Misfortune: A Twist of Rapunzel

A Twist of Adventure #4

by Kendra E. Ardnek

The day she was born, her kingdom fell, and so she was branded the daughter of blood and misfortune and locked away. Now a dragon plagues the land and her curse may be the only thing that stops it.

But is she really cursed?

Genres: Fantasy, Fairy Tales, Retellings, Fairy Tale Retellings, Fiction, Christian Fantasy

37 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 13, 2020

About the author

Kendra E. Ardnek is the self-proclaimed Arista of Fairy Tales. She makes her home in the hills of central Texas with her fellow author husband, who she found at a writer’s conference. When not writing, you can usually find her crocheting her own cloaks, valiantly attempting to read every retelling ever written, and pretending that owning toy dragons makes her a dragon trainer.

Reviews

[Sarah Ryder · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was adorable and sweet and powerful all at once, and I enjoyed it far more than I thought I would!

For such a short story the characters are surprisingly fleshed out and well rounded and I wouldn’t mind reading a full novel about these characters if the author ever felt like expanding upon it. ☺️

A wonderful, short retelling of Rapunzel I loved and would read again.


‼️Content‼️

Violence: a king wipes out an entire kingdom (not shown); a dragon terrorizes villages; a dragon is fed something that makes it combust and blow up (not shown or detailed); a character is badly burned and blinded (not detailed); a character is going to be sacrificed to a dragon

Other: a girl has been told and believes she’s cursed; the worship of false gods (not shown in a good light)

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a clever and unique retelling of Rapunzel set against the background of another retelling, that of one of the Biblical stories of Daniel. I enjoyed the twists on both tales (no pun intended); everything is given a new perspective, but no elements seem to have been forced in just because they were in the original. Delshad and the Daughter are both excellent characters, though the repetition of the Daughter's curse does feel the slightest bit, well, repetitive at times. And the ending was very sweet indeed. Overall, it's another excellent addition to Kendra's already long list of fabulous fairy tale retellings.

[Madisyn Carlin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Misfortune is a clever, unexpected retelling of the classic fairy tale, Rapunzel. Despite it’s short length, the characters are incredibly developed with amazing depth. Delshad’s handling of his desire to obtain his father’s favor while faced with a devastating choice was exceptionally well-written. The fact that I felt for a character in such a short novella attests to the author’s writing ability. My only complaint is that the novella is so short. I would have enjoyed a few hundred pages more of the story.

*I received a copy from the author in exchange for an honest review

The rest of this review can be found at: https://madismusingsblog.wordpress.co...

[Kirsten · Rating 5 out of 5]

Probably one of my favorite reads yet from this author. <3 Why should you read it? Here are 5 excellent reasons:

Reason #1 — Delshad

If there’s only going to be one reason to read this book, it’s because of our hero. Delshad is the youngest son of the king and thus expendable. He wants so much to be useful and has yet to prove himself. However, when his father gives him a task that goes against his personal convictions, Delshad will have to choose between those convictions and saving his kingdom.

Delshad is the epitome of your perfect cinnamon roll prince. He’s eager to please his father, but he’s got a super tender side that allows him to see the light in life. He’s all around precious and you can’t help but root for him.

Reason #2 — The Girl

Now let’s talk about Rapunzel, shall we? She is the daughter of blood and misfortune, born on the night her kingdom fell to invaders. She’s been blamed with the invasion since her birth, and she believes strongly in her curse of misfortune. No man may wed her, harm her, or kill her, lest her curse pass to him. She’s lived in the confines of the Great Temple all her life, and no one’s even bothered to give her a name. She’s basically considered worthless… until the king realizes he might be able to use her misfortune to his own advantage.

This girl is the classic Rapunzel, but on a higher level. There’s more at stake here than just a stolen child as per the original fairytale. She has no friends, no joy in her life at all, but she’s still willing to do what’s right — no matter the consequences.

Reason #3 — The Dragon

Because how could we make a list like this and NOT mention the dragon?? Dragons are the best!

And this dragon is pure evil. In Smaug-like and true fairytale fashion, he’s been plaguing the land and eating the villagers’ sons and daughters. He’s ferocious and all horrible, glorious dragon.

Give me all the dragons.

Reason #4 — The Fairytale Elements

I must sit upon this point for a while. Kendra has taken so much of the original fairytale that we know and love and twisted it all into something wonderful. I was unsure when I began reading this book how the original fairytale elements would come into play, but wow — did she pull it all off!

Not only do we have a child taken away at birth, but we’ve also got THE HAIR (and a very good reason for the hair and its length) and the blindness element (which was amazing). Additionally, we’ve got a Gothel figure, Rapunzel’s prison (which is a temple in lieu of the tower), and Rapunzel’s singing.

I really wish I could expand more on this and revel in all the elements — HOWEVER, that would be spoilers, and we must leave some reason for you to read the book, yes? Just know that the fairytale snob in me was very pleased.

Reason #5 — The Value of Life

“A person’s a person, no matter how small.” (Dr. Suess’s Horton Hears a Who) Or how cursed.

This was one of the biggest things that stood out to me while reading this book. A life is always valuable. It doesn’t matter if a person is considered the daughter of blood and misfortune, her life is still worth something. Her life is still worth living. No one is useless or invaluable.

I personally love seeing books promoting this message. It’s so easy at times to brush aside fictional characters as mere words in a book, but as part of a story they live, too. As readers, we’re constantly pulling truth from stories, and this truth needs to be proclaimed to our world now probably more than ever. Life matters. A person’s a person, no matter how small, cursed, or young.

[Virginia Henderson · Rating 5 out of 5]

My favorite of the series so far and the most well-written. The opening was suburb! A great twist on the classic fairytale. 4.5!

[Lemon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Positives: I liked the setting and the cultural backdrop of the tale and how it showed the power that repeated words can have on a poor innocent human being. The plot also flowed pretty well, from start to finish. The author did a good job in establishing personalities for her characters for such a short story, and (as mentioned) the pacing and flow of the story were done! ALSO…this is apparently based slightly on Daniel and….huuuuuuuh. Rapunzel + Daniel = something that hasn’t really done before and that’s actually not done ridiculously? Meaning it was pretty good, standing on its own apart from the fairy tale and Biblical story, if that makes sense.

Negatives: I’m not sure if this is a negative, honestly, as I believe the author’s story wasn’t to…impact us with a long, beautiful novel of theme and the sort. It was just a cute, short tale (short story, I believe) that retold the major points of the Rapunzel-figure’s life and left me, at least, with a smile. And so with that, I can’t complain that the characters didn’t have much time to develop considering they were there to tell the story (but this isn’t a plot-driven book, if that’s what worries you). I DO wonder about the character that popped up in the middle of a story, though, as it seemed random? Also, repetition of “blood and misfortune” had my head swimming…*coughs*

Opinion: Thought the way the story played out was very sweet. :))))) I liked this book, especially since I’ve been reading shorter books lately to help me with my reading block (it’s like writer’s block, but worse). It’s kind of a comfortable sort of modern fairy tale with an old feel. Characters not dug into way too deeply but with a fun plot to keep things interesting! Just the kind of short story you’d read as you would a fairy tale. :)) So yes, the repetition of “blood and misfortune” did annoy me (blame that to me being hypersensitive to redundancies ever since I was told I do that a lot *grumbles*), but the entirety of the book was happy-ing (yes, that’s a word in some obscure language, probably)…

Oh. ALSO. Rapunzels with black hair exist now and I HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR THIS EVER SINCE 2017 AND BEFORE!! (oddly specific, I know)

Content: Don’t recall romance being there much…there was mentions of wars and deaths that happened, but nothing graphically detailed.

[MissFaerieKaiti · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting recontextualization of Rapunzel's isolation, with allusions to the Bible and a You-didn't-have-to-but-You-chose-to gift from a loving God. I thought it was interesting, too, that the prince's moral dilemma wasn't "obey evil or defy it," but rather "find a way to accomplish the right thing in the right way for a king who wants to accomplish the right thing in a wrong way."

