Modern sentiment, breezy and original.
This reminded me of Judy Corbalis' 'The Wrestling Princess', a title I enjoyed as a 10 year old. In the same vein, this features a princess who will simply not obey the fairytale 'rules' of the daughters of kings. And her life is all the more interesting for it.
Princess Florizella has a mother, the queen, who "was particularly neglectful - she completely failed ot due and leave her daughter to a cruel stepmother to make her herd geese or sit in the cinders." Readers will enjoy recognising such conventions of the fairytale genre and seeing them turned on their head. WIth the princess herself at the heart of this subversion: she "grew up into a cheerful, noisy, bossy, happy girl who spend her mornings on her horse called Jellybean, and her afternoons working with them in the royal office." In other words, she's a young woman with a full life, a strong personality and varied interests. Totally opposite to the usual archetype. Even male readers might be impressed.
I particularly enjoyed this line:
"'A princess is just a prince with more s's', she replied. The king thought for a moment. 'What does the s's stand for?' 'Sass,' she said. 'Sass and science, sensibility and scepticism. Sincerity, spirit and certainty.'" Yes. Yes, yes, yes. Gregory knows what contemporary readers and parents want (and need) to hear.
This is a reissue of three previously published Florizella stories, brought together, though it was the first time I'd heard of them. I thoroughly enjoyed the breezy tales of princes, dragons and adventures that actually need a princess to solve/complete/triumph in.
As an adult, I was entertained, and I expect boys and girls, aged around 7-12 will feel the same.
With thanks to Netgalley for providing an advance reading copy.