4 Stars
I’ve always been a fan of the classic tale of Jack and the Beanstalk, and out of some warped sense of protectiveness, I went into this story with my judgy pants on. I often find that modern retellings of classic fairy tales can often be hit or miss for me as a reader. However, in this particular instance, the creative liberties taken here and the original spark evident in the new storytelling, worked wonders for me.
I’ve always considered Jack and the Beanstalk to be somewhat a coming of age story, about a young boy (or man, depending on which version you’re used to) dealing with the effects of poverty, who is, often misguidedly, trying to do what is right by his mother. In the original tale, Jack starts out as quite a gullible character and becomes rather greedy, repeatedly stealing treasure from the giant in the sky. I was never really a fan of Jack as a character in any previous versions of this story, but I always loved the sense of adventure gained from his journey.
In this new and truly awesome revision, Jack is immediately likable. He’s a good man, who has been poorly treated by his family and ridiculed by strangers his entire life. When he finally decides to brave climbing the treacherous beanstalk in the valley near his cottage he only does so in hopes to find enough treasure to pay off a debt owed. He expects to face a giant at the top of the beanstalk, but what he finds instead changes his entire life.
Rion lives alone in a castle in the sky. Bound by a sense of familial duty, he makes it his life’s mission to guard his families treasure from any “outsiders” who may attempt to steal in greed. With the help of a little magic, Rion (and all his ancestors before him) have been able to scare off any trespassers using a powerful illusion to frighten them away with images and sounds of a scary giant. This hoax has worked for years, until one young man runs in instead of out upon being faced with Rion’s giant.
Jack and Rion’s initial interactions are marred by preconceived prejudices, making this a really juicy enemies-to-lovers story. Both men are extremely lonely in their own right, but together they find the companionship they’ve both always needed. To truly gain their happily ever after they must each acknowledge truths they have been unwilling to face and make sacrifices for each other in order to be together. On top of these personal trials, they face outside threats to their safety and happiness, providing lots of fun and suspenseful action to this otherwise sweet and sexy story.