The Sevenfold Spell (Accidental Enchantments) [Kindle Edition]

Most readers who follow the fantasy blogs will recognize Tia Nevitt's name -- she's been running her own debut blog for years and is a regular contributor at the website I contribute to. She also happens to be a personal friend; she lives in my city and we like to trade books.

I suppose that's why she didn't send me a review copy of her own debut novella, The Sevenfold Spell. She probably figured I'd feel obligated to say something nice. Well I don't (I'm not as nice as she thinks I am), but I also don't like to critique my friends, so I quietly downloaded The Sevenfold Spell onto my Kindle and didn't tell her I was reading it.

In Tia's take on the Sleeping Beauty story, Talia and her mother's livelihood and prospects are devastated when spinning wheels are banned. Talia, who has not been blessed with a pretty face, is forced to use other charms and skills (that's the polite way to say it) to make ends meet.

As you've probably guessed by now, I must have liked The Sevenfold Spell, or else I wouldn't be writing this. This short novella (I read it in an evening), which was published by Harlequin's new e-book imprint, Carina Press, is definitely a romance and contains more seduction and sex scenes than I thought were possible to fit into such a short space, so it's not my usual fantasy fare, but I enjoyed this little diversion. It was well-written, humorous, the characterization was impressive (especially for such a short book), and the story was sweet.

I liked Tia's focus on a minor character in her re-imagined fairy tale. I understand that she has more of these in mind for the future. I'll be quietly downloading the next one, too.

Have you even wondered how the happy endings of fairy tales really come to be? Or who else is involved with the story that we never hear about? This is the behind the scenes story of Sleeping Beauty, and the involvement of a spinster named Talia. We learn how the princess became cursed, what the effects of the fairy spell were, how the spell came to fruition, and how Talia played into all of it.

This is not your mother's fairy tale, and Disney would probably not approve. I, however, give it two gigantic thumbs up. I love when old traditional stories are reworked and reimagined in a way that is truly fresh, bringing something new to the table. When done well, it can make you forget the original version of the story. This is exactly what Tia Nevitt has done with this book.

I loved that the story was primarily about Talia, not the lovely but doomed princess. Sure the princess is kind of why there is a story to begin with, but this is not her story, it is Talia's, and I love that. I am also a big fan of the fact that the story is not so sanitized. It is most definitely risqué, but probably a more realistic view of what a woman in Talia's position would be dealing with.

I highly recommend this book to adult fans of fairy tales, particularly reimagined ones. If you are a fan of the books by Gregory Macguire, or the movie Ever After, then you will love this book.

I grew up watching Disney's Sleeping Beauty, falling in love with the delightful fairies and the beautiful princess every time I watched it. But there was another side to the story that I had never considered, and author Tia Nevitt has brought it to life.

A royal decree declared that every spinning wheel in the land should be destroyed. But what would become of those in the town who depended on their spinning wheels to earn their wages? Talia, the town's most plain looking woman, loses her only prospect for marriage after her mother's spinning wheel is taken and destroyed. Her betrothed is destined now for the monastery, but before he goes, Talia seduces him. After he is gone, there is a gaping hole in her heart which she tries to fill by having her share of lovers over the years--including a carpenter who helps her build a new spinning wheel from memory.

Though Talia is not without flaws, she has a kind heart. Her womb is barren, but she deeply loves children. A young girl named Rose, raised by her two aunts, is the child that Talia has always longed for. Talia does not know that the spinning wheel she keeps a secret from the royal kingdom and that the child she wishes she could call her own are linked by a dark curse. Will Talia's love for Rose end this wicked curse once and for all?

I first heard about The Sevenfold Curse on The Book Smuggler and was very eager to read it. Thanks to Carina Press and netgalley.com, I was able to spend a delightful few hours getting lost in Nevitt's reimagined fairy tale. I was a bit shocked when I started reading it and came across some sexual situations. Though the review I had read mentioned sex, I had entirely forgotten about it and had pictured I was in for something along the lines of Ella Enchanted or Princess of the Midnight Ball. Once I got used to the idea that this was more of an adult fairy tale, I was fine with the story as Nevitt told it. I wouldn't recommend this for teenagers, though if I'd come across it at that age I would certainly have wanted to read it based on the plot summary alone.

The Sevenfold Curse was a novella, and I'm more accustomed to reading longer fiction. Despite its length, the story was well told and I was entirely satisfied at the conclusion. The characters were well developed, though I would have liked to have gotten to know Rose just a bit more. I found the dialogue between Talia and Prince Andrew very sweet and slightly amusing. Nothing about this story was predictable to me, and I enjoyed every minute spent reading it. The Sevenfold Curse appears to be the first in a series, and I'm really excited to see what fairy tale Nevitt will tell from a new perspective next.