I love the fairytale of Rumpelstiltskin, and this adaptation did not disappoint! I found the story to be very fast-paced and the characters to be likable! I can’t wait for the sequel! I really loved the narrator! She made the story come alive! I loved be how she did each character’s voices! Thus, this is a must-listen for fans of fairytales! I recommend this for fans of Melanie Karsak, K. M. Shea, and Robin McKinley!

In a creative retelling of the story of Rumpelstiltskin, Brandie June presents us with a headstrong young orphan desperate to feed her siblings and herself through whatever trickery necessary. The tables turn on her and she gets sucked up into the Grimm tale with a twist. A fast-paced drama infused with romance and love struck musings. A great read for tweens through mid-teens.

This was such a fun read! I love retellings and this one did not disappoint. I wish it was recommended more. I loved June's writing and all her characters. It had a wonderful setting and premise. I am excited to read the sequel soon.

Thank you, Netgalley and the Publisher for allowing me to read this book in return for an honest review.

A Rumplestilskin retelling with fairies! Say no more! Gold Spun is a Rumplestilskin retelling following a prince named Casper and a girl named Nor.

Nor and her brother have gone through tragedy, and in order to survive, they must scheme and con. One day, Nor rescues a Fae in the woods and he gives her a golden thread that will summon him for a favor. Using the thread, Nor comes up with the ultimate scheme to help support her family.

Prince Casper is sent word that his brother, the King, has been killed, so he must take up the crown. He comes across a girl who claims she can turn straw to gold. To attempt to punish her for her trickery, he makes her spin a room full of straw into gold.

I really enjoyed this book. It hit all of thr marks that I look for in a book.
Lovable characters- check
Atmosphere- check
Pacing- check
Couldn't put it down- double-check.

It is not without its flaws, though. While I enjoyed the writing, it had a tendency to get a bit repetitive.

The narration was fine. I felt like the pacing of the narrator could have been better. There were times when the narrator would pause too long between words of dialogue, making it sound unnatural.
All in all, I gave this book 4 out of 5 stars. I can't wait to see where the story goes in the sequel.

*received for free from netgalley for honest review* can't believe it took me so long to get to reading this book, i finished it a few days ago and i already want to reread it! really loved reading this and can't wait to reread it!

I absolutely loved ‘Gold Spun’ by Brandie June so much so - especially with the magical audiobook narrated by Kathleen McInerney that I immediately ran to read the next book, ‘Curse Undone,’ also on audio. This duology is fantastic - super entertaining - and I highly recommend it!

This. THIS. I love spins in fairytales, I’m a sucker for them. I loved how well written this one was, and how easy it was to get into.

I loved the fast pacing of this one and how it offered an interesting Rumpleskilksen retelling. I love all of the characters although I will have to say that Pel is my favorite with Nor being a close second. The writing really picks up a few chapters in. The ending was a letdown but knowing that the duology had another book really helps. I recommend this one to fans of retellings and young adult fantasy.

This is the first book in a duology. It’s a YA Rumpelstiltskin reimagining. I wasn’t sure what to expect when I started out but I was happily surprised with the way this book turned out.
Nor, 17, rescues a captured faerie in the woods. When she does he gives her the gift of a magical golden thread which she can use to summon him in case she ever needs a favor. Nor, struggling to make ends meet with her brothers, uses the gold strand in a con. She is using it to attempt to make the villagers believe that she can turn the straw that they are selling into gold. Unfortunately for her, her trick works a little too well and it garners the attention of Prince Casper. Now, just a little bit back she stole his gold ring so he’s mighty suspicious of the little thief.
Now, Prince Casper, who really despises liars, calls her out on it and makes her come to the palace with him, demanding she spin a room full of straw into gold and if she does, as her reward, he lill marry her. If she refuses or fails the consequences would be dire not just to her but also for her brothers. Nor becomes desperate and she calls upon the faerie to give her a little help. Soon she finds that she has growing feelings for both of the boys which, as you know, never ends well.
This was good. It was well written with characters that were written perfectly. It’s got a lot of the YA retelling/fantasy tropes going for it but they are done in such a smart way. It keeps true to the original tale just enough that it holds true and yet spins into it’s own story flawlessly.
I definitely liked this one a lot. If you like audiobooks, this is a great one for that as well. The narrator does all the voices differently and extremely well which adds another level to the tale. I received the audiobook from NetGalley.

