A warrior with nothing left to lose. A prince trying to hold his kingdom together.
As a child, Etta ran from the palace for her life. Now, she must find a way back in.
The kingdom of Gaule is a dangerous place for those with magic. To be found is a death sentence, forcing magic wielders into the forests to hide from the crown.
Etta Basile has spent years among the trees, training for the … has spent years among the trees, training for the day she’ll take up the curse of her ancestors, a curse tying her life to that of her greatest enemy, the Prince of Gaule.
Prince Alexandre was once a childhood friend, but now, Etta must keep her identity a secret as she enters a tournament to become his champion.
Her goals are simple.
Protect the prince. Break the curse. Kill the prince.
What her training never prepared her for? Falling in love.
But love is for the weak, and Etta can’t forget the reason she’s there.
Her people are counting on her.
Get lost in an epic fantasy where romance crosses enemy lines and nothing is ever black and white. Golden Curse is the first book in the completed seven-book Fantasy and Fairytales series. Are you ready? Scroll up to click and see why readers love Etta and Alex.
The Fantasy and Fairytales series:
- Golden Curse
- Golden Chains
- Golden Crown
- Glass Kingdom
- Glass Princess
- Noble Thief
- Cursed Beauty
more
Throne of Glass meets Rapunzel in this fabulous fantasy by M. Lynn.
Etta’s family is cursed to protect Prince Alexander’s, so when she wins a vicious tournament to secure her place at the prince’s side, it’s just as fate and the curse intended. But the problem is, Etta possesses a powerful magic–in a land where magic is a crime.
And she’s falling deeper and deeper in love with the kingdom’s prince.
I adored every second of reading this. It’s two of my favorite things: fairy tales and fantasy. Thankfully, the author is releasing Book 2 quickly, so I don’t have long to wait before I can continue reading the story!
Could not stop reading this book!
This is a re-telling of Rapunzel, or as the cover says: “The True Story of Rapunzel”. Besides Etta having long, golden hair I don’t really draw any parallels to the original story, but it doesn’t matter. I haven’t yet read a book by M Lynn/Michelle MacQueen that I haven’t loved (or at least liked very much), and Golden Curse is no exception!
The framework is rather classic when it comes to fantasy: if you have magic you’re evil (and should be executed), if you don’t have magic you’re good. Anyone with a brain know it’s hardly ever that straightforward, but…
“You are not evil.” She sat back on her heels. “People will say differently, but it isn’t the magic that makes a person good or bad. It’s how they use it. You have a choice. Use it for good and you will be good.”
Prince Alex has grown up with his father’s, the king’s, black and white approach to magic, and that puts him in some predicaments when he learns that people he trusts have magic skills. When Alex becomes king, the people expect him to continue his father’s work and rid them of all magic users. Will he be able to see reason?
Etta is a fierce character. Due to her family’s curse she’s been trained to become a warrior. The curse makes her connected with the prince, but Etta will do everything she can to break it. She didn’t expect to fall in love…
I also have to mention Edmund, Alex’s best friend. He’s such a great character with his cheery mood and merry manner! The fact that he loves Alex more than a friend is an odd, but most acceptable, ingredient in a fantasy. Edmund doesn’t act on his feelings, he only wants Alex to be happy, so it’s not a big part of the story, but I love that it’s included.
I could rant about this book a lot more, but it’s already too long, so I’ll stop here. I just want to say that you need to read this if you haven’t already! I’m looking forward to reading the next book in the series!
* I received a free copy of the book, and I’m giving my honest review. *
This is one of my favorite fairy tale retellings! I love this warrior version of Rapunzel, the in depth world, and the twisty plot that kept me on the edge of my seat. <3
Great story that takes a classic fairytale and turns it on its head with fresh new characters and a involving storyline.
Since this is the first book I’ve read from M. Lynn, I had no idea what to expect from this story other than the fact it was advertised to be a retelling of Rapunzel. I’m not sure I found the correlation, but there it is. The orange banner states it’s a number 1 best seller in young adult fantasy and so I tried to keep that in the back of my mind while reading. We were given a weak male prince who’s only strong suit seems to be bullying those he finds distasteful, a strong female who wins a tournament of strength to become his protector and a storyline where two young adults in “positions of power” were rather immature and seemed to cower under the authority of adults. I had a hard time connecting to them, truthfully but perhaps it was just me.
My First Alt – Fairy Tale!!
I was an alternative fairy tale virgin before this book. If this one is anything to go by, I’ve been converted to another sub genre!!
