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Rootbound: A Tangled Novel
Not yet published
Expected 28 Jul 26Revisit Rapunzel and Eugene from Disney's Tangled as they race to protect their kingdom, in this thrilling new fantasy adventure penned by New York Times bestselling author Margaret Owen.
Rapunzel knows nothing about her neighboring kingdom, Astera – and not just because she only left her tower a month ago. The famously reclusive island has limited its contact with outsiders for decades. So when a suspicious invitation arrives welcoming Rapunzel to the Asteran princess’s coming of age ceremony, and offering her a chance to be useful for the first time since she lost her healing powers, Rapunzel accepts – and unwittingly plunges herself and her companion, Eugene, into a tangled knot of political intrigue and magical secrets.
Eugene is just happy to get one last adventure with Rapunzel before his criminal background catches up with him and prevents their happy ending. Yet as they’re drawn further into the country’s problems, they uncover truths about Eugene’s parentage that point to deeper unrest in Astera, and suddenly the fate of their own kingdom, not just their personal dreams, is at stake.
Thrust into a power struggle between Astera’s beloved princess, Verette, its domineering king, Enver, and a mysterious secret society, Rapunzel and Eugene race to protect their home from an unsettlingly familiar threat and discover that the past can either hold them back, or help them blossom.
A cunning king. A devious princess. Best. Week. Ever.
Rapunzel knows nothing about her neighboring kingdom, Astera – and not just because she only left her tower a month ago. The famously reclusive island has limited its contact with outsiders for decades. So when a suspicious invitation arrives welcoming Rapunzel to the Asteran princess’s coming of age ceremony, and offering her a chance to be useful for the first time since she lost her healing powers, Rapunzel accepts – and unwittingly plunges herself and her companion, Eugene, into a tangled knot of political intrigue and magical secrets.
Eugene is just happy to get one last adventure with Rapunzel before his criminal background catches up with him and prevents their happy ending. Yet as they’re drawn further into the country’s problems, they uncover truths about Eugene’s parentage that point to deeper unrest in Astera, and suddenly the fate of their own kingdom, not just their personal dreams, is at stake.
Thrust into a power struggle between Astera’s beloved princess, Verette, its domineering king, Enver, and a mysterious secret society, Rapunzel and Eugene race to protect their home from an unsettlingly familiar threat and discover that the past can either hold them back, or help them blossom.
A cunning king. A devious princess. Best. Week. Ever.
320 pages, Hardcover
Expected publication July 28, 2026
About the author
Margaret Owen
11 books2,930 followersBorn and raised at the end of the Oregon Trail, Margaret Owen spent her childhood haunting the halls of Powell’s Books. After earning her degree in Japanese, her love of espresso called her north to Seattle, where she worked in everything from thrift stores to presidential campaigns. The common thread between every job can be summed up as: lessons were learned.
She now spends her days wrestling disgruntled characters onto the page, and negotiating a long-term hostage situation with her two monstrous cats. (There is surprisingly little difference between the two.)
She now spends her days wrestling disgruntled characters onto the page, and negotiating a long-term hostage situation with her two monstrous cats. (There is surprisingly little difference between the two.)
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews
Want to Read
February 3, 2025Disney, you have one shot, don't you dare mess this up.
upcoming-releases
May 16, 2025OMG THE COVER 🫠🤌🏼 a tangled retelling??? A TANGLED RETELLING!?!?! i am ready to devour this!
Want to Read
March 31, 2025A TANGLED novel? Are you serious?! I'm so reading this. I hope I like Margaret Owen's portrayal of Rapunzel and Eugene!
