The Hero's Guide to Saving Your Kingdom (Hero's Guide, 1)

by Christopher Healy

Other authorsTodd Harris (Illustrator)

Paperback, 2013

Status

Available

Call number

813.6

Publication

Walden Pond Press (2013), Edition: Illustrated, 480 pages

Description

Fantasy. Juvenile Fiction. Humor (Fiction.) HTML: Prince Liam. Prince Frederic. Prince Duncan. Prince Gustav. You've never heard of them, have you? These are the princes who saved Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella, Snow White, and Rapunzel, respectively, and yet, thanks to those lousy bards who wrote the tales, you likely know them only as Prince Charming. But all of this is about to change. Rejected by their princesses and cast out of their castles, the princes stumble upon an evil plot that could endanger each of their kingdoms. Now it's up to them to triumph over their various shortcomings, take on trolls, bandits, dragons, witches, and other assorted terrors, and become the heroes no one ever thought they could be. Christopher Healy's Hero's Guide to Saving Your Kingdom is a completely original take on the world of fairy tales, the truth about what happens after "happily ever after." It's a must-have for middle grade readers who enjoy their fantasy adventures mixed with the humor of the Diary of a Wimpy Kid books. Witty black-and-white drawings by Todd Harris add to the fun..… (more)

User reviews

LibraryThing member mountie9

The Good Stuff

Absolutely delightful, one of my favorite middle school reads in the past year
Laugh out loud funny
Something for readers of all ages
Strong female characters & nothing sterotypical
Fabulous character development
Has a Shrek, Hoodwinked, How to Train Your Dragon feel to it
I was laughing

so hard that Jake actually asked if he could read it when I was done
Awesome cover
Love that Briar Rose is a nasty piece of work - some of her dialogue is priceless
Cannot wait to see the finished product to see the rest of the artwork that will be included - only drawback about getting ARC copies - but think it will be awesome based on artwork included in ARC
Nice moral, life lessons included in a non shmaltzy in your face way which kids, and old bags like me adore
Unusual plot twists that keep you on your toes and you have no idea what is going to happen next - again not at all sterotypical
Looking forward to future books in this series - next one I believe is scheduled for 2013
The Not So Good Stuff

Some repetition might have been a tighter story with a wee bit editing
People were staring at me on the bus because I was reading a kids book and laughing hysterically
Almost impossible to only pick three quotes for my quotes section
Favorite Quotes/Passages

"Instead of simply frying the man where he stood, Zaubera offered to let him go in exchange for his young daughter. The peasant was surprisingly quick to agree to this (he was not a very good dad), and that was how Zaubera ended up with Rapunzel."

"We all know somebody who's a bit eccentric - the girl who talks to herself, maybe, or the boy who eats the erasers of his pencils like they're gumdrops. They could be wonderful people, but thanks to their quirky behavior, they don't have the easiest time making friends."

"On still another road, a green-haired man wobbled by on peppermint-stick stilts; a fiery-plumed bird of paradise perched on his shoulder. But he's not in this story, so don't pay any attention to him."

Who Should/Shouldn't Read

Perfect for both intended audience of middle school kids and for adults - Teachers and Librarians this would be a good read a loud book that you could do over a semester/term
Jake is begging me to hurry up and finish so he can read
4.5 Dewey's

I received this from HarperCollins in exchange for an honest review & Jake will be reviewing as well as soon as he is caught up on his school work

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LibraryThing member ChristianR

Amusing farce of prince and princess stories. First of a series. The four Prince Charmings are somewhat incompetent or goofy at the beginning of the book, but because of the bards their stories were told as if they had been heroes. When they get together to search for Cinderella, who had been

captured by an evil witch, they learn to work together and become real heroes.
I didn't finish the book because I got the general idea and had several others to get to, but I can see why middle grade elementary students would enjoy this series.

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LibraryThing member susiesharp

Warning Gushing Ahead……..

This is the funniest book it is so much fun! This is humorous fairytale retelling at its best. It reexamines the Prince & Princess mythos. Do you really think the prince’s name was Charming? Who names their kid Charming? Do all the prince’s have names not just The

Prince and if you are a Prince must you be a hero? If you are a Princess must you always be the lady in distress can you not save yourself? And how come the bards never write songs about the witches? How come all the stories are about the princesses? These questions and many more are what this book is all about!

