Review: This set has two of my favorite Prequels!
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 09 17, 2013
"Once Beauty Twice Beast" was one of the best Prequels, and that's entirely thanks to the clever, clever twist the author pulled off. He managed to confuse me a bit when I saw that the Beast was actually a girl, and the beautiful boy who got trapped in the cursed castle was looking for the enchanted rose to heal his mother. But when things are turned upside down, everything makes sense... or some sort of sense. I loved it! Can't wait to read these two characters' entire story. I hope Cameron Jace will mention them again in the series."Moon and Madly". Oh, yes, "Moon and Madly"! This is the story of my favorite couple - Jack Madly and Moongirl/Marmalade (Marmalade? seriously? couldn't he have come up with a nicer name? or, was it supposed to be unrealistic and unpredictable? well, it sure was). I already told you (and Jack constantly repeats it): someone should write a book about this lovely boy. He is smart, cute, badass, he's the best thief in Sorrow, he stole from the Queen herself, and the Devil, and he literally lives in the clouds. I can totally understand why the Moon fell (yes, fell head-first in a swamp) in love with him. He steals from the Goblins, teases them about their stupidity, tricks them, and saves the girl who was supposed to save him. The whole story is fun and sweet, and all I can hope for is that I'll get to see Jack and Marmalade as often as possible, and that Jack will somehow find out who his mermaid girlfriend is without having to die afterwards. I see a lot of potential in this character, and he will probably realize who the girl is after he falls in love with her... the second time. These two need as much space as possible in the main series, and I hope Cameron Jace will write that book about Jack."Rumpelstein". I always thought that Rumpelstiltskin is one of the most intriguing fairytale characters. It's not only the fact that one of the themes in the Grimm fairytale is the power of names, but also that the character itself is quite ambiguous. In the original fairytale, he is called many things (also due to the fact that his real name is only revealed somewhere at the end): hobgoblin, dwarf, little man, manikin, even little gentleman. I think this implies that he can be anything, that he can somehow change shape. Also, have you noticed that Rumpelstiltskin is not entirely evil in the original fairytale? He does help the miller's daughter... Anyway, back to Cameron Jace's story. I liked how he combined the story of Rumpelstiltskin with the story of Rapunzel, and also how he took the time to develop this particular character, following his life from a poor man who worked hard for his family, a father who lost his daughter, Rapunzel, and his life when he opposed the Queen of Sorrow, to a dark and deformed creature that signed a contract with the Devil. Rumpelstiltskin's story is complex, and I loved that. Cameron Jace's Rumple is a man who has lost his way, who needs to remember why he is actually stealing children for the Devil, and discover who the one who brought him back to life is. He has a purpose; he just can't remember it. So, I can't wait to see how this character develops."Jawigi" was a good read, and I like how it is always emphasized that some characters may lie, if not all of them. I guess I'm a reader who loves being lied to. It makes things so much more interesting. In this one, the Queen of Sorrow appears as a positive character, a mother who would do anything to save her unborn daughter. The queen is quite complex, especially because she is not entirely good or evil. Or, she hasn't always been evil.