Opinions of a Wolf

Summary:
A lesbian retelling of Rapunzel.  Gray, a witch’s daughter, visits Zelda every day.  The witch switched Gray’s fate into Zelda, so now Zelda is the one entwined with the spirit of the tree that the people worship.  She must live on the platform and every day lower her hair for people to tie ribbons and prayers into.  Gray feels horrible guilt over their switched fates, but she’s also falling in love with Zelda.

Review:
I’m a sucker for fairy tale retellings, although I can be fairly picky about whether or not I like them.  But Rapunzel is a tale that is not redone often enough, in my opinion, and the fact that it was a lesbian version made me jump at this novella.

It’s nice that the retelling doesn’t just change the genders of the main romantic pairing and leave it at that.  In the original version, a married couple steal from a witch’s garden and in payment they must give her their unborn child who she then locks up into a tower.  She would let her long hair down for her witch/mother to use as a ladder to get into the tower.  A prince years later hears her singing in the tower and helps her escape.  In this retelling, the people worship a tree.  When the tree starts to die they tie its spirit into a person.  That person lives on a platform in the tree and the people pray to him/her.  When the person dies, the fate to be tied to the tree randomly chooses a baby by putting a tree pattern on their chest.  This fate is supposed to be Gray’s, but her mother somehow acquires another baby, Zelda, and with magic cuts the fate out and ties it to her instead.  Gray knows this and at first visits Zelda out of guilt but eventually falls in love with her.  This version, surprisingly, is actually a lot more fantastical and magical.  There is even a quest within an alternate dimension/dream world.  I enjoyed the increase in the otherworldly feel, and I liked that it lent the twist of a parent trying to protect her child rather than a mother smothering her child.

The writing has an earthy, magical quality to it.  It’s definitely language that is looking to be pretty, and it mostly succeeds.  The romance between Zelda and Gray is sweet and very YA.  Their passion revolves entirely around kissing and holding.  I like that it gives a soul and connection to the romance without ignoring the physical aspect.  It’s the perfect balance for this type of story.

While I enjoyed reading the story, I must admit it wasn’t my ideal retelling of Rapunzel.  I didn’t like the religious aspect that was drawn into it, and I did feel that Zelda falling for Gray was a bit fast, particularly given the fate switching aspect of the story.  I was also disappointed to see that in spite of all the other changes in the story, the Rapunzel character is still blonde.  I’m not sure why no one ever seems to change this when retelling Rapunzel.

Overall, this is a fun retelling of Rapunzel, particularly if you’re looking for a non-heteronormative slant or enjoy a more magical feel.  Note that this is part of a series entitled Sappho’s Fables, which consists of lesbian retellings of fairy tales.  The novellas may be mixed and matched.  Recommended to GLBTQ YA fans who enjoy a fairy tale.

4 out of 5 stars

Source: Amazon

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