Bad Princess: True Tales from Behind the Tiara by Kris Waldherr

 Bad Princess: True Tales from Behind the Tiara by Kris Waldherr - 128 pages

Forget everything you thought you knew about princesses...

Welcome to Bad Princess by Kris Waldherr (author of Doomed Queens), where you'll discover what really happens after "Happily Ever After." From the war-torn Dark Ages of Medieval Europe to America's Gilded Age, and all the way up to Kate Middleton, Bad Princess explores more than 30 true princess stories, going beyond the glitz and glamour to find out what life was really like for young royals throughout history.

A mix of royal biography, pop culture, art, style, and pure fun, Bad Princess is a whip-smart, tongue-in-cheek spin on the traditional princess narrative, proving that it takes more than a pretty crown to be a great leader.

Royally Yours by Emma Chase

Royally Yours by Emma Chase -- 313 pages

Princess Lenora Celeste Beatrice Arabella Pembrook had an unusual childhood. She was raised to be a Queen—the first Queen of Wessco. It’s a big deal. When she’s crowned at just nineteen, the beautiful young monarch is prepared to rule. She’s charming, clever, confident and cunning. What she isn’t… is married. It’s her advising council’s first priority. It’s what Parliament is demanding, and what her people want. Lenora has no desire to tie herself to a man—particularly one who only wants her for her crown. But compromises must be made and royals must do their duty. Even Queens. Especially them.

Years ago, Edward Langdon Richard Dorian Rourke, walked away from his title and country. Now he’s an adventurer—climbing mountains, exploring jungles, going wherever he wants, when he wants—until family devotion brings him home. And a sacred promise keeps him there. To Edward, the haughty, guarded little Queen is intriguing, infuriating…and utterly captivating. Wanting her just might drive him mad—or become his greatest adventure.

Within the cold, stone walls of the royal palace—mistrust threatens, wills clash, and an undeniable, passionate love will change the future of the monarchy forever. Every dynasty has a beginning. Every legend starts with a story. This is theirs. 

Stars Above by Marissa Meyer

Stars Above by Marissa Meyer -- 400 pages

This a collection of short stories from the Lunar Chronicles universe.

The Little Android: A retelling of Hans Christian Andersen’s “The Little Mermaid,” set in the world of The Lunar Chronicles.
Glitches: The young Cinder tries to love her new family until her step-father is taken away by the plague. From this story comes the line referenced in "Cinder," "Don't leave me with this thing."
The Queen’s Army: Since they successfully crossed the genes of a wolf with a twelve-year-old boy, Queen Levana is forming an army of hybrid soldiers, but one is determined not to become the monster they have made of him.
Carswell’s Guide to Being Lucky: Thirteen-year-old Carswell Thorne has big plans involving a Rampion spaceship and a no-return trip out of Los Angeles.
The Keeper: The story of Michelle Benoit, Scarlet, and the young Princess Selene.
After Sunshine Passes By: The story of how Cress became the Queen's spy and ended up alone on a satellite.
The Princess and the Guard: It was the game that Winter and Jacin played as children before it became a reality. This is the story of Winter, her best friend, and her choice not to use her Lunar gift.
The Mechanic: In this prequel to Cinder, we see Kai and Cinder’s first meeting from Kai’s perspective.
Something Old, Something New: In this epilogue to Winter, friends gather for the wedding of the century... 

Winter
The Lunar Chronicles
Book 4
by Marissa Meyer
Read by Rebecca Soler
832 pages







This is the final book in the lunar chronicles and I enjoyed them all. The stories were well written. I loved that all the characters were loosly based on fairy tale characters.

I listened to all four of the books in this series and enjoyed them a lot. It was great to have one person be the narrator for all the stories. The voices she gave to each character were recognizable as that character throughout all four books.

The Invasion of the Tearling by Erika Johansen

Invasion of the Tearling

by Erika Johansen

The Queen of the Tearling Trilogy - Book 2

514 pages

Kelsea Glynn, the Queen of the Tearling is back in a brand new adventure. War has been declared on the Tearling by The Red Queen and her Mort army which are slowly marching toward the kingdom to invade and cause violence. While preparing for the inevitable, Kelsea also has to deal with the new holy father and her fainting spells which teleport her to the past before the Tearling existed in the pre-crossing. She finds herself relying on a strange and possibly dangerous ally; a woman named Lily, who is fighting for her life in a world where being female can feel like a crime. Soon Kelsea herself begins to change; she does not recognize either her reflection in the mirror or the extraordinary power she now commands. The fate of the Tearling - and that of Kelsea's own soul - may rest with Lily and her story, but Queen Kelsea is running out of time.....

I was really excited when I realized the second book in this trilogy was available and so looked forward to listening to it hoping it would be read by the previous reader Katherine Kellgren. Alas it was not to be. The second book is read by Davina Porter and though I enjoyed Katherine's reading more, I got used to Davina and looked forward to what was going to happen next in the story. I can't wait until the final book in the trilogy is available to find out what happens to Queen Kelsea and her kingdom.

AUTHOR INFORMATION: Erika Johansen grew up and lives in the San Francisco Bay Area. She went to Swarthmore College, earned an MFA from the Iowa Writers' Workshop, and eventually became an attorney, but she never stopped writing. The Queen of the Tearling is her first novel. 

“Harry Potter” star Emma Watson, who announced she’s signed on as both executive producer for the film adaptation of the book — the first in a trilogy by debut author Erika Johansen — and its star. “I was desperate to hate it,” joked Watson, who conceded she couldn’t put the book down. 

The Queen of the Tearling by Erika Johansen

The Queen of the Tearling
by Erika Johansen
434 pages





agic



Magic, adventure, mystery and romance combine in this epic debut in which a young princess must reclaim her dead mother's throne, learn to be a ruler and defeat the Red Queen, a powerful and malevolent sorceress determined to destroy her.
On her 19th birthday, Princess Kelsea Raleigh Glynn sets out on a perilous journey back to the castle of her birth to ascend her rightful throne. Plain and serious Kelsea bears little resemblance to her mother, the vain and frivolous Queen Elyssa. But though she may be inexperienced and sheltered, Kelsea is not defenseless. Around her neck hangs the Tearling sapphire, a jewel of immense magical power; and accompanying her is the Queen's Gurad, a cadre of brave knights led by the enigmatic and dedicated Lazarus. Kelsea will need them all to survive a cabal of enemies who will use every weapon to prevent her from wearing the crown. Now Kelsea will begin to discover whom among the servants, aristocracy and her own guard she can trust.
The quest to save her kingdom and meet her destiny has only just begun....if she can survive.

I enjoyed listening to this story so much because of the reader, Katherine Kellgren. She made the story come alive for me while I listened. Her voices for each character were so distinct that you knew who was speaking without being told. She did an excellent job and I hope she continues to read the rest of the books in this series!

I am Princess X by Cherie Priest

I Am PRINCESS X
by Cherie Priest
227 pages








Once upon a time, two best friends created a princess together. Libby drew the pictures, May wrote the tales, and their heroine, Princess X, slayed all the dragons and scaled all the mountains their imaginations could conjure. 
A few years later, Libby was in the car with her mom, driving across the Ballard Bridge on a rainy night. When the car went over the side, Libby passed away, and Princess X died with her.
Now, May is sixteen and lonely, wandering the streets of Seattle, when she sees a sticker slapped in a corner window...... Princess X? 
When May looks around, she sees the Princess everywhere: stickers. patches and graffiti. There's an entire underground culture, focused around a webcomic at "IAmPrincessX.com". The more May explores the webcomic, the more she sees disturbing similarities between Libby's story and Princess X online. And that means that only one person could have started this phenomenon---her best friend, Libby, who lives.

A Posse of Princesses by Sherwood Smith

A Posse of Princesses by Sherwood Smith, 300 pages

Sixteen year old, Rhis, has not left her tiny but wealthy kingdom of Nym. Due to the "dullness" of life in Nym, Rhis has taken up composing and playing songs and ballads of daring deeds, romance and handsome princes. So when an invite comes to celebrate the crowned prince of Vesarja, Rhis jumps at the chance to attend. She, like the other princesses, quickly falls for the handsome Prince Lios and hopes for a chance at love/happiness with him -- just like her songs. However, songs do not always equal reality, as Rhis quickly realizes. With unhappy friends, a lie, an annoyingly perfect Princess Iardith, and a kidnapping, Rhis's life is chaotic. Toss in magic and you have a great story for young girls. 

Wizard at Work by Vivian Vande Velde

Wizard at Work by Vivian Vande Velde - 134 pages

The wizard is looking forward to the summer break from his students at the magic school -- to gardening, peace and quiet, and being himself.  Then he is "cursed by a witch"  who tells him he will never find happiness unless he learns to be less judgmental and to look beyond the surface of things.  And so starts a summer where he is constantly being interrupted by princesses hoping to have curses broken, princes looking to rescue princesses, and towns wanting to rid themselves of unicorns.
I believe I have read part of this book before in a short story collection.  I recognized the intro to the book as well as one of the stories.  I did enjoy reading the rest of the book though.