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A review by thebiasedbibliophile
The Silver Prince: A Twelve Dancing Princesses Retelling by Lyndsey Hall
4.5
Things have been a little hectic, so my review for The Silver Prince is a little late, but that just means you don’t have to wait for it to be released to buy yourself a copy; you can buy it right now! I’ve read a few of Lyndsey Hall’s short stories and absolutely adored them, and this story was no different!
When Anders, a prince of the Silver Isle, is arrested on the Golden Isle, he knows his freedom and life are at stake. So, when he hears that the princesses have been cursed, he decides to make a bargain: he’ll break the curse in exchange for his freedom. However, he must learn to work with Princess Issy, which is not an easy task considering their kingdoms are resentful of one another.
I enjoyed so many aspects of this story! Perhaps my favorite feature was the cultural elements of the Silver Isle and the Golden Isle. It’s mentioned that, in the Silver Isle, people have a responsibility to care for one another. Details like this really helped develop the cultures in the story. Similarly, the prejudices the characters held for people from the opposing kingdom added an additional layer of conflict and made the story feel much more meaningful than just a simple love story.
There were a couple things I didn’t necessarily love. For instance, the ending felt a bit rushed to me, and I would’ve liked to see Anders and Issy’s relationship develop more. Likewise, there was one small potential plot hole toward the end.
Additionally, I thought the characters were well fleshed out. Issy is not your stereotypical perfect princess, but her kingdom is actually better off because of that. On a similar note, Anders has PTSD from serving in the army. I appreciated this representation and thought it added a lot of depth to Anders.
There was also a huge element of mystery to the story, which helped drive it forward. Anders was determined to figure out who cursed the princesses, and there were plenty of suspects to consider. I was guessing until the very end, and I was shocked by the big reveal!
Finally, I appreciated the fact that the story was just as much about Anders and Issy finding freedom than it was about them finding love. Not that love isn’t important too, but I would’ve been a little disappointed if Hall had focused solely on their love story, ignoring the challenges the two faced in gaining autonomy.
Overall, this series just keeps getting better and better. To be honest, I thought I would be reading lighthearted and simple romances, and to a certain extent they have been, but they are also enticingly complex and beautiful stories as well!
Disclaimer: I received an ARC of this book, and I'm leaving this review voluntarily.
When Anders, a prince of the Silver Isle, is arrested on the Golden Isle, he knows his freedom and life are at stake. So, when he hears that the princesses have been cursed, he decides to make a bargain: he’ll break the curse in exchange for his freedom. However, he must learn to work with Princess Issy, which is not an easy task considering their kingdoms are resentful of one another.
I enjoyed so many aspects of this story! Perhaps my favorite feature was the cultural elements of the Silver Isle and the Golden Isle. It’s mentioned that, in the Silver Isle, people have a responsibility to care for one another. Details like this really helped develop the cultures in the story. Similarly, the prejudices the characters held for people from the opposing kingdom added an additional layer of conflict and made the story feel much more meaningful than just a simple love story.
There were a couple things I didn’t necessarily love. For instance, the ending felt a bit rushed to me, and I would’ve liked to see Anders and Issy’s relationship develop more. Likewise, there was one small potential plot hole toward the end.
Additionally, I thought the characters were well fleshed out. Issy is not your stereotypical perfect princess, but her kingdom is actually better off because of that. On a similar note, Anders has PTSD from serving in the army. I appreciated this representation and thought it added a lot of depth to Anders.
There was also a huge element of mystery to the story, which helped drive it forward. Anders was determined to figure out who cursed the princesses, and there were plenty of suspects to consider. I was guessing until the very end, and I was shocked by the big reveal!
Finally, I appreciated the fact that the story was just as much about Anders and Issy finding freedom than it was about them finding love. Not that love isn’t important too, but I would’ve been a little disappointed if Hall had focused solely on their love story, ignoring the challenges the two faced in gaining autonomy.
Overall, this series just keeps getting better and better. To be honest, I thought I would be reading lighthearted and simple romances, and to a certain extent they have been, but they are also enticingly complex and beautiful stories as well!
Disclaimer: I received an ARC of this book, and I'm leaving this review voluntarily.