What do you think?
Rate this book
The League of Princes #3
The Hero's Guide to Being an Outlaw
The League of Princes returns in the hilariously epic conclusion to Christopher Healy's hit series, which Kirkus Reviews called "part screwball comedy, part sly wit, and all fun" in a starred review!
Prince Liam. Prince Frederic. Prince Duncan. Prince Gustav. You think you know those guys pretty well by now, don't you? Well, think again. Posters plastered across the thirteen kingdoms are saying that Briar Rose has been murdered—and the four Princes Charming are the prime suspects. Now they're on the run in a desperate attempt to clear their names. Along the way, however, they discover that Briar's murder is just one part of a nefarious plot to take control of all thirteen kingdoms—a plot that will lead to the doorstep of an eerily familiar fortress for a final showdown with an eerily familiar enemy.
Prince Liam. Prince Frederic. Prince Duncan. Prince Gustav. You think you know those guys pretty well by now, don't you? Well, think again. Posters plastered across the thirteen kingdoms are saying that Briar Rose has been murdered—and the four Princes Charming are the prime suspects. Now they're on the run in a desperate attempt to clear their names. Along the way, however, they discover that Briar's murder is just one part of a nefarious plot to take control of all thirteen kingdoms—a plot that will lead to the doorstep of an eerily familiar fortress for a final showdown with an eerily familiar enemy.
516 pages, Paperback
First published April 29, 2014
77 people are currently reading
2246 people want to read
About the author
Christopher Healy
18 books476 followersChristopher Healy is the author of the Hero's Guide trilogy (The Hero's Guide to Saving Your Kingdom, The Hero's Guide to Storming the Castle, and The Hero's Guide to Being an Outlaw), the Perilous Journey of Danger & Mayhem trilogy (A Dastardly Plot, The Treacherous Seas, and The Final Gambit), and This Is Not That Kind of Book. His newest book, No One Leaves the Castle—a fantasy mystery standalone spinoff of the Hero's Guide novels—comes out in August 2023.
Chris lives in New Jersey with his wife, two children, and a dog named Winston Bean. Visit him at ChristopherHealy.com. And visit the Hero's Guide/No One Leaves the Castle universe at TheThirteenKingdoms.com.
Chris lives in New Jersey with his wife, two children, and a dog named Winston Bean. Visit him at ChristopherHealy.com. And visit the Hero's Guide/No One Leaves the Castle universe at TheThirteenKingdoms.com.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 332 reviews
September 3, 2019
“The Hero’s Guide to Being an Outlaw” is a wonderful ending to a rollicking series! I just love this wonderful ride that Christopher Healy took us on. If you're expecting a clear-cut ending, prepare to be disappointed. I was thoroughly satisfied with the end of the book though. It made the whole series work.
The heroes are accused of murdering Briar Rose and in a desperate attempt to clear their names Gustav, Fredric, Duncan, and Liam, head off into the bright blue sea to rescue her from an infamous band of pirates. While the boys are out of action, The Ferocious Female Freedom Fighters (or ffff) have to figure everything out and save the day. Ella, Rapunzel, Lila, Snow, and Val head off to the desert to find the djinn who created the Jeopardous Jade Djinn Gem. Full of adventure, action, thrills, and laugh out loud moments -- this is a great conclusion to the series.
“The League of Princes” is a delightful romp. I enjoyed this series and became attached to the characters -- particularly Frederic, Duncan, and Briar (yes, she grew on me). The tone may be too lighthearted to engage the reader’s emotions very deeply, but the freshness and good humor of Healy’s approach are enough to keep you skipping right along to the end. I wouldn't mind another sequel or two!
The heroes are accused of murdering Briar Rose and in a desperate attempt to clear their names Gustav, Fredric, Duncan, and Liam, head off into the bright blue sea to rescue her from an infamous band of pirates. While the boys are out of action, The Ferocious Female Freedom Fighters (or ffff) have to figure everything out and save the day. Ella, Rapunzel, Lila, Snow, and Val head off to the desert to find the djinn who created the Jeopardous Jade Djinn Gem. Full of adventure, action, thrills, and laugh out loud moments -- this is a great conclusion to the series.
“The League of Princes” is a delightful romp. I enjoyed this series and became attached to the characters -- particularly Frederic, Duncan, and Briar (yes, she grew on me). The tone may be too lighthearted to engage the reader’s emotions very deeply, but the freshness and good humor of Healy’s approach are enough to keep you skipping right along to the end. I wouldn't mind another sequel or two!
September 5, 2016
The final installment of the League of Princes brings the same humor, delightful illustrations, and mechanical hair-puller to the series as its predecessor. When incriminating wanted posters are plastered in all thirteen kingdoms, our heroes and heroines must combine forces to clear their names.
They'll stop at nothing to prove their innocence, be it sailing across beast-riddled ocean waters on The Wet Walnut or donning disguises as members of the Royal Foot Massagers Society, replete with bottled lotion in their belts.
Laughter awaits:
Basil told his people that, fearing another escape attempt, he had to cancel the public execution and hang the murderers within the safe confines of his dungeon. (In reality, the only things hung in the dungeon that night were some portraits of monkeys in party hats.)
And soft skin, too:
"Don't worry, Snow," Duncan said. "I've got you. Everything will be all right."
"Duncan, that's my hand," said Frederic.
"It's so soft," Duncan said with admiration.
"I moisturize."
The Hero's Guide to Being an Outlaw weaves all three books together for one satisfying and adventurous conclusion.
They'll stop at nothing to prove their innocence, be it sailing across beast-riddled ocean waters on The Wet Walnut or donning disguises as members of the Royal Foot Massagers Society, replete with bottled lotion in their belts.
Laughter awaits:
Basil told his people that, fearing another escape attempt, he had to cancel the public execution and hang the murderers within the safe confines of his dungeon. (In reality, the only things hung in the dungeon that night were some portraits of monkeys in party hats.)
And soft skin, too:
"Don't worry, Snow," Duncan said. "I've got you. Everything will be all right."
"Duncan, that's my hand," said Frederic.
"It's so soft," Duncan said with admiration.
"I moisturize."
The Hero's Guide to Being an Outlaw weaves all three books together for one satisfying and adventurous conclusion.
August 3, 2014
I'm holding out for Liam and Ella to get together.
April 29, 2024
this was absolutely DELIGHTFUL I had such a good time 👏
December 14, 2015
Sad to see this series end, but glad he went out on a high note! Hilarious, full of action, and even some romance, I have loved getting to know the heroes, villains, robbers, bounty hunters, pirates, trolls, and dwarves of the Thirteen Kingdoms! My son, now 11, has also really loved this series, and we both give all three books two thumbs way up!
May 1, 2014
What an adventure! The third (and supposedly last?) Hero's Guide has pirates and prisoners, sea vessels and deserted islands, bounty hunters and bandits, giants and trolls, evil warlords and wicked witches, palaces and kingdoms, soldiers and subjects, bards and ballads and magical djinn, castles and captures and hair-raising escapes... NOT TO MENTION our beloved heroes from the League of Princes and their Ferocious Female Freedom Fighter friends!
These are such great characters: bold Liam with his daring rescues, gentle Frederick and his way with words, gold-hearted Gustav with his fearless determination, and zany Duncan with his solicitude for his friends. Then there's brave little Lila and her converted bounty hunter friend Ruf, feisty Ella and her fearless friend Val, loving Zel with her healing tears, surprising Snow who finds a bright side to everything, and bossy Briar who's not quite as bad as she seems. Come to think of it, even the baddies are awesome!
And finally we get to see friendships and 'who ends up with whom' relationships resolved so that the characters live realistically and adventurously happily ever after. A remarkable achievement for so many truly different characters.
The plot twists are brilliant, taking us through deserts and islands and chases and battles, and it's revealed through delightful language which experiments with new adjectives to suit the occasion, tongue-in-cheek dialogue and continual play with words. An ideal book to read aloud with young children.
The Hero's Guide to Being an Outlaw deftly weaves together each character's story and their combined actions in an explosive and satisfying climax, and, at the very end, offers just a little window of hope that this may not be the very last adventure for the team.
www.GoodReadingGuide.com
March 21, 2014
Christopher Healy is one of the BEST middle-grade authors writing today and his League of Princes Series is awesome proof of why! I loved The Hero’s Guide to Saving Your Kingdom, absolutely adored The Hero’s Guide to Storming the Castle, and AND am completely crazy for The Hero’s Guide to Being an Outlaw. Healy concludes his gut-busting series with a wildly hilarious, thrilling, clever bang!
Princes Liam, Duncan, Frederic, Gustav, and their feisty female counterparts, are wanted men and women. Outlaws accused of murdering Briar Rose; a crime they didn’t commit. The League of Princes set out to clear their name and discover that Briar Rose’s murder is just one small part of a HUGE evil plan to take over the thirteen kingdoms. Our favorite bumbling princes and awesome heroines must journey far and wide, face new and old enemies, and learn to rely on each other to save the day once again!
Like its two predecessors, The Hero’s Guide to Being an Outlaw is non-stop, laugh-out-loud, wickedly clever entertainment. Christopher Healy is a spectacular storyteller, whose words are pure magic. His pitch-perfect middle-grade voice, unforgettable characters, and captivating imagination make this series ender the best in the trilogy (which is saying something!).
What I love so much about this series and Healy’s writing, is how well he “gets” his intended audience! Healy writes smart, twisty, layered stories, because he knows middle-grade readers not only crave these kinds of books, but are fully capable of handling them. The world in the League of Princes Series is vividly and complexly developed and laid out, with both familiar and awesomely new fairytale, fantasy, and adventure elements. Magic spells, healing tears, trolls, sprites, giant mongeese (or is it mongooses?), and So. Much. More...The Hero’s Guide to Being an Outlaw has it all!
At over 500 pages, The Hero’s Guide to Being an Outlaw is a longer middle-grade book, but it didn’t feel long enough! The thrills, twists, and action are plentiful and so smart. And the humor?! FANTABULOUS! I mean it when I say this book is full of laugh-out-loud, gut-busting humor. Middle-grade readers and grown-ups alike will be completely enchanted and reduced to giggle-fits by Healy’s brand of humor. Our fave heroes and heroines find themselves on a ship full of pirates, on a desert journey in search of a djinn, locked up in a dungeon, and battling ferocious foes...and they do all this with style, pizazz, and moxie!
And speaking of those heroes and heroines? They really are just so fantastically awesome! Charming, endearing, lovable, amusing, sweet, kind, engaging...the ways to describe these characters could go on and on. Readers will fall in love with the four bumbling, but brave heroes and the totally rockstar ladies! I love ALL the heroes and heroines, but must admit that young Lila is my absolute favorite and I would LOVE to see this spunky, fearless heroine get her own series...hint hint nudge nudge Mr. Healy ;)
Healy concludes book three, and this series, in a wonderfully satisfying and inspiring way...but I’m still SO sad to see it end :(
My Final Thoughts: Epically entertaining, funny, and clever, I couldn’t have asked for a more awesome end to this series! Christopher Healy has written a truly spectacular middle-grade series and I can’t recommend it enough. If you have a reluctant middle-grade reader in your life, hand them this series and watch the magic happen!
Princes Liam, Duncan, Frederic, Gustav, and their feisty female counterparts, are wanted men and women. Outlaws accused of murdering Briar Rose; a crime they didn’t commit. The League of Princes set out to clear their name and discover that Briar Rose’s murder is just one small part of a HUGE evil plan to take over the thirteen kingdoms. Our favorite bumbling princes and awesome heroines must journey far and wide, face new and old enemies, and learn to rely on each other to save the day once again!
Like its two predecessors, The Hero’s Guide to Being an Outlaw is non-stop, laugh-out-loud, wickedly clever entertainment. Christopher Healy is a spectacular storyteller, whose words are pure magic. His pitch-perfect middle-grade voice, unforgettable characters, and captivating imagination make this series ender the best in the trilogy (which is saying something!).
What I love so much about this series and Healy’s writing, is how well he “gets” his intended audience! Healy writes smart, twisty, layered stories, because he knows middle-grade readers not only crave these kinds of books, but are fully capable of handling them. The world in the League of Princes Series is vividly and complexly developed and laid out, with both familiar and awesomely new fairytale, fantasy, and adventure elements. Magic spells, healing tears, trolls, sprites, giant mongeese (or is it mongooses?), and So. Much. More...The Hero’s Guide to Being an Outlaw has it all!
At over 500 pages, The Hero’s Guide to Being an Outlaw is a longer middle-grade book, but it didn’t feel long enough! The thrills, twists, and action are plentiful and so smart. And the humor?! FANTABULOUS! I mean it when I say this book is full of laugh-out-loud, gut-busting humor. Middle-grade readers and grown-ups alike will be completely enchanted and reduced to giggle-fits by Healy’s brand of humor. Our fave heroes and heroines find themselves on a ship full of pirates, on a desert journey in search of a djinn, locked up in a dungeon, and battling ferocious foes...and they do all this with style, pizazz, and moxie!
And speaking of those heroes and heroines? They really are just so fantastically awesome! Charming, endearing, lovable, amusing, sweet, kind, engaging...the ways to describe these characters could go on and on. Readers will fall in love with the four bumbling, but brave heroes and the totally rockstar ladies! I love ALL the heroes and heroines, but must admit that young Lila is my absolute favorite and I would LOVE to see this spunky, fearless heroine get her own series...hint hint nudge nudge Mr. Healy ;)
Healy concludes book three, and this series, in a wonderfully satisfying and inspiring way...but I’m still SO sad to see it end :(
My Final Thoughts: Epically entertaining, funny, and clever, I couldn’t have asked for a more awesome end to this series! Christopher Healy has written a truly spectacular middle-grade series and I can’t recommend it enough. If you have a reluctant middle-grade reader in your life, hand them this series and watch the magic happen!
August 2, 2016
Finished this series ending third volume on a trip East, Branchot Pinson’s voices (audiotape) the highlight. With the fam, kids ages 9, 10, 11, two adults (apparently without ages, ageless?). We agree it is 5 stars for the series, but in the first book we were roaring with laughter, and in this one, well, we were in a sense looking ahead to the end, with not as many laughs, all adventure all the time. We were curious who would end up with whom—it’s a comic romantic adventure, after all—and were not disappointed in the All’s Well That Ends Well, but I was ready to move on, finally. Healy is great overall, and for tweens especially with lots of great characters, but for me, at least, this volume seems overstuffed with too many battles, too many things to resolve. But okay, yes, still fun!
We have pirates, we have prisoners, ships, desert islands, bounty hunters, giants, trolls, Rundark the evil warlord and his wicked witch friend Zaubera, 13 kingdoms, multiple battles we already know who will win. A kind of sugar-buzzed equivalent of a screwball comedy, overall, but this last one is less funny.
Some favorite stuff:
**The Princes Charming--Prince Liam. Prince Frederic. Prince Duncan. Prince Gustav--also known as the League of Princes, all funny in their own ways
**And in this one, the princesses-- Cinderella, Snow White, Rapunzel, and Princess Lila--or the Ferocious Female Freedom Fighters (the acronym is pronounced “FFFF” which got the single biggest laugh from us each time we heard it in Pinchot’s reading of it.
**The magical Jeopardous Jade Djinn Gem
**A genie grants them all one wish, as they are stranded on a desert island, and this part is very funny: Dunkin and Snow are hungry, so they each make the mistake of wishing for peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, and so on. .. .
**Briar Rose plays a role, and is more complex than we might have expected.
**Deeb Rauber, the child bandit, is always funny. And turns out a bit differently than we expected.
**Maybe my favorite aspect of this tale is the struggle the group has with the Bards who romanticize all of their separate stories in order to make them more popular, when most of these princess and princesses are sort of just regular people, goofballs, screw-ups, and happily-ever-after, well, you know where that happens, in fairy tales. . . though if you ARE looking for the Happy, you get it here, too. . . . I did. They all see in this postmodern way that there are as many versions of the truth as there are people telling stories. But I couldn’t help think of Faux news when the League fights to tell the true(r) story of Rundark.
We have pirates, we have prisoners, ships, desert islands, bounty hunters, giants, trolls, Rundark the evil warlord and his wicked witch friend Zaubera, 13 kingdoms, multiple battles we already know who will win. A kind of sugar-buzzed equivalent of a screwball comedy, overall, but this last one is less funny.
Some favorite stuff:
**The Princes Charming--Prince Liam. Prince Frederic. Prince Duncan. Prince Gustav--also known as the League of Princes, all funny in their own ways
**And in this one, the princesses-- Cinderella, Snow White, Rapunzel, and Princess Lila--or the Ferocious Female Freedom Fighters (the acronym is pronounced “FFFF” which got the single biggest laugh from us each time we heard it in Pinchot’s reading of it.
**The magical Jeopardous Jade Djinn Gem
**A genie grants them all one wish, as they are stranded on a desert island, and this part is very funny: Dunkin and Snow are hungry, so they each make the mistake of wishing for peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, and so on. .. .
**Briar Rose plays a role, and is more complex than we might have expected.
**Deeb Rauber, the child bandit, is always funny. And turns out a bit differently than we expected.
**Maybe my favorite aspect of this tale is the struggle the group has with the Bards who romanticize all of their separate stories in order to make them more popular, when most of these princess and princesses are sort of just regular people, goofballs, screw-ups, and happily-ever-after, well, you know where that happens, in fairy tales. . . though if you ARE looking for the Happy, you get it here, too. . . . I did. They all see in this postmodern way that there are as many versions of the truth as there are people telling stories. But I couldn’t help think of Faux news when the League fights to tell the true(r) story of Rundark.
October 26, 2014
Not since Trenton Lee Stewart’s Mysterious Benedict Society (and I guess J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter but those books are in a league of their own) has a series captivated me like Christopher Healy’s League of Princes. There’s just a level of maturity and sophistication in these books- and a whole lot of fun! I was impressed how he handled the action scenes- or, more specifically, the consequences of the battles. Great for family read-alouds.
July 28, 2014
Will someone PLEASE make this series a movie? Please!!
Another great adventure for the League of Princes. Action, humor, mystery, action, humor, romance, action, humor. It just never stops. Will Liam end up with Ella or Briar Rose? (I vote for Ella). Is the evil witch finally, really dead this time? Will Duncan get his feathered cap back? This is serious stuff, People!! Actually, "serious" is a wrong word to use for the League of Princes.
I love this series and so does my 12-yr-old and 15-yr-old daughters. But please don't think this is a girls' book because it's not. It's just that I don't have any sons. I can't imagine anyone not liking it.
I rate it E for Everyone.
I do recommend reading the first book in the series though. You need to learn about the characters in order to appreciate the second and third book. But, it's worth it. I promise.
Another great adventure for the League of Princes. Action, humor, mystery, action, humor, romance, action, humor. It just never stops. Will Liam end up with Ella or Briar Rose? (I vote for Ella). Is the evil witch finally, really dead this time? Will Duncan get his feathered cap back? This is serious stuff, People!! Actually, "serious" is a wrong word to use for the League of Princes.
I love this series and so does my 12-yr-old and 15-yr-old daughters. But please don't think this is a girls' book because it's not. It's just that I don't have any sons. I can't imagine anyone not liking it.
I rate it E for Everyone.
I do recommend reading the first book in the series though. You need to learn about the characters in order to appreciate the second and third book. But, it's worth it. I promise.
November 7, 2015
3.5 stars
They did not quite stick the landing/ ending esp. with Briar Rose, Ella and Liam. I did not agree with who they ended up with/ did not end up with.
Otherwise, it was a delightful, comedic, heartfelt adventure and a great conclusion to the series. Recommended!
They did not quite stick the landing/ ending esp. with Briar Rose, Ella and Liam. I did not agree with who they ended up with/ did not end up with.
Otherwise, it was a delightful, comedic, heartfelt adventure and a great conclusion to the series. Recommended!
March 22, 2021
Love this series! Especially the audiobooks read by Bronson Pinchot. A go-to kids recommendation at the bookstore.
March 22, 2021
3.5 stars
This is the third (and final – sniff!) installment of the “Hero’s Guide” series, which follows the “League of Princes”. The League of Princes consists of four Princes Charming (which is not the real name of any of them!): Duncan, Liam, Frederic, and Gustav. Although the princesses (Snow, Rapunzel, (Cinder)Ella) have been involved in all adventures in the series, in addition, this time around, they (as well as an additional character Val Jeanval, and Lila, Liam’s younger sister) give themselves a name (which Snow shortens to ffff… though I can’t remember what exactly it stands for! But I liked Snow’s shortened version!).
Anyway, in this one, all our heros are “WANTED” for the murder of Briar Rose (aka Sleeping Beauty), though they don’t even realize it initially! There are bounty hunters on their tail, looking for the “untold riches” that are promised to those who bring them back alive.
As usual, this was fun! I listened to the first two on audio, which I think added to the “ambiance”, though I do recall that I did occasionally lose interest, but Bronson Pinchot was the narrator and with all the accents and voices he can do, what fun! With the ebook this time around (the library did not have the audio for this one), I do think I was able to keep more focus, though I did miss those voices and accents! I am sad that the series is finished.
This is the third (and final – sniff!) installment of the “Hero’s Guide” series, which follows the “League of Princes”. The League of Princes consists of four Princes Charming (which is not the real name of any of them!): Duncan, Liam, Frederic, and Gustav. Although the princesses (Snow, Rapunzel, (Cinder)Ella) have been involved in all adventures in the series, in addition, this time around, they (as well as an additional character Val Jeanval, and Lila, Liam’s younger sister) give themselves a name (which Snow shortens to ffff… though I can’t remember what exactly it stands for! But I liked Snow’s shortened version!).
Anyway, in this one, all our heros are “WANTED” for the murder of Briar Rose (aka Sleeping Beauty), though they don’t even realize it initially! There are bounty hunters on their tail, looking for the “untold riches” that are promised to those who bring them back alive.
As usual, this was fun! I listened to the first two on audio, which I think added to the “ambiance”, though I do recall that I did occasionally lose interest, but Bronson Pinchot was the narrator and with all the accents and voices he can do, what fun! With the ebook this time around (the library did not have the audio for this one), I do think I was able to keep more focus, though I did miss those voices and accents! I am sad that the series is finished.
August 26, 2016
At First Sight: Several weeks after the end of their last adventure, the Legue of Princes finds itself in deep trouble once more. There is a rumor running amok all the 13 kingdoms: that Briar Rose is dead and that the Princes Charming and their friends are responsible for it. Soon, Liam, Duncan, Frederick, Gustav, Ella, Lila, Snow and Rapunzel are the prime suspects. More over, there is a huge bounty on their heads and they are being hunted down by various bounty hunters.
After various circumstances that bring them together and then split them off, we follow the boys and the girls, as they try to clear their names, going about it in very different ways.
But soon, both groups stumble into a bigger, darker plot.
Second Glance: Yes, I'm being vague again, but I just can't tell you what Hero's Guide To Being an Outlaw is all about without spoiling it big time, so I won't.
I always enjoy reading another adventure of the League of Princes and Outlaw was no exception, I love the gang - and I really liked seeing characters like Snow and Rapunzel having more page time and more time in their adventures, I like them both a lot. Also, Lila, I love Lila and her dynamic with Ruffian the Blue, if there was a moment when I got really emotional in this book (or two) it involved them.
On the other hand, there was a character I wished had a lot more page time because she's fun when she's around, but it didn't happen. Also, I have to say that by now, Liam is my least liked character of the bunch, I really liked Gustav in this one (he grew up a lot), and Duncan and Frederick have always been favorites, but Liam just... he didn't improve the more I got to know him, let's say.
Bottom Line: Hero's Guide To Being an Outlaw was a fun read, and it had its moments of pure awesome, but there were certain things that I didn't like as much as I had in previous installments. I still love the characters, and highly recommend the series, though. Book comes out on April 29th
After various circumstances that bring them together and then split them off, we follow the boys and the girls, as they try to clear their names, going about it in very different ways.
But soon, both groups stumble into a bigger, darker plot.
Second Glance: Yes, I'm being vague again, but I just can't tell you what Hero's Guide To Being an Outlaw is all about without spoiling it big time, so I won't.
I always enjoy reading another adventure of the League of Princes and Outlaw was no exception, I love the gang - and I really liked seeing characters like Snow and Rapunzel having more page time and more time in their adventures, I like them both a lot. Also, Lila, I love Lila and her dynamic with Ruffian the Blue, if there was a moment when I got really emotional in this book (or two) it involved them.
On the other hand, there was a character I wished had a lot more page time because she's fun when she's around, but it didn't happen. Also, I have to say that by now, Liam is my least liked character of the bunch, I really liked Gustav in this one (he grew up a lot), and Duncan and Frederick have always been favorites, but Liam just... he didn't improve the more I got to know him, let's say.
Bottom Line: Hero's Guide To Being an Outlaw was a fun read, and it had its moments of pure awesome, but there were certain things that I didn't like as much as I had in previous installments. I still love the characters, and highly recommend the series, though. Book comes out on April 29th
August 30, 2015
In short, this series has everything I look for in good fairy tale retellings. I just wish there were more of them.
June 12, 2018
This book was not bad, but it was lacking some of that Hero's Guide sass that I like so much.
August 31, 2014
Good stories have a character's emotional arc linked hand-in-hand with the plot. Great stories dig deep into themes that reflect the human condition. Humorous stories that make me go from snort laughing at to "snot laughing" with the characters are keepers. Christopher Healy takes pop-culture and familiar fairy tale stories and pokes fun at common motifs or gender stereotypes and turns them upside down. Because there are so many characters the emotional payoffs for The League of Princes come in different books and at different times. Ya kinda, wanna, sorta, read these books in order. This plot takes off where book two ended. For a nice balance of humor and action, then Pickety this up, as the sprites would say.
Briar Rose has supposedly been murdered by The League of Princes and princesses making them outlaws. Gustav is disgusted that the "girls" are included on the Wanted posters, but then these are not the brightest princes. In fact, unlike the classic fairy tale where the man saves the princess, it is usually the princesses saving the princes after they've made a mess out of a rescue mission. Each character has a unique skill that comes into play during the action scenes that results in saving the group. Even the most inept characters such as Duncan and Snow help out in some weird way whether untangling knots (Duncan's talent) or hurdling an object with the precision of a major league pitcher (Snow's talent). Teamwork is one of many themes in this series and this crew of noble ninnies never accomplishes anything until they work together.
In Chapter one, Prince Frederic's father, King Wilberforce, worries about his son's safety. Book two has them arguing and Wilberforce tells Ella to leave the palace because she is a bad influence on Frederic, getting him into dangerous adventures. Frederic, in turn, gets mad at his dad and leaves the castle. Book 3 starts with Wilberforce looking for Frederic's whereabouts and questioning Frederic's valet, Reginald, who doesn't answer but tells the King that he needs to treat his son like a man and stop mollycoddling him. When Wilberforce responds stupidly, Reginald gets sarcastic. Wilberforce says, "'You're being cheeky with me, aren't you, Reginald?' 'Cheeky sire?' the valet replied. 'You're giving me cheek. Sass. Cheeky sass.' [great wordplay... I read that wrong the first time, did you?] 'I would never dream of it, Your Highness. Look at all those medals on your chest: Best Posture, Team Solitaire Champion, Silkiest Mustache. I have nothing but the utmost respect for a monarch with so many ...amazing accomplishments to his credit.'" Giggling in an uncomfortable seat at the Amsterdam airport, I felt warm breath on my arm as the kid next to me leaned over to glance at my book. I gave her a thumbs up. Yep, this is a book to recommend.
Frederic seems to have made the most progress emotionally out of all the characters and by the end of this book even his father has learned to look beyond his own goal of self-preservation to help others. Frederic seems to have embraced his geekiness and has moments where he's surprisingly witty. At one point he outsmarts the villains and likes it when they acknowledge his brains. Frederic is not a character that I ever thought I would call intelligent, but he seems to be coming into his own. When he sits in pajamas and has a heart-to-heart conversation with Rapunzel it seems that he's matured in a humorous way. Healy does a great job balancing gags, action, and meaning in the series. Briar Rose is probably my next pick in the pack for changing the most. Gustav's character falls in love but he's still trying to find self-confidence. Liam is a chauvinist that is now saying he's worried about Ella's safety. This capey guy's ego keeps blinding him in relationships. Don't worry. I won't go through all twelve characters. The pattern continues as from previous books where the princes are the main protagonists and the females their foils.
Healy pokes fun at conventions and skips along with word plays from start to finish. Frederic notices that the Wanted posters picture of him are so accurate of him he can't deny he's the person in them when captured, "The artist we hire to do our family portraits makes me look like I"m half goblin, the sculptor who crafts the League's victory statue gives me a nose like a toucan, but the guy who draws the Wanted poster? He nails it." Snow White parodies Disney's "Whistle While You Work" song, "Dunky, you know I'm never one to shy away from chores - they provide an excellent opportunity for whistling." I'm telling you, Healy is a pop-culture sponge. Liam reminded me of Seuss when he called, "twinkle-bugs," "twiddle-bugs" (as in Dr. Seuss's, Muddle Puddle Tweetle Poodle Beetle Noodle Bottle Paddle Battle). Then you have all the made-up words from Duncan that sounds like Winnie-the-Pooh. Rapunzel rides a mare named, Pippi that made me think of Pippi Longstocking. Then there's the pirate, Orangebeard and the Djinni in a bottle that loves the word, "Baribunda" and says it whenever the chance arises. Duncan names the kraken, "Cecil" and the ship is called, "The Wet Walnut." And a character named, Val Jeanval, is a wordplay on the character, Jean Valjean, from "Les Miserable." Here's a good line by Gustav, "I"m irrigated because I"m tired of being on the run." To which Frederic replies, "Igitated... or irritated. I'm not sure which one you meant." Honestly... Healy's an ADHD version of the Brothers Grimm. Or "goof noodle."
His creation of different character voices is a hoot. Only one pirate, Gabberman, talks like one. "So we'll first be needin' to untie them big ropes. If I could just figger out where they're attached..." Then there is the Djinni, "You are the possessor of the fabled Bottle of Baribunda, gateway to the realm of Baribuna, home of the Djinni of Baribunda." He's your typical crazed genie from being bottled up for hundreds of years, but this one is frustrated at being cut off from giving his spiel when he mists out of his glass cage. And I'm not even going to get into the Elf who wants respect and Greenfang that never gives up on a mission. Or the boy that wants power. Or the woman, Val, that joins the princesses, Ferocious Female Freedom Fighters, or ffff, as Snow dubbed them (Duncan is rubbing off on her). Now say, "ffff," out loud.
Marvel should make a movie out of this series.
Briar Rose has supposedly been murdered by The League of Princes and princesses making them outlaws. Gustav is disgusted that the "girls" are included on the Wanted posters, but then these are not the brightest princes. In fact, unlike the classic fairy tale where the man saves the princess, it is usually the princesses saving the princes after they've made a mess out of a rescue mission. Each character has a unique skill that comes into play during the action scenes that results in saving the group. Even the most inept characters such as Duncan and Snow help out in some weird way whether untangling knots (Duncan's talent) or hurdling an object with the precision of a major league pitcher (Snow's talent). Teamwork is one of many themes in this series and this crew of noble ninnies never accomplishes anything until they work together.
In Chapter one, Prince Frederic's father, King Wilberforce, worries about his son's safety. Book two has them arguing and Wilberforce tells Ella to leave the palace because she is a bad influence on Frederic, getting him into dangerous adventures. Frederic, in turn, gets mad at his dad and leaves the castle. Book 3 starts with Wilberforce looking for Frederic's whereabouts and questioning Frederic's valet, Reginald, who doesn't answer but tells the King that he needs to treat his son like a man and stop mollycoddling him. When Wilberforce responds stupidly, Reginald gets sarcastic. Wilberforce says, "'You're being cheeky with me, aren't you, Reginald?' 'Cheeky sire?' the valet replied. 'You're giving me cheek. Sass. Cheeky sass.' [great wordplay... I read that wrong the first time, did you?] 'I would never dream of it, Your Highness. Look at all those medals on your chest: Best Posture, Team Solitaire Champion, Silkiest Mustache. I have nothing but the utmost respect for a monarch with so many ...amazing accomplishments to his credit.'" Giggling in an uncomfortable seat at the Amsterdam airport, I felt warm breath on my arm as the kid next to me leaned over to glance at my book. I gave her a thumbs up. Yep, this is a book to recommend.
Frederic seems to have made the most progress emotionally out of all the characters and by the end of this book even his father has learned to look beyond his own goal of self-preservation to help others. Frederic seems to have embraced his geekiness and has moments where he's surprisingly witty. At one point he outsmarts the villains and likes it when they acknowledge his brains. Frederic is not a character that I ever thought I would call intelligent, but he seems to be coming into his own. When he sits in pajamas and has a heart-to-heart conversation with Rapunzel it seems that he's matured in a humorous way. Healy does a great job balancing gags, action, and meaning in the series. Briar Rose is probably my next pick in the pack for changing the most. Gustav's character falls in love but he's still trying to find self-confidence. Liam is a chauvinist that is now saying he's worried about Ella's safety. This capey guy's ego keeps blinding him in relationships. Don't worry. I won't go through all twelve characters. The pattern continues as from previous books where the princes are the main protagonists and the females their foils.
Healy pokes fun at conventions and skips along with word plays from start to finish. Frederic notices that the Wanted posters picture of him are so accurate of him he can't deny he's the person in them when captured, "The artist we hire to do our family portraits makes me look like I"m half goblin, the sculptor who crafts the League's victory statue gives me a nose like a toucan, but the guy who draws the Wanted poster? He nails it." Snow White parodies Disney's "Whistle While You Work" song, "Dunky, you know I'm never one to shy away from chores - they provide an excellent opportunity for whistling." I'm telling you, Healy is a pop-culture sponge. Liam reminded me of Seuss when he called, "twinkle-bugs," "twiddle-bugs" (as in Dr. Seuss's, Muddle Puddle Tweetle Poodle Beetle Noodle Bottle Paddle Battle). Then you have all the made-up words from Duncan that sounds like Winnie-the-Pooh. Rapunzel rides a mare named, Pippi that made me think of Pippi Longstocking. Then there's the pirate, Orangebeard and the Djinni in a bottle that loves the word, "Baribunda" and says it whenever the chance arises. Duncan names the kraken, "Cecil" and the ship is called, "The Wet Walnut." And a character named, Val Jeanval, is a wordplay on the character, Jean Valjean, from "Les Miserable." Here's a good line by Gustav, "I"m irrigated because I"m tired of being on the run." To which Frederic replies, "Igitated... or irritated. I'm not sure which one you meant." Honestly... Healy's an ADHD version of the Brothers Grimm. Or "goof noodle."
His creation of different character voices is a hoot. Only one pirate, Gabberman, talks like one. "So we'll first be needin' to untie them big ropes. If I could just figger out where they're attached..." Then there is the Djinni, "You are the possessor of the fabled Bottle of Baribunda, gateway to the realm of Baribuna, home of the Djinni of Baribunda." He's your typical crazed genie from being bottled up for hundreds of years, but this one is frustrated at being cut off from giving his spiel when he mists out of his glass cage. And I'm not even going to get into the Elf who wants respect and Greenfang that never gives up on a mission. Or the boy that wants power. Or the woman, Val, that joins the princesses, Ferocious Female Freedom Fighters, or ffff, as Snow dubbed them (Duncan is rubbing off on her). Now say, "ffff," out loud.
Marvel should make a movie out of this series.
January 27, 2025
Easiest 5 stars ever.
These books got better and better as the series went on.
Honestly, I read a lot of books, and even though these are aimed at a middle grade audience, even as an adult I think they might be some of my favorite books.
The characters are amazing, each one of them is perfectly crazy in their own way and wonderfully hilarious. I can’t tell you how many times I had to pause reading in order to laugh. My 9 year old daughter was so entirely invested she begged for just one more chapter Every. Single. Night.
I had so much fun with this book, and I wish this series could just go on forever.
Ahem.
STUURRRMMHAAAAGGEEEEEEEEN.
These books got better and better as the series went on.
Honestly, I read a lot of books, and even though these are aimed at a middle grade audience, even as an adult I think they might be some of my favorite books.
The characters are amazing, each one of them is perfectly crazy in their own way and wonderfully hilarious. I can’t tell you how many times I had to pause reading in order to laugh. My 9 year old daughter was so entirely invested she begged for just one more chapter Every. Single. Night.
I had so much fun with this book, and I wish this series could just go on forever.
Ahem.
STUURRRMMHAAAAGGEEEEEEEEN.
Want to read
October 14, 2015:( SO not ready for this series to be finished!
June 14, 2014
Busier and less meaningful than its predecessors, Healy still delivers a damn god read.
July 10, 2016
WHY IS IT OVER??
June 14, 2017
With this series being on of my absolute favorites, I bought the whole set off of ThriftBooks. However, the last book ended up at my house first... so I guess I'll just read them out of order. ;)
May 19, 2024
Honestly this was a struggle to get through. You know it’s rough when you would rather being weeding the garden than reading a book. It was just so tedious to start, so much of the same old, same old, blundering and buffoonery. Our heroes don’t act like it, even by book three. Where is the character growth?! Also the sprites Deedle and Blink and their baby talk nearly made me abandon the book altogether. Seriously, so annoying! Insufferable. Thank goodness Rapunzel’s special helpers only appear for a few pages and then are largely forgotten altogether. Their sole plot purpose is to annoy the reader and get Frederic reunited with Rapunzel.
To catch up: This time the princes don’t just have a bad name, they are Wanted! Hence the title. There’s bounty hunters and pirates and island survival and desert treks to find djinns and genie bottles and wasted wishes and LOTS of bickering and puns and fights and several new characters, including a few more female leads to round out the love interests. There are mind controlling gems, a plot to take over the world, massive mongooses (mongeese?!), disembodied witches, and sea dragons. It didn’t really win me over until page 231 (I know! I was too far in by then) when we finally got back to the ladies. I really just stuck it out for them.
I wanted to love and these characters but most of the time the princes were just so one dimensional and predictable. Not believeable as robust, complicated, multifaceted people. This scene pretty much summed it up, when (Little Deebie!) Rauber is waiting for the League to accept his offer:
“You guys forget your lines?” Rauber scoffed, tipping his chair onto its rear legs. “Let me show you how it goes.” He pointed at Frederic and in a whiny voice said, “Rainer’s so mean and scary I don’t think we should trust him.” He then pointed at Gustav and said in a deep, gruff voice, “I say we just attack Rundark ourselves because I’m a big strong lummox, and I like to bash my head into anything that moves! Grrr, grrr, grrr!” He then switched to Liam, put his hands on his hips, inside in a melodramatic tone, “I think I’m smarter than everyone so you should all listen to me, and I say the Bandit King is our only hope.” Enjoying his own performance, he then looked at Duncan, raised his arms, and flopped his hands in the air, yelling, “I’ll do anything! Because I’m a total goof noodle! Floppy Whizz-pimples!” Then he pointed at Ella and singsonged in a high falsetto “It doesn’t matter what I think ‘cause I’m a girl! Blah, blah, blaAAAAAGGGGGH!”
Lila kicked his chair out from under him. Rauber lay on his back in a sticky pool of crumbs, fruit rinds, and sour milk.
“Too much?” he asked?
Honestly he nails it. These characters could have been written by AI they are so type cast at this point.
And it was published in 2014. Yet this book’s commentary on (through the songs of the bards) propaganda and how it’s used to topple governments is unfortunately prescient and terrifying.
All that said , by the end… Everyone gets a relatively happy ending and paired up suitably (I’m just going to assume Briar winds up with her new bodyguard because that would be so fitting and a fun twist.)
To catch up: This time the princes don’t just have a bad name, they are Wanted! Hence the title. There’s bounty hunters and pirates and island survival and desert treks to find djinns and genie bottles and wasted wishes and LOTS of bickering and puns and fights and several new characters, including a few more female leads to round out the love interests. There are mind controlling gems, a plot to take over the world, massive mongooses (mongeese?!), disembodied witches, and sea dragons. It didn’t really win me over until page 231 (I know! I was too far in by then) when we finally got back to the ladies. I really just stuck it out for them.
I wanted to love and these characters but most of the time the princes were just so one dimensional and predictable. Not believeable as robust, complicated, multifaceted people. This scene pretty much summed it up, when (Little Deebie!) Rauber is waiting for the League to accept his offer:
“You guys forget your lines?” Rauber scoffed, tipping his chair onto its rear legs. “Let me show you how it goes.” He pointed at Frederic and in a whiny voice said, “Rainer’s so mean and scary I don’t think we should trust him.” He then pointed at Gustav and said in a deep, gruff voice, “I say we just attack Rundark ourselves because I’m a big strong lummox, and I like to bash my head into anything that moves! Grrr, grrr, grrr!” He then switched to Liam, put his hands on his hips, inside in a melodramatic tone, “I think I’m smarter than everyone so you should all listen to me, and I say the Bandit King is our only hope.” Enjoying his own performance, he then looked at Duncan, raised his arms, and flopped his hands in the air, yelling, “I’ll do anything! Because I’m a total goof noodle! Floppy Whizz-pimples!” Then he pointed at Ella and singsonged in a high falsetto “It doesn’t matter what I think ‘cause I’m a girl! Blah, blah, blaAAAAAGGGGGH!”
Lila kicked his chair out from under him. Rauber lay on his back in a sticky pool of crumbs, fruit rinds, and sour milk.
“Too much?” he asked?
Honestly he nails it. These characters could have been written by AI they are so type cast at this point.
And it was published in 2014. Yet this book’s commentary on (through the songs of the bards) propaganda and how it’s used to topple governments is unfortunately prescient and terrifying.
All that said , by the end… Everyone gets a relatively happy ending and paired up suitably (I’m just going to assume Briar winds up with her new bodyguard because that would be so fitting and a fun twist.)
May 5, 2020
An incredible finale that ties up ALL the loose ends you didn't even know existed. I'm in awe of both the author and narrator for this audiobook, which continues to be one of the best series of audiobooks I have ever listened to and enjoyed. This is a painfully hysterical read that will leave you in tears of laughter.
April 18, 2022
Final thoughts on the series: First book was the best installment. Charming concept (pun intended) but the following books didn't hold up nearly as well. I'm disappointed, considering there were some imaginative ideas and genuinely good sense of humor.
