I love a villain origin story and mother gothel is everything dark and gothic and witchy as you can imagine. Did I keep picturing Mandy Moore in her tower, yes. But this more than that, it’s an extensive look into females roles in the Middle Ages and how deeply intertwined religion and magic were. It’s a dense book but the painstaking detail takes you into a tower in the middle of the Black Forest that defies all odds. All the characters were rich in detail and the way the story twisted and turned also kept it fresh.

3.5 stars

I had really hoped this would be another 5-star read for me, but it fell short. I never truly felt connected to the main character, and the plot felt a little uneven, like the author was trying to fit in too much. And the frame story really didn't seem necessary at all. (In fact, when it came back in the epilogue, I was a bit confused at first because I had completely forgotten about the beginning. Basically a scholar has gone to read an old book that has just been found, which is the book of Gothel.)

This is a "villain" origin story for the witch who imprisoned Rapunzel in the tower. But she's only a villain to the outside world who gets told a version of the story that isn't the truth. In fact, there's very little that truly connects with the Rapunzel story, so that connection really doesn't seem entirely necessary. I might have actually liked the story better had it just been presented as its own story and not connected to Rapunzel. Then the theme of repairing the Mother and those who follow her would be the forefront and the story would feel whole.

Mary McMyne’s Book of Gothel immerses the reader in both the mundane and the magical. The scary and the sweet. The truth and what gets twisted into lore and fable.

The protagonist, Haelewise, is the daughter of a wise woman and midwife, who keeps her beloved daughter close to home because Haelewise is prone to fainting. But this book is inspired by a fairy tale, and as we all know, fairy tale heroines, for that is what Haelewise is, almost always end up leaving home. Haelewise is no different. To be fair, though, Haelewise is not the fairy tale heroine you might think she is by the book’s intriguing cover.

McMyne takes the reader through enchanted woods, to the royal court, and even to an abbey presided over by one of the most famous saints of all time. All the while, Haelewise, flawed but lovable, grows and learns and becomes a woman who has been vilified in “Rapunzel,” but who is admirable in The Book of Gothel. And, to my delight, there is definitely a tower and lots of interesting plants to enjoy reading about. Oh, and there is romance, but the romance isn’t all that defines Haelewise. She ultimately defines herself.

I can’t emphasize enough how utterly spellbound I was by this book. I felt as though I was living beside Haelewise as I read her story. Set in 12th century Germany, the reader is fully in that time. I devoured The Book of Gothel and was sad when it ended. I recommend it without reservation.

This is the story of the witch who put Rapunzel in the tower. If you're expecting a villain, you are in for a surprise. Mother Gothel is so much more.
I had a great time with this book! I couldn't help but root for Haelewise after everything she went through. I love folklore and retellings and I thought this was a very unique take on the story of Rapunzel.

Thank you to Mary herself and Redhook/Orbit books for sending me a copy of this book to read and review. if you're into folklore retellings interwoven into fantasy, then this absolutely something you should read. At first I was skeptical because the beginning felt heavily Catholic and churchy which isn't my vibe, but that being said, I've wanted to read this since I heard the announcement about it. It did not disappoint. The retelling was so interesting and the Haelewise was such a complex main character. This also gave a great backstory to a villain that never really should have been labeled a villain at all. I was enthralled throughout the story and kept wondering what would happen next. I also loved the whole idea of the outside character trope and it was done really well in this instance. There was also some Jewish representation and I appreciated the accuracy as well as not being portrayed horribly in the plot line. It was refreshing to see a difference here when usually these tropes are antisemitic or harmful. I loved the little twists at the end and how everything really tied itself together. Haelewise is such a strong and interesting character and I loved having her narration at the forefront. Overall this was a fantastic retelling and I loved the journey.

This was great and so atmospheric. Pick it up to enjoy and to escape reality for a bit. Highly recommend,

The Book of Gothel gives us the origin story of Mother Gothel, known as Haelewise in this book, the main antagonist of the Rapunzel fairy tale.

Starting with things I enjoyed. I really liked the setting of middle ages Germany. I generally enjoy when folk tale/fairy tale stories are weaved into historical settings from our world as I feel like this adds to the atmosphere and vibes of the folk tale story. And since Rapunzel is a German fairy tale it felt very fitting. I also enjoyed the framing device we saw in the prologue and epilogue. Admittedly its presence didn't really add anything meaningful to the story but I enjoyed it nonetheless,

I am also a fan of the old vs new religion narrative in fantasy stories. It's one of my favorite things in the historical/folk tale inspired corner of the fantasy genre and this one was not an exception to that.

Beyond that I can't say I really loved much else in the book. I didn't particularly enjoy Haelewise as a protagonist. I found her frustratingly naive in way that while fit her character's backstory was annoying to have to read. She was often suspicious of things she was told once she left her village and while on surface this made sense, what did not make sense to me was the logic behind which things she found suspicious and which things she did not. She also was often surprised by the consequences of or reactions to things she did or say in a way that had be wanting to shake her shoulders bit.

Plotwise I found this book to be just a glacially paced book. Most of the book lacked any kind of plot driving it forward it felt like most of the book was sitting around in a location with not much really happening and then we'd move to a new location and start it over again. I often found myself wondering what the point was and where was this all going. And whenever Haelewise would try to ask people more information about the old religion they kept saying they couldn't tell her which was beyond frustrating because if there's not a plot that's driving then you've got to give me something else to latch onto! Even towards the end of the book when there was more action happening it still didn't hook me into finding out how it was going to resolve.

There was also a romance in this book that I was not into. It was fine in the beginning when it was just presented as a childhood love but then it got brought back later and I just never bought into it. Especially since the male love interest had a wife that he stayed with and it ended up being this weird part time mistress resolution which was just not it for me

I really thought I'd love this one. I mean, it was a fairytale retelling and a villain origin story. Both tropes I love. But instead of being a captivating tale of desperation and revenge, I got a wishy-washy romance. I wanted more villainous acts, and less wandering. The majority of this was boring, and by the end, I didn't care what happened. I'll say that this one had potential, but didn't get anywhere near fulfilling it.

Thanks to Netgalley for providing a free copy in exchange for an honest review

Just to say up front - I was so ungodly confused for the first couple pages of this book I thought perhaps I had severely misjudged what this was about. But lo’, it was actually a really interesting way to start out a very old tale. Basically a well known professor is asked to check out a very old illuminated manuscript which greatly details the life of a medieval woman unlike any document previously discovered. She begins to read the document and there the story of Haelewise begins.
Haelewise’s story was both tragic and empowering. She’s raised in a small town by parents of very differing beliefs - her father is Christian and her mother continues to secretly follow the old ways despite having made promises otherwise. As one might imagine, this creates a great deal of tension in the household, made even more serious because Haelewise suffers fainting spells that cannot be driven out by folk cures or priestly remedies. Her life seems to be one traumatic event after another - death, spurned love, fear and fleeing in the night to safety - until she arrives at Gothel, the bewitched tower deep in the forest. Haelewise begins to learn more of her heritage, but is headstrong and foolish, insisting on sticking her nose where it might get cut off.
This is deeply in the realm of historical fantasy and provides an unromanticized look at what life might have been like for a woman during this time period, especially one who is under suspicion of having unnatural abilities. While I can’t exactly say I enjoyed the story, it was interesting and I appreciated it for what it was. Haelewise’s life was full of difficulties, particularly in her younger years which is what the book mostly focuses on. The later years are briefly run through in the latter pages (epilogue style!). I always think the intersection of Christianity and traditional/folk beliefs in stories is pretty interesting - it creates its own sort of tension and seems to act as the antagonist at times.
Overall, if you are a fan of historical fantasy, especially with a female main character, this is definitely worth checking out. It won’t go down as a favorite book of mine as historical fantasy isn’t usually my favorite obscure subgenre, but it's a very well written story. Just not quite my 5 star cup of tea!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

The Book of Gothel is a retelling/origin story of Mother Gothel, the witch accused of keeping Rupunzel captive in her tower. The book follows Haelewise, the child of an abusive, zealot father, and a loving but somewhat mysterious mother. When Haelewise is just 16 her mother grows ill and dies. Haelewise is left to fend for herself, as her father has remarried and moved out, leaving her behind. Fueled by the tales that her mother used to tell her, she eventually flees to the woods to find the legendary tower of Gothel and the mysterious woman who lives there, in the hopes of learning more about her mother and finding a place where she’ll finally belong.

This was one of my most anticipated books of the year, so my expectations were set pretty high. And while I found the concept interesting, and I didn’t have any trouble getting through the story, there were some things that ultimately didn’t work for me. I will say I was really invested for the first quarter or so of the book. I felt for Haelewise in her struggles. The loss of her mother, and mistreatment by her father, were both very heartbreaking. I also thought the world-building was well done. I had a great sense of the world and time the story was set in.

