Postcard For Reader

Princess Ben
Princess Ben

Author: Catherine Murdock
Series: ---
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
How Received: public library

Benevolence is not your typical princess and Princess Ben is certainly not your typical fairy tale. With her parents lost to unknown assassins, Princess Ben ends up under the thumb of the conniving Queen Sophia, who is intent on marrying her off to the first available "specimen of imbecilic manhood." Starved and miserable, locked in the castle's highest tower, Ben stumbles upon a mysterious enchanted room. So begins her secret education in the magical arts: mastering an obstinate flying broomstick, furtively emptying the castle pantries, setting her hair on fire... But Ben's private adventures are soon overwhelmed by a mortal threat facing the castle and indeed the entire country. Can Princess Ben save her kingdom from annihilation and herself from permanent enslavement?

I liked it. But... that was it.

I mean, Princess Ben as a character was amazing. I could get into her brain, understand her, and then when she reflected on how selfish she was originally, I completely agreed - at that point in the story. She was a fun character to read about.

But all the plots just seemed... smooshed together. The love plot line came together super abruptly; the magic plot line started and stopped and started again; the dragon wasn't real at all! and then it suddenly was...

The principal was good, but I wish she had dropped some of the plot lines, or expanded on them - made it into a trilogy, maybe?

Overall Rating & Final Thoughts: 6/10. Good characters, but smooshed together.
Cover Thoughts: They chose the perfect model.

Happy reading!