Rootbound: A Tangled Novel

by Margaret Owen

#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER Revisit Rapunzel and Eugene from Disney's Tangled as they race to protect a neighboring kingdom in this thrilling fantasy adventure penned by the New York Times bestselling author of Little Thieves.

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.

Genres: Fantasy, Retellings, Young Adult, Romance, Romantasy, Fiction, Fairy Tales

Audible Audio

First published July 28, 2026

About the author

Born 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.)

Reviews

[Gwen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to the publisher and to the author for an advanced copy in exchange for a review.

Rootbound 4.25/5⭐

This book was pure nostalgia🥹

Don't forget to follow me on YouTube, where I post all about my favorite clean books! https://www.youtube.com/@ItsRenity

✨Plot✨

Rapunzel has been free from Mother Gothel for only a month when a mysterious invitation to a princess's coronation from a country they haven't had contact with in a century arrives. Rapunzel takes it as her chance to finally be useful and accepts, and unwittingly plunges herself and her companion, Eugene, into a tangled knot of political intrigue and magical secrets.

Eugene is convinced her parents won't approve a wedding between Rapunzel and himself since he has no status and is only a common thief, almost hanged by his girlfriend's parents a mere month ago. While in the mysterious kingdom of Astera, 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.

Little did they know there was a war raging on Astera before they ever set foot there.

✨Characters✨

The characters were unique and fit the cartoon, but at times I felt they veered too much into trying to act like average fantasy characters instead of sticking to being their own characters.

✨💜Rapunzel💜✨
Having Rapunzel reflect on Mother Gothel really made me realize how verbally abusive she had been, and it made me sad for Rapunzel. I'm so glad she is still so sweet even though she went through all that

✨🩵Eugene🩵✨
Eugene was kind of different compared to the movie, but I still really liked him! I just had to imagine his voice from the movie saying what he was saying in the book, and then I'd be back immersed, and my mind would connect the dots again.

✨🐚Princess Verette🐚✨
The mysterious princess. . . duh duh duh duhhhhhhhh. She was very closed off for most of the book, but she was a really cool and fun character once you learned more about her.

✨👑King Enver👑✨
Not my favorite charecter. . .

✨💚Pascal💚✨
"Remember, he has violent tendencies"
Pascal was hilarious and entertaining and the best part! This was the exact same Pascal from the movie, and I loved it so much!

✨🐎Maximus🐎✨
He wasn't very present in the book, having been in the stables quite a lot, but he was still amazing! I was thoroughly entertained when he was given a sword and described as "absolutely obliterating" those he was fighting against.

✨Romance✨

Rapunzel and Eugene were so cute, and their love is so wholesome!

✨Writing Style✨

Beautiful writing style!

Also, the magic system was so cool and the roots and everything; I was very intrigued!

✨⚔️Action⚔️✨

Really fun and entertaining. Especially the final battle!

✨Would I Recommend It?✨

YES, 100% it is amazing, and I loved it so much!!!!

[Ri ♡]

OMG THE COVER 🫠🤌🏼 a tangled retelling??? A TANGLED RETELLING!?!?! i am ready to devour this!

[Nancy •͙͙✧⃝•͙͙✩ͯ (semi hiatus till 2027)]

A 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

[Starr ❇✌❇ · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5
*Review to come*

Pre-review to come
HOW DID I MISS THIS? I'm not a big Disney adaptation person but Margaret Owen AND one of my favorite Disney movies??????? 😭😭

[✮demi✮]

Disney movie to book adaptations >>>>

I NEED THIS 😭

[Gabriella୨ৎ (semi-ia)]

ᰔᩚ 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

[Kristina]

I'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.

[Darcey]

this 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!

[Chloë Mali · Rating 5 out of 5]

My expectations, as a bona fide Rapunzel lover, were very, very high. I am pleased to say that they were met and surpassed! This novel is absolutely delightful. There are so many wonderful, humorous quotes (for example: “The first and last time Eugene got caught picking pockets was when he committed the cardinal sin of trying to rob an old lady”) but yet, despite the amount of times something made me laugh, the topic of moving on from eighteen years in a tower with a manipulative parent was so gracefully handled. Rapunzel has her struggles after only a month of being a princess, and I really appreciated seeing that, because it's realistic and should not be brushed over. I am very curious if there will be a sequel... I very much desire one.

[Me, My Shelf, & I]

I DNF'd this so quickly I considered not leaving a review at all and just removing it from my shelves. (only 36min of the audiobook)

But perhaps it's helpful to know-- I love Margaret Owen's Little Thieves series, including the additional online bridge chapters, but I think this Disney book is simply aimed at too young an audience to engage me. As I bailed incredibly quickly, it's possible this develops more later on, or that the written book reads differently than the audiobook, but my experience was that it was too simple and too young for me personally.

[shiloh]

I 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!

[Eliza]

Guys, I love Tangled and I love Margaret Owen (see my review of Merciful Crow haha) so this has gotta be goooooood.

[Maeghan 🦋]

🎶 And at last I see the light
And it's like the fog has lifted 🎶
(Rapunzel and Tiana are my favourite Disney princesses. So when I saw Rapunzel was getting a book… My level of excitement is UNMATCHED.)

[Stevie · Rating 5 out of 5]

tangled after the movie plot! even better than i could have hoped!!!

rapunzel and eugene are my most favorite disney couple and getting more time with them was so wonderful! i seriously love what margaret owen did with this story. her humor and writing style suits them SOOOOO well.

she also did such an amazing job portraying rapunzel’s cptsd. as someone with that disorder also because of a controlling and manipulative parent, soooo much of rapunzels struggles were relatable to me and i felt like owen put a lot of care into rapunzels character.

simply a must read if you ask me!

[jamie ౨ৎ · Rating 4 out of 5]

𝘙𝘢𝘱𝘶𝘯𝘻𝘦𝘭 𝘮𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘴 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘤𝘩𝘦𝘦𝘬. “𝘐𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘥𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘮, 𝘌𝘶𝘨𝘦𝘯𝘦?”

[…]

“𝘈𝘭𝘭 𝘰𝘧 𝘪𝘵 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦,” 𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘢𝘺𝘴. 𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘭𝘪𝘱𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘴, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨, 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘰𝘶𝘣𝘵, 𝘧𝘢𝘥𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘸𝘢𝘺

⋆｡‧˚ʚ💜💫🏰🌼ɞ˚‧｡⋆

The general premise of this book isn’t one I would typically gravitate towards, YA fantasy steeped in kingdom secrets, magic, and darkness, but as it’s a Tangled retelling I had to give it a try. Safe to say, I absolutely loved it.

Rapunzel and Eugene are deftly characterised in a way that feels truly faithful to their on-screen counterparts. When it comes to retellings if the characters essences aren’t captured well it can quickly dampen the novel, so I was apprehensive but ended up so impressed. Eugene’s wit and relentless sarcasm remain intact, meanwhile Rapunzel’s endless optimism, creativity, and selflessness continue to shine throughout the novel.

Above all else, it’s their relationship that makes the story so compelling. Eugene gives Rapunzel the space to process her trauma at her own pace, encouraging her to realise that she is already enough, she doesn’t have to spend her entire life proving her worth to anyone. He helps her adjust to life outside of the tower while never asking her to give up any of her “quirks” that she has attainted due to her unusual childhood (such as her lack of royal etiquette and disdain for shoes!). Equally, the novel doesn’t reduce Eugene to merely the supportive & funny love interest; it gives him his own emotional arc, allowing his insecurities and difficult past to quietly loom over his hopes for a future with Rapunzel.

Pascal and Maximus also make many appearances, which was nice to see, but admittedly I expected Maximus to have a slightly larger role. You can’t have everything, though!

The central plot revolves around a nearby kingdom, Astera, which has stayed closed off from outsiders for years. Unexpectedly, Rapunzel receives an invitation to Asteran Princess Verette’s coming-of-age ball, and the chaos and mystery unfolds from there. Eugene, Max, Pascal and Cressien (a Royal Minister of Diplomatic affairs) accompany her on the venture.

After reading Wings of Starlight and being pretty dissatisfied — I felt rather apathetic towards it, the purple prose was undeniably pretty, but it was not emotionally striking for me like it seems to be for most readers — this has restored my faith in Disney retellings!!

[Shiloh Noelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

what in the world was that ending 😭 i feel robbed

as a lifelong fan of Tangled and as a girl whose favorite Disney princess has been Rapunzel for as long as I can remember, I was very excited when I saw this retelling was coming out and I absolutely LOVE the cover. and the story in itself isn't bad, but that ending really ruined it for me 😔
*spoilers*


