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Fly
Amelia is not like an ordinary fairytale princess. She's airborne, literally. She’s prone to loop-de-loos and throwing lavish punk rock parties. She is always aloft and never ever comes down.
Hank is not an ordinary prince, or really a prince at all. He's a young man worried about the increasing water shortages. Big worries - hunger, thirst, and the fate of his village. He carries them deep, but what can he do? He’s just a guitar-playing, surfer boy from the village, after all.
Hank asks the Princess to intervene with the King and his big, looming dam, but she doesn't seem to care. The Princess never worries, and barely understands.
Until one night, Amelia asks, "Guitar Boy, will you play me a song?" and causes Hank's heart to play the beat before he can even answer, "Yes, Princess, I wrote one for you."
Hank is not an ordinary prince, or really a prince at all. He's a young man worried about the increasing water shortages. Big worries - hunger, thirst, and the fate of his village. He carries them deep, but what can he do? He’s just a guitar-playing, surfer boy from the village, after all.
Hank asks the Princess to intervene with the King and his big, looming dam, but she doesn't seem to care. The Princess never worries, and barely understands.
Until one night, Amelia asks, "Guitar Boy, will you play me a song?" and causes Hank's heart to play the beat before he can even answer, "Yes, Princess, I wrote one for you."
317 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2014
23 people are currently reading
1102 people want to read
About the author
H.D. Knightley
13 books74 followersH.D. Knightley loves weaving tales about characters who are in way over their head. People faced with huge environmental issues—light-polluted skies, droughts, piles of hoarded things, encroaching water—that rise above and carry on anyway.
She likes a story in which everything is a disaster, yet they kiss in the end, so it's all good.
Her characters are not perfectly strong, more like creatively ordinary, yet capable of amazing things.
They include Estelle (The Estelle Series) who becomes a celebrity dissident for starting a farm; the Princess Amelia (Fly: The Light Princess Retold) who discovers gravity and rescues her kingdom from a drought; Edmund who scales heights to rescue Violet (Violet's Mountain); and the paddleboarder Luna (the upcoming Leveling) who finds love, shelter, and possible disaster, at the edge of a rising ocean.
H.D.Knightley lives in Los Angeles in real life and online at http://www.hdknightley.com
She likes a story in which everything is a disaster, yet they kiss in the end, so it's all good.
Her characters are not perfectly strong, more like creatively ordinary, yet capable of amazing things.
They include Estelle (The Estelle Series) who becomes a celebrity dissident for starting a farm; the Princess Amelia (Fly: The Light Princess Retold) who discovers gravity and rescues her kingdom from a drought; Edmund who scales heights to rescue Violet (Violet's Mountain); and the paddleboarder Luna (the upcoming Leveling) who finds love, shelter, and possible disaster, at the edge of a rising ocean.
H.D.Knightley lives in Los Angeles in real life and online at http://www.hdknightley.com
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
February 27, 2019
Flying
The Light Princess is one of my favorite stories, so I was eager to read a retelling of the story.
To be frank, Fly doesn't quite live up to the magic that made me love MacDonald's classic, but it does manage to capture most of the elements of the story, if not its heart. It also does do a fair job of building its own message.
The Light Princess is one of my favorite stories, so I was eager to read a retelling of the story.
To be frank, Fly doesn't quite live up to the magic that made me love MacDonald's classic, but it does manage to capture most of the elements of the story, if not its heart. It also does do a fair job of building its own message.
June 21, 2017
This was a very cute retelling of one of my favorite fairy tales. Fun and humorous. More suited for a younger generation than the original. I found it a joy to read. Can recommend for teens and up. I give it five stars.
November 17, 2014
Fly by H.D. Knightley
Fly by H.D. Knightley tells the story of Princess Amelia who is no ordinary girl. Airy, as her friends refer to her, is always happy, throws great parties, and is always in the air, flying. Amelia never leaves the castle and her friends carry a hoop and wires around to help contain Amelia.
Hank is a young man that lives in the village, Hank moved to the village after his parents passed away and he started helping out around the village where ever he was needed. Hank came up with the idea of using the sea water to flush their toilets and saw the project through. He is also the youngest member that was ever asked to be on the Village Council.
The village is having water shortages and crops are failing. The Council went to the King but he thinks since he has food that the villagers are exaggerating and need to apply themselves. The King told the council that the people need to pay market price for their water. So Hank decides that he is going to sneak into a party Princess Amelia is having and tell her about the water shortage and see if she could help.
Hank and the Princess meet and she is excited that he has a guitar and she asks him to sing her a song. Later the go for a walk and they go swimming in the lake. Airy asks him to come back the next day and when he returns he talks to the Princess about the water.
