Cage the Darlings (An Original Lesbian Fairy Tale) [Kindle Edition]

Elora Bishop (Author)

Book Description

Only a blackbird girl can set her free…

Envy is a lucky lady with a secret vice: she’s one of the best thieves in the kingdom–something her current employer, the king himself, has no knowledge of. When one of her more audacious gambles gets her caught, Envy thinks her luck’s run out. Infuriated, the king banishes her to Bran Tower, a haunted, forgotten prison of no escape.

But, by day, a mysterious blackbird brings Envy crumbs of food–and, by night, the beautiful ghost Merle befriends her. Or so Envy thinks. When Merle, no ghost at all, reveals her terrible truth–cursed to spend daylight as a blackbird, night as the mortal woman she once was–Envy confesses, too: that she’s fallen for the blackbird girl.

But love has made them reckless in a forest of dangerous men. On the night of their planned escape, Merle is kidnapped by a band of brigands seeking the treasure of her father, the Blackbird King. Envy is brave but is now faced with an almost impossible task: to journey through the cursed forest in the hopes of saving her beloved Merle.

CAGE THE DARLINGS is a magical lesbian fantasy novel.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Elora Bishop is a queer lady author. You will often find her wearing soft skirts, curled up in a sunny window (much like a cat), Austen in hand, cup of tea (two cream, one sugar) nearby, always piping hot. She is bewitched by all beautiful things–but, most of all, by her beloved partner. Elora writes magical lesbian love stories, and releases new ones quite regularly. You can find out about her upcoming novels or her previous works at http://elorabishop.wordpress.com and at http://www.twitter.com/elorabishop

Product Details

• File Size: 286 KB
• Print Length: 197 pages
• Page Numbers Source ISBN: 1466476559
• Simultaneous Device Usage: Unlimited
• Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
• Language: English
• ASIN: B006BIR8PK
• Text-to-Speech: Enabled
• X-Ray: Not Enabled
• Lending: Enabled
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #136,784 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Sweetness and light, that still makes you turn the page July 1, 2012

By Neva Davis

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

Once I started, I couldn't put this down. I am love with the world Elora Bishop has created here and in love with Envy and Merle. You'd think that such a sweet uplifting tale could not also be full of suspense, but it is! It will keep you up nights, turning the pages, so you can find out our heroines fates!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A Fantastic Story! March 2, 2012

By Perseis

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

This story was not only well written, but also fun and exciting to read! Throughout the heroic and magical happenings, there are moments of sweet tenderness and clever humor. And although the book is a short read, I never felt like the author was cutting corners or skimping on details. On the contrary, the pace of the story is handled beautifully, and this book is a great way to stay entertained on a plane trip or on a lazy afternoon!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars A Lovely Romantic Fantasy January 5, 2012

By A. Arendt

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

(From my blog, Word Vagabond: Supporting Independent and Small Press Authors.)

Envy is doing a pretty good job of following in her mother's footsteps as a thief, until her pride and ambition get the better of her. Caught stealing from the King's daughter, the guards throw her in an inescapable tower and leave her for dead. Suddenly all the childhood stories she thought were only myths- like the Blackbird King, patron of thieves- are coming true, and the things she thought she would never have are within her grasp.

Much like Bishop's previous novel, One Solstice Night, this is a beautifully written and original fantasy romance novel. Bishop's passionate writing style fits her subject matter, managing to be poetic without feeling overblown. Her writing flows, drawing the reader easily into the current of her book.

Envy is an endearingly imperfect protagonist. Much like her friend Belinda, I felt a combination of amusement and concern for her from the beginning, which made the story immediately engaging and lent it some tension. However, I did end up feeling that she was really the only well-developed character in the book. Merle remains mysterious throughout, even when she eventually tells Envy what her secret is, and much as I liked the Haglin and the Blackbird King, I really wanted to know more about their background. I think if we'd gotten more backstory it would have greatly enriched the main plotline.

The story itself is great fun and a lovely romance. Bishop's books are the sort of tales you would like to cuddle up with at the end of the day with a cat and a cup of tea. There is a sense of hope and faith in the eventual triumph of good that is refreshing in a cynical age. The trade-off is that that they can also come off as a bit frivolous, skimming the surface of deeper waters and more complicated situations. That's not necessarily a bad thing, though- sometimes a happy ending is what you really need, and in that case, this is the book to turn to.

More About the Author

Elora Bishop is a queer lady author who happens to be addicted to tea (not that you could tell from reading any of her novels, surely), has pink hair, lots of tattoos and a very silly sense of humor.

She writes lesbian fantasy and fairy tale retellings, and is most well known for the collaborative project she creates with her wife, author Jennifer Diemer: the Sappho's Fables series, fairy tales retold from a lesbian perspective.

Elora also writes under the name Sarah Diemer. Under this, she wrote the YA, lesbian retelling of the Greek myth of Persephone and Hades, The Dark Wife, the 2012 Golden Crown Literary Award winner for Speculative Fiction.