in which the the witch Gothel is our heroine!
It's a pretty quick read with a sweet romance, some scary villains, and more than one happy ending. It includes set-up for further books in the series too.
It's a pretty quick read with a sweet romance, some scary villains, and more than one happy ending. It includes set-up for further books in the series too.
June 11, 2019
Well...It started out strong enough. The first few chapters grab your attention up until the point where they reach the Outlander village. The world-building is interesting enough and the nod to certain well-known fairytales was alright. Mostly, I was not blown away by it. I liked the love-interest's character more than the main character, who seemed to be written far too modern and felt more like a reflection of the author's personality than a character with her own quirks and opinions. It got to the point about halfway through where I was just hurrying to finish so I could be done.
The biggest sin the author committed in this book was TELLING and not SHOWING. Sooooo much clunky exposition given in long, unecessary dialogue that pulled you out of the story and felt like you were being lectured to while a character explained something really quick. Blergh. Just not very strong writing.
The biggest sin the author committed in this book was TELLING and not SHOWING. Sooooo much clunky exposition given in long, unecessary dialogue that pulled you out of the story and felt like you were being lectured to while a character explained something really quick. Blergh. Just not very strong writing.
March 15, 2019
This is a very different take on the traditional Rapunzel story. Instead of being the "bad guy" (or girl, as it were), Gothel is actually the hero of this tale. She sets out - first with the aid of the prince's squire, and later a rather odd assortment of characters - on a quest in hopes of retreiving the golden shears from her aunts, ending the curse, and setting Rapunzel - as well as herself! - free. Of course, things are never as simple as they should be, and there are a lot of twists and turns to their tale, a lot of hardships to be overcome. But the original pair do eventually make it back to Rapunzel's tower, where their destiny awaits them.
I quite enjoyed this unusual version of the fairy tale. The characters were all quite interesting, from Gothel and Raj, to Rapunzel and the prince, to their traveling companions and various other characters that they come across, even Jester the cat. (Although I wish he'd had a larger role!) Many of the personalities seem like they have much larger stories to tell, and since this is the first in a series, I'm hopeful that we get to see more of many of them in future volumes.
There were a few items that either didn't exactly jive with other aspects of the narrative or that weren't given the attention they seemed to warrant. And much of the dialogue was stilted and felt rather unnatural. But the story itself was quite fun, and the characters delightful. It definitely kept me engaged and wondering what was going to happen next. I'm looking forward to additional tales from this world.
I received a free eBook copy of this title from the author, and have willingly provided an honest review.
This review was originally shared on the So Few Books blog at: https://sofewbooks.blogspot.com/2019/...!
I quite enjoyed this unusual version of the fairy tale. The characters were all quite interesting, from Gothel and Raj, to Rapunzel and the prince, to their traveling companions and various other characters that they come across, even Jester the cat. (Although I wish he'd had a larger role!) Many of the personalities seem like they have much larger stories to tell, and since this is the first in a series, I'm hopeful that we get to see more of many of them in future volumes.
There were a few items that either didn't exactly jive with other aspects of the narrative or that weren't given the attention they seemed to warrant. And much of the dialogue was stilted and felt rather unnatural. But the story itself was quite fun, and the characters delightful. It definitely kept me engaged and wondering what was going to happen next. I'm looking forward to additional tales from this world.
I received a free eBook copy of this title from the author, and have willingly provided an honest review.
This review was originally shared on the So Few Books blog at: https://sofewbooks.blogspot.com/2019/...!
April 7, 2019
3.5/5.0
This story is not a typical fairytale! This well-known tale is filled with strong characters and dark twists and turns.
Read full review in the 2019 April issue of InD'tale Magazine.
This story is not a typical fairytale! This well-known tale is filled with strong characters and dark twists and turns.
Read full review in the 2019 April issue of InD'tale Magazine.
September 1, 2019
I gave up just over midway. While the adventure and fairytale aspects were really good, the romance was shooed in haphazardly, as if the author realized every once in a while, right, I wanted to include a romance story!. It didn't feel natural at all. Add to that the incessant othering of Raj, and I just couldn't take it anymore.
