~ The Kiss I give claims ownership of the span of thine years.
On the eve of the sixteenth day of your birth
when you were twice born and gifted by faerie kind,
you will prick your finger on the spindle of a spinning wheel
and so receive your seventh gift.
Death.
Thus may you harden your parents' hearts. ~
On the eve of the sixteenth day of your birth
when you were twice born and gifted by faerie kind,
you will prick your finger on the spindle of a spinning wheel
and so receive your seventh gift.
Death.
Thus may you harden your parents' hearts. ~
Now is the time, my dear readers, when we take a look at one of the best works of modern literature I have ever read. Before we start, I'm gonna lay all my cards on the table. I think the title of this book is a very bad title and I don't love the cover. It looks like it is marketed for a younger audience, but although kids will of course enjoy this book, you have to be older to appreciate the amazing depth. But as Dustfinger put it, "you know what they say about books and covers."
Published in 2016, The Golden Princess and the Moon reached a small audience of readers in its debut, but those lucky people who have read it (myself and my whole family included) are incredibly passionate about it. I have this feeling that we're gonna be like the folks who liked the Beatles before they were popular... wishful thinking maybe, but who knows?
So what's this here book about? We all (I presume) know the story of Sleeping Beauty. Besides the added comedy and simplification of the story, the old Disney classic doesn't do too shabby a job at telling the old fairy tale. But guyzzz, this book makes Sleeping Beauty the most tragic and wonderful of tales, and most importantly, it makes everything make sense. Have we not all taken note of the trend of fairy tale retellings with the infamous 'modern twist'? The old dusty princess stories dragged out of the murky antiquation of the past to be brought up to date and cleaned up, which, ironically, usually involves making them very dirty lol
Anyway, there are some very good fairy tale retellings, set in modern times or no, that I have read, but generally they are missing something. What they are missing is understanding. Fairy tales have a purpose. I'm not gonna explain that purpose really, you should read Tolkien's 'On Fairy-Stories' for that (total cop out, I know). Anyway, because fairy tales were meant to convey a message, to symbolize meaning, the characters in the old stories don't have a lot of character. The characters weren't the point, what happened to them and what they did was the point. Since modern people don't often get the meaning behind the old stories, they take the old stories, use familiar and famous plot points, twist the plot points to make things spicy, and by so doing destory the meaning that was meant to be the whole point of the fairy tale in the first place. They then throw in some attractive and likable, or at least attractive, characters, and voila! Now you have a modern fairy tale.
I understand why they do it though. Old stories often convey timeless truths, and I mean completely timeless, as in never changing, outside the cosmos, firm, solid, and completely ungraspable. So yeah, they are important, but the characters don't have personality, so we modern people want to make them interesting, cause let's face it, Snow White really isn't that fascinating of a character. But you see, everything she does has a purpose! What I have taken all this time to say is that The Golden Princess and the Moon is a book that brings so many things together that should never have been apart. It shows the meaning of Sleeping Beauty, the deep, deep meaning behind every seemingly goofy and weird detail of the story, but it also has characters who feel emotions and that you care about. It's so enjoyable to read, but it also means something! That, my friend, is the definiton of a good book.
-
There will be some spoilers here, but I don't give away the entire book, and most importantly (debatable), the end. I will give a rundown of the book (this post is kinda long, btw) and share a few lines or excerpts... Excerpt is such a funny word, I always feel like I'm spelling it wrong.
~ The Summary ~
A young boy is crying in the woods. An old lady comes upon him and asks him what's wrong. Soon she takes him to her cottage and starts telling him stories. He thinks she might be a witch, but he's also lonely and her stories are ever so interesting...
The stories tell of a spoiled princess named Rosa. Very spoiled. She wants the moon and when she gets a priceless replica specially commisioned by her father as a gift, she throws it against the wall. Needless to say, her parents are rather terrible and lie to her in order to stay her mad tantrums that are only brought about because they always give her everything she wants. In time, a beautiful and wise lady comes to take the princess away to live in a cabin in the woods for awhile. This lady happens to be her fairy godmother. Fairy is spelled 'faery' in the book, as it makes it more OG, ya know, cool and antiquated. I might interchange the two spellings to confuse everyone.
