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Bewitching Fairy Tales #1
Stalks of Gold
Magic isn’t a solution; it’s a trap.
If Aurelia comes across magic, she’s supposed to run in the other direction. Life is no longer so simple. If the tower door opens, and she doesn’t have any gold, her life will be forfeit.
No one is going to help her, not even her closest friend. No one, except for the mysterious stranger who appeared on her doorstep and in her tower room. If she takes the deal, she might live, but what will she sacrifice in order to do it?
Sandor’s worlds collided when Aurelia was brought before King Eadric. Is he truly so desperate to get out of debt, he’s willing to believe such nonsense as a girl who can spin straw into gold? She’s Sandor’s closest friend. If Aurelia were a witch, he would know it. It’s impossible, or so he thought.
Nothing makes sense anymore, but Sandor’s determined to figure it out and save Aurelia from the king. The more he learns, the more he wonders, is the king the real threat, or is there something more dangerous lurking in the shadows?
If Aurelia comes across magic, she’s supposed to run in the other direction. Life is no longer so simple. If the tower door opens, and she doesn’t have any gold, her life will be forfeit.
No one is going to help her, not even her closest friend. No one, except for the mysterious stranger who appeared on her doorstep and in her tower room. If she takes the deal, she might live, but what will she sacrifice in order to do it?
Sandor’s worlds collided when Aurelia was brought before King Eadric. Is he truly so desperate to get out of debt, he’s willing to believe such nonsense as a girl who can spin straw into gold? She’s Sandor’s closest friend. If Aurelia were a witch, he would know it. It’s impossible, or so he thought.
Nothing makes sense anymore, but Sandor’s determined to figure it out and save Aurelia from the king. The more he learns, the more he wonders, is the king the real threat, or is there something more dangerous lurking in the shadows?
398 pages, Kindle Edition
Published January 27, 2021
387 people are currently reading
1730 people want to read
About the author
Celeste Baxendell
24 books1,036 followersCeleste Baxendell has always read anything she could get her hands on, but once she read her first fantasy novel, she was hooked and hasn’t looked back since.
Her love of magic, adventure, and romance hasn’t waned with age, and she endeavors to write nail-biting stories with compelling, complex characters, and finding light in dark times.
She is incredibly blessed to spend her time writing from her favorite chair with her legs curled up under her as she fights the southern heat. When she isn’t writing, she’s either reading, drawing, or sewing, in that order, and most likely thinking about writing as she does.
Her love of magic, adventure, and romance hasn’t waned with age, and she endeavors to write nail-biting stories with compelling, complex characters, and finding light in dark times.
She is incredibly blessed to spend her time writing from her favorite chair with her legs curled up under her as she fights the southern heat. When she isn’t writing, she’s either reading, drawing, or sewing, in that order, and most likely thinking about writing as she does.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 155 reviews
April 30, 2025
2 stars ⭐️ Clean Fiction - Fairytale Retelling
Hmm. I had higher hopes for this book after really enjoying two other books by this author, but it was a miss for me.
I didn’t care for either of the main characters, which greatly affected my enjoyment of the story. They were all very emotional and high-strung. Aurelia has an instinct that is telling her that the red haired man is dangerous, but she ignores it more often than not, so you could really argue that some events in the book are the consequences of her own actions and decisions. Besides that glaring red flag, she is also pretty…unstable? She lashes out and snaps a lot. I mean, sure, she’s been put through the wringer, but even the glimpses we see before the plot really starts is bratty and entitled. I wanted to hand her some Vitamin B to get her emotions under control.
Sandor was annoying. If I’m being completely honest, it’s true. He was whinny and cowardly. He is often called a “bastard” (in the literal illegitimate children sense) and according to my search, he is called that (by himself and others) eighteen times. I don’t want that word to come out of my mouth and that was a lot of times to read it which ups the chances of it leaving my mouth, so I didn’t like that either. He acted all caring towards Aurelia (and like a boring friend), but when he was with his awful family, it was almost like Jekyll and Hyde with the massive difference. His primary focus was about her and I think we could argue that isn’t health either.
They both had too many “woe is me”/self-pity moments and then over the top emotions, when—again—you could say that a lot of it is the consequences of their decisions. I didn’t buy the fact that Aurelia and Sandor loved each other—it felt more like they were just comfortable with the other because of knowing each other for so long.
The idea of a mashup between Rumplestiklin and Rapunzel worked well, but did add in the obsessive character. So speaking on unhealthy emotions: the Rumplestilkin character. Once more, I have to mention that Aurelia gets a buzzing sensation around him and warning her of “oh, he’s dangerous” but yet because of being in a rock and a hard place, she continues to accept his help. This leads to massive, major problems. He is obsessed with her and not only kiss and touch her without her approval, he also steals her away and kidnaps her. Obviously this is looked at as wrong, but still. Obsessive stalker warning!
There’s also a brutal king that is horrible (perhaps that’s an understatement) and Sandor desperately wants to kill him. Fair enough, I suppose, but again with the “Aurelia ☺️😍🥰” vs “I want to kill the king 😡😤” split personalities. *Spoiler* .
I was uncomfortable with the mentions of witches and their familiars. There was one witch that turned away from using her spells for evil and is using them to help others instead, but it still felt a little weird to me especially because she is still called a witch.
A word to describe the MMC’s life: messy.
Honestly, I have to agree with these two reviewers’ thoughts when it comes to this book as well. Here and Here.
Main Content-
Magic is illegal in the country where Aurelia and Sandor live; Humans that can use magic are witches, wizards, sorcerers, and enchanters & then there are magical creatures like imps, fairies, & trolls; Incantations and spells are said and used by side characters to use their magic (including to heal others, stop a sandstorm, and freeze others in place); Knowing the true name of witches and other magical creatures is to be able to control them; A man is turned into a rat because of breaking a magical deal; A character looses his eyesight because of magic *Spoiler* .
Aurelia has been told by her father to avoid magic *Spoilers* .
Aurelia feels a buzzing sensation around Ruskin and later thinks that it’s her instincts telling her he is dangerous, but accepts his offer of help to use magic; *Spoiler* *Major Spoilers* .
A man is often called a devil because of his actions.
Many mentions of witches, witchcraft, familiars, & magic; A couple mentions of praying (but not towards Whom).
Language: “bastard” is used eighteen times in the meaning of an illegitimate son (being revered as that and calling one’s self that); Curses (including by Aurelia and Sandor) and mentions of people cursing (said, but not written); Aurelia eavesdrops (due to curiosity) and lies (including because of not wanting to tell how she is feeling to someone); Eye rolling.
A fire, Fighting, Being hit/kicked/beaten, Being attacked and choked, Being slapped (often), Being kidnapped/held hostage and tied-up, Being threatened (with death and the death of a loved one), Being stabbed/Seeing someone stabbed, Pain, Injuries, & Passing out (up to a few sentences); Threatening someone by holding a knife at the character’s own throat; Thinking someone died in front of the character & grief (up to handfuls of sentences); Seeing a death (up to a few sentences); Grief (up to a few sentences).
*Spoilers* ; Aurelia thinks it would have been better to die at a couple parts.
Ruskin manipulates Aurelia into believing that she can only trust him and puts her against Sandor; *Spoilers* .
Sandor faces the king who hates him and would easily kill him if given the motivation to do so (many mentions of this); Sandor’s sister calls him out about being like their cruel brother and that because of the same blood flowing through their veins, Sandor could be cruel as well (she fails to comment on the fact she has the same blood).
Many mentions of lies, lying, liars, & hatred; Mentions of deaths, executions, & grief (including for parents); Mentions of a stalker; Mentions of beatings, people being slapped, injuries, pain, & blood/bleeding; Mentions of a fire & injuries from it; Mentions of stealing & thieves; Mentions of alcohol & drinking; Mentions of rumors & gossip; A few mentions of potential war; A couple mentions of nightmares.
1 palm kiss,
1 head kiss,
1 kiss lasting a sentence,
1 kiss lasting a few sentences,
2 kisses lasting 4-5 sentences (one is unwanted/empty),
Remembering kisses (up to a few sentences); Seeing an unwanted kiss (up to a few sentences).
Touches, Embraces, Hand holding, Nearness, & Noticing (including unwanted ones and Aurelia imagining Ruskin touching her when it’s actually Sandor, up to a couple sentences).
Aurelia feels a buzzing sensation when around Ruskin (which he says is their connection and she thinks is her instincts warning her about magic; She quickly starts to ignore it and the warning; *Spoiler* ; Ruskin often touches Aurelia and manipulates her into only trusting him (this is a major part of the book as he helps her out of bad situations *Spoilers* .
Mentions of Sandor being the illegitimate child of the late king; A few mentions of a king demanding an heir from his new wife; A few mentions of flirting; A couple mentions of a mother and baby dying in childbirth.
Hmm. I had higher hopes for this book after really enjoying two other books by this author, but it was a miss for me.
I didn’t care for either of the main characters, which greatly affected my enjoyment of the story. They were all very emotional and high-strung. Aurelia has an instinct that is telling her that the red haired man is dangerous, but she ignores it more often than not, so you could really argue that some events in the book are the consequences of her own actions and decisions. Besides that glaring red flag, she is also pretty…unstable? She lashes out and snaps a lot. I mean, sure, she’s been put through the wringer, but even the glimpses we see before the plot really starts is bratty and entitled. I wanted to hand her some Vitamin B to get her emotions under control.
