The Glass Palace - A Fairy Tale Retelling
“You have traveled far, but the hardest part of a journey is always the next step”
I’ve always loved the Norwegian East of the Sun, West of the Moon fairy tale. There are a lot of variations out there from all over the world but what they have in common is this: the girl saves her lover (and herself) after some intense trials. There is no damsel in distress and no one ever gives up.
The very basic premise is that a poor family is approched by a white bear who offers everything they could desire for the price of their daughter’s hand in marriage. Of course, they agree. How could you say no to a giant talking bear?
The girl travels with the bear to his home where they come to know each other better. At night the bear trasnforms into a man in the privacy and complete darkness of their bedroom. But after a time she becomes home sick and asks to vivist her family. Once there her mother or sisters convince her to light a candle in the night so that she can see the man she’s only ever held in the dark.
Disaster is the result. The bear/man/prince happened to be living under the curse of an evil troll queen and now that the girl has done the wrong thing, he must return to the troll and marry her.
But the girl, who has come to love her bear husband, refuses to let the wicked queen have him. Even though the troll castle is beyond any place she knows and she will have to travel east of the sun, west of the moon, the girl refuses to give up on her husband.
Depending on the version you read, the adventures and the creatures she meets along the way vary. And ultimately the girl is sucessful in rescuing her husband and they live happily ever after.
“I like stories where the women save themselves.” - Neil Gaiman, The Sleeper and the Spindle
Illustrated by Kay Nielsen (1914)
I fell in love with Danish artist Kay Nielsen’s fairy tale illustrations at first sight. In fact, I have a version of the illustration above tattooed on my thigh—so many painful hours and worth every second. This moment, the girl crossing the vast unknown on the back of a talking bear, is everything a fairy tale should be.
Adventure. Romance. Magic.
I want all three when I read a novel and I hope that’s what I’ve given to readers when they pick up The Glass Palace. It’s not the most traditional of retellings but all the elements are there: a cursed prince, an evil queen, an epic adventure across the world, and magic. Not everything has an explanation because in fairy tales a lot of things are just accepted as they come. How else would you explain a giant talking bear? Or in my case, a man in a silver tiger mask.
A curse. An arranged marriage. A chance to live happily ever after.
For as long as Astrid can remember she's been betrothed to a stranger. When tragedy strikes her husband-to-be emerges from the shadows ready to claim her hand in marriage. Unable to resist this mysterious stranger she is drawn into a realm of captivating magic and haunting secrets.
Tyhr has lived behind a silver tiger mask for years, cursed to a dark fate and suspended in time. Astrid could be the one to break the spell but first, he must earn her trust and break through the hard shell encircling her heart.
In this extraordinary new life, Astrid will forge friendships and confront ancient creatures. Through perilous trials and breathtaking adventures, she will have to decide what promises are worth keeping and which must be broken.
Immerse yourself in this spellbinding retelling of the classic fairy tale East of the Sun, West of the Moon—where romance and adventure collide in an unforgettable tale of love and magic.
What are readers saying about The Glass Palace?
“If you’re looking for a really magical adventure with a woman determined to right the wrong she unknowingly committed with experiences you’ll marvel at and survive against unimaginable odds and situations, this is the book for you! I love fairy tales and I give this story five stars because I can’t give it any more and highly recommend it to one and all!” - Chad, GoodReads Review
“When I first started this book, I thought I knew what I was in for. I recognized familiar themes from Beauty and the Beast and similar fairy tales, and so imagine my surprise when discovering the “beast” of the story’s secret and curse arrived in the first half of the book. I didn’t realize that what was coming was an epic adventure. True to the spirit of fairytales, this book held me spellbound.” - Karen, GoodReads Review
