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srishti_b's review against another edition
4.0
This was a nice read! It definitely wasn't my favorite of Melanie Cellier's books so far, but I enjoyed the return to the original four kingdoms, as well as seeing some of the characters from previous books more grown up.
There is one part of this this that confused me though, and while it isn't exactly part of the story, I think it needs to be addressed. In the beginning of the book, there was a list of all the characters in the series and their children. For some reason all of the main characters from the previous books have exactly two children, which frankly, I find hard to believe. Many of the parents of these children came from big families, or were only children, and it doesn't make sense to me that every single one of the would have exactly two children. I know this isn't really a plot point but it bothered me nonetheless.
In regards to the actual story I thought it was handled quite well. The goose girl is one of my favorite less talked-about fairy tales, and I was happy to see it retold here. This book actually seemed to stay much closer to the original source material than most of the author's previous works which was interesting. I did guess most of what the characters' "secrets" were, particularly Phillip, but again, that may be because I was familiar with the original story.
I was glad to see more of Giselle's personality in this book after seeing a little of it in A Crown of Snow and Ice. I liked the fact that she while had flaws, such as wanting to prove herself so much that she put others in danger, she also realized that she could learn from her unexpected situation and use it to become a better leader and person.
Also, I loved Arvin the horse. Simply the best.
Overall, I think this was an interesting retelling of a fairy tale that deserves more recognition, and I can't wait until next year so I can see what happens to the younger girls who are on their "own adventures."
There is one part of this this that confused me though, and while it isn't exactly part of the story, I think it needs to be addressed. In the beginning of the book, there was a list of all the characters in the series and their children. For some reason all of the main characters from the previous books have exactly two children, which frankly, I find hard to believe. Many of the parents of these children came from big families, or were only children, and it doesn't make sense to me that every single one of the would have exactly two children. I know this isn't really a plot point but it bothered me nonetheless.
In regards to the actual story I thought it was handled quite well. The goose girl is one of my favorite less talked-about fairy tales, and I was happy to see it retold here. This book actually seemed to stay much closer to the original source material than most of the author's previous works which was interesting. I did guess most of what the characters' "secrets" were, particularly Phillip, but again, that may be because I was familiar with the original story.
I was glad to see more of Giselle's personality in this book after seeing a little of it in A Crown of Snow and Ice. I liked the fact that she while had flaws, such as wanting to prove herself so much that she put others in danger, she also realized that she could learn from her unexpected situation and use it to become a better leader and person.
Also, I loved Arvin the horse. Simply the best.
Overall, I think this was an interesting retelling of a fairy tale that deserves more recognition, and I can't wait until next year so I can see what happens to the younger girls who are on their "own adventures."
racheligala's review against another edition
3.0
So... The book starts with bombarding you with lots of characters from different Kingdoms and it is a bit confusing, it is also starting with telling you of a story that happened a few years before which made me go and check of I missed something and it is a sequel- but I saw it's the first book in the series so I continued reading, later on, as the book progressed and many more characters names are dropped, I understand that I definitely missed something and checked a bit deeper- so it is indeed the first book of the series, but it is the THIRD series in this world, so maybe if I had read it in the right order I would have enjoyed the fan service, but as a new reader I felt left out of the fun..
Beside that the book was ok, plot wad cute though a bit unbelievable (the rulers are kind and the servants are happy etc), the romance is cute (though very vanilla) but the ending is weird, a bit unbelievable, a bit anticlimactic- where ALL the main characters are sitting in a room and TALKING about what happened.. aaaa.... Not great...
Beside that the book was ok, plot wad cute though a bit unbelievable (the rulers are kind and the servants are happy etc), the romance is cute (though very vanilla) but the ending is weird, a bit unbelievable, a bit anticlimactic- where ALL the main characters are sitting in a room and TALKING about what happened.. aaaa.... Not great...
onceuponanothernovel's review against another edition
adventurous
fast-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.0
rcpope's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-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? Yes
4.5
merieshenanigans's review against another edition
4.0
Well, that was a thousand times more epic than I expected... Of course, that's typical of Melanie Cellier's books. This one blasted my expectations out of the sky. Which means it was BRILLIANT.
I love "The Goose Girl" retellings so much because of 1) how uncommon they are and 2) the multitude of themes that can be explored! I mean, yes I know, there are multitudes of themes in every fairytale that's retold, but not a lot of them deal with the suddenly-humbled-down status of this fairytale (granted, the original goose girl princess was something of a disappointment in this area, but we are thankful to the fairytale authors who do a good job in making up for that). Melanie Cellier did not disappoint!
