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Nine Princesses: Tales of Love and Romance
Nine Renaissance-era maidens overcome obstacles to happiness and romance, in this book of short tales (76,000 words). The book is most likely to appeal to fans of Jane Austen, Georgette Heyer, Shakespeare's romantic comedies, and/or the enneagram typology of personality. Each of the princesses represents an enneagram type.
"The Melancholy Princess": Princess Anne detests life at Court and has almost decided to become a nun, but a midnight encounter proves to have unexpected consequences.
"The Princess Who Would Not Be Queen": ‘Tis unjust that because Bernadette is female, she will not inherit her father’s throne. She vows to become a Queen through marriage.
"The Clown Princess": Gwyneth has a multitude of interests and never thinks of marrying. Mayhap she is too lively and high-spirited to settle down.
"The Very Large Princess": Drusilla loves Prince Aubrey, but knows not if he can requite her love. 'Tis a pity that she is so large.
"The Princess in the Armory": Theresa would rather be alone reading books, than in the company of handsome Prince Lateef, who clearly cannot be trusted.
"The True Princess": Emilia can keep a secret, if it will further her ambitions. Courtship is a game like any other.
"The Princess Who Was Loved By All": Though the Earl of Lyndon is Roxanne’s best friend, she sometimes yearns for a deeper connection.
"The Princess and the Pirate": Helena is betrothed to a man who is the soul of honor. How strange that she should feel so restless and oppressed.
"The Princess Who Rode on a Mule": King Valentine is a mad tyrant, and belike he will force his daughter Hadley to marry someone e’en worse than himself.
"The Melancholy Princess": Princess Anne detests life at Court and has almost decided to become a nun, but a midnight encounter proves to have unexpected consequences.
"The Princess Who Would Not Be Queen": ‘Tis unjust that because Bernadette is female, she will not inherit her father’s throne. She vows to become a Queen through marriage.
"The Clown Princess": Gwyneth has a multitude of interests and never thinks of marrying. Mayhap she is too lively and high-spirited to settle down.
"The Very Large Princess": Drusilla loves Prince Aubrey, but knows not if he can requite her love. 'Tis a pity that she is so large.
"The Princess in the Armory": Theresa would rather be alone reading books, than in the company of handsome Prince Lateef, who clearly cannot be trusted.
"The True Princess": Emilia can keep a secret, if it will further her ambitions. Courtship is a game like any other.
"The Princess Who Was Loved By All": Though the Earl of Lyndon is Roxanne’s best friend, she sometimes yearns for a deeper connection.
"The Princess and the Pirate": Helena is betrothed to a man who is the soul of honor. How strange that she should feel so restless and oppressed.
"The Princess Who Rode on a Mule": King Valentine is a mad tyrant, and belike he will force his daughter Hadley to marry someone e’en worse than himself.
- GenresShort StoriesRomance
275 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2012
1 person is currently reading
193 people want to read
About the author
Sheela Word
18 books19 followersSheela Word is a research psychologist who lives in the Pacific Northwest and strives to build fictional worlds that are psychologically real.
Works include the romantic YA novel "Second," the short-story collection “Nine Princesses: Tales of Love and Romance,” the comic middle-grade novel “Naate (Connections),” the picture book “Hari Loved Dorothy," and the literary novel "All You Need." As a half-Indian and the adoptive mother of two Indian children, Ms. Word has a particular interest in multicultural relationships. She also enjoys exploring historical time periods.
She loves her readers.
Works include the romantic YA novel "Second," the short-story collection “Nine Princesses: Tales of Love and Romance,” the comic middle-grade novel “Naate (Connections),” the picture book “Hari Loved Dorothy," and the literary novel "All You Need." As a half-Indian and the adoptive mother of two Indian children, Ms. Word has a particular interest in multicultural relationships. She also enjoys exploring historical time periods.
She loves her readers.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
March 30, 2013
Nine Princesses: Tales of Love and Romance is an unexpected pleasure. In a world where we are bludgeoned with hormonal excess, brief infatuation and instant lust disguised as romance it is refreshing to delve into the world of courtly love. The author uses the manners of that time to reveal the subtleties of human interaction that make real relationships work.
Yet this group of short stories is not a nine-step workshop toward a better relationship. They are told using the language of yore and put me in mind of my favorite Grimm fairy tales. I am not an expert on Elizabethan English grammar but I think the author seems proficient, even comfortable working in this style. The phasing and word usage took some time to get used to, but then the well-crafted stories flowed, oft times melodically, and the arcane language greatly enriched the telling.
I enjoyed the touches of humor and that the later tales briefly referenced characters from earlier ones. They were smartly organized to quietly build a history of the imagined kingdoms which helped clarify the plots in the later tales. This was highlighted in the telling of The True Princess where a prince is collecting paintings of potential mates, planning on selecting one in the future. This story is about one of the princesses and the woman who paints two portraits of her: one for the prince and one that no one can ever see. Later, in The Princess and the Pirate we meet the chosen bride and the pirate who gathered the paintings for the prince.
The stories are cast in a subtle feminist light; not one of the princesses is a typical damsel in distress. Though they may encounter hardship and difficulty they are portrayed as intelligent and talented women. The women do not change to please the men. Even the large Princess Drusilla finds a man who appreciates her for who she is without having to lose a pound. Many times the Princess is the hero instead the man and she is appreciated for it, if only by the reader.
Yet this group of short stories is not a nine-step workshop toward a better relationship. They are told using the language of yore and put me in mind of my favorite Grimm fairy tales. I am not an expert on Elizabethan English grammar but I think the author seems proficient, even comfortable working in this style. The phasing and word usage took some time to get used to, but then the well-crafted stories flowed, oft times melodically, and the arcane language greatly enriched the telling.
I enjoyed the touches of humor and that the later tales briefly referenced characters from earlier ones. They were smartly organized to quietly build a history of the imagined kingdoms which helped clarify the plots in the later tales. This was highlighted in the telling of The True Princess where a prince is collecting paintings of potential mates, planning on selecting one in the future. This story is about one of the princesses and the woman who paints two portraits of her: one for the prince and one that no one can ever see. Later, in The Princess and the Pirate we meet the chosen bride and the pirate who gathered the paintings for the prince.
The stories are cast in a subtle feminist light; not one of the princesses is a typical damsel in distress. Though they may encounter hardship and difficulty they are portrayed as intelligent and talented women. The women do not change to please the men. Even the large Princess Drusilla finds a man who appreciates her for who she is without having to lose a pound. Many times the Princess is the hero instead the man and she is appreciated for it, if only by the reader.
July 20, 2013
Having thoroughly enjoyed the single tale, The Princess Who Was Loved by All, I picked up, with pleasure, Sheela Word’s full collection of nine stories of romance. These stories bear the author’s distinctive voice, told in archaic prose that remains true and consistent throughout. Each tale offers psychological insight, gentle humor, and interesting surprise twists in the relationships between the characters. The writing is imaginative, with unusual metaphor, lovely descriptive passages and foreshadowing.
Perhaps in days of yore the typical Renaissance maiden was not quite so free, assertive, and heeded as the maidens in these stories—but how are we to know? The strengths in these female characters are easily accepted because the fantasy is so realistically rendered. It’s nice to believe that a Renaissance princess might independently aspire to be, and ultimately become, the first female warden of the royal lands or a scholar and inventor, all with the acceptance of her parents and male peers.
One reviewer on another website noted there was not enough love and romance here. I would disagree. The charm in these tales is the subtlety. The intelligence of the reader is respected. The motivations, feelings and subconscious desires of the characters are suggested and left to be discerned. We are not hit over the head with obvious, predictable results or steamy passion. The understated nature of the romance is what intrigued me, and often, the protagonist does not end up with the man she is expected to follow.
If you are a fan of mass market paperbacks, hot love scenes and Harlequin romance, these tales are not for you. However, if you love literary fiction, admire beautiful writing, and look for a unique reading experience, pick up the Nine Princesses!
While a strong point of this writing is the understatement, I did feel that some transitions between scenes and the endings of a few of these tales were a bit too abrupt and needed just a little more padding. The book would also benefit from copyediting. I look forward to seeing more from this author and would love to see a complete family saga in a full-length novel or novella in the same style.
Perhaps in days of yore the typical Renaissance maiden was not quite so free, assertive, and heeded as the maidens in these stories—but how are we to know? The strengths in these female characters are easily accepted because the fantasy is so realistically rendered. It’s nice to believe that a Renaissance princess might independently aspire to be, and ultimately become, the first female warden of the royal lands or a scholar and inventor, all with the acceptance of her parents and male peers.
One reviewer on another website noted there was not enough love and romance here. I would disagree. The charm in these tales is the subtlety. The intelligence of the reader is respected. The motivations, feelings and subconscious desires of the characters are suggested and left to be discerned. We are not hit over the head with obvious, predictable results or steamy passion. The understated nature of the romance is what intrigued me, and often, the protagonist does not end up with the man she is expected to follow.
If you are a fan of mass market paperbacks, hot love scenes and Harlequin romance, these tales are not for you. However, if you love literary fiction, admire beautiful writing, and look for a unique reading experience, pick up the Nine Princesses!
While a strong point of this writing is the understatement, I did feel that some transitions between scenes and the endings of a few of these tales were a bit too abrupt and needed just a little more padding. The book would also benefit from copyediting. I look forward to seeing more from this author and would love to see a complete family saga in a full-length novel or novella in the same style.
June 29, 2014
This was an interesting group of stories. Some of them were the expected light hearted princess tales but there were a couple of unexpected exceptions. The tales were quite varied and I found them enjoyable. It was interesting to note tie-ins between different stories building a larger more comprehensive view of this made up world. I found myself checking back to find who was who in previous tales. This book was worth the time and money.
May 30, 2013
Won this on Goodreads. If you are a psychology major, then you should read this as it can help you delve into different personalities and mindsets of people in a new way.
September 19, 2013
First of all, I want to specify that I got this book as a Goodreads giveaway.
Thank you for that!
I didn't completely finish this book because I couldn't stand the "old English" dialogues. Those dialogues made the book almost impossible to enjoy.
I've had a very hard time understanding what was said.
I am sure that this book would be good if it wasn't written the way it is. The ideas are good.
This book wasn't for me and I am very sad about it because I had very high expectations.
Thank you for that!
I didn't completely finish this book because I couldn't stand the "old English" dialogues. Those dialogues made the book almost impossible to enjoy.
I've had a very hard time understanding what was said.
I am sure that this book would be good if it wasn't written the way it is. The ideas are good.
This book wasn't for me and I am very sad about it because I had very high expectations.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews