New Release: The Crystal Heart by Sophie Masson

(Amazon US/UK Links)

The Crystal Heart by Sophie Masson was released in late 2014 and somehow I never posted a book announcement about it! Masson is an Australian author whose books are published internationally much to our benefit. She has written several fairy tale rifacimenti with this book being the latest. See The Crystal Heart (UK Link) if you prefer.

Book description:

A girl in a tower. An underground kingdom. This retelling of Rapunzel offers a gripping blend of magic, romance, adventure, fairytale, and mystery.

When 17-year-old army conscript Kasper Bator is chosen to join the elite guard that keeps watch over a dangerous prisoner in a tower, he believes what he's been told: the prisoner is a powerful witch. But when he meets the prisoner, Kasper's life will change forever—for the prisoner is no witch, but a beautiful young girl. The daughter of the country's enemy, the Prince of Night, Izolda has been held hostage since she was three. And she is in imminent danger, for a prophecy says she must die on her 16th birthday if Krainos is to be saved from the Prince of Night. Kasper decides to help her escape. As the days pass, their friendship turns into real love, but their hiding place won't stay safe forever.

PS: Rifacimento, n.; pl. Rifacimenti . A remaking or recasting; an adaptation, esp. of a literary work or musical composition. This is my new word of the month. Rifacimentos was also offered as a plural in some of the online dictionaries I consulted. Very hoity toity word but fun. Found it in an older folklore article myself.