Genre Fiction
![Evelyn Skye - [object Object] author](https://res.cloudinary.com/readsomnia/image/upload/authors/a_B014KE6PPA.jpg)
Damsel
A damsel in distress takes on the dragon herself in this epic twist on classic fantasy. Based on a screenplay by Dan Mazeau, this is a groundbreaking collaboration between New York Times bestselling author Evelyn Skye and the team behind the upcoming Netflix film Damsel, starring Millie Bobby Brown.
A price must be paid.
Elodie never dreamed of a lavish palace or a handsome prince. As she grew up in the famine-stricken realm of Inophe, her deepest wish was to help her people survive each winter. So when a representative from a rich, reclusive kingdom offers her family enough wealth to save Inophe in exchange for Elodie's hand in marriage, she accepts without hesitation. Swept away to the glistening kingdom of Aurea, Elodie is quickly taken in by the beauty of the realm-and of her betrothed, Prince Henry.
But as Elodie undertakes the rituals to become an Aurean princess, doubts prick at her mind as cracks in the kingdom's perfect veneer begin to show: A young woman who appears and vanishes from the castle tower. A parade of torches weaving through the mountains. Markings left behind in a mysterious V. Too late, she discovers that Aurea's prosperity has been purchased at a heavy cost-each harvest season, the kingdom sacrifices its princesses to a hungry dragon. And Elodie is the next sacrifice.
This ancient arrangement has persisted for centuries, leading hundreds of women to their deaths. But the women who came before Elodie did not go quietly. Their blood pulses with power and memory, and their experiences hold the key to Elodie's survival. Forced to fight for her life, this damsel must use her wits to defeat a dragon, uncover Aurea's past, and save not only herself but the future of her new kingdom as well.
A price must be paid.
Elodie never dreamed of a lavish palace or a handsome prince. As she grew up in the famine-stricken realm of Inophe, her deepest wish was to help her people survive each winter. So when a representative from a rich, reclusive kingdom offers her family enough wealth to save Inophe in exchange for Elodie's hand in marriage, she accepts without hesitation. Swept away to the glistening kingdom of Aurea, Elodie is quickly taken in by the beauty of the realm-and of her betrothed, Prince Henry.
But as Elodie undertakes the rituals to become an Aurean princess, doubts prick at her mind as cracks in the kingdom's perfect veneer begin to show: A young woman who appears and vanishes from the castle tower. A parade of torches weaving through the mountains. Markings left behind in a mysterious V. Too late, she discovers that Aurea's prosperity has been purchased at a heavy cost-each harvest season, the kingdom sacrifices its princesses to a hungry dragon. And Elodie is the next sacrifice.
This ancient arrangement has persisted for centuries, leading hundreds of women to their deaths. But the women who came before Elodie did not go quietly. Their blood pulses with power and memory, and their experiences hold the key to Elodie's survival. Forced to fight for her life, this damsel must use her wits to defeat a dragon, uncover Aurea's past, and save not only herself but the future of her new kingdom as well.
Editorial Reviews
"Elegant and explosive, Damsel has all the fantasy, beauty, dragons, and intrigue of Game of Thrones, elevated by a feminist lens and a powerful heroine-a long line of heroines-determined to do right by the world and by her fellow women."-Delilah S. Dawson, New York Times bestselling author of Star Wars: Phasma and The Violence
"A must-read novel by a must-read author, this brilliant story sparkles with adventure, unexpected love, and stunning twists expertly crafted. Block off an entire day-you're not going to want to put Damsel down."-Beth Revis, New York Times bestselling author of Give the Dark My Love and Night of the Witch
"With deft prose and intricate invention, Damsel brings the perfect spin to a fantasy fairy tale."-Chloe Gong, #1 New York Times bestselling author of These Violent Delights
"A must-read novel by a must-read author, this brilliant story sparkles with adventure, unexpected love, and stunning twists expertly crafted. Block off an entire day-you're not going to want to put Damsel down."-Beth Revis, New York Times bestselling author of Give the Dark My Love and Night of the Witch
"With deft prose and intricate invention, Damsel brings the perfect spin to a fantasy fairy tale."-Chloe Gong, #1 New York Times bestselling author of These Violent Delights
Readers Top Reviews
Amanda Milbrandt
Thank you to NetGalley for proving me with this ARC. This is my honest and voluntary review. Elodie is the daughter of a duke in a country ravished by droughts and poverty. She would do anything to save her people, including an arranged marriage to Prince Henry of Aurea. In exchange, Aurea provided food to Elodie’s people. Over the course of a few months, Elodie and Henry exchange letters and Elodie starts to fall in love with him and is excited to start a life with him. Once Elodie and her family arrive in Aurea, Elodie is spoiled with the riches of the kingdom, a complete 180 from what she was used to. On her wedding night, the queen takes Elodie to perform traditional Aurean wedding rituals, which, unfortunately for Elodie, are not what they seem. She finds herself being thrown into a dragon‘s den where she fights for her life. She doesn’t wait to be saved, she saves herself because “my destiny belongs to me, and I I will decide what that The story is targeted towards a YA audience and contains themes typical of the genre. You see Elodie come into herself and grow while trying to survive and you see her save herself rather than waiting to be saved. If you can not move past not being able to completely relate to these themes, then don’t read the book. Not being able to relate to the themes didn’t bother me because I absolutely loved the story and characters. Overall, the plot flowed nicely, but some small parts did feel out of place when compared to the story as a whole. I didn’t feel like it dragged to the point where I had to stop reading and pick it up later. The characters were very well developed and relatable, which is a large part of novels. Poorly written characters drag a book down but this is not one of those. You can really connect with Elodie and feel what she feels throughout the story. I absolutely loved the relationship between Elodie and her sister Floria. Elodie would do anything for her sister, regardless of how it affected herself. Their relationship also shows how Elodie is passionate about protecting those she loves and can be seen in her actions to save her people. I thoroughly enjoyed the amount of time and effort the author dedicated to the world building. The grammar, syntax, and phonology dragon language was a nice touch and it was very interesting to see how much the author put into it. World building is a huge part of novels and this one was done beautifully. I loved this story and the characters. I can’t wait to watch the movie when it comes out to see their portrayal of Elodie and how they do certain scenes from the book.
