The Princess Test (The Princess Tales)

Title: The Princess Test

Series: The Princess Tales (Book #2)

Year: 1999

Author: Gail Carson Levine

Summary: King Humphrey has decided it's time for his son, Prince Nicholas, to marry. But he must make sure the bride is a real princess. So he devises a series of princess tests, designed to weed out the phonies and the fakes. Meanwhile, Nicholas has fallen in love with Lorelei, a mere blacksmith's daughter. She's no princess, but he wants to marry her all the same--but how will she ever pass the terrible tests?

Review: This review was originally written for publication on Fairy Tale Central. Click here to read the full review.

How can a tiny, little pea determine whether a girl is a true princess? Can one really tell when that little pea is buried beneath twenty mattresses? A true fairytale master, Gail Carson Levine has the answers.

Lorelei is a sweet girl -- but extremely prone to bad luck. As a baby, she cried over anything that wasn't perfect, and by the time she could talk to explain herself, she was always getting sick and hurt. Once her mother dies, her father determines never to remarry -- but he knows he needs help in looking after Lorelei, since she really can't do anything besides hang laundry and embroider. So, he hires a hard-working woman named Trudy to do the job.

Nicholas isn't a perfect prince, but he keenly feels his parents' expectations of perfection. Particularly in his choice of bride. At their insistence, he must marry not only a princess, but a true princess, one who can pass any test given to her. Nicholas has just fallen in love with the village blacksmith's daughter, a pretty lass named Lorelei who embroiders beautifully, and wants nothing to do with his parents' princess tests. But what can he do? He's a prince, after all, and has to follow the rules.

This is a super sweet retelling of The Princess and the Pea. I remember reading it forever ago when I was young; it was hilarious then, and still is hilarious now. Levine has a witty, funny style when it comes to her Princess Tales, so you're never left being bored when you're reading. The snark and innocence is just beautiful. They're probably my favorite part of these books. I promise you: you will laugh out loud at least once -- but probably much more often than that.

Advisory: Overall, this is one squeaky clean book. We've got a little bit of romance, as per any lovely little fairytale, but I'm completely comfortable in repeating that this is a retelling for any age.

The one thing that bothered me (not that this is a huge content concern) was the fact that Nicholas and Lorelei lie about her being a princess. I mean, I understand in the moment why they lied -- to get his parents to allow her to take the princess tests -- but the lie is never corrected, nor do they ever receive any type of backlash from it. And because they lied [spoiler], they live happily ever after. *shakes head* Sorry, that just rubs me the wrong way.

Again, click here to read the full review on Fairy Tale Central. And be sure to check out the other fun Princess and the Pea posts this month!

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

The Princess and the Pea (Timeless Fairy Tales)

Title: The Princess and the Pea

Series: Timeless Fairy Tales (Book #0.5)

Year: 2018

Author: K.M. Shea

Summary: What if the true makings of a princess have nothing to do with where she’s from and everything to do with who she is?

She may hate her nickname of “Warrior Princess” but Lis stakes her reputation on her ability to protect her client’s treasures no matter what she faces.

But this job is different.

When the royal family of Torrens hires her to guard the fabled Pea of Primeorder jewel it starts out like any other job. The king is kind of eccentric (and possibly delusional) and Prince Channing is strangely pleasant towards her, but otherwise everything is normal.

Until she learns about the thief.

The legendary thief Apex has sent a letter declaring his intention to steal the Pea of Primeorder. Lis knows this is either the vainest thief in the world or there is more going on then she’s been told. But a job is a job. Lis will pass this test at all costs even if she has to stuff the jewel in her mattress while she sleeps.

But eccentricities of the Torrens royal family only intensifies as Prince Channing starts asking Lis strange questions. Like...would Lis stay in Torrens after her contract is over, and if they could learn to fight together. (What kind of royal asks that?)

A Prince, a Warrior, and a Pea. The Kingdom of Torrens will never be the same.

This novella is a prequel for the Timeless Fairy Tale series. It is not necessary to read the books in the Timeless Fairy Tales series prior to reading this story. However, if you have read that series watch for the name drops and hidden Easter eggs!

Review: This review was originally written for publication on Fairy Tale Central. Click here to read the full review.

The Princess and the Pea is one fairytale that doesn't have enough retellings. And I completely understand why. I mean, seriously... a vegetable as the most crucial part of the story? Twenty mattresses? How can one make a respectable retelling out of that? There just doesn't seem to be enough oomph in the original fairytale to garner writers' interests.

HOWEVER, K.M. Shea has flipped this tale on its head. And I can guarantee that you'll never look at this fairytale the same way again after reading this novella.

Lisheva -- or Lis, as she prefers to be called -- is a mercenary warrior. She's trained hard to become who she is, she can fight better than most men, and she's not afraid of a good challenge. She has a hard set of morals, though; she won't spill blood if she doesn't have to, and any contract she accepts has to be honorable. There aren't very many female warriors like Lis and her companion, Vorah. They certainly attract notice anywhere they go, but because they're girls, some people underestimate them.

Their latest contract is one of a mysterious nature. King Albion requires their assistance in protecting a legendary piece from his kingdom's treasures -- a small, green, magical gem known as the Pea of Primeorder. The task should be easy enough for Lis and Vorah, except for the fact that the reputed thief, Apex, has already announced his intentions to steal the Pea within the week. Lis has her doubts about Apex's brash pride and any success he might have, but guarding the Pea may prove a bigger challenge than she's prepared for.

Advisory: Since Lis is a fighter, expect some fighting. QUITE a bit of fighting. The fight scenes were pretty cool to read and visualize, but some of them felt kinda long to me. There's plenty of sword action and fist action, but they don't make the book feel overly violent.

Also, some romance, as I've already mentioned above. But it's short and sweet and leads to one kiss. One character uses the term "arse" but I didn't notice anything else to keep this book from being pretty clean overall.

Again, click here to read the full review on Fairy Tale Central. And be sure to check out the other fun Princess and the Pea posts this month!

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars