If you’re like me and adore The Princess Bride, then you’re going to want to add this book to your list. This story has it all. Pirates, sword wielding princesses, and a daring quest to save the kingdom as well as their heart. I have serious heart eyes for this book, and I’m so mad that it ended too soon! I definitely need more of this book! Amarande is such a strong female lead, that is daring and isn’t afraid to actually fight for what she believes in. I also loved the scheming taking place and even though we get to find out some answers, the ending will leave you with a dozen more. There’s so much more that we’re yet to find out, and I cannot wait to see where Sarah Henning takes this duology. Add it to your TBR!
After the death of her father, Amarande is given an ultimatum: marry or lose the crown…and possibly her life. The candidates are from the four neighbouring kingdoms, with their own plans for the kingdom. In order to force her hand, her beloved Luca, a stable boy, is kidnapped. But the daughter of the warrior king will not stand down in the face of danger. No one and nothing will stop her from rescuing her true love and her kingdom.
Can I just say that this book went by very quickly for me… One minute I’m on page one and the next I’m reaching the ending and cursing the fact that the next one isn’t out yet. I liked Sarah’s narration style, it was one that I got into easily, and I felt was appropriate for the story. Getting to see insights of each of the main characters/villains was something that I enjoyed because it’s glorious to be the one to know more than our characters know. Amarande was my favourite character, but something I will say is that I’m dying to know if certain characters will have a bigger role in the next book. Luca was precious, and my heart just went out to the poor guy. There’s just something about a soft cinnamon roll character that makes me all swoony. His perseverance is what definitely cemented the romance for me.
Something that took me by surprise is just how much Amarande fought for what she wanted. I shouldn’t be surprised by female characters like this, and yet here we are. Throughout the book, Amarande stood for what she believed in, and took no prisoners. She knew her strengths and wasn’t afraid to stand up for her beliefs. There were moments where she had stumbles and was able to recognise her weaknesses. Again, I loved her character so much.
As I said before, if you’re as in love with The Princess Bride as I am, I think you’ll like the route that this story takes. There are lots of nods to it in the book (naturally), and I was there for it. What I will say is that it doesn’t quite have the humour that the original does, and that’s okay. I honestly liked that, because Sarah is taking her own spin on it. I’m looking forward to seeing what she does in the next book because while the ending isn’t necessarily a cliffhanger, the reader is given quite a bit of information to contend with that made me audibly gasp.
The villains in this story felt a little predictable, but I do like how they were played against each other in ways that highlighted there was no lesser evil in this case. There are also secrets that are being dealt with in between that drove me insane, partially because they would drop in as the main plot was progressing and then we wouldn’t see them again for a while.
I’ll admit that there were little things here and there that I think readers might take as something that was a little underdeveloped. I’m looking at the romance in this area because while there isn’t “insta-love”, I feel like it isn’t acknowledged in an obvious enough way to make readers see two characters and think they’re in love. If it were tweaked a smidge, I think it would make more sense. However, for me personally, knowing the connection to the inspiration, it seemed pretty straightforward. I also want to say that I wanted a little more villain development. Mainly in their personalities. I felt like I got to see glimpses, but not nearly enough.
Overall, this was a great story for me. I got swept up in this whirlwind adventure and look forward to reading more of it in the next book. I’m rating this one an 8/10, and I definitely encourage you to add this one to your TBR!
The Princess Will Save You is available from Amazon, Book Depository, and other good book retailers.
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Synopsis | Goodreads
A PRINCESS
A STABLE BOY
A QUEST
When her father dies, Princess Amarande is given an ultimatum: Marry the leader of one of the four neighboring kingdoms, or lose her crown—and possibly her life. And to force her hand, her beloved, the stable boy Luca, is kidnapped.
But Amarande was raised to be a warrior, not a sacrifice.
And nothing will stop her from saving her true love and rescuing her kingdom.
The acclaimed author of Sea Witch turns the classic damsel-in-distress tale on its head with this story of adventure, identity, and love.
