Book Review: Allerleirauh by Chantal Gadoury

Title: Allerleirauh

Author: Chantal Gadoury

Rating: 3/5 stars

I received a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

This is a spoiler free review

Trigger Warning: Sexual assault, rape, violence, incest

Summary

When Aurelia becomes the subject of her father’s attention, she is excited and hopeful that she will form the father-daughter relationship that she has been wanting. However, soon this attention turns to a dangerous level and Aurelia will do anything to escape her father and the castle that no longer feels like a home. She develops a plan, which involves asking for impossible gifts, three dresses created from the sun, moon, and stars, and a coat made of one thousand animal furs. Her escape brings her to a new kingdom where she will meet new friends and find her inner strength to be able to finally escape the pain that her father caused her.

Review

This is a retelling of a Grimm fairytale under the same name. Before this, I had never heard of this story and I am now interested in going and reading or watching more about this story because I want to see more interpretations of it.

This book was full of a diverse cast of characters. There is a disgusting king/father (like… really gross), a princess who is dealing with an insane amount of pain, a prince who is kind and understanding, and a cast of supporting characters who play integral roles in the story. Excluding certain characters, for obvious reasons, I liked all of the characters. Aurelia’s character goes through a large arc throughout the story. She goes from being ignorant about a situation developing in front of her to taking her life into her own hands and bringing out her strength. She breaks through the ideals presented at the beginning of the novel about women being property. Klaus aids with this, allowing Aurelia to make all of her own decisions about herself and their relationship. The relationship between Klaus and Aurelia is interesting. It was not insta-love but it didn’t feel fully developed to me. I love them together and was hoping for more. I also wish that the characters were a bit more fleshed out, as they seemed a bit 2-dimensional. I would love more information about Klaus and how his past had an impact on his present.

The descriptions of Prince Klaus’s castle were beautiful. I desired more of this description and world building throughout the novel. A lot of time was spent on dialogue. This, along with the easy language used, created a fast paced read however left me wanting more of the world in which the story was taking place. I got a taste of this when the three gowns, which were made for Aurelia by her father, were described. They left me with vivid images in my mind and I wanted to see them in real life. Anyone have any fanart????

I have no experience with abuse and its aftermath however I was impressed with how this story dealt with this topic. It is very intense reading these aspects of the novel, but they are very necessary. Aurelia is impacted by the actions of her father and the reader is on the journey with her. (Please correct me if I am wrong on this subject!!)

The story finally comes full circle when Aurelia burns the fur coat made for her by her father. She is finally stepping away from her hiding and showing her real strength in her new life. This story is perfect for anyone in search of a fast-paced fantasy with a wide range of characters and emotions.

Thanks for reading!

Love,

Jackie

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