Take a photo of a barcode or cover
kbeddes 's review for:
A True Princess
by Diane Zahler
Genre: fractured fairytale, princess and the pea
Summary: Lilia is a dreamer and not a great servant. She was brought to a poor woodcutter's home through mysterious circumstances so she goes off into the world with her best friends Karina and Kai to find where she really comes from.
Response: Uh,well this book seemed to have a good idea but I think the execution was a little off. The author tried to mix to many disparate elements and the resulting clash of cultures was both a little off-putting and confusing. For example, a big part of the story revolves around the wicked Elf-King. But the story is supposedly a retelling of Hans Christian Andersen's Princess and the Pea. Add to that the European myth of the Wild Hunt with Scandinavian deities and you get a headache of cultural references and fantasy. It's hard to tell what is made up and what is simply a reference to something else. So, normally, I would love a refreshing spin to an old story, however this one tries too hard to be unique and just ends up being annoying instead. Also, the protagonist was so young for a YA novel (12 years old!) that is made it that much more difficult to identify with the book.
Summary: Lilia is a dreamer and not a great servant. She was brought to a poor woodcutter's home through mysterious circumstances so she goes off into the world with her best friends Karina and Kai to find where she really comes from.
Response: Uh,well this book seemed to have a good idea but I think the execution was a little off. The author tried to mix to many disparate elements and the resulting clash of cultures was both a little off-putting and confusing. For example, a big part of the story revolves around the wicked Elf-King. But the story is supposedly a retelling of Hans Christian Andersen's Princess and the Pea. Add to that the European myth of the Wild Hunt with Scandinavian deities and you get a headache of cultural references and fantasy. It's hard to tell what is made up and what is simply a reference to something else. So, normally, I would love a refreshing spin to an old story, however this one tries too hard to be unique and just ends up being annoying instead. Also, the protagonist was so young for a YA novel (12 years old!) that is made it that much more difficult to identify with the book.