After a rigorous adventure of thwarting a villain, the Princes Charming and Cinderella have settled down to their own victories and embarrassments. LiAfter a rigorous adventure of thwarting a villain, the Princes Charming and Cinderella have settled down to their own victories and embarrassments. Liam is exiled from his land, Duncan is big-headed, Gustav is infuriated at his constant ridicule and Frederic's relationship with Ella is a huge question mark.
When one of the princes gets kidnapped (how humiliating) they all must band together again to rescue him. What results is a task to recover a precious item which, in the hands of someone with devious intentions, may prove deadly. Will our heroes manage to achieve their goal before it is too late?
The sequel to ‘The Hero’s Guide to Saving Your Kingdom’ didn’t disappoint. I purchased it on the day of its release and was quick to devour it. There were many layers to the plot, and my question throughout wasn’t so much, “Who is good and who is evil?” but rather, “Who is worse?” A couple of aspects of the story were guessable but mostly I was inquisitive and the author never seemed to take the easy or obvious route.
It is very interesting that the characters – the Princes Charming and their princesses – are originally known for their romantic origins, yet the story does not focus heavily on their romantic entanglements. It is a fact which I find rather refreshing. There is a subtle weaving of romantic tension between the characters - adding spice to the already excellent dynamics – but it is not blatant as to where feelings lie. With the exception of the lone married couple, Prince Duncan and Snow White. Those two were made for each other. They are both so odd and quirky, yet wonderfully different. It’s amazing how Snow and Duncan flit between such insight and general cluelessness.
As before, I love that the character and gender roles aren’t so concrete. Ella and Lila are strong, female characters but they aren’t exempt from flaws and fears. The princes all have their own forms of heroism and while Frederic and Duncan don’t have the more obvious heroic personas of Liam and Gustav, the latter can be stubborn to a fault. Coming back to strong female characters, Rapunzel and Snow show a subtler form of empowerment that I quite liked. While Briar may not be a “hero” she is a take-charge kind of gal and this book showed her to be multi-faceted, which was a nice turn in her character development. She is undeniably an excellent source of conflict.
Previously I have said that my favourite of the League of Princes is Liam. He appears to be the archetypal hero but in this book he has begun to doubt himself and proves his faults. I rather like him the more for it, though I can only deal with so much of his moping. Pluck up, lad.
Todd Harris’ illustrations were superb, though I would have like to have seen a depiction of Gustav at the ball. That would have been a riot.
The novel concludes with untidy ends for some of the characters, which leaves me all too curious for the next volume, which I believe will be the final instalment. I hope it will include plenty of delectable character dynamics and maybe some further insight into Frederic’s mother and the messenger, Smimf.
I highly recommend you read ‘The Hero’s Guide to Storming the Castle’ but I insist you begin with the first book, ‘The Hero’s Guide to Saving Your Kingdom.’
In accordance with the FTC, I would like to disclose that I purchased this book. The opinions expressed are mine and no monetary compensation was offered to me by the author or publisher....more
You've heard the stories of Cinderella, Rapunzel, Sleeping Beauty and Snow White...but what about the heroes of those stories? Known only as "Prince CYou've heard the stories of Cinderella, Rapunzel, Sleeping Beauty and Snow White...but what about the heroes of those stories? Known only as "Prince Charming," these four uncredited men share the same title and are yet quite different. Frederic is afraid of everything, Gustav is reckless, Liam is obsessed with acts of heroism and Duncan is, well...weird.
When the epilogues of their fairy tales prove to be less than happily ever after, each prince is left with a lack of accomplishment. When the very bards who credited them only as "Prince Charming" go missing, the four Princes Charming team up to thwart a wicked witch and earn themselves a tale worthy of their true titles.
Can Frederic, Liam, Gustav and Duncan overcome their blunders and insecurities and save their kingdoms?
From the moment I learned of this book, I knew I had to read it...or rather, listen to it on audio. I was compelled by the idea of these princes and what their real stories might be. Prince Charming? Such a base archetype, it was just itching to be developed into something worth noticing. 'The Hero's Guide to Saving Your Kingdom' is the result.
The wit is infectious from the start and I was smiling and laughing in ways that echoed through my apartment in ways that I might have found embarrassing had I not had but two ginger cats in the vicinity. They didn't appear to be traumatised but they gave me some strange looks. It felt good to enjoy a book in that way, to be compelled to see where this journey would lead but ultimately not caring about the result as much as the adventure of see what the princes would do next.
