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postitsandpens's review
4.0
These books are so fun. This one was heavily focused on Liam and Frederick in particular, with chapters from Briar Rose's pov as well, which was a nice change. The book ends on a cliffhanger, getting you interested and ready for the final book in this trilogy, which I am hoping to pick up soon. I had a great time with this, as the Princes Charming attempt to recover a stolen heirloom sword from the Bandit King, and the danger ramps up with the introduction of some truly dangerous characters as well. Looking forward to seeing what the Princes (and their princesses) get up to next!
smit1286's review against another edition
5.0
I’m pretty sure I will love anything this guy writes. Such a great sense of humor and very well written.
rebeccabadger's review
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.75
heather4994's review against another edition
5.0
There are characters upon characters in this novel! So many that it's really too hard to break it up and tell you about each one. I'll tell you my favorites. Gustav, the Prince Charming from the story of Rapunzel. All he wants to do is clobber somebody. There is no finesse to him. He's got a battle axe and he ain't afraid to use it. Or without it, he'll just jump into the fray. Whichever he feels like. He'd be the large guy on the cover with the blond hair. Oh and he's got a great way with words. Frederic, Cinderella's Prince Charming likes to wear nice clothes. So Gustav calls him "Tassels" and Briar Rose, better known as Sleeping Beauty is also called "Miss Prissy Pants" by Gustav (though I think he might have a secret crush on her).
I also love Liam. He finds out he's a fraud and he is forced to marry Briar Rose, the princess he awakened with a kiss and he's just really having a bad time of it. But, he still manages to pull his bootstraps up and become the leader the League of Princes needs (it should really be League of Princes and Princesses). Not that I'm saying he doesn't make mistakes, he does. Like being jealous of Prince Frederic who is engaged to Cinderella (Ella) who is much more suited to Liam. And having huge holes in his plan to get the treasure, but he's not listening to suggestions on how to fill them. And boy does he want to get out of his marriage to Briar Rose!
The World- Well, it's a fantasyland. There are giants, trolls, gnomes, castles, inhabited and uninhabited. Witches, bandits, enchanted treasures, dragons, all kinds of fantastical creatures you can imagine and magical tears that can heal most any injury. So it's your pretty typical Fairy Tale World.
The Story- In a nutshell Liam is forced to marry Briar Rose to save his friends who have come to rescue him and as usual have bumbled the job. To save them, he must marry her. Briar Rose isn't too fond of Liam, just interested in his treasure room. But when she doesn't find what she wants in his treasure room and finds out it is stolen, she charges Liam and his friends with finding it and retrieving it from the Bandit King, the 10 year old boy who is king of a ruthless army of pirates-Deeb Rauber. (Yes it gets more fantastical than that). Deeb has a warlord from the land of Dar visiting him, the most ferocious fighter ever known and his brought his army to learn and to teach Deeb Rauber's bandits. All at the same time that Liam and Company are going to sneak in for a priceless treasure. And Liam and Company have to try to figure out what Briar Rose is up to, she's planning something and needs the priceless treasure to do it.
Here's my opinion- First this book is almost 500 pages long. That's a lot of reading. I will say that my attention lagged a little in some places. Not because it was boring, but because I was trying to read it in two days and that's just a lot of reading. The romances in this one are a little bigger, but other than Duncan and Snow White, no one is together. There is a whole lot of miscommunication going on or not going on at all. Frederic sees Gustav at Rapunzel's and he leaves not knowing that Gustav is leaving with a Yee Haa! Ella leaves Frederic's after his father kicks her out but then Frederic leaves home too. Liam leaves Briar Rose but he doesn't know where to go. Somehow, I'm betting they all find their way back to the Stumpy Boarhound. Minus Rapunzel. It's just too much for her. I thought the action was great but the sitting around planning was a bit slow and the searching for clues as to what Briar Rose was up to could have been shortened. Also it wasn't quite as funny as the first in the series.
But all in all, it was an enjoyable read and definitely worth me buying my own hardback copy to keep. I can see me reading this to my grand kids one day. (or if I don't have any, I'm hijacking a teacher's class to read it to them!) The characters are funny and stay true to form. Liam makes some major character growth in this one and maybe Briar Rose makes some as well. Frederic does too, standing up to his father. I can't wait to see more of what's to come. I believe Snow White and Duncan probably shouldn't leave the castle again. For the safety of everyone. Especially the dwarves!