First of all, let's point out the absolute likability of these characters. Giselle is one of my favorite side characters over from the Beyond the Four Kingdoms series-- she's so practical and witty and endearingly blunt, yet tactful. She feels the need to prove herself capable of having her own adventure without her sister-in-law Celine always coming in to save the day. I loved that element in this story, and I loved Giselle's overall NON-contrived humility and open-mindedness. And she had her problems too, and the best thing about her personality is that she's so unafraid to address them. WE NEED MORE HEROINES LIKE THESE.
Philip was certainly an intriguing character, but I do wish he had more depth to him. That's about it...
I was so, so happy to read about our dear beloved Max and Alyssa and their life as it is twelve years after their own story. That being said, I am ridiculously excited for the next book in this series because there is a high possibility that it will be set in Rangmere, which means *covers mouth to muffle my anticipation* Ahem, let's move on.
One of the best things about these retellings is how utterly complex and clever these plots are. The villains' schemes and even the brilliance of our own heroes never cease to amaze me, and honestly, this one was awesome. Really awesome. I won't say any more.
Before I end this review I want to add that Arvin is quite possibly the best talking animal companion no one asked for but everyone expects.
(How is it that every time I review one of these books I completely lose any trace of a professional edge and start rambling like a gushy fangirl? It's embarrassing, is what it is!)
SO yes, I do 100% highly recommend this series. Well actually, the two series before this one, and then this one. Thank me later.
Always be a happy camper!
I love "The Goose Girl" retellings so much because of 1) how uncommon they are and 2) the multitude of themes that can be explored! I mean, yes I know, there are multitudes of themes in every fairytale that's retold, but not a lot of them deal with the suddenly-humbled-down status of this fairytale (granted, the original goose girl princess was something of a disappointment in this area, but we are thankful to the fairytale authors who do a good job in making up for that). Melanie Cellier did not disappoint!
First of all, let's point out the absolute likability of these characters. Giselle is one of my favorite side characters over from the Beyond the Four Kingdoms series-- she's so practical and witty and endearingly blunt, yet tactful. She feels the need to prove herself capable of having her own adventure without her sister-in-law Celine always coming in to save the day. I loved that element in this story, and I loved Giselle's overall NON-contrived humility and open-mindedness. And she had her problems too, and the best thing about her personality is that she's so unafraid to address them. WE NEED MORE HEROINES LIKE THESE.
Philip was certainly an intriguing character, but I do wish he had more depth to him. That's about it...
I was so, so happy to read about our dear beloved Max and Alyssa and their life as it is twelve years after their own story. That being said, I am ridiculously excited for the next book in this series because there is a high possibility that it will be set in Rangmere, which means *covers mouth to muffle my anticipation* Ahem, let's move on.
One of the best things about these retellings is how utterly complex and clever these plots are. The villains' schemes and even the brilliance of our own heroes never cease to amaze me, and honestly, this one was awesome. Really awesome. I won't say any more.
Before I end this review I want to add that Arvin is quite possibly the best talking animal companion no one asked for but everyone expects.
(How is it that every time I review one of these books I completely lose any trace of a professional edge and start rambling like a gushy fangirl? It's embarrassing, is what it is!)
SO yes, I do 100% highly recommend this series. Well actually, the two series before this one, and then this one. Thank me later.
Always be a happy camper!
theinventorsdaughter's review against another edition
5.0
Oh my gosh, the lore of this world keeps growing and I absolutely love it!
sunniek's review against another edition
5.0
I was so excited to see a return to the Four Kingdoms. I felt the story was not over with the Princess of Wind and Wave. We continue the Four Kingdoms with Princess Giselle’s story, a retelling of the goose girl.
Giselle was always so quiet in the previous stories and to see her character develop was good. She didn’t feel like she should be a princess but felt her obligation to her people. When Sierra decided to take her life over.
We get to see the fiery side of Giselle and what she will do to save not only her kingdom but that of her allies.
Giselle was always so quiet in the previous stories and to see her character develop was good. She didn’t feel like she should be a princess but felt her obligation to her people. When Sierra decided to take her life over.
We get to see the fiery side of Giselle and what she will do to save not only her kingdom but that of her allies.
ffantasticcarlie's review against another edition
4.0
4 stars
I love goose girl retellings. Period.
This one was no different, except Melanie Cellier wrote it, so it was better.
But like, whatever.
I love goose girl retellings. Period.
This one was no different, except Melanie Cellier wrote it, so it was better.
But like, whatever.
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