Tag: dark fairytale

Review: A Tangled Magic by Andrea Eames

Anna and AlexisLeave a comment
A Kindle with A Tangled Magic book cover and a blueberry matcha latte in a mug

Alexis:

A Tangled Magic is a Rapunzel retelling that follows Netta, who lives in a tower with only her mother and a telepathic raven for company.

This was an excellent retelling! I loved Netta’s character, and how she was strong yet soft. I thought she was a great version of Disney’s Rapunzel in Tangled, and Eames really showed just how cut off she was from the rest of the world, not to mention lonely. I also enjoyed Eames’ interpretation of her magical Hair.

This was so much fun to read. It has your classic quest plot line, as Netta leaves her tower after being attacked by a group of men to find her mother, who is mysteriously missing. 

I also loved the political intrigue, the magic system, and the theme of power woven throughout the story. Bone magic plays a large role in the world’s history and in the book itself, and Eames’ did a great job of balancing the fairytale and whimsical vibes of this world with the macabre and a dash of body horror. There’s nothing I love more than dark fairytale vibes (besides creepy forests, of course). 

Baldbeak was one of my favorite characters, of course (I mean, a giant telepathic, magical raven)? And I really enjoyed how books and bookbinding played an overall role in the story. 

If you’re tired of romantasy, this will be a great story to pick up! There’s a romantic subplot, and Patrick is both a flawed and lovable love interest (Flynn Rider, anyone)? But Netta and her own goals, and finding herself, are the main focus of the story. 

Overall, this was a refreshing retelling with so many interesting elements and characters. I knew I loved Eames’ writing style from her debut novel, and I loved it in A Tangled Magic, as well. 

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Erewhon Books/Penguin Random House for my ARC in exchange for a review!

Pub Date: July 28, 2026

VERDICT: 📖📖📖📖📖/5 

Review: Nettle & Bone by T. Kingfisher

Anna and Alexis1 Comment
A kindle with Nettle & Bone lies on top of a notebook on a table beside a laptop and a Starbucks cup.

Alexis:

I have nothing bad to say about Nettle & Bone. This unique book follows Marra, a princess who has become a sort-of nun. After her older sister marries a cruel prince, Marra is determined to find a way to free her from her marriage–by planning to kill the prince.

Marra finds herself completing three impossible tasks: build a dog of bones; sew a cloak of nettles; capture moonlight in a jar. 

Marra sets off on her journey alongside a gravewitch and her demon chicken, a fairy godmother, and a disgraced ex-knight in order to save her sister.

While I wasn’t sure what was happening in the beginning of this book, which opens on Marra in a land of cannibals building a bone dog from a pit of bones, I loved this wild ride of a book.

It deals with a slew of dark themes (if regicide, abuse, and cannibals weren’t enough of a hint). It’s very much a dark, warped fairytale, and I loved it! Marra is socially awkward and isn’t sure how to respond in a lot of situations, and I loved her character. The whole cast of characters is quirky and hilarious.

There were some absolute gems when it came to lines in this book. For example:

“This won’t do,” said the dust-wife, the third or fourth day. “Your sister will have died of old age before we reach her, and I’ll be so bent over from sleeping on the ground that I’ll be cursing your prince’s kneecaps.”

“It’s a fool’s errand and we’ll probably all die,” said the dust-wife. “Oh, well then,” said Fenris. “I always enjoy those.”

An elderly woman, older than Agnes, went by. She was bent double under the weight of a basket and she went up the stairs twice as fast as either of them. Marra didn’t know if that was inspiring or depressing.

Nettle & Bone is for you if you want a dark fairytale and unique standalone read. (Did I mention there’s a bone dog and a demon chicken?)

VERDICT: 5 ⭐

TW: domestic/spousal abuse, both mental and physical; necromancy, the undead, and desecration of graves and bones; cannibalism; miscarriage and child loss; violence, injury and death; forcible tooth removal