July 2, 2019
This book was alright but I must admit, it got me extremely mad at some points. I’d say the first half was the better of the two, and the second was where everything went downhill. There are a few things I’d like to discuss about this book that formed my option of it.
First of all, the relationship between Gothel and Raj was totally unsatisfactory. There was no chemistry. Not only was there no development for their relationship, but there weren’t really any grounds for it either. They just met and then poof, they’re in love. I certainly did not feel that connection. In addition, Gothel’s insecurity throughout the whole of their ‘relationship’ (basically since they first met) got real annoying real fast. All she ever thought about was how they didn’t have a future together even when they both blatantly confessed their love to one another. It really got on my nerves.
The next thing that bothered me was the charger development in general and how little we knew about each character. It felt really lazy. We met many characters throughout this book and yet, I feel as though I know nothing about any of them. None of them had a personality, just a few recognisable traits. This was also very annoying. The way I see it, none of the characters even became friends, they just said one or two words to one another and went on an adventure together.
The magic in this bothered me too. Or at least, Gothel’s magic bothered me. See, I was perfectly content with her not being a natural magic weirder, I thought it gave her more character and made her seem a bit less like ‘the chosen one’. However, when suddenly at the very end she’s all high and mighty about being a natural? Nuh-uh, I wasn’t having that. Not only that, but also the fact that her magic was barely ever used until the final quarter. She had used it maybe once or twice during the journey but then once the final battle arrived, she started pulling spells out of her ass. Where were your spells when you actually needed them on the adventure???
The father trope. A classic. Very stupid though. I understand that Gothel may have felt a bit conflicted as she had just learnt that the enemy was her father, however, the way she handled it really grated my gears. She made way to big of a deal over it. One second she was like “But I’m your daughter” and the next she was like “I refused to call him father. He never was one to me”. Girl, this man is your enemy, why are you being this way? It’s actually pathetic.
As an add on to the last point, her mother seemed like an absolute dick. Gothel wasn’t sure whether or not to forgive her for being a selfish bitch. She shouldn’t have but it seemed like she was on the way there. That woman ruined her daughters life and lied to her multiple times and yet it was justified because she was her mother and she loved her. Get out with that ridiculous notion.
Overall, I actually thought this book wasn’t too bad despite all the things I just listed (it’s easier to talk about the bad stuff). I really enjoyed the first half, it’s just the second that utterly let me down. As mad as I got at some of the things, I definitely don’t regret reading this. I had a fun time and I thought the whole concept was pretty cool. I only wish that it had been executed in a much better way.
First of all, the relationship between Gothel and Raj was totally unsatisfactory. There was no chemistry. Not only was there no development for their relationship, but there weren’t really any grounds for it either. They just met and then poof, they’re in love. I certainly did not feel that connection. In addition, Gothel’s insecurity throughout the whole of their ‘relationship’ (basically since they first met) got real annoying real fast. All she ever thought about was how they didn’t have a future together even when they both blatantly confessed their love to one another. It really got on my nerves.
The next thing that bothered me was the charger development in general and how little we knew about each character. It felt really lazy. We met many characters throughout this book and yet, I feel as though I know nothing about any of them. None of them had a personality, just a few recognisable traits. This was also very annoying. The way I see it, none of the characters even became friends, they just said one or two words to one another and went on an adventure together.
The magic in this bothered me too. Or at least, Gothel’s magic bothered me. See, I was perfectly content with her not being a natural magic weirder, I thought it gave her more character and made her seem a bit less like ‘the chosen one’. However, when suddenly at the very end she’s all high and mighty about being a natural? Nuh-uh, I wasn’t having that. Not only that, but also the fact that her magic was barely ever used until the final quarter. She had used it maybe once or twice during the journey but then once the final battle arrived, she started pulling spells out of her ass. Where were your spells when you actually needed them on the adventure???
The father trope. A classic. Very stupid though. I understand that Gothel may have felt a bit conflicted as she had just learnt that the enemy was her father, however, the way she handled it really grated my gears. She made way to big of a deal over it. One second she was like “But I’m your daughter” and the next she was like “I refused to call him father. He never was one to me”. Girl, this man is your enemy, why are you being this way? It’s actually pathetic.
