Apples Dipped in Gold

Fairytale retellings, especially by one of my favorite authors, have always been up my alley! I've always found them fascinating and even studied fairytales in college.

While Scarlett St. Clair's novella was engaging, it unfortunately fell short of my expectations. It truly pains me to say this, especially since I always rave about Scarlett to everyone I know.

However, the writing felt rushed and monotonous, which was exacerbated by the audiobook narration. The voice actors' robotic delivery highlighted the limited word choice variation, making the dialogue between Lore and Samara feel superficial and abrupt – even in pivotal moments.

Now, this novella was not bad!! Let me make that clear. I thoroughly enjoyed reading it and learning about Lore and Samara. I love romance and slow burn, especially in fairytales. And that's exactly what this is: A fairytale. It contained all the necessary literary elements to qualify as a proper retelling of several classic fairytales, including "The Hand with the Knife," "The Nixie of the Mill Pond," and even nods to "Cinderella."

I appreciated the nods to renowned fairytale authors like The Brothers Grimm, Hans Christian Andersen, and Andrew Lang.

The story's abrupt ending did catch me off guard, concluding with a literal "happily ever after" sentence. Despite some shortcomings, I'm giving "Apples Dipped in Gold" three stars. While it didn't meet my lofty expectations, the storyline and ideas were inventive and captivating – a testament to St. Clair's storytelling abilities.

I also want to acknowledge the impressive effort that goes into writing a book – a feat that deserves recognition in itself.