There is an oft-abandoned art to writing historical fiction...

A Curse Dark as Gold
(by Elizabeth C. Bunce)
★★★★
Have you ever read a book that simply reeks of disguised history lesson? We are subjected to quite a few of these in the early years of school...
A Curse Dark as Gold is, thank the possibly existing higher powers, not like that. The pre-Industrial Revolution setting stays as just that: a setting, instead of rearing its ugly head as a history-lesson-animated-tongue-depressor that, of its own accord, shoves itself down your throat and leaves you with that nasty wooden taste on the innermost reaches of your tongue. Irritatingly and unrelatedly, this sucks more than a nasty aftertaste on any other part of your tongue because you can't lick it off there.
I think that one thing that keeps the history from attacking is that the specific country that the story takes place in is not named. Aspiring authors, take your cues...?
I'd like to list this book's other attributes in bullet points, if you don't mind. I found that it lends itself well to such feature-oriented description.

• a strong female protagonist
• creepy bits, but okay to read at night
• based on a fairy tale (Rumpelstiltskin): I feel that the "modified fairy tale" thing has gotten a bit overused lately, but this book does it well
  
• a banker (I'm not spoiling which character) who, despite his "accessory male" status, manages to add to the book

I feel that that last one needs some more typing, because I will probably be using the term "accessory character" again... An accessory character is one that exists for the sole purpose of being the protagonist's soul mate. They have no purpose to their existences other than to provide the protagonist with romance and to complete the happy ending. They, like handbags or mink scarves, hang upon the main character's arm, almost to complete their outfits. I think that regular mortals will be able to buy them in department stores one day, color coordinated with, say, skirts and jewelery. Perhaps, in the future, one will be given away free with purchases of clothing from Macy's. I really do not like this concept of "you need an accessory character to have your happy ending"... The exception to the rule that most movies and "young adult" books will have such a character that most stands out in my mind are The Thief Lord, by Cornelia Funke, and Avatar.
Because the story of A Curse Dark as Gold is taken from Rumpelstiltskin, though, there really is almost a necessity for an accessory character. The character who fills this position was, thankfully, likeable enough that I didn't really mind. He was also refreshingly original as a character, and so he did not immediately set off the old "character added to appease every-ending-must-be-served-with-a-side-of-romance compulsions" sensors. What do you mean, I spent way too long discussing this?
One issue was that the start was quite slow. One starts to wonder whether one really cares if Charlotte's mill goes under or not... Keep reading, though! You will begin to care after a bit!
A note to those who read this book: try not to take breaks, especially towards the end. I can't explain, but if you stop and come back to it, the whole "feeling" of the curse on the mill and its history dissipates, and the... atmosphere? aura? that has been created is lost.
My final judgement on this book would be that you should absolutely pick it up and read it, especially if you like slightly-but-not-overly-creepy-type books

Currently reading: trying very hard to keep it to nothing, which will be explained in the next post...