As an add on to the last point, her mother seemed like an absolute dick. Gothel wasn’t sure whether or not to forgive her for being a selfish bitch. She shouldn’t have but it seemed like she was on the way there. That woman ruined her daughters life and lied to her multiple times and yet it was justified because she was her mother and she loved her. Get out with that ridiculous notion.
Overall, I actually thought this book wasn’t too bad despite all the things I just listed (it’s easier to talk about the bad stuff). I really enjoyed the first half, it’s just the second that utterly let me down. As mad as I got at some of the things, I definitely don’t regret reading this. I had a fun time and I thought the whole concept was pretty cool. I only wish that it had been executed in a much better way.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 10, 2019
I usually enjoy a good twist on a Faery Tale but somehow this one just fell consistently short of the mark for me. It may not have been helped by the fact that the story of Rapunzel was never one of my favourites or it may just have been that it seemed to be based on the more sanitised version of the tale peddled by Disney (Tangled is an awesome movie though!).
Somehow I never felt a sense of the world that Gothel and Rapunzel existed in. It was all too fractured and disparate with no real meat on the bones of the places. There are forests and desert lands and even icy mountains to contend with but they don't come alive in your imagination as you read, they remain on the page. This may be because little description is given to them - this can help your imagination spark and create the lands for yourself or it can leave you feeling that you have no knowledge of the place our characters inhabit. Unfortunately, for this reader, I found it to be the latter.
We then have a range of characters that we are introduced to. Gothel who is guarding Rapunzel as penance for her mother's curse that put her in the tower. Raj who was the Princes' squire, the Prince who is now trapped under the same spell in the tower because his heart is not pure enough to save Rapunzel. Together they must go on a quest to get the one thing that cut Rapunzel's hair and so break the spell. As is the nature of quests they will somehow manage to draw together a motley band who help them - in this case a dwarf cursed to shape shift to a wolf (yes, THAT dwarf - we all know his name even if he doesn't), a dark elf who plays a fine lute but would rather get drunk and a mysterious maiden who becomes a fire breathing dragon thanks to a curse.
You know, writing it all out like that makes it sound quite fun and enjoyable.
Sadly, it really wasn't. I never got to really know the characters as they all seem two dimensional at best. Gothel in particular drove me to distraction and as the bulk of the book is about her and told from her perspective you can see the problem.
Strangely, this is one case where I think a few more pages would have benefitted the story. Give it more room to breathe, more room to help the reader picture the exotic fairyland locales It would have also allowed the motley crew to have a little more camp fire downtime on their quest and so given them the chance to get a personality going on the page. Instead of they were here and then they were at this stop on their journey and then they sleep under the stars and then they are here. It really is moving from one set piece to another.
By the time they got to the Ice Mountains and we finally meet Gothel's evil aunts I will admit I was just reading to finish the book. There are no real surprises to be found in the ending either - everything falls in to place as you expected it to from the start. Not necessarily a bad thing but unfortunately the getting there was, and I don't like saying this, boring.
Not one for me, which is a real shame as the genre itself is usually so good.
Somehow I never felt a sense of the world that Gothel and Rapunzel existed in. It was all too fractured and disparate with no real meat on the bones of the places. There are forests and desert lands and even icy mountains to contend with but they don't come alive in your imagination as you read, they remain on the page. This may be because little description is given to them - this can help your imagination spark and create the lands for yourself or it can leave you feeling that you have no knowledge of the place our characters inhabit. Unfortunately, for this reader, I found it to be the latter.
We then have a range of characters that we are introduced to. Gothel who is guarding Rapunzel as penance for her mother's curse that put her in the tower. Raj who was the Princes' squire, the Prince who is now trapped under the same spell in the tower because his heart is not pure enough to save Rapunzel. Together they must go on a quest to get the one thing that cut Rapunzel's hair and so break the spell. As is the nature of quests they will somehow manage to draw together a motley band who help them - in this case a dwarf cursed to shape shift to a wolf (yes, THAT dwarf - we all know his name even if he doesn't), a dark elf who plays a fine lute but would rather get drunk and a mysterious maiden who becomes a fire breathing dragon thanks to a curse.
