This was a cosy, fun, slow burn fantasy adventure and a clever retelling of Rumplestiltskin.
The story revolves around Princess Gisele of Isshia (cursed from a little girl by a power hungry Prince with dark intent) and her journey towards getting her powers back and journeying beyond her mundane life behind the palace walls.
Gisele journeys to the house of Mal (otherwise known as Malediction and later Rumplestiltskin) in order to find out what he did to her and to help her in her quest.
However, she doesn't expect to fall in love with Mal (who also has supernatural powers) and together they, along with a few other supernatural creatures friends within Mal's home band together to defeat the evil Prince Avern and change all their lives forever.
This story was a delight to read and I look forward to reading more books by this author in the future.
Thankyou to Net galley, the publisher and the author for an arc of this book.

Before Princess Gisele is even born, she is claimed by an evil fae sorcerer in a first born bargain. However, when he never shows up to claim her, the unclaimed magic has unexpected consequences. By 40, she cannot take it anymore and decides to take matters into her own hands. With her harrowing trip into Faerie, she finds the murderous fae. Although he is nothing like she expected. With a quaint sentient house, a talking cat, terrifying fae neighbors who are more welcoming than threatening, and together with the misunderstood fae she calls Mal, they work together to find the lost bargain in order to break their curse. This was a fun, easy read, cozy and cute. Would love to see more stories in this world.

I loved this book! The lore was cool (I love that she pulled real lore about the fae into it). The perfect combination of cozy fantasy with unlikely allies romance. So cute!

Okay, first of all, I am a sucker for retellings of any kind. So, when I saw this was a Rumplestiltskin retelling, I requested this ARC without a second thought.

Gisele is the princess of Isshia and has been cursed from the day she was born. Her mother, desperate to escape her imprisonment, struck a deal with a dangerous magical sorcerer to give up her firstborn child, and in exchange, he would spin straw into gold for her.

Forty years later, and tired of waiting for the sorcerer to come and get her, Gisele decides to travel to the Fae Realm to find and confront her Malediction (Mal). But who she finds is not the evil sorcerer she always envisioned.

Instead, she is met with a charming, yet aloof, recluse of a man who had lost track of time and all but forgotten about Gisele entirely. Unfortunately, even with his life threatened, he doesn’t release her from the curse that binds them because he lost his true name.

This was just amazing. I honestly loved every single second of this book. I wish that there was so much more tbh. But I also adore how it ended, so absolutely no notes lmao 😂

My favorite part of the entire book is the characters. They really drive this story forward heavily. And omg the BANTER. It was top tier. So good. I want MOOORE. Best characters, hands down, are Zingiber, a telepathic cat, and Skymallow, a magical/sentient tree house.

If you like your cozy fantasies spicy, then you're in luck! This was fit with pining, yearning, erotic dreams, and hot & steamy entanglements. I'm not sure that this part of the book was for me, ultimately. I love more closed-door romance, personally. And the MMC has more cat-like features than I prefer in my romances, but I know that there are a lot of readers who would enjoy the spice in this one.

Ultimately, as much as I love standalones, I wish there was going to be a second novel so I could spend more time in this world and with these characters. It was absolutely spectacular. Definitely recommend to anyone who loves spicy romantasies, retellings, banter, and cozy fantasies. 4.5 stars rounded up to 5.

Thank you to AJ Lancaster, Camberion Press, and NetGalley for sending me an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review!

This was such a nice, refreshing retelling of Rumpelstiltskin! I love that we start off with Gisele saving herself from her stagnant life of waiting. I extra love that’s she forty and absolutely amazing and fierce! She sets out to find the fae who cursed her before she was born but never came to collect, only to find out she cannot break the curse because he doesn’t remember his name. Thus begins a whole new quest.
The fact that she ends up calling him Mal -short for malediction- and he totally excepts it is quite adorable. As is the fact that Mal has ears that constantly give away his emotions ☺️ They’re so stupidly sweet in their insecurity to call their attraction what it actually is, but we get some fun, friends with benefits action out of it so who am I to complain?
I weirdly appreciate that this book has chapter numbers AND titles. It is not something I thought I particularly cared about in way or the other but I really enjoyed these. This book makes me want to go back and find the previous book telling the story of the human queen because I am sure I would love it too based on this!

First of all I would like to thank NetGalley and the publishers for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was a really good retelling of Rumplestiltskin with a lot of spice and a decent slow burn. It was just the right amount of magic and romance with some deeper layers to add depth to the characters in the story.

I enjoyed all of the characters and was an overall enjoyable read and I will be looking at AJ Lancaster works as this was a really nice introduction to this author.

This was so enjoyable! A Rumpelstiltskin retelling with a mature FMC, magic, whimsy and chock full of fairytale vibes. I absolutely loved the dry wit in Gisele and Mals interactions, and while there are so many cosy elements, there is also a touch of spice for readers. Taking her destiny in her own hands, we see Gisele set out to find the fae who cursed her through her mother, and we are treated to found family, secret identity and the perfect happily ever after.
Bonus Points to the sentient house Skymallow (think Casita from Encanto).

So refreshing to read a 40+ competent FMC and a non-toxic MMC! The writing was whimsical and delightful, and the NPCs were lovely and adorable. A fun, cozy read -- looking forward to reading more by this author!

as every good cozy fantasy should be, this was very sweet and now i feel all warm and fuzzy :) who would've thought i'd ever read a cute and heartwarming rumplestiltskin retelling of all things - i've always hated that specific fairytale as a kid, but this new spin on it has definitely won me over.

we follow our protagonist gisele, a princess in her 40s who has been cursed by an evil faerie lord at birth. she was supposed to be bargained off to him, but somehow he never showed up to "collect" her. so, after decades of suffering the consequences of her curse, gisele has had enough of this nonsense and decides to take matters into her own hands: she seeks out her Malediction, as she calls him, to demand he release her from his curse. the only problem: not only does he not remember his true name and therefore doesn't have the power to undo his magic, but he's also not the evil mastermind gisele expected.. at all.

this definitely has the warm and whimsical vibe we all want when we pick up a cozy fantasy, but it still doesn't shy away from exploring deeper things, which i personally really liked. the key theme of this book is loneliness - or rather, finding the one person to share and ultimately shed that loneliness with after years of feeling isolated and misunderstood. stories with this theme almost always hit home for me, and this was no exception.

both gisele and mal have been incredibly lonely for a good portion of their lives and have resigned to the thought that they might continue to be lonely for the rest of it. as a result, they also struggle with feelings of their lives passing them by, of their loneliness and lack of social connections somehow making them less "worthy" or less "whole" than others, as if this stuff is something you need to catch up on but might never get the chance - something that also hits home for me quite a bit. seeing them slowly realize that they no longer have to be on their own, that they've finally found someone who not only understands their specific pain but also truly sees and accepts them, was really lovely.

the romance, despite being at the center of the story, unfolds at a relatively slow pace - which is necessary because it wouldn't make sense for the characters otherwise. due to their magical bond there is a certain spark between them from the moment they meet (and there are some spicier scenes later on), but still the books lets gisele and mal take the time they need to fully let each other in - and also to find out what works best for them as people who haven't really been in intimate relationships for a long time. the book handles all of this very maturely, which i really appreciated.

on a lighter note, there's also a talking (or rather telekinetic) cat, a sentient house with a love for lifestyle magazines and extravagant decorations, lots of other whimsical creatures inhabiting this world (a lot of which are queer, including the mmc, so that was nice to see!) and many magical shenanigans that dissolve into chaos (side note: as a native german speaker, it's always really fun when fantasy books incorporate the language into their worldbuilding!).
literally my only criticism is that it took me some time to get attuned to the writing style and the plot tends to drag a bit occasionally, but honestly who really reads cozy fantasy for the plot.

if i had to describe the vibes of this through other books i've read/movies i've seen, i'd say it's giving howl's moving castle x emily wilde x the princess bride x hints of bridgerton, so if that sounds like a good time to you, you'll probably have a good time with this book too. although i've been eyeing her 'stariel' series for a while now, this was my first book by aj lancaster - it definitely won't be my last tho!

Goodreads review posted on: 08/07/2025

How to Find a Nameless Fae is a cozy, whimsical and magical story about being the outcast in a world where you feel like you don’t belong and finding the place you do belong. This retelling of the Rumpelstilskin story is perfect for lovers of magic, mystery, and a bit of romance.

Malediction, as he is so affectionately named by Gisele has given up his name to hide from a foe that is tracking him for his powers. Gisele’s mother made a deal with Mal that she could turn straw to gold and she needs to guess his name or give up her firstborn. Gisele spent most of her life as the outcast with people fearing her for her magic and abilities, waiting for the fae to come and take her away. Gisele decided to seek out this fae on her own and figure out what the deal is.

Mal and Gisele make an unlikely brotherhood of friends along the way to find Mal’s real name and undo the bond between them. I loved the way this was written and the banter and tension between Gisele and Mal. I took a bit more time to read this than some of my other reads because there was so much detail but it added to the overall depth of the story and really brought it to light!

5/5 ⭐️ and 1.5 🌶️ for Mal and Gisele’s story!

An adorable book. I loved Mail and Gisele’s story, and thought, despite the mild peril/drama, it was incredibly cozy, and would love to read more in the series.

Lovely book, I kept seeing it advertised on instagram and thought why not request for it in netgalley. I was not disappointed. It was the right amount of cozy yearning meets danger. I love the the characters aren't young adults or teens as reader in their 30s I very much appreciate that. I love the characters, and the mystery behind them and the journey the author takes us on in finding a new place where one feels welcomed and comfortable in their own skin without the burdens of titles or social pressure and family pressure

I abselutely love this book.
Yes, the first two chapters were slightly slow, but other than that I loved the book.
The characters, are belivable, different, and relatable.
I love that both characters are mature.
The romance is slow burn which I love.

Will I be reading more A J Lancaster books?
Abselutely.
Will I scream about this book whenever someone wants a romantasy rec? Oh yes.
Habe I picked up a book since finishing this book. Oh yes, nothing lives up to it.

How to Find a Nameless Fae by AJ Lancaster offers a fresh and charming twist on the classic Rumplestiltskin fairy tale, blending cozy fantasy with a spicy romance. The story centers on Princess Gisele, a middle-aged heroine determined to break a decades-old bargain that has been disrupting her life. Instead of encountering an evil sorcerer, she finds herself magically bound to a scholarly, nameless fae lord who is every bit her nemesis. Their reluctant partnership is full of sharp wit and slow-burning chemistry, made even more entertaining by a sentient magical house that adds a playful and unique dimension to the story.
Lancaster skillfully balances humor, fantasy, and romance, creating characters who feel real and relatable despite their magical circumstances. The novel’s cozy, intimate tone, combined with clever world-building, makes it a standout addition to the fairy tale retelling subgenre. This book will appeal to readers who enjoy character-driven fantasy romance with a healthy dose of spice and a touch of whimsy.

A witty, fun read.

A standalone read which sees a cursed princess and her search for a specific fae prince.

🧚‍♀️ Bookish Thoughts
This was a cute fairy tale romance retelling! It was definitely slower paced than I expected, but I still enjoyed the book. I loved that both MCs were older! Princess Gisele is in her 40s and an absolute baddie. And the sentient house? Iconic. I’m also officially jealous because I want a talking cat now.

✨ What to Expect
• Fae MMC
• Human Princess FMC
• Forced proximity
• Magical bargain
• Enemies to lovers

📖 Final Score: 3.5 stars
📅 Pub Date: June 26, 2025
📝 Thank you to Victory Editing and NetGalley for the advanced copy. All thoughts are my own.

Princess Gisele waited her whole life to be claimed as first born by the sorcerer who helped her mother once to spin straw into gold.
Even so she turned forty still he hasn´t shown up. Over the year live became harder and harder for her. She has chaotic magic and nobody wants to be around her any longer. She lives a live beside her family, has no real bond to her twin brother or the younger one. So enough is enough and Gisele is fed up waiting for her malediction to show up.
Instead she is going in search of him and what she finds when she stumbles open him is not what she expected. Instead of an evil person she finds a well educated person who lives in a magical house who never wanted to do cause her any harm, let alone claim the first born. She fled his realm into the mortal world so his enemy couldn´t track him any longer when he gave up his real name. Unfortunately now his real name is lost which means the magical bond between the two can´t easily be re done.
While both of them try to find a way to remove the claim the old enemy is closing in.


This re telling of Rumpelstilskin was fun to read!
The writing is well done. It is easy and nice to read and you get easily lost in the story.
I really enjoyed the twist the story got here. I mean he never intended to have a claim on a first bone only used it as he assume humans would do all to avoid it but this didn´t keep he real name save and this mess happened instead.

Gisele as middle-aged heroine is well written. I liked her right from the start and felt really sorry for her that she doesn´t has a real connection to her family. How alone she must have felt all these years. Still she is a nice person. How she meets Mal, how she acts about him, how she start really seeing him made her even more likable to me.

Mal is absolutely not what I expected Rumpelstilskin to be like. He is so great! That he is running from an enemy, never intended for Gisele to have such a hard live and then lost track of time is giving a well known story such a great new twist!
He was all these years also alone, was afraid to get close to anybody in fear his enemy could find him. That his whole live is changing the minute Gisele steps into his live is the best that could happen to him. I really like how his character is opening up, how he is changing during the story.

How the relationship between both is changing, how their feelings toward each other are changing is well and good written. I didn´t expect the added spice here.

Skymallow, Mal´s house, is so unbelievable great written! I really like this magical home and would love to live in it myself. The idea how it interacts with its inhabitants, what connection they have is wonderfully woven into this story.

Also all the other characters Gisele is meeting while being in fairy, how they all interact, how friendships are build are well interwoven into this story.

Only some parts of the end to patch up everything causing here some deduction in the rating as the way her family relationship was described till then is for me not matching with the end. I can understand why this

Great re telling of this fairy tale for grownups. I can only recommend the book.

I thoroughly enjoyed AJ Lancaster's Stariel series, so I was excited to dive into How to Find a Nameless Fae.

In this standalone novel, Princess Gisele has grown tired of waiting for the evil fae she was promised to at birth to come claim her, so she sets off to find him. But instead of the terrifying sorcerer she's expecting, she finds a sentient (and nosy) house and its nameless lord, who is maybe not as evil as she thought. The debt between them, however, is still causing magical problems, and they are forced to work together to track down the lord's name to break their inconvenient bond.

I loved how cute and whimsical this story was. It was a little predictable, but had lots of fun magic and side characters, and I loved the relationship between our two main characters (also, shout out to female protagonist in her forties at the center of a romantasy!) This was a lovely world to escape to for a bit, and fans of India Holton should definitely give this one a try.

If you like your fairytale retellings with a twist, let me highly recommend this beautiful comfort of a book! How To Find a Nameless Fae is a delightful take on the classic Rumpelstiltskin story, converting it into a charming, cozy romantasy. But this is even a twist on typical romantasy, making the main character, Gisele, an older, understandably impatient heroine who decides to save herself from the curse that's effectively ruined her life.

Shortly after turning forty, Princess Gisele decides it's time to find the evil sorcerer who cursed her before she was even born. Having been stuck in a tower and effectively unable to maintain any sort of relationship with anyone due to said curse, Gisele takes matters into her own hands and goes to find the malediction that didn't have the decency to come back and kidnap her as everyone assumed would happen. Finding her way into the land of the fairies, Gisele is then horrified to find that the evil sorcerer who cursed her is decidedly not evil, not a sorcerer, nor has he realized how much time has passed. But now that she's found him, their cursed bond has only strengthened... and neither of them have any idea of how to break it, save finding the fairy's name that he lost and has basically no hope of finding again.

I can't explain how much joy this book brought me. It's different than most of the fantasy books I've read, but its silliness was amazing and the romantic tension was excellent. It may not be high fantasy, but who needs that when you've got such a fulfilling story?

So many thanks to NetGalley and Victory Editing for giving me a digital ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review!!

Rating: 4.5 stars

Review posted to StoryGraph: June 27, 2025 (https://app.thestorygraph.com/reviews/21a9c048-4ae8-4d8c-a5e4-cdf6d5225c4a)
Review posted to Instagram: July 26, 2025 (https://www.instagram.com/p/DMk9tmDRMpH/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==)

Review How to Find a Nameless Fae

In How to Find a Nameless Fae, A. J. Lancaster delivers a witty and emotionally engaging retelling of a classic fairytale, with a heroine who finally breaks the typical mold: she’s forty, fierce, and refreshingly real. Determined to break the curse that got worse over time, she finds herself entangled with the culprit: Malediction ("Mal"), a Fae who is equal parts adorable, dangerous, and unexpectedly endearing. With the help of magical creatures (including the scene-stealing Zingiber), their adventure is as heartfelt as it is humorous.

👍 What I liked:
• Older FMC: A true standout. Having a 40-year-old protagonist brought maturity, depth, and relatability to the story. It’s rare to find a fantasy romance that doesn’t focus on barely-adult heroines.
• Humour & banter: The dialogue sparkled with wit and charm. I caught myself laughing out loud at both the banter and the clever internal commentary.
• Refreshing retelling: While inspired by a familiar fairytale, Lancaster crafts something wholly unique. The plot felt fresh and engaging from start to finish.
• Pacing: There wasn’t a single dull moment. From the first chapter, I was hooked.
• Emotional writing: Beyond the humour, Lancaster didn’t shy away from emotional depth. The characters’ vulnerabilities felt genuine, adding layers to both the romance and the plot.
• Malediction: Mal’s character hit that perfect balance of adorable and alluring. He stood out from the typical Fae love interests by feeling real; quirky without being ridiculous, powerful without arrogance.
• Zingiber: I can’t review this book without mentioning Zingiber. I’m officially his number one fan. Every appearance added joy and humour to the story.

👎 What I Didn’t Like:
Honestly, nothing. This book delivered exactly what it promised and more. I finished it feeling both satisfied and already wanting a re-read.

📜 Final Verdict:
How to Find a Nameless Fae is a refreshing, humorous, and heartfelt romantasy that breaks clichés while celebrating everything we love about the genre. From its mature heroine to its unique love interest and its perfect blend of comedy and emotion, this story stands out. Highly recommended for fans of fantasy romance who crave witty banter, a touch of spice, and characters who feel real.
A. J. Lancaster has easily earned a spot on my auto-buy list.

Rating: 5/5 ⭐️
Spice Level: 2/5 🌶