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jowithtwoiis's review against another edition
3.0
Funny and cute. Dragged a bit towards the end but I'd recommend to a kid that likes humor and mysteries.
mbenzz's review against another edition
4.0
If you enjoyed Christopher Healy's 'League of Princes' trilogy, then you should enjoy this as it takes place in the same world, the Thirteen Kingdoms.
Lila the Lilac is the sister of one of the main characters in the Prince's trilogy, and in this book, she gets her own story.
Lila is tired of living under the confines of her selfish royal parents and is determined to make a name for herself as a mighty Bounty Hunter. She travels many Kingdoms away in the hopes no one will recognize her true identity, and along the way, she befriends Netta, a plucky young lady who wants nothing more than to be invited into the Guild of Bards.
Lila and Netta end up trapped together in the creepy Castle Angbar, trying to solve first a theft, then a murder. There's quite an eclectic cast of characters locked in the castle with them, and if they want to get out alive, the Lilac needs to solve the case before sunrise, or the magic cast by a powerful magician will crush them all.
Overall, I really enjoyed this story. Even though I had guessed very early on who the culprit was, I was surprised by some of the twists at the end that I didn't see coming.
Side note: If you're a fan of audible books, I would recommend listening to this if he has Bronson Pinchot narrate it as he did for all his other books. Bronson Pinchot (he played Balki Bartokomous on Perfect Strangers for those of you over 40) is a FANTASTIC narrator, and he does an amazing job with these books.
Lila the Lilac is the sister of one of the main characters in the Prince's trilogy, and in this book, she gets her own story.
Lila is tired of living under the confines of her selfish royal parents and is determined to make a name for herself as a mighty Bounty Hunter. She travels many Kingdoms away in the hopes no one will recognize her true identity, and along the way, she befriends Netta, a plucky young lady who wants nothing more than to be invited into the Guild of Bards.
Lila and Netta end up trapped together in the creepy Castle Angbar, trying to solve first a theft, then a murder. There's quite an eclectic cast of characters locked in the castle with them, and if they want to get out alive, the Lilac needs to solve the case before sunrise, or the magic cast by a powerful magician will crush them all.
Overall, I really enjoyed this story. Even though I had guessed very early on who the culprit was, I was surprised by some of the twists at the end that I didn't see coming.
Side note: If you're a fan of audible books, I would recommend listening to this if he has Bronson Pinchot narrate it as he did for all his other books. Bronson Pinchot (he played Balki Bartokomous on Perfect Strangers for those of you over 40) is a FANTASTIC narrator, and he does an amazing job with these books.
heidi_may91's review
adventurous
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
mwrars's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
voracious_book_addict's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Hysterical and entertaining. Like Clue meets Monty Python, meets a Mel Brooks Movie with fantasy elements. The narration was top notch, lots of distinct character voices and entertaining moments.
boathon's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
stephaniesb's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
mysterious
fast-paced
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder
forsidious's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
This was so cute - there are moments of convoluted convenience (namely people being knocked out at inconvenient times) but overall a well put together mystery where everyone has secrets to hide. Things wrap up in a fun way there's a fun false ending to throw you off - I was disappointed in the fake ending so was happy to see it wasn't the true one A cute message at the end and I love that all the ladies are throwing away convention for their benefit. I enjoyed the narrator and funny bits throughout. They're silly, and it lightens up an otherwise quite dark story for middle grade. The twist of their family being bakers and the house just breaking to look spooky genuinely had me laughing
Props to the author for writing some pretty badass female characters without any of them being "not like other girls" or similar toxic tropes, or being perfect. Just different girls/women doing their thing and feeling freer to be themselves at the end of the book by empowering themselves and each other. it was nice to see.
C- 10, A - 10, W - 9, P - 9, I - 9, L - 8, E - 9
Props to the author for writing some pretty badass female characters without any of them being "not like other girls" or similar toxic tropes, or being perfect. Just different girls/women doing their thing and feeling freer to be themselves at the end of the book by empowering themselves and each other. it was nice to see.
C- 10, A - 10, W - 9, P - 9, I - 9, L - 8, E - 9