WE SPENT THE ENTIRE BOOK HAVING EUGENE WORRY ABOUT WHETHER OR NOT HE'D BE ALLOWED TO MARRY RAPUNZEL, AND THEN WHEN WE FINALLY FIND OUT HIS ORIGINS AND HE GETS A CRAP TON OF MONEY, THERE'S NOT EVEN A HINT OF A PROPOSAL??? OR HIM THINKING ABOUT PROPOSING??? IT'S JUST "oh wow i found this cool thing in the back of my book looks like we have a new adventure to go on". NOOOOOOOO
I WANT A WEDDING
OR AT LEAST A PROPOSAL
OR THOUGHTS ABOUT A PROPOSAL
I WANT HER REUNION WITH HER PARENTS AFTER ALMOST BEING CAPTURED YET ANOTHER TIME
sigh

*end of spoilers

this story wasn't bad, I loved Rapunzel's arc and finding out Eugene's roots. i also loved how they helped Verette and how their relationship developed as both princesses realized they had much more in common than they thought 😭 maximus felt like an afterthought in the story which was disappointing, but pascal was iconic per usual 😂

OH and shoutout to Rapunzel's parents for being absolutely precious and amazing and the best parents ever 🥹 i wanted to cry when Rapunzel read her letter, and i absolutely love their family

all i'd like to know is why their chaperone and helper Minister Cressien got his own romance subplot (i'd also like to know why the chaperones/ministers are always gay now 😂) AND RAPUNZEL ANG EUGENE JUST BECOME PERMANENT ADVENTURERS OR SOMETHING??? HELLO???? WHERE'S MY RING SHOPPING SCENE??????

p.s. just found this review and i COMPLETELY agree so here's what Jessica said:
"If you're looking for a continuation of adventure and a love story, don't buy it.
I picked this up because I love Rapunzel and wanted more of that world. Instead, I felt like I was reading an author's personal messaging wrapped in a Tangled story. I don't mind a book having themes or something meaningful to say, but when the message becomes more important than the characters, plot, and actual storytelling, it completely loses me.
This was not the Rapunzel/Tangled story I was hoping for, and unfortunately, I cannot recommend it."

[mileena · Rating 5 out of 5]

I genuinely didn’t know how much I needed this story until I read it. 🥺

Rootbound gave me something I didn’t even realize I was missing. It felt like getting to experience tangled all over again, but in a way that somehow healed a little part of my inner child.

There was something so comforting and magical about this story. I loved the fairytale feeling, the emotions, the characters, and especially the feeling of watching someone finally find their own strength and freedom.

I honestly finished this book with the biggest ache in my heart, but in the best possible way. It made me emotional, nostalgic, and ridiculously happy all at once.

Sometimes a book comes along that feels like it was written for the little girl inside you who still loves fairytales. This was that book for me. 💕

Five stars, obviously.
And a little piece of my inner child is very, very happy.

[Salomé · Rating 4 out of 5]

the people princess 💜☀️

[clairetweetie · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Selflessness is an easy default when you feel lost… but ultimately, if you overextend yourself, you hurt the people relying on you."

“It's like the lanterns, Rapunzel realizes. When she was watching from her tower, it was safe to believe whatever she wanted of them; she'd never been so scared as the moment in the boat, before she saw them for herself.”

4⭐️

rootbound was such a lovely surprise!!! 🥹🌸✨ this book is the sequel to the disney film “tangled”, which is one of my favorite disney films, so i was sooo excited when i saw this sequel in the bookstore, and honestly it did not disappoint at all! 😭💜👑

i was actually really impressed by how well written and developed this sequel is. it really builds upon the disney movie, and i think the characters feel very true and consistent to who they are in the disney film while also getting so much more depth!!! 🥹✨
i especially loved getting more of FMC rapunzel’s character in this sequel, and seeing how being locked in a tower her entire life affected her, especially her complicated relationship with her stepmother. 😭 watching her process all of that and slowly grow into a princess who leads with kindness was definitely one my favorite part!!! 🤍👑🌸

i also really liked that this book gives MMC eugene a lot more space and his own perspective! 💕 i think the character work overall is really well done, especially for a YA story, and i like that both MC’s character journeys feel nicely balanced!! 🥰✨

the mystery plot going on in this sequel was another highlight for me !! 🔍👀✨ i really enjoyed trying to figure out what was going on alongside rapunzel and eugene, and the truth reveal was genuinely unexpected! 🙈💕 i also really liked how the mystery in a way builds upon some ideas from the original movie and it rlly feels like it naturally belongs in the tangled world!!!! 🌿🌸

overall, this really exceeded my expectations 🥹💜 such a fun and interesting mystery with great character development, and just a really lovely sequel to one of my favorite disney movies! ✨📚🌸💛

[Jessica Booker · Rating 1 out of 5]

