A True Princess

by Diane Zahler

Twelve-year-old Lilia goes north to seek the family she has never known, accompanied by her friends Kai and Karina and their dog Ove, on an adventure fraught with peril, especially when they become lost in Bitra Forest, the Elf King's domain. Inspired by the Hans Christian Andersen tale, The princess and the pea.

• ISBN10: 0061825018
• ISBN13: 9780061825019
• Publish Date: 1 February 2011 (first published 1 April 2010)
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: US
• Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers Inc
• Imprint: HarperCollins
• Format: Hardcover
• Pages: 192
• Language: English
• URL: http://harpercollins.com.au/9780061825019

Reviews

[Silvara]

Check out my other reviews, discussions and link ups at Fantasy of the Silver Dragon.

I loved how devoted Lilia, Kai and Karina were to each other. Even though Lilia was basically adopted (found floating down the river in a basket as a baby), they all love each other like siblings.

I was expecting the reveal about who Lilia's parents were, but it was still interesting to find out how she was lost all those years ago. There was a good bit of world building for such a short book. I liked the elves, Odin and the Wild Hunt. I also liked the bit about the Royal Beds.

There is a tiny hint of romance for Lilia, but not until the very end of the book. And it's one of those, blink and you'll miss it type of things. I really liked this take on The Princess And The Pea, and I hadn't realized that's what it was until part way through the book.

I will definitely be reading more by this author, and I highly recommend this retelling.

This review was originally posted on Fantasy of the Silver Dragon