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Princess Ben by Catherine Gilbert Murdock


Rating: 4/5 Stars
Genre: Fantasy
Release Date: 3/18/2008
About the Book: (From the Book): Benevolence is not your typical princess and Princess Ben is certainly not your typical fairy tale. With her parents lost to unknown assassins, Princess Ben ends up under the thumb of the conniving Queen Sophia, who is intent on marrying her off to the first available “specimen of imbecilic manhood.” Starved and miserable, locked in the castle’s highest tower, Ben stumbles upon a mysterious enchanted room. So begins her secret education in the magical arts: mastering an obstinate flying broomstick, furtively emptying the castle pantries, setting her hair on fire . . . But Ben’s private adventures are soon overwhelmed by a mortal threat facing the castle and indeed the entire country. Can Princess Ben save her kingdom from annihilation and herself from permanent enslavement?
GreenBeanTeenQueen Says: I love fairy tale-ish stories and Princess Ben was the perfect combination of magic, fantasy, and romance. Ben is a fun and spunky character and it was easy to like her.
I listened to this one on audio and was a little nervous when I saw it was narrated by the author-I wasn't sure if the author could do a good job. I was wrong-Catherine Gilbert Murdock did an excellent job! She had voices for all the characters, different accents, and her narration kept me interested and engaged in the story. I was really impressed!
I also really liked the fact that this fairy tale went beyond the typical fairy tale. The author added things from other fairy tales to the story, so it was fun to discover those hidden throughout the story. My only complaint was that at times the story didn't seem to flow, but that could have been the audio format. Overall, this is a fun fairy tale and I hope Catherine Gilbert Murdock writes another fantasy soon!

Comments

  1. This looks like a cute book, I missed it when it was published but maybe I'll look for it one of these days.

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  3. i'll be checking this out at the library, great review! i'm always up for any fantasy related books(my fave genre).
    -amy

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  4. This looks like a book I would enjoy.. thank you for posting

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  5. Rebecca-I was late to this one too, but I'm glad I finally got to read it!

    Amy-Thanks! I like fantasy too, especially fairy tale books.

    Storyheart-It's got a little bit of everything for everyone. I hope you get a chance to read it!

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  6. I loved this one, definitely one of the top books I read last year. It sucked me in, the plot was so addicting and the ending was amazing!

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