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Twist of Tales
Of Knives and Nobility: A Retelling of The Princess and the Pea
He’s determined to rescue her. She knows it’s impossible.
Two years after the invasion that ended his betrothal to the Cabranian princess, Prince Fenrick of Pethaylia watches his younger brother marry and longs for love of his own. When the borders between Pethaylia and Cabrana finally reopen, whispers circulate of the beautiful princess still awaiting a victorious suitor, and Fenrick resolves to try once more for her hand. Surely The Tests can’t be as difficult as rumors claim.
Still grieving the unexpected loss of her father, Princess Ellina of Cabrana is a captive in her own home. Resolved not to soften her heart to any of the suitors who attempt her mother’s corrupt tests, she wants nothing to do with the eager prince from Pethaylia. He’ll fail and leave her again, like everyone else. Perhaps it’s better that way.
As Fenrick fights to earn her favor, he realizes that failing at The Tests will lose more than her hand, but her hope as well. His efforts and unending kindness light a spark in Ellina’s chest, but how can anyone overcome the queen’s deception? As stakes rise and lies twist, more than their own happily-ever-afters hang in the balance.
This book is part of A Twist of Tales, a series of nonmagical Christian genderbent fairy tale retellings with epic adventures and animal companions. Of Knives and Nobility retells The Princess and the Pea, featuring a morally admirable hero, and tropes such as second-chance romance and he falls first.
Two years after the invasion that ended his betrothal to the Cabranian princess, Prince Fenrick of Pethaylia watches his younger brother marry and longs for love of his own. When the borders between Pethaylia and Cabrana finally reopen, whispers circulate of the beautiful princess still awaiting a victorious suitor, and Fenrick resolves to try once more for her hand. Surely The Tests can’t be as difficult as rumors claim.
Still grieving the unexpected loss of her father, Princess Ellina of Cabrana is a captive in her own home. Resolved not to soften her heart to any of the suitors who attempt her mother’s corrupt tests, she wants nothing to do with the eager prince from Pethaylia. He’ll fail and leave her again, like everyone else. Perhaps it’s better that way.
As Fenrick fights to earn her favor, he realizes that failing at The Tests will lose more than her hand, but her hope as well. His efforts and unending kindness light a spark in Ellina’s chest, but how can anyone overcome the queen’s deception? As stakes rise and lies twist, more than their own happily-ever-afters hang in the balance.
This book is part of A Twist of Tales, a series of nonmagical Christian genderbent fairy tale retellings with epic adventures and animal companions. Of Knives and Nobility retells The Princess and the Pea, featuring a morally admirable hero, and tropes such as second-chance romance and he falls first.
177 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 7, 2026
About the author
E.G. Bella
5 books104 followersE. G. Bella is passionate about adventure stories that mix fascinating characters, tender topics, and contagious faith. She lives in the Midwest with her husband and two kitties, and dreams of owning a castle. Forests, tea, and folk music are some of her favorite things.
Connect with her at www.egbella.com, and sign up for her newsletter to receive a free copy of The Toymaker's Doll!
Connect with her at www.egbella.com, and sign up for her newsletter to receive a free copy of The Toymaker's Doll!
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
September 16, 2026
4 stars ⭐️ Christian Fiction - Fairytale Retelling (no magic)
About this book:
“He’s determined to rescue her. She knows it’s impossible.
Two years after the invasion that ended his betrothal to the Cabranian princess, Prince Fenrick of Pethaylia watches his younger brother marry and longs for love of his own. When the borders between Pethaylia and Cabrana finally reopen, whispers circulate of the beautiful princess still awaiting a victorious suitor, and Fenrick resolves to try once more for her hand. Surely The Tests can’t be as difficult as rumors claim.
Still grieving the unexpected loss of her father, Princess Ellina of Cabrana is a captive in her own home. Resolved not to soften her heart to any of the suitors who attempt her mother’s corrupt tests, she wants nothing to do with the eager prince from Pethaylia. He’ll fail and leave her again, like everyone else. Perhaps it’s better that way.
As Fenrick fights to earn her favor, he realizes that failing at The Tests will lose more than her hand, but her hope as well. His efforts and unending kindness light a spark in Ellina’s chest, but how can anyone overcome the queen’s deception? As stakes rise and lies twist, more than their own happily-ever-afters hang in the balance.”
