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3.49 AVERAGE
3.49 AVERAGE
This was a brilliant book, I really enjoyed it. It's the kind of story I would have loved to read in my younger years and I'd definitely recommend it to middle grade readers although I of course think adults will enjoy it too.
It was such an easy fantasy read which was refreshing as some fantasies can be very heavy and difficult to get through. That wasn't the case with this book; I was hooked from the first page. There genuinely wasn't a dull moment in this story and I appreciated the fast pace.
Regarding the world, this definitely read like a fairy-tale. It contained all the fantastical things you would expect in a great fairy-tale world including magic, talking animals, wicked relatives and of course a princess! Despite ticking all the boxes of a classic fairytale, it was completely unique. I've never read anything like this before and I loved it.
I found the story itself quite predictable but that wasn't necessarily a bad thing. Once we hear of the prophecy at the beginning I was pretty certain it had to apply to Olive as she was the main character after all. That being said, I was thrilled with the ending. Sometimes it's nice to get a happily ever after.
For a YA fairytale, there were both dark and hopeful themes throughout the book. Olive's arrogant father and narcissistic sister were very unlikeable and intentionally so. The book constantly sported messages of inner beauty and the ultimate goodness that can come from a selfless act. The idea of mutilating oneself and destroying what makes you unique for the sake of beauty was rather sinister although most fairytales are quite dark and it was a welcome element in the book for me, it can't be all talking woodland creatures all the time after all.
While the characters didn't have much development or personal growth, they were who they were and it was nice to see some consistency. I would have been disappointed if the King was suddenly all apologetic and remorseful at the end of the book, he was an awful man who bullied one of his children relentlessly and he doesn't deserve our forgiveness.
I loved Olive! The deliberate contrast to her vain, cowardly sister really emphasised how strong she was. Honestly, if I lived in Olive's world, I have no idea how I could make the choice between having such unique magic which forced others to detest me or be powerless and adored. She may be a princess but she was a fighter, think Merida from Brave here her sacrifices her independence or her spirit for no man. She was kick ass and so selfless although almost too perfect at times. A slightly different ending could have made her truly strong but hey, it's a fairytale, she deserves to have it all.
There were a few (only 2 that I noticed) spelling and grammar issues in this book, but I still really enjoyed it.
*This book was provided by the author through the Never too old for YA & NA group in exchange for an honest review.
It was such an easy fantasy read which was refreshing as some fantasies can be very heavy and difficult to get through. That wasn't the case with this book; I was hooked from the first page. There genuinely wasn't a dull moment in this story and I appreciated the fast pace.
Regarding the world, this definitely read like a fairy-tale. It contained all the fantastical things you would expect in a great fairy-tale world including magic, talking animals, wicked relatives and of course a princess! Despite ticking all the boxes of a classic fairytale, it was completely unique. I've never read anything like this before and I loved it.
I found the story itself quite predictable but that wasn't necessarily a bad thing. Once we hear of the prophecy at the beginning I was pretty certain it had to apply to Olive as she was the main character after all. That being said, I was thrilled with the ending. Sometimes it's nice to get a happily ever after.
For a YA fairytale, there were both dark and hopeful themes throughout the book. Olive's arrogant father and narcissistic sister were very unlikeable and intentionally so. The book constantly sported messages of inner beauty and the ultimate goodness that can come from a selfless act. The idea of mutilating oneself and destroying what makes you unique for the sake of beauty was rather sinister although most fairytales are quite dark and it was a welcome element in the book for me, it can't be all talking woodland creatures all the time after all.
While the characters didn't have much development or personal growth, they were who they were and it was nice to see some consistency. I would have been disappointed if the King was suddenly all apologetic and remorseful at the end of the book, he was an awful man who bullied one of his children relentlessly and he doesn't deserve our forgiveness.
I loved Olive! The deliberate contrast to her vain, cowardly sister really emphasised how strong she was. Honestly, if I lived in Olive's world, I have no idea how I could make the choice between having such unique magic which forced others to detest me or be powerless and adored. She may be a princess but she was a fighter, think Merida from Brave here her sacrifices her independence or her spirit for no man. She was kick ass and so selfless although almost too perfect at times. A slightly different ending could have made her truly strong but hey, it's a fairytale, she deserves to have it all.
There were a few (only 2 that I noticed) spelling and grammar issues in this book, but I still really enjoyed it.
*This book was provided by the author through the Never too old for YA & NA group in exchange for an honest review.
I won this through Goodreads.
I sat back for a bit before writing this review to mull it over a bit. This was a pleasant addition to the fairy tale genre, with a fairly unique take. I appreciated the heroine's strong will in standing up for skill over social pressures. The writing was fairly stripped down and straightforward, but not so far as to be jarring. I am thankful that this was a book that, while targeted at the YA audience, is not written in a tone or at a level unappealing to adults. Overall, an enjoyable read.
The resolution was not quite what I would have preferred, but I am struggling with the why of it. To get more deeply into it would also involve SPOILERS!. All personal biases that others likely will not share.
Recommended for fans of the fairy tale genre.
I sat back for a bit before writing this review to mull it over a bit. This was a pleasant addition to the fairy tale genre, with a fairly unique take. I appreciated the heroine's strong will in standing up for skill over social pressures. The writing was fairly stripped down and straightforward, but not so far as to be jarring. I am thankful that this was a book that, while targeted at the YA audience, is not written in a tone or at a level unappealing to adults. Overall, an enjoyable read.
The resolution was not quite what I would have preferred, but I am struggling with the why of it. To get more deeply into it would also involve SPOILERS!
Spoiler
I have very conflicted feelings about Olive becoming physically transformed, as well as about her being, in a way, saved by the love of a man. I also really disliked the clear telegraphing of a sequel to come, even though I might quite enjoy the reading of said sequel.Recommended for fans of the fairy tale genre.
*I tried not to spoil anything, but I just want to give a warning in case!*
For the idea of an ugly princess as the heroine, and a princess that wants her magic more than beauty and a prince, I will give it 3.5 stars.
Ah, this book...I was soooooo incredibly excited when I got this book for Christmas! Sadly, it wasn't all that I expected. It was a good book and I will read something else by Henderson Smith, but the book wasn't superb.
My biggest complaint is that it was too short. It's a little over 200 pages, and that's just not enough to tell the story. Also, there were quite a few places in the story where I knew what was going to happen, which I didn't mind too much. I wished there was more in the way of developing relationships, particularly between two of the main characters (I'm being vague so I won't spoil anything). A couple of the action scenes were kind of weak and super short, but I can't say anymore without ruining the ending.
All in all, I think I would recommend it, but I am kind of sad it wasn't better. Hopefully the author's next book will be better!
For the idea of an ugly princess as the heroine, and a princess that wants her magic more than beauty and a prince, I will give it 3.5 stars.
Ah, this book...I was soooooo incredibly excited when I got this book for Christmas! Sadly, it wasn't all that I expected. It was a good book and I will read something else by Henderson Smith, but the book wasn't superb.
My biggest complaint is that it was too short. It's a little over 200 pages, and that's just not enough to tell the story. Also, there were quite a few places in the story where I knew what was going to happen, which I didn't mind too much. I wished there was more in the way of developing relationships, particularly between two of the main characters (I'm being vague so I won't spoil anything). A couple of the action scenes were kind of weak and super short, but I can't say anymore without ruining the ending.
All in all, I think I would recommend it, but I am kind of sad it wasn't better. Hopefully the author's next book will be better!
Ahoy there mateys! This be the second book of the year from me 20 in 2020 ports for plunder list. This was a fast read but extremely unsatisfying. I really don’t get how people think this is good.
Now to be fair, the premise sounds awesome. The story follows Olive who is the last in a long line of magical women. There is a catch to using magic. With every spell cast, the woman pays for it by turning uglier. Ye can give up yer magic and become beautiful in exchange. Olive refuses to give up her magic and as she says “But I don’t think of myself as ugly.”
Ha! That is a lie. Olive spends the entire book being upset about how ugly she is and craving the respect and love of those around her. She longs to be beautiful and she has no self-esteem at all. The people in this world are so shallow that the only thing that matters to any of them is how pretty they are. There is literally no discussion of any other character trait or talent having merit. And in terms of turning uglier, it all seems to occur on the face in the form of warts, boils, and bumps. It was odd that the rest of the body was fine.
Then there are the other characters. Olive’s own mother gave up her magic and then spends time waffling between wanting her children to be beautiful (knowing the cost) and wanting them to keep her magic. She outright lies to her children and is a coward. No one stands up to the obnoxious jerk father. The horrible sister is so selfish and tortures an animal with no repercussions because that is just her nature. The two sisters are so nasty and mean to one another. And yet the author continues to talk about how much love there is. I wouldn’t wish that kind of family love on anyone.
