Challenge Corner discussion

Marissa Meyer, #1 New York Times-bestselling author, returns to the fairytale world with this haunting retelling of Rumpelstiltskin.

Long ago cursed by the god of lies, a poor miller's daughter has developed a talent for spinning stories that are fantastical and spellbinding and entirely untrue.

Or so everyone believes.

When one of Serilda's outlandish tales draws the attention of the sinister Erlking and his undead hunters, she finds herself swept away into a grim world where ghouls and phantoms prowl the earth and hollow-eyed ravens track her every move. The king orders Serilda to complete the impossible task of spinning straw into gold, or be killed for telling falsehoods. In her desperation, Serilda unwittingly summons a mysterious boy to her aid. He agrees to help her… for a price. Love isn't meant to be part of the bargain.

Soon Serilda realizes that there is more than one secret hidden in the castle walls, including an ancient curse that must be broken if she hopes to end the tyranny of the king and his wild hunt forever.

**This BOTM thread will be open until December 5th @ Midnight (in your time zone)**

Starting this now!

Prologue: (view spoiler)[Ooooookay, that was an interesting introduction. I'm excited AF for this book right now. Please be good. (hide spoiler)]

Ch 1-10: (view spoiler)[Is it weird that I'm getting some 'Once Upon a Time' vibes? Especially since we are talking about spinning straw into gold? Or maybe it's just me. (hide spoiler)]

Ch 11-20: (view spoiler)[Yeah, I'm still getting the vibes because I keep thinking she could be a mixture of characters all wrapped into one. I'm also glad she's safe but I'm sure he will find her. (hide spoiler)]

Ch 21-30: (view spoiler)[Hmm I feel like her going into this castle will not be the smartest thing.. but I do want answers at the same freaking time. (hide spoiler)]

Ch 31-40: (view spoiler)[Uhh.. why was giving up your first born ever an option?!?! (hide spoiler)]

Ch 41-50: (view spoiler)[Aw man! So much death :( I wasn't expecting those kids to get hurt. (hide spoiler)]

Ch 51-Finish: (view spoiler)[Ah. So we finally know the whole story.. and now I get to sick back and twiddle my thumbs until the next book. (hide spoiler)]

I'm reading now!

Alaina wrote: "Ch 1-10: [spoilers removed]"

Ooh yes!

Ch 1-10 (view spoiler)[ I love that Serilda is kind of ridiculous and tells wild stories. Hopefully the boy (Rumpelstiltskin?) helps her (hide spoiler)]

Alaina wrote: "Ch 11-20: [spoilers removed]"

(view spoiler)[ I have a lot of questions about her. Is she magical? A princess? Not entirely human?? (hide spoiler)]

Ch 11-20 (view spoiler)[ I'm glad she got away for now, but I'm eager for her to meet up with Gild again. And to learn more about her and if she has magic or something (hide spoiler)]

Ch 21-30 (view spoiler)[ I got a little bored and distracted but I am intrigued to see what's in the castle. And hopefully more of Gild (hide spoiler)]

Alaina wrote: "Ch 31-40: [spoilers removed]"

Yeah, come on girl

Ch 31-40 (view spoiler)[ Okay, no. By promising to give away your first born, you're basically guaranteeing that you'll have a child even if you aren't planning on one.
Maybe her first born will be with Gild and he 'gets' the baby since it's his? (hide spoiler)]

Alaina wrote: "Ch 41-50: [spoilers removed]"

Yeah that was awful

Ch 41-50 (view spoiler)[ I wondered if Gild was a prince. It's crazy that Serilda is telling things that really happened and also making things come into existence by speaking them.

Poor children, how horrible. I hope she can save some of them (hide spoiler)]

Ch 51-End (view spoiler)[ That was such a sad ending. All those kids are dead, she's cursed and stuck in the castle. Maybe they can break the curse before she has the baby? I hate cliffhangers! (hide spoiler)]

Alaina wrote: "Ch 51-Finish: [spoilers removed]"

Yeah for real. I'll just be waiting for the sequel...

Ch 7 (view spoiler)[

The man was broad-shouldered and smartly dressed, and he had an iron chisel jutting from his left eye socket.

Definitely at the Grimm end of the spectrum! (hide spoiler)]

Ch 14
(view spoiler)[ well Serilda waking up to find the castle derelict- with Gild and her father’s head on the wall- have a 100 years actually passed? Or is this what the castle looks like unless it’s the full moon and the wild hunt? (hide spoiler)]

Ch 21
(view spoiler)[ so now her father has disappeared to join the hunt! At least now she’ll get to go back to the castle! (hide spoiler)]

Ch 26
(view spoiler)[ yay! Zelig lives!

Lorraine has a point- why DOES the Erlking keep letting Serilda go?

Aha! The feast of death held every year keeps the villagers of Adalheid safe from the Hunt (hide spoiler)]

Ch 29
(view spoiler)[ Serilda! The crazy fool- you don’t have to be psychic to see that breaking into the castle on the night of the feast of death is not going to end well! (hide spoiler)]

Ch 40
(view spoiler)[ that’s horrible that the Erlking has only been able to capture these beautiful magical creatures with the help of the spun gold she had created by Gild. (hide spoiler)]

Ch 46
(view spoiler)[ aha! Madame Sauer is a witch! (hide spoiler)]

Finished.(view spoiler)[ ok Is there definitely a sequel because if there is t, that ending sucks big time. (hide spoiler)]

8% (view spoiler)[Nit-picky but I'm confused if the story in the opening is believed by the town or if they think it's a lie. (hide spoiler)]

The Snow Moon: (view spoiler)[ loved the intro to this. Such a classic fairytale theme. Serilda is fun with her outrageous tales and then the way she stood up to the Hunt. I have a feeling thats going to come back and bite her in ther ass though lol (hide spoiler)]

Alaina wrote: "Prologue: [spoilers removed]"

Absolutely loved the introduction!

The Hunger Moon: (view spoiler)[ her father breaks my heart. First he lost his wife to the hunt and now hes afraid of losing his daughter. I agree with Serilda, i want to know more about the castle and the ghosts! (hide spoiler)]