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Is Maelyn a real princess? Or a royal mistake?
Maelyn was not born a princess. The king found her as a child, the lone survivor of a poor village slaughtered by the Red Fever. Suddenly she became a princess of Runa Realm, the first of nine orphans adopted by the king.
By her eighteenth year, Maelyn rules over Runa and a family of nine sisters. But some call the princesses frauds and imposters, a handful of urchins raised into royalty. Even Uncle Jarrod, the High King of Grunwold, seems determined to prove that Maelyn no longer deserves to be a princess. With a family losing faith in her, and a kingdom growing dangerously hostile, even Maelyn begins to wonder if she is truly a real princess. And if her riches will turn to rags once again….
The Nine Princesses Novellas is a series that chronicles the adventures of an unconventional family of princesses, the struggles they face in a kingdom often hostile to their humble origins, and the day-to-day dramas of nine young women whose personalities often clash like swords. Fans of Gail Carson Levine and Shannon Hale would enjoy this young-adult series. Recommended for ages 12 and up.
Maelyn was not born a princess. The king found her as a child, the lone survivor of a poor village slaughtered by the Red Fever. Suddenly she became a princess of Runa Realm, the first of nine orphans adopted by the king.
By her eighteenth year, Maelyn rules over Runa and a family of nine sisters. But some call the princesses frauds and imposters, a handful of urchins raised into royalty. Even Uncle Jarrod, the High King of Grunwold, seems determined to prove that Maelyn no longer deserves to be a princess. With a family losing faith in her, and a kingdom growing dangerously hostile, even Maelyn begins to wonder if she is truly a real princess. And if her riches will turn to rags once again….
The Nine Princesses Novellas is a series that chronicles the adventures of an unconventional family of princesses, the struggles they face in a kingdom often hostile to their humble origins, and the day-to-day dramas of nine young women whose personalities often clash like swords. Fans of Gail Carson Levine and Shannon Hale would enjoy this young-adult series. Recommended for ages 12 and up.
140 pages, Paperback
First published June 29, 2012
306 people are currently reading
3601 people want to read
About the author
Anita Valle
53 books408 followersI think people like to read lists more than paragraphs, so I'll do my bio as such.
* Born and raised in Philly, home of the best cheesesteaks.
* Except for first grade, homeschooled all the way through.
* Two younger brothers and two younger sisters who are my very bestest friends.
* Married at 20, had three kids by 30. Developed the Nine Princesses during that period.
* Gave up the project several times in frustration and despair over the publishing industry.
* At 31, thanks to the internet and Kindle, finally published "Maelyn". So happy.
* Random interests: drawing, reading, music, chocolate, Nintendo, BBC movies, Colin Firth, Panera Bread.
* Born and raised in Philly, home of the best cheesesteaks.
* Except for first grade, homeschooled all the way through.
* Two younger brothers and two younger sisters who are my very bestest friends.
* Married at 20, had three kids by 30. Developed the Nine Princesses during that period.
* Gave up the project several times in frustration and despair over the publishing industry.
* At 31, thanks to the internet and Kindle, finally published "Maelyn". So happy.
* Random interests: drawing, reading, music, chocolate, Nintendo, BBC movies, Colin Firth, Panera Bread.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 228 reviews
December 6, 2015
Free on Kindle!
http://melissa413readsalot.blogspot.c...
I really liked this book! As you can read from the description, the Queen could never have any children and she so wanted a girl, so her King went to different villages and brought back 9 orphans that became their little Princesses. This is Maelyn's story.
Maelyn is the ruling Princess of the Runa Realm, she is the oldest of her adopted sisters.
Unfortunately, their parents, the King and Queen passed, well not at the same time, but anyway, they passed and some of the towns people are feeling they don't want these sisters as Princesses. They feel like they were only peasants so they should be just that.. jerks. Some are not like that though thank goodness.
They also have an evil uncle Jarrod who is the High King of Grunwold. He seems to feel the same way now that his brother is dead. Doesn't there always seem to be an uncle that's a jerk in these stories!
Anyway, a lot of people died of the Red Fever and that is why the girls were orphaned when they were little. They thought it was gone until one day Maelyn's Royal Messenger, Rowan, died of the fever. A young man named Willow took his place as Royal Messenger. I liked him :)
The girls uncle comes for a visit and stirs up trouble. He wants to take Maelyn away and make her marry some dude from another kingdom and when she refused he made some ultimatums.
Oh, on a side note, Maelyn loves to read, yay :) So they have a little library. She tries to trade books from the old miser in the village but he doesn't want to give up his books half of the time. But Maelyn keeps sending Willow to try to get more anyway. Willow is turning out to be more of a friend than a messenger to Maelyn, he is sweet and kind. When he finds her sad and hears what her uncle has in store for her he gets upset and tells her a little something she didn't know.