I just can’t say enough about how much I enjoyed this book! These princes Liam, Gustav, Fredrick, and Duncan are not quite what you’ve read before and neither are the princesses. I love the giants and the trolls and even the bad witch Zoberah (*sp audio)! These characters are so much fun and I am so excited to hear that there will be a second book. This one made me laugh out loud and smile it is just so much fun!

Wow I now understand the Bronson Pinchot love! All of his voices in this one are so fantastic! He made me see animation and characters in my head each one with a distinct personality, look and facial expressions he totally brought this great book to life for me! Between Christopher’s fun writing and Bronson’s narration this one will be a go to book when I am feeling down! And if you are listening to the audio make sure you listen all the way to the last second!

I am curious to get the paper copy of this for the library so I can see the illustrations, I already ordered the print version for my library and since I’ve been talking about it this week it’s already got a waiting list.

If you are looking for a great family vacation/roadtrip book I highly recommend this one!

If you haven’t it figured out yet I loved this book so just go get it and you will too!

5 Stars

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LibraryThing member thehidingspot

Unique, funny, and fresh are all appropriate words to describe Christopher Healy's The Hero's Guide to Saving Your Kingdom. I seriously could not get enough of this fast-paced Middle Grade title!

Lots of little girls wish they could be princesses and plenty of girls and women wish for their Prince

Charming to come riding to their rescue, shiny and dashing and heroic, but princesses and the perfect Prince Charming is no where to be found within these pages. Instead, the princesses are either spoiled or more heroic than the princes that are supposed to sweep them off their feet. Prince Charming is a generic name used to describe every prince in every tale... princes that are sometimes dashing and sometime heroic, but often flawed and more often terribly silly. In an endearing way of course.

I can't fully describe how much I adore this novel. The characters are vivid and each have a distinct voice. I'd much rather be a princess like the sort in The Hero's Guide... one who is happy to have a prince by her side, but is more than capable of taking matters into her own hands.

The princes are a motley crew and never fail to entertain. I loved that each had a specific strength or skill so that when the four came together, usually in rather comedic circumstances, they achieved their goal. I have to say, Prince Duncan was my favorite of the princes, the Prince Charming of Snow White's tale. Duncan refers to every animal he comes across by name... names he makes up on the spot. His oddities and personality never failed to make me laugh.

I highly recommend The Hero's Guide to Saving Your Kingdom. Yes, it's a MG title, but I can imagine readers of all age enjoying the characters and their quirks. And I hear the characters will be reunited in a second installment and they'll be joined by a few more interesting individuals... I, for one, can't wait!

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LibraryThing member ejmeloche

The world may know the princes associated with Cinderella, Rapunzel, Sleeping Beauty, and Snow White all as "Prince Charming," but each has his own name-- and his own problems. When the group unites against a witch to find a missing princess (and some missing bards), they make a name for themselves

beyond "Charming."

The over-the-top prince characters, though not particularly developed, are amusing and endearing, and Healy's campy style keeps the reader laughing. Though the length of the book, at 438 pages, may turn off some reluctant readers, the fast-paced story and many interspersed pictures make the book seem much shorter. The black and white cartoonish illustrations are reminiscent of the CGI animation style popular with modern fairy tale movies-- and since the fractured-fairy tale tone also fits those films, it won't be long before the world sees Dreamworks' take on The Hero's Guide to Saving Your Kingdom.

Recommended especially for students in 4-7 grades.

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LibraryThing member charisma_45

A twist & turn remake of classic fairy-tales told from a different point of view! This is one of my all time favorite versions so far! Wonderfully written but still appropriate for children 8-12 as well as Young adults & up! If your looking for a funny, non stop fairytale you've found the right

series! Wonderful characters and a riveting plot! You've never read a fairytale like this before! Great Read, can't wait to read Book

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LibraryThing member jfoster_sf

I thought this book was hilarious!! A great satire on classic fairytales, as told in alternating chapters by the princes and the princesses. As long as you don't take this book too seriously, I think you'll enjoy it.

LibraryThing member foggidawn

The Hero's Guide to Saving Your Kingdom asks the question, what happened after the fairy tale? Was it really "Happily Ever After" for Cinderella, Snow White, Sleeping Beauty, Rapunzel, and all of those Princes Charming?

The answer, of course, is "not really." Prince Frederick finds that he's not

daring enough for Cinderella, who longs for a life of adventure after her years of drudgery -- Frederick's idea of an adventure involves a picnic basket and cushions. Prince Gustav is humiliated by the fact that Rapunzel saved him when he had been thrown out of the tower and blinded, something his brothers will never let him forget. Prince Liam discovers that Sleeping Beauty is actually quite a brat when she's awake, and that his parents still expect him to marry her because her kingdom is a wealthy one. And while Prince Duncan and Snow White are already happily married, he's sometimes a little too quirky even for her. Over the course of the story, these four princes band together and face down a giant, a dragon, some trolls, a bandit king, and a wicked witch -- learning along the way how to value each other's unique abilities in order to work together.

This is another fun fantasy read, with a lot of slapstick humor and unexpected adventures for the princes -- and, in some cases, their princesses. As an adult reader, I thought the writing had some rough patches, and the whole shebang could have used a little more editing, but I think that young readers who enjoy lighthearted fantasy and aren't put off by thick tomes (this one weighs in at over 400 pages) will absolutely eat it up.

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LibraryThing member RivkaBelle

Review originally published on my blog: AWordsWorth.blogspot.com

We're all familiar with the "standard" fairy tales - Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Snow White and Rapunzel: they're stories we can recite without pause. But what do we know about the Princes, really? They don't even have names! Just

"Prince Charming," and you know it can't be the same Prince Charming in all of the stories (otherwise it wouldn't be True Love's Kiss!). In this first book of a new middle grades series, Christopher Healy introduces us to the Princes Charming (who all have real names, by the way). Don't let the "middle grades" label dissuade you: this is a book that all ages can appreciate!

How to explain this story ... Essentially, what Healy has done is take the oh-so-familiar fairy tales and turned them on their head. What we end up with is a band of mismatched Princes running around trying to make a name for themselves - literally. They're tired of being called "Prince Charming" and having everyone only remember the chick. This band of Princes are ready for adventure, ready to be heroes. And they're searching for Cinderella, who is apparently being held captive by the witch who entrapped Rapunzel. What the guys don't know is that Cinderella has some major spunk of her own, and is a force to be reckoned with. (And if you think you know 'Sleeping Beauty,' well, you're in for a surprise on that one! That girl be crazy.)

I loved this mashed up story, laughing out loud at parts, and falling in love with the idea of all these fairy tale characters jumbled into one wild mess. Prince Liam (Sleeping Beauty) stole my heart. For real. He's amazing (and the only "true" hero among the lot). Prince Duncan (Snow White) cracked me up, and there's just something endearing about Gustav (Rapunzel) and his brash style. Frederic (Cinderella) is the Prince I connected least with, but he has his good points, and is a key thread in the storyline. And don't get me started on the Bandit King.

Seriously, this is an excellent - and hilarious - first book, and I have very high hopes for the rest of the series.

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LibraryThing member capiam1234

Very clever take on the prince charming s that we've come to know today. My son and I were excited to read this. For a almost five year old this story occasionally lost his attention near the end. But for any kid interested in heroes, dragons, trolls, etc this book will be such a fun time to read.

LibraryThing member lindap69

Despite the hero-type things done by the Princes Charming, I loved the princesses who are perfectly capable of taking charge - very funny fractured fairy tale!

LibraryThing member smcamp1234

LibraryThing member MVTheBookBabe

Due to copy and paste, formatting has been lost.

The Hero's Guide to Saving Your Kingdom was a very fun book. I first picked it up because of the awesome illustrated cover, but after I read the intro there was no putting it down. First off, well, the premise itself was just awesome. I love the idea

of it! Anything done with fairytales is A-OK by me, seriously. But anywho, this is one of those books that I kind of feel to old for...it was way fabulous, and I loved it to death, but it was written for kids much younger than me.

But that's not the point. The illustrations were awesome, the story was captivating, and the overall experience was something special. I loved all the princes-- Gustav, Liam, Duncan and Frederic. Weirdly, I think that anti-social Gustav was my favorite, being the youngest of two sets of octuplets (seriously laughter occurred when that was announced). His dorky heroism and complete uncaring nature won me over, y'all.

In spite of that, though, I thoroughly enjoyed all of the other princes, and of course the princesses too! Almost every chapter was in a different point of view, which you'd think would be confusing, but it really wasn't at all. It was fan-freaking-tastic. Each point of view was uniquely fleshed out, and each and every character had their own quirks. It was all very whimsical and imaginative.

All in all, The Hero's Guide to Saving Your Kingdom was a really interesting break from all the bad books I've been reading lately. I really loved it, and I'm hoping to get to the sequel soon!

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LibraryThing member Yona

I was halfway through this before it really started capturing my attention. I'm sure that was in large part due to my frame of mind - not really in the mood for something light or humorous at the time, I think. However, it was really well done and it finally did wrap me up and proved to be an easy

four stars.

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LibraryThing member srearley

(GR rating is rounded up from an actual rating of 3.5 stars, sometimes I wish GR had half stars, or was on a 10 point scale...)

This was cute. Sometimes a bit silly and overdone, but the humor was good, and I liked the unique take on the princes and their princesses.

LibraryThing member Tahleen

One of the funniest books I've read in a long time. What's the story with the Prince Charming in all the fairy tales we've heard? They can't all be the same guy. This is their story, four Charmings who team up to save, well, their kingdoms. But really, super funny. Definitely read it.

LibraryThing member Turrean

I believe the term is "rollicking." It went on too long, and the dialog was all modern preteen ("Aww...sounds like someone's having a pity party and didn't invite the rest of us!") but I think it will appeal to the lovers of Shrek and other stories of that ilk.

LibraryThing member AudryS13

It was a fun read and fast paced story line.

LibraryThing member hrose2931

I'm in love with this book! I read this book so fast I'm going to have to read it again but once you start it's so addictive you just can't stop. It's like eating potato chips or M&M's you can't read just one page or chapter.
Links to the other blogs participating are below my review. Thanks for

stopping by!

Ever wondered about what happened after Happily Ever After? I have. I have always wondered. Well wait no more! This book tells it all and doesn't hold back. Four Prince Charmings and the true story of how they became Prince Charmings. And their real names. And if you don't find this book imaginative and funny, my name isn't Buried in Books. (It isn't really.) But there are asides from the narrator, looks into what the individual princes are thinking at certain times and it's all told with a sense of exaggeration and the absurd that just works because it's the fairy tale told from the other side, the after.

Frederic is foppish and I'd say rather a mama's boy if it weren't for the fact that his father made him that way. Scared of the outside world. His princess wants a taste of adventure and she is tired of the endless picnics and walks in the gardens. She leaves on a quest to find someone that's missing and that starts the action of this entire tale. Frederic is not going to let his princess go so easily and so with the help of his valet, Reginald, he gets on a horse and goes after her, in a white suit, with epaulets with tassels and not a clue how to ride a horse, which direction to go or what to do when he gets there.

Gustav, on the other hand, is itching for a fight. He'll fight anything that comes along because he got the raw end of the deal in his hero story. Now he's a laughing stock and needs to prove himself. He's got sixteen brothers who are heroes and he is not (I believe actually the mother is the hero here, just sayin).
So he goes charging in even when there isn't a hero situation. This sets him up as more of a laughing stock so to say he's a grump and fighting mad, is putting it mildly.

Liam, he just wants to meet the girl he's going to marry before they marry, get to know her. But what he meets is a nightmare. Spoiled, mean, bossy and a bit of a showoff with her jewels and gold. He wants to run in the other direction and he actually is a hero, performing acts of heroism on a daily basis. But that doesn't seem to matter to anyone when he decides he doesn't want to marry the spoiled brat that he's been promised to since he was a toddler and who he rescued.

And then there's Duncan. Weird and wonderful Duncan who always seems to be in the right place at the right time. Who just seems to have good luck. He falls into good fortune all the time. He's misunderstood but he embraces his weirdness and thankfully others do too.

When these four Prince Charmings or is it Princes Charming? Anyway, when they get together, it's a comedy of errors. Like two pairs of mismatched roommates. Like the football quarterback, the debate team captain, the rebellious bully and the AV guy (do they still have AV clubs?) formed a club. Frederic raised his hand to ask questions.
Gustav was always rushing into battle even if there was no battle. Duncan would shout out, naming animals as they went. And Liam would try to find a way to be the hero while keeping the others out of the plans.

Favorite lines from the ARC-

Frederic raised his hand.
"Frederic, do you , uh, have a question?" Liam asked.
Frederic sniffled and nodded. "I don't know how to use a sword."
"Oh that's right," Duncan said. "Neither do I."
"Go team," Gustav said in a mock cheer. p.188

So who would love this book? Anyone! It's got adventure, romance, monsters, mystery, sibling rivalry, the weird kid, the swoon worthy prince, the muscle, and the good dresser. Four heroes! Continuations on classic fairy tales. Even if you don't like fairy tale retellings, this isn't a retelling, this is after the fact.
It really is priceless! Very well written, with a sense of humor, friendship, danger and purpose.
There is even a lesson in it. Honestly how can you not read it?

And, don't forget, as I always say, to read the Prologue!!

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LibraryThing member krau0098

I got an advanced reading copy of this book through the Amazon Vine program. I was super excited to read this book. It sounded like a lot of fun and I love fairy tale retellings. I ended up not liking it that much. The dialog and characters went beyond funny to the point where they were very campy.

This book is a really neat idea, but the execution of the story needs some work.

That Prince Charming you hear about...well he's not really Prince Charming. He's actually Prince Liam, Prince Frederic, Prince Duncan, and Prince Gustav. These princes are in the doghouse with their respective Princesses and end up on a journey together in which they encounter various baddies and save the kingdom from a witch who steals bards to gain notoriety.

This is a really cool idea. I love funny, fairy tale mixups and this seemed like a wonderful concept. The book has a light tone and doesn't take itself seriously. Unfortunately I had some serious problems with both the plot and the characters.

Let's start with the characters. Prince Liam is your typical hero; rescues things and is your all around good-boy. Prince Frederic is the resident fop; he dresses to the nines, loves planning picnics and is scared to set foot outside his castle. Prince Duncan is the token space cadet; he is eternally distracted, names random woodland creatures, and is generally completely random in everything he does. Prince Gustav is the strong man; always rushes into danger, tries to be manly, and disdains everyone.

So that's quite a variety of personalities and initially looks like a lot of fun. Except that it's not. The princes are just stereotyped personalities; we never really get to know and understand them. They are very one-dimensional and the things that drive them incredibly simple. I realize this is a children's book. As such I sat down and read some of this with my 5 year old son...I thought maybe I am missing something here that he will get. We read a few chapters and his response was "Mom, why are all these guys so stupid?" My response; "I don't know...I guess being quirky means you have to be an idiot."

The princesses aren't much better. Ella is your typical sheltered girl seeking a life of adventure. Briar Rose is your typical "everyone should love me because I am a princess no matter how mean I am" variety. Every character in here is an overdone stereotype. It was just soooo over the top it crossed funny and splatted into just plain dumb region.

The plot isn't much better. It switches viewpoint between the various princes, the witch, and the princesses. As can happen with multiple POV's, this breaks the story up and makes it less engaging. Then you find out the whole story is focused on these four doofus prince's rescuing bards from a witch who wants attention. I mean seriously? This is supposed to be a heroic quests for the Princes to redeem themselves....it doens't even really make sense. Let's just say the climax of the story was a let down.

I think there is supposed to be a message in here about liking who you are no matter what anyone else thinks. The message comes across more as "If you are a loser you will always stay a loser no matter how much you try to change things."

Geez...looking back at what I wrote I guess I really didn't like this book. I am trying to be positive, but I guess there just wasn't much I liked here. The book was a serious drag to get through; I struggled through the inane characters and lackluster plot page by page determined to finish. The writing isn't technically bad, but the story and characters just didn't do anything for me (or my younger son).

Overall definitely not my favorite read. The concept is super neat, it's really a great idea. The execution fell flat. The book crosses funny and ends up being just plain..well..boring. The plot isn't engaging and the characters are overdone characterizations of characters we've seen many times. I wanted to love this book, I wanted to laugh and be entertained...instead I ended up rolling my eyes in disgust. I won't be reading any future books from this author.