The princess in the stories grows and the young boy, who happens to be the prince of the 'modern day' kingdom (still medieval-style) grows as well. The kingdom is called Lothene, although it used to be Aurlia. Let me explain that really quick. The time in which the princess lives is very different from the time in which Erik lives. In fact, they are hundreds of years apart. When Princess Rosamund lived the kingdom of Aurlia was a meeting place for two different worlds, that of the mortal and that of the Faery. This was because mortals had married member of the Faery and their offspring displayed traits typical of both races. The Faery are not like the fairies in the cartoon Sleeping Beauty, they're more like elves in the Lord of the Rings, as they were originally in the old tales, ancient, wise, and beautiful, although not necessarily good. As time progresses, and many things happen, the mortal world begins to fear the world of Faery, and eventually the two worlds split and all memory of faery becomes nothing but an old wive's tale, a whispered memory told of dark magic and evil. Not all the tales are evil though. There is one legend still sung of rarely by the more traditional bards, a legend of The Golden King, a man both mortal and fairy, who wanders the land forever, homeless and alone in a hostile world.
The wandr'ing king tirelessly treads
the path of exile.
There is none left among mortal kind
to whom he dares speak.
There is none left to unburden
the treasure of his thoughts.
So what's this here book about? We all (I presume) know the story of Sleeping Beauty. Besides the added comedy and simplification of the story, the old Disney classic doesn't do too shabby a job at telling the old fairy tale. But guyzzz, this book makes Sleeping Beauty the most tragic and wonderful of tales, and most importantly, it makes everything make sense. Have we not all taken note of the trend of fairy tale retellings with the infamous 'modern twist'? The old dusty princess stories dragged out of the murky antiquation of the past to be brought up to date and cleaned up, which, ironically, usually involves making them very dirty lol
Anyway, there are some very good fairy tale retellings, set in modern times or no, that I have read, but generally they are missing something. What they are missing is understanding. Fairy tales have a purpose. I'm not gonna explain that purpose really, you should read Tolkien's 'On Fairy-Stories' for that (total cop out, I know). Anyway, because fairy tales were meant to convey a message, to symbolize meaning, the characters in the old stories don't have a lot of character. The characters weren't the point, what happened to them and what they did was the point. Since modern people don't often get the meaning behind the old stories, they take the old stories, use familiar and famous plot points, twist the plot points to make things spicy, and by so doing destory the meaning that was meant to be the whole point of the fairy tale in the first place. They then throw in some attractive and likable, or at least attractive, characters, and voila! Now you have a modern fairy tale.
I understand why they do it though. Old stories often convey timeless truths, and I mean completely timeless, as in never changing, outside the cosmos, firm, solid, and completely ungraspable. So yeah, they are important, but the characters don't have personality, so we modern people want to make them interesting, cause let's face it, Snow White really isn't that fascinating of a character. But you see, everything she does has a purpose! What I have taken all this time to say is that The Golden Princess and the Moon is a book that brings so many things together that should never have been apart. It shows the meaning of Sleeping Beauty, the deep, deep meaning behind every seemingly goofy and weird detail of the story, but it also has characters who feel emotions and that you care about. It's so enjoyable to read, but it also means something! That, my friend, is the definiton of a good book.
-
There will be some spoilers here, but I don't give away the entire book, and most importantly (debatable), the end. I will give a rundown of the book (this post is kinda long, btw) and share a few lines or excerpts... Excerpt is such a funny word, I always feel like I'm spelling it wrong.
~ The Summary ~
A young boy is crying in the woods. An old lady comes upon him and asks him what's wrong. Soon she takes him to her cottage and starts telling him stories. He thinks she might be a witch, but he's also lonely and her stories are ever so interesting...
The stories tell of a spoiled princess named Rosa. Very spoiled. She wants the moon and when she gets a priceless replica specially commisioned by her father as a gift, she throws it against the wall. Needless to say, her parents are rather terrible and lie to her in order to stay her mad tantrums that are only brought about because they always give her everything she wants. In time, a beautiful and wise lady comes to take the princess away to live in a cabin in the woods for awhile. This lady happens to be her fairy godmother. Fairy is spelled 'faery' in the book, as it makes it more OG, ya know, cool and antiquated. I might interchange the two spellings to confuse everyone.
The princess in the stories grows and the young boy, who happens to be the prince of the 'modern day' kingdom (still medieval-style) grows as well. The kingdom is called Lothene, although it used to be Aurlia. Let me explain that really quick. The time in which the princess lives is very different from the time in which Erik lives. In fact, they are hundreds of years apart. When Princess Rosamund lived the kingdom of Aurlia was a meeting place for two different worlds, that of the mortal and that of the Faery. This was because mortals had married member of the Faery and their offspring displayed traits typical of both races. The Faery are not like the fairies in the cartoon Sleeping Beauty, they're more like elves in the Lord of the Rings, as they were originally in the old tales, ancient, wise, and beautiful, although not necessarily good. As time progresses, and many things happen, the mortal world begins to fear the world of Faery, and eventually the two worlds split and all memory of faery becomes nothing but an old wive's tale, a whispered memory told of dark magic and evil. Not all the tales are evil though. There is one legend still sung of rarely by the more traditional bards, a legend of The Golden King, a man both mortal and fairy, who wanders the land forever, homeless and alone in a hostile world.
The wandr'ing king tirelessly treads
the path of exile.
There is none left among mortal kind
to whom he dares speak.
There is none left to unburden
the treasure of his thoughts.
[...]
The wand'ring king tirelessly treads
The path of exile.
Alone unchanging in a fading world,
The wand'ring king tirelessly treads
The path of exile.
Alone unchanging in a fading world,
he waits for the time
when what was sunder'd is joined by
when what was sunder'd is joined by
the coming of the crown.
The book goes along and two seperate stories, one supposedly 'fiction', the other 'real life', begin to weave together. Also, while Prince Erik (that's his name) is growing older and continues to visit Ninny Nanny (that's the weird old lady's name) to hear stories from her and to receive the human connection he longs for, he also begins to have dreams of a beautiful young lady, lying asleep in a clear stream, with flowing golden hair. But she's just a dream... Or is she?
I usually do not prefer books to jump from one storyline in the first chapter, to another in the second, and back and forth, so on and so on. I just begin to be really interested in one character and his world, and then it just switches on me and I have to get reinvested in a completely different character and world. This does not happen in the GP and the M, despite the two main characters' stories being told intermittently. I think I enjoy reading the parts centered around Erik slightly more, but only slightly. It also helps that both characters are so connected you don't feel too bad when you've grown attached to Rosa's world and then we go back to Erik and Lothene. If you remember, Rosamund's life is told in stories to Erik by Ninny Nanny. And then of course, Rosa's story contains Edmund... Ahh, Edmund, poor, poor Edmund. This young man is the cousin of Rosa, son of Uncle Stefan, the Creep. Not his official title, but he is pretty creepy. Just wait till you find out what he did to his wife! No spoilers involving that little episode though. Anyway, when Edmund is first introduced, he is cynical, a little arrogant, and enjoys making Rosa throw tantrums, because he can. He is surprised when she returns from her fairy godmother's house and is no longer a spoiled brat.
"Good morning, cousin Edmund," she said.
Edmund rose from his reclining position and returned a languid bow.
"Good morning to you, princess Rosamund. I see that you enjoy playing in the dirt." His smile grew larger and even more condescending.
Rosa felt mortified, but sniffed, "Yes, well, I'm having a nice time. I would suggest you try the same, but I am sure you wouldn't want to get your clothes dirty."
Edmund gave the princess a sharp glance.
Rosa pointed down to the bench. "Shall we sit down, so you can tell me why you are here?"
He sat down beside her, and she caught him giving her a sidelong glance.
He has dark hair curly hair instead of the gold of his cousin, and it reflects on his character. A gloominess seems to follow him wherever he goes, and the servants whisper of a curse. Rosa believes this curse is on her cousin, but little does she realize it is actually her own. In a chapter called 'The Summer Palace', the princess is forced to go on a vacation, without her parents, to a summer palace (aptly named chapter). She meets her uncle and cousin there, which rather disconcerts her. Her uncle doesn't spend too much time with her, and when he does he just stares and smiles rather creepily, but Edmund seems to have grown more friendly. He asks her many questions about her fairy godparents and spends time with her in the library and garden. Rosa begins to hope they can be friends. Hah. She herself is no longer a selfish, spoiled girl, not since she spent those months in the forest with her fairy godmother. Her time spent at the summer palace reveals incredible secrets. She meets another of her fairy godmothers, and the story of the curse is revealed to her in a sort of vision. The scenes of her past and Edmund's, when they were just children, are told excellently. This book has to be made into a movie, it would be epic. I believe Rosa is fourteen years old when she is at the palace, as she is destined to prick her needle on the spindle of a spinning wheel when she is sixteen. The curse was laid upon her by an evil member of the Faery, a tall and dark lady, with blood red lips and a dark staff in her hand. I won't divulge all the details of the curse, just know when and if Rosa falls asleep, the tales say she may be awakened by true love in the form of a kiss, but at the time of her curse and life her family and loved ones aren't so sure this will work out. You can't blame them. With this new knowledge revealed to her, Rosa suddenly realizes why her parents have always been so distant, despite giving her every little thing she could want since infancy. They want her to be happy, but they do not wish to grow attached to her. She's going to die, at least to them. It's really heartbreaking, actually. Her father still wishes to thwart the curse though, so he orders all the spinning wheels in the kingdom burned, thereby stifling the economy and causing many households to grow hungry. Anything to save his little princess.
While all this is happening to Rosa, and much more involving her cousin Edmund, Erik grows older and eventually must leave the castle of his childhood, and thus the woods of Ninny Nanny, to be raised and trained to be a real prince in a fortress by the sea. When he is a man and returns to the castle of his father and stepmother, he is alarmed to find that the king and queen wish him to find a wife. All his life, ever since he saw Princess Rosamund sleeping in the river, no other woman has turned the head of Prince Erik. How could they compare? Erik grows even more troubled when he doubts whether Rosa is even real. He brings his troubles to Ninny Nanny and they have a great exchange:
"An' would ye deny all that now that ye have grown? Would ye cast that all aside?" Ninny Nanny asked.
Erik lifted up a face, feeling worn and tired. "No! But how can I pin my hopes on her either? Dunstan teases me for not noticing other women, and he is right, for how can they compare to her? The king and queen want me to enter into a politial marriage, and they are right, for it would be good for the kingdom. How can I put all of that aside for a woman who may only be a dream?"
"Ye did not have these doubts as a child. Ye were wiser then."
"Children do not have responsibilities."
"Ye promised ye would save her, that you would risk your life for her."
Erik leapt to his feet. "Give me a dragon to fight, a monster to defeat, and I would do it gladly. But all of this waiting, not knowing..."
"Requires more strength," Ninny Nanny finished for him.
Erik felt himself flush and then stiffly bowed. "Good day, Ninny Nanny. I should return to the castle before I am missed. I will find my own way back."
Ninny Nanny stared at the door after he left and then said Mnemosyne, "He's developed a bit of a temper."
I love it. Children are often more wise than adults, at least in the way of not overcomplicating very simple things. We old people often get too clever for our own good. While Erik is having all these existential crises, Rosa is getting closer and closer to the day of her possibly endless slumber. It's quite annoying, Erik getting all doubtful when we know for a fact that Rosa can't wake up without him.
When Rosa is fifteen years old, Edmund begins to grow kinder, and she notices that he is actually rather handsome. You see where this is going. He loves her, tells her so, and says they should marry because then maybe he can save her from the curse. This sounds all well and good, and Rosa tells herself she believes it and that she returns Edmund's love, but a voice deep down sounds in protest. If there isn't anything wrong with Edmund and her love for him and his love for her (and that's assuming a lot), there is still something awry in the concept of tricking a curse. It won't work. The princess knows this. You can't trick magic.
I usually do not prefer books to jump from one storyline in the first chapter, to another in the second, and back and forth, so on and so on. I just begin to be really interested in one character and his world, and then it just switches on me and I have to get reinvested in a completely different character and world. This does not happen in the GP and the M, despite the two main characters' stories being told intermittently. I think I enjoy reading the parts centered around Erik slightly more, but only slightly. It also helps that both characters are so connected you don't feel too bad when you've grown attached to Rosa's world and then we go back to Erik and Lothene. If you remember, Rosamund's life is told in stories to Erik by Ninny Nanny. And then of course, Rosa's story contains Edmund... Ahh, Edmund, poor, poor Edmund. This young man is the cousin of Rosa, son of Uncle Stefan, the Creep. Not his official title, but he is pretty creepy. Just wait till you find out what he did to his wife! No spoilers involving that little episode though. Anyway, when Edmund is first introduced, he is cynical, a little arrogant, and enjoys making Rosa throw tantrums, because he can. He is surprised when she returns from her fairy godmother's house and is no longer a spoiled brat.
