Previous Finalists

Stats:
Cover: 7/10
Story/Plot: 10/10
Writing Style: 10/10
Editing: 9/10

‘Wonderfully witty and charming in every way. Highly recommended.’ A ‘Wishing Shelf’ Book Review

There are many wonderful elements to this story but by far the best is the fact it is different. Being a parent, I often feel exasperated by the endless Disney films full of big-eyed, ridiculously skinny damsels being saved by a tall, handsome prince. Well this story is different. Not only is it very funny and wonderfully illustrated, but the message to children, particularly to girls, is a message parents will want them to understand.
The refreshingly simple and often very clever writing style adds a lot to the story. The author has excellent comic timing and the book is full of little gems that will make any child giggle. I particularly liked this: If you looked up “prince” in the library scrolls, his picture would be there (literally, because he’d drawn pictures of himself in the scrolls as a kid).
There is a vast array of characters in the book, and most of them are interesting and well-developed. The author seems to know her characters very well, even if they were only in it for a line or two. I was particularly fond of Prince Nolan and the wily Princess Littagale; both are richly devised and have a depth often only discovered in books thirty chapters longer.
However, I must admit, I did not love the illustrations. They were okay but they looked a bit amateurish to me; almost too simple, too computer-generated, and they paled compared to the cunningly devised plot and rich character descriptions.
So, would I recommend this book? Absolutely! I would think any child aged 9 – 13 would find the characters intriguing, and the plot mesmerizing. Also, and this is important, I think parents would not only enjoy it too, but would be happy with the message cleverly hidden away in the folds of this quirky fairy tale.
I always like to end on my ‘favourite line’ Well, this is it: Littagale made a face. “But it’s such an archaic tradition.” “It’s the tenth century, dear. Everything’s archaic.”