Sandor was annoying. If I’m being completely honest, it’s true. He was whinny and cowardly. He is often called a “bastard” (in the literal illegitimate children sense) and according to my search, he is called that (by himself and others) eighteen times. I don’t want that word to come out of my mouth and that was a lot of times to read it which ups the chances of it leaving my mouth, so I didn’t like that either. He acted all caring towards Aurelia (and like a boring friend), but when he was with his awful family, it was almost like Jekyll and Hyde with the massive difference. His primary focus was about her and I think we could argue that isn’t health either.
They both had too many “woe is me”/self-pity moments and then over the top emotions, when—again—you could say that a lot of it is the consequences of their decisions. I didn’t buy the fact that Aurelia and Sandor loved each other—it felt more like they were just comfortable with the other because of knowing each other for so long.
The idea of a mashup between Rumplestiklin and Rapunzel worked well, but did add in the obsessive character. So speaking on unhealthy emotions: the Rumplestilkin character. Once more, I have to mention that Aurelia gets a buzzing sensation around him and warning her of “oh, he’s dangerous” but yet because of being in a rock and a hard place, she continues to accept his help. This leads to massive, major problems. He is obsessed with her and not only kiss and touch her without her approval, he also steals her away and kidnaps her. Obviously this is looked at as wrong, but still. Obsessive stalker warning!
There’s also a brutal king that is horrible (perhaps that’s an understatement) and Sandor desperately wants to kill him. Fair enough, I suppose, but again with the “Aurelia ☺️😍🥰” vs “I want to kill the king 😡😤” split personalities. *Spoiler* .
I was uncomfortable with the mentions of witches and their familiars. There was one witch that turned away from using her spells for evil and is using them to help others instead, but it still felt a little weird to me especially because she is still called a witch.
A word to describe the MMC’s life: messy.
Honestly, I have to agree with these two reviewers’ thoughts when it comes to this book as well. Here and Here.
Main Content-
Magic is illegal in the country where Aurelia and Sandor live; Humans that can use magic are witches, wizards, sorcerers, and enchanters & then there are magical creatures like imps, fairies, & trolls; Incantations and spells are said and used by side characters to use their magic (including to heal others, stop a sandstorm, and freeze others in place); Knowing the true name of witches and other magical creatures is to be able to control them; A man is turned into a rat because of breaking a magical deal; A character looses his eyesight because of magic *Spoiler* .
Aurelia has been told by her father to avoid magic *Spoilers* .
Aurelia feels a buzzing sensation around Ruskin and later thinks that it’s her instincts telling her he is dangerous, but accepts his offer of help to use magic; *Spoiler* *Major Spoilers* .
A man is often called a devil because of his actions.
Many mentions of witches, witchcraft, familiars, & magic; A couple mentions of praying (but not towards Whom).
Language: “bastard” is used eighteen times in the meaning of an illegitimate son (being revered as that and calling one’s self that); Curses (including by Aurelia and Sandor) and mentions of people cursing (said, but not written); Aurelia eavesdrops (due to curiosity) and lies (including because of not wanting to tell how she is feeling to someone); Eye rolling.
A fire, Fighting, Being hit/kicked/beaten, Being attacked and choked, Being slapped (often), Being kidnapped/held hostage and tied-up, Being threatened (with death and the death of a loved one), Being stabbed/Seeing someone stabbed, Pain, Injuries, & Passing out (up to a few sentences); Threatening someone by holding a knife at the character’s own throat; Thinking someone died in front of the character & grief (up to handfuls of sentences); Seeing a death (up to a few sentences); Grief (up to a few sentences).
*Spoilers* ; Aurelia thinks it would have been better to die at a couple parts.
Ruskin manipulates Aurelia into believing that she can only trust him and puts her against Sandor; *Spoilers* .
Sandor faces the king who hates him and would easily kill him if given the motivation to do so (many mentions of this); Sandor’s sister calls him out about being like their cruel brother and that because of the same blood flowing through their veins, Sandor could be cruel as well (she fails to comment on the fact she has the same blood).
Many mentions of lies, lying, liars, & hatred; Mentions of deaths, executions, & grief (including for parents); Mentions of a stalker; Mentions of beatings, people being slapped, injuries, pain, & blood/bleeding; Mentions of a fire & injuries from it; Mentions of stealing & thieves; Mentions of alcohol & drinking; Mentions of rumors & gossip; A few mentions of potential war; A couple mentions of nightmares.
1 palm kiss,
1 head kiss,
1 kiss lasting a sentence,
1 kiss lasting a few sentences,
2 kisses lasting 4-5 sentences (one is unwanted/empty),
Remembering kisses (up to a few sentences); Seeing an unwanted kiss (up to a few sentences).
Touches, Embraces, Hand holding, Nearness, & Noticing (including unwanted ones and Aurelia imagining Ruskin touching her when it’s actually Sandor, up to a couple sentences).
Aurelia feels a buzzing sensation when around Ruskin (which he says is their connection and she thinks is her instincts warning her about magic; She quickly starts to ignore it and the warning; *Spoiler* ; Ruskin often touches Aurelia and manipulates her into only trusting him (this is a major part of the book as he helps her out of bad situations *Spoilers* .
Mentions of Sandor being the illegitimate child of the late king; A few mentions of a king demanding an heir from his new wife; A few mentions of flirting; A couple mentions of a mother and baby dying in childbirth.
September 14, 2022
2/5
This book was a tough experience but somehow I managed to finish it up.
Initially I was curious about a story based on Grimm's tales - Rumpelstilskin and Rapunzel. Kind of interesting combination. But I became acquainted with an utter disappointment.
The first disappointment were characters, who were snappish, selfish and hot-tempered, especially Aurelia. I thought she would be a decent character but my hopes have been crushed and she turned out to be a nasty brat. Her personality repulsed me almost immediately. She was impossibly stupid, full of anger and quick to judge or trust a clearly suspicious man. She didn't even take steps to reason with other people, hear anyone out but responded only with pure hatred. And don't get me started on Sandor. At first he posed as a shallow man who evolved into an aggressive, angry and blinded (funny choice of words) by emotions man. The only reasonable person was Hakim whose calm disposition set him apart from other characters.
I didn't understand relationships in this book either. Everyone treated each other like a garbage. Almost every character presented the most awful traits of personality. I can hardly count normal conversations between characters without tantrums and bursts of anger or hatred. Also, the romance seemed out of place and petty, it was devoid of any chemistry but plenty of anger and ridiculous devotion.
Even despite dramas and many frustrating characters I felt a pull to continue the story. The whole idea to put two Grimm's tales together kept me interested. The main villain was a good one which made me slightly impressed. Furthermore, the author's writing was pretty smooth and easy to read. If to overlook horrible characters, the whole plot was decently written so that's why I gave two starts instead of only one.
This book was a tough experience but somehow I managed to finish it up.
Initially I was curious about a story based on Grimm's tales - Rumpelstilskin and Rapunzel. Kind of interesting combination. But I became acquainted with an utter disappointment.
The first disappointment were characters, who were snappish, selfish and hot-tempered, especially Aurelia. I thought she would be a decent character but my hopes have been crushed and she turned out to be a nasty brat. Her personality repulsed me almost immediately. She was impossibly stupid, full of anger and quick to judge or trust a clearly suspicious man. She didn't even take steps to reason with other people, hear anyone out but responded only with pure hatred. And don't get me started on Sandor. At first he posed as a shallow man who evolved into an aggressive, angry and blinded (funny choice of words) by emotions man. The only reasonable person was Hakim whose calm disposition set him apart from other characters.
I didn't understand relationships in this book either. Everyone treated each other like a garbage. Almost every character presented the most awful traits of personality. I can hardly count normal conversations between characters without tantrums and bursts of anger or hatred. Also, the romance seemed out of place and petty, it was devoid of any chemistry but plenty of anger and ridiculous devotion.
Even despite dramas and many frustrating characters I felt a pull to continue the story. The whole idea to put two Grimm's tales together kept me interested. The main villain was a good one which made me slightly impressed. Furthermore, the author's writing was pretty smooth and easy to read. If to overlook horrible characters, the whole plot was decently written so that's why I gave two starts instead of only one.
soft-dnf
September 26, 2025Soft DNF 23%
July 16, 2022
Stalks of Gold is the first book within the Bewitching Fairy Tales series. In it, you will meet Aurelia and Sandor. Together, they are best friends. They've known each other since they were little. She is a commoner and he's the bastard prince.
Now it took me a while to end up liking these two. If anything, I liked the villain way more. Especially since Ruskin was giving me all kinds of Rumpelstiltskin vibes. On top of that, we also get some Rapunzel vibes. Especially when it comes to Aurelia's sudden hair growth. Now Ruskin becomes quite obsessed with Aurelia and together they need to find a way to rescue her from his clutches. Or the lovely tower.
Lots of drama happens throughout this. I also really liked getting to know the witch, Gothel. She seemed so mysterious for most of this book, and I just wanted to see her in action. Definitely bittersweet feeling but I'm happy with how everything turned out. Might jump into the next book if I find the time.
Now it took me a while to end up liking these two. If anything, I liked the villain way more. Especially since Ruskin was giving me all kinds of Rumpelstiltskin vibes. On top of that, we also get some Rapunzel vibes. Especially when it comes to Aurelia's sudden hair growth. Now Ruskin becomes quite obsessed with Aurelia and together they need to find a way to rescue her from his clutches. Or the lovely tower.
