“The Speculative Fiction Indie Novella Championship (SFINCS, pronounced “sphinx”) is a yearly competition to recognize, honor, and celebrate the talent and creativity present in the indie community. We are a sister competition to both SPFBO and SPSFC, and we highlight greatness in the novella format in all areas of speculative fiction (fantasy, science fiction, horror, etc.).” – From the official SFINCS website.
Note: The following review contains only my personal thoughts as a judge and does not reflect the views of the team as a whole. No cuts or semi-finalists will be announced until Team Bookend Elves has read all of our books!
REVIEW
Gothel and the Maiden Prince is a delightful romantasy retelling with incredibly smooth writing and a focus on banter and character work. Anyone who was left reeling after the anti-Semitism of Disney’s Tangled, but who enjoys an upbeat fairytale romance, would be well-served picking up a copy of W. R. Gingell’s twist on the Disney adaptation.* Although some of the background detail of the relationships explored in this one includes things like parental abuse and Othering, the tale itself is quite light and the focus here is on flirtation and the (re)building of family.
In this version of Rapunzel, the titular princess’s captor and jailor is less her nemesis and more her rescuer. Through the POV of the powerful witch, Gothel, it becomes clear early in the novella that Gothel’s motivations are entirely 
selfless, though it’s not until later in the story that we learn the exact details of Rapunzel’s unfortunate situation. Having sacrificed her reputation and personal safety to remove Rapunzel from an abusive situation, Gothel subsists in relative isolation from the communities and kingdoms that surround her. Her only companion her adoptive daughter, Gothel is also the victim of attempted “rescues” on the part of would-be heroes (usually, princes), who view Rapunzel as a kidnapee and no-doubt also have designs on some kind of reward, or simply the clout that goes along with rescuing a princess. When a completely different sort of prince becomes intrigued by the legend of the vicious and deadly witch who keeps Rapunzel captive in the forest, his investigation leads him to Gothel’s tower. Gothel strikes a bargain with him, agreeing to meet with him and engage in a battle of wits (and magic), the outcome of which means either the loss of Gothel’s powers, or the prince’s life. But, contrary to Gothel’s past experiences, the prince is far more interested in flirting with her than in rescuing Rapunzel from her supposed prison. As Gothel grows closer to her would-be suitor, she begins to dread the outcome of their contest.
The focus of the story is the developing romance between Gothel and the prince. Gothel is bristly and cold–initially reluctant to divulge her intimate secrets, her hopes and fears, or her personal history to a man she believes has ulterior motives. Gradually, however, the prince earns her trust, melting her heart with his culinary expertise and his insight into her motivations and character. Kind and generous, the prince is the antithesis of the men Gothel and Rapunzel are used to, and over time, Gothel comes to look forward to their conversations. Adding more to the conflict, the prince’s father–who’d much rather his son embody the military prowess that princes are traditionally supposed to–is dead-set on taking down Gothel.
The writing here, as mentioned, is incredibly smooth. There wasn’t an awkward sentence in sight and I had absolutely no trouble flowing along with the words. This novella has both the polish and the appeal of traditionally-published fantasy, and would make an excellent starting point for romantasy fans curious about indie books but unsure where to start. I found myself screenshotting particularly hilarious or poignant lines and moments, which is a rare thing for me and speaks to the strength of the writing. Gothel’s prickly, sharp wit made her tremendous fun to read, and her voice comes through very strongly in Gingell’s prose. The prince, as well, leapt off the page, and it’s clear throughout that Gingell has a strong grasp on character and how it informs and shapes plot.
While the storyline itself was a delight–I enjoyed the characters, the writing, and Gothel‘s central themes–I did find that the story was a little static in its middle portion. The setup of the novella requires a certain limit in terms of the different locations that can be shown on-page, so this isn’t so much a complaint that the setting doesn’t change, so much as that both the setting and circumstances occasionally felt a little same-y, scene-to-scene. Though the banter between Gothel and her love interest was well done, I felt as though a few of these scenes could have been condensed without detriment to the storyline or character work. Still, Gothel is a short, sweet read.
Gothel and the Maiden Prince is part of the A Villain’s Ever After series–a series that contains works by a number of different authors all working with similar themes–and if you’re a fan of retellings that present the villain’s point of view and cast them in a more sympathetic light, this one is absolutely for you. Fans of Disney’s Maleficent are likely to enjoy this one, but I’d also recommend it to romantasy readers in general, whether or not you have an interest in retellings, or in Disney specifically. With intelligent writing and solid character work, Gothel proves Gingell is a writer to watch!
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