There is nary a bad word or compromising situation in the entire book. This book is approved for all reading ages and should be read for all reading ages. Just don't try all 500 pages in one sitting. (Or Two)!
A copy of this novel was provided by the publisher for review. This did not influence my review or opinions.
I also love Liam. He finds out he's a fraud and he is forced to marry Briar Rose, the princess he awakened with a kiss and he's just really having a bad time of it. But, he still manages to pull his bootstraps up and become the leader the League of Princes needs (it should really be League of Princes and Princesses). Not that I'm saying he doesn't make mistakes, he does. Like being jealous of Prince Frederic who is engaged to Cinderella (Ella) who is much more suited to Liam. And having huge holes in his plan to get the treasure, but he's not listening to suggestions on how to fill them. And boy does he want to get out of his marriage to Briar Rose!
The World- Well, it's a fantasyland. There are giants, trolls, gnomes, castles, inhabited and uninhabited. Witches, bandits, enchanted treasures, dragons, all kinds of fantastical creatures you can imagine and magical tears that can heal most any injury. So it's your pretty typical Fairy Tale World.
The Story- In a nutshell Liam is forced to marry Briar Rose to save his friends who have come to rescue him and as usual have bumbled the job. To save them, he must marry her. Briar Rose isn't too fond of Liam, just interested in his treasure room. But when she doesn't find what she wants in his treasure room and finds out it is stolen, she charges Liam and his friends with finding it and retrieving it from the Bandit King, the 10 year old boy who is king of a ruthless army of pirates-Deeb Rauber. (Yes it gets more fantastical than that). Deeb has a warlord from the land of Dar visiting him, the most ferocious fighter ever known and his brought his army to learn and to teach Deeb Rauber's bandits. All at the same time that Liam and Company are going to sneak in for a priceless treasure. And Liam and Company have to try to figure out what Briar Rose is up to, she's planning something and needs the priceless treasure to do it.
Here's my opinion- First this book is almost 500 pages long. That's a lot of reading. I will say that my attention lagged a little in some places. Not because it was boring, but because I was trying to read it in two days and that's just a lot of reading. The romances in this one are a little bigger, but other than Duncan and Snow White, no one is together. There is a whole lot of miscommunication going on or not going on at all. Frederic sees Gustav at Rapunzel's and he leaves not knowing that Gustav is leaving with a Yee Haa! Ella leaves Frederic's after his father kicks her out but then Frederic leaves home too. Liam leaves Briar Rose but he doesn't know where to go. Somehow, I'm betting they all find their way back to the Stumpy Boarhound. Minus Rapunzel. It's just too much for her. I thought the action was great but the sitting around planning was a bit slow and the searching for clues as to what Briar Rose was up to could have been shortened. Also it wasn't quite as funny as the first in the series.
But all in all, it was an enjoyable read and definitely worth me buying my own hardback copy to keep. I can see me reading this to my grand kids one day. (or if I don't have any, I'm hijacking a teacher's class to read it to them!) The characters are funny and stay true to form. Liam makes some major character growth in this one and maybe Briar Rose makes some as well. Frederic does too, standing up to his father. I can't wait to see more of what's to come. I believe Snow White and Duncan probably shouldn't leave the castle again. For the safety of everyone. Especially the dwarves!
There is nary a bad word or compromising situation in the entire book. This book is approved for all reading ages and should be read for all reading ages. Just don't try all 500 pages in one sitting. (Or Two)!
A copy of this novel was provided by the publisher for review. This did not influence my review or opinions.
withthebanned's review against another edition
5.0
Originally reviewed on Books Take You Places
One would assume that after saving the bards of the land, the Princes Charming would get some glorious fame. Unfortunately, as we learned in book one of The League of Princes, the bards don’t always get it right. Instead, Frederick and Ella are back to their boring day to day activities, Gustav is still living in the shadow of his older brothers, and Liam is still hiding from his bridezilla. Unfortunately for Liam, Briar Rose is no dummy and it doesn’t take long before she hatches a plan to steal her future husband and in turn, force him to marry her. One would assume that the league (and Ella, of course) would do their best to steal Liam back, but they are thwarted and get imprisoned by Briar, and therefore become stuck helping her steal back a magical sword from the child king, Deeb Rauber. Thus begins the tale of how the League of Princes (and Ella, and then later, Lila) embark on a journey to storm the castle.