Lots of drama happens throughout this. I also really liked getting to know the witch, Gothel. She seemed so mysterious for most of this book, and I just wanted to see her in action. Definitely bittersweet feeling but I'm happy with how everything turned out. Might jump into the next book if I find the time.
July 24, 2021
I'm rather happy to have found a fairy tale mashup that I liked.
I think the author did an excellent job of interweaving Rumpelstiltskin and Rapunzel, and I enjoyed how she set up her plot, world, magic system, and characters. Honestly, I really did like how everyone got development, but the growth seemed to be mostly limited to the two main characters (one of the side characters did get development, but I was a little unsatisfied, even so). AND I highly enjoyed how she portrayed the insane, manipulative villain while giving him a backstory - a really well-characterized bad guy (and I liked the parallels between the evil characters, too).
Personally, I got a little too annoyed at the heroine initially. But even despite that, manhy flaws were addressed and I enjoyed seeing people reap the consequences of their actions but also find redemption and patience. :)) There were also a few typos and some sentences were awkwardly phrased (at least for me) but there was nothing off about the pacing or the story itself, I think. So yes, I'd recommend this read to a fairy tale fan and can't wait to see more of the world.
Content: Clean in language and content (unless you count the word for illegitemate son being used in its actual meaning), but there is violence. While I wouldn't say it's gory, I'd say it's....definitely intense because of the emotional/psychological weight behind it. And I might need to give a trigger warning for those who are sensitive to reading about abuse and gaslighting.
I think the author did an excellent job of interweaving Rumpelstiltskin and Rapunzel, and I enjoyed how she set up her plot, world, magic system, and characters. Honestly, I really did like how everyone got development, but the growth seemed to be mostly limited to the two main characters (one of the side characters did get development, but I was a little unsatisfied, even so). AND I highly enjoyed how she portrayed the insane, manipulative villain while giving him a backstory - a really well-characterized bad guy (and I liked the parallels between the evil characters, too).
Personally, I got a little too annoyed at the heroine initially. But even despite that, manhy flaws were addressed and I enjoyed seeing people reap the consequences of their actions but also find redemption and patience. :)) There were also a few typos and some sentences were awkwardly phrased (at least for me) but there was nothing off about the pacing or the story itself, I think. So yes, I'd recommend this read to a fairy tale fan and can't wait to see more of the world.
Content: Clean in language and content (unless you count the word for illegitemate son being used in its actual meaning), but there is violence. While I wouldn't say it's gory, I'd say it's....definitely intense because of the emotional/psychological weight behind it. And I might need to give a trigger warning for those who are sensitive to reading about abuse and gaslighting.
August 1, 2025
This book is full of characters with anger problems, emotional issues, and unresolved past wounds. There’s spiteful comments, pointless arguments, cowardly acts and lots and lots of self-pity. Strange obsessions. Twisted villains. Abuse, both physical and emotional. And, an unstable heroine whose emotions turn very extreme very suddenly. And who is a great negative example of why it’s important to trust your instincts.
Yes, there are high stakes, princesses in danger, and evil villains. But the dangers come along with self pity and desperation, and lucky escapes. And, the only action Aurelia takes is making stupid decisions and overriding her instincts, for no reason at all. And then walking straight into a trap that should've been obvious to her.
And, despite all this, it all works out in the end. I like heroes who take responsibility and actually act, instead of endlessly blaming themselves, and continuing to do nothing to improve their situation. Heroines, who can think for themselves, and bravely get themselves out of dangerous situations. Neither of these were present in this story.
Along the way, this also manages to twist both Rumpelstiltskin and Rapunzel, include a love triangle, and showcase more unhealthy relationships than there are love interests.
All in all, this is a weird, strange, dangerous read that I found extremely disappointing. This is not a book I'd choose to pick up. This is also not a book I’d recommend to anyone.
Now, for the details. They might be completely unnecessary after this introduction but I'm mentioning them anyhow.
There are two love interests. Or is it three? They basically make up the story (or ruin it, depending on the perspective).
There’s no trust in this story. No logic. No communication. It’s a story of hurt, and anger, and pointless negative feelings. Unexplained infatuation with a dangerous man. And a lucky ending.
At least the cover's pretty.
Alternatives:
Content:
In my mind, the main content to be aware of are the many dangerous lessons in this novel. There are many twisted, abusive, manipulative behaviors and characters. Aurelia also ignores her every instinct about these men.
There are passionate kisses. And, forced kisses and caresses but nothing further.
There is also some violence,
There’s also an illegitimate child who frequently calls himself a bastard.
Yes, there are high stakes, princesses in danger, and evil villains. But the dangers come along with self pity and desperation, and lucky escapes. And, the only action Aurelia takes is making stupid decisions and overriding her instincts, for no reason at all. And then walking straight into a trap that should've been obvious to her.
And, despite all this, it all works out in the end. I like heroes who take responsibility and actually act, instead of endlessly blaming themselves, and continuing to do nothing to improve their situation. Heroines, who can think for themselves, and bravely get themselves out of dangerous situations. Neither of these were present in this story.
Along the way, this also manages to twist both Rumpelstiltskin and Rapunzel, include a love triangle, and showcase more unhealthy relationships than there are love interests.
All in all, this is a weird, strange, dangerous read that I found extremely disappointing. This is not a book I'd choose to pick up. This is also not a book I’d recommend to anyone.
Now, for the details. They might be completely unnecessary after this introduction but I'm mentioning them anyhow.
There are two love interests. Or is it three? They basically make up the story (or ruin it, depending on the perspective).
There’s no trust in this story. No logic. No communication. It’s a story of hurt, and anger, and pointless negative feelings. Unexplained infatuation with a dangerous man. And a lucky ending.
At least the cover's pretty.
Alternatives:
Content:
In my mind, the main content to be aware of are the many dangerous lessons in this novel. There are many twisted, abusive, manipulative behaviors and characters. Aurelia also ignores her every instinct about these men.
There are passionate kisses. And, forced kisses and caresses but nothing further.
There is also some violence,
There’s also an illegitimate child who frequently calls himself a bastard.
March 13, 2023
I loved the mash up of Rapunzel and Rumplestilskin!! I like both of those stories, and this worked really well together. Lots of adventure and magic. 4 stars! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
December 4, 2021
I always like fairy tale retelling, but this one was a little boring. It took me a good 150 pages to get into it and really care about the characters. I thought that Aurelia was shallow and pathetic. It wasn't until the end that she grew on me. And Sandor was annoying too. Which is super frustrating since they are the main characters of the book. I did end up liking them both by the end, which is why I'm not giving a lower rating. I also really liked the combination of this being a rapunzel and rumplestilkskin retelling. Author combined both stories really well. Definitely will look into the other retellings by this author
January 23, 2026
I've been admiring this cover for ages and was thrilled when Celeste offered me an ARC copy. The story hidden within the pages was every bit as beautiful as the cover.
Aurelia is a simple miller's daughter. But when the king hears a rumor that she can spin straw into gold, he arrests her and holds her captive until she can come up with enough gold to pay the nation's debt. Of course, that isn't even the real story, simply the first in a long string of plots and events centered around the miller's daughter. She must find a way to escape several towers and guess the name of the man behind all of the schemes or she could stay trapped forever.
It's a brilliant mashup, really. But while the core of each fairy tale is there, plenty of the details are different and there are enough twists to keep you guessing all the way to the end. I loved it. And I think anyone who loves a good fairy tale (or in this case, two) will love it as well.
I received a free ARC copy of the book from the author and have reviewed it willingly.
Aurelia is a simple miller's daughter. But when the king hears a rumor that she can spin straw into gold, he arrests her and holds her captive until she can come up with enough gold to pay the nation's debt. Of course, that isn't even the real story, simply the first in a long string of plots and events centered around the miller's daughter. She must find a way to escape several towers and guess the name of the man behind all of the schemes or she could stay trapped forever.
It's a brilliant mashup, really. But while the core of each fairy tale is there, plenty of the details are different and there are enough twists to keep you guessing all the way to the end. I loved it. And I think anyone who loves a good fairy tale (or in this case, two) will love it as well.
I received a free ARC copy of the book from the author and have reviewed it willingly.
February 6, 2025
I stumbled on this author as a recommendation under another author I read on Kindle Unlimited and decided to give this a try. At first, I wasn't sure how I felt about the mashup but quickly became captivated by the story and by the fact that this author doesn't shy away from hard things but uses them as redemptive, deeply relatable elements in the story. Loved this couple and how their hard-earned happiness was still touched by the things that they suffered, but strong in spite of them.
March 20, 2022
DNF 40%
I didn't like how the girl was such a jerk to her friend. What did she expect him to do against the guards? I'm curious what rumpelstiltskin wanted with the girl, but I'm not committed to skimming through to find out.
I didn't like how the girl was such a jerk to her friend. What did she expect him to do against the guards? I'm curious what rumpelstiltskin wanted with the girl, but I'm not committed to skimming through to find out.
September 22, 2025
This was my second time reading this book and I figured it was time for a review.
Language 🤐
Starting off the B word is in this book a few times. Referring to an illegitimate son. I prefer it not be in there but I believe it is the only book in the series that has it the rest are fine.
This book does not contain any LGBT+ which I am eternally grateful for. 🙏😁
It's probably only fair to tell you this is my least favorite book in the series but that just means her books keep getting better! The characters in this one are a lot more trying and it can be harder to get into but the end is amazing!
I love the villain!! He is the kind of villain that you can hate and feel sorry for all at the same time. To sum him up probably just think of Jorge's song Monster but if the person was becoming a monster for the wrong reasons. That's the best way I can think to describe him without giving anything away. 😂
I like this book, it is one of the few good Rapunzel retellings I have read but I think if you want to get into this series it might be best to start with book two Mirrors of Ice if you have less patience for characters.😂 That was actually the first book I read in the series and didn't read Stalks of Gold until I was almost done with the series. 😂
I love all of Celeste's books and this is no exception it just takes a bit longer to get going. Still a worth while read though. 💜
Language 🤐
Starting off the B word is in this book a few times. Referring to an illegitimate son. I prefer it not be in there but I believe it is the only book in the series that has it the rest are fine.
This book does not contain any LGBT+ which I am eternally grateful for. 🙏😁
It's probably only fair to tell you this is my least favorite book in the series but that just means her books keep getting better! The characters in this one are a lot more trying and it can be harder to get into but the end is amazing!
I love the villain!! He is the kind of villain that you can hate and feel sorry for all at the same time. To sum him up probably just think of Jorge's song Monster but if the person was becoming a monster for the wrong reasons. That's the best way I can think to describe him without giving anything away. 😂
I like this book, it is one of the few good Rapunzel retellings I have read but I think if you want to get into this series it might be best to start with book two Mirrors of Ice if you have less patience for characters.😂 That was actually the first book I read in the series and didn't read Stalks of Gold until I was almost done with the series. 😂
I love all of Celeste's books and this is no exception it just takes a bit longer to get going. Still a worth while read though. 💜
July 21, 2022
I love fantasy retellings of classic fairytales. One thing I've noticed though is that there are a lot of retellings for certain fairytales, and none, if any, for others. Finding a story that blends not one, but two fairytales which are not normally retold is a rare gem indeed, and this was a great start to a series I am eager to continue reading.
This enchanting tale is a merge between Rapunzel and Rumplestiltskin, and the two stories mesh together seamlessly. I really loved seeing the character growth and development, and it was very interesting to get some backstory on the villain. I definitely recommend this if you enjoy reimagined fairy tales!
This enchanting tale is a merge between Rapunzel and Rumplestiltskin, and the two stories mesh together seamlessly. I really loved seeing the character growth and development, and it was very interesting to get some backstory on the villain. I definitely recommend this if you enjoy reimagined fairy tales!
January 30, 2021
So I love a good fairytale retelling especially combinations and this stalks of Gold is a great reimagining that combines Rumpelstiltskin and Rapunzel. It’s well written and you easily get lost in the story as we are introduced to Aurelia and Sandor and their tale. It’s magical, exciting, intense and full of high-stakes adventure and clean romance and I just could not put it down!
July 8, 2023
Apparently I have the attention span of a gnat because this book was too long for me. Either that, or I wasn't invested. Except I was very invested in the book, it just dragged on. I was also raging at the book because it was glitching my Kindle out so badly, which has never happened before.
That being said, good book. I was really at odds on how to rate this book because the writing is so good that I genuinely detached "reading" the book from "being in" the book. As in, I was so into the story that even though I don't like any of the characters as people, I really like them as characters because the writing was so good. The blending of Rumpelstiltskin and Rapunzel was so seamless and flawless. And the character development was so natural and realistic.
Characters
I did not like Aurelia or Sandor for the first 3/4 of the book. I thought they were impulsive, whiny, and childish. They acted and thought only for themselves without considering how their actions could affect others under the current tyrant. This sounds really bad, but I was kinda vindicated when Ruskin turned out to be a horrible person because I was so mad at Aurelia for trusting him over Sandor so easily (don't worry, my heart did break for her as I kept reading). HOWEVER once they get thoroughly slapped in the face by reality, they begin some of the best character growth arcs I've ever read. I can't say too much without having to hide everything under a spoiler tag, but watching Aurelia and Sandor find their confidence and their inner strength was fantastic. What made their arcs stand out to me is that they felt natural. So often in books, characters switch convictions and the drop of a hat, making the transition seem jerky and unnatural. In this book, Aurelia and Sandor's arcs are more realistic because there's progress, but there's also regress. This repeats until they finally arrive at their full potential on their own choosing.
I'm not going to write my thoughts about every character or we'd be here for a whole day, but I can't not acknowledge the star of the show, Ruskin. Put plainly, Ruskin might be one of the scariest villains I've read in a while because he's realistic. His terror is that he could be anyone you meet on the streets. How easily you could find yourself in Aurelia's position. While reading the book, my brain was hurting because he reminds me of someone I've read before, but I can't remember who. Eventually I decided that Ruskin reminds me of too many bad people from reddit stories I've read, further punctuating the fact that Ruskin could be anyone. From a literary standpoint, Ruskin is a well-written villain that is fully fleshed out with clear motivations and goals. He's terrifying, I love him.
Story
Like I said before, the merging of the two fairy tales was flawless. The way that they were woven together was so seamless and so creative. I appreciated how aspects of the original fairytales were retained, specifically the lil detail about Rapunzel's prince being blinded. Fear not, because the problematic aspects (*coughpregnantwithtwinscough*) were removed. I'm not going to go too much into this because you should just read the book yourself, but trust me when I say it's really well written.
Notes
My feelings for this book are generally positive, but there were a few things that bugged me (besides it bugging out my Kindle). This book does a pretty good job of explaining itself, except for one mildly important thing. Why was Ruskin spinning Aurelia's hair to be longer? There was just never really an explanation given for it, but we do see Ruskin get mad at her when she braided it. So why does he care about the hair?
Another thing that needed more clarification was the last 25% of the book. To avoid spoilers, I'll just say that there was a time-sensitive task that was extremely important to the plot but the characters were split up while completing the task. The split narrative between Aurelia and Sandor was confusing because there was a lot of time jumping. When the POV switched, so did the story's timeline. Normally when something like this happens in other books, the other character will pick up where the previous character left off (think My Lady Jane). However, in this book, the time switch could be minutes or days. There was one time when the POV switched to Sandor and it actually sent us two days prior to where Aurelia left us, but because the character's can't communicate with each other the reader doesn't realize that until the timelines don't match up. I've explained this really badly, but what I'm trying to say is that we were time traveling without reference.
Finally, as I've said before, this book dragged. I see why most of it was included, but I think some things could've been tightened up in editing that would've helped with the pacing.
Final Thoughts
The thing that kept me going was the writing, because I did not like the characters (as people). I'd want to see the author's writing in a different story. If you have the patience to slog through the slow parts, it's well worth it.
Content for the book: even though the most the characters do is kiss, there is heavy emotional abuse, manipulation, and gaslighting that makes me caution this book away from young readers.
That being said, good book. I was really at odds on how to rate this book because the writing is so good that I genuinely detached "reading" the book from "being in" the book. As in, I was so into the story that even though I don't like any of the characters as people, I really like them as characters because the writing was so good. The blending of Rumpelstiltskin and Rapunzel was so seamless and flawless. And the character development was so natural and realistic.
Characters
I did not like Aurelia or Sandor for the first 3/4 of the book. I thought they were impulsive, whiny, and childish. They acted and thought only for themselves without considering how their actions could affect others under the current tyrant. This sounds really bad, but I was kinda vindicated when Ruskin turned out to be a horrible person because I was so mad at Aurelia for trusting him over Sandor so easily (don't worry, my heart did break for her as I kept reading). HOWEVER once they get thoroughly slapped in the face by reality, they begin some of the best character growth arcs I've ever read. I can't say too much without having to hide everything under a spoiler tag, but watching Aurelia and Sandor find their confidence and their inner strength was fantastic. What made their arcs stand out to me is that they felt natural. So often in books, characters switch convictions and the drop of a hat, making the transition seem jerky and unnatural. In this book, Aurelia and Sandor's arcs are more realistic because there's progress, but there's also regress. This repeats until they finally arrive at their full potential on their own choosing.
I'm not going to write my thoughts about every character or we'd be here for a whole day, but I can't not acknowledge the star of the show, Ruskin. Put plainly, Ruskin might be one of the scariest villains I've read in a while because he's realistic. His terror is that he could be anyone you meet on the streets. How easily you could find yourself in Aurelia's position. While reading the book, my brain was hurting because he reminds me of someone I've read before, but I can't remember who. Eventually I decided that Ruskin reminds me of too many bad people from reddit stories I've read, further punctuating the fact that Ruskin could be anyone. From a literary standpoint, Ruskin is a well-written villain that is fully fleshed out with clear motivations and goals. He's terrifying, I love him.
Story
Like I said before, the merging of the two fairy tales was flawless. The way that they were woven together was so seamless and so creative. I appreciated how aspects of the original fairytales were retained, specifically the lil detail about Rapunzel's prince being blinded. Fear not, because the problematic aspects (*coughpregnantwithtwinscough*) were removed. I'm not going to go too much into this because you should just read the book yourself, but trust me when I say it's really well written.
