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3.48 AVERAGE
3.48 AVERAGE
Omg this was amazing. Loved the princess bride vibes I got at certain times, love that the hero was really a heroine!! Can't wait for more because I mean what a cliff hanger!
There's nothing really *wrong* with this book. It's not a bad book per se. If I had read it on its own, without any context, it would have been a somewhat forgettable but otherwise fine YA adventure book. As it stands, the real problem with this book is how much it pales in comparison.
The Princess Bride, which this is *very* loosely based on, is unquestionably beloved, and it is beloved for a reason. Even during its darkest moments, The Princess Bride has a certain brightness to it. There's a sense of humor, and joy and light, and a kind of buoyancy. The Princess Bride - in both book and movie form - is delightful. By comparison, this book feels leaden and slow and distinctly joyless. There is no humor and no light. All there really is, in The Princess Will Save You, is a group of deeply serious, overly earnest teenagers, who are, each in their own way, dead set on their quests, in the ways that only teenagers can be, and who fail to plan ahead in the ridiculous ways that only teenagers can. The plot is meandering and slow, and mostly obvious. The twists are a little far-fetched - like the snake-bite "graze" and the idea that anyone could or would survive any significant amount of time in a desert without any access to water. It bears only the slightest resemblance to the Princess Bride. The characters are mostly one-dimensional and the love story is told, rather than shown. We're repeatedly told how much these two characters love each other. So much so that it becomes annoying. We get it. They love each other. I'm not sure why, but apparently, they do. Luca's entirely personality is that he loves the princess. And he's an orphan. To be honest, that makes him much more annoying than interesting. There's only so much 'noble suffering' we can take in terms of plot, before it just becomes tedious. The ending - I'm just going to say it - felt like a cheap trick. We are suddenly given a lot of answers a lot of questions that no one was asking, for no particular reason, other than to try to trick the reader into continuing onto the next book. I'm not interested enough to continue onto the next book.
This book also deeply suffers from the lack of a map. Or, at least, mine did. I got the ebook version and I could not find a map for the life of me, so pardon me if it's there and I just didn't see it. Without spoiling too much, this book is very much a travel book - there's a kidnapping, followed by a long and meandering journey, a rescue, an equally long and meandering journey, and ... you get it. Anyhow, there are 4(?) primary countries, mostly described by the animals that represent them, with very little sense of what is where. It's stated a few times, but I'm not really a spatial thinker, and I need a damn map. There are some truly beautiful maps - I've seen them in Tamora Pierce's Tortall books, Seanan McGuire's October Daye books, etc. - and this book is nowhere near the caliber of any of those, but it could've used a similar map, just so we know where the hell the characters are.
Anyhow, like I said. It's not a bad book. It's an ok adventure, and I think I would probably like it a lot better if I weren't comparing it to something that was so wonderful. I would also probably like it better if I wasn't comparing it to all of the truly wonderful YA books I've read and loved.
The Princess Bride, which this is *very* loosely based on, is unquestionably beloved, and it is beloved for a reason. Even during its darkest moments, The Princess Bride has a certain brightness to it. There's a sense of humor, and joy and light, and a kind of buoyancy. The Princess Bride - in both book and movie form - is delightful. By comparison, this book feels leaden and slow and distinctly joyless. There is no humor and no light. All there really is, in The Princess Will Save You, is a group of deeply serious, overly earnest teenagers, who are, each in their own way, dead set on their quests, in the ways that only teenagers can be, and who fail to plan ahead in the ridiculous ways that only teenagers can. The plot is meandering and slow, and mostly obvious. The twists are a little far-fetched - like the snake-bite "graze" and the idea that anyone could or would survive any significant amount of time in a desert without any access to water. It bears only the slightest resemblance to the Princess Bride. The characters are mostly one-dimensional and the love story is told, rather than shown. We're repeatedly told how much these two characters love each other. So much so that it becomes annoying. We get it. They love each other. I'm not sure why, but apparently, they do. Luca's entirely personality is that he loves the princess. And he's an orphan. To be honest, that makes him much more annoying than interesting. There's only so much 'noble suffering' we can take in terms of plot, before it just becomes tedious. The ending - I'm just going to say it - felt like a cheap trick. We are suddenly given a lot of answers a lot of questions that no one was asking, for no particular reason, other than to try to trick the reader into continuing onto the next book. I'm not interested enough to continue onto the next book.
This book also deeply suffers from the lack of a map. Or, at least, mine did. I got the ebook version and I could not find a map for the life of me, so pardon me if it's there and I just didn't see it. Without spoiling too much, this book is very much a travel book - there's a kidnapping, followed by a long and meandering journey, a rescue, an equally long and meandering journey, and ... you get it. Anyhow, there are 4(?) primary countries, mostly described by the animals that represent them, with very little sense of what is where. It's stated a few times, but I'm not really a spatial thinker, and I need a damn map. There are some truly beautiful maps - I've seen them in Tamora Pierce's Tortall books, Seanan McGuire's October Daye books, etc. - and this book is nowhere near the caliber of any of those, but it could've used a similar map, just so we know where the hell the characters are.
Anyhow, like I said. It's not a bad book. It's an ok adventure, and I think I would probably like it a lot better if I weren't comparing it to something that was so wonderful. I would also probably like it better if I wasn't comparing it to all of the truly wonderful YA books I've read and loved.
2.5.... really sad about that but while the bones of something really cool were here, the execution was messy and didnt work for me.
I love the princess Bride. I could see the call backs and that was cool but while it worked for the princess Bride to simply tell us two characters were in love, it didn't have the same effect here. I never saw or believed in the love between Luca and the princess. We are just TOLD they have this love. We never see any build up and honestly for the first half we don't even see them together. Maybe if there had been flashbacks or something to make it more believable instead of stating the love.
There were elements that I questioned - really NO ONE was going to question the king's death? And then the entire council just sat around when the princess disappeared? Like the whole political stuff froze I was honestly shocked nobody on the council came up with and ideas/plans for oh, I dunno, looking for the princess, a fall back if she never came back, etc.
Ama felt like she didn't act at all in the last bit. Given all her take charge attitude leading up to this, it seemed surprising for her to just...go along.
Anyway I was pretty bored for the most part and the epilogue was the most interesting part! I think this book had a lot of potential but floundered, and the biggest kicker is simply not caring for the two main characters because I had zero evidence they were so truly in love.
I love the princess Bride. I could see the call backs and that was cool but while it worked for the princess Bride to simply tell us two characters were in love, it didn't have the same effect here. I never saw or believed in the love between Luca and the princess. We are just TOLD they have this love. We never see any build up and honestly for the first half we don't even see them together. Maybe if there had been flashbacks or something to make it more believable instead of stating the love.
There were elements that I questioned - really NO ONE was going to question the king's death? And then the entire council just sat around when the princess disappeared? Like the whole political stuff froze I was honestly shocked nobody on the council came up with and ideas/plans for oh, I dunno, looking for the princess, a fall back if she never came back, etc.
Ama felt like she didn't act at all in the last bit. Given all her take charge attitude leading up to this, it seemed surprising for her to just...go along.
Anyway I was pretty bored for the most part and the epilogue was the most interesting part! I think this book had a lot of potential but floundered, and the biggest kicker is simply not caring for the two main characters because I had zero evidence they were so truly in love.
Don't claim to be a Princess Bride reimagining if you aren't going to include any of the witty banter, memorable characters, or inventive fight scenes
A warrior princess who defies law made my men and forges her own path. After her father's unexpected death, she is faced with other kingdoms wanting to marry her for her power and land. She refuses to accept her fate and blackmail, going after her beloved stableboy, Luca. During her perlious travels, she meets friends and enemies along the way. I enjoyed the book, but felt it lacked character development. I'm curious to see what happens in the next book.
adventurous
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Princess Amarande’s father is dead. Given an ultimatum to marry a prince from a neighboring kingdom or lose her crown entirely and then her love his kidnapped and she will do anything to have him by her side again and forever.
I enjoyed this a lot. Was it perfect? No. It’s a typical YA romance fantasy but it was fun. It was easy to read and kept you hooked. There was never a dull moment always something happening. Lots of plot twists and turns.
I will be checking out the last two books from the library as well to finish this series off. I’m glad I picked it up. It’s a good palate cleanser for if you just need something fun and entertaining. Can’t go wrong with a story like this
I enjoyed this a lot. Was it perfect? No. It’s a typical YA romance fantasy but it was fun. It was easy to read and kept you hooked. There was never a dull moment always something happening. Lots of plot twists and turns.
I will be checking out the last two books from the library as well to finish this series off. I’m glad I picked it up. It’s a good palate cleanser for if you just need something fun and entertaining. Can’t go wrong with a story like this
It’s… all right. Not great. And definitely not the Princess Bride. I think this author completely misses what the Princess Bride is when she compares her book to it. The Princess Bride is a SATIRE and it is making fun of stories exactly like this one.
All that to say… this book isn’t bad. It’s kind of entertaining and has some sweet moments. It’s just nothing new or surprising.
All that to say… this book isn’t bad. It’s kind of entertaining and has some sweet moments. It’s just nothing new or surprising.