#bloodleaf

bloodleaf by crystal smith

this is the 7th novelization of the goose girl i have read

one of the more enjoyable ones to read although not as subversive or thematically interesting as little thieves or thorn

initially i was very worried this wasn't goose girl as it wasn't in the summary and the first chapter was not goose girl at all. but by chapter 3 there were many familiar elements that clicked for me

the handmaiden character was unfortunately not very present, which is a character i always want more of (also there was a handmaiden AND a maid who both pretended to be aurelia for very different reasons!)

i also don't love when the handmaiden character is a pawn in a scheme rather than the one who initiates the scheme. like it was done well enough here, it's just not my preference for the story

the main plot is a witch hunt/political manipulation plot which didn't engage me as a reader that much. it felt very classic ya fantasy to me.

falada was here but she couldn’t talk in this version

the romance was fine, they were cute enough, they had the same values which was nice. i was lowkey rooting for another guy but only in the beginning

there's a lot more death than the last few i have read. i was a little shocked

this was the best version of the handkerchief. three drops of people's blood are on it and her life is tied to theirs so they have to die before she does

conrad was her little brother and the crown prince! love that twist! and he got along really well with the handmaiden

overall, this was a fun and fast paced retelling and i enjoyed it more than the last three i read.

3.5 stars overall, i probably won't read the sequels, it had a decent ending overall

spoilers below