You know, writing it all out like that makes it sound quite fun and enjoyable.
Sadly, it really wasn't. I never got to really know the characters as they all seem two dimensional at best. Gothel in particular drove me to distraction and as the bulk of the book is about her and told from her perspective you can see the problem.
Strangely, this is one case where I think a few more pages would have benefitted the story. Give it more room to breathe, more room to help the reader picture the exotic fairyland locales It would have also allowed the motley crew to have a little more camp fire downtime on their quest and so given them the chance to get a personality going on the page. Instead of they were here and then they were at this stop on their journey and then they sleep under the stars and then they are here. It really is moving from one set piece to another.
By the time they got to the Ice Mountains and we finally meet Gothel's evil aunts I will admit I was just reading to finish the book. There are no real surprises to be found in the ending either - everything falls in to place as you expected it to from the start. Not necessarily a bad thing but unfortunately the getting there was, and I don't like saying this, boring.
Not one for me, which is a real shame as the genre itself is usually so good.
September 20, 2019
3.5*
This book is a Rapunzel retelling but it is not about Rapunzel but about the witch, Gothel and her adventures. Instead of the villain of the story, this time Gothel is the hero, along with a mismatch of characters she got to meet during her quest to save Rapunzel from the tower she's been confined in.
I started this story in high spirits and hopes it would be really cool. I've been having this thing where I want to read stories about the villain as the main character lately and I though this would be one of them that I really enjoyed. I did, don't get me wrong but what started as a strong story with a relatable character in parts (Gothel having blue hair and being a witch are basically the only things I couldn't relate to me but it's alright!!) slowly became an okay story and you could tell that no matter what was happening during the quest, they'd come out of all of it unscated. It felt... easy?
I definitely could have done without the insta love; especially when the chemistry between the two characters isn't really sparking but "oh my, how handsome is he" and "no, I mustn't feel this way". We get it, okay? This is story that didn't benefit in having this at all. Even the twist mentioned at the beginning that came back at the end didn't have an impact at all. Everything felt like a happily ever after starting midway through the story.
I do have to say that, separately, I did enjoy all of the characters and I would have liked to know more about Gothel's aunts for sure. The dwarf's wolf curse was interesting but totally a side story to this and, let's face it, was his name supposed to have an impact once revealed at the end? It definitely fell short. I was interested in knowing more about Raj, who he is and how he came to be rince Merek's squire. Some of it was merely hinted at.
Overall, I did enjoy this story from beginning to end although the first part felt stronger to me. There were little unexpected twists that could have been better executed but still surpsied me and that was nice but it could have been much better, in my opinion, too.
This book is a Rapunzel retelling but it is not about Rapunzel but about the witch, Gothel and her adventures. Instead of the villain of the story, this time Gothel is the hero, along with a mismatch of characters she got to meet during her quest to save Rapunzel from the tower she's been confined in.
I started this story in high spirits and hopes it would be really cool. I've been having this thing where I want to read stories about the villain as the main character lately and I though this would be one of them that I really enjoyed. I did, don't get me wrong but what started as a strong story with a relatable character in parts (Gothel having blue hair and being a witch are basically the only things I couldn't relate to me but it's alright!!) slowly became an okay story and you could tell that no matter what was happening during the quest, they'd come out of all of it unscated. It felt... easy?
I definitely could have done without the insta love; especially when the chemistry between the two characters isn't really sparking but "oh my, how handsome is he" and "no, I mustn't feel this way". We get it, okay? This is story that didn't benefit in having this at all. Even the twist mentioned at the beginning that came back at the end didn't have an impact at all. Everything felt like a happily ever after starting midway through the story.
I do have to say that, separately, I did enjoy all of the characters and I would have liked to know more about Gothel's aunts for sure. The dwarf's wolf curse was interesting but totally a side story to this and, let's face it, was his name supposed to have an impact once revealed at the end? It definitely fell short. I was interested in knowing more about Raj, who he is and how he came to be rince Merek's squire. Some of it was merely hinted at.