I have to say, if The Hero’s Guide to Saving Your Kingdom focused mainly on the Princes Charming, The Hero’s Guide to Storming the Castle was very much led by the villains, and I’m not complaining! We see much more from the villains in this sequel and this reader is overjoyed by the complexity of the characters found in Storming the Castle, you guys know I love me some layered characters! Deeb Rauber is back again and he is just as childish and ruthless as he was in the first installment of the series. His character reminds the reader that as we grow, many of us lose our imagination that would enable us to make a torture chamber equipped with a spitball moistener. Briar Rose is just as prickly as she was in book one, but the reader is able to see a different side to her, one that makes your head tilt a bit and wonder if there is more to the spoiled brat than meets the eye. I was actually ecstatic to find that she was included in so many of the shenanigans that went on throughout the novel. My favorite, “villain,” (though he will argue that Bounty Hunting is a legitimate profession) was definitely Ruffian the Blue. I was really unsure of his motives at moments throughout the novel, but I found that every time he was on the page that he stole my heart a little. Perhaps it was the way he helped save Lila, or more probable, the way he argued his absolute need for his cowl.
Briar rubbed the fabric of Ruffian’s cowl between her thumb and forefinger. “Why aren’t you wearing a cloak? I wanted a henchman draped in a mysterious cloak.”
“How could the name of the garment possibly make a difference?” Ruffian asked.
“It sounds scarier,” Briar said. “‘Cowl’ is the least terrifying word I’ve ever heard.”
“Oh, I disagree,” Duncan added. “It makes me think of cow-owls. And those are horrifying. MOO-WHO! MOO-WHO!”
Other fantastic characters that had a bit more limelight were Snow White, Rapunzel, and Lila. You may remember that one thing I had hoped from this novel was that Mr. Healy would provide us with some more Rapunzel, and I am so glad to say that he didn’t disappoint. Rapunzel was as sweet and helpful as ever, and Snow White was adorably naive and loving, especially when sharing a scene with her just as lovable husband, Duncan. Lila, on the other hand, was daring, adventurous, and full of spirit, she was really like a younger, and equally amazing version of Ella. In few words, I loved her. The Princes Charming all had their own issues to handle and it was wonderful to watch as they grew and worked on themselves through the novel. I was very happy with the growth we saw in Gustav and found him particularly charming in a way that I somehow missed in the first book. One thing I can say for sure is that each of the Princes Charming holds their own in their own way and though they each carry their own uniquebaggage qualities, they all come together to form one spectacular group.
No one will be surprised to hear that I adored this novel, I was surprised at how Christopher Healy managed to again make me feel such a range of emotions, the most of which made me laugh out loud while reading. I won’t say that I was dissatisfied with the ending, rather that I had hoped for things to be tied up a bit differently. I can only assume that Mr. Healy plans to extend this series and eventually give the readers what they need in the form of a big ‘ol wedding. No, I won’t tell you who I’m rooting for! In short, everyone should read this series, I find it hard to not fall to my knees and thank the author for again delivering a book that made me feel like a kid again!
One would assume that after saving the bards of the land, the Princes Charming would get some glorious fame. Unfortunately, as we learned in book one of The League of Princes, the bards don’t always get it right. Instead, Frederick and Ella are back to their boring day to day activities, Gustav is still living in the shadow of his older brothers, and Liam is still hiding from his bridezilla. Unfortunately for Liam, Briar Rose is no dummy and it doesn’t take long before she hatches a plan to steal her future husband and in turn, force him to marry her. One would assume that the league (and Ella, of course) would do their best to steal Liam back, but they are thwarted and get imprisoned by Briar, and therefore become stuck helping her steal back a magical sword from the child king, Deeb Rauber. Thus begins the tale of how the League of Princes (and Ella, and then later, Lila) embark on a journey to storm the castle.
