I can tell I’m going to start sounding like a broken record when it comes to the Tales of Goldstone Woods books. Seriously though, I think these books are filling a real void in the realm of faerie tale literature. While there are dragons and villains aplenty, these books steer a course somewhere between the sparkly Disney princesses and the grittier heroines of some of the current (and older!) stories. To borrow from an internet meme, we’re not talking Fairy Princess Ballerinas, but we’re also not going as far as Elven Jedi Ninja Dragon Rider. And to be honest, despite that fact I would have been thrilled if the latter had been a career choice, that’s a pretty healthy balance to strike.
And healthy balances is something these books do well in many areas. Much of Dragonwitch centered on a girl trying to find her place in the world. She is very intelligent, very brave, and very keen to help those around her. Yet, she’s been told her job is to look pretty, marry well, have kids and probably die giving birth. Naturally, any Disney princess would be in full fledged rebellion at that point. However, this is a different sort of princess. She isn’t rebelling over any of it really. She wants to marry and raise kids. In her world, dying during birth is a very real probability. Rather, she’s asking, “is that all?” She wants to help her husband and stand at his side in support rather than show. In many ways, Dragonwitch gives a clearer picture of what Biblical feminism looks than many of the non-fiction books devoted to the subject.
For me what really vaulted Dragonwitch to the status of best book of the series though was how it handled prophecy. This is something that’s been bothering me lately in a lot of fantasy series. The rather Greek concept of destiny and the inability to escape it has taken center stage too much. Having a prophecy centered more around events than around a Chosen One was wonderful. I also loved how the prophecy fit into the country’s lore. It’s become a children’s rhyme and very few people attach any importance to it whatsoever. Imagine what it would be like if London Bridge suddenly became the key to our survival. The very act of trying to take the doggerel seriously would be taxing. Finding meaning to it even more so. But the best part of the prophecy? I’m honestly not sure I can say without spoiling the whole book. Let’s just say: Take that all you cryptic verses that you’d never interpret right with fifty books to puzzle it out!
My thanks to Bethany House for providing me with a copy of Dragonwitch via NetGalley in return for my honest opinion of the book.