Notes
My feelings for this book are generally positive, but there were a few things that bugged me (besides it bugging out my Kindle). This book does a pretty good job of explaining itself, except for one mildly important thing. Why was Ruskin spinning Aurelia's hair to be longer? There was just never really an explanation given for it, but we do see Ruskin get mad at her when she braided it. So why does he care about the hair?
Another thing that needed more clarification was the last 25% of the book. To avoid spoilers, I'll just say that there was a time-sensitive task that was extremely important to the plot but the characters were split up while completing the task. The split narrative between Aurelia and Sandor was confusing because there was a lot of time jumping. When the POV switched, so did the story's timeline. Normally when something like this happens in other books, the other character will pick up where the previous character left off (think My Lady Jane). However, in this book, the time switch could be minutes or days. There was one time when the POV switched to Sandor and it actually sent us two days prior to where Aurelia left us, but because the character's can't communicate with each other the reader doesn't realize that until the timelines don't match up. I've explained this really badly, but what I'm trying to say is that we were time traveling without reference.
Finally, as I've said before, this book dragged. I see why most of it was included, but I think some things could've been tightened up in editing that would've helped with the pacing.
Final Thoughts
The thing that kept me going was the writing, because I did not like the characters (as people). I'd want to see the author's writing in a different story. If you have the patience to slog through the slow parts, it's well worth it.
Content for the book: even though the most the characters do is kiss, there is heavy emotional abuse, manipulation, and gaslighting that makes me caution this book away from young readers.
July 2, 2023
Good story ruined by the female main character.
Annoying, stupid, quick to anger for no reason. Such an unbearable character that I cared nothing for.
If only the story ended with her rotting her life away in the tower, definitely would be five stars.
Annoying, stupid, quick to anger for no reason. Such an unbearable character that I cared nothing for.
If only the story ended with her rotting her life away in the tower, definitely would be five stars.
February 28, 2022
Fairy tale with a bite…
I generally read fairy tales for more happy, light stories, this one was nail biting all the way through. It was well written, but wish it had more of a feel of happiness throughout.
I generally read fairy tales for more happy, light stories, this one was nail biting all the way through. It was well written, but wish it had more of a feel of happiness throughout.
May 1, 2023
This was…long. I appreciated the mashup of rumplestilskin and rapunzel, but it was just soooooo long and a little too drawn out. The modern idioms that showed up here and there threw me off a bit, and I really wish the two main characters weren’t so…I don’t know, annoyingly young? I struggled to really like ANY of the characters, tbh, and combined with the length this was a surprisingly difficult book for me to get through. I am going to try the next in the series, bc I love me a good twisted fairytale, so I’m not giving up yet, but definitely with tempered expectations.
July 24, 2022
This just went on and on and on and I even skipped some and it was still going. Aurelia is pretty… dramatic if you want to put it nicely… she’s a total bitch if you don’t want to be nice about it. Sandor is pretty freaking useless and he basically lucks into every good thing that happens to him. Her follows her around like a puppy despite her shitty personality and still loves her regardless of how awful she is to him over and over. No thanks.
January 29, 2021
2.5
While the story is unique and imaginative, I didn't have a great time reading about these characters. I just didn't like anyone other than the sister and Ruskin oddly enough.
While the story is unique and imaginative, I didn't have a great time reading about these characters. I just didn't like anyone other than the sister and Ruskin oddly enough.
January 27, 2021
A fairy tale retelling that combines two well-known stories to make an engaging story.
Stalks of Gold
is the first novel in the new Bewitching Fairy Tales series. This is my first novel by Celeste Baxendell and won’t be my last as I greatly enjoy fairy tales and this one was a nice and easy read that you can easily devour in a few hours (less if you’re a faster reader). In this first novel of the series, the author tackles both “Rapunzel” and “Rumpelstiltskin.” The two tales are mixed together to surround our main character and main villains to make an enjoyable read.
Our story focuses on the miller’s daughter, Aurelia. She first meets a mysterious man with bright red hair, who does not have a name, but knows her father, while she is at her father’s mill. Aurelia and her father escort the man into town the next day where she meets with her childhood friend, a royal guard named Sandor, who requests Aurelia meet her the next day as he has something to tell her. This day sets off a series of events as the mysterious man, Sandor, and Aurelia’s worlds all combine to start our tale. The next day, while Aurelia is on her way to meet Sandor, she is captured by palace guards and taken to King Eadric. The King, who is desperate to save the failing kingdom, has learned that Aurelia can spin straw into gold and locks her away until she produces gold.
Aurelia Is disappointed when Sandor seemingly does nothing to help her, but little does she know that there is a good reason why he cannot stand up to the king. As Aurelia is lost, as she believes turning straw into gold is impossible, our mysterious man enters to save her. Thus, our Rumpelstiltskin tale officially begins. Believing that Ruskin (a name given to him by Aurelia) is her only hope, she puts her trust in him to save her from the terrible king and situation. Ruskin helps Aurelia escape the palace in exchange that she stay with him and does not leave the tower and our “Rapunzel” portion is explored. As Aurelia is trapped in the tower, she starts to wonder if Ruskin is not the hero she thought he was and she needs to find a way to escape. She meets Sandor again as he is on a mission to find her, but being together and escaping might not be possible. The story journeys through Aurelia and Sandor’s attempts to free Aurelia from Ruskin, but he proves to be a clever and almost impossible to beat foe.
Magic comes with a price and it is well explored in this story as Aurelia does not want to rely on it, but it becomes her only option in some situations. It provided a great background to the more serious topics of different types of abuse that our characters experience. On the surface, many of the decisions the characters make can become eye rolling as they can make the same mistakes repeatedly. When you consider the deeper abuse aspect, however, you begin to understand why they do the things that they do in certain situations. It was well done throughout and I loved how they characters grew and began to learn from different mistakes and they worked to try and not repeat them.
The book varies between being told from Aurelia’s side to Sandor’s and it is balanced as you can understand how each character is feeling and what each of them were doing during different parts of the story. You see Aurelia’s side where she believes that Sandor has abandoned her in her time of need, but then you see Sandor’s where he is balancing a fine line between helping Aurelia and not angering the King. As the story moves forward, more truths are revealed and it becomes clear why both Sandor and Aurelia make certain choices in the moment.
Overall, this novel was a promising start to a great series. Both “Rapunzel” and “Rumpelstiltskin” were integrated well, however, I feel the “Rapunzel” portion could have been explored more as it is never fully explained about Aurelia’s hair and how it holds significance for growing longer as Ruskin does not wish for her to cut it during her time in the tower. The novel is a little slow to start, but picks up the pace and flows well until the end. I love that you feel Aurelia’s indecisiveness as she wavers between Ruskin and Sandor and the books keeps you guessing about whom her heart would ultimately choose. It was a refreshing twist as our heroine doesn’t automatically villainize Ruskin and Sandor is the automatic choice. There is some repetitiveness as some obstacles seem to repeat, but they do make sense for the overall story. However, it can be frustrating at times. It is a very quick read that is both easy (familiarity with the main storylines) and dark (heavier topics presented), which made it a great read. It is a promising series and I would pick up the next one and try it!
**I give a special thank you to publisher and the author for the ARC to read and review. The opinions expressed are completely my own.**
Our story focuses on the miller’s daughter, Aurelia. She first meets a mysterious man with bright red hair, who does not have a name, but knows her father, while she is at her father’s mill. Aurelia and her father escort the man into town the next day where she meets with her childhood friend, a royal guard named Sandor, who requests Aurelia meet her the next day as he has something to tell her. This day sets off a series of events as the mysterious man, Sandor, and Aurelia’s worlds all combine to start our tale. The next day, while Aurelia is on her way to meet Sandor, she is captured by palace guards and taken to King Eadric. The King, who is desperate to save the failing kingdom, has learned that Aurelia can spin straw into gold and locks her away until she produces gold.
Aurelia Is disappointed when Sandor seemingly does nothing to help her, but little does she know that there is a good reason why he cannot stand up to the king. As Aurelia is lost, as she believes turning straw into gold is impossible, our mysterious man enters to save her. Thus, our Rumpelstiltskin tale officially begins. Believing that Ruskin (a name given to him by Aurelia) is her only hope, she puts her trust in him to save her from the terrible king and situation. Ruskin helps Aurelia escape the palace in exchange that she stay with him and does not leave the tower and our “Rapunzel” portion is explored. As Aurelia is trapped in the tower, she starts to wonder if Ruskin is not the hero she thought he was and she needs to find a way to escape. She meets Sandor again as he is on a mission to find her, but being together and escaping might not be possible. The story journeys through Aurelia and Sandor’s attempts to free Aurelia from Ruskin, but he proves to be a clever and almost impossible to beat foe.
Magic comes with a price and it is well explored in this story as Aurelia does not want to rely on it, but it becomes her only option in some situations. It provided a great background to the more serious topics of different types of abuse that our characters experience. On the surface, many of the decisions the characters make can become eye rolling as they can make the same mistakes repeatedly. When you consider the deeper abuse aspect, however, you begin to understand why they do the things that they do in certain situations. It was well done throughout and I loved how they characters grew and began to learn from different mistakes and they worked to try and not repeat them.
The book varies between being told from Aurelia’s side to Sandor’s and it is balanced as you can understand how each character is feeling and what each of them were doing during different parts of the story. You see Aurelia’s side where she believes that Sandor has abandoned her in her time of need, but then you see Sandor’s where he is balancing a fine line between helping Aurelia and not angering the King. As the story moves forward, more truths are revealed and it becomes clear why both Sandor and Aurelia make certain choices in the moment.
