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Illusion's Reign
A transformed princess is determined to reclaim what's hers — but can truth prevail when illusion wears the crown?
Crown Princess Onora of Atìrse is eager to prove herself as the heir to her parents' throne. Moving into one of her family's holdings away from the Royal Seat offers the chance to put into practice all she's learned and demonstrate what kind of queen she intends to one day be, and even the shadow of an uprising among Atìrse's faery neighbors can't dull her excitement. Yet her plans go awry when one of her attendants proves false and she's transformed and replaced by a faery imposter.
Though cursed and cast into the role of a lowly goose-keeper, with only her beloved cat as an ally, Onora refuses to admit defeat. She'll do whatever it takes to break the curse, expose the imposter, and take back the role that is rightfully hers. However, that's easier said than done when her opponent can so easily manipulate the truth — and the fickle feelings of the locals and the surliness of the miller's strange assistant don't make her task any less difficult.
Time is swiftly passing, and Onora must reclaim her place before the transformation becomes permanent. But can she do so when nothing is as it seems and even her allies have secrets?
Return to the kingdom of Atìrse and discover what happens when "The Goose Girl" meets "Puss in Boots" in this prequel to the award-winning Song of the Selkies.
Crown Princess Onora of Atìrse is eager to prove herself as the heir to her parents' throne. Moving into one of her family's holdings away from the Royal Seat offers the chance to put into practice all she's learned and demonstrate what kind of queen she intends to one day be, and even the shadow of an uprising among Atìrse's faery neighbors can't dull her excitement. Yet her plans go awry when one of her attendants proves false and she's transformed and replaced by a faery imposter.
Though cursed and cast into the role of a lowly goose-keeper, with only her beloved cat as an ally, Onora refuses to admit defeat. She'll do whatever it takes to break the curse, expose the imposter, and take back the role that is rightfully hers. However, that's easier said than done when her opponent can so easily manipulate the truth — and the fickle feelings of the locals and the surliness of the miller's strange assistant don't make her task any less difficult.
Time is swiftly passing, and Onora must reclaim her place before the transformation becomes permanent. But can she do so when nothing is as it seems and even her allies have secrets?
Return to the kingdom of Atìrse and discover what happens when "The Goose Girl" meets "Puss in Boots" in this prequel to the award-winning Song of the Selkies.
- GenresFantasy
ebook
Published September 27, 2024
3 people are currently reading
21 people want to read
About the author
Sarah Pennington
8 books154 followersSarah Pennington has been writing stories since before she actually knew how to write, and she has no intention of stopping anytime soon. She is perpetually in the middle of writing at least one or two novels, most of which are in the fantasy and fairy tale retelling genres. Sarah’s first published work, Blood in the Snow, received a perfect score and Special Unicorn status in Rooglewood Press’s Five Poisoned Apples contest. Her sixth book, Through a Shattered Glass, won in the Novella category of the 2023 Realm Awards. When she isn’t writing, she enjoys fiber arts, baking, photography, and trying to conquer her massive to-be-read list.
Sarah can be found online at sarahpenningtonauthor.com. She also blogs at Light and Shadows (tpssaralightshadows.wordpress.com) and Dreams and Dragons (dreams-dragons.blogspot.com).
Sarah can be found online at sarahpenningtonauthor.com. She also blogs at Light and Shadows (tpssaralightshadows.wordpress.com) and Dreams and Dragons (dreams-dragons.blogspot.com).
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
November 26, 2024
After reading Song of the Selkies, I was more than ready for the next book in this series! And Illusion's Reign did not disappoint. As with all I've read of Sarah Pennington's books, the worldbuilding is vibrant and lovely, the characters are easy to root for, and fairytale inspiration blends seamlessly into a unique plot.
Onora is principled and practical, the perfect crown princess. She takes pride in her responsibility to the kingdom of Atìrse and considers herself prepared to take on anything--but when everything that was once hers is stolen from her, she must set forth on a different task.
It took me a while to get into the story, but once things kicked off I found it difficult to put down. Getting to know "young Onora" was quite lovely; it's so interesting to note the similarities and differences between her and Ceanna from Song of the Selkies. And of course, Onora's cat is probably the star of the show--favorite character, hands down. We always love our Puss in Boots. Alastair was also a solid character (though I did guess what his deal was from the beginning, haha).
There were some long sermon and prayer parts that were more difficult to get through (I personally never enjoy those in novels), and the dialogue forms still threw me off a bit. But all in all, I really enjoyed this book and am looking forward to the next one!
*I received an ARC of this book from the author. All views and opinions expressed are my own; a positive review was not required.*
Onora is principled and practical, the perfect crown princess. She takes pride in her responsibility to the kingdom of Atìrse and considers herself prepared to take on anything--but when everything that was once hers is stolen from her, she must set forth on a different task.
It took me a while to get into the story, but once things kicked off I found it difficult to put down. Getting to know "young Onora" was quite lovely; it's so interesting to note the similarities and differences between her and Ceanna from Song of the Selkies. And of course, Onora's cat is probably the star of the show--favorite character, hands down. We always love our Puss in Boots. Alastair was also a solid character (though I did guess what his deal was from the beginning, haha).
There were some long sermon and prayer parts that were more difficult to get through (I personally never enjoy those in novels), and the dialogue forms still threw me off a bit. But all in all, I really enjoyed this book and am looking forward to the next one!
*I received an ARC of this book from the author. All views and opinions expressed are my own; a positive review was not required.*
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October 2, 2024ILLUSION’S REIGN is the second in the Daughters of Atirse series by Sarah Pennington. A combination of the Goose Girl and Puss in Boots fairytales, the story begins with Onora, the crown princess, arriving at a castle for a trial run of putting into practice all she has learned of ruling. However, upon her arrival she is cursed and sent out to the goose pens. With her trusty cat and some strange help, she must discover how to oust the intruder and take back her rightful place.
I enjoyed the enemies to friends to lovers side romance, but I think the best part of this book is the way the two fairytales are woven together and into the larger world as a whole. So often in retellings there is the “original” bit and the “retelling” bit and some winking at the camera as it happens. However, I think the author seamlessly made the two fairytale components work together and feel like an integral part of the larger world. The faith subplot was also given a lot of attention and was a big part of Onora’s growth and character arc.
I enjoyed the enemies to friends to lovers side romance, but I think the best part of this book is the way the two fairytales are woven together and into the larger world as a whole. So often in retellings there is the “original” bit and the “retelling” bit and some winking at the camera as it happens. However, I think the author seamlessly made the two fairytale components work together and feel like an integral part of the larger world. The faith subplot was also given a lot of attention and was a big part of Onora’s growth and character arc.
December 20, 2024
There aren't many books that have as much heart as this one does.
No matter how much you love an author, there is always a little bit of worry about whether the second book in a series will hold up to the first. I needn't have worried in this case! Illusion's Reign is every bit as good as Song of the Selkies was! It has so many good themes, hope, humility in the face of trials, learning to stop relying on oneself, and start relying on God, learning to look past first impressions, second chances and learning to trust others after your trust has been shattered... and so much more. Faith is an important thread that is woven through the entire story from beginning to end, and I love the journey that Onora takes from trusting Dèanadair (God) with her head to trusting Him from her heart. It's a beautiful story of a young woman whose faith is becoming her own, and not just something she learned from her parents. The love story is beautiful as well. Onora and Alastair are an excellent match, and seeing them move from strangers to "partners in crime" to in love is a delightful experience.
I really can't recommend this book enough!
No matter how much you love an author, there is always a little bit of worry about whether the second book in a series will hold up to the first. I needn't have worried in this case! Illusion's Reign is every bit as good as Song of the Selkies was! It has so many good themes, hope, humility in the face of trials, learning to stop relying on oneself, and start relying on God, learning to look past first impressions, second chances and learning to trust others after your trust has been shattered... and so much more. Faith is an important thread that is woven through the entire story from beginning to end, and I love the journey that Onora takes from trusting Dèanadair (God) with her head to trusting Him from her heart. It's a beautiful story of a young woman whose faith is becoming her own, and not just something she learned from her parents. The love story is beautiful as well. Onora and Alastair are an excellent match, and seeing them move from strangers to "partners in crime" to in love is a delightful experience.
I really can't recommend this book enough!
October 23, 2024
I really enjoyed the fun world building and interesting turns of this story. Princess Onora is set to arrive before her betrothed at the castle estate from where she will reign and be wed at the queen after her parents. While settling in the first night, she is cursed by an imposter who glamours to look like her, and is cast to the lowly position of a disgraced servant, now a goose girl. She must find unexpected allies and work around magical limitations to outwit her fae enemy and protect her people, all while still responding to her conscious and learning through her moral dilemmas.
I really love the fae lore of this world, as well as how religion is woven into the character arc of the main character. Plus, the side characters round out the world and help develop Onora’s character very well. The book is a tad longer than I expected, and it did have a few places I felt the pacing slows, but I really appreciated the self examination of the main character. Too often it seems that fantasy main characters are selfish or self absorbed. Not so here. Plus there was a twist I really didn’t see coming, which I always appreciate.
Overall, a well written and fun retelling. I’m looking forward to reading more from this author.
I really love the fae lore of this world, as well as how religion is woven into the character arc of the main character. Plus, the side characters round out the world and help develop Onora’s character very well. The book is a tad longer than I expected, and it did have a few places I felt the pacing slows, but I really appreciated the self examination of the main character. Too often it seems that fantasy main characters are selfish or self absorbed. Not so here. Plus there was a twist I really didn’t see coming, which I always appreciate.
Overall, a well written and fun retelling. I’m looking forward to reading more from this author.
October 3, 2024
Interesting retelling combination with a Christian fiction/allergory
Truly, I don’t know how to qualify this story, so you’ll just have to read it. If you enjoy fairytales and/or retellings with a twist, you’ll enjoy this book as it is definitely packed with a lot of twists and nods to the Grimm Brothers’ stories.
The author has created her own world with a lot of biblical truth and so I might call it very allegorical. Although the world is unique and fun, the names and changes of the simple things like days of the week were hard to get used to, especially without a map or pronunciation aid.
However, the novel is rich in biblical truths, with deep understanding and wonderful encouragements: one can easily see references to the biblical stories, as well as the truth of the gospel.
Although I found the book heavy with too much detail, I enjoyed the plot, the characters, their growth in their understanding of the Lord, and mostly the almost racing-against-the-clock unfolding.
I was given a privilege to read an advance copy but my positive review was not a requirement. All opinions are honest and mine.
Truly, I don’t know how to qualify this story, so you’ll just have to read it. If you enjoy fairytales and/or retellings with a twist, you’ll enjoy this book as it is definitely packed with a lot of twists and nods to the Grimm Brothers’ stories.
The author has created her own world with a lot of biblical truth and so I might call it very allegorical. Although the world is unique and fun, the names and changes of the simple things like days of the week were hard to get used to, especially without a map or pronunciation aid.
However, the novel is rich in biblical truths, with deep understanding and wonderful encouragements: one can easily see references to the biblical stories, as well as the truth of the gospel.
Although I found the book heavy with too much detail, I enjoyed the plot, the characters, their growth in their understanding of the Lord, and mostly the almost racing-against-the-clock unfolding.
I was given a privilege to read an advance copy but my positive review was not a requirement. All opinions are honest and mine.
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October 19, 2024I really enjoyed ‘Song of the Selkies’ for its originality and themes, so I wanted to read this new story set in the same unique world.
It starts with an intriguing premise where the Princess who is a ruler-in-training suddenly finds herself magically switched into a servant and forced to herd geese. She is unable to talk about her true identity nor is she able to leave the area. Meanwhile the imposter with her face reigning in her place behaves in a selfish manner.
What can a lowly goose girl do to reclaim her rightful place as ruler?
This interesting premise is followed by arguably a realistic depiction of what a girl could do in these circumstances - not much. She attends church every week and hears the sermons at the different services. She executes plans that irritate the imposter at best. She tries to survive and protect herself. Her cat helps. In short, this is probably how I would be if transported into a goose girl - I’d just be surviving and making feeble plans and thinking a lot - but I found myself wanting to skip all of that and get into the action. Also although I am quite seriously Christian, one excellent sermon with a clear narrative purpose is enough for any book.
It was also an issue that the otherwise very honorable Princess who truly wished to follow God and rule wisely had no compunctions about using lies and deceptive practices to regain her rule.
My favorite part of the book was when Alastair consistently brought her food even when he didn’t like her and couldn’t handle looking at her. Unfortunately there was little romantic suspense once he discovered who she was and they both just seemed to make the best of their relationship rather than fall in love.
I suspect that if I had liked the cat character better, I would have liked this book better. I would recommend this book to people who like fantasy with lots of daily life experiences, planning and church-going.
My thanks to the author for providing me a copy of her book for review.
It starts with an intriguing premise where the Princess who is a ruler-in-training suddenly finds herself magically switched into a servant and forced to herd geese. She is unable to talk about her true identity nor is she able to leave the area. Meanwhile the imposter with her face reigning in her place behaves in a selfish manner.
What can a lowly goose girl do to reclaim her rightful place as ruler?
This interesting premise is followed by arguably a realistic depiction of what a girl could do in these circumstances - not much. She attends church every week and hears the sermons at the different services. She executes plans that irritate the imposter at best. She tries to survive and protect herself. Her cat helps. In short, this is probably how I would be if transported into a goose girl - I’d just be surviving and making feeble plans and thinking a lot - but I found myself wanting to skip all of that and get into the action. Also although I am quite seriously Christian, one excellent sermon with a clear narrative purpose is enough for any book.
It was also an issue that the otherwise very honorable Princess who truly wished to follow God and rule wisely had no compunctions about using lies and deceptive practices to regain her rule.
My favorite part of the book was when Alastair consistently brought her food even when he didn’t like her and couldn’t handle looking at her. Unfortunately there was little romantic suspense once he discovered who she was and they both just seemed to make the best of their relationship rather than fall in love.
I suspect that if I had liked the cat character better, I would have liked this book better. I would recommend this book to people who like fantasy with lots of daily life experiences, planning and church-going.
My thanks to the author for providing me a copy of her book for review.
October 1, 2024
While I have read a lot of Sarah Pennington's books, this was my first introduction to the world of Atírse (because I neglected reading Song of Selkies) and it was incredible! I am definitely excited to read the first book!
This was such a great story with such an original plot and really well developed characters. It is five hundred pages long and, while there are sometimes that I wish the book could have been shorter and thought some parts were unnecessary, looking back I now realise that everything in the book was necessary for the romance, the tension and the character development. Five hundred pages was a good number to make sure that the story was well rounded and readers got to fall in love with the characters.
Onora was such a great and relatable character who kept her faith in Déanadair and wouldn't lose it, even when she felt like He wasn't listening or what He wanted for her was not what she wanted for herself. Alastair was such a great love interest and I love how they got off to a bad start and it took almost a third of the book before they finally started to actually like each other. I think that just makes the romance more realistic than just meeting someone, liking them instantly and falling in love with them.
I loved seeing the Selkies and hope I get to see more of them in Song of Selkies. The other four (and one) Daione Math were also great characters and a great introduction to them and I hope we get to see more of them in future books.
Overall, this was such a great and entertaining story. I would definitely recommend this to anyone who enjoys fairy tale retellings (and maybe even those that don't). This book will definitely pull you in and get you to love the Goose Girl so much!
This was such a great story with such an original plot and really well developed characters. It is five hundred pages long and, while there are sometimes that I wish the book could have been shorter and thought some parts were unnecessary, looking back I now realise that everything in the book was necessary for the romance, the tension and the character development. Five hundred pages was a good number to make sure that the story was well rounded and readers got to fall in love with the characters.
Onora was such a great and relatable character who kept her faith in Déanadair and wouldn't lose it, even when she felt like He wasn't listening or what He wanted for her was not what she wanted for herself. Alastair was such a great love interest and I love how they got off to a bad start and it took almost a third of the book before they finally started to actually like each other. I think that just makes the romance more realistic than just meeting someone, liking them instantly and falling in love with them.
I loved seeing the Selkies and hope I get to see more of them in Song of Selkies. The other four (and one) Daione Math were also great characters and a great introduction to them and I hope we get to see more of them in future books.
Overall, this was such a great and entertaining story. I would definitely recommend this to anyone who enjoys fairy tale retellings (and maybe even those that don't). This book will definitely pull you in and get you to love the Goose Girl so much!
October 23, 2024
This was such a fun twist on the Goose Girl fairytale with Puss in Boots thrown in! It is a thrilling adventure in a world where political tension, espionage, faith, and magic collide. Sarah excels at weaving elements of fantasy and magic with the strong theme and struggle of faith. This is a tale of deception, stolen identity, fae, faith, and the delicate dance of power in a fight to save the kingdom from a false fae regent.
Our strong FMC, Onora, is a sharp-witted princess determined to reclaim her throne and save her people from the lazy lavish faithless selfish fae wearing her face. With no way to tell people who she really is, she will gain and loose allies in the most surprising of places. She struggles with her desire to end the curse as soon as possible and trying to trust Dèanadair(God) to reveal the truth and make a way for her curse to be broken. She runs into trouble trying to take matters into her own hands in her rush to set things to rights. I love all the relationships she develops despite her false face. She makes some truly interesting allies that make the story all the more intriguing.
The plot is full of surprises, twists, tests of faith, espionage, moments that will make you laugh, cry, and bite your nails! The pacing ebbs and flows with the situations befalling our Onora as she tries to find a way to break her curse and stop her fae rival.
I haven’t read the first book in this series yet, but it is getting added to my TBR along with any of her future books in this series. I would love to read more about these characters especially more unfolding stories with the side characters.
Things I loved:
Stolen Identity
Fae shifters
Antagonists-to-lovers
Animal sidekick
Espionage
Arranged Romance
Strong Language: none
Violence: some mild violence close to the end but nothing descriptive or gory.
Spice: none, just sweet kisses
Our strong FMC, Onora, is a sharp-witted princess determined to reclaim her throne and save her people from the lazy lavish faithless selfish fae wearing her face. With no way to tell people who she really is, she will gain and loose allies in the most surprising of places. She struggles with her desire to end the curse as soon as possible and trying to trust Dèanadair(God) to reveal the truth and make a way for her curse to be broken. She runs into trouble trying to take matters into her own hands in her rush to set things to rights. I love all the relationships she develops despite her false face. She makes some truly interesting allies that make the story all the more intriguing.
The plot is full of surprises, twists, tests of faith, espionage, moments that will make you laugh, cry, and bite your nails! The pacing ebbs and flows with the situations befalling our Onora as she tries to find a way to break her curse and stop her fae rival.
I haven’t read the first book in this series yet, but it is getting added to my TBR along with any of her future books in this series. I would love to read more about these characters especially more unfolding stories with the side characters.
Things I loved:
Stolen Identity
Fae shifters
Antagonists-to-lovers
Animal sidekick
Espionage
Arranged Romance
Strong Language: none
Violence: some mild violence close to the end but nothing descriptive or gory.
Spice: none, just sweet kisses
October 27, 2024
Illusion's reign is an absolute triumph of a novel—despite the fact that it is meant to be a retelling of two relatively well-known fairy tales, Sara Pennington managed to create something that feels, more than anything else, like an original story.
Though I read (and adored) the masterpiece that was “Song of the Selkies”, the first book in this series, I was quite reluctant to pick this book up—both because of just how long it is and because I was at the time looking to read a book that was written with dual points of view (His and hers) and this book only had hers—I found myself absolutely hooked from the first page. The length of this book (very, very long) is exactly what it should be, and while the story lagged a bit in places, the parts where the story begins to pick up are absolutely worth every slow moment.
And the heroin! She was just . . . I'm in awe of her.
I got lost in her very unique personality, and I wish more YA novels had characters with her strength, maturity, endurance and sheer stubbornness.
The book also has some of the best supporting characters I've ever read. onora's cat, for one. I just loved him! And Alastair absolutely captured my heart (when he wasn't being a boorish idiot, that is).
But what I loved most about this story was how beautifully Sara Pennington wove teachings about faith and theology into the lives of the characters without being too preachy. (My favourite parts of the novel have to be the times where the two main characters prayed together—those were so, so heartwarming!
In conclusion, all I will say is this: Read Illusion's Reign. Treasure it. Write about it. And talk about it with all your friends.
I promise you—you will never, ever forget it.
Though I read (and adored) the masterpiece that was “Song of the Selkies”, the first book in this series, I was quite reluctant to pick this book up—both because of just how long it is and because I was at the time looking to read a book that was written with dual points of view (His and hers) and this book only had hers—I found myself absolutely hooked from the first page. The length of this book (very, very long) is exactly what it should be, and while the story lagged a bit in places, the parts where the story begins to pick up are absolutely worth every slow moment.
And the heroin! She was just . . . I'm in awe of her.
I got lost in her very unique personality, and I wish more YA novels had characters with her strength, maturity, endurance and sheer stubbornness.
The book also has some of the best supporting characters I've ever read. onora's cat, for one. I just loved him! And Alastair absolutely captured my heart (when he wasn't being a boorish idiot, that is).
But what I loved most about this story was how beautifully Sara Pennington wove teachings about faith and theology into the lives of the characters without being too preachy. (My favourite parts of the novel have to be the times where the two main characters prayed together—those were so, so heartwarming!
In conclusion, all I will say is this: Read Illusion's Reign. Treasure it. Write about it. And talk about it with all your friends.
I promise you—you will never, ever forget it.
October 3, 2024
Riveting and beautiful, Illusion's Reign is a story of falsehood and truth, a story of a princess trying to reclaim her destiny in the face of deception.
Princess Onora has travelled to a holding of her parents to serve as its ruler. However, an uprising among the faerie folk, and an impostor's machinations prove to be formidable challenges. How can Onora defeat a faerie impostor who has taken her identity and position and whose ability to cast powerful illusions to confuse threaten to wreck all? Onora's work as a goose keeper, her mischievous cat and her path converging with that of a surly miller's assistant make for some very entertaining reading. I adorede Cardiel, Onora's cat! This cross between "The Goose Girl" and "Puss-in-Boots" is delightful. It's a long book, but it was impossible to put down.
I also loved the strong theme of trust woven throughout the story, trust in Deonadair, the all-powerful Creator, learning to trust in newfound and old friends alike, and, ultimately, gaining self-confidence. Illusion's Reign is beautiful and suspenseful as Onora is in a race against time to stop the transformation inflicted upon her by the impostor from becoming permanent. I loved Pennington's worldbuilding, and the world is fully realized and developed. Now I want to read Song of the Selkies, the book to which Illusion's Reign is the prequel. Each book solidly stands on its own, though.
Recommended for high fantasy lovers, for anyone who loves stories with a strong faith message that is not overt, and for anyone who enjoys clever enterweavings of fairy tales. God bless you all.
Princess Onora has travelled to a holding of her parents to serve as its ruler. However, an uprising among the faerie folk, and an impostor's machinations prove to be formidable challenges. How can Onora defeat a faerie impostor who has taken her identity and position and whose ability to cast powerful illusions to confuse threaten to wreck all? Onora's work as a goose keeper, her mischievous cat and her path converging with that of a surly miller's assistant make for some very entertaining reading. I adorede Cardiel, Onora's cat! This cross between "The Goose Girl" and "Puss-in-Boots" is delightful. It's a long book, but it was impossible to put down.
I also loved the strong theme of trust woven throughout the story, trust in Deonadair, the all-powerful Creator, learning to trust in newfound and old friends alike, and, ultimately, gaining self-confidence. Illusion's Reign is beautiful and suspenseful as Onora is in a race against time to stop the transformation inflicted upon her by the impostor from becoming permanent. I loved Pennington's worldbuilding, and the world is fully realized and developed. Now I want to read Song of the Selkies, the book to which Illusion's Reign is the prequel. Each book solidly stands on its own, though.
Recommended for high fantasy lovers, for anyone who loves stories with a strong faith message that is not overt, and for anyone who enjoys clever enterweavings of fairy tales. God bless you all.
February 19, 2025
I enjoyed this tale of Onora. It tests her in a way to pull out her true self and understanding of who she needs to be as a proper crown princess. She has to work to find allies, while looking like someone else, who is a disgraced servant tending the geese. Everything she tries against the illusionist in her place makes things worse. The illusion will not stick for a number of days, but every setback eats up the time before it becomes permanent. At least, Onora has to remain alive in order for the curse to set in.
It was fun watching Onora grow and find the most unlikely allies. I love the world building that is steeped heavily with Celtic mythos and the feel of the Emerald Isle, but standing out with a uniqueness all its own. The story kept me engaged and the writer has a great voice for storytelling.
This is book two of the series, but they can definitely be read as standalone stories. Also, this one actually happens earlier in time than book one. Each book tells the story of a different sister. If you absolutely need to read things in chronological order, read this one first and then read Song of the Selkies. Neither will disappoint regardless of the order you read them.
It was fun watching Onora grow and find the most unlikely allies. I love the world building that is steeped heavily with Celtic mythos and the feel of the Emerald Isle, but standing out with a uniqueness all its own. The story kept me engaged and the writer has a great voice for storytelling.
This is book two of the series, but they can definitely be read as standalone stories. Also, this one actually happens earlier in time than book one. Each book tells the story of a different sister. If you absolutely need to read things in chronological order, read this one first and then read Song of the Selkies. Neither will disappoint regardless of the order you read them.
September 25, 2024
A re-telling of the "Goose Girl" and "Puss in Boots" fairy tales. It has strong themes of faith, perserverance and trust. The author clearly knows her cats as the 'puss' character's attitude and actions are perfectly feline and add the occasional touch of humour. I do wish there was a pronunciation guide included for the names and other words used with a gaelic/celtic origin because they are so often pronounced nothing like they're spelt according to the rules of English (because they're not English).
I received an ARC and leave an honest review.
I received an ARC and leave an honest review.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews