Towers And Tithes
Christina Bauer
(Fairy Tales of the Magicorum, #8)
Publication date: November 9th 2021
Genres: Paranormal, Young Adult
I’m a Tower Tithe with a Rapunzel problem. That’s not as weird as it sounds.
Ever wonder how Rapunzel survives without leaving her home? After all, someone must stock groceries, buy hair products and fix the plumbing. Witches don’t wield toilet brushes, so “Rapunzel care” becomes the job of Tower Tithes like me. Not that we choose this gig. We’re just unlucky elves who get magically chucked into servitude. Since our kind live for ages, being a Tower Tithe can drag on for thousands of years… and I’m eighteen. Yipes.
That said, it wouldn’t be too awful if I had a cool Rapunzel. No such luck.
I serve none other than Lady R, the social media sensation and sadist who lives in Manhattan’s famous Apex Towers. With the help of her manager—a witch named Jocasta—Lady R releases daily gossip videos while assigning me “torture chores.” Many tasks are designed to remind me how Lady R is the gorgeous variety of elf, while I’m beyond plain. I spend a lot of time scheming my escape.
My work pays off when an eccentric billionaire offers to magically set me free. The catch? I must move to Arizona and become his personal assistant. Needless to say, I rush for the door. Turns out, my new employer is none other than Lady R’s ex-boyfriend, Dex, a guy who was blinded in a strange accident and has since become a recluse.
In other words, I ran from my fairy tale life, but it found me again anyway.
At this point, I should head for the hills, yet I simply can’t leave Dex. For the first time, I truly feel comfortable around someone. In all honesty, it’s probably because I have self-esteem issues and Dex can’t see my bland face. Even so, it’s all good until Lady R discovers where I am. And that leads to my Rapunzel problem.
With Lady R back in the picture, can I still find my happily ever after? The truth will emerge soon enough.
Because my name is Grayson Eyre, and this is my story.
Ideal for readers who crave a mash-up between Rapunzel and Jane Eyre.
FAIRY TALES OF THE MAGICORUM
1. Wolves And Roses
2. Moonlight And Midtown
3. Slippers And Thieves
4. Shifters And Glyphs
5. Bandits And Ball Gowns
6. Fire And Cinder
7. Fairies And Frosting
8. Towers and Tithes
Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / iBooks / Kobo / Google Play / Bookshop.org
*Please note - this post contains affiliate links, from which we may earn a commission (at no additional cost to you) if you make a purchase
Christina Bauer’s Towers and Tithes takes readers into a retelling of the Rapunzel fairy tale crossed with Charlotte Bronte’s Jane Eyre. Our main character, Grayson, is an Osmos (half elf half troll hybrid). She is locked in her cottage until the day she becomes a “Tower Tithe” and serves a Rapunzel for the rest of her life, but she manages to get some visitors and stave off loneliness by healing the wolf pups brought to her by harpies. Dex is in charge of all the wolf pups at Wulfheim. As the Alpha or “Brutus”, he is constantly searching for his mate (also known as “Vita”). If he is unable to find her in time, the sanctuary that Wulfheim offers will be threatened. Will the two be able to find their happily ever after by the end of the story?
I loved the artwork that was featured in this book. I’m such a visual person, so the inclusion of the artwork definitely added to my enjoyment of the story. Lady R’s portrait was particularly interesting - the idea of a Rapunzel whose hair has to be contained under a cap was interesting. She and the Prism Master definitely fit the picture of “villains” and “bad guys”. After seeing all this artwork (and seeing Elle’s relationship with Grayson), I’m planning on going back to read Elle’s story to see her artwork.
The biggest issue I had with the book was the “fairy tale life template”. It took away some of the fun in the story. Sure, it can be implied that there are only a couple of paths available to a certain character. But if they quite literally know that they have to follow a fairytale blueprint? The story automatically loses surprise and mystery points. I now have laid out options for what will happen, and I prefer stories that keep me guessing.
Grayson and Dex's story continues in the next book of the series, Mirrors and Mysteries. This book covered more of the Rapunzel aspect, so I’m thinking that the next book will include more references to the Jane Eyre story. I’m crossing my fingers that there will be more time at Wulfheim with the pups and the other shifters. I would recommend this book to fantasy readers who love fairy tale retellings and stories filled with lots of magical elements. While this is part of a series, you don’t have to read the previous books to understand what’s going on with this one (your experience will be more impactful having read the previous books, given that a lot of the side characters from this book were introduced in previous stories).
Thank you to the author, NetGalley and Monster House Books for allowing me to read an early copy of the book. I received a review copy of this book as part of my participation in the Xpresso Book Tours promotion.
Author Bio:
Christina Bauer thinks that fantasy books are like bacon: they just make life better. All of which is why she writes romance novels that feature demons, dragons, wizards, witches, elves, elementals, and a bunch of random stuff that she brainstorms while riding the Boston T. Oh, and she includes lots of humor and kick-ass chicks, too.
Christina graduated from Syracuse University’s Newhouse School with BA’s in English along with Television, Radio, and Film Production. She lives in Newton, MA with her husband, son, and semi-insane golden retriever, Ruby.
Be the first to know about new releases from Christina by signing up for her newsletter: http://tinyurl.com/CBupdates
GIVEAWAY!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Hosted by:
Thanks for being on the tour! :)
ReplyDelete