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LibraryThing member mirikayla

There's a lot of silliness in this book, as demonstrated by the Table of Contents (which is what made me decide to bring it home after picking it up). Some of my favorite chapter titles:

2. Prince Charming Defends Some Vegetables
3. Prince Charming Claims He Is Not Afraid of Old Ladies
7. Prince

Charming Has No Idea What's Going On
15. Prince Charming Should Not Be Left Unsupervised
16. Prince Charming Meets a Piece of Wood
17. Prince Charming Still Has No Idea What's Going On
20. Prince Charming Walks Into a Bar
22. Prince Charming Is a Sneak
25. Prince Charming Really Needs to Figure Out What's Going On
28. Prince Charming Is Doomed

It's the story of the four Princes Charming, known publicly only by their association to their respective princesses (Cinderella, Rapunzel, Snow White, and Sleeping Beauty). There's a witch, a giant, a dragon, some trolls, some dwarves, and a bandit army—plus countless kidnappings, escapes, pursuits, plots, and rescues—so there's plenty of adventure to make it interesting. But really, this is a book about the silliness of stereotypes and learning to embrace yourself the way you are, all done in a very silly way.

Have I mentioned the silliness?

It's a very fun humor, and the characters are what make it great. Ella is a daring adventurer, and her Prince Charming, Frederic, is a dandy who's afraid of everything (especially dirt). Rapunzel is a healer, and her Prince Gustav is a meathead who carries a very big chip on his shoulder because he never actually saved her—in fact, she saved him. Briar Rose is absolutely awful, spoiled and petty and cruel. Her prince, Liam, is a true hero, with a whip-smart younger sister, Lila. Snow White is kind of a solitary person who is driven bonkers by her eccentric chatterbox husband, Duncan. Each of the main characters has a story arc involving personal growth—not examined very deeply, sure, because it's a comedic children's book with an action-packed plot—but meant to illustrate that you don't have to fit a specific mold to be a hero.

I can't tell whether kids would find the Message too heavy-handed, but I think it was funny enough to balance it out. For me it's the other way around; the message and the excellent re-imagining of our fairy tale princesses, especially Ella, was enough to temper the sometimes-juvenile humor.

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LibraryThing member Jadedog13

Prince Charming is afraid of old ladies. Didn't know that, did you?
-- Prologue: Things You Don't Know About Prince Charming

I absolutely enjoyed every minute of reading this book. It tells the story of 4 princes and how they came together and went on an adventure. The princes are from the following

stories: Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Snow White & Rapunzel. These princes are all known as Prince Charming and they hate that. People don't even realize they are not the same guy. They all have different strengths and weaknesses. And they are not all seasoned fighters to say the least.

This book is told by a narrator who also talks to the reader and makes jokes. I loved the play on the fairy-tales that we are all so familiar with. Not only are the princes different from what the reader expects, but the princesses are too. I loved the way the author played with the qualities we all know and tweaked them into something new.

Here are some quotes that may give you a better idea of what to expect:

Two people from different kingdoms -- who are engaged to be married -- seeing and talking to each other. Crazy, I know.

Liam furrowed his brow. "Is that 'Ha,' as in, 'How silly of you to ask: everyone knows I'm the best swordsman in the land'?" he asked hopefully. "No, that was 'Ha,' as in, 'I've never even held a sword," Duncan answered. "But I will provide all the flute music we need.

Look, Frederic is a big goober, and he makes me feel like I'm going to sprain my eyeballs from rolling them so much, but he's a good guy.

On still another road, a green-haired man wobbled by on peppermint-stick stilts; a fiery-plumed bird of paradise perched on his shoulder. But he's not in this story, so don't pay any attention to him.

Oops, sorry about that. I probably should have said, "Spoiler alert."

Recommended to:
I don't know what else to say. If you like fairy tales with a twist, definitely read this book. And I highly recommend it to kids in grades 3 to 8. (Another winner from the Sunshine State Nomination list that I'm sure will be popular in our school library.)

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LibraryThing member BrendaKlaassen

I read this E book because my sons' friend told me it was funny and I wanted to discuss it with him and my son. They were right, it was a funny story and yet there were places in the story that reflected true human emotion. I did enjoy the spoof on fairy tales and the good versus evil. This story

did give a view of what might of happened after the "happily ever after," in some famous fairy tales. I do hope more students discover this book.

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LibraryThing member Katya0133

I am a sucker for fairy tale retellings and this is one of the best I've come across. Healey brings together four different Princes Charming, each with unique strengths and weaknesses, who must work together in order to defeat an evil witch. The author enjoys playing around with traditional

storytelling techniques, as well as providing a clever in-world explanation for why the "official" versions of fairy tales (the ones that we're all familiar with) are so different from the actual events.

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LibraryThing member julie.bonjour

It was pretty funny and a good read but a little long. It seemed to take a while for the story to really get started and then it ended rather abruptly.

Fewer