••••••••••
Willow held silent, his head tipped to one side. His pale eyebrows pulled together as though he wrestled a thought before speaking it. "Do you know the peasants of this kingdom love your birth story? They tell it to their children at bedtime. The story of a tiny orphan who won the heart of a king and became our first princess."
Something jabbed Maelyn's heart. She never knew the peasants told her story. As though it were something beautiful, not something to hide.
"They say it was one moment, one word, that made you the king's daughter," said Willow.
Maelyn blinked away the wetness that washed her eyes. "I spoke the word 'bread'."
A smile softened Willow's face. "My lady, once upon a time, you conquered a king. And I think you can again."
••••••••••••
I thought this book was lovely for a novella and I look forward to the other books. There are three as of this moment. I hope the author puts out the other Princess stories. :)
http://melissa413readsalot.blogspot.c...
I really liked this book! As you can read from the description, the Queen could never have any children and she so wanted a girl, so her King went to different villages and brought back 9 orphans that became their little Princesses. This is Maelyn's story.
Maelyn is the ruling Princess of the Runa Realm, she is the oldest of her adopted sisters.
Unfortunately, their parents, the King and Queen passed, well not at the same time, but anyway, they passed and some of the towns people are feeling they don't want these sisters as Princesses. They feel like they were only peasants so they should be just that.. jerks. Some are not like that though thank goodness.
They also have an evil uncle Jarrod who is the High King of Grunwold. He seems to feel the same way now that his brother is dead. Doesn't there always seem to be an uncle that's a jerk in these stories!
Anyway, a lot of people died of the Red Fever and that is why the girls were orphaned when they were little. They thought it was gone until one day Maelyn's Royal Messenger, Rowan, died of the fever. A young man named Willow took his place as Royal Messenger. I liked him :)
The girls uncle comes for a visit and stirs up trouble. He wants to take Maelyn away and make her marry some dude from another kingdom and when she refused he made some ultimatums.
Oh, on a side note, Maelyn loves to read, yay :) So they have a little library. She tries to trade books from the old miser in the village but he doesn't want to give up his books half of the time. But Maelyn keeps sending Willow to try to get more anyway. Willow is turning out to be more of a friend than a messenger to Maelyn, he is sweet and kind. When he finds her sad and hears what her uncle has in store for her he gets upset and tells her a little something she didn't know.
••••••••••
Willow held silent, his head tipped to one side. His pale eyebrows pulled together as though he wrestled a thought before speaking it. "Do you know the peasants of this kingdom love your birth story? They tell it to their children at bedtime. The story of a tiny orphan who won the heart of a king and became our first princess."
Something jabbed Maelyn's heart. She never knew the peasants told her story. As though it were something beautiful, not something to hide.
"They say it was one moment, one word, that made you the king's daughter," said Willow.
Maelyn blinked away the wetness that washed her eyes. "I spoke the word 'bread'."
A smile softened Willow's face. "My lady, once upon a time, you conquered a king. And I think you can again."
••••••••••••
I thought this book was lovely for a novella and I look forward to the other books. There are three as of this moment. I hope the author puts out the other Princess stories. :)
February 8, 2016
This was definitely amazing for a novella.
Go and download it now. Go on. It's free on kindle.
As an adult, I thought it was great. I would have enjoyed this as a teen too and as a child would have loved it. It has all of the right ingredients for a fairytale.
And that's what I think this is - a fairytale. It has a soft, lyrical narrative, an evil uncle, conflict between the characters and a moral to the story. Perfect for escaping for anyone of any age.
Maelyn is a great character.
Ten minutes of careful searching later, Maelyn faced the dismal truth - she was bookless.
I felt that I could relate to her. She is the eldest sister and has a love of reading. She's trying so hard to keep everything together, to be the strong one.
Maelyn smiled. If books could have litters she'd be just as happy.
And she escapes in to books. She shares her love of reading and stories with her eight sisters during reading hour, but she also escapes on her own.
Maelyn sank into the world the words wrapped around her, hushing everything that hurt, and seeping tranquility right down to her toes. She was home.
Go and download it now. Go on. It's free on kindle.
As an adult, I thought it was great. I would have enjoyed this as a teen too and as a child would have loved it. It has all of the right ingredients for a fairytale.
And that's what I think this is - a fairytale. It has a soft, lyrical narrative, an evil uncle, conflict between the characters and a moral to the story. Perfect for escaping for anyone of any age.
Maelyn is a great character.
Ten minutes of careful searching later, Maelyn faced the dismal truth - she was bookless.
I felt that I could relate to her. She is the eldest sister and has a love of reading. She's trying so hard to keep everything together, to be the strong one.
Maelyn smiled. If books could have litters she'd be just as happy.
And she escapes in to books. She shares her love of reading and stories with her eight sisters during reading hour, but she also escapes on her own.
Maelyn sank into the world the words wrapped around her, hushing everything that hurt, and seeping tranquility right down to her toes. She was home.
March 13, 2023
3 stars, personally.
This was just a short, little princess story. I read a few pages here and there for a few days so I can't say that it kept my attention well, but it was a neat concept of nine orphans being adopted by a king and raised as princesses. As with most princess/fairytale stories, it's best to suspend your disbelief over certain parts--which I did have to do for this one as well--but it wasn't bad. I do think that it could have been fleshed out better if it was about 100 pages longer with more backstories and details about Maelyn and her sisters. I probably won't continue with the series, but it was a decent read.
Main Content that I can remember:
Many mentions of wine & drinking (mostly from Maelyn's obnoxious uncle, though she has a sip of wine once); Maelyn recalls a creepy story she had about a man-eating carriage; Some of the peasants treat Maelyn and her sisters rudely because of them originally being orphans and do not think they should be royalty; A kiss.
This was just a short, little princess story. I read a few pages here and there for a few days so I can't say that it kept my attention well, but it was a neat concept of nine orphans being adopted by a king and raised as princesses. As with most princess/fairytale stories, it's best to suspend your disbelief over certain parts--which I did have to do for this one as well--but it wasn't bad. I do think that it could have been fleshed out better if it was about 100 pages longer with more backstories and details about Maelyn and her sisters. I probably won't continue with the series, but it was a decent read.
Main Content that I can remember:
Many mentions of wine & drinking (mostly from Maelyn's obnoxious uncle, though she has a sip of wine once); Maelyn recalls a creepy story she had about a man-eating carriage; Some of the peasants treat Maelyn and her sisters rudely because of them originally being orphans and do not think they should be royalty; A kiss.
July 13, 2017
This was a cute, not-too-long, Princess story. It was free on kindle so I got it and read it. I loved Willows and Maelyn!! Though it wasn't my favorite book, I did enjoy it. :) If you like medieval-feeling stories with some light, sweet romance, read this book. ;)
January 17, 2018
I was in the mood for a light fun read, and this novella was perfect. I loved that this novella was about nine sisters. Far too few books have big families in them! Although they are not a focus of the story, anyone who has siblings can understand the sister’s interactions with each other.
Maelyn is also an avid reader. It was fun to see her dismay over a lack of books to read, and her excitement over new books.
The only confusing part of this novella is the character Willow. In this story, he is a messenger for the princesses. I’m also reading A Time to Die, which has a character named Willow. In that story, Willow is a girl from a village the main character comes across. Can you see how this was confusing?
Otherwise, this was a fun short read. I eagerly read it, and will definitely be getting the next novellas!
Maelyn is also an avid reader. It was fun to see her dismay over a lack of books to read, and her excitement over new books.
The only confusing part of this novella is the character Willow. In this story, he is a messenger for the princesses. I’m also reading A Time to Die, which has a character named Willow. In that story, Willow is a girl from a village the main character comes across. Can you see how this was confusing?
Otherwise, this was a fun short read. I eagerly read it, and will definitely be getting the next novellas!
Read
December 1, 2016Literally my only reason for reading this was that we basically have the same name (Madelyn - d = Maelyn). I'm not usually one to pick up cute fluffy princess books, as all of you should know. ;)
tbr-2
April 27, 2022Free on Amazon!
October 4, 2016
{3.5 stars}
When I realized this was free on Kindle, I thought, "why not?" thinking that although I wasn't enthusiastic about reading the book there was no reason not to get it. I was looking through my kindle books last night and started reading it...and didn't stop until I finished it about forty minute later!
The writing is simple and the story itself took no difficulty understanding. I think that is one reason why I enjoyed it so much. It's a light read...and sometimes you just need some of those.
So what I liked:
-It has a wonderful medieval feel to the book.
-Maelyn's sisters and their varying personalities.
-Willow. *sigh*. I mean he likes reading books...and, oh yeah, I won't give anything away :))
-It is a clean-morally. One brief kiss at the end, but there is not gushy-gushy romance that grained on my nerves. No staring into each others eyes or anything!
What I didn't like:
-It isn't Christian.
-There is mention of Maelyn reading a book and the storyline was a bit gross (a carriage that eats people!!??). She also has a brief dream that was strange (of course all dreams are strange, but this was doubly so :)).
-There is some drinking of wine.
A quick, clean medieval story that is enjoyable, sweet, and fascinating.
When I realized this was free on Kindle, I thought, "why not?" thinking that although I wasn't enthusiastic about reading the book there was no reason not to get it. I was looking through my kindle books last night and started reading it...and didn't stop until I finished it about forty minute later!
The writing is simple and the story itself took no difficulty understanding. I think that is one reason why I enjoyed it so much. It's a light read...and sometimes you just need some of those.
So what I liked:
-It has a wonderful medieval feel to the book.
-Maelyn's sisters and their varying personalities.
-Willow. *sigh*. I mean he likes reading books...and, oh yeah, I won't give anything away :))
-It is a clean-morally. One brief kiss at the end, but there is not gushy-gushy romance that grained on my nerves. No staring into each others eyes or anything!
What I didn't like:
-It isn't Christian.
-There is mention of Maelyn reading a book and the storyline was a bit gross (a carriage that eats people!!??). She also has a brief dream that was strange (of course all dreams are strange, but this was doubly so :)).
-There is some drinking of wine.
A quick, clean medieval story that is enjoyable, sweet, and fascinating.
September 13, 2012
Good for a short story.
Well written with no noticable errors.
This could have easily been longer ( but seems that it will be released as a series of novellas).
The story line was a little simplistic and left a few questions in the air, but I suspect the questions will be addressed in the future books.
Well written with no noticable errors.
This could have easily been longer ( but seems that it will be released as a series of novellas).
The story line was a little simplistic and left a few questions in the air, but I suspect the questions will be addressed in the future books.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 5, 2017
Thank was a very cute princess story, I enjoyed the sister interaction though out of the nine princess only four of them really make much of an appearance. I LOVE the cover. It was lovely! I hope to read the rest of the books in this series.
August 11, 2015
Maelyn was recommended to me by a friend, but alas, it languished on my bookshelf (well, my Kindle) for months before I, having an afternoon with nothing to do and nothing but my Kindle to read, decided to give it a try. As it turns out, this is one of those books that's absolutely lovely- with the single problem that it's over too soon.
The Good:
-Big families. I love big families, both in books and real life (though I wouldn't want one for myself), and nine sisters is definitely big. I also love that they're all adopted; that just makes the family even more awesome.
-Maelyn. She's awesome. She's the oldest of nine and takes care of her sisters admirably- and her struggles with figuring out what's best for them and how to keep them all safe make her seem real. Also, she's a bookworm- huzzah!
-Willow. I very much like Willow, and I wish we could've seen more of him . . . maybe in another book.
-Fairytale feel. Though this isn't a fairytale retelling, it does have the same feel as one, which is pretty awesome.
The Could've-Been-Better:
-Sisters' characterization. Maelyn was very well done, but I feel like the rest of her sisters- other than Coco and Arialain- all blended in with each other, and some seemed more name than character. I would've liked to get to know a little more about each of them.
-Confusion. I'm not quite sure why certain things happened the way they did.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book. It's a light, fairytale-like read, perfect for a summer afternoon. Though it does have one or two flaws, they don't really detract from my enjoyment of the book.
The Good:
-Big families. I love big families, both in books and real life (though I wouldn't want one for myself), and nine sisters is definitely big. I also love that they're all adopted; that just makes the family even more awesome.
-Maelyn. She's awesome. She's the oldest of nine and takes care of her sisters admirably- and her struggles with figuring out what's best for them and how to keep them all safe make her seem real. Also, she's a bookworm- huzzah!
-Willow. I very much like Willow, and I wish we could've seen more of him . . . maybe in another book.
-Fairytale feel. Though this isn't a fairytale retelling, it does have the same feel as one, which is pretty awesome.
The Could've-Been-Better:
-Sisters' characterization. Maelyn was very well done, but I feel like the rest of her sisters- other than Coco and Arialain- all blended in with each other, and some seemed more name than character. I would've liked to get to know a little more about each of them.
-Confusion. I'm not quite sure why certain things happened the way they did.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book. It's a light, fairytale-like read, perfect for a summer afternoon. Though it does have one or two flaws, they don't really detract from my enjoyment of the book.
September 13, 2013
This and my other reviews can be found at http://amethystbookwyrm.blogspot.co.uk/
In the Realm of Runa , the king and queen were not able to have any children, so when the King finds a toddler, a lone survivor of a village killed off by the Red Fever, he decides to adopt a child from each kingdom for his wife, and make each of them princesses. Now the eldest Maelyn, rules over Runa, trying to live up to the life her parents wanted. However with the people thinking the princesses are imposters, their uncle up to something sinister and fraction developing between the sisters, Maelyn begins to wonder if she really is a princess or just the fraud people think and if she is able to keep her family together.
Maelyn is the first in the Nine Princesses novellas which is a sweet light fantasy read which while predictable; it is enjoyable as it has humour, princesses and a hint of romance. However, I do think it would have been better if it was a full novel as there is much more in this book which could have been explored.
Maelyn is a character which I think most readers to identify with as she is nice, a bit bossy and loves reading. I also like the relationship between the sisters because while they did not always like each other the reader could always tell they loved each other, which makes it really realistic.
Maelyn is a nice light novella which I would recommend to people who like princess story which make you feel that all is right in the world.
