Recently, I’ve taken up a job in a bakery making pies for eight hours straight. It’s just me in the back, making pie after pie for hours with no one to talk to and nothing but the background noise of the kitchen nearby. At first, I let my mind wander in aimless thought. However, I recently took up listening to audio books to pass the time... that is, until events outside my control stopped this and I had to go back to listening on my own time -__-
Anyways, my point is, I came across a book series: The Four Kingdoms by Melanie Cellier. It was recommended to me when I was searching for something else and I was intrigued by some of the book descriptions.
They’re fairytale retellings. I was drawn to them simply because I saw some fairytales I don’t see often getting a lot of attention (Rumplestiltskin, Twelve Dancing Princesses, Princess and the Pea, etc.) The descriptions sounded interesting enough, so I decided to give a couple of them a try... then I was instantly hooked.
They’re a bit cheesy sometimes, all-to predictable, and never very deep. However, I have to acknowledge their clever reworking of their source material. I always look forward to seeing how the story will get twisted and how everything will work out in the end. The characters are almost always fun and likable, the world-building is sound, the action scenes are engaging, and the romances are sweet. And while the writing isn’t anything exceptional, it’s still good enough to keep me entertained.
Well, I thought I’d give a brief, spoiler free review of each of them below:
THE FOUR KINGDOMS SERIES
The Princess Companion... The Princess and the Pea
Alyssa, a woodcutter’s daughter, finds herself lost while traveling and seeks shelter from a storm in a nearby castle. She is at first mistaken for an expected foreign princess, but the matter is quickly sorted out and Alyssa takes up a position as chaperone to the two young princesses. She engages the girls while the queen seeks to marry off their elder brother, the prince, to the most eligible princess available.
PROS: Extremely enjoyable. Good characters. The little girls were sweet and mischievous; very believable as children. The main fairytale plot was kept front and center in the form of the prince’s looming engagement and the search for his future wife. Interesting tie-in to another fairytale that brings up the complications of marrying a commoner.
CONS: While the romance had good buildup, it was a little TOO cheesy in the way it finally played out. I’m all about the cheese, mind you, but... I don’t know. The villain(s) were actually quite good, but were not a very present threat through most of the book so the stakes didn’t feel that high until the end.
The Princess Fugitive... Little Red Riding Hood
After an assassination attempt, Princess Ava flees her kingdom with only her personal guard and her wits. After playing the perfect princess-- cunning, poised, and beautiful-- for so long, Ava struggles to find out who she really is all while uncovering the plot surrounding her kingdom.
PROS: An actual bit of character development. A different type of love interest from the author’s usual man. The monarchy trials were actually pretty intense. In fact, the entire book sort of kept me on the edge of my seat (more-so than most of the other books). I even had my jaw drop one or two times. The romance, while still cheesy and predictable, actually had me smiling and rooting for them.
CONS: Not a huge tie-in to the original fairytale-- minor shout outs rather than an actual retelling. Even though there was character development, it was a little too easy and sudden.
The Princess Pact... Rumplestiltskin
When Princess Marie discovers a dark pact was made in the past with her at the center of it, she seeks out a band of rebels in search of their leader, hoping he will provide some answers.
PROS: A very fresh take on the original fairytale. It kept Rumpelstiltskin a conniving trickster and you never really knew of his true motives until the end. You could guess, especially if you knew the original fairytale, but it was kept pretty unclear.
CONS: The overall plot was a little boring. There wasn’t a lot of action or suspense until the end. The climax felt a little anti-climactic.
The Princess Game... Sleeping Beauty
Celeste has been cursed since she was a baby, but not in the way everyone thinks. While her aunt cursed her with death, she was instead blessed with life... a cursed one: sleeping in her head-- always appearing out of her wits. Therefore, she is a prisoner inside her own head, unable to show the world her true intelligence... the sleeping princess. Celeste turns this curse into a weapon by creating an alternate personality to spy on enemies of the kingdom and keep her family safe.
PROS: Super engaging plot (even if it was a little vague on some things). It kept me on the edge of my seat most of the time and had an an intriguing mystery. It was basically a superhero book. Great tie-ins to the original fairytale. Actual threats that seemed real with a legitimate climax that wasn’t too easily resolved. A nice romance that was less cheesy and cringe-worthy than usual and was more sweet and natural. Main character felt like a real girl with real feelings.
