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Beholden

by Jody Hedlund

A medieval Cinderella retelling shaped by a royal test

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AlbakiReads Editorial

A medieval Cinderella retelling shaped by a royal test

Lady Gabriella and Prince Vilmar are both caught in Warwick’s gem mine, though for different reasons: Gabriella has been condemned to labor there after her father’s death, while Vilmar entered slavery as part of a test to determine which of three brothers should succeed as king. Their shared hardship brings Gabriella’s plan to oppose Queen Margery into contact with Vilmar’s growing concern for the other enslaved workers. The approaching summer ball gives the story a familiar Cinderella reference point, while the mine and Vilmar’s succession challenge frame its conflicts around survival, loyalty, and the costs of resisting cruelty.

Good fit for readers who enjoy

  • Teens and young adults interested in medieval historical fiction.
  • Readers who enjoy Cinderella-inspired stories with royal succession and courtly elements.
  • Readers interested in plots involving injustice, resistance, and personal sacrifice.

Themes

Injustice and resistanceCompassion under hardshipRoyal successionLoyalty and sacrifice

Based on publisher information and book metadata.

Book overview

In a land where being the fairest maiden is a curse . . .

 

A beautiful noblewoman with a terrible secret, and a prince subjected to slavery.

 

Upon the death of her wealthy father, Lady Gabriella is condemned to work in Warwick's gem mine. As she struggles to survive the dangerous conditions, her kindness and beauty shine as brightly as the jewels the slaves excavate. While laboring, Gabriella plots how to avenge her father's death and stop Queen Margery's cruelty.

 

Prince Vilmar of Scania enslaves himself in Warwick's gem mine as part of a royal test to prove himself the most worthy of three brothers to become the king's successor. Amidst the hardships, he doesn't anticipate his growing compassion for the other slaves, especially tenderhearted Gabriella.

 

As the annual summer ball looms nearer, Gabriella sets into motion her plan to end Queen Margery's evil. When Vilmar learns of Gabriella's intentions, he resolves to come to her aid and fight against Warwick's queen. But doing so may require him to give up his chance of becoming Scania's next king, perhaps even cost him his life.

 

The real Cinderella story.

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