I accessed a digital review copy of this book from the publisher.
This book is a retelling of Rumplestilksen. Nor is an orphan that is trying her best to take care of her brothers. She does this by being a thief and a liar. She encounters the prince and must prove that she can spin straw into gold. Nor uses the help of a fairy that owes her a favor.
I thought that this was an interesting retelling. It sets up everything for the second book without being too much of a cliffhanger. While Nor falls for Prince Caspar, her romance is not the focus of the story, which I appreciate.
This is a perfect book for anyone who likes to read fairy tale retellings.

I read a lot of retellings in 2022, and I was not expecting Rumplestilskin to be one of the top retellings. I feel like this series is extremely enticing and will make readers want to continue easily.

The narrator did an amazing job and is one of the big reasons I was sucked in so intensely.

The only thing I wish could be somehow adjusted would be the cover. I feel it is good, but could be better.

I had the pleasure of meeting this author in person and hearing her speak about this book. When NetGalley offered me the opportunity to review it, I leaped at the chance! Yes, this is the second Rumpelstiltskin retelling I have read recently (okay, okay - back to back), but I liked them both (for different reasons).

Nor has had to fend for herself and provide for her brothers for a while. Life for war orphans is tough. Nor has come to rely on her skills at trickery and deceit to put food on the table and survive. So when she has the chance to save a fae and is rewarded with a golden thread, Nor concocts the scheme of spinning straw into gold in order to get enough coin to survive a while longer. But her theatrics draw a crowd and to her growing dread, the new king is in the audience she's amassed. Soon to be King Casper demands she spin straw into gold to deplete his war spent coffers or face exile. Nor calls in a favor from Rumpelstiltskin, but similarities to the fairy tale end there. Can Nor spin enough lies to save herself and her brothers?

What I loved: the twist on the classic fairy tale, the additional plot twists and complications, the not overly romance threads, the sibling devotion, the not happily ever after ending

What I could have done without: the in-depth descriptions of blood magic

Thank you to the publishers, author and NetGalley for the free copy of this audio book.

I enjoyed this take a Rumpelstiltskin. I didn't instantly love the main character but I liked that she wasn't perfect. The narrator did a great job with this one.

⭐️4/5 stars.
This book/audiobook is perfect for anyone who loves retellings. This take on Rumplestiltskin felt new and different. Plus we have a great love triangle where I legitimately could not chose.
Our main character, Nora, is a thief and a com artist, conning people out of money to provide for her and her brothers. However, when a chance encounter leads to her saving a Fae, he offers her a boon. To which she choses gold and so he gives her a golden thread to use or to call him with. By the way, the fae here are hated & hunted, no more than by the new young king. Well after trying to con villagers into thinking she can spin straw into gold, the king comes, saying he’ll marry her if she can spin him more straw into gold. And well, thats where things take a turn and really pick up.
I really enjoyed this story and how the characters are forced to face the lies they believe, only to then fall back into them with all the deceit and lies.
This was a fun listen, and the narrator did a great job. I definitely recommend this to anyone who loves retellings or are in their Fae era.
Thank you to NetGalley for providing the audiobook ARC for my honest review.

I have read only a few Rumpelstiltskin retellings, so I love finding a new one to enjoy! I did enjoy this one. I didn't love it, but I liked it. It wasn't a book I had to listen to, but it was one I liked listening to. It was narrated by one of my favorite narrators, and she did a marvelous job bringing these characters to life! The characters she had the pleasure of bringing to life were well rounded and unique. The main character has some likable and unlikable traits, and I do enjoy a character with many sides.

If you're a fan of SJM's ACOTAR but don't want all the open door scenes, then this is a wonderful alternative. It had that vibe, but the romance is slow burn, no more than kissing, and I would feel comfortable recommending this book to a teen.

Will I read the sequel? Sure! I'm interested to know what happens next.

It started out great and then it felt a lot like Gild by Marissa Meyer and it i couldn't help compare and it took away enjoying the book.

Overall a good story but was slow for me and I was NOT a fan of the narrator. I didn’t care for any of the characters and really just didn’t vibe with this but I think others may enjoy it!

Since her father’s death, Nor just does what she can to survive. But when her heart gets the better of her and she saves a captured fae in the woods, he gives her a golden thread as a gift. Using her knack for conning people, she convinces the villagers that she can sell them straw that can be spun into gold. Her actions draw the attention of the Prince who believes her to be a fake. He gives her a room of straw and states that if she spins it to gold before morning, he’ll marry her. Nor finds herself caught between her feelings for both men and her desire to survive, spinning herself into more and more trouble.

Overall, this retelling of Rumpelstiltskin was lacking in depth and immersion. It seemed like the secondary characters simply existed for the protagonist and the plot, that they weren’t really doing anything that wasn’t related to her. This was especially true for her brothers. I also disliked how Nor did nothing to find her brothers other than ask about it once, when we’re reminded quite often that she’s doing all of this for her family. These two things made it feel like the author dropped the ball on creating well-rounded and realistic characters. Without having well written characters with depth, most of the plot and world that the author added to this fairytale didn’t have enough support to be engaging or interesting.

The author also relied on telling rather than showing throughout the work, which made it difficult to connect with the plot or the characters. As an example, we’re constantly told how clever Nor is, but she never puts that cleverness into action. The love triangle was also unconvincing, happening in a blink of an eye because one guy is handsome and the other is caring, which is obviously enough reason to fall in love over the course of a chapter.

Despite being a rather long retelling, nothing is resolved by the end of the book, and we’re left with a cliffhanger. I can see how some folks may enjoy this read, but it wasn’t for me. My thanks to NetGalley and CamCat Books for allowing me to read this work. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.

This was a fun audiobook! It was an interesting retelling of Rumpelstiltskin. It had me interested from the beginning and never lost my attention. I liked the way the narrater told the story! She made me feel like Nor was with me telling the story. This is a lighthearted, fun listen. Will be looking for the next book.

Brandie June has given us a retelling of “Rumpelstiltskin” for fans of Sarah J. Maas in her book, “Gold Spun.” Nor and her three brothers are orphans, doing their best to get by in a kingdom ravaged by war. After meeting a faerie in the woods, she cooks up a scheme to sell magic straw. The prince of the kingdom catches her, and hoping to expose her as a fraud, promises to marry her if she can spin all the straw into gold in one night. Through the aid of the faerie, she accomplishes this feat and becomes the fiancee of the king-to-be. All is not happily ever after, however; as Nor falls for her prince, other forces are at work to bring down the kingdom.

Although there is obvious influence from the fairy tale, this retelling is original enough that you are still left wondering how it will all come together in the end. I enjoyed the inclusive cast and the growth many of them showed. Brandie June has done a good job ensuring her supporting characters move along with the protagonist.

The narrator, Kathleen McInerney, did a great job giving voice to Nor’s first-person narrative. I found her earnest and believable.

I would definitely recommend June’s “Gold Spun” to fans of fantasy and fairy-tale retellings. It’s appropriate for upper elementary advanced readers right up through adult. I love the strong heroine who, even though she is not averse to running the odd scam, is fiercely loyal to her family and will do what it takes to keep them safe. I look forward to the next installment in this series. I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for my review.