Elizabeth C. Bunce

A Curse Dark as Gold

Vicky  Nuñez 

A terrifying tale full of mysteries, superstitions and gold.

This was a interesting story, never before had I felt I was reading a scary story, but I truly felt what the characters were going through and it scared me as much as it did them. And I got to admit I loved every minute. 

A Curse as Dark as Gold is an engaging tale full of remarkable characters. Overall, I loved it and can't wait to read any of Elizabeth Bunce's other books.

Rachel Kanyid

A lovely simple retelling. nothing super exciting but a little different than the others I've read. Very enjoyable and quick.

Alexandra Mellas

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Publication Date: March 1st, 2008
Publisher: Scholastic Inc
ISBN: 0439895766
Age Group: Young adult
Genre: Fairy tale/adventure/fantasy
Source: Library
Lootability: ***

The debut novel of Elizabeth C Bunce, A Curse as Dark as Gold is Rumplestiltskin as you have never read it before. Set in the beginning of an industrial revolution, amidst family tragedy, and a world of mysterious magical creatures and events.

What I Liked: Rumplestiltskin tales enthral me. There is something more horrifying about him than any other fairy tale villain. He is cruel, capricious, and utterly unemotional. If any fairy tale creature was ever going to be described as sociopath, it would be good old uncle Rumple.
Charlotte was a brilliant heroine, she is practical, hard working and strictly no-nonsense. She wasn't the whimsical damsel in distress of most fairytale, and I appreciated her independence. Her relationships are stronger because she isn't a weak, indecisive heroine we're used to; she and her sister have a solid friendship and her romance is sweet without being corny or vomit inducing.

What I Didn't Like: I had really loved Bunce's Thief Errant series, and really wanted to give A Curse as Dark as Gold a try, but it started off really slow for me. It didn't have the same spark for me, and I had to try twice to get far enough into the story to be sucked it. Once I reached that point it was fantastic, so I really hope people try and make it through the slow beginning.

Cover Conversations: I love the outfit Charlotte is wearing on the cover, the blue of her shawl fades beautifully in the black background while contrasting sharply against the white of her shirt. Beast of all is the golden thread binding her hands. It makes an ordinary picture look quite mystical, and the golden thread is synonymous with the Rumplestilksin tale.

A Curse Dark as Gold

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