Hair We Go Again - Kendra Ardnek (Golden Braids Release Day Review!)

Here it is, the first of the five stories in the Golden Braids co-release!  Each story is by a different author, and presents a different take on the story of Rapunzel.

Hair We Go Again is the fifth book in a fantasy series set in the land of Bookania, a place where fairy tales, Arthurian lore, and the Robin Hood traditions have collided.  Prince Eric and his swordswoman wife Robin, the heroes of the series, continue to grow in their relationship and confront challenges like the search for Eric’s missing brother and the loss of all the children in Hamlin.

As it turns out, Eric’s brother went missing after a witch discovered he had been visiting Rapunzel in her remote tower…

Some of my favorite things about this book: Maryanne and her quest for a jackalope.  The bizarre curse on Rapunzel’s children (no doubt setting up many books to come).  Sand witches.  Robin being Robin.

Spoilery Review

This story was unexpected in a lot of ways.  <Spoiler warning!  Seriously!  If spoilers bother you, skip to the end!>

First, this book is more about the fallout of the Rapunzel tale than a retelling of it.  I still don’t know exactly what went down between Lukas and the witch… there’s a scene I would like to have read.

Second, the main arc of this story isn’t about Rapunzel at all.  It’s about Robin and Eric’s relationship and the fallout from the previous book in the series, when Eric was imprisoned in a dungeon.

Third, I would put this more in the slice-of-life or fantasy soap opera genre than the fantasy adventure genre.  There isn’t a villain for the heroes to fight, and material problems tend to solve themselves.  (The characters actually make fun of this phenomenon.)  That’s not bad, just not what I was expecting.  There was one point when a particular challenge arose and I thought, “is this the villain?”  And Robin and Eric basically looked at each other and said, “Nope, we can’t solve this,” and left.  (They were probably right.  But still, WHAT?)

Final verdict

This was a pretty relaxing read, but I would recommend starting at the beginning of the series.  I had a hard time keeping track of the secondary characters from previous books who appeared here, and I think I would have been more invested in Robin and Eric if I’d seen their relationship grow from its beginnings.

That said, if you’ve enjoyed any of the earlier books in the series, pick this one up!  Or even if you haven’t, you can pick it up and have it ready on your Kindle.

Kendra Ardnek

Kendra E. Ardnek loves fairytales and twisting them in new and exciting ways. She's been inflicting them on her dozen plus cousins and siblings for years. "Finish your story, Kendra," is frequently heard at family gatherings. Her sole life goal has always been to grow up and be an author of fantasy and children's tales that glorify God and His Word. Find her online at: Website || Blog || Goodreads || Facebook || Twitter || YouTube || Newsletter || Instagram || Amazon

Buy Hair We Go Again here.

Add it on Goodreads here.

Find the first book in the Bookania series here (it’s FREE!).

Find my review of Kendra’s Snow White cool portal fantasy The Seven Drawers here.

Golden Braids (A Rapunzel retelling co-release)

So many cool stories in the Golden Braids!  Watch this space for more reviews.

A LOT of folks are participating in the Golden Braids blog tour this year!  The full schedule is here. Visit to participate in giveaways!

You can find out more about Hair We Go Again on these blogs:

Knitted By God's Plan - Five Reasons To Read
Light and Shadows - Five Reasons To Read
Reviews
Christina and Camera + Mini interview!
The Labyrinth + Mini interview!
The World of a Writer
Character Interviews
Reality Reflected - Robin
The Rambling Rose - Rapunzel
Dreams and Dragons - Eric+Lukas