Review – Damsel by Elana K. Arnold (4/5 Stars)
Reading Level: Adult
Genre: Fantasy
Length: 336 pages
Publisher: Balzer + Bray
Release Date: January 28, 2020
ISBN-13: 978-0062742339
Stand Alone or Series: Stand Alone
Source: Bought
Rating: 4/5 stars
“The rite has existed for as long as anyone can remember: When the king dies, his son the prince must venture out into the gray lands, slay a fierce dragon, and rescue a damsel to be his bride. This is the way things have always been.
When Ama wakes in the arms of Prince Emory, she knows none of this. She has no memory of what came before she was captured by the dragon or what horrors she faced in its lair. She knows only this handsome young man, the story he tells of her rescue, and her destiny of sitting on a throne beside him. It’s all like a dream, like something from a fairy tale.
As Ama follows Emory to the kingdom of Harding, however, she discovers that not all is as it seems. There is more to the legends of the dragons and the damsels than anyone knows, and the greatest threats may not be behind her, but around her, now, and closing in.”
Series Info/Source: This is a stand alone book that I bought at my son’s book fair. Previous to this book I also read “Red Hood” by Arnold and I actually liked that book better than this one.
Story (4/5): The story is very fairy tale like with a dark fantasy tone to it and a major twist at the end, that I unfortunately figured out very early in the story. I ended up liking it and read it pretty much in one sitting, it’s not a very long book. I think I would have liked it better if I hadn’t figured out the twist so early in the book. This book does focus on men taking advantage of women, so there is quite a bit of descriptive and detailed violence against women, just a warning.
The story involves a Prince named Emory who must defeat a dragon and return with a rescued damsel in order to take his place as King. The rescued damsel has no memory of her past and ends up forced into a strange situation.
Characters (3/5): I didn’t really like any of the characters in this book. Emory was a manipulative jerk. Ama was kind of a clean slate, she does grow over time and find some strength but she doesn’t really have a good starting point for reference. My favorite character was the lynx named Sorrow that Ama raises.
Setting (4/5): The majority of this book is set in Emory’s castle, it’s a very generic setting. The setting wasn’t really the point of the book.
Writing Style (4/5): This book won’t be for everyone, Arnold does not shy away from describing uncomfortable things in excruciating detail. I should warn that in general this is a pretty depressing read, although the ending kind of makes up for it all. However, both Ama and her feline companion are subjected to cruelty throughout the whole story. There is very little happiness or light in this story. It is technically well written and was a quick and engaging read for me.
My Summary (4/5): Overall I did not like this as much as Red Hood, but I appreciate what the author was trying to do here. This story takes a well known fairy tale trope and spins it onto its head. It’s an interesting story but the depressing tone and vicious detail don’t really make it a pleasant read. I also found the big twist at the end to be predictable and I think I would have enjoyed this a lot more if it wasn’t. Arnold does have a writing style that is uniquely her own and I enjoy the creative ideas that she comes up with and the fact that she doesn’t shy away from vicious truths.