"Good morning, cousin Edmund," she said.
Edmund rose from his reclining position and returned a languid bow.
"Good morning to you, princess Rosamund. I see that you enjoy playing in the dirt." His smile grew larger and even more condescending.
Rosa felt mortified, but sniffed, "Yes, well, I'm having a nice time. I would suggest you try the same, but I am sure you wouldn't want to get your clothes dirty."
Edmund gave the princess a sharp glance.
Rosa pointed down to the bench. "Shall we sit down, so you can tell me why you are here?"
He sat down beside her, and she caught him giving her a sidelong glance.
He has dark hair curly hair instead of the gold of his cousin, and it reflects on his character. A gloominess seems to follow him wherever he goes, and the servants whisper of a curse. Rosa believes this curse is on her cousin, but little does she realize it is actually her own. In a chapter called 'The Summer Palace', the princess is forced to go on a vacation, without her parents, to a summer palace (aptly named chapter). She meets her uncle and cousin there, which rather disconcerts her. Her uncle doesn't spend too much time with her, and when he does he just stares and smiles rather creepily, but Edmund seems to have grown more friendly. He asks her many questions about her fairy godparents and spends time with her in the library and garden. Rosa begins to hope they can be friends. Hah. She herself is no longer a selfish, spoiled girl, not since she spent those months in the forest with her fairy godmother. Her time spent at the summer palace reveals incredible secrets. She meets another of her fairy godmothers, and the story of the curse is revealed to her in a sort of vision. The scenes of her past and Edmund's, when they were just children, are told excellently. This book has to be made into a movie, it would be epic. I believe Rosa is fourteen years old when she is at the palace, as she is destined to prick her needle on the spindle of a spinning wheel when she is sixteen. The curse was laid upon her by an evil member of the Faery, a tall and dark lady, with blood red lips and a dark staff in her hand. I won't divulge all the details of the curse, just know when and if Rosa falls asleep, the tales say she may be awakened by true love in the form of a kiss, but at the time of her curse and life her family and loved ones aren't so sure this will work out. You can't blame them. With this new knowledge revealed to her, Rosa suddenly realizes why her parents have always been so distant, despite giving her every little thing she could want since infancy. They want her to be happy, but they do not wish to grow attached to her. She's going to die, at least to them. It's really heartbreaking, actually. Her father still wishes to thwart the curse though, so he orders all the spinning wheels in the kingdom burned, thereby stifling the economy and causing many households to grow hungry. Anything to save his little princess.
While all this is happening to Rosa, and much more involving her cousin Edmund, Erik grows older and eventually must leave the castle of his childhood, and thus the woods of Ninny Nanny, to be raised and trained to be a real prince in a fortress by the sea. When he is a man and returns to the castle of his father and stepmother, he is alarmed to find that the king and queen wish him to find a wife. All his life, ever since he saw Princess Rosamund sleeping in the river, no other woman has turned the head of Prince Erik. How could they compare? Erik grows even more troubled when he doubts whether Rosa is even real. He brings his troubles to Ninny Nanny and they have a great exchange:
"An' would ye deny all that now that ye have grown? Would ye cast that all aside?" Ninny Nanny asked.
Erik lifted up a face, feeling worn and tired. "No! But how can I pin my hopes on her either? Dunstan teases me for not noticing other women, and he is right, for how can they compare to her? The king and queen want me to enter into a politial marriage, and they are right, for it would be good for the kingdom. How can I put all of that aside for a woman who may only be a dream?"
"Ye did not have these doubts as a child. Ye were wiser then."
"Children do not have responsibilities."
"Ye promised ye would save her, that you would risk your life for her."
Erik leapt to his feet. "Give me a dragon to fight, a monster to defeat, and I would do it gladly. But all of this waiting, not knowing..."
"Requires more strength," Ninny Nanny finished for him.
Erik felt himself flush and then stiffly bowed. "Good day, Ninny Nanny. I should return to the castle before I am missed. I will find my own way back."