[Erica Nicole Pait · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the first time I've read one of Kendra's books and I can tell you, it's not gonna be the last. In a very short amount of time (Really, it won't take you long to read, and you might be a tiny bit put out that it isn't longer since you'll get to love the characters) Kendra brings you into a world that puts a little bit of the fantasy into reality. There are some very specific similarities to the book of Daniel, too. The characters didn't have long to catch my heart, but do it, they did! From the sweet prince to the dear Daughter of Blood and Misfortune, there was so much personality. My favorite by far was Misha, though. You'll probably find at least one or two parts that really stick it to you (I may have sent a picture of one of the paragraphs to a friend with the caption "Called out") I loved how well Kendra made me run the gamut of emotions- from outrage to teary eyes to laughter. This is a definite recommend from me!

Might have found this book hanging out in my inbox, but honest opinions are all I've got to give, so don't worry about that!

[C.O. Bonham · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such a good twist on the Rapunzel story.

What if Rapunzel had been locked up to protect others from herself? It's a question that rings close to home for us in this time of quarantine.

The princess has been raised to believe that she is full of ill luck, a daughter of blood and misfortune. She has no idea of her own worth. Until a prince comes along and takes her from her tower.

I love the message of this story, that everyone is worthy of love and grace. That we are not guilty for the sins of others. That there is a way out of the tower.

I also loved the biblical elements that were included. The story takes place in more of a ancient times setting, and the apocryphal story of Daniel (yes the lion den guy) and the dragon (the story isn't actually in the Bible. It's basically a legend.) plays a large role.

*I was given a copy of this story by the author for the purpose of review. The opinions expressed are my own and were reached honestly.*

[Tara Savanna · Rating 4 out of 5]

This little novella was a joy to read. The action was immediate and your heart goes out to the little nameless ‘Rapunzel’ on whom so much blame was placed. While it took me a bit to figure out the era and area the story was set in, I love how the author incorporated a Biblical feel into this classic tale. I only wish that it had been longer! If you’re looking for a sweet, quick read, I think you’ll like this book.

* I received a complementary copy from the author in hopes of an honest review. I was not obligated to leave a positive review. Thoughts and opinions expressed are mine alone.

[Morgan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a very interesting take on Rapunzel. It's set sort of during the book of Daniel, there's a definite reference to Babel, and there's not really a whole lot in the way of magic. So it wasn't exactly what I was expecting, but that's not a bad thing.

The way it's written, it really feels like a proper fairy tale. A baby girl was born the day the kingdom was attacked and her father and brothers killed. Her mother called her "the daughter of blood and misfortune" and didn't even give her a real name. Later, Prince Delshad is given a terrible task to execute, and he's not sure he can do it. And he's pretty sure it's not the right thing to do.

This story is pretty short, but it doesn't really feel like anything's missing, and I did feel like I got to know the characters as much as the length allows. Delshad is a good guy and I really feel for the girl. Poor thing. And the way the Rapunzel elements are woven in felt neat and unique to me. All in all, an enjoyable read.

[Smasher · Rating 3 out of 5]

Content:

Language: None.

Violence: Mild. Bones from past violence shown.

Sexual: None.

TW: Abused character. spoilers: the Rapunzel character is basically brainwashed to think she is the cause of misery to anyone around her due to her emotionally abusive mother. It's horrible, but not incredibly triggering.



This is for sure a unique take on Rapunzel. I hate her mother. Sheesh. The writing is more removed than I personally like, more traditional fairy tale speech and omniscient-esque narration. The prince is sweet, but overall it's quite rushed and I would've liked to delve into the plot and character conflicts more. There's a lot here. I do see improvement in the writing from the first stories in this series though, which is always satisfying to see.

[Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another super short story so very well written!

This story combines Rapunzel and the Babylonian period when Belteshazzar was king, and dragons. The heroine of the story is the (great?) granddaughter of Nebuchadnezzar! She has been deemed the daughter of blood and misfortune and locked away at the top of the tower of Babel with her very bitter mother. She is never given any other name and told, all her life, that she is a curse.

The youngest prince, not much in his father's eyes, is told to take the girl and sacrifice her to the dragon who is terrorizing their land. An old prophet helps him to figure out how he can accomplish his desires and his father's desires at the same time.

This is a clean read.

[Michelle Toney · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great story

What a great twist to this story. Even though these stories are short, they contain so much context. I enjoy them more with every one that I read. This is a quick read but you will enjoy it.