5 Wine Glass #Review of Golden Braids and Dragon Blades: Steampunk Rapunzel by Melanie Karsak

Title: Golden Braids and Dragon Blades
Series: Steampunk Fairy Tales Book 4
Author: Melanie Karsak
Format: Paperback, 176 pages
Published: August 26th 2018 by CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform
ISBN: 1726205010 (ISBN13: 9781726205016)
Links: Goodreads | Amazon
Reviewer: Linda
Source: Contest win and Kindle Unlimited
Rating: 5 out of 5 Wine Glasses

Being the heir to Camelot is a tangled mess.

Rapunzel has spent her entire life living in Merlin's cave on the coast of Cornwall. Under the protection of her faerie guardian, Gothel, she’s stayed safe. Safe and bored. Dreaming of a life that looks more like a Jane Austen novel, Rapunzel fears she'll never have the chance to explore Victorian England's modern delights. Or meet a man. Or be kissed. Or anything else remotely resembling normal.

When Red Cape Society Agent Ewan Goodwin's monster-stalking device leads him to Rapunzel—and her unusual pets—the pair’s destinies entwine. Together, they must solve a mystery tied to the very roots of King Arthur's Britannia.

Golden Braids and Dragon Blades is a retelling of the Rapunzel fairy tale set in Melanie Karsak’s bestselling gaslamp London steampunk universe. 

Linda's Thoughts:
The fourth imaginative installment in Melanie Karsak’s Steampunk Fairy Tales!

Flaunting a stunningly beautiful cover, Golden Braids and Dragon Blades heralds the fourth imaginative installment in Melanie Karsak’s Steampunk Fairy Tales. This time Melanie treats readers to a fractured retelling of Rapunzel set in her whimsical London steampunk world which sports a diverse population of supernaturals. It blends Authurian legend, steampunk and Jane Austen into a chivalrous, thrilling, addictive read. Please know that each of the entries in this series can be fully enjoyed as a stand alone although fans of the series will enjoy occasional cameos from previous favorite characters.

Rapunzel Pendragon is the true heir to King Arthur and a dragon blood. She has been hidden in a cave all of her life protected and cared for, not by a witch, but by a benevolent faerie acting as her mother. Unfortunately, danger is looming and she and her dragons must flee with the aid of Red Cape Society agent Ewan Goodwin, who just happens to be a descendent of King Arthur’s knights with a directive to save damsels in distress.

Even though she’s led a sheltered life unable to leave her cave, Rapunzel possesses a good heart and a love for all life. The little moments she enjoys discovering everyday life which we take for granted are precious. Ewan is brave and intelligent and a perfect match for Rapunzel. Rapunzel’s family of dragons are adorable pints of fiery energy. I want one!

Following please find a few of my favorite lines from Golden Braids and Dragon Blades:

I looked up at Ewan. He’d told me himself his job was to hunt people like me. To track them down and arrest – or kill – them. For all I knew, he was taking me to a cell somewhere. Me and my dragons could be in terrible danger. But if so, why was he looking at me like that? No. I was safe with Ewan. Everything in his eyes said so.
“Why are you helping me?” I whispered.
Ewan smiled. “Your hair.”
“My hair?”
He grinned playfully. “Got a thing for girls with long hair.”
--- 

I grinned. “Start at the beginning.”
“Once upon a time---“
“It did not start with “Once upon a time.”
“No? It should have. All the best stories do. Now, where was I? Once upon a time…”
--- 

I swallowed hard, trying not to let my feelings show. To hide them, I grinned. “Ewan, I have something to tell you,” I whispered.
The lines around his mouth trembled. “Yes?”
“You won’t laugh.”
“Rapunzel… No, of course not.”
“Ewan… I love bacon.”
At that, Ewan laughed then placed his arm around my shoulder and pulled me close, planting a kiss on the top of my head. “Yeah. Me too.”
--- 

“You’re better than butter upon bacon.”
“That’s a good line. Did you learn that from reading Jane Austen?”
“No, that’s all Ewan Goodwin.”

Melanie Karsak weaves a fun, magical spell of pure gold with Golden Braids and Dragon Blades. I love Melanie’s style of writing. Every book I’ve read by her has been wonderful and she has quickly become a must-read author for me. Once I opened this book, it was impossible to put it down. It’s a wild, emotional ride packed with fast-paced action. The romance within is sweet and not risqué – completely suitable for a YA audience. I rate it better than butter on bacon and can’t wait to see what Melanie comes out with next!



Suggested Reading Order: 
Curiouser and Curiouser (Book #1) – Steampunk Alice in Wonderland
Dirty Deeds and Bloody Knaves (Book #1.5) Steampunk Alice in Wonderland
Ice and Embers (Book #2) – Steampunk Snow Queen
Beauty and Beastly (Book #3) – Steampunk Beauty and the Beast
Golden Braids and Dragon Blades (Book #4) – Steampunk Rapunzel
Howls and Hallows (Book #5) Steampunk Red Riding Hood
Lycans and Legends (Book #6) – Steampunk Red Riding Hood