A Wicked Thing: después del fueron felices y comieron perdices

¿Una doncella ataviada con vestidazo y en pose extravagante? ¡Adjudicada la lectura! ;o)

Confieso mi debilidad por estas preciosas cubiertas. Siempre voy deprisa a leer la sinopsis en la contraportada para confirmar si me apetece leer la historia. Con qué alegría descubrí que A WICKED THING, de Rhiannon Thomas, trata sobre Aurora, la protagonista de la Bella Durmiente. ¡Me encantan los retellings de cuentos!

Esta historia arranca en el momento legendario en que Aurora despierta con el beso de su amor verdadero. ¿Fueron felices y comieron animalitos alados? Me temo que nada más lejos de la realidad.  O de esta misteriosa y juvenil fantasía que juega con la búsqueda de identidad de una joven condenada a cumplir los dictados del destino y la política.

Sobre todo, me ha parecido muy interesante que, aunque Aurora es dócil y carente de libertad de elección, se debata entre el deber y su deseo de aventura. Se ha pasado la vida aislada en una torre. Después de cien años de siesta mágica, descubre que todos quieren manipularla para sus fines de poder y control. Ella, en cambio, no está segura de que obedecer traiga la ansiada paz al reino de Alyssinia, ni de que sus propias ansias de libertad merezcan ser escuchadas. Sufre un debate interno constante.

Poco a poco, a pesar de estar sometida sin remisión, va demostrando ingenio, libre albedrío, determinación.

La autora describe con sensibilidad sus sentimientos divididos, su indefensión, a medida que traba relaciones con la dominante reina, el tiránico rey, su dulce y tímido prometido. Rompe las reglas cuando ale del castillo y conoce a Tristan, el joven que representa al pueblo oprimido. Su mente inquisitiva brilla cuando debate con el encantador y artero príncipe Finnegan. ¡Mi favorito, sin duda! Qué listo y manipulador es el chico, y nunca sabes si miente o es bueno o malo... Sus diálogos son de lo mejor.

Con sutileza, la magia hace acto de presencia a través de la maldición que pesa sobre Aurora. Hay muchos hilos de los que tirar en este punto. Al final, arrollado por hechos trágicos fuera de su control, Aurora sufre muchos avatares y culpas y dudas en unos últimos capítulos llenos de sorpresas.

Creo que es una visión muy individualista de este personaje de cuento, una búsqueda de la relevancia personal en un mundo gobernado por las injusticias, las apariencias y las obligaciones amorales.

Promete una gran aventura para el siguiente libro y ya estoy deseando saber cómo se titulará... ¿A Wicked Choice? No estaría mal ;o)

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A Wicked Thing

by Rhiannon Thomas

Publisher: HarperTeen

Release Date: February 24th 2015

Read an excerpt

Rhiannon Thomas's dazzling debut novel is a spellbinding reimagining of Sleeping Beauty and what happens after happily ever after.

One hundred years after falling asleep, Princess Aurora wakes up to the kiss of a handsome prince and a broken kingdom that has been dreaming of her return. All the books say that she should be living happily ever after. But as Aurora understands all too well, the truth is nothing like the fairy tale.

Her family is long dead. Her "true love" is a kind stranger. And her whole life has been planned out by political foes while she slept. 

As Aurora struggles to make sense of her new world, she begins to fear that the curse has left its mark on her, a fiery and dangerous thing that might be as wicked as the witch who once ensnared her. With her wedding day drawing near, Aurora must make the ultimate decision on how to save her kingdom: marry the prince or run.

Rhiannon Thomas weaves together vivid scenes of action, romance, and gorgeous gowns to reveal a richly imagined world … and Sleeping Beauty as she’s never been seen before.

MY OPINION OF A WICKED THING

The catch

The fact that Aurora's story starts right after the spell-breaking kiss is higly appealing. So much plot and secrets to discover!

The style

Evocative. It made me easily understand the bewilderment Aurora feels after awakening from her century-old slumber. Surrounded by strangers, bereft of all the people she loved and the places and times that meant something to her, her plight only intensifies when the real reasons concerning her importance surface and threaten her.

The twists

I liked it very much that there is so much mystery and secrets in the land where Aurora has awoken into. Does anyone care about her? Or only plan to use her as a pawn in their dark schemes?

The romance

A pinch that entices. I promise there's plenty of possibilities here.

I've enjoyed Aurora's interactions with other characters. All of them have their own hidden agendas and the fun is in finding out the nuances and dangers and veiled truths. The aloof queen, duty-bound Rodric, insecure Isabelle, the oh-so-charming-bad-boy Finnegan, alluring Tristan.

Even before the curse that put her to sleep, Aurora had been trapped in a tower by her fearful parents who wanted to protect her. You can feel her need to taste life and adventure! I enjoyed seeing her grow more confident on her desires and protests. And that's how she meets Tristan!

The author has made a good decision when she chose a heroic story for a girl who's not a heroine. She's an ordinary girl amidst extraordinary circumstances. Or is she?

From a cursed-induced sleep through a path that's been predesigned for her, she has to face all kinds of expectations and challenges. Will she be up to the task or will she disappoint the people who's lost hope and the land that's lost magic?

This is a story of finding your place in a confusing world and the sacrifices that must be made in the way. I could relate to the main character. She's torn between duty and desire. After all, we've all been there. Well, not in a castle brimming with politics, unrest, scheming, a pinch of magic and a threat of dragons, but... we've been in the princess' shoes, at least. Is it the right thing to follow the rules or to break them and find freedom?

With a steady and fairy tale atmosphere, A Wicked Thing strikes me as a siren call for freedom. Aurora is a girl without a choice that looks for herself in the middle of lies, betrayal, death and power struggle. I really liked her growth as a character, her wonderful interaction with prince Finnegan (is he evil or an antihero?).

It was really interesting to see the legend twisted into a fantasy nightmare of difficult choices, a dreary royal wedding and the impossibility of a happily ever after. Every character plays an important role and the mystery that dwells inside Aurora is cause for wanting to read that ending that comes too soon and too marked by tragedy and a promise of adventure. I'm very curious to know what comes after this wicked beginning.

Favourite quote:

"I'm lost", she said. "Me too", he said. "Maybe we can be lost together"

THANK YOU, ladies at The Fantastic Flying book club, for this wonderful tour.

Follow the A Wicked Thing by Rhiannon Thomas Blog Tour!

FIND OUT BOUT THE AUTHOR!

Rhiannon Thomas is a recent graduate from Princeton University, where she studied English and Japanese, and smuggled bubble tea into the library on a regular basis. She now lives in York, England.

As well as reading and writing YA fiction, she runs the blog FeministFiction.com, where she discusses TV, books, and all kinds of fannish things from a feminist perspective.

I don't hang out on Goodreads much, so if you want to contact me, please swing by my personal website or message me on Twitter.

https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/KawaiiCandyCouture

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Lo siento, arrebatadores, aunque estos tours están abiertos a blogueros internacionales, no suele ocurrir lo mismo con los sorteos. Es sólo pa'ellos ;o) De todas formas, la novela es muy monosa. ¿Os ha gustado?

Babel entre cuentos con final malvado.