Another exciting installment in the Fairest Maidens series! I will admit I had a hard time getting into this one at first (though I really feel like this was more the fault of chaotic and busy life circumstances that made it hard for me to focus on much of anything), but once I pushed myself to get more than just a couple chapters in, I was hooked! I couldn’t put the book down and was eager to see how the adventure would unfold.
In a land where being the fairest maiden is a curse . . .
A princess rejected and hunted by her mother, and a prince who lives as a shunned outcast.
Princess Pearl flees for her life after her mother, Queen Margery, tries to have her killed during a hunting expedition. Pearl finds refuge on the Isle of Outcasts among criminals and misfits, disguising her face with a veil so no one recognizes her. She lives for the day when she can return to Warwick and rescue her sister, Ruby, from the queen’s clutches.
Amidst his royal testing on the Isle of Outcasts, Prince Mikkel of Scania has kept his identity a secret. Captured by a warring band of outcasts and condemned to die, he finds himself making friends with an intriguing but feisty young veiled woman. Intending to win her trust and gain her help to escape, he soon finds himself coerced to wed her.
Mikkel reluctantly agrees to the union to save his life, and Pearl hopes the marriage will provide protection for her and Ruby. But the queen is more determined to kill her daughter than either Pearl or Mikkel realizes and has a sinister reason neither expects—one that could rip their new love apart forever.
I liked Pearl from the beginning, but Mikkel took me some time to love. He felt a bit prideful and arrogant, but as I got further into the story I realized this was intentional, because that is the characters whole arc. He is a privileged prince who is used to caring more about the outward appearance than what is on the inside, and more about his pride than being humble. By the end of the story, though, he is a worthy hero that I loved, perhaps more than his brother, Vilmar, from book one. I had been rooting for Vilmar to become king of Scania, but now that I’ve met Mikkel, I’m rooting for him, too… I honestly don’t know which would be the better king! And I still have their youngest brother to meet in book three!
I really enjoyed the message about loving others for who they are on the inside. And I especially appreciated how Mikkel and Pearl were able to get to really know each other for who they were, and their relationship consisted of more than just physical attraction. It was an extra bonus that the story ended up including my favorite romantic trope! I won’t name that trope for spoilers sake, though. **wink, wink**
Once again, Jody managed to pack a lot of story, including many twists and turns, into a fairly short book. The ending left me satisfied and yet anxious to know more. I can’t wait to see what happens in book three and how the overarching story resolves. Which brother will be king of Scania? And what will happen with Queen Margery and her quest to master alchemy?
If you love fun, romantic, adventurous, fairy tale retellings, this book and series is a must read! 5/5 Stars!