Overall, I did enjoy this story from beginning to end although the first part felt stronger to me. There were little unexpected twists that could have been better executed but still surpsied me and that was nice but it could have been much better, in my opinion, too.
June 26, 2022
2.5 stars. This was my first physical book I read in a long time. I found it on the shelf in the library and decided to read it since it was a retelling of Rapunzel. The book was pretty good throughout but it got rushed near the end. I find that a lot of books do this where they write in detail and build up of the storyline but when the ending comes, everything is rushed and you get lost in what's happening. Plus a lot happens when the book is about to end because the author was probably trying to make it as interesting having it jammed pack with action but also finding closure for all the characters and the situation.
August 30, 2019
This is a retelling of Rapunzel and the Witch.
Gothel the Witch is forced to watch over Rapunzel in the tower. Rapunzel has a curse on her that causes her hair to be so long and heavy that she can't even get out of bed. Will Gothel help Rapunzel get rid of the curse so she can leave the tower or will Gothel do nothing to change her own fate?
Here is a peak at Mother Gothel story: “My mother discovered what the king was doing,” I said. “She was infuriated, but there was nothing she could do to harm him—the magical radishes made sure of that—so she did something petty and stupid, something I’m ashamed of, and something I pay the price for every day. She cursed his only offspring, his daughter Rapunzel. She made it so that her hair would grow unnaturally long, weighing so heavy it left her bedridden. My mother created the curse so that only a prince with a noble heart would have the ability to break it. “The high sorcerer killed my mother after she cursed his daughter, but it didn’t stop his rage. He cast a spell to kill all the princesses in the land, making sure everyone felt his suffering, and then he locked his only daughter in a tower, and demanded I be her protector as punishment for my mother’s crimes.”
I gave it 2 stars because I wasn't interested too much in the Characters or the plot of the book. It might have been the writing in the book.
(Read for the NEWTS Magical Read A Thon. Defense against the Dark Arts Prompt)
Gothel the Witch is forced to watch over Rapunzel in the tower. Rapunzel has a curse on her that causes her hair to be so long and heavy that she can't even get out of bed. Will Gothel help Rapunzel get rid of the curse so she can leave the tower or will Gothel do nothing to change her own fate?
Here is a peak at Mother Gothel story: “My mother discovered what the king was doing,” I said. “She was infuriated, but there was nothing she could do to harm him—the magical radishes made sure of that—so she did something petty and stupid, something I’m ashamed of, and something I pay the price for every day. She cursed his only offspring, his daughter Rapunzel. She made it so that her hair would grow unnaturally long, weighing so heavy it left her bedridden. My mother created the curse so that only a prince with a noble heart would have the ability to break it. “The high sorcerer killed my mother after she cursed his daughter, but it didn’t stop his rage. He cast a spell to kill all the princesses in the land, making sure everyone felt his suffering, and then he locked his only daughter in a tower, and demanded I be her protector as punishment for my mother’s crimes.”
I gave it 2 stars because I wasn't interested too much in the Characters or the plot of the book. It might have been the writing in the book.
(Read for the NEWTS Magical Read A Thon. Defense against the Dark Arts Prompt)
January 24, 2022
I was in the mood for magical fairytale retellings, and Grantham's "The Witch's Tower," a retelling of Rapunzel from Gothel's point of view, sounded like an interesting change of pace from the Beauty and the Beast and Cinderella retellings that I read last year. In this retelling, Gothel is our hero who teams up with a prince's squire, Raj, to find a pair of magical shears to free Rapunzel, who is described as a somewhat feral, nearly insane princess that is trapped in her infamous tower by her father, an evil sorcerer that controls the lands they live on. Along their journey, in a truly Wizard of Oz fashion, they are joined by a nameless shapeshifting wolf, a terrible and drunken musician, and a cursed dragon princess. There is a happily ever after for Gothel, and I did enjoy the journey they took, but I found it fairly boring and predictable. I think this would be a great book for a young teenager that's looking to get into fantasy, but probably too young to truly be labeled young adult. There's a very light romance and a few fighting/battle scenes, but it's overall a very cute, wholesome story about found family and friends, and it's a very easy read that probably would have taken me a day if I had had the time to commit to it. It leaves off in a way that gives plenty of room for the side characters own stories and I know that there are more books in the series.
May 27, 2019
This really was very satisfying and after starting it I really got into it and read all but one chapter in one day. I will admit part of this was because I had a self-designed reading schedule that I fell behind on, but the fact is, if it had not been good I would not have been able to finish it in one day.
I liked the characters and the general idea for this twist on Rapunzel.
Some plot points seemed pretty obvious, while others when they came to light were surprising.
It felt a little rushed towards the ending, like there was a goal to make the book less than x number of pages and with all the events happening on the quest to get the shears, the ending after obtaining the shears was completed in a couple of fairly short chapters. But then perhaps this story really wasn't about Rapunzel, but rather about Gothel, so Rapunzel wasn't as important, other than to free her from her curse. It did feel a little anti-climactic at the end though and the other piece of information revealed about Rapunzel was a little unnecessary and sudden. It had pretty much no bearing on the story and wasn't really worth mentioning.
I was glad I read this though and if a reader enjoyed retellings of fairytales this would be one I would recommend.
I liked the characters and the general idea for this twist on Rapunzel.
Some plot points seemed pretty obvious, while others when they came to light were surprising.
It felt a little rushed towards the ending, like there was a goal to make the book less than x number of pages and with all the events happening on the quest to get the shears, the ending after obtaining the shears was completed in a couple of fairly short chapters. But then perhaps this story really wasn't about Rapunzel, but rather about Gothel, so Rapunzel wasn't as important, other than to free her from her curse. It did feel a little anti-climactic at the end though and the other piece of information revealed about Rapunzel was a little unnecessary and sudden. It had pretty much no bearing on the story and wasn't really worth mentioning.
I was glad I read this though and if a reader enjoyed retellings of fairytales this would be one I would recommend.
October 5, 2019
This is a pretty good retelling of the Rapunzal story that follows the witch that was appointed to guard her on a quest to free her from her curse. This quest is begun by the arrival of a prince who becomes frozen by Rapunzal's curse and his aide who is determined to save him from it. There is of course many twists and turns on their journey and they uncover far more about themselves than they ever imagined, including a rather awkward romance that feels both forced and predictable that ruins an otherwise good story. The writing itself is pretty good and most of the story flows well creating a fairytale world that is a bit more gritty than others (think original Oz rather than Disney), sadly this is slightly ruined by the romance side of things but it is worth getting past this for the rest of it.
August 14, 2022
A good attempt at a retelling of Rapunzel, but I was disappointed that Rapunzel herself plays no part in her own story. I also disliked the cheesy love-at-first sight between Rapunzel and the prince. Gothel's adventure was interesting, but lacked real depth. She doesn't really learn anything, muddles her way through and has a pretty easy time of it. Everything is resolved with too much ease it made the problems less gut-wrenching.
Also, I have a serious issue with the names. People will never refer to themselves as Outlanders (just one example). The romance was cute, but nothing more than that. Grantham had a good idea but failed to implement it so I actually got emotionally involved with the characters or felt invested in the outcome. The set up for the next book failed to capture my attention in the least.
Also, I have a serious issue with the names. People will never refer to themselves as Outlanders (just one example). The romance was cute, but nothing more than that. Grantham had a good idea but failed to implement it so I actually got emotionally involved with the characters or felt invested in the outcome. The set up for the next book failed to capture my attention in the least.
January 22, 2022
The foretelling says that a noble hearted prince will marry Rapunzel and kill the witch that guards the tower. Gothel, the witch is not cruel, in fact she even hopes that Prince Merek is truly the prince they've all been waiting for. Unfortunately, Prince Merek falls into the curse and has two to three weeks to live and the only way to break the curse is to cut Rapunzel's hair using magical shears. The prince's squire and Gothel go on a journey to get the shears and fall in love on the way.
