Gold Spun by Brandie June

Review of Gold Spun

“Gold Spun” is the debut novel by Brandie June.  Brandie really hit the mark with this magical retelling of Rumpelstiltskin. When seventeen-year-old Nor rescues a captured faerie in the woods, he gifts her with a magical golden thread she can use to summon him for a favor. However, Nor, who is always looking for an angle and for means to support her family, instead uses it for a con. Her trick works a little too well, attracting the suspicion of Prince Casper, soon to be King Casper, who hates nobody more than a liar. Intent on punishing Nor, he demands that she spin a room of straw into gold. If she is successful, as her reward, he will marry her and make her Queen. But if she refuses or fails, the consequences will be dire. Desperate for help, Nor summons the faerie’s aid, launching a complicated chain of events as Nor must navigate between her growing feelings for both the prince and the faerie boy and who she herself wishes to become.

This book is very well written. The author does a fantastic job adding plot twists and a magical new look to the classic tale. The dialogue and world building are perfectly paced to keep you immersed in the story, quickly turning the page to find out what happens next. For those that are looking for action, there is plenty of that too with sword fights and faerie magic. And the love triangle among Nor, Prince Casper and the faerie boy had me going back and forth as to whom I wanted Nor to end up with. But all the while, I was rooting for Nor, a very resourceful and likeable teenage girl. The author has an excellent imagination and is able to bring that imagination to life in this fantasy tale.

While the book has a clear ending., it definitely leaves room for a sequel, for which I am anxiously waiting. The book has some descriptive fighting between Prince Casper’s people and the faeries, but there is no foul language, no drug use, and no sexual scenes. If Gold Spun was a movie, it would receive a PG rating. While targeted at Young Adults, it would be fine for Middle Grade, who I think would enjoy it very much. I also recommend it to any adult who enjoys a good fantasy adventure.