⭐️ 1 Star — Such a Disappointment
I went into Rootbound really wanting to love it. Rapunzel is one of my absolute favorite Disney characters, so the idea of a Tangled novel was something I was genuinely excited about. Unfortunately, this ended up being such a disappointment.
The writing was one of the biggest problems for me. I found the author’s style incredibly boring and unnecessarily wordy. There were so many instances where it felt like she was reaching for bigger, more sophisticated words instead of simply telling the story in a clear, cohesive way. Rather than sounding intelligent, it often came across as rambling and trying too hard to sound smart.
I also felt like the story was overloaded with pointless characters and storylines that didn't add anything meaningful. It seemed like characters were being added primarily to push the author's agenda rather than to actually serve the story. There were so many unnecessary distractions that the actual Tangled story I wanted to read got completely buried.
I tried. I really did. I even started skipping chapters just to see if I could get back into the story. By chapter 16, I finally accepted that this was a complete and utter waste of my time—and time I will never get back. 😂 At that point, I skipped straight to the final chapter and epilogue.
And somehow, even after skipping the last few chapters of the book, I was still completely disgusted by the ending.
If you're looking for a continuation of adventure and a love story, don't buy it.
I picked this up because I love Rapunzel and wanted more of that world. Instead, I felt like I was reading an author's personal messaging wrapped in a Tangled story. I don't mind a book having themes or something meaningful to say, but when the message becomes more important than the characters, plot, and actual storytelling, it completely loses me.
This was not the Rapunzel/Tangled story I was hoping for, and unfortunately, I cannot recommend it.

[Sofia · Rating 3 out of 5]

A tangled sequel novel. I had high hopes for this but it was very mid. Kinda boring honestly. Eugene’s voice felt genuine but Rapunzels voice was very generic. I know the point is that she’s supposed to be unsure of who she is and her place in the world but it could have been done better. The story didn’t interest me at all. This book just had potential but didn’t live up to it

[Francesca · Rating 3 out of 5]

For the first 100 pages, I was absolutely thrilled with this book. It was truly doing Eugene's character justice, which was exactly what I had hoped for and wanted so badly. I was so excited.
Around the halfway point, my enthusiasm started to fade. Besides taking a few directions I wasn't entirely convinced by (but which ultimately didn't bother me all that much) I realized I just couldn't hear Rapunzel's voice. While Eugene's voice remained clear and vibrant throughout (it's obvious the author had an absolute blast writing him), Rapunzel's always felt generic, never truly distinctive.
Rapunzel is meant to be confused and full of doubts in this story, uncertain about her place in the world and struggling with a whole new set of insecurities. I'm well aware of that: it's one of the book's core premises, and a very realistic one at that.
But even with all of that, I still think she should feel like herself. A Rapunzel without moments of carefree joy, a Rapunzel who's never goofy or affectionately clingy with Eugene... just doesn't feel like Rapunzel to me. She just feels like a traumatized girl that could be almost anyone.
That said, I do want to point out that I really appreciated all the references to her trauma, Gothel's abuse, and Rapunzel's feelings about it. Those were definitely some of the strongest parts of the book. I just wish they had belonged to Rapunzel herself, rather than to the protagonist of this book, who just happens to be named Rapunzel.

[Lydia]

THIS 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

[Peyton Taylor · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh Margaret Owen, I adore you endlessly.

She was legit the PERFECT author to write this story. She captures Rapunzel and Eugene’s sense of humor expertly. I saw this video recently of someone talking about how they dislike fairy tale retellings that are clearly retellings of the Disney version. I realized I feel the same way. HOWEVER. Margaret Owen somehow managed to make obvious references to the movie Tangled, without it feeling like a Disney retelling, if that makes sense? She took that story, and this one, and it made it her own. Yes, this is clearly a sequel to that movie, but it’s its own thing too. The references are quick and used sparingly/in the perfect moments with clear intention. It was so just so well done.

I also can’t get over how much thought was put into writing Rapunzel and Eugene. Margaret Owen didn’t ignore or shy away from the fact that Rapunzel was bound to have intense trauma from her time growing up with Gothel. The habits that Gothel groomed into her weren’t ignored either. Every action/thought/behavior/response Rapunzel had was rooted in how Gothel raised her (aka raised in extreme emotional psychological abuse). And THEN, Margaret continued to do a fantastic job with her character arc, acknowledging that Rapunzel wouldn’t suddenly not be impacted by them anymore just because she has a new, better life away from it. It was a natural progression and seeing Rapunzel begin to heal from all of those experiences made me happy cry. Her entire character arc was so well thought out and done with so much understanding of who this character really is and how her experiences have shaped her. I was blown away by the level of attention to detail Margaret put into her.

