The Book of Gothel
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- Create Date：2022-07-31 07:51:36
- Update Date：2025-09-06
- Status：finish
- Author：Mary McMyne
- ISBN：0356517713
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Summary
Everyone knows the story of Rapunzel in the tower， but do you know the tale of the witch who put her there？
Enter a world of dark magic， mysterious woods and evil princes。 This is the truth they never wanted you to know， as only a witch might tell it。
With her strange black eyes and even stranger fainting spells， Haelewise is shunned by her village， and her only solace lies in the stories her mother tells of child-stealing witches， of princes in wolf-skins， of an ancient tower cloaked in mist where women will find shelter if they are brave enough to seek it。
But when her mother dies， Haelewise is left unmoored。 With nothing left for her in her village， she sets out to find the tower of legend-a place called Gothel， where Haelewise meets a wise woman willing to take her under her wing。
But Haelewise is not the only woman to seek refuge at Gothel。 It's also a haven for a girl named Rika， who carries with her a secret the Church strives to keep hidden。 A secret that reveals a dark world of ancient spells and murderous nobles behind the world Haelewise has always known。
Enter a world of dark magic， mysterious woods and evil princes。 This is the truth they never wanted you to know， as only a witch might tell it。
With her strange black eyes and even stranger fainting spells， Haelewise is shunned by her village， and her only solace lies in the stories her mother tells of child-stealing witches， of princes in wolf-skins， of an ancient tower cloaked in mist where women will find shelter if they are brave enough to seek it。
But when her mother dies， Haelewise is left unmoored。 With nothing left for her in her village， she sets out to find the tower of legend-a place called Gothel， where Haelewise meets a wise woman willing to take her under her wing。
But Haelewise is not the only woman to seek refuge at Gothel。 It's also a haven for a girl named Rika， who carries with her a secret the Church strives to keep hidden。 A secret that reveals a dark world of ancient spells and murderous nobles behind the world Haelewise has always known。
Reviews
Justice
，
Wow！ I absolutely loved this book。 The Book of Gothel is a fairytale reimagining of Mother Gothel from the Rapunzel。 Basically an origin story。 Haelewise is her name。 Haelewise goes through so many trials and heartbreak throughout this book。 She was isolated in her home and village。 After her mother passes she is alone and ventures of to a tower her mother told her about。 The tower Gothel。 She encounters a runaway princess。 So many things happen。 Haelewise spent her life in love with childhood b Wow！ I absolutely loved this book。 The Book of Gothel is a fairytale reimagining of Mother Gothel from the Rapunzel。 Basically an origin story。 Haelewise is her name。 Haelewise goes through so many trials and heartbreak throughout this book。 She was isolated in her home and village。 After her mother passes she is alone and ventures of to a tower her mother told her about。 The tower Gothel。 She encounters a runaway princess。 So many things happen。 Haelewise spent her life in love with childhood best friend。 I don’t want to ruin anything for anyone so I won’t go into too many details。 I recommend reading this book if you’re someone who enjoys fairytale reimaginings as well as “villain” origin stories。 I could not stop reading this book。 *thank you to NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Erin
，
This was really great。 Fairytale inspiration and witchcraft and a fantastic cast of （women） characters） - yes， please。There were only two bits I didn't care much for: the romance and the prologue/epilogue。 Both felt unnecessary。 Not actively bad， but didn't add anything for me。However！ That's it！ Everything else？ Absolutely， utterly wonderful。 This was really great。 Fairytale inspiration and witchcraft and a fantastic cast of （women） characters） - yes， please。There were only two bits I didn't care much for: the romance and the prologue/epilogue。 Both felt unnecessary。 Not actively bad， but didn't add anything for me。However！ That's it！ Everything else？ Absolutely， utterly wonderful。 。。。more
Stephanie （My Book Throne）
，
Wonderful。 RTC
Kerry https://likeherdingcatsblog。wordpress。com Robinson
，
There’s nothing more nostalgic for me than fairy tales。 I’m not talking about Disney versions， I’m talking Grimm， Hans Christian Anderson etc。 They were my first taste of the written word and I still adore them。 I was so excited when offered a chance to review The Book of Gothel as Rapunzel was always one of my favourites （hair envy）， and I always enjoy alternative perspectives of stories。 This is not a retelling as such， more like an origin story/prequel which crosses over into the story we all There’s nothing more nostalgic for me than fairy tales。 I’m not talking about Disney versions， I’m talking Grimm， Hans Christian Anderson etc。 They were my first taste of the written word and I still adore them。 I was so excited when offered a chance to review The Book of Gothel as Rapunzel was always one of my favourites （hair envy）， and I always enjoy alternative perspectives of stories。 This is not a retelling as such， more like an origin story/prequel which crosses over into the story we all know so well。 