Ninny Nanny stared at the door after he left and then said Mnemosyne, "He's developed a bit of a temper."
I love it. Children are often more wise than adults, at least in the way of not overcomplicating very simple things. We old people often get too clever for our own good. While Erik is having all these existential crises, Rosa is getting closer and closer to the day of her possibly endless slumber. It's quite annoying, Erik getting all doubtful when we know for a fact that Rosa can't wake up without him.
When Rosa is fifteen years old, Edmund begins to grow kinder, and she notices that he is actually rather handsome. You see where this is going. He loves her, tells her so, and says they should marry because then maybe he can save her from the curse. This sounds all well and good, and Rosa tells herself she believes it and that she returns Edmund's love, but a voice deep down sounds in protest. If there isn't anything wrong with Edmund and her love for him and his love for her (and that's assuming a lot), there is still something awry in the concept of tricking a curse. It won't work. The princess knows this. You can't trick magic.
Rosa shook her head. "No, Edmund, you always try to control magic, and that is why it eludes you. Words and deeds are nothing if they do not come from the heart."
Edmund's face drained to a ghastly shade of white, and his eyes burned. He gave a short laugh. "You have all the answers, don't you, princess. None of this is your fault. It must be my love that is not strong enough. Very well, reject all those who wish to help you. Sleep eternally if you wish."
I wouldn't marry a guy who talks to me like that. Honestly, a little support as one's inevitable magic death/eternal sleep approaches would be nice. But if you read the rest of the book, it is plain to see that there is much good in Edmund, it's just contorted by his bitterness.
I won't tell you how Rosa comes to prick her finger on the spinning wheel. It's probably the best point of this book. She herself wonders what I was wondering, and what any reader will be wondering. How will she end up pricking her finger when she knows it will put her to sleep? Will she fall into a dazed stupor, irresistably drawn to the wheel by a magic spell? Perhaps physically forced? Perhaps she'll do it in her sleep? Unlike the Disney movie, Anna Maria Mendell doesn't pull a total cop out and just throw her into a magical psychosis. What she does instead is brilliant, and heartbreakingly beautiful. Let me just say: poor, dear, foolish Edmund. Sighhhhhh.
Needless to say, Princess Rosamund of the kingdom of Aurlia does indeed fall into a deep cursed slumber. Now she just needs someone to wake her up. Who shall it be?
-
Erik, despite his initial doubt in the girl of his literal dreams, goes on a quest to find this sleeping princess, wherever she be. Along with him comes Dunstan, his best friend, and a rather flippant soul. I actually really do love Dunstan. He's the only person in this, excluding Ninny Nanny, who's not ridiculously serious and depressing all the time. He often teases Erik for being so serious, and although he does not believe in the princess himself, he follows Erik into the dreaded Shadowood, the place where the tower wherein the princess sleeps is rumored to stand, to find her anyway. His unbelief causes some problems for him, but he's a good sort despite that. I relate to him.
"I am not going anywhere," Dunstan said firmly, "and I did not say I did not believe you." Then he threw back his head and laughed. "Whoever would have dreamed that I would see the day that the serious prince would fall in love? It only stands to reason that she would be no ordinary woman, but a magical princess under a curse."
"I would rather you stay behind than have to endure your mockery throughout the entire journey," Erik said through gritted teeth.
Edmund's face drained to a ghastly shade of white, and his eyes burned. He gave a short laugh. "You have all the answers, don't you, princess. None of this is your fault. It must be my love that is not strong enough. Very well, reject all those who wish to help you. Sleep eternally if you wish."
I wouldn't marry a guy who talks to me like that. Honestly, a little support as one's inevitable magic death/eternal sleep approaches would be nice. But if you read the rest of the book, it is plain to see that there is much good in Edmund, it's just contorted by his bitterness.
I won't tell you how Rosa comes to prick her finger on the spinning wheel. It's probably the best point of this book. She herself wonders what I was wondering, and what any reader will be wondering. How will she end up pricking her finger when she knows it will put her to sleep? Will she fall into a dazed stupor, irresistably drawn to the wheel by a magic spell? Perhaps physically forced? Perhaps she'll do it in her sleep? Unlike the Disney movie, Anna Maria Mendell doesn't pull a total cop out and just throw her into a magical psychosis. What she does instead is brilliant, and heartbreakingly beautiful. Let me just say: poor, dear, foolish Edmund. Sighhhhhh.
