review: The Hero's Guide to Saving Your Kingdom by Christopher Healy

The Hero's Guide to Saving Your Kingdom by Christopher Healy
May 1, 2012
Walden Pond Press
Middle Grade | Fantasy
The Hero's Guide to Saving Your Kingdom #1
Pages: 432
Source/Format: Publisher/ARC
Rating: ★★★★ 1/2
Author's Website | Goodreads
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | IndieBound


Enter a world where everything, even our classic fairy tales, is not at all what it seems. 

Prince Liam. Prince Frederic. Prince Duncan. Prince Gustav. You've never head 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, Liam, Frederic, Duncan, and Guztav 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 associated terrors to becom the heroes no one ever thought they could be.

IN A SENTENCE:

A quirky read about the four Prince Charmings, one that I freaking loved and will be placing this book on my favorites shelf and reread multiple times. What a GREAT debut, and I can't wait to read the rest of this trilogy!

REVIEW:

WOW, I loved this book. The Hero’s Guide to Saving Your Kingdom by Christopher Healy is fantastic; I loved the storytelling and its unique premise. The bards got the story wrong and there isn’t a Prince Charming? Well color me DISAPPOINTED. But I loved the actual Prince Charmings (or, as Duncan says, “Princes Charming.”)

I wish we got to know the princesses more—but from what we did learn of them, I really liked Ella. You know, Cinderella. She was totally kickbutt and awesome and ready to take action and guh, LOVE tough characters <3 especially the tough girls who aren’t afraid to break a nail and get dirty.

I loved each of the “true” stories and how the characters came together. They are definitely some of my favorite characters. No, strike that—The Hero’s Guide to Saving Your Kingdom is a book that's going on my favorites shelf. LOVED this middle grade adventure story! So, so amazing.

Out of the Princes, Prince Frederic is probably my favorite. He’s the first one we’re introduced to in the book, so maybe that’s why I really like him, or maybe because I love the story of Cinderella (Disney Version, ha ha) but I also really liked Prince Duncan. He was so nerdy and awkward and I couldn’t help but have a soft spot for him and Snow. ALL of the characters are amazing, though, but I really did like these two the most.

Don’t let the size intimidate you. I read it quickly once I got hooked because I had to know how these characters were going to save their kingdom. And I was laughing out loud at parts—it always seems like it’s middle grade that gets me laughing out loud instead of YA or even adult (although I have to admit, if those books make me chuckle, I automatically rate them higher. It’s HARD to make me laugh from books!)

I really did enjoy the unique twist on the fairytale stories we all know. Since I love those stories, I was afraid I wouldn’t like The Hero’s Guide to Saving Your Kingdom. But I did and highly recommend YOU reading it, too, even if you don’t normally read middle grade. (also, WHY NOT? Middle grade is freaking awesome!) Go pick this one up—you won’t regret it. 

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