Dnf for now. The writing reminded me of a textbook and I couldn’t see the ‘great love’ between the two characters that only interacted one time on page. ( )

A princess, her true love and a kingdom in need of a leader. Yes, there were bits of A Princess Bride thrown in here and there, but the story stands on its own merits. Unexpected alliances and enemies; and a couple of twists I did not see coming. Readers who enjoy adventure and romance, with a strong cadre of female protagonists will enjoy this story! ( )

When a princess’s commoner true love is kidnapped to coerce her into a political marriage, she doesn’t give in—she goes to rescue him.

When her warrior father, King Sendoa, mysteriously dies, Princess Amarande of Ardenia is given what would hardly be considered a choice: Marry a stranger at sixteen or lose control of her family’s crown.

But Amarande was raised to be a warrior—not a sacrifice.

In an attempt to force her choice, a neighboring kingdom kidnaps her true love, stable boy Luca. With her kingdom on the brink of civil war and no one to trust, she’ll need all her skill to save him, her future, and her kingdom.

This is the kind of book I wish I could have had as a kid. It’s an excellent adventure romance novel that’s appropriate for middle grade up (some veiled references to rape).

The book is inspired by The Princess Bride, taking characters and plot points from the original and respinning them to be a little more modern and feminist. If you are expecting this to be the same book but gender bent, you might be disappointed, but I think this book is much more interesting than just making Westley a girl. I wish it had kept a little bit more of the whimsy of the original, but that’s the only thing I’d change. ( )

I... love the cover. And that's about it.

When I saw it was a retelling of "The Princess Bride," my initial reaction was a mix of intrigue and doubt. At first, the book doesn't seem to have much in common with the original book/film at all. Then, seemingly out of nowhere, in the last quarter of the book, Princess Bride references fly at you, hitting you in the face with their heavy-handedness. It's unsettling, to say the least.

Clearly it's been set up for a sequel... And I need to remember not to be automatically drawn in by Charlie Bowater's gorgeous cover art next time. (At least no one kept exclaiming "Inconceivable!") ( )