After Lyra–a princess incapable of speech or sound–is cast out of her kingdom of daylight by her wicked aunt, a witch saves her life, steals her memories, and raises her in an enchanted forest . . . disguised as a boy known only as Stain. Meanwhile, in Lyra’s rival kingdom, the prince of thorns and night is dying, and the only way for him to break his curse is to wed the princess of … daylight–for she is his true equal. As Lyra finds her way back to her identity, an imposter princess prepares to steal her betrothed prince and her crown. To win back her kingdom, save the prince, and make peace with the land of the night, Lyra must be loud enough to be heard without a voice, and strong enough to pass a series of tests–ultimately proving she’s everything a traditional princess is not.
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As always, A.G. Howard doesn’t disappoint. Whenever I read a book from her, I expect great world-building and this delivers. More than that, her characters develop wonderfully. What an interesting take on Princess & The Pea! Fans of Uprooted by Naomi Novik and fans of A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas, I think would definitely eat this up!
I’ve loved every book from A.G. Howard, and this one was just as gorgeous! Beautiful writing and lush descriptions! It honestly gave me Grimm Fairy Tales vibes except with a unique and new spin!
There were four main POVs and each one was intriguing! Each character added more depth to the story, giving it a more roundabout tale. Also, the sun and the moon theme was so utterly perfect and I loved, loved, loved the friendship, the journey, the romance, the emotions!
This is one retelling that I would be ecstatic to see as a film. There was so much loveliness in the story that I’d seriously love seeing it brought to life! Can I just say that I want Lyra’s eyelashes!!!!
This book is a fantasy, young adult standalone novel and is a Gothic retelling of The Princess and the Pea. Stain is told in four different point of views and each one is as interesting as the next. With these different viewpoints, the story is able to be told from every angle. Especially as the story is one that is told using elements from the past and the present.
I really enjoyed this book, and I really like this authors style of writing. The mythical language and descriptions are well written, and the world building ensures the reader feels as if they’re there experiencing it all firsthand.
Overall, a great YA fantasy book!
I fear my review will not convey my feelings well, but I will try. I was so impressed by the author’s writing. It was like reading poetry over every page. It was beautifully done. This author has a beautiful imagination and can get it out on paper and make you believe it. This was one of the most unusual fairy tale retelling I have ever read. Nothing was like I thought, it was all original and so well planned. The love story was woven deep and later within this book and normally that would shut a book down pretty quickly for me, but I was pulled so far into Lyra’s story that I wanted more. My one complaint is that the writer described everything a bit too much. Descriptions are good and lead your brain to see all the settings and feelings of the book but they should never be repeated or overdone.This is a dark fairy tale that has violence but with less of a “super dark everything is depressing and everyone will die” Feel. This whole book had a feeling of overcoming pain and obstacles to be better, stronger and happier. I will be giving this to my 17 year olds to read. CONTENT_ There is a bit of sexual content, when he thinks of how it will be when they are married he imagines her naked. It does not go into detail. It was the only part I thought would be considered inappropriate for a younger audience. There is a lot of violence. I wouldn’t give this too a younger reader then 16.
I will be reading more by this author.
The writing is lush and beautiful. The story is compelling. I love A.G. Howard and always gobble up her stories.