THE WITCH'S TOWERis the first in an inspired new series of fairy-tale retellings from award-winning fantasy author Tamara Grantham.
Gothel is a witch. Punished for the actions of her mother, her choice is simple: either she stands guard over Princess Rapunzelโor she dies. But just because a choice is easy doesnโt mean itโs pleasant. Protecting Rapunzel means watching as the princess lays trapped in a tower, bedridden by hair that is so long and heavy itโs slowly driving her insane. Gothelโs life has become one of imprisonment and solitude as wellโuntil a prince and his handsome squire appear at the tower.
Only one object can cut Rapunzelโs hair and end the curse: a pair of magical shears. But the shears are guarded by the most terrifying witches in the land, who also happen to be Gothelโs aunts. As Gothel and the princeโs squire, Raj Talmund, work to form a plan, she finds herself more and more drawn to the mysterious young man from the Outerlands. Unfortunately, his destiny is far more dangerous than she wants to admit: to save a princess, he must kill the witch who's been forced to guard her.
"A sparkling Fantasy."~Kirkus Reviews
"Tamara Grantham, the author of THE WITCHโS TOWER, weaves the loose ends about the well-known character Rapunzel and brings forth a masterpiece."~Lucia W. (Teen Reads)
Novels in The Twisted Ever After Series by Tamara Grantham:
- The Witchโs Tower (Available Now)
- The Dragon Swan Princess (March 26, 2019)
- Book Three (Summer 2019)
Review
A new "once upon a time" greets audiences in THE WITCH'S TOWER, but will there be a happily ever after? Tamara Grantham, the author of THE WITCH'S TOWER, weaves the loose ends about the well-known character Rapunzel and brings forth a masterpiece. In fact, she rewrites this classic entirely. This is a tale from a different perspective: Gothel's. She is barely recognizable with new and complex characteristics embedded into her character. The plot offers so much more than the original version of this tale.
"Tamara Grantham, the author of THE WITCH'S TOWER, weaves the loose ends about the well-known character Rapunzel and brings forth a masterpiece."
One of royal blood will free the princess and kill the witch --- or so the soothsayers tell. The princess, Rapunzel, is mad from being bedridden with hair so long and heavy. The witch, Gothel, is bound to the tower, tasked with guarding Rapunzel, with a consequence of death if she does not comply, on account of her mother Aethel's past misdeeds. Her mother's actions of casting a petty curse on another's daughter has brought punishment to Gothel's life. The High Sorcerer is responsible for all these misdoings. As for the foretelling, a prince who has found and entered the enchanted tower has not stepped from its walls and his faithful squire looks to free him. The squire's name is Raj, and he needs to cut Rapunzel's hair to rid the kingdom of the High Sorcerer and save the prince from the enchantment he suffers from. He cannot do this without Gothel. Gothel understands the dangers of embarking on this journey with an unlikely partner to retrieve the golden shears to do this. She is as desperate to end the High Sorcerer's reign as Raj is.
As they venture, encounters are sure to occur, yet the duo that began the expedition together remain close. Gothel cannot recognize what her feelings for Raj mean. Does she... should she love him? As she fumbles with her emotions, the High Sorcerer dispatches those loyal to him to locate Gothel. Monsters and much more lie just yonder...
The setting of THE WITCH'S TOWER is certainly of a new take. Those eager to traverse through a land other than their own should see this realm fit to their expectations. This publication should have an appeal to fantasy enthusiasts as well as adventure lovers. Though some scenes were a tad too gory for my taste, most people would beg to differ.
Although I am not one who typically enjoys novels with love interests, I enjoyed this book immensely. Romance danced through the pages as a young woman steps through it unsurely. She had been locked away, nearly isolated for five years after all, so the emotions are unfamiliar. The squire, Raj, was interesting as I explored his patterned dialogue. He is honorable and comforting, but is he accepting of Gothel's traits? Each character is from a completely different background, giving readers as much suspicion of them as Gothel has. I find this to be an intriguing technique because the audience will interact with details in order to form an opinion on a character's trustworthiness.
Additionally, female empowerment is a defining trait of THE WITCH'S TOWER as battle calls. With wits, strength and bravery, every word of Grantham's is carefully chosen, yet set in a pleasurable order for readers who love beautiful turns of phrase. Given the cards she is dealt, Gothel fights with internal and external conflicts to bring a better future for everyone whose lives have been touched by the dark magic.
~Lucia W. (Teen Reads)
About the Author
Tamara Grantham is the award-winning author of more than a dozen books and novellas, including the Twisted Ever After trilogy, the Fairy World MD series, and is a contributor to the Shine novellas. Dreamthief, the first book of her Fairy World MD series, won first place for fantasy in INDIEFAB'S Book of the Year Awards and a RONE award for best New Adult Romance. Her book The Witch's Tower is a #1 bestseller on Amazon.
Tamara holds a Bachelor's degree in English. She has been a featured speaker at numerous writing conferences and has been a panelist at Comic Con Wizard World speaking on the topic of female leads. For her first published project, she collaborated with New York-Times bestselling author, William Bernhardt, in writing the Shine series.
Born and raised in Texas, Tamara now lives with her husband and five children in Wichita, Kansas. She rarely has any free time, but when the stars align and she gets a moment to relax, she enjoys reading fantasy novels and watching every Star Wars or Star Trek movie ever made.