The cover is absolutely stunning。 I cannot take my eyes of it and I love how the hair is red instead of the usual blonde or brunette （fellow ginger here）。 An academic is called to Germany to a tower where a book has been found。 The book is the life story of Haelewise （also known as Mother Gothel to us）。 I love how there is a reference to modern day and some factual， historical knowledge built in。 Starting in childhood， the reader learns all about her protective mother and her ‘swoons’ that make her different to most people。 It’s such a tender look at how a young， innocent girl grew up with differences and how she was perceived by the people around her， including her own parents。 Haelewise’s story combines fairy tale elements but also has a real historical feel to a point where it feels real and believable。 I totally forgot that I was reading a fantasy/fairy tale novel。 The whole story is a fabulous execution of a brilliant idea。 I loved the themes of religion， feminism and friendship/supporting each other。 It’s a fascinating perspective to read and it’s simple brilliant。 I cannot recommend this book enough。 。。。more
Elna
，
A gorgeous retelling of the well known story of Rapunzel as told from the point of view of the witch who kept her captive in the tower。 This is is the story of Haelewise， who grows up in a medieval German village in around 13th century Europe。 She is afflicted by these mysterious fainting spells that the people of her mostly christian village attributes to her being cursed by the devil。 Her condition plague her despite being given holy treatments and an exorcism。 After her mothers death she is l A gorgeous retelling of the well known story of Rapunzel as told from the point of view of the witch who kept her captive in the tower。 This is is the story of Haelewise， who grows up in a medieval German village in around 13th century Europe。 She is afflicted by these mysterious fainting spells that the people of her mostly christian village attributes to her being cursed by the devil。 Her condition plague her despite being given holy treatments and an exorcism。 After her mothers death she is left with no choice but to leave the village she has known all her life to seek the tower her mother spoke of in her stories， a place where maybe she could be accepted。 Thus begins the story of the witch who will eventually become the villain of a story we are familiar with。 I enjoyed The Book Of Gothel， it has the essence of Grimm's fairy tales of old。 It's a dark and intriguing tale with a message at its core。 It warns that not every story has a happy ending and that not all villains are what they seem。 Thank you to the publisher and Netgallery for a chance to review this ARC。 。。。more
Melki
，
This fine retelling/origin story of the Rapunzel fairy tale features so many things that I enjoy: strong female characters， dark， forbidding forests， wise women who know their way around an herb garden， and dangerous quests to rescue pregnant princesses。 If you're looking for an involving story with a smart， likeable heroine， this could be the book for you。 This fine retelling/origin story of the Rapunzel fairy tale features so many things that I enjoy: strong female characters， dark， forbidding forests， wise women who know their way around an herb garden， and dangerous quests to rescue pregnant princesses。 If you're looking for an involving story with a smart， likeable heroine， this could be the book for you。 。。。more
Emily
，
This was such a fun read， I loved the setting， the characters， and the magic system。 This was such a fun twist on the story we know！Thank you Orbit books for the proof copy
Amanda
，
The Book of Gothel， by Mary McMyne， is described in marketing as a “reimagining of the story of Rapunzel。” A great hook， considering the popularity of fairytale remixes， but this emphasis on Rapunzel does the book a great disservice。 Readers expecting to find the familiar tale told from the villain’s perspective are bound to be disappointed。 To appreciate this story， know this from the start: Rapunzel only enters the narrative at the very end and is not at all a featured character。 With that iss The Book of Gothel， by Mary McMyne， is described in marketing as a “reimagining of the story of Rapunzel。” A great hook， considering the popularity of fairytale remixes， but this emphasis on Rapunzel does the book a great disservice。 Readers expecting to find the familiar tale told from the villain’s perspective are bound to be disappointed。 To appreciate this story， know this from the start: Rapunzel only enters the narrative at the very end and is not at all a featured character。 With that issue settled…The Book of Gothel is the story of Haelewise。 Abandoned by her father after her mother’s death and fearing for her life when villagers blame her for a deadly fever， the teenage Haelewise escapes alone into the forest。 On her journey， she serves as apprentice to a wise woman， befriends a princess， and is welcomed into the abbey of Hildegard of Bingen。 As she travels， she seeks to learn more about her mother and the goddess she worshiped in secret。This is primarily the story of a spiritual journey。 One to reclaim and reconnect with the feminine power， buried and denied by the ruling Christian church。 I enjoyed the magic and mysticism woven through the story， and I will always cheer a plot where women rebel against the patriarchy。 I did not， however， connect with the characters。 Nor did I feel the bond between Haelewise and the secondary characters who were meant to be close to her。 I also think the story stands fine on its own without the bookending conceit of the present day academic discovering the ancient book。 。。。more
