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aschuetze's review
4.0
This was a really interesting twist on the tale of Rumpelstiltskin that we all know!
Gold and Glacier is essentially split into two parts, Aurea and Rumpel himself. Both were quite fascinating, tho I do wish we could have spent more time with Rumpel! He was such a compelling and complex character.
Overall the read was pretty light and fast and I had an enjoyable time reading it! Mabilia was probably my fave character overall (tho some parts of her relationships leave you questioning a few things. Still not sure how I feel about it which is why i gave it 4 stars instead of 5.)
Gold and Glacier is essentially split into two parts, Aurea and Rumpel himself. Both were quite fascinating, tho I do wish we could have spent more time with Rumpel! He was such a compelling and complex character.
Overall the read was pretty light and fast and I had an enjoyable time reading it! Mabilia was probably my fave character overall (tho some parts of her relationships leave you questioning a few things. Still not sure how I feel about it which is why i gave it 4 stars instead of 5.)
yazthebookish's review
3.0
3 - ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Three Souls. Two Stories. One Price.
Gold and Glacier is a fairytale-like story drawing inspiration from Rumplestiltskin and A Court of Thorns and Roses.
It's what I consider a light book around 250 pages long and divided into two parts: Aurea's POV and Rumplestiltskin's POV
And here is the twist; in the original fairytale, Rumplestiltskin is an imp but in this story, Rumple is the Faerie King.
Since there are two parts to the story taking place 17 years apart, it's only fair to highlight the points in both parts so I could explain what I liked and did not like in them because they felt like two different stories... well... supposedly they are as the blurb hints at.
We have a look at the Heroine's POV and the Villain's POV and each give a deeper insight to the views and emotions of the characters which greatly impacts the story overall.
---
Part 1: Aurea's POV
The first part of the story follows Aurea, a farmer girl living with her abusive father. When they line between reality and imagination begins to blur, Aurea realizes that she is plagued by magic and likely Fae Magic.
"On the farm, I've lived with fae watching me from the woods constantly. I have lived in fear of everything, including myself. I bear the scars of my abuse, but I do not bear any from iron. I have longed for freedom. I have longed for peace."
When Aurea's Magic is exposed, she is then put on trial and was sentenced to death. She proclaims that her magic can turn hay into gold, a reckless move that may have saved her temporarily from the cauldron. The King sets her up in a room crowded with hay and a spinning wheel to prove her word. The Fae King stumbles upon her and to her luck, he offers to bargain with her. Aurea made a contract with the Fae King, he grants her the ability to spin Hay into Gold in exchange for her Iron Ring and to have the honor of naming her child.
On the romance side, Aurea is involved with her friend and lover Daryl. There is more to Daryl's identity that I will not go into great details about. However, Daryl also has a touch of magic that both he and Aurea could not comprehend since both despise the Fae.
Eventually, Aurea and Daryl are married and a year later when their daughter was born, the Fae King made an appearance after her birth to bestow the name he had chosen for the child: Mabilia
"What blessing or curse would you give my child?"
"The blessed curse of beauty. A name meaning lovely, and a heart to match. One that aches for others and wishes to help them."
Part 1 is the section of the story that weaves the original fairytale of Rumplestiltskin into it
----
Part 2: Rumplestiltskin's POV
Rumple is the Faerie King and he had been denied the opportunity to have Mabilia grow up in his Court. He feels a powerful connection to her and dwells with her in what she believes a fabricated part of her imagination. She grew up thinking of him as a friend and eventually developing tender feelings for him.
Little did Mabilia know that her treasured friend is the very cruel Faerie King her parents spoke of. She had grown up despising that name and the misery he caused to her family.
In this part, he delve deeper into Rumple's mind and heart. Despite his icy exterior, his heart rages with emotions that are mostly directed towards Mabilia.
He adores Mabilia and he is eager to find a way to have his Princess with him in his court because he is determined that her place is with him.
Mabilia showcased signs of Magic since she was an infant. Not only any magic, but Ancient magic.
There is more behind Rumple's schemes that he orchestrated for centuries, his Court is at stake and the contract has not been entirely fulfilled.
Will Mabilia, a girl with a vibrant spirit, pay the price to save his Court?
---
There is a lot of magic beautifully weaved into the story. I liked the characters although they needed to be fleshed out a little. I think it's better to summarize my thoughts into points:
• For me, I thought the book suffered from a great imbalance. Although the pacing was good but the lack of balance made the story feel disjointed overall. There were times I was confused.
• Both romances, yes there are two, were not entirely satisfying. The first one being an insta-love kind of romance between Aurea and Daryl and it's one of my least favorite tropes. There were a scene or two that were very sweet but it lacked development to make me invested. As for the other romance between Rumplestiltskin and Mabilia, they had a few sweet moments but it still weirded me out. Rumple chose her name, he was there when she was born, she was supposedly going to live in his court... how did he fall in love with a girl that would've been his ward? I'm still not sure about how to feel about their relationship because it was rushed but I wish the author chose a less weirder route for them.
• The writing was good at times and other times felt flat which kind caused a disconnection between me and the book but it quickly picks up after. I have to be honest there were two or three instances where I had to skim though 3-5 pages.
• The world-building was very good but it had potential to be great.
