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A review by merieshenanigans
The Secret Princess by Melanie Cellier
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!