Select language, opens an overlay

Comment

FindingJane
Feb 15, 2017FindingJane rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
This book is an imaginative expansion of a Grimm fairy tale as we see a nervous princess grow into becoming a force to be reckoned with as well as a capable leader. The elements from the original story (which may not be as well known as others) are all here: the bloodstained handkerchief, the white ill-fated horse Falada, the lady-in-waiting with aspirations above her station, the troublesome goose boy, a besotted prince and the horrible fate that awaits the false princess. (These weren’t called Grimm tales for nothing. Recall the fate of Snow White’s vicious stepmother: made to wear red-hot iron shoes and dance in them until she died.) Where the author’s invention comes into play is showing us the origins of the princess Ani’s mystical power over the winds and the growth of her character as she sheds the carelessness of royalty to care for the down-to-earth, mundane people she will one day rule. We also come to understand the black heart of the conniving Selia, who believed that she could be a much better ruler than a tongue-tied princess. When the evilness of Ani’s lady’s maid leads a country to the brink of warfare, the novel truly comes into its own. Ani learns the value of true friendship as she gathers a rag-tag crew to stand by her side and defy a king and a royal imposter. This is a wonderful re-working of Grimm, proving once again what happens when old tales are dusted off and handed to a gifted author to make her own.