Overall, this novel was a promising start to a great series. Both “Rapunzel” and “Rumpelstiltskin” were integrated well, however, I feel the “Rapunzel” portion could have been explored more as it is never fully explained about Aurelia’s hair and how it holds significance for growing longer as Ruskin does not wish for her to cut it during her time in the tower. The novel is a little slow to start, but picks up the pace and flows well until the end. I love that you feel Aurelia’s indecisiveness as she wavers between Ruskin and Sandor and the books keeps you guessing about whom her heart would ultimately choose. It was a refreshing twist as our heroine doesn’t automatically villainize Ruskin and Sandor is the automatic choice. There is some repetitiveness as some obstacles seem to repeat, but they do make sense for the overall story. However, it can be frustrating at times. It is a very quick read that is both easy (familiarity with the main storylines) and dark (heavier topics presented), which made it a great read. It is a promising series and I would pick up the next one and try it!
**I give a special thank you to publisher and the author for the ARC to read and review. The opinions expressed are completely my own.**
April 23, 2022
This is a fairytale retelling that combines two well-known stories, Rapunzel and Rumpelstiltskin, to make one truly engaging story. Stalks of Gold is the first novel in the new Bewitching Fairy Tales series, though it can be read as a stand-alone or in any order. This is also my first novel by Celeste Baxendell but it certainly won’t be my last!
The story focuses on the miller’s daughter, Aurelia. She meets a mysterious man with bright red hair, but no name, at her father’s mill. The next day Aurelia and her father escort the man into town and she meets up with her childhood friend Sandor. Unfortunately, this day sets off a chain of events that will turn all of their lives on their heads. Aurelia is on her way to meet Sandor the next day when she is captured by palace guards and taken to King Eadric. The King, who is desperate to save the failing kingdom, has learned that Aurelia can spin straw into gold and locks her away until she produces gold.
Aurelia is alone and disappointed when she learns that Sandor seemingly did nothing to help her. This now leads the way to the Rumplestiltskin part of the story. Aurelia thinks that all is lost, because turning straw into gold is impossible, when our mysterious man enters to save her. Believing he is her only hope, Aurelia puts her trust in the mystery man, whom she has named Ruskin, to save her from the terrible king and her situation. Ruskin helps Aurelia and in exchange, she has to stay with him and never leave the tower- so begins our Rapunzel tale to be explored. As Aurelia is trapped in the tower, she starts to wonder if Ruskin is not the hero she thought he was and she needs to find a way to escape.
Magic comes with a price and it is well explored in this story as Aurelia does not want to rely on it, but it becomes her only option in some situations. It provided a great background to the more serious topics of different types of abuse that our characters experience. It was a well-told story where the characters grew throughout the story and learned from different mistakes they had made throughout their journey.
The book is told from both Aurelia’s side and Sandor’s side. It is balanced as you can understand how each character is feeling and what each of them was doing during different parts of the story. You see Aurelia’s side and can empathize with her when she believes that Sandor has abandoned her. But then you see Sandor’s side where he is walking a fine line between helping Aurelia and not angering the King. As the story moves forward, more is learned about each character and it becomes clearer why certain choices are made.
Overall, this novel was a promising start to a great series. Both original tales were integrated well and did justice to the original stories. You can really feel Aurelia’s indecisiveness as she wavers between Ruskin and Sandor. You can feel the determination that Sandor has to save Aurelia and right the wrongs that have been done. This book keeps you on your toes as to what is going to happen and how it will work out. There was great world-building in this story and the details were perfectly laid out. I could see things happening as I read it and was left very satisfied.
This is a clean book, though there is some violence (not gory). It does end well and you are not left on a cliffhanger. A great read for those that love clean, YA, re-tellings. I will definitely be reading more from this author and this series.
The story focuses on the miller’s daughter, Aurelia. She meets a mysterious man with bright red hair, but no name, at her father’s mill. The next day Aurelia and her father escort the man into town and she meets up with her childhood friend Sandor. Unfortunately, this day sets off a chain of events that will turn all of their lives on their heads. Aurelia is on her way to meet Sandor the next day when she is captured by palace guards and taken to King Eadric. The King, who is desperate to save the failing kingdom, has learned that Aurelia can spin straw into gold and locks her away until she produces gold.
Aurelia is alone and disappointed when she learns that Sandor seemingly did nothing to help her. This now leads the way to the Rumplestiltskin part of the story. Aurelia thinks that all is lost, because turning straw into gold is impossible, when our mysterious man enters to save her. Believing he is her only hope, Aurelia puts her trust in the mystery man, whom she has named Ruskin, to save her from the terrible king and her situation. Ruskin helps Aurelia and in exchange, she has to stay with him and never leave the tower- so begins our Rapunzel tale to be explored. As Aurelia is trapped in the tower, she starts to wonder if Ruskin is not the hero she thought he was and she needs to find a way to escape.
Magic comes with a price and it is well explored in this story as Aurelia does not want to rely on it, but it becomes her only option in some situations. It provided a great background to the more serious topics of different types of abuse that our characters experience. It was a well-told story where the characters grew throughout the story and learned from different mistakes they had made throughout their journey.
The book is told from both Aurelia’s side and Sandor’s side. It is balanced as you can understand how each character is feeling and what each of them was doing during different parts of the story. You see Aurelia’s side and can empathize with her when she believes that Sandor has abandoned her. But then you see Sandor’s side where he is walking a fine line between helping Aurelia and not angering the King. As the story moves forward, more is learned about each character and it becomes clearer why certain choices are made.
Overall, this novel was a promising start to a great series. Both original tales were integrated well and did justice to the original stories. You can really feel Aurelia’s indecisiveness as she wavers between Ruskin and Sandor. You can feel the determination that Sandor has to save Aurelia and right the wrongs that have been done. This book keeps you on your toes as to what is going to happen and how it will work out. There was great world-building in this story and the details were perfectly laid out. I could see things happening as I read it and was left very satisfied.
This is a clean book, though there is some violence (not gory). It does end well and you are not left on a cliffhanger. A great read for those that love clean, YA, re-tellings. I will definitely be reading more from this author and this series.
Read
October 24, 2021Are you always on the hunt for a good deal? I know I am! As you know, retellings are my fave, and I'm always drawn to a book immediately if it retells pretty much anything!
When I found out that Celeste Baxendell was releasing a gender-bent Beauty and the Beast retelling entitled BEASTS OF BEAUTY tomorrow, I got instant grabby hands. Then I found out there were two other books set in the world and, well, of course I wanted to read them all!
The first book, STALKS OF GOLD, is a mash-up of both Rumplestiltskin and Rapunzel, and you wouldn't think that would work, but it does. So well. And even better? You can try it out now at a steal. It's also free with Kindle Unlimited if you are a subscriber.
Mash-ups don't always do a great job or aren't always necessary to tell the tale, but I couldn't see this version working without the twists that come through both tales. Our heroine Aurelia goes through a lot of hardships to come out on the other side. She makes the mistake of opening the door to a strange man named Ruskin one evening, who knows of her father's past and a mysterious witch named Gothel. He promises to keep them safe, but the next day, Aurelia is turned over to their iron-fisted king, who has heard rumors that she can spin straw into gold, and her father is executed when she balks at the task. Even her childhood best friend (And perhaps something more?) Sandor, the bastard brother of the king, can't save her. So she instead turns to the mysterious Ruskin to spin gold and save her at the ultimate cost, believing him to be her savior and only friend, and never realizing the way he is about to ruin her life....
This is one where if you tell too many plot points, it falls into spoiler territory, but needless to say, the beats hit right and the pacing was steady and will keep readers intrigued until the very end. It was a lot of fun to see elements from both tales and the way they worked together and went beyond the tale. The novel is also told in alternating perspectives, so you get more romance when you read Sandor's POV, because he has no doubts of his feelings for Aurelia and will do anything for her. Aurelia, on the other hand, feels betrayed that she found out his secret before he could tell her, and Ruskin manipulates her feelings about him so that she no longer feels she can trust him and it takes a while for her to open up and for the two of them to re-connect. Some readers may not enjoy the pacing because Aurelia can be hot-headed, while others will love the slower burn and savor their connection.
When I found out that Celeste Baxendell was releasing a gender-bent Beauty and the Beast retelling entitled BEASTS OF BEAUTY tomorrow, I got instant grabby hands. Then I found out there were two other books set in the world and, well, of course I wanted to read them all!
The first book, STALKS OF GOLD, is a mash-up of both Rumplestiltskin and Rapunzel, and you wouldn't think that would work, but it does. So well. And even better? You can try it out now at a steal. It's also free with Kindle Unlimited if you are a subscriber.
Mash-ups don't always do a great job or aren't always necessary to tell the tale, but I couldn't see this version working without the twists that come through both tales. Our heroine Aurelia goes through a lot of hardships to come out on the other side. She makes the mistake of opening the door to a strange man named Ruskin one evening, who knows of her father's past and a mysterious witch named Gothel. He promises to keep them safe, but the next day, Aurelia is turned over to their iron-fisted king, who has heard rumors that she can spin straw into gold, and her father is executed when she balks at the task. Even her childhood best friend (And perhaps something more?) Sandor, the bastard brother of the king, can't save her. So she instead turns to the mysterious Ruskin to spin gold and save her at the ultimate cost, believing him to be her savior and only friend, and never realizing the way he is about to ruin her life....
