"A seriously twisted fairy tale looking into the dark side of the tale of Rumpelstiltskin"
This is the second part of Meyer’s duology – a novel that could be read alone, but so much is added if the previous Gilded has also been read. Serilda is committed to marrying the wicked Erlking after ‘His Grimm’ had dangled the souls of five children that he would free from his service if she married him plus she must play along with the untruth that the child she carries is his.
A dark and winding plot unfolds, full of threat, savagery and cruelty follows as it is slowly revealed what the Erlking is up to – and how his hunts on the full moon are not as simple as they at first appear. The cast of characters, including humans, Gods, ghouls and ghosts, hellhounds and Dark ones are hugely various, often sporting the horrendous injuries that killed them throughout their service to His Grimm. There is romance , heartbreak, horror and amazing world building as well as the frisson of fear and creepiness in this novel.
Such a complex plot could have become unwieldy in the hands of a lesser novelist, but Meyer keeps a tight hold on all the strands and gives us a breath-taking ride to the ultimate ending. But is it like all fairy tales where everyone lives happily ever after? To reveal that would be the ultimate plot spoiler – but the reader will be so engrossed they will rush to finish this fairy tale for modern tastes.