I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy from the Author. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Promises of Gold
by Serena Clarke
on June 15, 2021
Genres: Fairy Tales Folklore Fantasy
Pages: 241
Format: Kindle
Goodreads
Get Your Copy at: Amazon
When Emmalene’s father brags that she can spin straw into gold, word soon reaches the king and she is taken to him to prove she has this ability. Knowing magic is outlawed in the kingdom, she has kept her own magical ability a secret but spinning straw into gold was impossible for her to do. Now she must prove her father’s tale to be true or risk the wrath of the king.
The only person who can save her is the legendary Rumpelstilkin. When he doesn’t appear, but sends one of his followers, she is grateful for his assistance but soon finds that she is falling for the charming man. When the king begins to show interest in Emmalene, will she choose to follow her heart or sacrifice her happiness to save the lives of those she loves?
Promises of Gold by Serena Clarke is a fantastically written retelling of the old Rumplestiltskin tale about helping a young woman turn straw into gold.
Can Emmalene choose between the man she loves or the one that holds her life in his hands?
Emmalene
Emmalene is our main character. The King has been led to believe that Emma can turn straw into gold. Sadly we found out that isn’t Emmalene’s actual power. Emmalene hasn’t used her power in a long time and is rusty. She is so scared of this power that she has difficulty bringing it forward. Emma is a fantastic character, and I loved her growth throughout the tale, along with how she came to accept her power.
Red
Red is a Rumplestiltskin follower and has a gift to turn straw into gold. He is an interesting character, and I love his dynamic with Emmalene. Red holds many secrets and doesn’t want any harm to him or anyone else. He is a big part of the Rumplestiltskin movement. Red is another great character that has been brought into the tale of Rumplestiltskin.
King Hammond
King Hammond is, of course, the King in the story. He has heard about the tale of the miller’s daughter who can turn straw into gold. Instead of the miller boasting about it to his face, though, it was more of one of the King’s soldiers who heard it at the pub and then told the King. Hammond then has Emmalene come to him to prove that she can do this. Eventually, he realizes that Emmalene is well-liked and would make an excellent Queen. At some points, I felt bad for the King, and then at other times, I didn’t. Overall, Ms. Clarke has made a fantastic villain of this character that the reader already knows about but makes it very clear at the end.
Four Stars
I am giving Promises of Gold by Serena Clarke a four-star rating and a recommendation to anyone that wants to read it. I liked this remake of Rumplestiltskin and how Ms. Clarke weaved her own storyline into it while keeping the original there. But of course, besides the fact that Rumplestiltskin isn’t an imp but that’s okay. Promises of Gold is a great story, and I especially loved Emmalene and Red. Even if I figured out who Rumplestiltskin was, about his real identity early on and before Emmalene. Ms. Clarke made a great love story in the end.
Thank you for dropping by! I hope you enjoyed this review of Promises of Gold by Serena Clarke.
Until the next time,
Happy Reading!
About Serena Clarke
Serena Clarke is from Sunny Southern Utah and has taken several writing classes in college. Fantasy is her passion with adventure, mystery, and romance. All her books are “Family Friendly” for young adults as well as all ages.
Serena has a Bachelors Degree in Graphic Design and is a member of the Red Mountain Shadows Publishing team. She not only is an author, but also creates book covers for independent authors and edits books. She is passionate about learning and education, art and design.
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