(੭˃ᴗ˂)੭
(੭˃ᴗ˂)੭
Want to Read
February 1, 2025HOW DID I MISS THIS? I'm not a big Disney adaptation person but Margaret Owen AND one of my favorite Disney movies??????? 😭😭
Want to Read
March 25, 2025Disney movie to book adaptations >>>>
I NEED THIS 😭
I NEED THIS 😭
Want to Read
January 28, 2026ᰔᩚ 𝐩𝐫𝐞-𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞: ꒱
forgot to add this to my tbr when i first saw it. i'm absolutely obsessed with this cover, it looks so magical and very similar to what rapunzel looks like in the movie. margaret owen is actually an author i've been meaning to try for some time, so i really hope that not only her, but the tangled retelling, will be amazing. i'm sooo scared because i love love loved the movie and it will forever be one of my favourites, so i have high expectations that need to be met in order for me to like this book. praying it won't be a shitty novel that is completely different to the movie. please don't do rapunzel and eugene dirty.
Ⓘ pub date: july 28th 2026
forgot to add this to my tbr when i first saw it. i'm absolutely obsessed with this cover, it looks so magical and very similar to what rapunzel looks like in the movie. margaret owen is actually an author i've been meaning to try for some time, so i really hope that not only her, but the tangled retelling, will be amazing. i'm sooo scared because i love love loved the movie and it will forever be one of my favourites, so i have high expectations that need to be met in order for me to like this book. praying it won't be a shitty novel that is completely different to the movie. please don't do rapunzel and eugene dirty.
Ⓘ pub date: july 28th 2026
Want to Read
January 29, 2025I'M SORRY, WHAT???!!! A novel that acts as a sequel to one of my favorite childhood movies? And releases before my birthday??
Yes, yes, yes.
Yes, yes, yes.
unreleased
April 18, 2025this might be awful. but it's my favourite disney movie PLUS the author of LITTLE THIEVES aka one of the greatest books ever, so i fear i must give it a try anyway!
Want to Read
February 20, 2025I have no words. No words.
Is this real?
This better be good
Actually this HAS to be amazing.
Otherwise I might give up on disney- especially after Wings of Starlight!
Is this real?
This better be good
Actually this HAS to be amazing.
Otherwise I might give up on disney- especially after Wings of Starlight!
Want to Read
May 16, 2025Guys, I love Tangled and I love Margaret Owen (see my review of Merciful Crow haha) so this has gotta be goooooood.
Want to Read
February 1, 2025THIS IS EVERYTHING I DIDNT KNOW I NEEDED!!!!!!! If there is anyone I can trust with my precious child it’s Margaret Owen!!!
Forget the rest of 2025 GET ME TO OCTOBER NOW
Forget the rest of 2025 GET ME TO OCTOBER NOW
Want to Read
March 26, 2025Ok tangled is my second favorite Disney movie (with beauty and the beast being first) so i should like this.
Want to Read
August 21, 2025hello this book is one of my most anticipated book releases in 2026!
I loved watching the rapunzel movie and tv show and now I can't wait to read this one !
I loved watching the rapunzel movie and tv show and now I can't wait to read this one !
Want to Read
February 8, 2025NOBODY PANIC IT’S FINE I’M TOTALLY NORMAL ABOUT THIS IT’S ALL GOOD
April 10, 2026
cuuuuteee
Want to Read
February 4, 2025EXCUSE ME ??????????
RUE, WHEN WAS THIS????????
RUE, WHEN WAS THIS????????
March 21, 2025
I'm so excited! I really really hope it features characters from the TV series too!!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Rootbound is a strong sequel to Tangled that expands on this world and its characters in an adventure built on mystery and danger.
There were a few parts about Rootbound that I wasn’t expecting in which I was pleasantly surprised by. For one, the villain. Since so much of Rootbound was built on the mystery and secrets of Astera, I felt like I was right alongside Eugene, Rapunzel, and (a new favorite character of mine) Minister Cressien as they discovered clues and uncovered plot twists. I appreciated that true villain’s identity wasn’t clear until it was absolutely necessary, and when the villain and their desires/motives came to the surface, they were evil and relentless. They never turned good either, they suffered from their twisted actions. It was a great to see a Disney villain who was wicked for the sake of being selfish and manipulative till the end again after so long. It shows audiences, no matter the age, the price of evil nature.
Speaking of the villain, there were times when I felt our heroes were actually in danger. I remember a moment during the final battle where my jaw dropped; a testament to Owen’s ability to attach our hearts with the characters so well. Another thing I didn’t expect was to become so attached to the array of new faces, most notably Cressien. He’s passionate about his kingdom and his duties. Courageous whenever the time comes to face danger or protect his friends. Brilliant when it comes to politics and exploring new perspectives. He’s the loyal friend you’d trust to look out for you. Cressien is one of my favorite examples of good queer representation in Disney stories, not only because of who he loves but who he is as a genuine person.
Finally, the third thing I wasn’t expecting was how much of Rootbound elevated Eugene. From his background to the exploration of his character——taking his victory in Tangled and making it his internal conflict, driving Eugene’s action in Rootbound——was so intriguing. Watching Tangled and knowing everything I do now about Eugene, I feel as though his character has deepened so much in the best ways possible.
Needless to say, there’s also a couple things that I would have really enjoyed seen more of. Maximus and (for most of the story) Pascal got the short end of the stick here. They were barely in the story and when they do show up, I’d always catch myself saying “Oh! Right, they’re here too.” Rapunzel was fantastic and I felt she also grew a lot character wise, though I felt there were multiple times she’d trip up and have no opportunity to pick herself back up. I realize these moments were intentional to show Gothel had such a strong presence in her subconscious after the events of Tangled, but I wanted Rapunzel to empower herself during those important moments instead of apologizing and falling silent. By the end, this was mostly resolved and Rapunzel showed her strength, though personally I would have preferred to have seen a progression of her confidence throughout the entire story than only the very end.
With a score of 4.5 stars overall, I’d love to see Rootbound become an on-screen adaptation someday. I believe Owen has written an incredible sequel to Tangled and Disney fans of all ages will enjoy seeing Eugene, Rapunzel, and Cressien through this tale.
Thank you to NetGalley and the author for providing an ARC (Advanced Readers Copy). This review is based off of an uncorrected proof.
There were a few parts about Rootbound that I wasn’t expecting in which I was pleasantly surprised by. For one, the villain. Since so much of Rootbound was built on the mystery and secrets of Astera, I felt like I was right alongside Eugene, Rapunzel, and (a new favorite character of mine) Minister Cressien as they discovered clues and uncovered plot twists. I appreciated that true villain’s identity wasn’t clear until it was absolutely necessary, and when the villain and their desires/motives came to the surface, they were evil and relentless. They never turned good either, they suffered from their twisted actions. It was a great to see a Disney villain who was wicked for the sake of being selfish and manipulative till the end again after so long. It shows audiences, no matter the age, the price of evil nature.
Speaking of the villain, there were times when I felt our heroes were actually in danger. I remember a moment during the final battle where my jaw dropped; a testament to Owen’s ability to attach our hearts with the characters so well. Another thing I didn’t expect was to become so attached to the array of new faces, most notably Cressien. He’s passionate about his kingdom and his duties. Courageous whenever the time comes to face danger or protect his friends. Brilliant when it comes to politics and exploring new perspectives. He’s the loyal friend you’d trust to look out for you. Cressien is one of my favorite examples of good queer representation in Disney stories, not only because of who he loves but who he is as a genuine person.
Finally, the third thing I wasn’t expecting was how much of Rootbound elevated Eugene. From his background to the exploration of his character——taking his victory in Tangled and making it his internal conflict, driving Eugene’s action in Rootbound——was so intriguing. Watching Tangled and knowing everything I do now about Eugene, I feel as though his character has deepened so much in the best ways possible.
Needless to say, there’s also a couple things that I would have really enjoyed seen more of. Maximus and (for most of the story) Pascal got the short end of the stick here. They were barely in the story and when they do show up, I’d always catch myself saying “Oh! Right, they’re here too.” Rapunzel was fantastic and I felt she also grew a lot character wise, though I felt there were multiple times she’d trip up and have no opportunity to pick herself back up. I realize these moments were intentional to show Gothel had such a strong presence in her subconscious after the events of Tangled, but I wanted Rapunzel to empower herself during those important moments instead of apologizing and falling silent. By the end, this was mostly resolved and Rapunzel showed her strength, though personally I would have preferred to have seen a progression of her confidence throughout the entire story than only the very end.
With a score of 4.5 stars overall, I’d love to see Rootbound become an on-screen adaptation someday. I believe Owen has written an incredible sequel to Tangled and Disney fans of all ages will enjoy seeing Eugene, Rapunzel, and Cressien through this tale.
Thank you to NetGalley and the author for providing an ARC (Advanced Readers Copy). This review is based off of an uncorrected proof.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thank you to NetGalley, Random House/Disney, and Margaret Owen for the eARC in exchange for an honest review!
-ˋˏ ༻❁✿❀༺ ˎˊ--ˋˏ ༻❁✿❀༺ ˎˊ--ˋˏ ༻❁✿❀༺ ˎˊ-
‘If Rapunzel had a frying pan on hand, she would probably be halfway to an act of war.’ˋˏ ༻❁✿❀༺ ˎˊ
Rootbound: A Tangled Novel starts off in the events immediately following Tangled. Rapunzel and Eugene are finding their footing in their new lives, their new home in royalty when a new adventure takes off for the pair. An invitation arrives to visit their neighboring kingdom, Astera, a place barely written about in history books due to it’s secrecy. Upon arriving to Astera, they meet the King Enver and Princess Verette, who seem to be hiding more than they’re letting on.
Rapunzel is determined to help Astera and it’s royal family in any way she can, wanting to prove herself and her worth- even with the loss of her healing powers. Eugene is determined to show his worth, too. To prove he is worthy of Rapunzel, despite his history and origins catching up with him.
For a YA novel, this was everything I had hoped for! As a Disney girl at heart, they did such a good job capturing these characters and keeping them consistent. The characters felt the same in this book as they did in the movie, with their actions lining up morally, and their senses of humor staying the same. It was so easy to imagine Rapunzel and Eugene saying the lines written in this book. This book tied in with the movie seamlessly. There were numerous scenes in the book that directly referenced movie scenes, even down to Eugene speaking about the ‘family hug’ at the end of Tangled. And yes, Rapunzel still hates shoes!
While Rapunzel is on the cover of the book, Eugene played just as big of a roll in this as she did. The book has dual pov narration, which means we get lots of insight into both characters, which I loved. Eugene has a lot of character growth to go through, and this book tackles that as we dig deeper into his past and how he wants to spend his future (which isn’t on an island- tanned and rested and alone!) His character was really expanded on in this book.
Rapunzel deals a lot with inner turmoil during this book, really digging into the trauma of living with Mother Gothel for so many years, and being locked up in the tower. In the beginning of Rootbound, Rapunzel feels as though her hair is the only useful thing about her. You get so much more insight into her thinking and actions compared to the movie, and it really expands the depth of her character.
I know you’re probably wondering, I was too, but yes. Pascal and Maximus were both featured in the book multiple times (and it was fantastic.)
The new characters were enjoyable as well, and the action scenes were well written and fast-paced. YA novels aren’t always my favorite, but this one was really well done, and was an easy 5 stars from me. Seeing this turned into an animation one day would be a dream.
-ˋˏ ༻❁✿❀༺ ˎˊ--ˋˏ ༻❁✿❀༺ ˎˊ--ˋˏ ༻❁✿❀༺ ˎˊ-
-ˋˏ ༻❁✿❀༺ ˎˊ--ˋˏ ༻❁✿❀༺ ˎˊ--ˋˏ ༻❁✿❀༺ ˎˊ-
‘If Rapunzel had a frying pan on hand, she would probably be halfway to an act of war.’ˋˏ ༻❁✿❀༺ ˎˊ
Rootbound: A Tangled Novel starts off in the events immediately following Tangled. Rapunzel and Eugene are finding their footing in their new lives, their new home in royalty when a new adventure takes off for the pair. An invitation arrives to visit their neighboring kingdom, Astera, a place barely written about in history books due to it’s secrecy. Upon arriving to Astera, they meet the King Enver and Princess Verette, who seem to be hiding more than they’re letting on.
Rapunzel is determined to help Astera and it’s royal family in any way she can, wanting to prove herself and her worth- even with the loss of her healing powers. Eugene is determined to show his worth, too. To prove he is worthy of Rapunzel, despite his history and origins catching up with him.
For a YA novel, this was everything I had hoped for! As a Disney girl at heart, they did such a good job capturing these characters and keeping them consistent. The characters felt the same in this book as they did in the movie, with their actions lining up morally, and their senses of humor staying the same. It was so easy to imagine Rapunzel and Eugene saying the lines written in this book. This book tied in with the movie seamlessly. There were numerous scenes in the book that directly referenced movie scenes, even down to Eugene speaking about the ‘family hug’ at the end of Tangled. And yes, Rapunzel still hates shoes!
While Rapunzel is on the cover of the book, Eugene played just as big of a roll in this as she did. The book has dual pov narration, which means we get lots of insight into both characters, which I loved. Eugene has a lot of character growth to go through, and this book tackles that as we dig deeper into his past and how he wants to spend his future (which isn’t on an island- tanned and rested and alone!) His character was really expanded on in this book.
Rapunzel deals a lot with inner turmoil during this book, really digging into the trauma of living with Mother Gothel for so many years, and being locked up in the tower. In the beginning of Rootbound, Rapunzel feels as though her hair is the only useful thing about her. You get so much more insight into her thinking and actions compared to the movie, and it really expands the depth of her character.
I know you’re probably wondering, I was too, but yes. Pascal and Maximus were both featured in the book multiple times (and it was fantastic.)
The new characters were enjoyable as well, and the action scenes were well written and fast-paced. YA novels aren’t always my favorite, but this one was really well done, and was an easy 5 stars from me. Seeing this turned into an animation one day would be a dream.
-ˋˏ ༻❁✿❀༺ ˎˊ--ˋˏ ༻❁✿❀༺ ˎˊ--ˋˏ ༻❁✿❀༺ ˎˊ-
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Owen nailed the characters, the whimsy, the vibes, and the banter.
Set right after Tangled, the movie, Rapunzal and Eugene - the brand-new princess, and her suitor with a pardon so recent the ink hasn’t dried, are sent as emissaries to a kingdom no one’s heard from for a whole generation.
Rapunzal has escaped the tower, yet still feels confined by her role as a Princess and the perceived expectations which she is wholefully unquipped to deal with.
Eugene got his pardon and happily-ever-after, yet feels the noose as an ex-criminal has nothing to offer (except his questionable skill set).
He tosses his head and snorts at Eugene as if to say, About time.
“Sorry, I was busy committing grand acts of sabotage,” Eugene says airily as he grabs a fistful of Max’s mane and swings onto his back. “Let’s go get our girl.”
With this unconventional pairing, Owen nails their dynamic whilst also developing them both individually. I wish we got slightly more wit and lucky, fanciful escapes like the movie, but the short page time count delivered a satisfying story.
The one is middle-grade to young adult, but felt developed enough that adults could easily enjoy it and revive their nostalgia.
“Sometimes I forget you still have a whole world to see. I won’t be the one to make this castle a cage. Just promise . . .” Her eyes glitter in the lamplight. “Promise me, Rapunzel, that you’ll come back.”
There is even a possibility of a sequel.
Arc gifted by publisher.
Bookstagram
Tiktok
Set right after Tangled, the movie, Rapunzal and Eugene - the brand-new princess, and her suitor with a pardon so recent the ink hasn’t dried, are sent as emissaries to a kingdom no one’s heard from for a whole generation.
Rapunzal has escaped the tower, yet still feels confined by her role as a Princess and the perceived expectations which she is wholefully unquipped to deal with.
Eugene got his pardon and happily-ever-after, yet feels the noose as an ex-criminal has nothing to offer (except his questionable skill set).
He tosses his head and snorts at Eugene as if to say, About time.
“Sorry, I was busy committing grand acts of sabotage,” Eugene says airily as he grabs a fistful of Max’s mane and swings onto his back. “Let’s go get our girl.”
