The Princess Search: A Retelling of The Ugly Duckling (Four Kingdoms, #5)

by Melanie Cellier

An outcast.
A prince.
And a deadly rebellion…

After a lifetime of rejection, seamstress Evie can’t trust Frederic, the crown prince of Lanover—not his words of friendship or the way the warmth in his eyes seems to ask for even more. But when they end up on a tour of his kingdom—one filled with increasing danger—Evie’s mistrust might doom them all.

In this reimagining of the classic fairy tale, an ugly duckling must discover her true worth in order to save her kingdom and maybe even find true love.

• ISBN10: 0648305139
• ISBN13: 9780648305132
• Publish Date: 6 March 2019
• Publish Status: Active
• Imprint: Luminant Publications
• Format: Paperback (US Trade)
• Pages: 308
• Language: English

Reviews

[ladygrey]

Cute. The first half to third I liked best of the series so far. But then it slowed down and really got in Evie’s head more. I liked that her past played into the present so well. I just wish it hadn't sort of fizzled after the island. Also the end when she and Frederic finally get together was sort of rushed and high level description instead of enjoying the moment. 

I think calling this a ugly duckling retelling is a really, really loose interpretation. i get the she was going for the idea that Evie’s past seemed unattractive but wasn't. Except shes the only one who thought that—it was always an internal perception and never an external expression by anyone else so it didn't really stick. I did like her as a seamstress. That worked well and was a fun element to the story. 

[phyllish]

The Princess Search by Melanie Cellier


Evie had been an orphan as long as she could remember and she had moved around from place to place, each time hoping for a home. Each place she lived, she faced rejection and was forced to move on. I was drawn into her insecurity and could understand her lack of trust. It was also impressive how she learned from her mistakes and came to the point where she decided to trust regardless of the rejection she was certain she would face.

Princess Celine was just too cute. Her determination to play matchmaker for her two brothers who were on the Royal Tour with her was charming. She was impish and adorable and often was trying to mother the princes who were significantly older than she was.

There was plenty of action to keep the story moving. The stirrings of rebellion continued to flame into trouble and followed them on the Tour. In one city, they literally stirred into flames. I loved the way that Evie’s experiences from her childhood allowed her to give much-needed insight.

My favorite part of the story was probably when they were in the desert and Prince Cassian was so awestruck by Tillie that he couldn’t speak around her at all. Their interactions and the way that Celine interfered were so funny, sweet and romantic all tied up into one!

I loved the way that the author used the Tour as a way to allow Evie to revisit her past and be able to view it through mature eyes and perspective. It was clever how they journeyed in the reverse order of where she had lived. Slowly, as she learned to trust Prince Frederic and Princess Celine, she unfurled the tapestry of her life to them, letting them see the things she had always attempted to keep hidden. In the process she was able to grow, to heal and to mature into the lovely woman of value that she always had been.


This review was originally posted on Among the Reads

Get a preview of The Princess Search at amongTheReads.net