I have to say, if The Hero’s Guide to Saving Your Kingdom focused mainly on the Princes Charming, The Hero’s Guide to Storming the Castle was very much led by the villains, and I’m not complaining! We see much more from the villains in this sequel and this reader is overjoyed by the complexity of the characters found in Storming the Castle, you guys know I love me some layered characters! Deeb Rauber is back again and he is just as childish and ruthless as he was in the first installment of the series. His character reminds the reader that as we grow, many of us lose our imagination that would enable us to make a torture chamber equipped with a spitball moistener. Briar Rose is just as prickly as she was in book one, but the reader is able to see a different side to her, one that makes your head tilt a bit and wonder if there is more to the spoiled brat than meets the eye. I was actually ecstatic to find that she was included in so many of the shenanigans that went on throughout the novel. My favorite, “villain,” (though he will argue that Bounty Hunting is a legitimate profession) was definitely Ruffian the Blue. I was really unsure of his motives at moments throughout the novel, but I found that every time he was on the page that he stole my heart a little. Perhaps it was the way he helped save Lila, or more probable, the way he argued his absolute need for his cowl.
Briar rubbed the fabric of Ruffian’s cowl between her thumb and forefinger. “Why aren’t you wearing a cloak? I wanted a henchman draped in a mysterious cloak.”
“How could the name of the garment possibly make a difference?” Ruffian asked.
“It sounds scarier,” Briar said. “‘Cowl’ is the least terrifying word I’ve ever heard.”
“Oh, I disagree,” Duncan added. “It makes me think of cow-owls. And those are horrifying. MOO-WHO! MOO-WHO!”
Other fantastic characters that had a bit more limelight were Snow White, Rapunzel, and Lila. You may remember that one thing I had hoped from this novel was that Mr. Healy would provide us with some more Rapunzel, and I am so glad to say that he didn’t disappoint. Rapunzel was as sweet and helpful as ever, and Snow White was adorably naive and loving, especially when sharing a scene with her just as lovable husband, Duncan. Lila, on the other hand, was daring, adventurous, and full of spirit, she was really like a younger, and equally amazing version of Ella. In few words, I loved her. The Princes Charming all had their own issues to handle and it was wonderful to watch as they grew and worked on themselves through the novel. I was very happy with the growth we saw in Gustav and found him particularly charming in a way that I somehow missed in the first book. One thing I can say for sure is that each of the Princes Charming holds their own in their own way and though they each carry their own unique
No one will be surprised to hear that I adored this novel, I was surprised at how Christopher Healy managed to again make me feel such a range of emotions, the most of which made me laugh out loud while reading. I won’t say that I was dissatisfied with the ending, rather that I had hoped for things to be tied up a bit differently. I can only assume that Mr. Healy plans to extend this series and eventually give the readers what they need in the form of a big ‘ol wedding. No, I won’t tell you who I’m rooting for! In short, everyone should read this series, I find it hard to not fall to my knees and thank the author for again delivering a book that made me feel like a kid again!
booksnorkel's review against another edition
4.0
This was totally adorable absolutely fun and made me want to read the first one agains to see why I only gave it a three out of five. I think I had read it too close to half upon a time and not all fairy tale books can be that great. This book was great I loved the mixed up feeling to a new fairy tale. Instead of retelling the classics Healy takes the familiar characters and says what if? What if four princes rescued the wrong princess? What if those rescued princesses had their own agendas and one of them wants to take over the world? A great read I would recommend this to third grade on up boys and girls. More for fifth through eighth though honestly I loved it and if you like a mixed up fairy tale you'll love this.
arinnroberson's review against another edition
4.0
The sequel to saving your kingdom didn't disappoint, filled with the same silly heroes we came to love in the prequel. With new and old hero's reappearing it was great story, of the league of prince's once again overcoming the odds. There was more character development giving us a deeper look into our heroes as the solved and overcame ridiculous situations. I loved this books just as much as the first.
teebeethegreat's review against another edition
5.0
The Nitty Gritty: The League of Princes has been called back together again. Which is a good thing because Gustav knows nothing about farming, Liam and Ella have been kicked out of the castle, Duncan's family has stopped by for a visit and Frederic has a snappy new suit.