Persinette ‘Etta’ Basile is the first born child of Victor Basile. He was once the Protector & friend to the King of Gaule. The first born children in their Basile bloodline were cursed long ago by an ancient & powerful Sorceress. Their curse kicks in on their 18th Birthday & is to protect their enemy, the rulers of Geule!! Etta’s father was betrayed by the King when he suddenly ordered a purge of all people with magic from his land – by purge he meant slaughter!! Victor was able to escape with his daughter, Etta’s mother was slain The betrayal was so deep for many reasons but one of the biggest was that it was Victor’s magic that the King had used to ward his land so that the ancient Sorceress, La Dame, couldn’t attack his kingdom!! His fear of her had twisted his mind against ALL magic!!
Etta needs to return to the place she left at 10 years old, the place her Mother was murdered, her Father was betrayed & she lost her best friend and crush … Prince Alexandre!! She must return to the Palace, even though she was born with magic, because her curse is about to kick in & if she can’t find a way to serve Alex they’ll both suffer the consequences!!
Alex is going to be King one day, he knows this. He hates swords, doesn’t like fighting – not because he’s a wimp but because he prefers to draw & use a bow and arrow!! Close combat is gruesome so when his Father announces a Tournament to find his new Protector then adds it will be ‘To the Death’ he’s horrified. Even more so when he meets a beautiful girl beforehand then discovers she’s is fighting in it because so is his best friend, Edmund, and there can be only one winner!!!
His sister, Princess Camille, will revel in the bloodthirsty displays they’ll witness, she’s so like their cruel Father!! He’ll do his best to keep his face blank as befits his role as Heir but his poor little Brother, Prince Tyson, who will be so excited to see some real fighting, will have a rude awakening, he fears! Tyson is strong at 15 years but he cares deeply for people and these Deaths will be brutal
Etta has Royal blood. Her kingdom no longer exists but if it did she would be Princess of the kingdom of Bela and Heir to the thrown!! It was a magical kingdom that stood against La Dame, she defeated them by enacting the curse Etta is determined to break the curse once and for all!!
I found this tale well written & engrossing. The Author chose where to take me & transported me there easily with her descriptive style & cast of characters that grabbed me and didn’t let go – in fact they still haven’t, I want book 2 and 3 asap please I marked it down because of the cliffhanger, I hate the darn things plus other than Etta having long blond hair & a vague reference to a plant nicknamed ‘Rapunzel’ – I genuinely don’t see the connection?? Having said that
I just want to add I think Etta was fantastic, badass & stoic in the face of SO much
A highly recommended 4 stars from this Fairy Tale virgin
Debbie, 1970, UK
Very good story, I loved the nods to the Rapunzel story, but it was a true original. I only gave it 4 stars because it didn’t really end, you have to read the next book or however many are in the series to get closure. Easy to read and kept my interest. The chemistry is good between the characters and I found myself caring for them. There is one part where a character is betrayed and I didn’t think it was realistic at all, but the rest was highly believable in this world filled with magic.
I love the story and the world the author created as well as the characters. I finished it in two days! That’s how much I was hooked up—can’t wait to read the next book!
I really liked this book. Had been warned this was an alternate tale to Rapunzel, and that had me a bit on tenterhooks – not a fan of traditional/classic fairytales and their re-writes – but the truth is… I only remembered this detail close to the end of the book when the word Rapunzel does creep up (most of the time I was actually convinced I was reading a sort of spin off on Sleeping Beauty, go figure!). The characters were really well done, Etta is very vivid, Alex is very anooying, Camille is… well, I wish we had a bit more inkling into Camille, because so far she sounds like the irritating mean girl with not much use in the story but to be a bit of a hassle for the protagonist, and I’m not keen on that as it comes out a bit lazy. As for Edmund and Tyson, those were my fave. The finale was very well done, it’s a cliffhanger but at the same, it’s not. I reccomend this book if you’re into fantasy and magic, it was a thouroughly entertaining read
Epic battle between good and evil, from a perspective of choice, decision, and love from a fairy tale.
The curse was always Persinette’s fate. Tied to serve and protect the royal family she hates, Etta has no other choice than to step into a palace full of enemies – a palace that was once her home. Her anger and fury are tried by the king, though – for the hate changes to love, albeit unwillingly. However, magic and secrets are deadly, and betrayal lurks in every shadow.
A sad tale when one realizes the depth of the hate plaguing the imaginative world, but still full of hope for HEA. There are so many obstacles between Etta and Alex that I am surprises they even found a way to each other – maybe the curse can be a blessing from this perspective. I felt immediately connected to Etta’s character, the bold warrior with potent magic at her fingertips, hiding her true self for protection of herself an the others. I do not agree with all her choices, but that only makes her human, not some kind of flawless noble hero. I am conflicted about Alex, about his anger outbursts, blindness to understanding and forgiveness, aching for his hard life as too young ruler in a bloodthirsty land, in a broken family; but I also see the light in him. And I ultimately loved Tyson. That boy is a sunshine in the darkness. I loved this story, and want to know more about how (and if) Etta and Alex find their way back to each other.