CONS: A lot of exposition. While it was an interesting twist on the curse, it was a little confusing on its limitations and how/why it worked. A bit of forced character growth.
The Princess Search... The Ugly Duckling
Evangeline is hired as the official royal seamstress while the two princes and their sister take a tour of their kingdom. While Evie is grateful for this chance to prove her worth as a seamstress, she is also afraid of digging up her unpleasant past she has worked so hard to forget.
PROS: A charming take on the original tale, making it not about inner/outer beauty, but about acceptance and belonging. Great world building. An endearing main character. Even though there was a plot with a threat and everything, it was almost unnecessary because everything revolving around Evie and her past was interesting enough. Finally, a character who has gone through real hardship and came out with scars and is not just fluttering through life.
CONS: Could have had a little more tension and mystery built up with Evie and her past. She also overcame the things that have haunted her for so long a little too easily.
BEYOND THE FOUR KINGDOMS SERIES
A Dance of Silver and Shadow... The Twelve Dancing Princesses
Liliana and her twin, Sophia, head to a neighboring kingdom for some adventure and receive more than they bargained for when they are swept up in the Princess Tourney; a tournament where all eligible princesses must compete for the hand of the prince who called for it. Lily and Sophie are suddenly faced with all manner of dangers and thrills. They begin to wonder whether it’s better to win or lose.
PROS: Great world-building. Lots of interesting and strong female characters. An engaging twist on the fairytale with plenty of shoutouts. Fascinating scenarios for the tournament. Managed to keep close to the original story and have all the elements there.
CONS: Not very high stakes. While there was danger, I never truly felt like there was a serious threat on any of their lives. I just would’ve liked to see a little more intense danger. Also, while the romance was sweet, it wasn’t my favorite type of love story (that’s just my personal preference, though. It’s not that it wasn’t well done).
A Tale of Beauty and Beast... Beauty and the Beast
Sophie heads to an unknown kingdom to meet her new betrothed, not fearing that he and his kingdom have been cursed. However, when she arrives, she finds the entire place deserted and only the prince remains who is just as beastly in form as well as in attitude. The longer Sophie plots her escape, though, the more she begins to wonder who it is that truly needs saving.
PROS: Amazingly well-done romance. Probably one of the best adaptions of Beauty and the Beast I’ve ever come across. It has the perfect transition from fear and uncertainty to friendship to love over a good amount of time that it’s perfectly believable. You also see both characters (but especially the Beast) becoming a better person throughout. The mystery surrounding the curse on the kingdom is a fascinating layer on top of everything. It’s very clever how the elements of the original fairytale are interwoven into the story.
CONS: A little slow in the beginning. A lot of exposition. Kind of a rushed ending.
A Crown of Snow and Ice... The Snow Queen
Princess Celine is invited to visit the kingdom of Eldon. However, when she arrives, she finds the entire kingdom frozen over in the middle of spring and the inhabitants even more cold and unfeeling. Luckily, Celine posses the “gift of fire” from her godmother and while figuring out what exactly that means, she manages to free the prince from his cold demeanor. Together, they try to find out what exactly has the kingdom under its icy spell... or who.
PROS: A very endearing romance that was never too cheesy (just a little bit as per usual with these books lol). Legitimately funny at times. Extremely likable characters. I liked Celine even before this book (she shows up in two or three others) and I love that she finally got to be the main character. She cracks me up.
CONS: The fire powers were a bit much for me. It just seemed too easy somehow. Like, she should’ve been able to defeat the evil using her fiery spirit or something, not literal fire. It just... was a bit odd for me.
A Dream of Ebony and White... Snow White
Princess Blanche-- or Snow as her friends call her-- has lived in fear of her upstaging, condescending stepmother her entire life. Now that the king has died, Snow is the rightful ruler of the land. However, her stepmother usurps her and takes over instead. Matters get worse when Snow’s childhood friend gets wind of the new queen’s planned assassination of Snow and they are forced to flee into the woods. Fortunately, Snow is able to take refuge with seven orphan children in the middle of the forest. The longer she stays hidden, the more she realizes she must come to grips with her own strength and courage to be the leader her people need in order to take back her kingdom.