In the Realm of Runa , the king and queen were not able to have any children, so when the King finds a toddler, a lone survivor of a village killed off by the Red Fever, he decides to adopt a child from each kingdom for his wife, and make each of them princesses. Now the eldest Maelyn, rules over Runa, trying to live up to the life her parents wanted. However with the people thinking the princesses are imposters, their uncle up to something sinister and fraction developing between the sisters, Maelyn begins to wonder if she really is a princess or just the fraud people think and if she is able to keep her family together.
Maelyn is the first in the Nine Princesses novellas which is a sweet light fantasy read which while predictable; it is enjoyable as it has humour, princesses and a hint of romance. However, I do think it would have been better if it was a full novel as there is much more in this book which could have been explored.
Maelyn is a character which I think most readers to identify with as she is nice, a bit bossy and loves reading. I also like the relationship between the sisters because while they did not always like each other the reader could always tell they loved each other, which makes it really realistic.
Maelyn is a nice light novella which I would recommend to people who like princess story which make you feel that all is right in the world.
December 31, 2015
When a terrible fever sweeps the land and kills most of its residents, a young lonely child wanders through the hillsides. Lucky for her, the king and his men find her starving and takes her as his own but she's not the only one. The king also takes in 8 other young daughters to bestow the titles of princesses. This is the story about Maelyn, the eldest of the daughters and also next to be queen, or so she hopes...
This was a very short and quick read. The author introduces the story well and sets up mysteries to be unfolded as the story goes on. It was cute and simple but not really predictable so it added some excitement and still made it a page turner.
I really wanted to get in one last book before the end of the year and this book was perfect!
This was a very short and quick read. The author introduces the story well and sets up mysteries to be unfolded as the story goes on. It was cute and simple but not really predictable so it added some excitement and still made it a page turner.
I really wanted to get in one last book before the end of the year and this book was perfect!
March 5, 2016
An alright read to pass an hour.
It was ok, slightly odd (and don't just mean the front cover), but it was free so downloaded it to my kindle. It was a little far-fetched, even for a princess story.
I wont be reading the next books.
It was ok, slightly odd (and don't just mean the front cover), but it was free so downloaded it to my kindle. It was a little far-fetched, even for a princess story.
I wont be reading the next books.
November 16, 2015
I loved this book sooooo much! Very original, funny fairy tale.
http://keturahskorner.blogspot.com/20...
http://keturahskorner.blogspot.com/20...
October 23, 2013
If you haven't heard of Anita Valle before, then look her up right away. This girl is good. I mean it.
There are few new authors who I can really admire. She's one of them. She stands out from the millions of terrible writers out there like a swan among weeds. ;)
This is the first book in her series. It was not only fun and easy to read, it had a remarkable diversity of characters and a good feel for personality.
Plus, it had a really good point.
In some ways, this author reminds me of Noel Streatfield. You feel when reading her that you're looking at real world girl drama, but with a neutral point of view--she understands the unfairness of some things, but that doesn't make her unobjective about it.
Maelyn's story begins the series. I absolutely loved this book, in spite of two blemishes that I will mention later. The good stuff more than made up for the flaws.
Good stuff:
1: Beautiful, simple narrative. No heavy, padded, self-conscious writing here. Just a storyteller and her story.
2: Diverse characters. All the girls are so different--from the horrid Coralina to the sturdy Heidel. The author is interested and friendly to all the different girls, though she is not blind to their faults at any time. She lets us in on their personalities with subtle details that sound as if she must have met all of them personally to know them so well.
3: Agreeable heroine. Most book-worm heroines come across as dull and angsty, but Maelyn was legitimately the leader of their group and a smart girl. All the girls will be heroines eventually, and Heidel's coming up...I am very excited. Maelyn was nice, but Heidel is the one who proved to me that this author is refreshingly unconventional. Are you kidding me? A tall, heavy girl is allowed to be the heroine? Only a smart author would try such a scandalous thing and defy the world.:P
4: A strong romance. I rarely think the romance was the strong point of a book--romance is such a difficult element to handle well--but this one was perfect. Emphasis was laid on compatibility of character, not just on looks, and the guy and girl make a very sweet couple. They belong together. :)
5: A beautiful point about the legitimacy of a person's value, in spite of their background. I felt emotional in some places where Maelyn realized her value as a person could not be erased by her back story. I can relate to feeling like your background is an obstacle to being respected.
The book had only two flaws. Probably these won't be a problem in the rest of the series.
1: The hostility to the girls as fake-princesses just felt a tad overblown. Uncle Jarrod himself I found to be a real person, and quite interesting, but the plot associated with him---the people rejecting the girls as real royals--was a bit of a weakness, in spite of the beautiful point made about personal value etc. The scene where he hit Maelyn came too early. I know he's a bum, but I think he'd probably wait a while before he got that violent.
2: Tofer. ( I hope that's spelled right!) He threatened Maelyn with a knife--sort of--and I think he's kind of a bum. I'm not sure I liked Maelyn letting her sister be with that guy. I didn't get a good impression of him at all. I know the point was a good one--Maelyn learns what it's like to be in love and is kinder to her sister--but I still think Tofer's a problem. He's nothing so nice as Willow, Maelyn's boyfriend.
These are small flaws, but I thought I should mention them as a proof of how good this author is. In spite of two plot problems, I still LOVED the book and became a BIG fan.
Incidentally, at the end it sounded like Coralina was planning to try to steal Willow. The cheek! I'm so worried I'm going to have to read the next book! She'd better not try it, that conceited thing!
A definite 5 star. I wish I could give it 6 stars, but 5's all that's allowed.
There are few new authors who I can really admire. She's one of them. She stands out from the millions of terrible writers out there like a swan among weeds. ;)
This is the first book in her series. It was not only fun and easy to read, it had a remarkable diversity of characters and a good feel for personality.
Plus, it had a really good point.
In some ways, this author reminds me of Noel Streatfield. You feel when reading her that you're looking at real world girl drama, but with a neutral point of view--she understands the unfairness of some things, but that doesn't make her unobjective about it.
Maelyn's story begins the series. I absolutely loved this book, in spite of two blemishes that I will mention later. The good stuff more than made up for the flaws.
Good stuff:
1: Beautiful, simple narrative. No heavy, padded, self-conscious writing here. Just a storyteller and her story.
2: Diverse characters. All the girls are so different--from the horrid Coralina to the sturdy Heidel. The author is interested and friendly to all the different girls, though she is not blind to their faults at any time. She lets us in on their personalities with subtle details that sound as if she must have met all of them personally to know them so well.
3: Agreeable heroine. Most book-worm heroines come across as dull and angsty, but Maelyn was legitimately the leader of their group and a smart girl. All the girls will be heroines eventually, and Heidel's coming up...I am very excited. Maelyn was nice, but Heidel is the one who proved to me that this author is refreshingly unconventional. Are you kidding me? A tall, heavy girl is allowed to be the heroine? Only a smart author would try such a scandalous thing and defy the world.:P
4: A strong romance. I rarely think the romance was the strong point of a book--romance is such a difficult element to handle well--but this one was perfect. Emphasis was laid on compatibility of character, not just on looks, and the guy and girl make a very sweet couple. They belong together. :)
5: A beautiful point about the legitimacy of a person's value, in spite of their background. I felt emotional in some places where Maelyn realized her value as a person could not be erased by her back story. I can relate to feeling like your background is an obstacle to being respected.
The book had only two flaws. Probably these won't be a problem in the rest of the series.
1: The hostility to the girls as fake-princesses just felt a tad overblown. Uncle Jarrod himself I found to be a real person, and quite interesting, but the plot associated with him---the people rejecting the girls as real royals--was a bit of a weakness, in spite of the beautiful point made about personal value etc. The scene where he hit Maelyn came too early. I know he's a bum, but I think he'd probably wait a while before he got that violent.
2: Tofer. ( I hope that's spelled right!) He threatened Maelyn with a knife--sort of--and I think he's kind of a bum. I'm not sure I liked Maelyn letting her sister be with that guy. I didn't get a good impression of him at all. I know the point was a good one--Maelyn learns what it's like to be in love and is kinder to her sister--but I still think Tofer's a problem. He's nothing so nice as Willow, Maelyn's boyfriend.
These are small flaws, but I thought I should mention them as a proof of how good this author is. In spite of two plot problems, I still LOVED the book and became a BIG fan.
Incidentally, at the end it sounded like Coralina was planning to try to steal Willow. The cheek! I'm so worried I'm going to have to read the next book! She'd better not try it, that conceited thing!
A definite 5 star. I wish I could give it 6 stars, but 5's all that's allowed.
March 25, 2014
Age Appropriate For: 10 and up for mildly scary descriptions and very mild romance
Best for Ages: 10 and up
I have been into princess, and short stories of late. I have been devouring books on my Kindle that can be read in a couple hours. This story has been one of my favorite finds.
The story is so creative. The plot and the style were unique and charming. Anita has so much imagination and talent that I cannot wait to read her next book. If you are looking for old plots or typical stories, this is not the book for you.
Maelyn is an avid reader, as well as the princess that keeps all the sisters together. I instantly loved her as I am also a book lover, and the oldest of a lot of sisters. The only scary thing in this book comes from a description of one of the stories she reads. I thought it added a fun touch to the book. In fact, I really want to find Marlyn’s library, as it sounds so wonderful.
This book, though not strictly Christian, has good morals and is very clean. I think there might have been one very brief/not very passionate kiss, but that is really as far as the romance goes. It really didn’t play into the story that much.
