Rootbound: A Tangled Novel

Rapunzel left her tower only a month ago, and she knows almost nothing about Astera, the island kingdom next door. Astera has kept outsiders at a distance for decades. When an odd invitation arrives to the coming of age ceremony of its princess, Verette, Rapunzel accepts. Since losing her healing powers, she has felt useless, and the trip offers a chance to be of use.

Eugene comes along, content to have one more adventure with her before his criminal past catches up with him and spoils any hope of a happy ending. Neither of them expects the political intrigue and magical secrets waiting on the island.

The deeper they go into Astera's troubles, the more they learn about Eugene's parentage, and the clues suggest wider unrest in the country. Soon the safety of their own kingdom is in question, along with their personal hopes. They are caught between Verette, the island's beloved princess, King Enver, who rules with a heavy hand, and a secret society whose aims are unclear.

This is a fantasy adventure that revisits the characters of Disney's Tangled, with a tone that mixes humor with scheming courts. The threat they face feels uncomfortably familiar to Rapunzel, and the story keeps pressing the question of whether the past will weigh them down or help them grow.