This is one where if you tell too many plot points, it falls into spoiler territory, but needless to say, the beats hit right and the pacing was steady and will keep readers intrigued until the very end. It was a lot of fun to see elements from both tales and the way they worked together and went beyond the tale. The novel is also told in alternating perspectives, so you get more romance when you read Sandor's POV, because he has no doubts of his feelings for Aurelia and will do anything for her. Aurelia, on the other hand, feels betrayed that she found out his secret before he could tell her, and Ruskin manipulates her feelings about him so that she no longer feels she can trust him and it takes a while for her to open up and for the two of them to re-connect. Some readers may not enjoy the pacing because Aurelia can be hot-headed, while others will love the slower burn and savor their connection.
March 9, 2022
forbidden magic
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (5 stars)
Reader’s Notes:
– this is book one of a series, but can be read as a stand-alone
– this is told from Aurelia and Sandor’s points of view
– forewarning that the villain is extremely obsessed with Aurelia and wants her for himself alone (she ends up traumatized)
– a character is an illegitimate child to the past king and another character does not let them forget it by calling them a not nice name that also means the above (occurs multiple times, maybe 10+?)
Review:
Though I did not enjoy how the Rumpelstiltskin character treated Aurelia (but generally what villain’s actions do we like?), I enjoyed watching to see what he would do next since he wasn’t predictable and we didn’t really know what his powers entailed until closer to the end. (So we were learning how his magic worked as well as how he thought through things.) I also liked how the author mixed Rumpelstiltskin and Rapunzel in a way that made sense, I wasn’t really sure what she was going to do to make it happen coming into the book. I liked that one of the villain characters from the original story was trying to make atonement for the kind of person they were before and helped the main characters in their journey. I really enjoyed watching Sandor with Aurelia and how though he wasn’t perfect in all his actions, he still told and showed Aurelia how he cared for her and was willing to respect her boundaries and wait for her. And I liked that Aurelia wasn’t the typical heroine who had everything fixed by the end of the story. It made her more relatable that she was still working on recovering from the mind games played on her throughout the story.
When the king believes Aurelia has the power to change straw into gold, he goes crazy with greed. He demands that she complete this magical feat or forfeit her life. Aurelia knows she cannot complete the task and tries to tell him but nothing can get through to him. So she believes that she will die the next morning.
That is until a mysterious man comes and offers to help her for a price. Though Aurelia knows magic is forbidden, she doesn’t want to lose her life either, and accepts the man’s deal.
Sandor grew up with Aurelia and knows that she doesn’t have any magic so he is shocked when he hears the king claim to have heard otherwise. Sandor wants to help save Aurelia but finds it difficult to do with guards blocking his every move. He is shocked to discover Aurelia completed the king’s task and wonders who could have helped her when no one entered or exited the room she was imprisoned in.
Could she actually have magic? Can Sandor save Aurelia from the crazed king and figure out what is really going on? Or will something stop any traction he may gain with her and turn it into distrust in him?
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (5 stars)
Reader’s Notes:
– this is book one of a series, but can be read as a stand-alone
– this is told from Aurelia and Sandor’s points of view
– forewarning that the villain is extremely obsessed with Aurelia and wants her for himself alone (she ends up traumatized)
– a character is an illegitimate child to the past king and another character does not let them forget it by calling them a not nice name that also means the above (occurs multiple times, maybe 10+?)
Review:
Though I did not enjoy how the Rumpelstiltskin character treated Aurelia (but generally what villain’s actions do we like?), I enjoyed watching to see what he would do next since he wasn’t predictable and we didn’t really know what his powers entailed until closer to the end. (So we were learning how his magic worked as well as how he thought through things.) I also liked how the author mixed Rumpelstiltskin and Rapunzel in a way that made sense, I wasn’t really sure what she was going to do to make it happen coming into the book. I liked that one of the villain characters from the original story was trying to make atonement for the kind of person they were before and helped the main characters in their journey. I really enjoyed watching Sandor with Aurelia and how though he wasn’t perfect in all his actions, he still told and showed Aurelia how he cared for her and was willing to respect her boundaries and wait for her. And I liked that Aurelia wasn’t the typical heroine who had everything fixed by the end of the story. It made her more relatable that she was still working on recovering from the mind games played on her throughout the story.
When the king believes Aurelia has the power to change straw into gold, he goes crazy with greed. He demands that she complete this magical feat or forfeit her life. Aurelia knows she cannot complete the task and tries to tell him but nothing can get through to him. So she believes that she will die the next morning.
That is until a mysterious man comes and offers to help her for a price. Though Aurelia knows magic is forbidden, she doesn’t want to lose her life either, and accepts the man’s deal.
Sandor grew up with Aurelia and knows that she doesn’t have any magic so he is shocked when he hears the king claim to have heard otherwise. Sandor wants to help save Aurelia but finds it difficult to do with guards blocking his every move. He is shocked to discover Aurelia completed the king’s task and wonders who could have helped her when no one entered or exited the room she was imprisoned in.
Could she actually have magic? Can Sandor save Aurelia from the crazed king and figure out what is really going on? Or will something stop any traction he may gain with her and turn it into distrust in him?
January 18, 2021
I received a free copy of this book from the author, in exchange for a honest review. Available now in paperback and set for release on Kindle on the 28-th of January, Stalks of Gold is a YA retelling mix of the classical fairy tales Rapunzel and Rumpelstitkin.
This is the first fairy tale retelling I am reading and I enjoyed it very much.
The story is complex and so are the involved characters. The mix of the two inspiration sources is seamless, with the author having interwoven her imagination between them, and the love story clean, with several other interesting subplots.
The main character is Aurelia, a miller’s daughter who can spin well. She gets caught into a sort of a love triangle with Sandor, her childhood friend, who had kept a secret that he was the king’s bastard, and with Ruskin, a stranger with magical powers who is there for her to help her when Sandor can’t… or, as it seems to Aurelia, won’t. With the new king, Sandor’s legitimate brother, deep in debt and greedy for gold, there are rumours that Aurelia can spin gold, so the king wants to spouse her… after his previous 2 wives had died more or less mysteriously.
The adventure starts from there, including two kidnappings, spectacular rescue scenes which go wrong, Stockholm syndrome up to a point, but respectfully treated, the more or less successful imixtion of the legitimate princess, sister to the king and half-sister to Sandor, magical loss of sight for one of the characters, who has to learn to overcome his new disability…
I read the book breathlessly, rooting for the happy ending and admiring the writer’s skillful world and character building. I wholeheartedly recommend it to those who like fairy tales but also to YA fans.
This is the first fairy tale retelling I am reading and I enjoyed it very much.
The story is complex and so are the involved characters. The mix of the two inspiration sources is seamless, with the author having interwoven her imagination between them, and the love story clean, with several other interesting subplots.
The main character is Aurelia, a miller’s daughter who can spin well. She gets caught into a sort of a love triangle with Sandor, her childhood friend, who had kept a secret that he was the king’s bastard, and with Ruskin, a stranger with magical powers who is there for her to help her when Sandor can’t… or, as it seems to Aurelia, won’t. With the new king, Sandor’s legitimate brother, deep in debt and greedy for gold, there are rumours that Aurelia can spin gold, so the king wants to spouse her… after his previous 2 wives had died more or less mysteriously.
The adventure starts from there, including two kidnappings, spectacular rescue scenes which go wrong, Stockholm syndrome up to a point, but respectfully treated, the more or less successful imixtion of the legitimate princess, sister to the king and half-sister to Sandor, magical loss of sight for one of the characters, who has to learn to overcome his new disability…
I read the book breathlessly, rooting for the happy ending and admiring the writer’s skillful world and character building. I wholeheartedly recommend it to those who like fairy tales but also to YA fans.
February 16, 2022
Aurelia is the humble daughter of the village miller who possesses a certain talent for the spinning wheel. Although she does not know many people, her best friend Sandor has always been there for her. But, Sandor has never told Aurelia his biggest secret. Before he can, the king arrests her, locking her in the tower and ordering her to spin straw into gold. While Sandor races to free her, Aurelia turns to the only other person who has shown her friendship, the mysterious stranger who appeared on her doorstep only days earlier. Can he help her to survive?
A wonderful blend of Rumpelstiltskin and Rapunzel, this dual-narrative story is an interesting reinterpretation of the classic fairy tales. I especially appreciated how the main characters were constantly acknowledging their own flaws.
While I found the characters well-developed and enjoyed watching them grow, there were a few places where I would have liked to see more. For example, without giving any spoilers, when Sandor goes into the forest, there is a major time jump (three weeks) without even a scene break. The forest is such a new environment for him, I would have liked to have seen his first day there. His adjustment. His survival, or lack thereof.
Similarly, there is a scene when Aurelia is in the desert and has a flashback to her time in the forest. In my opinion, this scene would have felt more organic if it had been placed chronologically in the story instead of being used as a flashback.
There were a few grammatical and typographical mistakes, but not enough to detract from the overall story. Overall, I enjoyed this book and look forward to reading more by this author.
A wonderful blend of Rumpelstiltskin and Rapunzel, this dual-narrative story is an interesting reinterpretation of the classic fairy tales. I especially appreciated how the main characters were constantly acknowledging their own flaws.