Kayleigh （BookwormEscapes）
，
4。5*
Jim
，
Started off fascinating， then devolved rapidly into a lameass YA-Historical Fiction-Romance。 Fucking hell。 Caveats: I almost exclusively despise YA。 I exclusively despise Romance。 I enjoy Historical Fiction if， IF！， there is an interesting plot and not just a well-researched setting。 I read history books for facts， I read fiction for the story。Haelewise/Mother Gothel is so damned passive， which makes this tale ridiculously frustrating。 The woman who will imprison Rapunzel comes across like a sim Started off fascinating， then devolved rapidly into a lameass YA-Historical Fiction-Romance。 Fucking hell。 Caveats: I almost exclusively despise YA。 I exclusively despise Romance。 I enjoy Historical Fiction if， IF！， there is an interesting plot and not just a well-researched setting。 I read history books for facts， I read fiction for the story。Haelewise/Mother Gothel is so damned passive， which makes this tale ridiculously frustrating。 The woman who will imprison Rapunzel comes across like a simpering， doe-eyed fool longing for insta-love。Also， enough about the migraines。 And the sumatriptan。 We get it。 Really， we do。 Professor Eisenborg has migraines （ooh！ similar to Haelewise's "spells"！！） AND she takes sumatriptan for them。 Thanks， onward please。Not what I expected， and not what I wanted。 So much potential in the Prologue， and nearly all of it wasted on infatuation and manufactured feelings between two people who barely know each other at all。 Gag。 Where's the badass WitchBitch？！？！？ I wanted that。 A lot of that。Ugh。 。。。more
Carolyn Davis
，
A well told tale that is beautifully narrated！This beautifully created story is enhanced by lively， well-modulated narration。 The intellectual retelling of the familiar tale begins with a centuries-old manuscript that is discovered by a scholar， and fascinating revelations unfold。 Highest possible recommendation！
John Rennie
，
Although this book was inspired by the story of Rapunzel， McMyne has developed the story far beyond the original。 The result is an interesting and enjoyable read。However the book feels like a young adult novel。 The characters are rather two dimensional and the plot takes improbable turns whenever it suits the author。 The end result feels unsophisticated， and for a reader like myself （who is several decades past being a young adult） this prevents the feeling of immersion I get from a really enthr Although this book was inspired by the story of Rapunzel， McMyne has developed the story far beyond the original。 The result is an interesting and enjoyable read。However the book feels like a young adult novel。 The characters are rather two dimensional and the plot takes improbable turns whenever it suits the author。 The end result feels unsophisticated， and for a reader like myself （who is several decades past being a young adult） this prevents the feeling of immersion I get from a really enthralling read。As a young adult book it's a good young adult book， but if you're not a young adult bear in mind that the book was not aimed at you。 。。。more
AM SMOLANDER
，
I received a paperback ARC copy from the publishers of this book in exchange of an honest review。 I haven’t read many books of this genre， namely sci-fi and fantasy but this novel was a pleasant surprise。 In fact， I loved it！ The Book of Gothel is action packed， fast paced， full of magic and mystery， and it held my interest and attention from the first page to the very last one。 It is a story of Rapunzel told by the witch guarding the tower。 In fact， this book is like a library of numerous diffe I received a paperback ARC copy from the publishers of this book in exchange of an honest review。 I haven’t read many books of this genre， namely sci-fi and fantasy but this novel was a pleasant surprise。 In fact， I loved it！ The Book of Gothel is action packed， fast paced， full of magic and mystery， and it held my interest and attention from the first page to the very last one。 It is a story of Rapunzel told by the witch guarding the tower。 In fact， this book is like a library of numerous different stories from my childhood and that of my son’s as I in turn read the stories to him when he was small。 While reading this novel， I wished the main character to be strong， to be well， I saw her as an underdog and throughout the book she blossomed to a confident and powerful mother。 I loved the character development in this book， and the complex relationships between the characters。 The writing style in this book is fantastic。 It feels otherworldly and old， and transports the reader to a time when this novel was set， and to a place where this story took place。 I throughly recommend this book to all readers， especially those who like fantasy novels。 I’d give it 6 stars if I could。 。。。more
Books By Your Bedside
，
Thanks to Orbit for the advanced copy of this title in return for an honest review。I’ll be honest， I’m usually quite critical of rewrites or adaptations of fairytales or classic stories as they never seem to match the standard of the original， but this had me hooked from the very start。 Where Mary really excels is in her description。 The first chapter describes a book - which turns out to be very important - but it’s not just described as a book。 It is described so wonderfully that I am physical Thanks to Orbit for the advanced copy of this title in return for an honest review。I’ll be honest， I’m usually quite critical of rewrites or adaptations of fairytales or classic stories as they never seem to match the standard of the original， but this had me hooked from the very start。 Where Mary really excels is in her description。 The first chapter describes a book - which turns out to be very important - but it’s not just described as a book。 It is described so wonderfully that I am physically sad that I will never get the chance to see it， to hold it or read it。 Yes it’s a fictional book but her words paint such a real， vivid picture。 The vivid descriptions don’t stop as the book gets going， even down to the clothes on the characters’ backs or the mud on their cheeks。 I thought the food had a very Dickensian quality about it in its writing， you can practically taste it， but it never feels too much and it never slows the story down。It’s not always obvious that this is even linked to the original Rapunzel story。 Yes there’s the odd mention as the book goes on but it could quite easily be a standalone book。 I can’t believe anyone doesn’t know the original story but this is so original that it works beautifully on its own。 This could be a positive or a negative for some people。 I quite like it this way because there’s enough hints to see the inspiration but there’s enough of Mary’s own story telling for it to be one of a kind。Like I said， I’m not always a fan of adaptations but this is so well done that I would happily read more if Mary was to write them。 You can hear the Brothers Grimm in it but Mary lifts it up and it’s hard to tear yourself away。We all grew up to believe the witch in the story is a villain， a woman who steals a baby and holds her against her will， but this book shows it more as a story of redemption - a with who uses her gifts for good rather than for evil， which is a nice angle。The plot is exciting but I feel where it really excels is in the character exploration。 There’s a lot of characters but none are surplus。 They’re all well deposed and explored and crucial to the overall story。 I don’t know much - or anything really - about 12th Century Germany but it all sounds plausible and well researched （even with a fantasy twist）。 I’d love to look into how the fairy tale is told in the country of its origin。 It is entertaining， fantastical， magical， interesting， cosy， happy， sad， powerful; it can break your heart at the same time as warming it up。 It shows just how important family and a community is， even in a fantasy world。 。。。more
Zaynah Aboobaker
，
The Book of Gothel is one of the most original retellings I've ever read！ Extremely atmospheric， absorbing and well crafted， overall a thoroughly enjoyable read。I loved the idea of telling the story of 'the witch who put Rapunzel in her tower'。 From start to end， I was utterly enthralled by the story of Haelewise and the mysterious magic surrounding her。 The fusion of elements such as pagan worship and christianity and herbal magics were really well done， and I can honestly say inspired me to le The Book of Gothel is one of the most original retellings I've ever read！ Extremely atmospheric， absorbing and well crafted， overall a thoroughly enjoyable read。I loved the idea of telling the story of 'the witch who put Rapunzel in her tower'。 From start to end， I was utterly enthralled by the story of Haelewise and the mysterious magic surrounding her。 The fusion of elements such as pagan worship and christianity and herbal magics were really well done， and I can honestly say inspired me to learn more about the time period。 I thought the author did a great job with the setting and world-building， I was very easily able to imagine myself on the streets of 13th century Germany。 As someone with little to no knowledge about the history surrounding Hildegarde of Bingen， this book has definitely piqued my curiosity to know more！Haelewise was an extremely interesting character to follow， strong willed in her beliefs， multidimensional and mysterious at times！ Her character development was great to follow too。 Thank you so much to the publishers of sending me an advanced copy to review :） 。。。more
Chelsea
，
I was gifted an arc copy in exchange for an honest review。 This is the origin story of Mother Gothel but， not as we know her。 I was expecting this to be more of a villain origin story， but this was not the case。 The Book of Gothel is almost a redemption arc， showcasing how Haelwise becomes Mother Gothel。 Full of being made to feel out of place， a strong desire to become a mother and being made to feel like she's a curse， Haelwise is thrown into a series of events that portray her strong faith in I was gifted an arc copy in exchange for an honest review。 This is the origin story of Mother Gothel but， not as we know her。 I was expecting this to be more of a villain origin story， but this was not the case。 The Book of Gothel is almost a redemption arc， showcasing how Haelwise becomes Mother Gothel。 Full of being made to feel out of place， a strong desire to become a mother and being made to feel like she's a curse， Haelwise is thrown into a series of events that portray her strong faith in The Mother that will lead her on a life changing journey。 If there was no mention of Mother Gothel in this book， it would lose nothing。 Mary McMyne spins a fantastic tale full of heartache， wants and human traits that just prove exactly what a woman in medieval times would've gone through。 This story is beautiful， I would recommend this book for the gothic takes and the human traits that McMyne writes about so well。 。。。more
Kelly
，
Tangled is one of my all time favourite Disney films and Mother Gothel one of the most interesting characters so I was really intrigued by the premise of this book。 Be aware before going into this book that it is NOT a retelling of the story of Rapunzel， but rather a beautifully written and lyrical story about Haelewise， the witch who kidnapped Rapunzel， and how she becomes to be the character that we all know。 I've seen people call this a villain origin story and expect it to be dark and twisty Tangled is one of my all time favourite Disney films and Mother Gothel one of the most interesting characters so I was really intrigued by the premise of this book。 Be aware before going into this book that it is NOT a retelling of the story of Rapunzel， but rather a beautifully written and lyrical story about Haelewise， the witch who kidnapped Rapunzel， and how she becomes to be the character that we all know。 I've seen people call this a villain origin story and expect it to be dark and twisty， but not all villains have to be born evil， and I liked the way in which this author tackled the story of Mother Gothel's life。Haelewise is now one of my favourite characters。 McMyne has created this complex， flawed， and fierce character， who didn't allow any of the setbacks she had in life， including being shunned by her village for suffering from mysterious fainting spells that they claim are the work of evil。 Haelewise has no one but her mother and her stories as her only solace。 Haelewise is full of strength and determination and we get to watch her bloom into herself。 Sometimes the decisions she makes are questionable but knowing what we know about her， I absolutely understood the driving force behind all of her decisions。The writing in this book was very atmospheric。 I really enjoyed the setting and the author was able to conjure up vivid imagery of the setting with rich and lush descriptions。 I can't say I'm familiar with German folklore but I thought the way it was woven into the story felt authentic。 However， I do wish we got a little bit more worldbuilding。 Maybe more in depth explanation of the religions of this world and I also think I would have liked a bit more info about the magic system。 I absolutely adored the themes woven into this story about womanhood and pregnancy。 One of the core relationships driving this story is Haelewise's strong bond with her mother， which is the strength she seeks in the darkness。 There is a lot of emphasis in this book on strong women and violence/control of women by men， and I really enjoyed this feminist outlook in a historical fantasy retelling。I've not had much luck with historical fantasy before but this is one I would highly recommend to everyone， especially anyone who loves fairytale retellings and stories woven with folklore。 It was a stunning debut and I'm looking forward to reading more from McMyne in the future！ 。。。more
Daniella
，
Thank you to NetGalley， Little Brown and Orbit for providing me an eARC to review！I'm not very familiar with the story of Rapunzel apart from girl with super long hair is locked in a tower by mean lady， but I don't think this lack of knowledge impacted my enjoyment of this book。 I do think the blurb makes this out to be a lot more exciting than it is though - the blurb to me promises a more traditional fantasy story with magic and politics and strong female characters， but I think this leans mor Thank you to NetGalley， Little Brown and Orbit for providing me an eARC to review！I'm not very familiar with the story of Rapunzel apart from girl with super long hair is locked in a tower by mean lady， but I don't think this lack of knowledge impacted my enjoyment of this book。 I do think the blurb makes this out to be a lot more exciting than it is though - the blurb to me promises a more traditional fantasy story with magic and politics and strong female characters， but I think this leans more literary fantasy and is instead more about motherhood and womanhood。If I had known that going in I probably wouldn't have picked this up， because I don't particularly enjoy motherhood themes in books， and this one has a LOT of it。 Haelewise is a midwife so there is already a bit of baby content， but she's also obsessed for pretty much the whole book about becoming a mother herself。 Good for her I guess， but I just couldn't really connect with her cause this was her overwhelming personality trait。 She was also hell bent on getting down with her childhood sweetheart which I also couldn't really understand cause he was boring and never really seemed to make much of an effort to be with her - was kind of hoping she would grow out of it but alas :/I think I have also realised that I don't really like books written in the fairytale style of telling rather than showing。 We're told that Haelewise has changed so much over the course of the novel， and what her wants and fears are， but I feel this kept the reader at a bit of a distance。 She's kind of just told everything she needs to do， and never really seems to take a decision for herself。 Things at times were also quite conveniently solved， but I'm putting this down to the fairytale style of the book so I'm not THAT annoyed by it。 But this book I think really just boiled down to 'men are cruel and dumb for underestimating women' and by the end I was kind of like。。。yeah I get it？ I felt like every woman in this book was pregnant or already a mother， and every man was either 1） sweet doting partner or 2） disgusting pig。 I wanted more from the characters and the magic and the atmosphere， and sadly I think the fairytale style of writing just didn't immerse me。The epilogue also felt a little self-inserty on the part of the author telling the reader what to think about her book which I wasn't the biggest fan of。 I definitely think that the trend of historical/mythological retellings featuring women who have traditionally been reduced to side characters is an interesting one， but when the market is so oversaturated now I need one that will really blow me away， and sadly I thought this was just fine。 But I also think that most of my lack of connection to this was not really getting along with the central themes， and I'm not sure that this book has entirely been marketed correctly to find its perfect audience。 I think perhaps fans of The Bear and the Nightingale might enjoy this， or if you're just really hankering for some birthing content。CW: sexual assault， pregnancy， violence against women 。。。more
Rachel
，
3。5
Lili Marcus
，
I would rate this book 5 stars for originality alone。 Retellings featuring villains， mostly， witches， of famous fairytales are more common now than ever。 The most well-known， I think， are Maleficent， the Queen of Hearts and Ursula， but I've never heard or read anything about the witch in Rapunzel's story。 The thing is I was only interested in Rapunzel's story after watching TANGLED。 I loved that film so much。So I was elated when I learned that The Book of Gothel features Mother Gothel。 About tim I would rate this book 5 stars for originality alone。 Retellings featuring villains， mostly， witches， of famous fairytales are more common now than ever。 The most well-known， I think， are Maleficent， the Queen of Hearts and Ursula， but I've never heard or read anything about the witch in Rapunzel's story。 The thing is I was only interested in Rapunzel's story after watching TANGLED。 I loved that film so much。So I was elated when I learned that The Book of Gothel features Mother Gothel。 About time we hear a side of her story。The Book of Gothel didn't just retell a part of a fairytale， the author relied on her story based on history。 The author clearly did extensive research to write this story。 To start， Haelewise， grew up in Germany， with her mother， in a time when superstition and the supernatural were highly believable to people。 Medical explanations were not a thing yet， which made Haelewise labelled as cursed or possessed due to her fainting spells。 So she grew up， isolated， and later when her mother died， journeyed alone to find a place from one of her mother's stories。 Despite having magical and supernatural sides， it was obvious that the author featured real Medieval Germany， with its folk beliefs， religion and traditional medicine。 Haelewise was a very well-written character。 I saw her develop into someone who would become a villain someday。 The plot was very well-executed， with the author retelling a legend but not forgetting that her setting is in a real world， with real culture and beliefs。 So I ended up loving not only the fairytale side but also the realistic part of the story。 I love fairytales， I don't think I'll ever grow tired of fairytales no matter how pessimistic and cynical in life I become， I will always love fairytales。 So I was surprised that I ended up loving this retelling despite the fact that there were parts that have less magic involved。 I think it's mainly because the writing style of the author is amazing， making her book very engaging and hard to put down。 。。。more
Sara
，
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the free ARC。 The Book of Gothel tells the story of the witch in Rapunzel， reminiscent of Circe and Wicked， unfortunately， for me， I felt it lacked the charm of either of those retellings。 Looking at the other reviews， I think I might be in the minority， so I think this might be a massive case of it's not me， it's you。 It was well-written。 Mary McMyne's writing is beautiful and creates a great sense of time， place and atmosphere， but unfortunately， I Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the free ARC。 The Book of Gothel tells the story of the witch in Rapunzel， reminiscent of Circe and Wicked， unfortunately， for me， I felt it lacked the charm of either of those retellings。 Looking at the other reviews， I think I might be in the minority， so I think this might be a massive case of it's not me， it's you。 It was well-written。 Mary McMyne's writing is beautiful and creates a great sense of time， place and atmosphere， but unfortunately， I never felt any connection to the main character Haelewise and I the plot moved a little too slowly for my tastes。 So， very much not a book for me， but not a bad book。 。。。more
Emma Fitzgerald
，
This is the first book I have read by Mary Mcmyne and I loved it。 I had tears at the end due to Haelewise and Matthaus ending。 I really like the front cover it’s very pre with the colours。 I found the book of Gothel easy to get into and I loved the characters and the love between Haelewise and Matthaus 。 There love is so strong for each other and she goes through some up and downs and some challenges to be part of the circle and to found Matthaus again。 If you love witches you will love this boo This is the first book I have read by Mary Mcmyne and I loved it。 I had tears at the end due to Haelewise and Matthaus ending。 I really like the front cover it’s very pre with the colours。 I found the book of Gothel easy to get into and I loved the characters and the love between Haelewise and Matthaus 。 There love is so strong for each other and she goes through some up and downs and some challenges to be part of the circle and to found Matthaus again。 If you love witches you will love this book。 This is the retelling of Rapunzel and love story plus adventure。 I read this book in a day。 It’s out to buy now i definitely recommend this book and we will read motley of Mary Mcmyne books in the future。 Thank you orbit and @gambit for letting me review this book。 。。。more
Abigail
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*ebook giveaway from Goodreads*This was exactly the fairy tale retelling that I needed。 I read A LOT of fairy tale retellings， but recently haven't found anything that has truly blown me away， so this was a very pleasant surprise。 This is a lovely book。 The writing was beautiful and the story gripped me from the beginning。 This is not the story of Rapunzel， but of the witch who kept her in the tower。 It is a very unique and satisfying take on this story and I could never really tell exactly wher *ebook giveaway from Goodreads*This was exactly the fairy tale retelling that I needed。 I read A LOT of fairy tale retellings， but recently haven't found anything that has truly blown me away， so this was a very pleasant surprise。 This is a lovely book。 The writing was beautiful and the story gripped me from the beginning。 This is not the story of Rapunzel， but of the witch who kept her in the tower。 It is a very unique and satisfying take on this story and I could never really tell exactly where the story was going。 I empathized with the main character， Haelewise， so much and I felt all of her losses keenly。 This book had me feeling all the feels， which I absolutely love。 I could have done without the brief "modern day" tie in， but it was such a small part of the story that it didn't detract from my enjoyment of this book。 If you love fairy tales， retellings， or just beautifully written fantasy/coming of age， you must read this book。 。。。more
Merve K
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DNF at %35
Sydnie
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This was a super smart， wonderful， and creative Historical Fantasy retelling of Rapunzel through the lens of the witch who put her in the tower， Haelewise。 The characters were imaginative and dynamic and the story was creative and well written， by far one of the best retellings I have read all year。 I received an advanced readers copy from NetGalley and am leaving this review voluntarily。
Denice Langley
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My interest was piqued at the "retelling of Rapunzel from the witch's POV"。 BUT， a retelling this is not。 This is a very unique story of how life pushed a young woman into the role of villian。 Mary McMyne has cast this story on the page and left us all spell bound as she made Gothel much more than a villian。 I really don't know what I expected from this book， but it is most definitely one that will make my reading circle happy。 I read this in two marathon sessions and enjoyed every word。 My interest was piqued at the "retelling of Rapunzel from the witch's POV"。 BUT， a retelling this is not。 This is a very unique story of how life pushed a young woman into the role of villian。 Mary McMyne has cast this story on the page and left us all spell bound as she made Gothel much more than a villian。 I really don't know what I expected from this book， but it is most definitely one that will make my reading circle happy。 I read this in two marathon sessions and enjoyed every word。 。。。more
Stormy's Book Nest
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Thank you very much to NetGalley and Redhook for providing me with an e-arc in exchange for an honest review。Whoa， this story is much more than just a variation on the Rapunzel tale。 In fact， it's not even really a Rapunzel story: it's Haelewise's （Mother Gothel）。 But it's also a story of past wise women， those who either refused to kowtow to the rise of Christianity or simply relied on tried-and-true knowledge instead of blindly believing an invisible presence would fix everything。 The women wh Thank you very much to NetGalley and Redhook for providing me with an e-arc in exchange for an honest review。Whoa， this story is much more than just a variation on the Rapunzel tale。 In fact， it's not even really a Rapunzel story: it's Haelewise's （Mother Gothel）。 But it's also a story of past wise women， those who either refused to kowtow to the rise of Christianity or simply relied on tried-and-true knowledge instead of blindly believing an invisible presence would fix everything。 