Prisoners in the Palace

by Michaela Maccoll

SALES HANDLE: A real page turner, yet meticulously researched, this is the story of a heroine that will appeal to contemporary readers -- yet filled with lavish and interesting details of the time. And a great way to sneak in a little history info. KEY SELLING POINTS: HOW WILL THIS TITLE BE DISTINCTIVE: - With the exception of one entry in Scholastic's 'Royal Diaries' series, I have not yet found any juvenile novel with princess/queen Victoria as a central character. EXISTING TREND/DEFINE CONSUMER: - Strong subject appeal: interest in the 'royals' appears to be everlasting and to cross all age groups. (Witness the Phillipa Gregory series for adults; the Young Royals and Royal Diaries series for young readers; and even the Gemma Doyle trilogy and the 'Luxe' series for YA, which are not royals-focused, but are Victorian and convey a kind of lavishness.) - Novels in period settings are regularly among award winners. - We don't yet have any historical novels on our children's list. QUANTIFY VALUE: - Historical fiction resonates with schools and parents, yet the princess aspect will appeal to girls, so there is something for everyone.
NOTABLE AUTHORS OR CONTRIBUTORS TO PROJECT: - Quality writing from a debut novelist RELEVANT SALES COMPARISONS OR SALES INFO: See above section on 'royals' trend.

• ISBN13: 9780811873000
• Publish Date: 13 October 2010
• Publish Status: Out of Print
• Out of Print: 24 July 2012
• Publish Country: US
• Imprint: Chronicle Books
• Format: Hardcover
• Pages: 304
• Language: English

Reviews

[jeannamichel]

What an intriguing cover, having the title on its spine and back, but not the front is surely something I haven't seen done before.
Review:
After Elizabeth Hastings' parents are killed in a tragic accident, Liza is left horribly in debt. To remedy her situation- she turns to the palace doors in hopes of finding a job. Liza is then brought into the scene among royalty and becomes Princess Victoria's maid. She discovers that royalty is not at all what is seems. Sir Conroy is looking to steal the throne with Victoria's mother, the Duchess, Even the maids and the other servants thrive in their own rank. But Princess Victoria just wants to be loved.
I loved this book. I'm always a sucker for historical romances and this one did not disappoint. I was transported back into the 1800s where all men were gentlemen and if they weren't gentlemen- they were considered something of a theif like Inside Boy. Inside Boy was my favorite character. His speech, full of flash patter, was humorous at times and I found myself laughing along with the novel. Liza's character was very strong and wonderfully developed. I always love strong characters and not all authors can create such powerful characters. MacColl nailed her characters- to the point that they were almost as real as you and me. Will's character was fantastic. He was such a doll and too modest about himself. He was considered a businessman, but he was a total gentleman. He was adorable. Not to mention, Liza and Will's reltionship was very cute.
The ending kept me on my toes.
It was so difficult to put the book down when I had to go to work.
I recommend this book to all.