While I found the characters well-developed and enjoyed watching them grow, there were a few places where I would have liked to see more. For example, without giving any spoilers, when Sandor goes into the forest, there is a major time jump (three weeks) without even a scene break. The forest is such a new environment for him, I would have liked to have seen his first day there. His adjustment. His survival, or lack thereof.
Similarly, there is a scene when Aurelia is in the desert and has a flashback to her time in the forest. In my opinion, this scene would have felt more organic if it had been placed chronologically in the story instead of being used as a flashback.
There were a few grammatical and typographical mistakes, but not enough to detract from the overall story. Overall, I enjoyed this book and look forward to reading more by this author.
January 21, 2021
3.5 stars
This was the first book that I have read from this author and I was pleasantly surprised by how much I liked it. Stalks of Gold is the first book in Celeste’s Bewitching Fairy Tales series. It is inspired by Rumpelstiltskin and Rapunzel.
Aurelia and Sandor are faced against a man that is more powerful than they could ever comprehend. They are faced with magic that can tear them apart.
Aurelia was an interesting character, I had to grow to like her. However Sandor is my favorite character. Aurelia had to go through a lot as she was accused of being able to spin straw into gold. Meanwhile, Sandor is walking a thin line of pacifying King Eadric. However their world’s collide and leaves Auralie with no choice but to trust the one who offers her magic. But all magic has a price and Auralie may not survive the price.
This book was interesting, but it did take me a little while to get into it. However once I started really reading it, I was able to finish it quickly. I had to grow to like the characters, as they grew and learned from their mistakes I liked them more. The characters had to journey and go through a lot before everything was fixed, in a sense. I liked the pace of the book and there were so many twists and turns. I didn't know how this book was going to end, but I liked the way it ended.
Stalks of Gold is a great start and I would recommend it. It is a clean, fairytale retelling. I would recommend it for 13 years and up
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from the author. All views expressed are only my honest opinion, I was not required to write a positive review.
This was the first book that I have read from this author and I was pleasantly surprised by how much I liked it. Stalks of Gold is the first book in Celeste’s Bewitching Fairy Tales series. It is inspired by Rumpelstiltskin and Rapunzel.
Aurelia and Sandor are faced against a man that is more powerful than they could ever comprehend. They are faced with magic that can tear them apart.
Aurelia was an interesting character, I had to grow to like her. However Sandor is my favorite character. Aurelia had to go through a lot as she was accused of being able to spin straw into gold. Meanwhile, Sandor is walking a thin line of pacifying King Eadric. However their world’s collide and leaves Auralie with no choice but to trust the one who offers her magic. But all magic has a price and Auralie may not survive the price.
This book was interesting, but it did take me a little while to get into it. However once I started really reading it, I was able to finish it quickly. I had to grow to like the characters, as they grew and learned from their mistakes I liked them more. The characters had to journey and go through a lot before everything was fixed, in a sense. I liked the pace of the book and there were so many twists and turns. I didn't know how this book was going to end, but I liked the way it ended.
Stalks of Gold is a great start and I would recommend it. It is a clean, fairytale retelling. I would recommend it for 13 years and up
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from the author. All views expressed are only my honest opinion, I was not required to write a positive review.
March 13, 2022
⭐️3.5
💧5
Once you get past the first 150 pages the story gets better, but chances of not liking the characters in the first 150 pages are high. Aurelia is so annoying I do not like her every time I had to read her POV it felt like I was reading for fifty years. Sandor I could tolerate, but it got annoying with the constant I’m a failure I can’t save her bs.
I loved the author’s attempt to mash Rumplestilskin and Rapunzel together. I loved the Rapunzel aspect of the story. For some reason, I think it’s a me thing, but I find Rumplestilskin retellings so dull and predictable. At least the author tried to make it slightly different. Although I will always be confused with king Aldrich and King Eldrich and for the longest time I thought they were the same person because there’s only a one vowel difference.
This is a more darker fairytale but I did love that the characters are dealing with the aftermath of the things they went through and it’s not the typical everything became better as soon as the villain died. It’s a slow buildup to hope and healing.
I felt kind of bad for Ruskin because all he wanted was someone to love him. And I also adore how Ruskin and Sandor were used to question is it love or obsession and how the lines can blur.
If anyone is looking for mash up of fairytales despite how my review might sound it is a good one. (It’s just long and had many natural endings that weren’t endings).
💧5
Once you get past the first 150 pages the story gets better, but chances of not liking the characters in the first 150 pages are high. Aurelia is so annoying I do not like her every time I had to read her POV it felt like I was reading for fifty years. Sandor I could tolerate, but it got annoying with the constant I’m a failure I can’t save her bs.
I loved the author’s attempt to mash Rumplestilskin and Rapunzel together. I loved the Rapunzel aspect of the story. For some reason, I think it’s a me thing, but I find Rumplestilskin retellings so dull and predictable. At least the author tried to make it slightly different. Although I will always be confused with king Aldrich and King Eldrich and for the longest time I thought they were the same person because there’s only a one vowel difference.
This is a more darker fairytale but I did love that the characters are dealing with the aftermath of the things they went through and it’s not the typical everything became better as soon as the villain died. It’s a slow buildup to hope and healing.
I felt kind of bad for Ruskin because all he wanted was someone to love him. And I also adore how Ruskin and Sandor were used to question is it love or obsession and how the lines can blur.
If anyone is looking for mash up of fairytales despite how my review might sound it is a good one. (It’s just long and had many natural endings that weren’t endings).
September 2, 2024
A great mashup of Rumplestiltskin and Rapunzel! The story had me hooked from the first page itself. The author had masterfully crafted the mystery around the characters and unravelled them piece by piece throughout the book.
The writing style was beautiful, and the story flowed smoothly. There was never a dull moment. I would push myself to stay awake late at night because I wanted to know what happened next and also be eager to get back home after work so that I could continue the story.
The worldbuilding was also great, and I liked how the history of the characters was explored that led to the current events. The magic and its rules were well thought out and explained. It helped me understand how the deals worked and the consequences of breaking it.
My only issue with the story was with the characters' behaviours. They seemed snappish and angry almost all the time. I totally understand being traumatized, but some of the things they said to each other was uncalled for. I especially had an issue with the way Sandor treated Lorraine. Aurelia made terrible decisions and blamed others for it.
I liked Hakim though; he was the best character. He needs his own story. Overall, I think this was an enjoyable read, and if you can overlook the characters' flaws, it'll be even more awesome. I recommend this book to readers who enjoy fairytale retellings with a lot of twists, secrets and some romance.
The writing style was beautiful, and the story flowed smoothly. There was never a dull moment. I would push myself to stay awake late at night because I wanted to know what happened next and also be eager to get back home after work so that I could continue the story.
The worldbuilding was also great, and I liked how the history of the characters was explored that led to the current events. The magic and its rules were well thought out and explained. It helped me understand how the deals worked and the consequences of breaking it.
My only issue with the story was with the characters' behaviours. They seemed snappish and angry almost all the time. I totally understand being traumatized, but some of the things they said to each other was uncalled for. I especially had an issue with the way Sandor treated Lorraine. Aurelia made terrible decisions and blamed others for it.
I liked Hakim though; he was the best character. He needs his own story. Overall, I think this was an enjoyable read, and if you can overlook the characters' flaws, it'll be even more awesome. I recommend this book to readers who enjoy fairytale retellings with a lot of twists, secrets and some romance.
January 23, 2021
I was lucky enough to receive an advanced readers copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
The story has taken inspiration from the fairy tales Rapunzel and Rumpelstiltskin. Our heroine in this story is a miller's daughter and the story revolves around her and her relationships with Rumpelstiltskin and a palace guard that she's known for a while and have become good friends with. Early on she gets in trouble, being abducted to the palace and told to spin straw into gold, which she does not know how to do, starting her off with a piece of the story that we all know pretty well from the fairy tale.
The book touches on some sensitive subjects, especially when it comes to unhealthy relationships, so if you have been through some of that and don't want to read about more of it, this might not be the book for you.
As the story progressed, I found myself drawn into it. There was some frustration at parts where there was some really bad decision-making, resulting in my palm hitting my forehead a couple of times, but all in all, the story was entertaining, recognizable as to which fairy tales inspired it and fully able to keep me captivated throughout it. I enjoyed the read and would not be opposed to picking up another book from this author as I think it would be worth trying it out.
Elle
The story has taken inspiration from the fairy tales Rapunzel and Rumpelstiltskin. Our heroine in this story is a miller's daughter and the story revolves around her and her relationships with Rumpelstiltskin and a palace guard that she's known for a while and have become good friends with. Early on she gets in trouble, being abducted to the palace and told to spin straw into gold, which she does not know how to do, starting her off with a piece of the story that we all know pretty well from the fairy tale.
The book touches on some sensitive subjects, especially when it comes to unhealthy relationships, so if you have been through some of that and don't want to read about more of it, this might not be the book for you.
As the story progressed, I found myself drawn into it. There was some frustration at parts where there was some really bad decision-making, resulting in my palm hitting my forehead a couple of times, but all in all, the story was entertaining, recognizable as to which fairy tales inspired it and fully able to keep me captivated throughout it. I enjoyed the read and would not be opposed to picking up another book from this author as I think it would be worth trying it out.
Elle
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