Series: Part of the “Twist of Tales” multi-authored series, but is not connected to any other books.
Spiritual Content- Prayers; Talks about God, loyalty to Him, & trusting Him; ‘H’s are capital when referring to God; When she doubts it, Fenrick tells Ellina that God is always with them and to trust Him; Mentions of God & loyalty to Him; Mentions of prayers & praying; A couple mentions of a minister;
*Note: Mentions of luck & being lucky.
Negative Content- Minor cussing including: Some lies (mostly done to protect others; guilt is felt after saying some of them); Some eye rolling; Fighting, Holding someone at knife-point (x2), Being beaten and tied-up, Injuries, Pain, & Being knocked unconscious (border-line barely-above-not-detailed // semi-detailed); Being grabbed & locked in a room (barely-above-not-detailed); Seeing fights & others knocked unconscious (barely-above-not-detailed); Grief (Ellina for her father, barely-above-not-detailed); Fenrick is ordered to kill others (thieves and someone who committed treason) as part of the test, *Spoilers* ; Mentions of murders, orders to murder, possible murders, & a body being washed ashore; Mentions of deaths & grieving (Ellina for her late father & her mother’s mistreatment); Mentions of a plague, deaths, & countries closing their borders because of it; Mentions of possible deaths, injuries, pain, & blood/bleeding; Mentions of threats of harm & death; Mentions of jail, arrests, & possible hangings; Mentions of thieves & stealing; Mentions of flooding & damages to homes; Mentions of lies, lying, & liars; Mentions of manipulation (from a parent); A few mentions of invasions/wars; A few mentions of kidnappings & ransoms; A mention of an assassin; A mention of hatred; A mention of a rumor;
*Note: Ellina’s mother is very controlling and manipulative towards her, which is shown by her belittling Ellina (on both her appearance and implying Ellina isn’t smart), not allowing Ellina to leave the castle, having Ellina locked in her room, ordering guards to grab and closely watch Ellina, & Ellina is malnourished from a lack of food; *Spoilers* *Major Spoilers* .
Sexual Content- A head kiss; Some touches, hand holding, embraces, nearness, & blushes (barely-above-not-detailed); A bit of noticing (barely-above-not-detailed); Fenrick tells someone that true love should “never cause you to abandon goodness” and it “allows both parties to challenge one another, to grow together, to become stronger through life’s tests”; A few mentions of crushes & being smitten; A couple mentions of a couple kissing at a wedding; Light love, falling in love, & the emotions;
*Note: Ellina and Fenrick secretly meet in a room with that has a bed in it, but nothing sexual happens; Ellina’s mother criticizes Ellina’s figure when she is eating (a couple times).
-Ellina Thorell
-Fenrick Norlander
P.O.V. switches between them
177 pages
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Pre Teens- One Star
New Teens- Three Stars
Early High School Teens- Four Stars
Older High School Teens- Four Stars
My personal Rating- Four Stars
This was overall a sweet story! There was a sad undertone because of Ellina’s mother’s actions and cruelty toward her daughter, but the main characters/couple were wonderful. Fenrick was a sweetheart! He had such a kind demeanor and heart, especially towards Ellina which was much needed after years of manipulation and never receiving love from her mother. I saw that the author called Fenrick a “morally admirable hero” on her website and I don’t think I’ve ever loved an idea more—and now I need more Male Main Characters like him who can be described that way!
This non-magical fairytale retelling was a gender-switched version of ‘The Princess and the Pea’—instead of her going through tests including a bad night of sleep to become a princess, it was him going through tests to win her hand and heart—but also had elements of ‘Rapunzel’ with Ellina’s mother keeping her locked up in a tower (her name wasn’t Gothel, but her actions were pretty close!) and also had some parts that reminded me of ‘Snow White’. It’s wasn’t a full retelling of any of them, though it had bits and pieces of those three in a very unique way. Our main couple is really what sold me on this book because I greatly enjoyed both of them and their hearts. There was unexpected humor that caught me off guard and caused me to laugh out loud—the knee popping scene especially! I wished the ending had been a little longer, but was overall pleased by the ending and seeing our Ellina being positively influenced by Fenrick to have courage and loyalty to God. I particularly liked their prayers for the Lord to give them strength in hard moments and appreciate the amount of faith content in this story. I honestly hope there will be another book set in this world so I can see glimpses of Ellina and Fenrick again!
