By Sharon Bryant
The Rapunzel Story
pixabay.com.
Once Upon a Tower
Once Upon a Tower by Eloisa James contains echoes of the Rapunzel story. We meet Gowan, Duke of Kinross for whom “Fishing for a bride had taken precedence over fishing for salmon.” He likes to be in control and asks for Edie’s hand in marriage thinking she is the most serene woman he has met. However, Edie is in fact passionate and independent of spirit. Both characters have trouble expressing their feelings and must find a way to broker their increasingly tempestuous relationship.
Cress
In Cress, The Lunar Chronicles Book 3 by Marissa Meyer, Cress is trapped on a satellite and forced to follow the instructions of Sybil who reports to Levana, the evil Lunar Queen. Captain Carswell Thorne is part of a group of rebels led by a cyborg who hope to defeat Levana. The group attempts to rescue Cress. Cress has researched Thorne from her satellite home, and thinks she is in love with him. This action-packed space adventure contains elements of romance.
Bitter Greens
Bitter Greens by Kate Forsyth tells the story of Charlotte-Rose who enters a convent in her forties because this is the will of the king. While she is there, she hears the tale of Margherita who was trapped in a tower by a witch, and of Lucio, the young man who discovers her.Do you notice any elements of the Rapunzel tale in the romance novels you read? Which elements like best?
I love to laugh: We’ve just returned from overseas. We had the most wonderful night chatting with our host in Galway.
I love to learn: Travelling overseas is the best. You learn so much.
Thanks so much for the mention of Bitter Greens. I'm so glad you enjoyed it.
ReplyDeleteHi Kate! I've just started reading 'Beauty in Thorns'. I loved the inspiration behind it (that you talked about at my local library a few months back) and am really enjoying it so far.
DeleteThanks for dropping by Kate. I loved "Bitter Greens". Your writing kept me eagerly turning the pages right through to the end.
ReplyDeleteHi Sharon. Yes this is a hard one to use for romance but such an interesting one if you could manage it. A challenge indeed that these three authors have managed beautifully.
ReplyDeleteHi Cassie, I agree. It's fascinating to see how all three authors have taken on this challenge and written such fascinating and intriguing tales containing elements of the Rapunzel story.
DeleteHi Sharon! Firstly, congratulations on your daughter's wedding. It's a special time when your child gets married and I hope you had time to enjoy it on the day. Rapunzel has always been one of my favourite fairy tales and I love Kate Forsyth's take on the theme in 'Bitter Greens' (but then, I love all her books :D ). Thanks for recommending Eloisa James' 'Once Upon a Tower', too - it looks like my kind of book.
ReplyDeleteHi Marilyn, thank you. The wedding went beautifully. We are so proud of our daughter and son-in-law. I also loved the way Kate handled the Rapunzel tale. There is a twist at the end of "Bitter Greens" that I never saw coming. I want to reread it now with that extra knowledge. I hope you enjoy "Once Upon a Tower" as much as I did.
DeleteHi Sharon. Thanks for the insight into the Rapunzel theme. Yes, it's difficult to do in romance, so those authors who successfully write stories utilising parts of Rapunzel, kudos to them!
ReplyDeleteHi Enisa, I agree with you. The three Rapunzel based tales I have mentioned are all great reads. All three authors met this challenge and succeeded.
ReplyDeleteI love romances based on fairy stories. Rapunzel is not done as often but when it is I find it a knock-out story. When I visited Ireland recently I saw some round towers that looked like Rapunzel towers, which was so exciting!
ReplyDeleteHi Malvina, the imagery of the tower is particularly powerful in Eloisa James' and Kate Forsyth's Rapunzel stories. I also love reading books containing elements of fairy tales and seeing how the authors incorporate elemnts these within their stories.
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