That being said, the rest of the story fell flat for me. After a certain point I felt that Haelewise was a very one-dimensional character. It just didn’t feel like she had a lot of depth or character development. And quite honestly, I found her a little annoying at times. There was also a lot of repetition in the storytelling, and many times the story didn’t feel cohesive. I also could have done without the prologue and epilogue. While I understand what the author was going for, I didn’t find them necessary and didn’t think they added anything to the story.

Overall, I am glad I read this book, and I’ll definitely check out McMyne’s future books, as I do genuinely think she has talent as a storyteller. But as a character driven reader I just didn’t connect with this story as much as I had hoped.

3/5 Stars ⭐️

Fans of CIRCE by Madeline Miller, UPROOTED by Naomi Novik, DAMSEL by Elena K. Arnold, and BIRTH OF VENUS by Sarah Dunant will absolutely adore THE BOOK OF GOTHEL. Part historical fiction, part feminist reclamation of the Rapunzel fairy tale, THE BOOK OF GOTHEL transports readers to a time when Christianity abutted against traditional practices passed down by generations of women. While Haelewise isn't always the most likeable character, she does the best she can with what she has and the ripples of her love and protection echo down throughout the ages.

The book of Gothel by Mary McMyne is a feminist origin story of Mother Gothel from Rapunzel.
In this book, Haelewise has always had strange conditions. She has trouble seeing in bright light and she suffers from fainting spells. When her beloved mother dies, she must flee her village and go to find a fairy tale, a tower that is said to be a refuge for women. There, she learns more about herself and her mother's religion, and sets off on a larger adventure where she will meet kings, saints, and witches.
I loved this book. The protagonist was relatable, she did not get through things too easily. I especially loved the feminist slant. Mistreated by many men, in different ways, makes her stronger. I like that the tower is a retreat for women, free from men. This book also spends a lot of time comparing religion, Catholicism vs. Paganism. I found this interesting, seeing both the harmful and good sides of religion.
I think the book would have been better without the love interest Matthäus, I feel like he added very little that could not have strengthened another, more valuable character. I also wish Haelwise was more cutthroat and less passive, but I can understand how her upbringing made her the way she is. I also do not think motherhood needed to be so important. I think the feminist aspects of it would be stronger without, and I think Haelwise was too obsessed with having children. It was not necessary to explain Rapunzel.
In conclusion, I think this book was overall very good. I would recommend it to anyone looking for a kind origin story of a villain, and to anyone interested in discussions of the power of women and religions. I would not recommend this to someone looking for a grittier story, or to someone against children and motherhood. This book does have some death and attempted rape, so beware.

You can totally read this book and not even realize it's a twist on Mother Gothel's origin story. Haelewise, otherwise known as the witch who stole Rapunzel and raised her in a tower, lives in an an unsuspecting German village in an unmentioned time. It's her story and it is epic. Highly recommended for fairy-tale fans and for fans of villains and their own stories. Sometimes, even evil should have an explanation.

*Special thanks to NetGalley and Redhook for an e-arc of this novel.*

A Retelling of Rapunzel, but from the witch’s point of view. I enjoy reading retellings! Haelewise lives with her mother Hedda. Who fills the days with her daughter telling stories about magic, nobility, and an ancient tower. Haelewise’s mother passes and she leaves her village. She is on quest to find the tower from her mother’s tales. She’s on her way to Gothel, there she meets a woman who helps her and she also meets Rika. The reader enters a world that has magic and dark secrets. Rika carries a secret and together they discover that there are people who are bent on keeping those secrets hidden. An impressively written retelling and I was entertained by the authors take of this story.

Disclaimer: Thank you to NetGalley and Redhook for this ARC, I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I don’t really have favorite fairytales but if there’s one I can say I really enjoyed, it has to be Rapunzel. So when I saw that this book was to be a retelling of the story from the witch’s perspective, I was immediately intrigued. And I’m glad that it lived up to the expectations.

I don’t wanna give it away but the narrative device used to tell the witch’s story was something that took me by surprise and I have to say I really enjoyed it. And the writing itself is so captivating. It’s got complete fairytale vibes, but a bit on the darker side and it’s pretty fast paced, so I just wanted to keep going once I started. The descriptions are also very evocative and I could totally feel the mysterious and otherworldly nature of everything. I also liked the unpredictability of the story - I really couldn’t guess even for a second where it was going until the story almost reached the end.

Haelewise is a young girl who has always been different from others but sheltered from the world due to her mother’s protectiveness. But once she loses her mother and finds herself alone and cast away, she decides to find purpose and is very determined in her path. Despite her longing for love and affection, I found that Haelewise is a very resolute character, who knows she has to do something even when she isn’t clear of the path, and will do whatever it takes to achieve the outcome. The way she handles every obstacle in her life is admirable and I really liked her character, even when I wasn’t sure what she was thinking or what she was gonna do next.

Kunegunde is the forest witch who gives her sanctuary and I thought the author did an interesting job creating such a push and pull relationship between them, where they seem to care for the other but are also always at odds. Rika was a small presence, so I felt we really didn’t get to know her well. Ursilda on the other hand as well as Beatrice felt like strong women who valued their relationships and faith more than power and I appreciated their strength of conviction. Haelewise’s mother is a significant presence even though she dies pretty early on, and it felt like she was always with her daughter, protecting and guiding her. And finally, I have to talk about Matthäus whose relationship with Haelewise felt both unbreakable and under developed. Every interaction between them is charged with love and tension, but I felt we didn’t get enough backstory to help us see why they shared such a strong bond. But his loyalty was also definitely very enviable because despite everything, he never forgot his first love.

On the whole, this was a very engaging and fun fairytale retelling which got dark at times, but was also equally powerful in telling a story about women whose historical narratives get forgotten when books are written, who are powerful and confident and do a lot for each other, but never gain the right recognition. This is a story dedicated to all such women and I’m glad I got to read it.

The story is so well done. It came across as well thought out, well written, and fully developed! I enjoyed the feminist aspects, and absolutely loved the twist on the classic Rapunzel story. It was such a good read!

I was very excited to get an ARC for this book because I LOVE a nice retelling of fairy tales, especially the ones that investigate the "bad guys". I loved the main character and the love story in this one, but MC Haelewise suffered too much for my taste in this one without enough wins. It seemed like every other female character she met had decided on a whim to help her ... as long as Haelewise did XYZ for them first ... and that was just wrong for me. This story dangles this ~mysterious~ group of strong women who support each other throughout the book, but we never really get the payoff. I also think I would have liked to see a darker, less naive version of Haelewise as she grew up through all these new experiences. I wanted her to stand up for herself - to stand firm and fight, but most of the time she was on the run or at the mercy of others. I had similar issues with the popular Circe book, so if you liked this one, you'll probably enjoy it. I would say my favorite part of the book was world building and religion/magic. The way the author weaved in Christianity and Wiccan vibes was very cool and unique. I also enjoyed the romance in this film, the love interest was respectful and the spicy scenes well done. Nevertheless, I will definitely read more from this author in the future.

Oh my goodness, I LOVED this book. Essentially it’s the backstory behind Rapunzel, but that’s only a small part of the story. The novel addresses various ways that medieval women were treated through the eyes of Haelwise as well as the missing feminine in Christianity. The love story is beautiful, and Haelwise’s quest which leads her into becoming the “witch in the tower” is thrilling. It reads like historical fiction, but with some mystical elements. Super excited about this one, highly recommend.

I received this book as an ARC in exchange for an honest review. My opinions are my own.

“I spin my stories, sifting through my memories, polishing the facts of my life until they shine like stones. Sometimes they bring my stories back to me, changed by retelling. In this book, under lock and key, I will set down the truth.”

I picked up The Book of Gothel thinking it would be a villain origin story for the witch who put Rapunzel in the tower, but it was so much more than that. It tells the story of Haelewise from childhood to adulthood. It tells of how she was shunned by her village, discovered mysterious magic, and ended up at Gothel. This book read more like a historical fantasy than a fairy tale retelling, which could be a negative or positive depending on what you’re looking for.

Dark, gothic, eerily feminist and relevant to our times, THE BOOK OF GOTHEL is a retelling perfect for fans of MALICE and CIRCE. I love a good book that takes a fairytale, especially a villain from one of them, and breathes new life into it. I loved the gothic fairytale atmosphere that McMyne has created in this book. Combined with the setting of Medieval Germany, the feel of this book was absolutely perfect. I also really enjoyed Haelwise's character development as she goes from girl to woman in a world intent on controlling her. I loved how the women in this story, for the most part, band together in solidarity in a patriarchal society and the idea of Haelwise's story being lost in history and being rediscovered. It's a testament to countless women who were silenced throughout history by patriarchy and even by religious institutions. Haelwise's story is powerful in that way, I think. I also liked how this book, while not a strict Rapunzel retelling, reimagines that story as well as Mother Gothel's. If you're looking for a great retelling, look no further than this. It's a slow mover, but worth it!