The narration from Bronson Pinchot is exceptionally good. If you're thinking about reading these, treat yourself to the audio version!
The narration from Bronson Pinchot is exceptionally good. If you're thinking about reading these, treat yourself to the audio version!
May 27, 2023
A great conclusion to a hilarious series. I was quite satisfied with how Christopher Healy tied everything up. And now I have to go find a new series to read. I will miss spending time with these characters I’ve grown to love. (I think Frederic will always be my favorite.)
Read
January 23, 2018lhkygditurus yw4qrtWY5E6R7T6874T3qt9;yhweghrlti7ehawrestr79ijeahrstt87eahrwhes6876ehrastr857resthjrt876rstdt69stzrt876trsdzf8t7dfzt87yddnz6zdf6drstjrdr68rdzf7tdxjtdy7k
Read
April 8, 2024Life would be so different if we all had the situational awareness of this series’ narrator.
February 12, 2018
I loved it. I liked how it wrapped up the characters but was still funny and delightful.
August 16, 2014
140425_hero_outlaw
Artwork © 2014 by Todd Harris
The Hero's Guide to Being an Outlaw
THE HERO’S GUIDE TO BEING AN OUTLAW
Christopher Healy
528 pages
Publisher: Walden Pond Press
Release Date: April 29th, 2014
Source: ARC from Publisher
Rating: LOVED
The League of Princes returns in the hilariously epic conclusion to the hit series that began with Christopher Healy’s The Hero’s Guide to Saving Your Kingdom, which the Los Angeles Times called “one of the more clever, hilariously successful incarnations of the current literary rage to rip apart and rewrite fairy tales.”
Prince Liam. Prince Frederic. Prince Duncan. Prince Gustav. You think you know those guys pretty well by now, don’t you? Well, think again. The Princes Charming, along with Ella, Snow, Rapunzel, and Princess Lila are caught and arrested for the murder of Briar Rose. The heroes are simultaneously shocked and sad to hear of this news. But a series of suspicious events leads them to believe that not only is Briar still alive, but some unseen evil is working its way into the throne rooms of all thirteen kingdoms. It’s up to the League to break out of prison, find Briar, and uncover the nefarious plot before the entire country is destroyed.
The League of Princes are back. And this time they’re outlaws. Apparently they murdered Briar Rose. By they, I mean all four princes and their quite strong female partners—Ella, Snow, Rapunzel, and Lila. Hunted by bounty-hunters and fugitives in all thirteen kingdoms, the League is determined to clear their names. As much as a Prince that jumps at every sign of danger, a Prince that would gladly run head-first into battle without thinking, a Prince that takes it upon himself to name every little animal, and a rather level-headed Prince with a teeny tiny amount of patience can be determined.
But soon, they find themselves caught up with an oddly familiar enemy—an enemy with a complicated master plan to rule all thirteen kingdoms. And if the League doesn’t hurry, the kingdoms will all fall and… the princes? Well, they die. That should be incentive enough for our humorous group.
Once again, Christopher Healy has written a novel that is just as meaningful as it is hilarious. From the start, we’re thrust back into the whimsical world of Prince Frederic, Prince Liam, Prince Gustav, Prince Duncan and their princesses, although they’re not all together anymore. Yeah, the bards lied – Prince Charming (Frederic) and Cinderella aren’t together anymore. The blasphemy!
I loved how the story wasn’t just non-stop humor without a plot. And even though there were bucket loads of hilarious moments, the story was still well-written, and by well-written, I mean extremely well-written. It was interesting and way different from other books.
Read my full review over at IceyBooks
Artwork © 2014 by Todd Harris
The Hero's Guide to Being an Outlaw
THE HERO’S GUIDE TO BEING AN OUTLAW
Christopher Healy
528 pages
Publisher: Walden Pond Press
Release Date: April 29th, 2014
Source: ARC from Publisher
Rating: LOVED
The League of Princes returns in the hilariously epic conclusion to the hit series that began with Christopher Healy’s The Hero’s Guide to Saving Your Kingdom, which the Los Angeles Times called “one of the more clever, hilariously successful incarnations of the current literary rage to rip apart and rewrite fairy tales.”
Prince Liam. Prince Frederic. Prince Duncan. Prince Gustav. You think you know those guys pretty well by now, don’t you? Well, think again. The Princes Charming, along with Ella, Snow, Rapunzel, and Princess Lila are caught and arrested for the murder of Briar Rose. The heroes are simultaneously shocked and sad to hear of this news. But a series of suspicious events leads them to believe that not only is Briar still alive, but some unseen evil is working its way into the throne rooms of all thirteen kingdoms. It’s up to the League to break out of prison, find Briar, and uncover the nefarious plot before the entire country is destroyed.
The League of Princes are back. And this time they’re outlaws. Apparently they murdered Briar Rose. By they, I mean all four princes and their quite strong female partners—Ella, Snow, Rapunzel, and Lila. Hunted by bounty-hunters and fugitives in all thirteen kingdoms, the League is determined to clear their names. As much as a Prince that jumps at every sign of danger, a Prince that would gladly run head-first into battle without thinking, a Prince that takes it upon himself to name every little animal, and a rather level-headed Prince with a teeny tiny amount of patience can be determined.
But soon, they find themselves caught up with an oddly familiar enemy—an enemy with a complicated master plan to rule all thirteen kingdoms. And if the League doesn’t hurry, the kingdoms will all fall and… the princes? Well, they die. That should be incentive enough for our humorous group.
Once again, Christopher Healy has written a novel that is just as meaningful as it is hilarious. From the start, we’re thrust back into the whimsical world of Prince Frederic, Prince Liam, Prince Gustav, Prince Duncan and their princesses, although they’re not all together anymore. Yeah, the bards lied – Prince Charming (Frederic) and Cinderella aren’t together anymore. The blasphemy!
I loved how the story wasn’t just non-stop humor without a plot. And even though there were bucket loads of hilarious moments, the story was still well-written, and by well-written, I mean extremely well-written. It was interesting and way different from other books.
Read my full review over at IceyBooks
Displaying 1 - 30 of 332 reviews