The Runaway Princess

by Milly Howard

Princess Brenna has been imprisoned by her ruthless uncle, Prince Zoran, who seized her rightful place on the throne. When the young princess manages to escape from the castle tower disguised as servant girl, she wants only to keep her freedom. In the forest near the castle, she meets a twisted old man named Quintag and a boy who is a juggler. Although this strange pair seems willing to help her, she wonders why they would risk the wrath of Prince Zoran for a mere servant girl. Alarmed by the dark riders that dog her trail, and dismayed by the knowledge that even Quintag may have betrayed her, she dares not entrust her life to anyone. As Brenna searches bravely for her freedom, she learns to love and to trust, to accept a responsibility that she doesn't want, and to yield to God's will for her life.

Genres: Fantasy, Fiction, Childrens, Middle Grade, Juvenile

116 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 1988

Reviews

[Angie Thompson]

I know this was a kids' book, but it kind of felt like it was missing something. There was some excitement and danger, but it felt like most of it wasn't really related to the characters' choices--it was more of things happening to Brenna and the others than them making things happen. And some of her reactions seemed to come out of nowhere, or at least not to really be foreshadowed. The spiritual message was good, but again, it didn't really seem tied to the rest of the story. The whole thing just felt kind of thrown together to me, but kids might still enjoy it. :)

2.5 stars

Content--slight mentions of ghosts and magic (not treated as real); mentions of kidnapping and threats; mentions of deaths (no details)

[Grace Pickle]

I REALLY liked it!

[Lynette Staswick]

Believe it or not, even as a 20-year-old, I love this book. Make no mistake, this is beyond doubt a children's book, but the message of trust in God is appropriate for all ages, and the use of disguise and hidden identities is vaguely reminiscent of some of Shakespeare's comedies. Primarily though, this is just a good, albeit cliche, princess story with a main character who knows her own mind but learns the importance of treating others with respect.

[Watermarked Pages]

I LOVED this book as a little girl. It’s a simple intro to the “Princess trying to regain her throne is helped by mysterious characters who turn out to be important people” trope. It has some simple concepts about God and going to him for wisdom, but no particularly deep theology.

[Bagheera]

I read this story so many times when I was younger that the spine is held together by packing tape. The characters were a nice escape, and I enjoyed the story immensely. Re-reading now, and examining it from a writers standpoint, there are flow issues, small plot holes, and character actions are a tad inconsistent. Still, it's a wonderful story that provides a warm, by-the-fireside feel.

[Amanda]

This one wasn't as bad as Captive Treasure by the same author, but the way the "gospel message" was inserted into the story seemed contrived and unnecessary -- unless the main goal is to preach to the children reading it instead of to tell a good story. I won't be keeping this one either.

[Leah]

Read this book when I was a kid. This was probably my favorite book in the whole world for years, right up until I read the Bronze Bow. An exciting princess tale for girls. Definitely recommend.

[Cheryl]

Wonderful tale of adventure for young girls. Read at bedtime to my 10, 7, and 5 year olds. They enjoyed and looked forward to the continuation each night!

[Donald Owens II]

My daughter enjoyed my reading it to her. I thought it was cheesy, flat, dry, uncompelling.

[Rachel]

3.5 rating

[Chelsea Grindstaff]

I read this book half a dozen times as a kid. I completely forgot about it until I ran across it on Goodreads. :)

[Ashley]

I remember reading this book when I was young and really enjoying it. I was excited to find it at the library. It actually held up very well!

[Meagan]

This has always been a childhood favorite of mine. It's probably one of the few books I still own from my childhood, actually. The story is exciting, the plot twists are excellent, I could go on.

[L.A.]

Childhood favorite that I enjoyed sharing with my daughter