Cursed

In this conclusion to a Gilded Age retelling, Serilda and Gild must navigate the deadly whims of the Erlking while trapped within his spectral castle. After the dark monarch discovers Serilda’s ability to spin straw into gold, he forces her into a series of impossible tasks to facilitate the return of his lost lover from the land of the dead. Serilda uncovers the hidden history of the dark gods and the original bargain that cursed Gild’s family, all while hiding her pregnancy and plotting to break the tether that binds her soul to the castle.

Fans of fairytale retellings and gothic romance read this for the high-stakes resolution of the Rumpelstiltskin myth. The narrative provides a detailed mechanical explanation for the magic of spinning and the geopolitical consequences of the wild hunt. Readers finish the book with a complete understanding of the cycle of life and death in this folklore-heavy world, seeing if Serilda manages to outsmart the king and reclaim her autonomy from the supernatural realm.