And similarly with Eugene, she emphasized how almost being executed would impact that choices he made at Rapunzel’s side, the reactions he had to similar experiences, and how he wanted to shape his future. His intense fear of losing Rapunzel and not having a future he’s proud to chase was so well crafted as well. Just like with Rapunzel, he had such a well thought out character arc, one that included so much interesting development about his family history. Margaret crafted such a captivating set of motivations and desires for him and Rapunzel that made them feel newly fleshed out characters. She took what was already so great about them, and gave them even more depth.

I had so much fun with this book. I was giggling and tearing up and grinning so wide. (Also that epilogue?? A second book?? Yes please AH!!) There was so much interesting development on the magic side too, and i would love to see how else Margaret Owen is able to create more for this world! Asters was ominous and mystical. I want to see what else Margaret Owen has up her sleeve for this world!

Thank you Margaret Owen for another fantastic book!!

[Izzys_Internet_Bookshelf · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.75/5

Sun/moon drop lore is ever persistent in stories with Tangled and I will never be bored of it.

Was so excited to read this book. Raps and Eugene were really fun POVs and I felt like the story helped show more of their personalities with the inner monologues of their POVs.

This was honestly a fast read, but I felt hesitant to pick it up. Having grown up with the movie and the tv show (which I loved) going into this felt like it was making its own adventure using characters the reader knows. Which isn’t a bad thing, but I personally couldn’t help comparing it to the tv series. I do love the incorporation of the Moondrop though, it’s always been a really fun piece of lore for the Tangled universe and I never get tired of seeing it in the story.

Overall, it was a good Tangled adventure with action and lore, but if you’re a fan of the other Tangled projects, be prepared to go into this with an empty slate (not directly tired to Tangled the Series)

[brianna · Rating 4 out of 5]

i really liked how we got a lot of insight through both points of view of Rapunzel and Eugene about the events of the movie specifically the ending of Gothel dying, living in a tower, and Eugene literally almost about to be hanged for stealing jewelry......
the mystery and extra lore itself was a little underwhelming, none the less the story is good if you dont consider tangled teh series

[haley ⊹ · Rating 4 out of 5]

they gave eugene a gay uncle 😭😭😭 how could I not wish this was canon!!! crying so much over so many parts of this btw I need more immediately!!! it's literally better than the show canon imo oop

[mattea · Rating 3 out of 5]

does this imply that there is a kingdom called luna that has a princess with magical moon powers

[Jessica Sprecher · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wasn't sure what to think when I first saw this book existed, but as Tangled is one of my favorite Disney movies and different friends loved it, I thought I'd give it a try. And it was quite good! I think the beloved characters were done justice, and it was fun seeing how things could have gone after the events of the movie! I enjoyed the concept of a secretive kingdom who would let no one in or out and having a starlight drop.

Content considerations: Parental abuse and manipulation MAJOR SPOILERpast with Gothel and with King Enver to his daughter Verette, lgbt romance (relationship and kissing--side characters), kidnapping and drugging, near-fatal and fatal injuries, magic usage. Romance is just kissing, no spice.

[Liv C.]

“𝘐 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘥 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘣𝘦𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘰𝘭𝘦 𝘱𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨. 𝘐 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘥 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘩𝘢𝘪𝘳, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘪𝘵. 𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘸𝘩𝘰𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘺𝘰𝘶’𝘭𝘭 𝘣𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘢 𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘶𝘵𝘦 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘯𝘰𝘸, 𝘢 𝘸𝘦𝘦𝘬, 𝘢 𝘥𝘦𝘤𝘢𝘥𝘦… 𝘐 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘐’𝘭𝘭 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘮𝘰𝘴𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘢𝘭𝘭.”

Rootbound continues the story of Rapunzel and Eugene one month after the events in the movie take place. They are tasked with establishing international diplomatic relations with a neighboring kingdom shrouded in mystery.

Margaret Owen's understanding of, and deep care for, the characters and the source material is evident throughout the book. Her expansions of the world and development of relationships in the aftermath of the Tangled film is meticulous and delightful. AND HER WRITING OF EUGENE IS PERFECT!!!! SPLENDID!!!! NO NOTES!!!!

The Tangled film is very near and dear to my heart. Rootbound is everything I could have hoped for and more as a continuation of the story. I hope there is a Rootbound 2, I hope Owen writes it. Now you must excuse me, I’m off to read the rest of Margaret Owen’s works because she has just become my new favorite author!