Things begin to change after their meeting and Airy and Hank’s adventure are just beginning.
The story line moves along at a great pace, with plenty of great moments. The story does not lag at any point. The characters are fun especially Amelia. You just can’t help but like her. The characters each had their own unique voice and grew throughout the book.
The story has a good message and is a fun read!
*I won this book through Goodreads First Reads giveaway. In no way has this influenced my rating or opinion of this book.*
3.5 Stars
Fly by H.D. Knightley tells the story of Princess Amelia who is no ordinary girl. Airy, as her friends refer to her, is always happy, throws great parties, and is always in the air, flying. Amelia never leaves the castle and her friends carry a hoop and wires around to help contain Amelia.
Hank is a young man that lives in the village, Hank moved to the village after his parents passed away and he started helping out around the village where ever he was needed. Hank came up with the idea of using the sea water to flush their toilets and saw the project through. He is also the youngest member that was ever asked to be on the Village Council.
The village is having water shortages and crops are failing. The Council went to the King but he thinks since he has food that the villagers are exaggerating and need to apply themselves. The King told the council that the people need to pay market price for their water. So Hank decides that he is going to sneak into a party Princess Amelia is having and tell her about the water shortage and see if she could help.
Hank and the Princess meet and she is excited that he has a guitar and she asks him to sing her a song. Later the go for a walk and they go swimming in the lake. Airy asks him to come back the next day and when he returns he talks to the Princess about the water.
Things begin to change after their meeting and Airy and Hank’s adventure are just beginning.
The story line moves along at a great pace, with plenty of great moments. The story does not lag at any point. The characters are fun especially Amelia. You just can’t help but like her. The characters each had their own unique voice and grew throughout the book.
The story has a good message and is a fun read!
*I won this book through Goodreads First Reads giveaway. In no way has this influenced my rating or opinion of this book.*
3.5 Stars
March 14, 2016
"Fly" now joins "Bright" and "Beyond" as one of my favorite new books, and Knightly is quickly becoming one of my favorite contemporary authors. With each of these books I set out to read a chapter or two before getting along with my day, and each time I ended up scrapping the days' plans to finish reading. Looking forward to Estelle's third book and more fairy tales, too!!
January 27, 2018
Finally shelving this book that I wrote, yes I finished reading it, 23 times ;o) Oh, and it's awesome. And right now, Ian McEuen, is narrating it. Oh yes. Check him out! http://www.ian-mceuen.com/bio
April 17, 2016
At first I wasn't sure I was going to like it, but then it started getting more interested. This is a kids book, but I did enjoy some of the underlying moral themes.
May 8, 2023
Fairytale
This book was a fun read and a beautiful lovestory,the King definitely gets his come uppence,lol. Just a good quick read if you love Ms,. KNIGHTLYS SENSE OF HUMOR AND HER VALUE OF THE QUALITY OF LIFE, I WOULD PROTEST WITH HER ANYDAY,NOT IN 5HIS BOOK BUT ILOVE HOW SHE can show us all the importance of listening and speaking UP!!
This book was a fun read and a beautiful lovestory,the King definitely gets his come uppence,lol. Just a good quick read if you love Ms,. KNIGHTLYS SENSE OF HUMOR AND HER VALUE OF THE QUALITY OF LIFE, I WOULD PROTEST WITH HER ANYDAY,NOT IN 5HIS BOOK BUT ILOVE HOW SHE can show us all the importance of listening and speaking UP!!
February 3, 2021
A swooping, swirling, high-flying treat
Ms. Knightley has done it again. indulge in a tale so soaringly imaginative, you'll feel like you've reached new heights of fun, love and laughter!
Ms. Knightley has done it again. indulge in a tale so soaringly imaginative, you'll feel like you've reached new heights of fun, love and laughter!
October 1, 2021
very silly book
This was a strange silly book. It took me forever to finish it. I felt like I was reading a child’s book. But this authors other series is good so I made myself finish it.
This was a strange silly book. It took me forever to finish it. I felt like I was reading a child’s book. But this authors other series is good so I made myself finish it.
October 9, 2014
fly was a extraordinary book!! i highly recommend it to people ages 1 to a billion its a great book for all ages!!!!!!!!! i loved how deep the story is it really feels like you there soaring over the clouds with amelia!!! and hank is just so lovable! i love the part where he finally realized what his parents meant!!!! no spoilers but seriously its great!! go read it!!!!! if i could give it a hundred stars i would!! thank you hd nightly for this amazing read
November 17, 2015
A modern fairytale perfect for people of any age.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews