Of Giants and Vengeance

by J.L. Jackola

What if the beanstalk brought nothing but terror?
What if it left Jack the drunken scourge of the kingdom?
And what if fifteen years later, one woman is ready to enact her vengeance on Jack for the loss she suffered that day?

Well then, you’d have this spicy, dark, and twisted Jack and the Beanstalk retelling.

Jack’s life changed the day he planted a magic bean and brought the wrath of the giants down upon his kingdom. He is now the scourge of the kingdom, his name spoken in curses and venom. Spending his days in servitude tending the remains of the stalk and his nights drowning his misery in ale, he is content to live his life in the shadows with nothing more than vile words and insults to feed him.

But Jack’s mistake had consequences that rippled farther than he imagined. The loss Bryony suffered that day fuels her hatred for Jack and a need to see him suffer for it. She has planned her vengeance for years and is ready to enact it.
When their paths finally collide, everything will change, and nothing will prepare them for what happens next.

*Of Giants and Vengeance is a spicy dark fantasy. T/Ws can be found in the front of the book or on my website.

448 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 12, 2024

About the author

J. L. has been creating fantasy worlds ever since she was a child. When she’s not weaving tales, she can be found logging miles in her running shoes, watching action movies with her family, or curling up with a good fantasy book. She resides in Delaware with her husband and their three children.
Adrift, the sixth book in her Unbound Prophecy series will be released on April 29th, 2022. The Unbound Kingdom trilogy, a spin-off from the Unbound Prophecy series will release beginning in June 2022.

Reviews

[Cheryl Sims · Rating 5 out of 5]

Okay going into this book you need to know three things you are going to be hooked you are going to think you know things but don't and you don't and you are going to fall in love with the characters I am in awww of the way this book has been written it is amazing it keeps you on your toes you don't know what's coming next because there's a curveball around every corner this is a reclaiming book and I would highly recommend it to anyone over the age of 18 I plan on owning this book one day because I absolutely love the author and I want to get all of her work I have loved every bit of it from what I've read and I need more so if you want to know the story of Jack and Bry go check this book out ASAP and if I could give this book a thousand Stars I absolutely would

[Angel Lee · Rating 4 out of 5]

I absolutely love JL Jackola’s work and this book was no different. This book is a spin on the classic Jack and the beanstalk story. I really enjoyed the character development in this book for Jack specifically because he really does drastically change, his story is tragic and he lets it define him for a long time. It’s great to see him take back his life and stand up to those that abuse him with Brys encouragement. There was foreshadowing to who Bry really was and I loved it, I like being able to guess the connections between characters. I also enjoyed how innocent Bry was (mostly in the relationship department) and how that changes and builds her character. This story was a long one, there were some chapters I think I could have done without or been condensed for the same overall effect and world building. The chapters concerning their training with the mountain witch seemed very long, maybe I was just too excited to get to the meaty part of the conflict. Once all the connections are made and the reader knows about the betrayal coming the story started moving quicker and I felt myself getting enveloped in the story more. Some of the conflict kinda lost me in the complexities of the different giant breeds and their abilities, but I enjoyed the ending and the wrap up, I felt like it really tied up the loose ends and allowed everyone a happy ending, (everyone that deserved one).

[Wendy Bowman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book. A retelling of Jack and the Beanstalk. Jack is an adult now and this is the story of his life after he planted the magic beans and met the giants. There’s a girl, there’s giants, and there’s magic. It’s a must read!

[Jenn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I absolutely love these books and this author I can’t wait to see what is next. I am blessed to be able to read this as an arc. It is easily a new favorite.