I’ve come to really love Sarah Carlisle’s series of fairytale retellings, especially now with Nettled. I’d seen Maeryn’s story hinted at quite a few times in other books of the series, and I was so excited when I got the chance to read an ARC before the release date of September 26th! I’m a bit late on my review, but no less excited to share my thoughts! (Note: You don’t need to have read the other books in the series to understand Nettled, but there are spoilers for Tested.)

Ratings for Nettled

Story: 5/5

Worldview: 5/5

The plot had a stronger fairy-tale feel compared to the author’s other books, and I loved it. Maeryn is such a relatable protagonist, and I really enjoyed getting to know her seven brothers-turned-spiders. This novel was full of humor, tension, and determination. I may have guessed the villain early on, but I was still on the edge of my seat! Prince Eadmund was a noble, considerate character, and I loved seeing him get to know Maeryn (despite his many misgivings). I loved that the author didn’t play into the miscommunication trope either (it’s a huge pet peeve of mine). Every character felt so real and I can’t want to see more of the world of Tir!

The worldview of this novel was great! Even though these are not Christian books (they only ever mention the Creator in passing), the morals and lessons are very well done. I really loved seeing Maeryn come to learn how to trust and rely on others when she’s reached the end of her strength. Prince Eadmund was a great parallel to Maeryn’s own journey, and I really enjoyed his determination and compassion.

Overall thoughts

If you want fairytale retellings with high stakes, cozy moments, and great lessons, check out the rest of Sarah Carlisle’s books in the Enchanted Tales of Tir! Sarah is definitely an auto-read author for me, and I can’t wait to see what comes next!

If you want non-magical fairytale retellings, you might enjoy Once Upon an Apple or check out Madisyn Carlin’s books!