A desert princess. A cursed prince. Can a kiss break the spell?Once upon a time…When Anahita picks up a pet frog on her way to marry a distant sheikh, she laughs at his claim to be a prince under a curse that can only be broken by a kiss.Until he transforms into a man in her tent.With one man in her bed as she’s preparing to marry another, what’s a desert princess to do?
Another great fairytale retelling. I love the ways these books weave together the storylines from different fairytales, and how characters return. These books can be read as standalone stories but I think the experience is greater if you read all of them as a series, this way you get to know the characters and discover their connections to each other. Not your childhood fairytales these stories definitely have an adult focus.
This Princess Is A Total Badass!
First off, this story can be read independently, but it is fun to get the little references to the other books in the series as we go. Also, this book is rather dark and deals with adult themes beyond the normal sexual including rape and violence, so be warned if these are issues for you.
Anahita was simply an amazing character. She is what every woman who has ever been in an untenable situation wishes she could be. Her bravery and awesomeness does not retract from the fact that she has had a most unpleasant life and is due some happiness by the time we really get to know her. Her gift is with animals, and that just makes her all the more endearing to us.
Philemon, on the other hand, is an interesting character. He is our frog prince, and one who was justly punished for being too high and mighty and exceedingly arrogant. His time as a frog, and his time with Anahita, help him to grow and become someone we can actually like. Don’t get me wrong, as princes go he wasn’t the worst to start with, but he did need taking down a peg or two and to be taught how to appreciate. As a side note, his interactions with her bird are absolutely fantastic to read.
On an aside… There are two supporting characters in this that I really learned to love. Asad and Haidar are just awesome. I feel really awful for what happened to them, but it was nice to see them carry on and befriend Anahita so completely. I really liked the contrast of male characters who were earthy but not at all bad.
All in all, this is a very touching tale. It has to be one of the most heart-wrenching Mrs. Carlton has written yet, however. So be warned: tears are imminent!
Demelza weaves her magic again in her retelling of another old fairytale Kiss: Frog Prince Retold. I, for one, have always loved fairytales, and she revives them into a more grown up version that we can all enjoy with some new twists. Ana, our princess in this tale, has had some hard knocks on her life but she is very self sufficient and able to take care of herself. Our prince, in the other hand, has a lot of growing up to do, which he ends up doing mostly as a frog when he maligned the dijn that he enlists to help him solve him water problem that he himself had unwittingly created to begin with. It is a great tale that you will thoroughly enjoy and I would recommend it and any of Demelza’s other books! I received this book as an ARC in return for an honest review.
Kiss is another interesting fairy tale redo by Demelza Carlton. There is a prince who is, of course, cursed. He’s a frog (at least sometimes). The trouble started when this prince commanded one of his djinns to create an oasis. It drained the city’s water supply (this djinn has a terribly dark sense of humor and of justice). There is a princess. She is an assassin with no luck in the romance department. Should Anahita take a chance and kiss Philemon (the frog)? A familiar tale with some odd twists and an unusual cast of characters (even Aladdin drops by) make this an entertaining story.
I received an ARC of this book. I voluntarily reviewed it.
This is a excellent, well-written retelling of a popular fairy tale with adult contents and a intriguing story-line. It filled with drama, intrigue, twists & turns, adventure, action, secrets, violence, conflict, tension, compassion, family issues, passion and love.
The characters are interesting and entwined well with each other and reacted with emotional feelings of fear, doubts & desire to the situation they found themselves in.
I would recommend this book and I look forward to future books from this talented author.
This book made me laugh and cringe. Anahita is a strong character and Philemon is selfish and arrogant at the beginning. Both grow during the trip and magic happens. I like how the characters from the other books show up and help with the story. This is a standalone and a very easy read.
Great story which ties together elements of other books in the series. Anahita is a thoroughly charming character with the strength and conviction to do what must be done. Philemon is a man in need of learning responsibility. Together they are a fantastic couple.
I received a copy of this book as a gift. I am leaving my honest review
I grew up on fairy tales, not just Disney but the actual Brothers Grim. These are tales for adults and Ms. Carlton does them right and she doesn’t sugar coat the story ( more a Bros Grim then Disney) making them real with a touch of magic. I love her characters who are smart, brave and sometime all too human which makes them relatable. This is a beautiful retelling of the Frog Prince set in the Arabian desert.
Perfect for fans of Robin McKinley and fairytales in general
Overall rating: 4.7***
This fairytale retold could easily be read as a stand-alone, however I love how characters from other retold stories play supporting roles in others. Having that knowledge of their origins just enrich the tales even more. The creativity of the storyline makes it a magical experience to absorb page after page. It bothers me more to have to pause following the tale in order to complete one of life’s demands. Selfish me wants to pause real life instead! A joy to experience, I look forward to another tale retold. All my reviews are always voluntarily written.
A wonderful retelling of this favorite fairy tale. Highly recommended. Well written, unpredictable with great characters and sparkling dialogue. Includes characters from other fairy tale retellings, but you don’t have to read them to enjoy and understand this story. If you want to, though, read Wish: Aladdin Retold and Melt: Snow Queen Retold to add depth to your understanding of and another layer of enjoyment to this story. You won’t regret it.