pamela
Full of big promises, I'm afraid the The Book of Gothel severely under-delivered. It had an amazing premise that went largely forgotten as the novel progressed, and ultimately brought nothing new or original to an already saturated genre.
On a positive note The Book of Gothel was very well researched and included some beautiful setting descriptions. It blended fantasy, history, and faith in a nuanced blend. Where it fell short for me, however, was in its overall plotting. Ultimately, this being a Rapunzel "retelling" was nothing but a MacGuffin. You could have removed that entire concept, and the book would have remained virtually indistinguishable. Apart from its title, the narrative had no connection to its core concept, which definitely changed the way I read the story.
For me, The Book of Gothel's biggest downfall was in its character and worldbuilding, however. Apart from Haelewise herself, all the characters were incredibly underdeveloped. The side characters and villains were entirely forgettable (indeed, I forgot who half of them were multiple times and had to flick back to give myself a quick primer whenever they reappeared in the story). This was especially stark with the book's odd framing - a framing that was in and of itself both completely unnecessary and a huge missed opportunity.
The Book of Gothel certainly wasn't a bad book, but it was definitely something different to how it was both framed, and marketed. If you want a general book about the history of female spirituality and the advent of Christian primacy that is well researched, then this is definitely a book worth reading. But if you're looking for a fairytale retelling with a dark academia feel, then this book will leave you sorely disappointed.