• I liked Rumplestiltskin'a characterization because he comes off as a complex character and his POV gives insight to his emotions, thoughts and motives. I think he would've been a fantastic anti-villain if his role was not tainted by a rushed romance. I wish he had another name though, Rumplestiltskin is a name I associate with ugly imps and not beautiful as sin Faerie Kings.
• I honestly would've liked Aurea's POV to have only 20% or less of the book rather than half of it because I wanted Rumple's POV to be the dominant one. His part needed more development and more pages than what it got.
To conclude, if you enjoy books on faeries and fairytales you may enjoy this one. It's a light read that offers a refreshing twist on the tale of Rumplestiltskin.
Three Souls. Two Stories. One Price.
Gold and Glacier is a fairytale-like story drawing inspiration from Rumplestiltskin and A Court of Thorns and Roses.
It's what I consider a light book around 250 pages long and divided into two parts: Aurea's POV and Rumplestiltskin's POV
And here is the twist; in the original fairytale, Rumplestiltskin is an imp but in this story, Rumple is the Faerie King.
Since there are two parts to the story taking place 17 years apart, it's only fair to highlight the points in both parts so I could explain what I liked and did not like in them because they felt like two different stories... well... supposedly they are as the blurb hints at.
We have a look at the Heroine's POV and the Villain's POV and each give a deeper insight to the views and emotions of the characters which greatly impacts the story overall.
---
Part 1: Aurea's POV
The first part of the story follows Aurea, a farmer girl living with her abusive father. When they line between reality and imagination begins to blur, Aurea realizes that she is plagued by magic and likely Fae Magic.
"On the farm, I've lived with fae watching me from the woods constantly. I have lived in fear of everything, including myself. I bear the scars of my abuse, but I do not bear any from iron. I have longed for freedom. I have longed for peace."
When Aurea's Magic is exposed, she is then put on trial and was sentenced to death. She proclaims that her magic can turn hay into gold, a reckless move that may have saved her temporarily from the cauldron. The King sets her up in a room crowded with hay and a spinning wheel to prove her word. The Fae King stumbles upon her and to her luck, he offers to bargain with her. Aurea made a contract with the Fae King, he grants her the ability to spin Hay into Gold in exchange for her Iron Ring and to have the honor of naming her child.
On the romance side, Aurea is involved with her friend and lover Daryl. There is more to Daryl's identity that I will not go into great details about. However, Daryl also has a touch of magic that both he and Aurea could not comprehend since both despise the Fae.
Eventually, Aurea and Daryl are married and a year later when their daughter was born, the Fae King made an appearance after her birth to bestow the name he had chosen for the child: Mabilia
"What blessing or curse would you give my child?"
"The blessed curse of beauty. A name meaning lovely, and a heart to match. One that aches for others and wishes to help them."
Part 1 is the section of the story that weaves the original fairytale of Rumplestiltskin into it
----
Part 2: Rumplestiltskin's POV
Rumple is the Faerie King and he had been denied the opportunity to have Mabilia grow up in his Court. He feels a powerful connection to her and dwells with her in what she believes a fabricated part of her imagination. She grew up thinking of him as a friend and eventually developing tender feelings for him.
Little did Mabilia know that her treasured friend is the very cruel Faerie King her parents spoke of. She had grown up despising that name and the misery he caused to her family.
In this part, he delve deeper into Rumple's mind and heart. Despite his icy exterior, his heart rages with emotions that are mostly directed towards Mabilia.
He adores Mabilia and he is eager to find a way to have his Princess with him in his court because he is determined that her place is with him.
Mabilia showcased signs of Magic since she was an infant. Not only any magic, but Ancient magic.
There is more behind Rumple's schemes that he orchestrated for centuries, his Court is at stake and the contract has not been entirely fulfilled.
Will Mabilia, a girl with a vibrant spirit, pay the price to save his Court?
---
There is a lot of magic beautifully weaved into the story. I liked the characters although they needed to be fleshed out a little. I think it's better to summarize my thoughts into points:
• For me, I thought the book suffered from a great imbalance. Although the pacing was good but the lack of balance made the story feel disjointed overall. There were times I was confused.
• Both romances, yes there are two, were not entirely satisfying. The first one being an insta-love kind of romance between Aurea and Daryl and it's one of my least favorite tropes. There were a scene or two that were very sweet but it lacked development to make me invested. As for the other romance between Rumplestiltskin and Mabilia, they had a few sweet moments but it still weirded me out. Rumple chose her name, he was there when she was born, she was supposedly going to live in his court... how did he fall in love with a girl that would've been his ward? I'm still not sure about how to feel about their relationship because it was rushed but I wish the author chose a less weirder route for them.
• The writing was good at times and other times felt flat which kind caused a disconnection between me and the book but it quickly picks up after. I have to be honest there were two or three instances where I had to skim though 3-5 pages.
• The world-building was very good but it had potential to be great.
• I liked Rumplestiltskin'a characterization because he comes off as a complex character and his POV gives insight to his emotions, thoughts and motives. I think he would've been a fantastic anti-villain if his role was not tainted by a rushed romance. I wish he had another name though, Rumplestiltskin is a name I associate with ugly imps and not beautiful as sin Faerie Kings.
• I honestly would've liked Aurea's POV to have only 20% or less of the book rather than half of it because I wanted Rumple's POV to be the dominant one. His part needed more development and more pages than what it got.
To conclude, if you enjoy books on faeries and fairytales you may enjoy this one. It's a light read that offers a refreshing twist on the tale of Rumplestiltskin.
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