The Lost Kingdom of Bamarre

By: Gail Carson Levine

Genre: Young Adult/Middle Grade Fantasy

Pages: 385

Published: 2017

Told In: First Person

Compare to:

Goose Girl, Shannon Hale

Shadow Spinner, Susan Fletcher

The Seer and the Sword, Victoria Hanley

In a nutshell:

Perry, raised in a war driven culture with prejudices against the serving Bamarre, doesn’t know that she is actually of Bamarre descent. Learning the truth about her heritage brings new challenges and the desire to free her oppressed people.

What you may enjoy:

This book has great themes and fun characters. Levine creates a beautiful world. Perry inspires readers by making big changes through small actions. Heartwarming and fun!

What you may NOT enjoy:

Not one of Levine’s best books. While enjoyable, there is no push to keep reading. Some parts seem arbitrary and unnecessary.

Note: Although this book is placed in the same world as Levine’s “Two Princesses of Bamarre,” both books can stand-alone. (Although, readers may recognize the name of one common character)

Warnings:

Violence and Disturbing Images:

Man loses leg below the knee; Woman hit in the chest by a horse and dies; Men hit over the head; Boy kills a man; Woman’s throat cut open, laying in a pool of blood; Ogre stabbed in the leg and bleeds; Woman slapped; Woman punched; Man whipped; Children killed; Gryffins stabbed and killed; Gryffins shot with arrows; Ogres killed; Woman stabbed in the shoulder; Man convulses and dies

Sex and Nudity:

Boy and girl kiss

Language and Profanity:

None

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Austenland

By: Shannon Hale

Genre: Romance (20-somethings)

Pages: 197

Published: 2007

Told in: Third Person

Compare to:

Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict, Laurie Viera Rigler

Bridget Jones’s Diary, Helen Fielding

Twenties Girl, Sophie Kinsella  

In a nutshell:

Jane has never had much luck with relationships, which is why she resorts to fantasies about her own “Mr. Darcy.” But when she inherits a trip for a full 1819 immersion experience in England she decides to get her Austen obsession out of her system. But as Jane encounters new romances, she begins to question what is real and what is just pretend.

What you may enjoy:

You don’t need to know or love Jane Austen books/movies to enjoy this. It is a fun, quirky romance that mixes past with present in a unique twist. The main character is relatable for women who were ever single in their twenties. It’s a cute story that will make you giggle.

What you may NOT enjoy:

This is not an Austen novel, it is not hot and steamy, and the main character is not very witty or snarky. If you are expecting these things, do not read this book. It reads like watching a romantic comedy. It is predictable and sometimes cheesy, with characters who think too much on love.

Warnings:

Violence and Disturbing Images:

Two men fist fight

Sex and Nudity:

Woman mentions her past affairs; man has an affair; boy kisses a girl 7 times; mentions breasts (at least 9 times throughout the book); man and woman kiss passionately, mildly graphic (twice); man kisses woman’s neck (twice); boy talks about kissing; boy puts hand up a girl’s skirt; woman wraps her legs around a man; man asks to have sex; man tries to force himself on a woman; man kisses woman (at least 4 times throughout the book); man attempts to unhook a woman’s bra; man kisses a woman’s hand (twice).

Language and Profanity:

Dammit (twice), damn, jackass

Drugs and Alcohol Abuse:

Drunk man corners a woman 

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The False Princess

By: Eilis O’Neal

Genre: YA Fantasy

Pages: 319

Published: 2011

Told in: First Person

In a nutshell:

Soon after her 16^th birthday Princess Nalia is told that she is only a stand in for the real princess who has been in hiding. She is sent away from the palace after being told she is an orphan named Sinda. As she tries to find her new place in the world, Sinda discovers she possesses magic and that everything she has been told about the real princess is not as it seems.

What you may enjoy:

This is an enjoyable read for people who like authors such as Gail Carson Levine or Shannon Hale. It reads like a fairy tale with a good use of magic, budding romance, and courtly intrigue. 

What you may NOT enjoy:

Good, not great is the common consensus for this book. At times the story is slow and boring and there is a good amount of typos throughout it.

Warnings:

Violence and Disturbing Images:

Decaying body described, mildly graphic; man knocked unconscious; window shatters cutting up a boy and girl; man stabbed by a dagger; girl forcefully imprisoned; girl knocks down two men; fire burns down a stable; woman knocked unconscious; man dies, mentioned; woman beaten, mentioned; man stabbed in the arm; two girls pursued by thugs; woman stabbed through the heart, mildly graphic; girl hit by spell and killed.

Sex and Nudity:

Boy and girl kiss; boy speaks of trying to have sex with a girl; boy talks about a girl’s breasts; boy and girl kiss; passionate kissing mentioned.

Language and profanity:

G*d

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