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Reviewed by Asher Syed for Readers' Favorite
In Talia Lorne’s Stranded, A Rapunzel Retelling, Rapunzel has spent thirteen years inside Voss Spire, where her extraordinary golden hair takes sickness from patients brought by her guardian, Mother Gothel. Every cure leaves a living mark in the braid, binding the young healer to people who have long since returned home. Rapunzel suspects that the tower’s old machinery has been altered to keep her inside, and the arrival of Rafe Veylan offers an unlikely chance to learn why. Rafe, a consumer who can swallow completed magical promises, has accepted a dangerous assignment from the powerful Exchange. His own family is threatened by an inherited debt, while an impending inspection could place Rapunzel’s hair in the hands of collectors. Discovering what the tower is hiding may put every patient at risk.
Talia Lorne’s Stranded is a beautiful fantasy romance, with the extraordinary magic of Voss Spire creating a setting that feels full of history. The hospice’s original design is a marvelous touch, particularly when Tessa’s charcoal rubbing of an old mason’s drawing becomes vital evidence. Even the tower’s past has something important to say. Corin is a favorite of mine, too, thanks to the humor Rafe’s younger brother brings when he shows Rafe his own little notebook recording the Exchange’s disputed charges. What moved me most was the respect this book gives to another person’s choices. Rapunzel honors Oren Vask’s bell to end treatment, revealing genuine compassion. That same respect guides the romance when Rafe sends Rapunzel a drawing to examine, leaving the decision entirely hers. This is an amazing book for readers on the hunt for courageous heroines caught in dangerous magical bargains. Very highly recommended.