PROS: Pretty close to the original fairytale with a few twists, but still managed to keep it interesting. I was worried they weren’t going to include the whole poison apple bit or change it up too much, but it was kept strictly the same. A++ because that’s so iconic. A great improvement on character growth from the previous stories. She started out almost a pathetic character and then through experience and determination, she turned out a better, stronger person (through a lot more showing and not telling than usual). You could see her progression and it was nice. I also particularly enjoyed that the romance was kept as a platonic friendship for the majority of the book and was even pushed to the back burner-- it actually gave them more of a foundation and built more tension between them.
CONS: Even though I really appreciated that it kept to the original fairytale quite closely, I would’ve appreciated a little more of a shakeup because it was just slightly boring; only because I felt like I’d heard all this before. I also would’ve liked to see more of a rivalry/buildup between Snow and the queen and then a more triumphant showdown between the two of them in the end.
A Captive of Wing and Feather... Swan Lake
Princess Adelaide has been missing for five years, and that’s how she wants to keep it. Unfortunately, she is discovered by a scheming noble with unknown nefarious plans and he curses her; she has to come back to his lake every night or else suffer deadly consequences. On top of that, she has been cursed with a swan’s voice during the day. While feeling trapped, a prince from her childhood happens upon her and together, they try to work out how to break the curse as well as free the land from the increasing strange happenings.
PROS: I’ve always loved Swan Lake so I liked seeing the shout outs and twists playing out. Honestly, there aren’t a lot of pros. This might be my least favorite of all the books, which is sad because I was really looking forward to a cool twist on Swan Lake and I just got a lot of nothing. It couldn’t even stick really closely to the original tale and give me that at least.
CONS: The romance was extremely forced. I didn’t see any connection between them and there wasn’t a proper build up. The characters didn’t have much of their usual charm; not even the love interest who is always fun and likable. The main character, in particular, wasn’t very likable and I didn’t much like her arc. The story and curse was way too confusing and convoluted to follow-- it should’ve been kept simple like the original: she’s turned into a swan by day and a girl by night. That’s it, none of these weird loopholes and stuff that takes 100 years to explain. There was a lot of outrageous scenarios that really stretched my suspense of disbelief. Then, there was tons of explaining and yet, still, I felt like everything wasn’t explained.
A Princess of Wind and Wave... The Little Mermaid
Isla is a mermaid princess who has never felt completely at home under the sea. She awaits the time her people can resurface and join the other kingdoms, but that time does not seem imminent. All she has to cling to is the memory of the boy she once saved from drowning years ago and the thought that the land dwellers can not be all bad if they're anything like him. After making a rather rash decision with a critical vow where she can no longer sing, Isla finds herself fleeing to the surface and onto the shore of a nearby kingdom in an effort to set things right.
PROS: A clever reworking of the classic tale with nice additions that kept things interesting. The whole twist on her losing her voice was actually a good one and for once, it wasn’t incredibly complicated and convoluted like some of the other books. I thought it was clever in its simple limitations-- she just can’t sing, therefore, she can still talk and form bonds with the people she meets. I also actually liked that the mer-folk had legs when they weren’t in the water. It made Isla’s transition to life on land a lot smoother and more believable. Then, there was a really good villain. Lots of good tense moments. Lastly, a very realistic boy/girl dynamic-- girl getting upset over something the boy did and boy being clueless over it lol.
CONS: Even though there was a really good villain, not much was done with her. She had great motivations and was wholly evil and 100% manipulative, but was also a little sympathetic. However, you weren’t even aware there even was a big baddie until like the last third of the book, so she didn’t have a lot of build up; also, she was pretty easily defeated despite how manipulative and bad she turned out to be. I was expecting her to be more of a force to be reckoned with. My other big problem was the whole matter of world-building... it could’ve been better. There was a serious lack of descriptions of this underwater world. Missed opportunity there. Also, there was way too much exposition, especially right at the end.
So, to sum up...
Favorite story:
The Princess Game
A Tale of Beauty and Beast
Favorite romance:
A Tale of Beauty and Beast
A Crown of Snow and Ice
Favorite leading lady:
The Princess Game
A Crown of Snow and Ice
Favorite romantic lead:
The Princess Fugitive
A Crown of Snow and Ice
Most creative twist on the original tale:
The Princess Game
The Princess Search
A Dance of Silver and Shadow