Liam is my favourite prince and I swear it isn't just because of the Irish accent. I was drawn to his good heart and even though he was a little single minded when it came to heroics, he wasn't ego-centric. Surprising that Sleeping Beauty's prince would be my favourite, since the Brothers Grimm made that story a lot more PG for their readers...but I won't go into that.
While I did have a favourite amongst the princes, I found them all to be engaging and humorous. They all had their obstacles to overcome and they were all on this quest for different reasons. It was great to see them learn from each other was being a hero is actually about. Even Liam had things to learn from Frederic, who was so sure he wasn't cut out to be a hero.
Another thing that this book has going for it is that the women are no damsels. From a mother of eleven children to a princess, women are not shown to be cowards. Ella was one of the main adventurers of the story and Liam's sister, Lila, was quite daring. The two aren't masters in the art of heroics themselves but it is their intelligence and persistence that drive them.
The only part of the book that had me squirming - not in a bad way, quite the contrary - was the romantic attachments that Healy hinted to and touched on. He doesn't establish anything but does enough that the reader can get excited about potential couplings that may not match up with the original tales of the bards.
I was excited to learn that there will be two sequels to 'The Hero's Guide to Saving Your Kingdom' and I do hope that they will also be narrated on audio by Bronson Pinchot. Although I don't want to cut the print version of the book short. The illustrations by Todd Harris are marvelous and I was rushing to my local bookstore to look at all the snippets of scenes I had only imagined.
'The Hero's Guide to Saving Your Kingdom' is a great children's book but something I would recommend to anyone looking for a good laugh, a great cast of characters and an excellent adventure.
In accordance with the FTC, I would like to disclose that I purchased this book. The opinions expressed are mine and no monetary compensation was offered to me by the author or publisher....more
Johnny repairs shoes all day in a fancy hotel in Florida. His dream to be a shoe designer flourishes when Princess Victoriana checks in. Johnny's bestJohnny repairs shoes all day in a fancy hotel in Florida. His dream to be a shoe designer flourishes when Princess Victoriana checks in. Johnny's best friend, Meg, convinces him to try and get the Princess to wear one of his shoe designs...but Princess Victoriana has her own proposition for Johnny. A quest.
Victoriana's older brother has was turned into a frog by a witch and has gone AWOL in Florida. In exchange for finding her brother, Victoriana offers Johnny something he never expected - her hand in marriage. With the aid of Victoriana's magic cloak Johnny sets out to find the frog prince, meeting plenty of other enchanted creatures along the way.
Can Johnny help Victoriana? Does he really want to marry her...or will his future take a different path? One thing is for certain - his life will never be the same.
After reconnecting with Alex Flinn's story telling in 'Lindy's Diary' (the companion novel to 'Beastly') I was keen to read more of her work. The author has a very clever way of taking fairy tales and weaving them into a modern day setting, so that it reads like something that could happen today but still has the magical feel of an authentic fairy tale.
'Cloaked' is unlike 'Beastly' in that it does not incorporate only one fairy tale into the plot. While I had heard of the story of The Frog Prince, there were six other stories weaved together which I was unfamiliar with. The way in which all these classic tales came together to make a new one was interesting, compelling and most of all, fun.
Despite knowing nothing about the fairy tales woven into the book, the modern day references to movies and Disney World made the experience even more tangible. There was even a nod to the chat room in 'Beastly.'
I was wrapped up in 'Cloaked' and I'm eager to read more books by Alex Flinn. Lucky for me, I have a copy of 'A Kiss in Time' on hand.
In accordance with the FTC, I would like to disclose that I purchased this book. The opinions expressed are mine and no monetary compensation was offered to me by the author or publisher....more
The companion novel to 'Beastly,' written from the perspective of the "Beauty," Lindy.
I only came across this book by chance. It appears to have been The companion novel to 'Beastly,' written from the perspective of the "Beauty," Lindy.
I only came across this book by chance. It appears to have been released less than a month ago. I snatched it up on Kindle due to the low price and an interest in reading the story from Lindy's perspective.
Lindy may be the "Beauty" figure in the story but she is not stunningly beautiful. She isn't ugly but neither is she presented as a sex bomb disguised as a Plain Jane. She is someone the reader can relate to.
When it comes to the story of 'Beauty and the Beast' there is a huge focus on the role of the girl. She is the one who is taken away. She is the one whom the sympathies of the reader should lie with. So, after enjoying stepping into the modern-day retelling of the story in 'Beastly' I was interested to see what a modern day "kidnapped" girl would have to write in her diary.
An important part of 'Beastly' was that Kyle had to learn that beauty was about what was inside and not all about looks. What interested me was that Lindy had her own variation of this lesson to learn. She might not have been shallow like Kyle but she was still drawn to Kyle's physical appearance.
What I most wanted to see was Lindy's take on living with the "Beast." There were plenty of references made to other adaptations of the original story, like the Disney film and 'The Phantom of the Opera' and "Stockholm" was not a word that was ignored. Flinn manages to write Lindy's voice in such a way that whether or not we can identify with her thought process is irrelevant, we see her own rationality in it.
'Lindy's Diary' is not a book I would recommend unless you have already read 'Beastly.' If you have and enjoyed it, go for it. You won't be disappointed.
I look forward to reading more of Alex Flinn's novels, particularly 'Cloaked.'
In accordance with the FTC, I would like to disclose that I purchased this book. The opinions expressed are mine and no monetary compensation was offered to me by the author or publisher....more
In accordance with the FTC, I would like to disclose that purchased this book. The opinions expressed are mine and no moneta(From my blog: Quill Café)
In accordance with the FTC, I would like to disclose that purchased this book. The opinions expressed are mine and no monetary compensation was offered to me by the author or publisher. I did not write this review while under the influence of the Imperius Curse, or the threat of either the Cruciatus Curse or Killing Curse.
Translated from the original runes by Hermione Granger, with additional analysis by Albus Dumbledore and introduction and illustrations by J.K. Rowling, comes the five magical tales of Beedle the Bard.
When this book was released, I purchased two copies of it: the mass-produced edition and the collector's edition that was cloned from one of the five special hand-written copies.
It had been a while since I'd read it and after recently rereading and reviewing 'Fantastic Beasts & Where to Find Them,' I was compelled to explore more magical wonders of the Harry Potter realm.
I was pleased to discover that I couldn't recall all of the details for the stories, though I remembered them in part. Their unfoldings were as entertaining to me as when I first read them.
Beedle's tales are something akin to the writing style - or rather feel - that other well-known children's stories have but his are something outside the generic. They deal with such wonderful characters and inspiring morals.
Much as I loved the stories, half the contents of the book is Dumbledore's analysis on each individual tale. He gives us a further insight into the meanings behind the stories and how Beedle's writings have been received by witches and wizards since they were first penned.
Such as Muggle fairy tales have been reinterpreted by many throughout history - such as the Grimm brothers who ironically made their stories far less grim - Beedle's tales have been rewritten to tone down or abolish violent aspects or to suit the story to a more anti-Muggle agenda. I am pleased to be able to read the translated, non-censored version of Beedle's tales.
My favourite of the five tales are 'Babbitty Rabbitty and her Cackling Stump' and 'The Tale of the Three Brothers.'
Babbitty is a character who possesses such humour and wit that she had much magic within her that is more than what can be summoned by her wand. I think that if I could have chosen a story of Beedle's to be read to me when I was a child, it would have been Babbitty's.
'The Tale of the Three Brothers' is the most well-known because of the final installment in the Harry Potter series. It deals with strong morals we can all consider on a personal level as it focuses on something which affects us all: death.
The story is brief but beautifully told. Dumbledore's notes on the urban legends that surround the items in the story are most interesting and give this tale more grounding in reality, since it has affected so many people throughout history.
Something I noticed with the three brothers was the mirrored symbolism they had with three characters in the Harry Potter series. While the first brother died for power, the second for love and the third greeted death, so did three of the men in the novels die in an akin manner.
While these three men in the Harry Potter books are not immediately related as the brothers are, there is only a generation that divides them from one to the next, with the eldest dieing in pursuit of power and the youngest taking the decision to greet death.
Throughout the book are several illustrations by J.K. Rowling which help bring the stories to life in the imagination of the readers. In the collector's edition of the book, there are plenty more illustrations included and even some larger prints. While the mass-produced edition of Beedle's stories is wonderful, the way in which the other is designed and presented is even more magical to read from, giving a feeling of authenticity.
'The Tales of Beedle the Bard' is a book that every lover of tales must read and every Harry Potter fan should own....more
In accordance with the FTC, I would like to disclose that I borrowed this book from the library. The opinions expressed are (From my blog: Quill Café)
In accordance with the FTC, I would like to disclose that I borrowed this book from the library. The opinions expressed are mine and no monetary compensation was offered to me by the author or publisher.
Kyle Kingsbury is a rich kid who has grown up believing that good looks are more important than anything.
After a prom prank gone wrong, a witch casts a spell on him, turning him into a beast. He has two years to find someone to love him who he can love in return.
Set in modern day New York, Beastly is a retelling of the classic tale, about the feeling of alienation and the importance of inner beauty.
I got 'Beastly' out from my public library. The corner of the novel had teeth marks in it. This was not a design of the book, it had actually been chewed. Apparently my cat Severus is not the only one who enjoys eating books.
I was sceptical at first, but I read it quickly - quick for me at least, as my literary super powers do not involve speedy reading - and thoroughly enjoyed it.
The novel is narrated in first person by Kyle. In the beginning he isn't a particularly likable character, but there is enough insight into his upbringing and relationship with his father, that he was sympathetic enough for me not to lose interest in the book.
I liked being able to see straight into the mind of the "beast." The story is well known and has been the inspiration for many novels in the past, such as 'The Phantom of the Opera' and 'The Hunchback of Notre-Dame.' I loved how the novel embodied the feeling of being secluded and cast out from the world. Kyle looked at other people with despair of ever belonging, which is something many young people can identify with.
The story differs from the original in the sense that it coincides with the modern setting of New York. It took a while for the "beauty" of the novel to properly enter the story, but I was so absorbed in Kyle's world that it didn't bother me. Secluded from the world, Kyle's story might have been utterly uninteresting. Yet being wrapped up in books, with the internet as your main window to the to the world, is quite commonplace. The only thing I found more than a tad confusing was when Will said Wilde died in prison. Major tutor fail there.
There is something fascinating about Kyle's isolated state. Beastly may be a modern fairy tale but it isn't laden with sparkles and fairy dust. Drugs and swearing and sex are addressed, though there isn't anything explicit. Beastly is a book about love, inner beauty and acceptance. So if you're in any way worried that the book comes with a bow-chica-wow-wow backtrack, don't be.
I re-experienced Beastly for a second time - two years later - on audio. It was narrated by Chris Patton, who I knew from his voice work in anime. His narration was diverse, whilst still remaining true to the first person narrative, and not being over-dramatic. I thought Patton's reading of The Princess Bride lines were particularly spot on.
Beastly is a novel that you can really wrap yourself up in. I would suggest it to people who really like the premise of 'Beauty and the Beast.' I don't think you will be disappointed....more
In accordance with the FTC, I would like to disclose that I borrowed this book from the library. The opinions expressed are (From my blog: Quill Café)
In accordance with the FTC, I would like to disclose that I borrowed this book from the library. The opinions expressed are mine and no monetary compensation was offered to me by the author or publisher.
Scarlett and Rosie March have always felt like they were two halves of the same heart. They were left to fend for themselves after their grandmother was killed by a Fenris - a werewolf - and Scarlett was left scarred. Now they dedicate their lives to killing the Fenris.
When Scarlett's hunting partner, Silas, re-enters their lives, he captures Rosie's attention and the two halves of the same heart begin to tug in different directions.
Which is more important - saving the lives of others or living your own?
My first thought was: This is a book where the werewolves are not sex on legs? Scandalous! Surely this must be a crime. A welcome one.
The premise of this novel is great. I love how the author has interpreted the tale of Little Red Riding Hood into something more modern, complex and plausible. That and the fact that it doesn't revolve around one little girl who dons a red cloak, but two sisters. The thing that interested me most about the novel was the relationship between Rosie and Scarlett. I love a good book that while it has an interesting plot, focuses on some good character dynamics.
The novel is well written, and my interest in exploring the reinvention of the old tale was another factor that kept me hooked. I loved reading the hunting scenes and I felt like I got a good insight into the characters. Scarlett and Rosie more so than Silas, but they are the two main characters, and I really felt Silas' significance in their relationship, and how it developed throughout the plot. All three characters were wonderfully written.
The novel is narrated in first person, present tense, by both sisters in alternating chapters. Scarlett and Rosie both care for one another but their desires are conflicting. Not just with one another but within themselves. Scarlett is obsessed with the hunt and desire to kill the Fenris, but also aware of what she has lost: her innocence and her chance for normality. Rosie is tired of being a victim. She feels that she owes her sister her life, but yearns for love and a normal life.
I would recommend this bookto those looking for a wonderful reinvention of a classic fairy tale....more
Loading...