Link to review:
https://booksforchristiangirls.blogsp...
*BFCG may (Read the review to see) recommend this book by this author. It does not mean I recommend all the books by this author.
About this book:
“He’s determined to rescue her. She knows it’s impossible.
Two years after the invasion that ended his betrothal to the Cabranian princess, Prince Fenrick of Pethaylia watches his younger brother marry and longs for love of his own. When the borders between Pethaylia and Cabrana finally reopen, whispers circulate of the beautiful princess still awaiting a victorious suitor, and Fenrick resolves to try once more for her hand. Surely The Tests can’t be as difficult as rumors claim.
Still grieving the unexpected loss of her father, Princess Ellina of Cabrana is a captive in her own home. Resolved not to soften her heart to any of the suitors who attempt her mother’s corrupt tests, she wants nothing to do with the eager prince from Pethaylia. He’ll fail and leave her again, like everyone else. Perhaps it’s better that way.
As Fenrick fights to earn her favor, he realizes that failing at The Tests will lose more than her hand, but her hope as well. His efforts and unending kindness light a spark in Ellina’s chest, but how can anyone overcome the queen’s deception? As stakes rise and lies twist, more than their own happily-ever-afters hang in the balance.”
Series: Part of the “Twist of Tales” multi-authored series, but is not connected to any other books.
Spiritual Content- Prayers; Talks about God, loyalty to Him, & trusting Him; ‘H’s are capital when referring to God; When she doubts it, Fenrick tells Ellina that God is always with them and to trust Him; Mentions of God & loyalty to Him; Mentions of prayers & praying; A couple mentions of a minister;
*Note: Mentions of luck & being lucky.
Negative Content- Minor cussing including: Some lies (mostly done to protect others; guilt is felt after saying some of them); Some eye rolling; Fighting, Holding someone at knife-point (x2), Being beaten and tied-up, Injuries, Pain, & Being knocked unconscious (border-line barely-above-not-detailed // semi-detailed); Being grabbed & locked in a room (barely-above-not-detailed); Seeing fights & others knocked unconscious (barely-above-not-detailed); Grief (Ellina for her father, barely-above-not-detailed); Fenrick is ordered to kill others (thieves and someone who committed treason) as part of the test, *Spoilers* ; Mentions of murders, orders to murder, possible murders, & a body being washed ashore; Mentions of deaths & grieving (Ellina for her late father & her mother’s mistreatment); Mentions of a plague, deaths, & countries closing their borders because of it; Mentions of possible deaths, injuries, pain, & blood/bleeding; Mentions of threats of harm & death; Mentions of jail, arrests, & possible hangings; Mentions of thieves & stealing; Mentions of flooding & damages to homes; Mentions of lies, lying, & liars; Mentions of manipulation (from a parent); A few mentions of invasions/wars; A few mentions of kidnappings & ransoms; A mention of an assassin; A mention of hatred; A mention of a rumor;
*Note: Ellina’s mother is very controlling and manipulative towards her, which is shown by her belittling Ellina (on both her appearance and implying Ellina isn’t smart), not allowing Ellina to leave the castle, having Ellina locked in her room, ordering guards to grab and closely watch Ellina, & Ellina is malnourished from a lack of food; *Spoilers* *Major Spoilers* .
Sexual Content- A head kiss; Some touches, hand holding, embraces, nearness, & blushes (barely-above-not-detailed); A bit of noticing (barely-above-not-detailed); Fenrick tells someone that true love should “never cause you to abandon goodness” and it “allows both parties to challenge one another, to grow together, to become stronger through life’s tests”; A few mentions of crushes & being smitten; A couple mentions of a couple kissing at a wedding; Light love, falling in love, & the emotions;
*Note: Ellina and Fenrick secretly meet in a room with that has a bed in it, but nothing sexual happens; Ellina’s mother criticizes Ellina’s figure when she is eating (a couple times).
-Ellina Thorell
-Fenrick Norlander
P.O.V. switches between them
177 pages
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Pre Teens- One Star
New Teens- Three Stars
Early High School Teens- Four Stars
Older High School Teens- Four Stars
My personal Rating- Four Stars
This was overall a sweet story! There was a sad undertone because of Ellina’s mother’s actions and cruelty toward her daughter, but the main characters/couple were wonderful. Fenrick was a sweetheart! He had such a kind demeanor and heart, especially towards Ellina which was much needed after years of manipulation and never receiving love from her mother. I saw that the author called Fenrick a “morally admirable hero” on her website and I don’t think I’ve ever loved an idea more—and now I need more Male Main Characters like him who can be described that way!
This non-magical fairytale retelling was a gender-switched version of ‘The Princess and the Pea’—instead of her going through tests including a bad night of sleep to become a princess, it was him going through tests to win her hand and heart—but also had elements of ‘Rapunzel’ with Ellina’s mother keeping her locked up in a tower (her name wasn’t Gothel, but her actions were pretty close!) and also had some parts that reminded me of ‘Snow White’. It’s wasn’t a full retelling of any of them, though it had bits and pieces of those three in a very unique way. Our main couple is really what sold me on this book because I greatly enjoyed both of them and their hearts. There was unexpected humor that caught me off guard and caused me to laugh out loud—the knee popping scene especially! I wished the ending had been a little longer, but was overall pleased by the ending and seeing our Ellina being positively influenced by Fenrick to have courage and loyalty to God. I particularly liked their prayers for the Lord to give them strength in hard moments and appreciate the amount of faith content in this story. I honestly hope there will be another book set in this world so I can see glimpses of Ellina and Fenrick again!
Link to review:
https://booksforchristiangirls.blogsp...
*BFCG may (Read the review to see) recommend this book by this author. It does not mean I recommend all the books by this author.
Review of advance copy received from Author
OBSESSED. 🩶
I had the privilege of being on the beta-reading team for this novella, and I highly enjoyed it! The themes of courage, true love, and doing what's right even when doing evil could accomplish what we want were so powerful. Some of the lines were so beautiful and quotable too!
I had the privilege of being on the beta-reading team for this novella, and I highly enjoyed it! The themes of courage, true love, and doing what's right even when doing evil could accomplish what we want were so powerful. Some of the lines were so beautiful and quotable too!
Read
September 7, 2026PARENTS'/CONTENT GUIDE
I would recommend this book for readers roughly 12+ and up.
PROFANITY: None.
SEXUAL CONTENT: Very mild. No kisses, and a couple of non-described embraces. Spoiler for scene-specific explanations.
VIOLENCE: Fighting with swords and spears, injuries (mildly described), characters held at knifepoint, characters are threatened with death. See spoiler for scene-specific details.
TOUGH TOPICS: Off-page parent loss, grief, depression/hopelessness, parental manipulation, betrayal, contemplation of murder. See spoiler for more specifics.
Readers, if I've forgotten anything, please let me know!
Happy reading!
I would recommend this book for readers roughly 12+ and up.
PROFANITY: None.
SEXUAL CONTENT: Very mild. No kisses, and a couple of non-described embraces. Spoiler for scene-specific explanations.
VIOLENCE: Fighting with swords and spears, injuries (mildly described), characters held at knifepoint, characters are threatened with death. See spoiler for scene-specific details.
TOUGH TOPICS: Off-page parent loss, grief, depression/hopelessness, parental manipulation, betrayal, contemplation of murder. See spoiler for more specifics.
Readers, if I've forgotten anything, please let me know!
Happy reading!
Review of advance copy received from Author
5 stars. I always know when I pick up an E.G. Bella book that I'm signing up for a wonderful time. This was no exception. I enjoyed how unique this retelling is, especially with that cute little Pea.🦎 I really admired Fenrick (and his brother! Wish HE had a story!!) while Elliana was sweet & pitiful, the queen was terrifying, and her advisor was NOT as I expected. The message was excellent, and as always, I loved the humour... 💙
*I received a complimentary copy of this book for promotional purposes. I was not required to write a positive review. These are my honest thoughts and opinions.*
*I received a complimentary copy of this book for promotional purposes. I was not required to write a positive review. These are my honest thoughts and opinions.*
September 8, 2026
Of Knives and Nobility by E.G. Bella is another ARC I received from Beyond the Bookery's new series, A Twist of Tales. It's meant to be a gender-bent retelling of "The Princess and the Pea," but it reminded me more of "Snow White" and "Rapunzel" due to having a malicious and abusive queen. The narrative is done very well with a dual POV between the prince and princess that allows readers to get to know both characters. It's filled with action, suspense, and romance, culminating in a thrilling adventure with strong moral values.
Prince Fenrick feels discouraged after his brother's wedding when he realizes he gave up on a great opportunity for a marriage alliance with Princess Ellina. Since then, Ellina's mother has made it nearly impossible for suitors to reach her by giving them impossible tests to earn her daughter's hand. Desperate to prove his own worth, Fenrick volunteers himself for the tasks and grows closer to Ellina in the process. Meanwhile, Ellina becomes concerned for Fenrick's safety under the watch of her tyrannical mother.
I generally enjoy books with dual POV and thought it worked particularly well here. Seeing both Fenrick and Ellina's perspectives gave me more insight into the queen's abominable behavior. The narrative also helped to convey both characters' underlying feelings towards each other that they had difficulty expressing for much of the story. Both of them are placed in unfortunate situations created by the wicked queen. Ellina is sheltered in the castle with only her maid, Runi, for companionship, and Fenrick is sent on deadly missions where the odds are stacked against him in his attempt to win back Ellina's hand.
The side characters were fun and well developed. Fenrick has a lizard named "Pea" as a clever tongue-in-cheek reference to the fairy tale that inspired this book. His brother, Viggo, has some behind-the-scenes dalliances with Ellina's maid. The queen's advisor introduces an interesting character archetype that I haven't seen in a while. He is a good person who is blinded by his feelings towards her and fails to realize what type of person she really is. It was interesting to see all the different ways each character handled the queen's tyranny.
Overall, Of Knives and Nobility is a thrilling "Princess and the Pea" retelling about a wicked queen and two protagonists who must overcome her using their unique skill sets. I enjoyed reading both perspectives and seeing how Fenrick and Ellina grew beyond their feelings of helplessness for the sake of protecting each other. The antics around the side characters added a healthy dose of levity to the story. I'd recommend this book to someone looking for a dual-POV fairy tale retelling with an interesting male protagonist.
Prince Fenrick feels discouraged after his brother's wedding when he realizes he gave up on a great opportunity for a marriage alliance with Princess Ellina. Since then, Ellina's mother has made it nearly impossible for suitors to reach her by giving them impossible tests to earn her daughter's hand. Desperate to prove his own worth, Fenrick volunteers himself for the tasks and grows closer to Ellina in the process. Meanwhile, Ellina becomes concerned for Fenrick's safety under the watch of her tyrannical mother.
I generally enjoy books with dual POV and thought it worked particularly well here. Seeing both Fenrick and Ellina's perspectives gave me more insight into the queen's abominable behavior. The narrative also helped to convey both characters' underlying feelings towards each other that they had difficulty expressing for much of the story. Both of them are placed in unfortunate situations created by the wicked queen. Ellina is sheltered in the castle with only her maid, Runi, for companionship, and Fenrick is sent on deadly missions where the odds are stacked against him in his attempt to win back Ellina's hand.
The side characters were fun and well developed. Fenrick has a lizard named "Pea" as a clever tongue-in-cheek reference to the fairy tale that inspired this book. His brother, Viggo, has some behind-the-scenes dalliances with Ellina's maid. The queen's advisor introduces an interesting character archetype that I haven't seen in a while. He is a good person who is blinded by his feelings towards her and fails to realize what type of person she really is. It was interesting to see all the different ways each character handled the queen's tyranny.
Overall, Of Knives and Nobility is a thrilling "Princess and the Pea" retelling about a wicked queen and two protagonists who must overcome her using their unique skill sets. I enjoyed reading both perspectives and seeing how Fenrick and Ellina grew beyond their feelings of helplessness for the sake of protecting each other. The antics around the side characters added a healthy dose of levity to the story. I'd recommend this book to someone looking for a dual-POV fairy tale retelling with an interesting male protagonist.
September 7, 2026
Ack! I had so much fun reading this one! This was such an interesting twist on The Princess and the Pea!
Characters:
Fenrick was such a sweet guy and I really enjoyed him as a character and Pea! Ack, that little detail and also how cute the lizard was! I just wanted to pull him out of the book so I could have him! Fenrick, darling boy that he was thinking people would be easier if they were lizards. XD
Ellina was nice, I didn't relate as much to her...but that's okay, I usually don't relate as much with the girls...if you've read my reviews you know this. Tomboy problems...lol...But she was a nice, conflicted, and scared character who grew over the course of the story.
