Greetings travelers, and welcome to a new visit into the Otherworld. It used to be that our favorite fairytales were a bit gloomier and doomier, but we’ve become sort of enchanted by them due to them being covered over by a layer of saccharine sweet animation. It’s always nice to find a retelling that has the chance to send a new chill down your spine. Read on to learn more about a new opportunity to experience just that, with Unlocking Fire: A Bluebeard Retelling (Tales of Bones and Roses).
Author Liv Strom takes some of the old tales that we might be familiar with, and adds new life—and new darkness—into them. So it is with her Tales of Bones and Roses series, including the prequel novella, Unlocking Fire. It is a brilliant tale strengthened by a delightfully wicked cast of characters, and a city filled with magic and mystery. Indeed, this setting is one that readers will no doubt love to return to time and time again, whether for a reread of this book, or for any of Strom’s follow-ups. For Unlocking Fire in particular, there is a duality that runs throughout the story which will get its hooks in readers and not let go. It also tells a tale about trust, how important it is, and whether it is deserved.
Drunken parties.
Outrageous rumors and dangerous secrets.
Two desperate winter engagements, but will there be a wedding?
Ansa needs a husband. Fast. When the Lowtown matchmaker proposes a rich, reclusive noble, she cannot afford to ask too many questions.
Alexei best friend, the crown prince, has been exiled from Tal, and Alexei worries he is next. With dwindling funds and mounting problems, he cannot resist the distraction of the fiery serving woman asking for assistance.
A standalone novella retelling the Bluebeard fairy tale.
Unlocking Fire is delectably sized to make a bit of a hearty snack-sized read. It’s robust enough where you don’t feel like you’ve raced through it, although it captivating enough that you might find yourself turning the final page before your realize it. Strom certainly has experience telling fantasies with a bit of a darker side, and her latest is a real treat. With the author’s writing picking up further with another fairytale retelling in just a few short weeks—and a follow-up for Ansa and Alexei later—there’s never been a better time to dive into her writing. Check out Unlocking Fire: A Bluebeard Retelling (Tales of Bones and Roses) on Amazon today!