The plot and romance are both predictable and ridiculous. The writing was immature and had dialogue that was so bad that I actually laughed out loud over the absurdity of it. The word “boob” is used as an insult! How the characters fall in love was completely a) lackluster; b) unbelievable; and c) so quick, I think I blinked and missed it. The world building was non-existent. The magic had no real rules and the spells were both stupid sounding and stupidly executed. Olive turns 18 and suddenly becomes obsessed with finding “a mate.” The magical women actually think using magic to coerce men into having sex without consent is just fine because they brainwash them into having false memories. Ugh.
I wanted a strong woman willing to stand up for herself and be proud in her magic. I wanted a woman who not only saved the world but realized her own worth came from her actions and not from what other people think. I didn’t want her to behave like beauty and a relationship was the goal of womanhood. I did NOT want her to magically become beautiful at the end and only be fulfilled by finding a husband. I wanted her to use her brain. I didn’t get anything that I wanted from the premise that had potential.
I don’t even want to donate me copy to another reader. Avoid this book. Arrrr!
Now to be fair, the premise sounds awesome. The story follows Olive who is the last in a long line of magical women. There is a catch to using magic. With every spell cast, the woman pays for it by turning uglier. Ye can give up yer magic and become beautiful in exchange. Olive refuses to give up her magic and as she says “But I don’t think of myself as ugly.”
Ha! That is a lie. Olive spends the entire book being upset about how ugly she is and craving the respect and love of those around her. She longs to be beautiful and she has no self-esteem at all. The people in this world are so shallow that the only thing that matters to any of them is how pretty they are. There is literally no discussion of any other character trait or talent having merit. And in terms of turning uglier, it all seems to occur on the face in the form of warts, boils, and bumps. It was odd that the rest of the body was fine.
Then there are the other characters. Olive’s own mother gave up her magic and then spends time waffling between wanting her children to be beautiful (knowing the cost) and wanting them to keep her magic. She outright lies to her children and is a coward. No one stands up to the obnoxious jerk father. The horrible sister is so selfish and tortures an animal with no repercussions because that is just her nature. The two sisters are so nasty and mean to one another. And yet the author continues to talk about how much love there is. I wouldn’t wish that kind of family love on anyone.
The plot and romance are both predictable and ridiculous. The writing was immature and had dialogue that was so bad that I actually laughed out loud over the absurdity of it. The word “boob” is used as an insult! How the characters fall in love was completely a) lackluster; b) unbelievable; and c) so quick, I think I blinked and missed it. The world building was non-existent. The magic had no real rules and the spells were both stupid sounding and stupidly executed. Olive turns 18 and suddenly becomes obsessed with finding “a mate.” The magical women actually think using magic to coerce men into having sex without consent is just fine because they brainwash them into having false memories. Ugh.
I wanted a strong woman willing to stand up for herself and be proud in her magic. I wanted a woman who not only saved the world but realized her own worth came from her actions and not from what other people think. I didn’t want her to behave like beauty and a relationship was the goal of womanhood. I did NOT want her to magically become beautiful at the end and only be fulfilled by finding a husband. I wanted her to use her brain. I didn’t get anything that I wanted from the premise that had potential.
I don’t even want to donate me copy to another reader. Avoid this book. Arrrr!
adventurous
hopeful
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
A beautiful story!
I loved this book. I don't believe that I've read anything else this year so fast. It was highly engaging, the characters were given enough depth for the length of the book which I always appreciate and I loved how it called into question the credibility of a person just based on looks. We as a people are so focused on someone's appearance, we forgot that there is a personality underneath. Sometimes the most beautiful hide the most ugly inside. Olive is a heroine whose story should be a new modern fairy tale for children, a strong, intelligent, brave young woman who understands more than those older than her and doesn't rely on someone to do the work when she is more than capable of doing it herself.
I did not receive this book for free. I borrowed it on Kindle Unlimited and it may be a repeat reading for me as well.
I did not receive this book for free. I borrowed it on Kindle Unlimited and it may be a repeat reading for me as well.
Entertaining novel
What a fun, entertaining novel. With a princess not afraid to challenge beauty ideals and her destiny. Looking forward to reading the sequels and seeing more development for Princess Olive. Her sister was a pain tho
What a fun, entertaining novel. With a princess not afraid to challenge beauty ideals and her destiny. Looking forward to reading the sequels and seeing more development for Princess Olive. Her sister was a pain tho
4.5 stars
I loved this book, but I am really bothered by the excessive spelling and grammar errors.
I loved this book, but I am really bothered by the excessive spelling and grammar errors.
Very Cute
I really enjoyed this story. I liked Princess Olive, Bart, and all the animals. Overall, it was a cute and fun read.
I really enjoyed this story. I liked Princess Olive, Bart, and all the animals. Overall, it was a cute and fun read.