I highly recommend this story for princess lovers and for those looking for something creative and fresh.
Best for Ages: 10 and up
I have been into princess, and short stories of late. I have been devouring books on my Kindle that can be read in a couple hours. This story has been one of my favorite finds.
The story is so creative. The plot and the style were unique and charming. Anita has so much imagination and talent that I cannot wait to read her next book. If you are looking for old plots or typical stories, this is not the book for you.
Maelyn is an avid reader, as well as the princess that keeps all the sisters together. I instantly loved her as I am also a book lover, and the oldest of a lot of sisters. The only scary thing in this book comes from a description of one of the stories she reads. I thought it added a fun touch to the book. In fact, I really want to find Marlyn’s library, as it sounds so wonderful.
This book, though not strictly Christian, has good morals and is very clean. I think there might have been one very brief/not very passionate kiss, but that is really as far as the romance goes. It really didn’t play into the story that much.
I highly recommend this story for princess lovers and for those looking for something creative and fresh.
July 18, 2016
Everyone in her village is dead of Red Fever, and a young tot the lone survivor, is handed off to 'the shiny man'. An orphan. She was not born a princess of Runa Realm, but Maelyn is now. The king found her, the first of nine orphans adopted by him, given to his love of his life, his wife Runa, who was unable to have children. Months later, the king came home and presented his astonished queen with not one, but nine baby girls. “One from each kingdom I visited,” he said. “They are orphans.” The queen wept joyously at the row of cradles, each bearing a sleeping infant. After bestowing a kiss on each child’s forehead she said, “Now they are princesses.”
A lovely tale of fae that has her courageously standing up to her uncle who wishes to usurp her 'undeserved' throne, and has her beautifully grow into her female strength.
I will give a fuller review later; I have much reading to do.... so many books... so little time...!
A lovely tale of fae that has her courageously standing up to her uncle who wishes to usurp her 'undeserved' throne, and has her beautifully grow into her female strength.
I will give a fuller review later; I have much reading to do.... so many books... so little time...!
November 23, 2015
A cute, fun story about nine young princess orphans living alone in their castle. Maelyn is the oldest, loves books, and distrusts her Uncle Jarrod, the High King. This books tells a bit of her adventures of outsmarting her uncle, becoming friends with her messenger, Willow, and trying to take care of her little sisters and run a castle.
I believe this book would be appropriate for my ten and twelve-year-old sisters... it was an enjoyable, easy and quick read.
I believe this book would be appropriate for my ten and twelve-year-old sisters... it was an enjoyable, easy and quick read.
January 12, 2016
A short but sweet medieval story. Maelyn is the heroine of the hour, wanting to save herself and her eight sisters from their evil uncle after their adopted parents pass away. She's a bookworm, and she takes charge of the situation. No backing down here! She is brave and courageous, and a tenderhearted individual.
September 25, 2016
I liked the plot and the whole story a lot! But the problem was that Maelyn only thought about herself. I also read Heidel (3rd book in the series) and there you could clearly see that she cared about her sisters and others. Maelyn, well... seemed kind of selfish and too bossy. But overall I LOVED this book! I'm looking forward to the other books (especially about Ivy!!!)
March 25, 2017
Anita Valle is a delight. I had read her Sneaky Snow White and Sinful Cinderella novellas before, and this one was just as witty and fast-paced, albeit quite predictable. I liked how Maelyn is neither black nor white, makes mistakes and has a mean streak. I enjoyed it a lot and look forward to reading the rest of the books in this series.
February 15, 2017
it's okay. not bothering to read the other books in the series
May 3, 2017
Quick read.
No plot.
Disinteresting characters.
No plot.
Disinteresting characters.
April 6, 2018
cute, short read
July 27, 2013
Maelyn and her nine sisters were adopted by the king after a great plague swept through the kingdom. The king and queen had longed for children for many years and selecting nine orphans from various kingdoms seemed like a good idea. Now the king and queen are dead, and Maelyn is the oldest of the nine princesses. She has to manage her sisters, lead the country with wisdom, avoid her uncle's ploys to remove her from the throne, deal with criticism from people who don't believe she and her sisters deserve to be royal, and try to convince the Book Miser to trade books with her so she'll finally have something new to read!
Loved the characters and the funny nicknames (like the Book Miser who is the only bookseller, but he won't sell books for money, only trade). There's humor, a little romance, and a heroine who is kind and intelligent.
At 142 pages, Maelyn wasn't a long read, but it did make me want to go and buy the next book immediately so I could continue the story of the nine princesses.
I felt a little leery of the idea of a series of nine novellas and paying for nine novellas, but it looks like the next book, Coralina is 284 pages long (real book length) and priced at $2.99, so I am once again excited to continue on with this series. Maelyn is currently free on Amazon :)
Content: clean
Loved the characters and the funny nicknames (like the Book Miser who is the only bookseller, but he won't sell books for money, only trade). There's humor, a little romance, and a heroine who is kind and intelligent.
