The Sevenfold Spell Review

The Sevenfold Spell

-      Tia Nevitt

Ecopy curtsy of netgallery & Carina Press

Things look grim for Talia and her mother. By royal proclamation, the constables and those annoying “good” fairies have taken away their livelihood by confiscating their spinning wheel. Something to do with a curse on the princess, they said.

Not every young lady has a fairy godmother rushing to her rescue.

Without the promise of an income from spinning, Talia’s prospects for marriage disappear, and she and her mother face destitution. Past caring about breaking an arbitrary and cruel law, rebellious Talia determines to build a new spinning wheel, the only one in the nation, which plays right into the evil fairy’s diabolical plan. Talia discovers that finding a happy ending requires sacrifice. But is it a sacrifice she’s willing to make?

I love fairy stories (as I think I might have mentioned before!) and I was really excited when I received a copy of the Seven-Fold Spell from netgallery for review. I started reading it the same day and I’m so happy that I wasn’t disappointed.

This is the ‘true’ story behind the sleeping beauty tale and a great example of how these fantastical stories impact the ordinary people in this fairy tale world. It starts with Talia and her mother losing their main income when the ruling royal family outlaws spinning after their daughter, the princess is cursed by a fairy. The story is told in first person and includes Talia’s growth from teen to mature woman. She is an ordinary girl – in both looks and prospects who struggles to find her place. The new law that prevents her from spinning means she loses the boy she was planning on marrying and her whole life changes. Most fairy tales always focus on the hero, heroine and obstacles/bad guys. This really looks at how a regular person can be affected by the main players and even influences the outcome of the story. It’s the story of how anyone can make a difference if they do the best they can with the circumstances.

The story isn’t a long one and not suited for children – very much an adult version of a fairy tale and I really enjoyed it. I gobbled up the prose and loved Talia and her modern outlook on life despite the old fashioned society she lives in. A modern version of the fairy tale and I want to read more please Tia!

Recommended for fans of Karen Miller & Ilona Andrews. 8 out of 10.