With this unconventional pairing, Owen nails their dynamic whilst also developing them both individually. I wish we got slightly more wit and lucky, fanciful escapes like the movie, but the short page time count delivered a satisfying story.
The one is middle-grade to young adult, but felt developed enough that adults could easily enjoy it and revive their nostalgia.
“Sometimes I forget you still have a whole world to see. I won’t be the one to make this castle a cage. Just promise . . .” Her eyes glitter in the lamplight. “Promise me, Rapunzel, that you’ll come back.”
There is even a possibility of a sequel.
Arc gifted by publisher.
Bookstagram
Tiktok
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June 14, 2026Sunday, 14 June, 2026:
I did not receive an arc. This book was released a month earlier in my country, but the edition for my country hasn't appeared on Goodreads yet. Wow. I'll probably be able to rate it properly when this book releases, and hopefully, the right edition will be available for me to review and rate by then. For now, I'd give it 3 stars.
It was alright. This is the fourth book I've read from this author, and Rootbound is the only book I've liked. The entire thing just felt like but I can't tell if I'm going insane from reading this author's work or if the novel actually feels like that. Regardless, I was expecting something different and was disappointed. In a nutshell:
Anyway, the conflict is the only issue I have with this book. I liked the character interactions/relationships and the first two parts of the book.
I did not receive an arc. This book was released a month earlier in my country, but the edition for my country hasn't appeared on Goodreads yet. Wow. I'll probably be able to rate it properly when this book releases, and hopefully, the right edition will be available for me to review and rate by then. For now, I'd give it 3 stars.
It was alright. This is the fourth book I've read from this author, and Rootbound is the only book I've liked. The entire thing just felt like but I can't tell if I'm going insane from reading this author's work or if the novel actually feels like that. Regardless, I was expecting something different and was disappointed. In a nutshell:
Anyway, the conflict is the only issue I have with this book. I liked the character interactions/relationships and the first two parts of the book.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thank you NetGalley for the Arc!
I thought this sequel was super cute and well done following Rapunzel and Eugene through a duel pov narrative. I will say as someone who is a fan of the movie and the TV series I am disappointed this book doesn't connect the two somehow as it takes place only a month after the Tangled movie. So Eugene's heritage is different from the show to the book presented here. Despite that it is still a fun adventure that I think children and adults alike will love. The new magic system being introduced is fun and makes me wonder if there will be something like a MoonDrop introduced in the future since we now have the Sundrop and Stardrop. The cliffhanger at the end makes me think we will get another book but maybe focused more on Eugene and his lineage which I can't complain about. More Eugene the better ❤️
I thought this sequel was super cute and well done following Rapunzel and Eugene through a duel pov narrative. I will say as someone who is a fan of the movie and the TV series I am disappointed this book doesn't connect the two somehow as it takes place only a month after the Tangled movie. So Eugene's heritage is different from the show to the book presented here. Despite that it is still a fun adventure that I think children and adults alike will love. The new magic system being introduced is fun and makes me wonder if there will be something like a MoonDrop introduced in the future since we now have the Sundrop and Stardrop. The cliffhanger at the end makes me think we will get another book but maybe focused more on Eugene and his lineage which I can't complain about. More Eugene the better ❤️
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I couldn’t think of anyone better to write this, as a big fan of the ‘Little Thieves’ series and ‘Tangled’ this is really the perfect intersection of my interests.
Owen’s does a fantastic job of continuing on Rapunzel and Eugene’s story while staying true to their characters. I especially enjoyed that she took into account the emotional implications of being trapped in a tower for 18 years with your abuser, feeling like you don't fit into your new life, and also almost being executed.
The story itself is really fun, it’s hard not to enjoy a fantasy mystery set in a world you already love.
One thing I will say if you’re a fan of ‘Tangled: The Series’ this a different canon to that so don’t go into it expecting it to seamlessly fit in with the show. Nonetheless it’s always a delight to be back with these characters!
Owen’s does a fantastic job of continuing on Rapunzel and Eugene’s story while staying true to their characters. I especially enjoyed that she took into account the emotional implications of being trapped in a tower for 18 years with your abuser, feeling like you don't fit into your new life, and also almost being executed.
The story itself is really fun, it’s hard not to enjoy a fantasy mystery set in a world you already love.
One thing I will say if you’re a fan of ‘Tangled: The Series’ this a different canon to that so don’t go into it expecting it to seamlessly fit in with the show. Nonetheless it’s always a delight to be back with these characters!
Review of advance copy
goodreads is making me jump through hoops to review this because its not published everywhere yet but itS PUBLISHED IN AUSTRALIA GOODREADS PLS LET ME LIVE
i will edit and write more thoughts when it's #safe but this is such a wonderful alt canon to the series. i was shocked by how realistically margaret owens portrays both rapunzel and eugene and does not shy away from the reality of what they faced despite the target age demographic of this novel of course being young. i was so emotionally moved by rapunzel's arc especially. i loved it very much.
i will edit and write more thoughts when it's #safe but this is such a wonderful alt canon to the series. i was shocked by how realistically margaret owens portrays both rapunzel and eugene and does not shy away from the reality of what they faced despite the target age demographic of this novel of course being young. i was so emotionally moved by rapunzel's arc especially. i loved it very much.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I didn't like Tangled that much, but I'm a huge fan of Margaret Owen, so I thought I'd give this a go. I enjoyed it a lot more than the film.
The character development is great. We see Rapunzel dealing with the effects of domestic abuse, and I particularly liked how she transforms her trauma into empathy. Eugene also has a fully developed arc, growing into his place at Rapunzel's side.
The plot was decent, but certainly didn't have the depth of Owen's other books. The Disney elements, such as the horse sidekick, also didn't translate that well to the page.
The character development is great. We see Rapunzel dealing with the effects of domestic abuse, and I particularly liked how she transforms her trauma into empathy. Eugene also has a fully developed arc, growing into his place at Rapunzel's side.
The plot was decent, but certainly didn't have the depth of Owen's other books. The Disney elements, such as the horse sidekick, also didn't translate that well to the page.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thank you to the publisher for this free eARC! All opinions are my own.
This book follows Rapunzel and Eugene not long after the events of Tangled the movie. Both are struggling to figure out where they belong when a secretive neighboring island kingdom invites them to their princesses celebration. When they arrive, they discover things are not how they seem, and Eugene may have an unexpected connection to the kingdom of Astera. Cliffhanger ending! I can't wait for more!
This book follows Rapunzel and Eugene not long after the events of Tangled the movie. Both are struggling to figure out where they belong when a secretive neighboring island kingdom invites them to their princesses celebration. When they arrive, they discover things are not how they seem, and Eugene may have an unexpected connection to the kingdom of Astera. Cliffhanger ending! I can't wait for more!
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
3.5 ⭐️
This was quite chill and cute.
Would fit easily into the cozy fantasy genre. And I loved the continuation of the tangled version of Rapunzel’s story.
Some good power struggles and political intrigue with Rapunzel & Eugene going to visit another Kingdom. But the ending felt a little rushed, and I feel like the story could’ve been more emotional (it was supposed to be, I just didn’t feel it from the writing).
This was quite chill and cute.
Would fit easily into the cozy fantasy genre. And I loved the continuation of the tangled version of Rapunzel’s story.
Some good power struggles and political intrigue with Rapunzel & Eugene going to visit another Kingdom. But the ending felt a little rushed, and I feel like the story could’ve been more emotional (it was supposed to be, I just didn’t feel it from the writing).
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Even though the chapters alternate POV between Rapunzel and Eugene, this is definitely Eugene's story. I didn't have really high expectations for it, but I actually enjoyed this a lot. I would totally read more and there is a dangling plot thread at the end that could signal more to come.
Note: I read this as a free eARC from Netgalley
Note: I read this as a free eARC from Netgalley
Want to Read
February 5, 2025IS THIS REAL LIFE?????
Want to Read
April 17, 2025Oh, this one has me excited. A novel based on one of my favorite Disney princesses?! Sign me up. January can’t come quickly enough.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews