I've read stories of Rumplestiltskin many times, each retelling seeming to add or enhance a pivotal part of the story, this story does that in a masterful way, the beauty of the cover gives us some insight into just how elaborate theis story is going to be, gives us just a glimpse of what's to come with this beautifully dark fairy tale.
Serilda grew up with the stories her father told her, Stories of fantasy and magic and what the world could be, but Madam Sauer doesn't believe any of it, calls Serilda blasphemous, but still Serilda believes, she'd checked the astronomy charts and everything lined up with what her father had told her.
She didn't mean to undermine Madam Sauer with telling the children her stories, spending time with them brought her joy and and made her feel accepted.
Then after a particularly harsh conversation with Madam Sauer Serilda agrees to stop telling stories and try to prepare the littles for adult life, she's going to teach them the things they need to know, even though the prospects seem silm, spinning or labor she's going to try to stop with the stories and focus on the real world..... or will she.
After Anna falls from a branch Serilda decides to finish one last story, or as Madam Sauer would say one more lie, but in life as in fairy tales one more isn't always just one more.
Instead of finishing the story started at the schoolhouse she decides to tell them the story of the Erlking and with that one decision she changes the course of all of their lives.
That night the hunt begins and Serilda finds herself cowering in her bed just wanting the night and the hunt to be over, she wonders what stories she'll tell the littles when she hears a voice.... someone is trying to get into the cellar and hide from the hunt, should she help them or is this a trap. Making her decision she finds Moss Maidens, and realizes the danger they're in, she decides to help without being asked, and masks their scent only to come face to face with snarling beasts, one of which knocks her to the ground and all she can do is wait, wait for the bite, the pain, whatever it is they'll do to her.
It's not the dogs she needs to worry about though, it's the Erlking himself standing behind her, questioning her about the moss maidens and what does she do? She lies, tells her she's gathering straw that she will spin into gold, that her family has been blessed by a god and she has work to do that night.
Surprisingly the Erlking decides to believe her and leaves....
Serilda tries to tell her father what happened the next morning and he almost believes her, almost, and then at the last second he thinks she must be telling another story because her story is such fantasy, he'd rather believe the trinkets were given to her buy a boy from the village than from the Moss Maidens.
Then the night of the Hunger Moon, a man.... a dead man shows up and tells Serlida that her presence is requested by the Erlking, and in that moment her father remembers the story of the moss maidens, the story he didn't believe and he knows, she was telling the truth, for the first time her story wasn't a story but a recounting of what had actually happened, and how Serlida would be taken to the Erlking.
And that is how Serlida finds herself in a dungeon trying to spin straw into gold, trying to make the lie she told the truth, trying to keep everyone in the village safe, if only she could..... or can she.....
Serilda grew up with the stories her father told her, Stories of fantasy and magic and what the world could be, but Madam Sauer doesn't believe any of it, calls Serilda blasphemous, but still Serilda believes, she'd checked the astronomy charts and everything lined up with what her father had told her.
She didn't mean to undermine Madam Sauer with telling the children her stories, spending time with them brought her joy and and made her feel accepted.
Then after a particularly harsh conversation with Madam Sauer Serilda agrees to stop telling stories and try to prepare the littles for adult life, she's going to teach them the things they need to know, even though the prospects seem silm, spinning or labor she's going to try to stop with the stories and focus on the real world..... or will she.
After Anna falls from a branch Serilda decides to finish one last story, or as Madam Sauer would say one more lie, but in life as in fairy tales one more isn't always just one more.
Instead of finishing the story started at the schoolhouse she decides to tell them the story of the Erlking and with that one decision she changes the course of all of their lives.
That night the hunt begins and Serilda finds herself cowering in her bed just wanting the night and the hunt to be over, she wonders what stories she'll tell the littles when she hears a voice.... someone is trying to get into the cellar and hide from the hunt, should she help them or is this a trap. Making her decision she finds Moss Maidens, and realizes the danger they're in, she decides to help without being asked, and masks their scent only to come face to face with snarling beasts, one of which knocks her to the ground and all she can do is wait, wait for the bite, the pain, whatever it is they'll do to her.
It's not the dogs she needs to worry about though, it's the Erlking himself standing behind her, questioning her about the moss maidens and what does she do? She lies, tells her she's gathering straw that she will spin into gold, that her family has been blessed by a god and she has work to do that night.
Surprisingly the Erlking decides to believe her and leaves....
Serilda tries to tell her father what happened the next morning and he almost believes her, almost, and then at the last second he thinks she must be telling another story because her story is such fantasy, he'd rather believe the trinkets were given to her buy a boy from the village than from the Moss Maidens.
Then the night of the Hunger Moon, a man.... a dead man shows up and tells Serlida that her presence is requested by the Erlking, and in that moment her father remembers the story of the moss maidens, the story he didn't believe and he knows, she was telling the truth, for the first time her story wasn't a story but a recounting of what had actually happened, and how Serlida would be taken to the Erlking.
And that is how Serlida finds herself in a dungeon trying to spin straw into gold, trying to make the lie she told the truth, trying to keep everyone in the village safe, if only she could..... or can she.....