I've been meaning to read Goose Chase by Patrice Kindl for several years now, and finally picked it up and did so.
Alexandria
Aurora Fortunato is a plain, orphaned goose girl until the day an old
hag asks her for a meal. Alexandria's generosity and good manners prove
to be her downfall when the old woman blesses her with beauty and
wealth. Soon, Alexandria is as lovely as the dawn, shedding gold dust
from her hair, and weeping tears of diamonds -- and imprisoned in a
tower, forced to marry either the bumbling Prince Edmund, or King
Claudio the Cruel. With help from her geese, Alexandria escapes the
tower and runs away. On her journey to safety, she encounters hungry
ogresses, vile dungeons, and a greedy baroness. In the end, Alexandria
discovers that she and her geese share an extraordinary destiny.
This
light, fairy-tale inspired read was a lot of fun. It reminded me of
books by E.D. Baker and Gail Carson Levine. While the characterization
is not very deep, the plot moves quickly and there's plenty of humor
(plus the lightest touch of romance). I'd recommend it to fans of the
middle-grade fairy tale retelling, with the understanding that there's
not a lot of substance in this otherwise enjoyable book.
(Reviewed from my personally purchased electronic copy.)
Enjoyed this, especially the grumpy protagonist.
ReplyDeleteHeh, she was definitely grumpy! Maybe that's why I liked her so much!
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