This week’s #spellbooksaturday continues last week’s theme of perfectly adequate albeit not wildly thrilling retellings of classic fairytales. (And like last week’s title, this also has a CONTENT WARNING: sexual assault, violence, ableism, misogyny, etc.)
The Book of Gothel: Memoir of a Witch by Mary McMyne
★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆
Everyone knows the story of Rapunzel in her tower, but do you know the story of the witch who put her there? Mary McMyne’s spellbinding debut reveals the truth behind the fairy tale—the truth they never wanted you to know, as only a witch might tell it.
(source: goodreads)
Germany, 1156. Shunned by her village for her unusual fainting spells and black eyes, young Haelewise’s only solace lies in her mother’s stories of witches, magic wolf-skins, and ancient mist-cloaked towers. When her mother dies, she sets off through the woods for the mysterious tower of fable: Gothel. There, Haelewise discovers a haven, a safe refuge for women like her and for those who have lost their way in the harsh world of men. A place where magic lives and where the fairy tales of her mother’s stories have more truth than she’d ever imagined.
This was a cheap read on Kindle (shout out to my partner for surprising me with a Kindle recently!) and having just finished After the Forest, I was in a bit of a fairy tale / fantasy mood. A stronger debut novel than the former, The Book of Gothel reads less as a standalone novel and more as if McMyne intended a series— there are elements that feel as though they are poised to be expanded upon and explored, which leaves the reader a bit disappointed by the time the end rolls around. Overall it was an enjoyable enough novel, though I can’t imagine it making anyone’s “all-time favorites” list… though I’d be happy to be proven wrong!
Have you read The Book of Gothel? Do you agree with my assessment? Share in the comments!
P.S. I also wanted to add an additional shout out this week to former Tending the Hedge magic-maker Amelia Hruby, PhD, author of Fifty Feminist Mantras and the podcaster behind Softer Sounds’s newest offering, Pleasure Reading. Y’all know I love a witchy reading recommendation, and episode 2 highlighted “7 Magical Series for Romantic Witches”— because who doesn’t appreciate a little romance every now and then? 😉
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