I loved it so much! It was more than I expected. The characters were not plain, they were very interesting especially Raj. The conflict was very easy to understand and not complicated but still able to compel me. I also would love to have Drekken's lute!
Overall, this is a good retelling!
I loved it so much! It was more than I expected. The characters were not plain, they were very interesting especially Raj. The conflict was very easy to understand and not complicated but still able to compel me. I also would love to have Drekken's lute!
Overall, this is a good retelling!
February 15, 2020
YA fantasy romance adventure
Read from main character Gothel’s point of view, we see her taking a journey (Frodo style) along with the prince’s squire Raj - because the prince is stuck up in the tower at the failed attempt to rescue Rapunzel.
Along the way they meet other randoms that they take along as strays. Then suddenly insta-love happens because luckily of mutual attraction.
I would of expected Gothel to have a bit more self acceptance, self love, considering she has confidence and could hold her own, I would of suspected those things go hand in hand. Maybe the author wanted to create a character that we can relate to. Who knows?
Read from main character Gothel’s point of view, we see her taking a journey (Frodo style) along with the prince’s squire Raj - because the prince is stuck up in the tower at the failed attempt to rescue Rapunzel.
Along the way they meet other randoms that they take along as strays. Then suddenly insta-love happens because luckily of mutual attraction.
I would of expected Gothel to have a bit more self acceptance, self love, considering she has confidence and could hold her own, I would of suspected those things go hand in hand. Maybe the author wanted to create a character that we can relate to. Who knows?
June 25, 2020
Could've been a 5
Liked the story. Liked the characters. However...
It really did need more editing. I saw that it did have an editor, but maybe two would have worked better.
The one I remember most is at the ice castle. There were at least these conversations that decided that the elf would stay while the Dragon left. There were a couple of other awkward places like that. Places where the conversation or event was only needed once.
That said, in spite of those glitches, it is a tale worth reading. I would have preferred the sorcerer battle being even more devastating, but it still worked.
Glad Gothel had her happy ending!
Liked the story. Liked the characters. However...
It really did need more editing. I saw that it did have an editor, but maybe two would have worked better.
The one I remember most is at the ice castle. There were at least these conversations that decided that the elf would stay while the Dragon left. There were a couple of other awkward places like that. Places where the conversation or event was only needed once.
That said, in spite of those glitches, it is a tale worth reading. I would have preferred the sorcerer battle being even more devastating, but it still worked.
Glad Gothel had her happy ending!
February 23, 2021
Reads like a kindergartner wrote this
I wanted to like this book, but I just couldn't get past the awful storytelling.
I had high hopes for this book based off of its story description blurb. I read the first 5 chapters before I couldn't force myself to suffer through the bad writing anymore. I hate not finishing a book, so I skimmed through the rest of it hoping to find some saving grace within the pages, but it really is one giant, over-the-top, kindergarten story. Yes. Kindergarten. It was written in a way that a child would tell a story, with all of the groan-worthy Mary Sue and bad fantasy-trope clichés thrown in. Truly a painful chore to read.
I wanted to like this book, but I just couldn't get past the awful storytelling.
I had high hopes for this book based off of its story description blurb. I read the first 5 chapters before I couldn't force myself to suffer through the bad writing anymore. I hate not finishing a book, so I skimmed through the rest of it hoping to find some saving grace within the pages, but it really is one giant, over-the-top, kindergarten story. Yes. Kindergarten. It was written in a way that a child would tell a story, with all of the groan-worthy Mary Sue and bad fantasy-trope clichés thrown in. Truly a painful chore to read.
January 27, 2019
Gothel, a blue-haired witch, is the guardian for Rapunzel, the princess locked in a doorless tower. I liked it because this brilliant take on a classic fairy tale has many interesting twists and unexpected cameo appearances from other tales. These princesses are more like Xena, the warrior princess, than a Disney princess, but there is a quest, a dragon, 🐲 a wolf, 🐺a dwarf, a dashing prince, plus lots of hair and even some romance. 💖 The magic in action, word and. potion enchants, burns, and blasts its way to your heart.
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