Colleeda is a beautiful but wickedly vain young woman. Of all her assets, the one
she prizes most is the sound of her voice. Her favorite game is to attract young men and then leave them heartbroken. It’s all fun until she chooses to lure one man away from his fiancée—and that woman is rumored to be a witch bent on revenge. Colleeda is cursed to never speak or sing again, except for a couple minutes in the wee hours of the morning when no one can possibly hear her.
For years, Colleeda mourns the loss of her voice, believing she is no longer beautiful or desirable. She lives in solitude as her house falls into disrepair around her.
Is there any way to break the curse? Does she deserve to have it broken?
After reading several D.G. Driver books, I know to expect an entertaining read with meticulously developed characters. I read the first book in this fairy tale series, The Royal Deal, but somehow missed the second, so I was thrilled to come across the newest addition.
Colleeda is despicable, narcissistic, rude – I could go on, but no doubt you get the picture. She believes the world and everyone in it exist for her pleasure. Kudos to the author for making her so unlikable. You’ll spend most of the book yearning for her to get knocked off the pedestal she’s placed herself on. From the book description, rest assured, it’s a pretty rough fall. And then, you’ll miraculously find yourself feeling a bit sorry for her.
Although fairly sure I knew how this tale would end, it came as a surprise to me. The author’s unpredictable path added just a little more oomph to an already compelling read.
If you’re a fan of fairy tales or retellings, D.G. Driver’s delightful, and occasionally dark series checks those boxes quite well, and can be easily read in one sitting.
I received a copy of this novel from the author through Rosie’s Book Review Team.
Books and Such 
How unusual. I like the fairy tale bent. This sounds quite interesting!
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I was never a fairy tale fan, Mae, but I’ve found some retellings I’ve really enjoyed.
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Well, that sounds interesting. I do love fairy tales, and this one sounds like a good mix between Beauty and the Beast and The Little Mermaid.
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If I had to choose, Beauty and the Beast was my favorite – I mean, Beast gave her a library. What girl doesn’t dream of that?
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That’s my favorite, too! And for that exact reason. (Although I always pretend it’s in Italy instead of France.)
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Terrific review, Teri.
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Thanks for stopping by, John!
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😊
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I can add my recommendation to Teri’s as I loved this book too.
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I remember you were also a fan, Georgia.
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This reminds me of The Little Mermaid by Hans Christian Anderson. An interesting idea.
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I never read the book, Robbie, but I’ve seen the Disney movie. I have no idea if they’re even similar.
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Thank you Teri.
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You’re welcome, Rosie!
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