The cover of Strands of Bronze and Gold was simply too captivating to resist. This novel is a retelling of the French folktale Bluebeard, not to be confused with Blackbeard the pirate. It truly is a folktale rather than a fairy tale; there is no magic, but rather gothic mystery and dark passion. It is obvious to the reader from the beginning pages that all is not right; however, the heroine, 17-year-old Sophia is a little slow on the uptake. She seems a bit shallow and bedazzled by beautiful clothes and material things while constantly justifying actions. Things move slowly while the reader waits for the protagonist to catch up to the direness of the situation. Only when Sophia finally realizes the dangerous situation does the story become interesting. The plot then gains some tension from the question, “How is the heroine going escape?” This is a novel for those who enjoy lovely clothing, as there are abundant descriptions, and a darker romance.
This book was sent to Compass Book Ratings for review by Random House Children’s Books
Content Analysis:
Profanity/Language: 1 derogatory name
Violence/Gore: Report of deaths in childbirth; report of a suicide; report of death by illness; character is cruel to an animal to discipline it; a scene in which a slave is beaten by master (few details); an animal found after it was hung until dead; wrenching and grabbing of arms; a character is slapped and nose bleeds; report of a beating; reports of murder; long-dead bodies/remains are found, brief description; a character is killed violently (stated, no details); character is stabbed and injured, mention of blood; a character is severely injured, mention of blood; report of a death.
Sex/Nudity: Reference to breasts; nudity in some art/paintings/statues; implied affair between married woman and younger unmarried man; passionate kiss; reference to someone as a trollop; character wonders about mistress status; innuendo when two characters exit stable while adjusting clothing; character licks another’s fingers; innuendo; report of a master forcing self sexually on a slave (no details); brief scene of aggressive kissing and groping without a character’s consent.
Mature Subject Matter:
Death, Murder, Slavery, Emotional/Physical Abuse, Financial distress/difficulties, Infidelity
Alcohol / Drug Use:
Adults drink port, wine, etc. with dinner. 17-year-old drinks mead with dinner. Adults smoke. An adult character smells of whiskey and drinks to excess.
