Review: Damsel by Elana K. Arnold

Damsel by Elana K. Arnold

Published: 2nd October 2018 | Publisher: Balzer + Bray | Source: Bought
Elana K. Arnold's Website

The rite has existed for as long as anyone can remember: when the prince-who-will-be-king comes of age, he must venture out into the gray lands, slay a fierce dragon, and rescue a damsel to be his bride. This is the way things have always been.

When Ama wakes in the arms of Prince Emory, however, she knows none of this. She has no memory of what came before she was captured by the dragon, or what horrors she has faced in its lair. She knows only this handsome prince, the story he tells of her rescue, and her destiny to sit on the throne beside him. Ama comes with Emory back to the kingdom of Harding, hailed as the new princess, welcomed to the court.

However, as soon as her first night falls, she begins to realize that not all is as it seems, that there is more to the legends of the dragons and the damsels than anyone knows–and that the greatest threats to her life may not be behind her, but here, in front of her. From Goodreads.

Trigger Warning: This book features rape, sexual assault, abuse, and degradation, and discussion of suicide.

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Once Upon a Retelling: Damsel by Elana K. Arnold

Welcome to Once Upon a Retelling! I'm a huge fan of retellings, and I'm really interested in hearing about authors' own love of the original stories, and what inspired them to retell those stories. And so Once Upon a Retelling was born, a feature in which I interview authors about their versions of well-loved tales.

Today, I've got something a little different for you guys. Elana K. Arnold is stopping by to discuss her original fairy tale, Damsel. It's not a retelling of a specific fairy tale, but it takes the tropes of fairy tales, and turns them on their head. It's an original story that looks like a fairy tale, but the story is not what you would expect. And it sounds amazing! So without further ado, on to the interview.

Can you tell us a little about Damsel? How does it differ from other fairy tales we know?

Here’s the official synopsis, which I think does a pretty good job of setting up the story:

A dark, twisted, unforgettable fairy tale from Elana K. Arnold, author of the National Book Award finalist What Girls Are Made Of

The rite has existed for as long as anyone can remember: When the king dies, his son the prince must venture out into the gray lands, slay a fierce dragon, and rescue a damsel to be his bride. This is the way things have always been.

When Ama wakes in the arms of Prince Emory, she knows none of this. She has no memory of what came before she was captured by the dragon or what horrors she faced in its lair. She knows only this handsome young man, the story he tells of her rescue, and her destiny of sitting on a throne beside him. It’s all like a dream, like something from a fairy tale.

As Ama follows Emory to the kingdom of Harding, however, she discovers that not all is as it seems. There is more to the legends of the dragons and the damsels than anyone knows, and the greatest threats may not be behind her, but around her, now, and closing in.

I’ve also heard people call DAMSEL “a fairytale #MeToo” and “Handmaid’s Tale meets the original (pre-Disney) Sleeping Beauty story.”

Continue reading Once Upon a Retelling: Damsel by Elana K. Arnold