The Goose Girl (Books of Bayern, #1)

by Shannon Hale

On her way to marry a prince she's never met, Princess Anidori is betrayed by her guards and her lady-in-waiting and must become a goose girl to survive until she can reveal her true identity and reclaim the crown that is rightfully hers.

• ISBN10: 1582349908
• ISBN13: 9781582349909
• Publish Date: 1 May 2005 (first published 4 August 2003)
• Publish Status: Out of Print
• Out of Print: 15 June 2021
• Publish Country: US
• Imprint: Bloomsbury Publishing Plc
• Format: Paperback (US Trade)
• Pages: 383
• Language: English

Reviews

[paperbackjedi]

More like 3.5 stars, really.

[ladygrey]

I sort of adored this book. It doesn't have nay of the more exquisite language I normally love and the plot might seem more pedestrian than my tastes (a significant portion of the story is time spent with geese after all). But the characters are so rich that I was completely drawn in and ended up really, really enjoying this story.

Ani, at first, is almost hard to read because she's so naive and so weak and, like her mother, I wanted more for her. I could see what was coming a mile away and it was almost frustrating for her to be so blind. But her character arc is beautiful and I loved, loved her by the end. There's also so many great secondary and tertiary characters. It has over a dozen named characters and yet each is distinct and well developed in their own right.

And I loved Geric from the very beginning. I loved their relationship and how it developed. I loved moments between them. It was just delightful to read.

The magic in the land was unique and I liked that. I liked the things that Ani struggled with and developed and I liked the contrast of her mother and her aunt because it made the end so much more satisfying when Ani could be herself without fear and without apology.

But really it's a book filled with great characters and that's why I can't help but adore it.

I absolutely loved this book! I finally picked it up after reading so many great reviews and my sister really liked them and boy am I glad I did! i wasn't really sure what to expect, but let me tell ya, its really good! I don't want to give a summary (i'm awful at doing so without spoilers) but theres action, romance, and betrayal! It was a sweet, well written read that I finished in a day. I didn't want to put it down! Shannon Hale is an excellent writer whose words just flowed. I definitely recommend this book! (and also the sequel. I have yet to read the 3rd book but i'm sure it will be just as good).