Gold Spun

Nor was just trying to make a little money to feed her brothers when she came across the bandits in the forest.  Everyone knows faeries are not to be trusted.  They are the enemy.  But she feels sorry for the bedraggled creature who is now subject to the whims of two brutal bandits.  In a split-second decision, she decides to help him escape.  In return for her help, the faerie, Pel, offers her a reward.  He fashions a gold bracelet and places it on her wrist.  He also creates gold thread that could buy food and shelter for her family for months.  

But Nor is a con artist; she doesn't have a choice.  Her parents died in the last war, and she and her brothers were left to fend for themselves.  They could use the gold to buy a few meals, but they could also use it to make a little more coin first.  Unfortunately, Prince Casper catches her in the act and is determined to punish her for her deceit.  

Casper is recently returned home after his older brother's death and is determined to establish himself as a strong leader.  He vows in front of the crowds that he will marry Nor if she can actually spin a room full of straw into gold.  The consequences of failure are unacceptable.  In her despair, Nor calls on Pel for assistance.

But now that she has completed the challenge there are consequences.  She is betrothed to a prince she doesn't know and doesn't particularly like.  She will have to learn how to navigate the court intrigues and figure out how to survive this new life among people who have never had to struggle to survive.  

With each passing day, her feeling for Casper change.  He is kinder than she first gave him credit for, and she begins to see a future with him.  But Pel isn't completely out of the picture.  The faeries are creeping ever closer and launching attacks on human villages.  Pel swears he is different, but Nor isn't sure she can trust him.  She is playing a dangerous game with her heart and her secrets.

This retelling of Rumplestiltskin by Brandie June starts out well.  The author makes Casper a more sympathetic character with some back story, and the set up with Pel works, too.  Once Nor is installed in the castle, the pace starts to slow, and the love triangle is a bit strained since she only meets Pel two or three times.  Nor starts as an active character but quickly becomes passive with only brief moments of temper.  She may have an opportunity to be more active in the second book.  This is an interesting read for those who enjoy fairy tale retellings.