At 142 pages, Maelyn wasn't a long read, but it did make me want to go and buy the next book immediately so I could continue the story of the nine princesses.
I felt a little leery of the idea of a series of nine novellas and paying for nine novellas, but it looks like the next book, Coralina is 284 pages long (real book length) and priced at $2.99, so I am once again excited to continue on with this series. Maelyn is currently free on Amazon :)
Content: clean
February 8, 2015
A disappointing read. The story is of the eldest of nine princesses, each of them orphans chosen by the king. Now that the king is dead, they live servantless and alone in the castle. When the king's brother comes for a visit, he threatens their cozy existence as he's one of those who believes that, as they were born peasants, so they still are, despite their having each been granted the title of princess.
He threatens the eldest with a marriage to get her to go with him, but reveals along the way that the prospective suitor is already married. He is instead returning her to the village she came from, to live out her life as a peasant. Thanks to a book her royal messenger has brought her, the princess tricks him into thinking he's caught a deadly fever, and wins the right to rule out of him in exchange for a cure.
And there the book stops. Without any idea whether this ploy is going to work long term or who the princess is going to marry or how she's going to manage. I suppose it makes some sense, as the series purports to contain a story of each and every one of the princesses, and you don't want to give away the end too soon, but I found it to be a disappointing ending to a rather thin book without much in the way of characterization.
He threatens the eldest with a marriage to get her to go with him, but reveals along the way that the prospective suitor is already married. He is instead returning her to the village she came from, to live out her life as a peasant. Thanks to a book her royal messenger has brought her, the princess tricks him into thinking he's caught a deadly fever, and wins the right to rule out of him in exchange for a cure.
And there the book stops. Without any idea whether this ploy is going to work long term or who the princess is going to marry or how she's going to manage. I suppose it makes some sense, as the series purports to contain a story of each and every one of the princesses, and you don't want to give away the end too soon, but I found it to be a disappointing ending to a rather thin book without much in the way of characterization.
November 26, 2018
"Maelyn?" Heidel thumped on the door of her bedchamber. "Are you awake?" "No" said Maelyn.
Rating: 10000000000000000000000000000 stars
I LOVED THIS BOOK SO MUCH ANITA VALLE IS SUCH A TALENTED WRITER!!!!! All of her books that Ive read have been AMAZING so Im so happy that i also loved this book. I love the concept of this book, the characters, the story line and most importantly the friendships between the sisters.
Maelyn and Willow are my otp and i love them together.
I love Maelyn with all my heart shes such an amazing character who has a love for books. She is a strong and smart main character who never failed to surprise me.
Willow i loved from the start he was such a nice character who i think should of been in it more.
Coralina or Coco i grew to love as i got through the book shes just one of those characters who you either hate of love. I cant wait to read the second book in the series as its all about her.
Overall Anita Valle never fails too surprise me with all her new ideas and story lines. All of her characters are amazing and so different and i love that, i also love how different the story lines are in all of her books and im excited to read the rest of this series.
Ciao
Rating: 10000000000000000000000000000 stars
I LOVED THIS BOOK SO MUCH ANITA VALLE IS SUCH A TALENTED WRITER!!!!! All of her books that Ive read have been AMAZING so Im so happy that i also loved this book. I love the concept of this book, the characters, the story line and most importantly the friendships between the sisters.
Maelyn and Willow are my otp and i love them together.
I love Maelyn with all my heart shes such an amazing character who has a love for books. She is a strong and smart main character who never failed to surprise me.
Willow i loved from the start he was such a nice character who i think should of been in it more.
Coralina or Coco i grew to love as i got through the book shes just one of those characters who you either hate of love. I cant wait to read the second book in the series as its all about her.
Overall Anita Valle never fails too surprise me with all her new ideas and story lines. All of her characters are amazing and so different and i love that, i also love how different the story lines are in all of her books and im excited to read the rest of this series.
Ciao
August 13, 2016
This is actually a 3 1/2-4 star read. I want to read the rest in the series. It was reminiscent of Shannon Hale's Princess Academy and her style of writing. Yes, it is probably a little on the young side but the story was engaging, the characters interesting and the premise entirely new, at least to me! Ms. Valle has a gift with words, many of her descriptive passages were lyrical. I'm looking forward to reading the other 8 princess stories and finding out if each one gets her 'happily-ever-after' or not!
July 31, 2013
I really liked this little story. It was simply written, yet not necessarily predictable. I loved the idea of the nine princesses to begin with, and I'm very looking forward to getting to know more of them in the future novellas. My only complaint is that it wasn't longer! The world is an interesting one, though simple as I've said. I wish that we could go deeper into the world and learn more, but alas, they are only novellas. On to the second one!
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