In this sequel tale of bumbling Prince Charmings, Sleeping Beauty is determined to get her happily ever after. Even if that means she has to chain Prince Charming to the alter.
All is not wedded bliss for the League uncovers a sinister plot to take over the world from one of their own. It falls to the princes to confront an old enemy as new ones lines up to fight their way into a Reynaldo rhyme.
Opening Line: "A true hero plays the flute."
The Good: I am loving all the female leads in this series. Not only are they all individual characters with strong voices they are all different characters entirely. We have the comic relief in Snow White. The mean girl with a chip on her shoulder in Briar Rose. We have the adventurer in Cinderella, and the gentle soul in Rapunzel. While these ladies fit into nice round molds at times they freely move from one character trope to the other seamlessly. It is a surprise on every page.
I wish more adult books had illustrations in them. I love the little pictures dotted through out this book. It gave me a tickle every time I turned the page and found one.
Healy manages to balance pure buffoonery with comedic wit with the ease of Larry David like pro. It was enough to just keep up with the rapid pace of the laughs and cringes. I love that Healy is writing a boo for children that treats children like emerging adults and not babies that need to be coddled from the ugly side of life. Not that I want bloody gore smeared across each and every page. That is not what I'm saying, but he is taking a mature approach to his writing. Not sure if children are appreciating this fact but I am. I like children books that write to their audience with the understanding that their audience is going to mature over the course of their series. So they start off writing at that maturity level instead of scrambling at the end to catch up to their much older audience.
The Bad: This romantic musical chairs is a little distracting. In a good way that makes it bad. This is a middle grades book so I'm not expecting snogs and boob grabs around every corner, but I hate all the stolen looks and blushing that is going on without any payoffs. We all know who needs to be with who I just want them to get there before I die of frustration. Though it is keeping me entertained.
My Final Thoughts: I will never think of Prince Charming the same way again. Which is a good thing. Can't wait for another Hero's Guide. I am thinking of bringing capes back into style.
In this sequel tale of bumbling Prince Charmings, Sleeping Beauty is determined to get her happily ever after. Even if that means she has to chain Prince Charming to the alter.
All is not wedded bliss for the League uncovers a sinister plot to take over the world from one of their own. It falls to the princes to confront an old enemy as new ones lines up to fight their way into a Reynaldo rhyme.
Opening Line: "A true hero plays the flute."
The Good: I am loving all the female leads in this series. Not only are they all individual characters with strong voices they are all different characters entirely. We have the comic relief in Snow White. The mean girl with a chip on her shoulder in Briar Rose. We have the adventurer in Cinderella, and the gentle soul in Rapunzel. While these ladies fit into nice round molds at times they freely move from one character trope to the other seamlessly. It is a surprise on every page.
I wish more adult books had illustrations in them. I love the little pictures dotted through out this book. It gave me a tickle every time I turned the page and found one.
Healy manages to balance pure buffoonery with comedic wit with the ease of Larry David like pro. It was enough to just keep up with the rapid pace of the laughs and cringes. I love that Healy is writing a boo for children that treats children like emerging adults and not babies that need to be coddled from the ugly side of life. Not that I want bloody gore smeared across each and every page. That is not what I'm saying, but he is taking a mature approach to his writing. Not sure if children are appreciating this fact but I am. I like children books that write to their audience with the understanding that their audience is going to mature over the course of their series. So they start off writing at that maturity level instead of scrambling at the end to catch up to their much older audience.
The Bad: This romantic musical chairs is a little distracting. In a good way that makes it bad. This is a middle grades book so I'm not expecting snogs and boob grabs around every corner, but I hate all the stolen looks and blushing that is going on without any payoffs. We all know who needs to be with who I just want them to get there before I die of frustration. Though it is keeping me entertained.
My Final Thoughts: I will never think of Prince Charming the same way again. Which is a good thing. Can't wait for another Hero's Guide. I am thinking of bringing capes back into style.
lissajean7's review against another edition
4.0
4.5 stars. I thoroughly enjoyed this second installment following the League of Princes and their antics. The princes and princesses just keep getting more depth to them, and their interactions are believable and hilarious. I can't wait to see what they get up to next!