Rapunzel's Gambit
by Mary Mecham · All That Glitters #4 · 2025
Desperate to rid his kingdom of a troublesome dragon, King Harrigan offers his daughter’s hand in marriage to any man who can slay the beast, but Rapunzel refuses to be pawned off. Deciding that a life of crime is preferable to wedding some power-hungry suitor, Rapunzel fakes her own kidnapping and joins forces with the cunning dragon plaguing her own kingdom. Together, they plot a grand scheme that would amass them both riches beyond their wildest dreams. As the lure of a reward for the princess’s safe return attracts men ensnared by greed and Rapunzel’s flirtations, the would-be heroes soon become the ones in need of rescue atop a tower only accessible by dragon back. But as her alliance with the dragon grows more precarious and dangerous, Rapunzel is forced to question whether she’s trusted the wrong side. Amidst the chaos, Griffin, the humble but brilliant squire, emerges as an unexpected ally. His quick wit and resourcefulness stand in stark contrast to the arrogant knights he serves, and Rapunzel can’t help but take notice. On the chessboard of fate, the swindler princess of Rookwyn must make her own moves with every calculated gambit and soon realizes… The real game was never about knights, kings, and queens, but about how a mere pawn could become a legacy. Rapunzel’s Gambit is a no spice, standalone, fairytale retelling packed with villain vibes, a dragon/princess con artist duo, and banter that will have you laughing out loud. Join a diabolical princess on her daring swindles in this part of All That Glitters—a 12-book series brimming with Tales of Treasure and True Love. Each book stands alone and is written by a different author, so pick your next adventure and remember… not all that glitters is gold!
Rating: 5.00/5 from 1 ratings · Heat: 2 · Genres: Adventure, Dragons, Fairy Tale Retelling, Fantasy, Romantasy, Young Adult
Reviews
Kay_pristineprose — 5/5
Wow. 😍😱😲😘🙀💖😼😍 wow wow wow. This is one of my absolute favorite books of all time. Rapunzel, most unique ‘not a damsel’ characters to ever exist. She is brilliant and schemy and hilarious, feminine but not afraid to get her hands dirty. This girl uses drugged lipstick on her suitors for fun. 😂🤣🤣😂🤭🤣 She’s technically morally gray, but for a good cause and she’s the hero in this story. I adored the magic in this book. Taking dragon, magical combs and wardrobes and tables. There’s a lot of whimsy thrown into this story, keeping it lighthearted rather than dark. The dragon is full of secrets, and I love the way his ‘hoard’ works in this book. A dragon will protect his hoard at any costs, but in this story that is not just gold, but people he claims as well. Like a certain princess hehe. I love everything rapunzel does in this story. Taking charge in order to save herself and her kingdom. ‘Kidnapping’ herself. Making deals with dragons. Suffering through all the knights’ terrible rescue attempts 🤣 I was rolling at all of the half baked plans those sword welding block heads came up with. Not romantic or endearing at all like the fairy tales want us to believe. It had my laughing so hard. I laughed constantly through this story. Hands down the wittiest book I’ve ever read. And all be rereading many times because it’s just too clever and hilarious not too. My mom was actually reading this first. She was somewhere around chapter 2 when she told me to drop everything and read this book. She said this was made for me, and if course she was so so right. Rapunzel loves dresses and makeup, but she’s also tough and strong, taking charge of her own destiny. She is a brilliant strategist trying to find a way to dethrone the evil king (her father) without killing him. The sassy dragon found family who should be the villain has do much depth and Intrigue. Along with fun magic and petty banter. Gosh I loved it. Could not stop smiling and laughing. The main male love interest, a sweet a smart squire was a great addition as well to spice up the story. No author has ever written anything like this. Not this amazingly crafted at least. Not that I have read. I’m blown away by Mary’s skills and have more of her audiobooks on hold that I’m excited to read. This rapunzel reminds me a lot of Meg from Disney’s Hercules. One of my favorite characters from Disney. As a kid I loved her more than any princess. No other character has properly captured what I loved about Meg’s tough sass, not until this rapunzel. Add in all the twisty twists that just keep on coming. And man this book is a crazy ride that I could not put down!! Some twists I predicted, but one very much shocked me. Which does not happen often anymore. So loved that. Did I mention that the AUDIOBOOK IS FREE ON YOUTUBE!!! Yeah. Free. You can go listen to it right now. Go on. Go listen. 🗡right now🗡do it🗡 Narrated by an absolutely fabulous narrator as well. Probably the most high quality book I’ll ever listen to for free