Darque Dreamer Reads: Faerie Tale Friday: Rumpelstiltskin by K.M. Shea (Timeless Fairy Tales #4)

The Book:
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Book Title: Rumpelstiltskin
Book Author: K.M. Shea
Page Count: 236
Publishing Date: December 11,, 2014
Publisher: Take Out the Trash
Date Read: December 28th, 2017
Synopsis: When 17-year-old Gemma, a seamstress, is ordered by the insane King Torgen to spin straw into gold or be put to death, she knows her life is forfeit. Unwilling to give up, Gemma tries to escape her prison, earning her the respect of the mysterious mage, Stil. Stil offers to complete the impossible task…for a price. Greedy and unsatisfied, King Torgen demands more and more straw to be spun into gold, and decrees that he will “reward” Gemma by marrying her. With death or marriage to a crazed king clouding her future, Stil offers Gemma a bargain that seems too good to be true. Will Gemma’s trust in Stil be her downfall, or will he defy the entire country to save her?

The Original Faerie Tale:

The original tale of Rumpelstilzchen originated in Germany about 4000 years ago! It was collected by the Brothers Grimm in 1812.

Fun Fact: "The name Rumpelstilzchen in German means literally "little rattle stilt", a stilt being a post or pole that provides support for a structure. A rumpelstilt or rumpelstilz was consequently the name of a type of goblin, also called a pophart or poppart, that makes noises by rattling posts and rapping on planks. The meaning is similar to rumpelgeist ("rattle ghost") or poltergeist, a mischievous spirit that clatters and moves household objects." (Quoted from Wikipedia)

Illustration by Walter Crane from Household Stories by the Brothers Grimm (1886)

The Review:

"A friendship is filled with only as much love as you give."

Rumpelstiltskin is magical, whimsical, and enchanting! It's a truly beautiful tale for faerie tale lovers! With bits of humor, intrigue, and the power of true love, this one is sure to have you turning the pages!

Ah, do you hear that? That is the sound of satisfaction from another beautiful read! I absolutely adored this version of Rumpelstiltskin! It was full of charm and fascination! If you haven't noticed by now, K.M Shea is becoming my favorite author! Her faerie tale retellings hold all the best pieces of the original tales, but also offer originality and beauty that you can't find anywhere else! Her version of Rumpelstiltskin is a perfect example of this!

Her writing style has continued to impress me with each tale. This one drew me in with elegant imagery and plenty of humor and love. The story flowed effortlessly, and Shea's faerie tale world has continued to flourish and become realized! I loved the fact that this could be read as a stand alone, but also held glorious bits of her past tales to initiate the notorious reading "oohs" and "aahhs".

When compared to the original tale, Shea kept a few aspects that seemed to be key to the story, such as the boasting father, the threatening king, and the exchange of trades offered to Rumpelstiltskin for spinning the gold. But, she also threw her own twists in that not only surprised me as a reader, but also felt like they fit the story. The tale was changed, in a fantastical way, to feel like a different tale from long ago.

And, who could get over the starring role of Gemma, the seamstress? She should have been in the tale from the beginning of time. She was beautiful, intelligent, determined, kind, and caring. She was strong and brave, and shined with a noble personality. She was my favorite because she handled everything with such poise, and her character was truly admired by all!

I also loved Lady Linnea! Shea truly understands the importance of girl power, strong friendships, and women uplifting women, because she has written another fabulous friend in her tale! Linnea was the image of grace and beauty, not only because she was beautiful on the outside, but because she was beautiful on the inside. She was a fiercely loyal friend to Gemma, and never let their social class differences stand in the way. Linnea represented true love in a sisterly kind of way.

And, of course, there was Stil. His character was truly magical. No, really, he was a mage. He was so fascinating and striking in comparison to the original Rumpelstiltskin. When I said Shea made this tale her own, she made Stil her own too. His character was kind, determined, and loyal. He contrasted the original in so many amazing ways, and I loved him!

Like her past three tales, this one had an old world charm, swirled with magical enchantment and moral beauty. I loved the elegance of the writing and the mix of humor and fantasy. If you haven't picked up any books by K.M. Shea yet, you are seriously missing out!