A Touch of Gold by Annie Sullivan ~ Review

My Review:

Princess Kora, daughter of the famed King Midas still lives with the remnants of her father's wish gone wrong, as a result has lived her life secluded in the castle where even the servants are afraid of the curse. Her father is wasting away, his life is deeply entwined with the gold of the curse. When Duke Aris comes to court her, she has hope for the first time that someone understands her and isn't repelled by the curse. But when her father's life is threatened by the theft of the cursed gold, Kora must leave the palace for the first time in order to save her father's life, Aris offers his ship, and they set sail in pursuit of the stolen gold.

Kora is joined by her extroverted cousin, Hettie, who stows away on the ship. She meets the mysterious Captain Royce, as well as many members of his crew including the twin Thipps and Phipps.

Told in the first person, we get to see through Kora's eyes and experiences as she steps outside her castle and kingdom walls, facing pirates, mermaids, and unforeseen betrayals. I loved the originality of the plot, I'd never before thought about what might have happened to Mida's daughter after her father's unfortunate wish, but it is utterly genius! It was a bit slow to start for me, but the original plot really hooked me, but just as I began to think that everything was getting predictable---plot twist! Then everything was non-stop and I couldn't put the book down and read way into the wee hours of the morning.

There was great character development, and some are not what they appear at first glance. I can't say what the twist was, but I loved every bit of it as I don't know why but instantly liked Royce from the very first. Thipps and Phipps were humorous brothers and I loved their loyalty and sacrifices. Hettie can appear rather shallow at first, but is a fun, and supportive friend.

Overall, this is a fantastic read that I think would be especially appealing to fans of fairy tale re-tellings. Full of adventure, with pirates, a treasure hunt, and treacherous seas. Definitely surprised me with how much I truly enjoyed it. An action packed, good clean adventure, with a strong heroine, and fantastic plot!