Reviewed by Kat
TITLE: Taliasman
SERIES: Beyond Fairytales
AUTHOR: Anastasia Vitsky
PUBLISHER: Decadent Publishing Company
LENGTH: 72 pages
BLURB:
Born to a destitute woodworker who wanted a son to carry on the family business, Talia grew up with one phrase on her lips: “If I had been born a boy.” If she had been born a boy, she would have been cherished, supported, and launched into the world with her father’s legacy. As only a worthless girl, she toils all day long to earn her handful of inferior grain.
Far away in the heavenly palace, Queen Vina receives a mysterious coin necklace from Nicodemus, teller of stories. Compelled by the throbbing heartbeat, she scours the earth to come across Talia, enslaved to a family who never wanted her. Rather than admit her motives, Vina purchases the girl with a sack full of gold. Furious, betrayed, and homesick, Talia endeavors to share her misery with the entire palace. Vina, afraid to confess her love, allows herself to become trapped in the role of brutal slave owner.
Talia, bred to expect nothing but misery, faces the first choice of her life. Will she accept love, even if it comes from an unlikely source? Or will she reject the one who offers her everything?
A Beyond Fairytales Adaptation of Our Lady’s Child
~A Letter from Anastasia Vitsky~
What happens when you mix together Rumplestiltskin, Bluebeard, Rapunzel, and the Virgin Mary? You get the fairy tale, “Our Lady’s Child” or “Mary’s Child,” the story of a poor woodcutter’s daughter who lives with the Virgin Mary in heaven before being cast out for disobedience. In researching this tale, I wondered how the girl felt about her abduction-slash-rescue from a life of poverty, and I tried to imagine her life: Unwanted. Unloved. Plagued by self-doubt and lack of confidence.
Taliasman is a story ancient and new at the same time, a story of needing affirmation for who we are while being challenged to grow into better people. I hope Talia and Vina’s story will remind you of your own loved one and renew your faith in the power of love.
REVIEW:
I am extremely new to both fantasy and lesbian romance but had heard about this series and wanted to stretch myself more as a reader. What I found was that I enjoyed this story much more than I thought I would. I found it piqued my interest and kept me guessing on where it was going. Although not usually a fan of short stories, this book developed a good strong story with descriptions and facts to make it feel like it was a much longer book. It was refreshing that it wasn’t filled with long, descriptive sex scenes, because that is not what this book is about. I have to admit, even though Ms. Vitsky is known for her wooden spoon, I hadn’t expected quite as much spanking with both a hand and a belt.
Taliasman is a rewriting of Our Lady’s Child, a story I had no knowledge of whatsoever so I had no premise of where this story was going. It is a “sad to start” tale of a girl, Talia, born to very poor parents. She has done everything to gain their love and appreciation. She is not loved, especially by her hard, mean mother, for what appears to be the fact that she was born a girl instead of boy to carry on the family business. She has learned her father’s woodworking trade and is quite accomplished at it but as in tales of old world, she is not permitted to be a working woman and now her mother believes she is ruined. She is then sold to Vina, Queen of another world believed to be heaven. Her parents are thrilled to not only be rid of her, but to also now have money to survive on. Vina brings the girl home with her and lavishes her with clothes, food and status. However, Talia wants nothing of this. She feels cheap and bought but wonders why Vina treats her this way. Talisman is the story of love, trust and commitment on the part of Vina as she reaches out to her beloved. I am giving this an enthusiastic 4 stars.
The sequel to Talisman, Taliaschild, has very recently been released and I cannot wait to read it and discover more of secrets of this delightful fairytale.
RATING: 
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