The women who weren't the timid broodmares they were expected to be， but fierce， intelligent， kind， vengeful， and joyous all at once。I liked that the religious aspects weren't really pitted against one another; rather， the Mother and Father were part of a whole。 Of course， men think their way is the only way， and that's where the rift between the two comes into play。 Haelewise sometimes didn't think things through or was a bit naïve， but she's a teenager。 A teen who gets thrown out into a world she knows very little about and has to navigate pretty much on her own。 So I can give her a bit of grace there。There are characters that I just wanted to smack sometimes， but that made them all the more realistic and fleshed out to me。 Real people aren't just one thing; they're multifaceted with their own convictions， dreams， and temperaments。 I *get* it。A wonderful book with a wonderfully bittersweet ending。 。。。more
Jules K
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Thank you Net galley for providing me with a free copy of The book of Gothel in exchange for a honest reviewThroughout the entire book my rating kept shifting from 3 to 2 stars。 By the end I decided to settle on 2。75 stars， considering that although it wasn't necessarily a "bad" book and there were aspects to it I loved，（depictions of feminism on religious context） the way it kept dragging on， as well as the plot taking very weird turns was enough to tire me。 I have nothing to say about the char Thank you Net galley for providing me with a free copy of The book of Gothel in exchange for a honest reviewThroughout the entire book my rating kept shifting from 3 to 2 stars。 By the end I decided to settle on 2。75 stars， considering that although it wasn't necessarily a "bad" book and there were aspects to it I loved，（depictions of feminism on religious context） the way it kept dragging on， as well as the plot taking very weird turns was enough to tire me。 I have nothing to say about the characters。 I found the MC to be interesting and felt apathy towards her love interest。 Not saying he was a badly written character but I am saying that I had no reason to be rooting for him considering their relationship was build more on telling rather than showing。 In fact the most interesting relationship in the book was the MCs with her mother。 As many other reviewers have mentioned you could easily forget that this is a Mother Gothel retelling， and to that I have mixed feelings。 On one hand I appreciate the creativity and unique spin off McMyne gave this on the other hand I was promised a mother Gothel story and this felt anything but。 。。。more
Jasmine
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The Book of Gothel is a wonderfully cozy story of the witch who stole Rapunzel and kept her in the tower。 Haelewise， daughter of Hedda， a well-respected midwife， has always lived under her mother’s protective wing。 When Haelewise’s mother suddenly dies， her father abandons her， and the village shuns her Haelewise sets out to find the mysterious tower named Gothel。 The tower is purported to offer protection for women and girls who seek it。 Throughout her journeys， Haelewise will be at odds with t The Book of Gothel is a wonderfully cozy story of the witch who stole Rapunzel and kept her in the tower。 Haelewise， daughter of Hedda， a well-respected midwife， has always lived under her mother’s protective wing。 When Haelewise’s mother suddenly dies， her father abandons her， and the village shuns her Haelewise sets out to find the mysterious tower named Gothel。 The tower is purported to offer protection for women and girls who seek it。 Throughout her journeys， Haelewise will be at odds with the Church， her mother’s pagan beliefs， and a powerful noble family。 Reading this Rapunzel backstory was like being wrapped in a warm hug。 It’s very much a coming-of-age， character-driven story where the reader follows Haelewise as she grows into herself。 It touches on topics like the patriarchy， pagan practices， and feminism。 Although I thoroughly enjoyed this， I felt that some parts dragged a bit， and I could have done without the romance。 I much preferred the sections that focused on Haelewise’s and Matthaus’ friendship as they were growing up。 The writing style feels like YA in the beginning， but then it slowly matures as the story deepens。 I highly recommend adding this book to your fairytale retelling tbr。 Thank you to Orbit for the physical and digital copies for review purposes。 https://booksandwheels。com 。。。more
Owen Hollifield
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I wasn't sure how I would feel about this book but I needn't have worried because it was excellent。 Such a well written and involving story had me turning the pages。 I would recommend this book to everyone， take a chance and you'll love it。 I wasn't sure how I would feel about this book but I needn't have worried because it was excellent。 Such a well written and involving story had me turning the pages。 I would recommend this book to everyone， take a chance and you'll love it。 。。。more
Reference
google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=The Book of Gothel
hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=The Book of Gothel&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft
The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,The Book of Gothel&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0