Needless to say, Princess Rosamund of the kingdom of Aurlia does indeed fall into a deep cursed slumber. Now she just needs someone to wake her up. Who shall it be?
-
Erik, despite his initial doubt in the girl of his literal dreams, goes on a quest to find this sleeping princess, wherever she be. Along with him comes Dunstan, his best friend, and a rather flippant soul. I actually really do love Dunstan. He's the only person in this, excluding Ninny Nanny, who's not ridiculously serious and depressing all the time. He often teases Erik for being so serious, and although he does not believe in the princess himself, he follows Erik into the dreaded Shadowood, the place where the tower wherein the princess sleeps is rumored to stand, to find her anyway. His unbelief causes some problems for him, but he's a good sort despite that. I relate to him.
"I am not going anywhere," Dunstan said firmly, "and I did not say I did not believe you." Then he threw back his head and laughed. "Whoever would have dreamed that I would see the day that the serious prince would fall in love? It only stands to reason that she would be no ordinary woman, but a magical princess under a curse."
"I would rather you stay behind than have to endure your mockery throughout the entire journey," Erik said through gritted teeth.
"I am profoundly sorry. I know you are a delicate soul, and it will not happen again."
Erik smiled in spite of himself, He knew that such a promise would be impossible for his friend.
"Now onward! We journey to rescue a damsel in distress!"
"That is enough, Dunstan."
Lol I love him. Anyway, Erik and Dunstan go on their journey to discover the magical princess, real or not, and encounter trials that are actually difficult, spiritual and physical. One of the most intriguing points in their quest is when Erik goes to the house of the Barden of the Winds, a fellow with faery blood running in his veins, who talks to the wind and all the creatures of the Shadowood. Erik is told to ask him the way through the Shadowood by an old lady who saved him and his friend from a night attack by wolves. She's trustworthy, but he's not so sure about this Barden fellow. Erik is welcomed into his home, if a bit gruffly, and eats with his family, but Erik still doesn't trust him. Barden tells the prince he will reveal the way to the Shadowood, but for a price. Erik tells him he will of course return the favor in any way he can. Ha ha. Not a good idea. Barden asks for nothing that night, but bids Erik good night. As Erik is preparing for bed, one of Barden's daughters comes into his room, her dark and beautiful hair let loose. She looks rather scared and is shaking. She says she will help Erik get ready for bed. The prince immediately knows what's up and kindly sends the girl away. Her father sent her and Erik knows that he has just rejected the Barden's price. He wakes in the morning and his host acts hospitably. He demands no favor and claims that seeing the princess of legend wake will be reward enough for his help. Hah.
Erik smiled in spite of himself, He knew that such a promise would be impossible for his friend.
"Now onward! We journey to rescue a damsel in distress!"
"That is enough, Dunstan."
Lol I love him. Anyway, Erik and Dunstan go on their journey to discover the magical princess, real or not, and encounter trials that are actually difficult, spiritual and physical. One of the most intriguing points in their quest is when Erik goes to the house of the Barden of the Winds, a fellow with faery blood running in his veins, who talks to the wind and all the creatures of the Shadowood. Erik is told to ask him the way through the Shadowood by an old lady who saved him and his friend from a night attack by wolves. She's trustworthy, but he's not so sure about this Barden fellow. Erik is welcomed into his home, if a bit gruffly, and eats with his family, but Erik still doesn't trust him. Barden tells the prince he will reveal the way to the Shadowood, but for a price. Erik tells him he will of course return the favor in any way he can. Ha ha. Not a good idea. Barden asks for nothing that night, but bids Erik good night. As Erik is preparing for bed, one of Barden's daughters comes into his room, her dark and beautiful hair let loose. She looks rather scared and is shaking. She says she will help Erik get ready for bed. The prince immediately knows what's up and kindly sends the girl away. Her father sent her and Erik knows that he has just rejected the Barden's price. He wakes in the morning and his host acts hospitably. He demands no favor and claims that seeing the princess of legend wake will be reward enough for his help. Hah.
The prince is suspicious and uncomfortable, but what can he do? He leaves the house and takes the way he was told to take. As he is riding his horse Lodestar near a steep ravin, buffeted by strong winds, he believes he sees a dark tower, rising in the mist. As he looks closer, an enormously strong gust of wind comes sweeping from the west and throws him from his horse, down into the ravine. He nearly dies. This was how the Barden of the Winds repaid Erik for rejecting his daughter, the offered price. Later, a strange woman explains to Erik the nature of his betrayal by the Barden. Listen to this:
"I was betrayed and fell into the dark."
The woman studied Erik slowly and then said, "It is the strange way of fate that many bring about what they wish to prevent. For it is true, Erik, Crown Prince of Lothene, that Barden of the Winds wished to betray you to death and oblivion. His heart has become dark and twisted, searching for answers to secrets he does not know, and, when he finds an aswer, he does not understand that it is merely another secret. He thought that a secret would lead to your death. Instead it has led you to me," ...
It strangely reminds me of how Tolkien describes Smeagol before he ever possesed the ring.
'The most inquisitive and curious-minded of that family was called Smeagol. He was interested in roots and beginnings; he dived into deep pools; he burrowed under trees and growing plants; he tunnelled into green mounds; and he ceased to look up at the hill-tops, or the leaves on trees, or the flowers opening in the air: his head and his eyes were downward.'
I don't know, it just seems like Barden was the same way. He also was interested in the forest and the secrets of it, but he looked deep into the earth and into the dark corners of the Shadowood, instead of at the sun and the leaves on trees,and his heart became dark and twisted like the roots of the trees. It just sounds similiar to me, even though the words used to describe Barden and Smeagol are not the same. Food for thought.
Eventually, through much hardship and trial, Erik does find princess Rosamund, and because his love is as true as tempered steel, he wakes her. The happiness they both feel is unparalleled, but things won't be easy for long, for although the princess has been wakened, there are some who do not look upon this event with joy. Some, like the prince's seemingly gracious and delighted stepmother, have dark plans in store...
Ahem. I will stop there. I have said enough. I have read this book three times, and although it was amazing all three times, nothing will equal the joy and wonder of the first read. I can't bring up all the examples of depth and poetry that I wish, but I don't doubt you'll see many points and deep analogies and thoughts and all that I never even caught. This fairy tale has everything you could want in any book of any genre. It really is one of the best books written in the 21st century, I don't hesitate to say. Until we meet again, God bless you and grant you a very merry Christmas!
"I was betrayed and fell into the dark."
The woman studied Erik slowly and then said, "It is the strange way of fate that many bring about what they wish to prevent. For it is true, Erik, Crown Prince of Lothene, that Barden of the Winds wished to betray you to death and oblivion. His heart has become dark and twisted, searching for answers to secrets he does not know, and, when he finds an aswer, he does not understand that it is merely another secret. He thought that a secret would lead to your death. Instead it has led you to me," ...
It strangely reminds me of how Tolkien describes Smeagol before he ever possesed the ring.
'The most inquisitive and curious-minded of that family was called Smeagol. He was interested in roots and beginnings; he dived into deep pools; he burrowed under trees and growing plants; he tunnelled into green mounds; and he ceased to look up at the hill-tops, or the leaves on trees, or the flowers opening in the air: his head and his eyes were downward.'
I don't know, it just seems like Barden was the same way. He also was interested in the forest and the secrets of it, but he looked deep into the earth and into the dark corners of the Shadowood, instead of at the sun and the leaves on trees,and his heart became dark and twisted like the roots of the trees. It just sounds similiar to me, even though the words used to describe Barden and Smeagol are not the same. Food for thought.
Eventually, through much hardship and trial, Erik does find princess Rosamund, and because his love is as true as tempered steel, he wakes her. The happiness they both feel is unparalleled, but things won't be easy for long, for although the princess has been wakened, there are some who do not look upon this event with joy. Some, like the prince's seemingly gracious and delighted stepmother, have dark plans in store...
Ahem. I will stop there. I have said enough. I have read this book three times, and although it was amazing all three times, nothing will equal the joy and wonder of the first read. I can't bring up all the examples of depth and poetry that I wish, but I don't doubt you'll see many points and deep analogies and thoughts and all that I never even caught. This fairy tale has everything you could want in any book of any genre. It really is one of the best books written in the 21st century, I don't hesitate to say. Until we meet again, God bless you and grant you a very merry Christmas!