Runi was adorable and I loved her and I could see more of myself in her outgoing and fun personality!
Fenrick's brother Viggo was also just fantastic! I loved him!
Language:
N/A
Romance:
Yes, a very beautiful, developed romance that was just great!
Magic:
N/A
Violence/Gore:
Mentions of trials, being beaten, held at knife point, ordered to kill someone, being shot, cut, manipulated, etc. Nothing is overly detailed and all is handled in a tasteful manner.
Overall:
This was such a fun retelling with some great twists! I love the animal companion and the brother banter! I really enjoyed this read!
Recommended for ages 12+
Characters:
Fenrick was such a sweet guy and I really enjoyed him as a character and Pea! Ack, that little detail and also how cute the lizard was! I just wanted to pull him out of the book so I could have him! Fenrick, darling boy that he was thinking people would be easier if they were lizards. XD
Ellina was nice, I didn't relate as much to her...but that's okay, I usually don't relate as much with the girls...if you've read my reviews you know this. Tomboy problems...lol...But she was a nice, conflicted, and scared character who grew over the course of the story.
Runi was adorable and I loved her and I could see more of myself in her outgoing and fun personality!
Fenrick's brother Viggo was also just fantastic! I loved him!
Language:
N/A
Romance:
Yes, a very beautiful, developed romance that was just great!
Magic:
N/A
Violence/Gore:
Mentions of trials, being beaten, held at knife point, ordered to kill someone, being shot, cut, manipulated, etc. Nothing is overly detailed and all is handled in a tasteful manner.
Overall:
This was such a fun retelling with some great twists! I love the animal companion and the brother banter! I really enjoyed this read!
Recommended for ages 12+
September 8, 2026
I loved this SO much! I read fairytales very frequently but this was my first from this author. I absolutely adored Prince Fenrick and Princess Ellina, Fenrick had the sweetest personality and ugh I just loved this cute little fairytale world that was new to me but I felt right at home in.
September 18, 2026
Oh my goodness. This book was so cute. I absolutely adored Fenrick and I think I could read a hundred books with him as the MC. Ellina was adorable, and I loved watching her rise to the occasion and gain courage. I definitely need more Viggo and Runi! Please, they need their own story! Of Knives and Nobility held a beautiful message of courage and standing for what's right, which we definitely need more of in this world!
September 13, 2026
3.75 stars
The author says this is a retelling of The Princess and the Pea. As an avid Princess and the Pea enthusiast, I have to respectfully disagree. I know!! It's EG's book. She should know best. But....lol
Ellina gives off Snow White vibes. Evil mother. Deceased father. She's sickly, frail, and scared. Nothing wrong with that at all! But not Princess and the Pea stuff. Plus, she doesn't end up with something under her mattress; Fenrick does! And it's swords, not peas.
Fenrick has watched his younger brother fall in love, get married, and be "hopelessly devoted" to his bride. And he's jealous. Not the revenge-seeking jealousy, but the "I want that for me" type of jealousy.
So, he goes to Cabrana to see if he can pass the three trials and win the hand of the princess, Ellina. This is more like The Story of Gunther and Brünhild. But the princess is the prize.
But the queen does not incline to relinquish the crown to anyone. So, most of the participants never return. Or, if they do, they come back a bloodied mess!
Not really a cute story. But there were some definite laugh-out-loud moments. Plus, some very sweet moments. HEA even with the queen doing her darndest to keep them apart! This totally is a "love conquers all" book!
The author says this is a retelling of The Princess and the Pea. As an avid Princess and the Pea enthusiast, I have to respectfully disagree. I know!! It's EG's book. She should know best. But....lol
Ellina gives off Snow White vibes. Evil mother. Deceased father. She's sickly, frail, and scared. Nothing wrong with that at all! But not Princess and the Pea stuff. Plus, she doesn't end up with something under her mattress; Fenrick does! And it's swords, not peas.
Fenrick has watched his younger brother fall in love, get married, and be "hopelessly devoted" to his bride. And he's jealous. Not the revenge-seeking jealousy, but the "I want that for me" type of jealousy.
So, he goes to Cabrana to see if he can pass the three trials and win the hand of the princess, Ellina. This is more like The Story of Gunther and Brünhild. But the princess is the prize.
But the queen does not incline to relinquish the crown to anyone. So, most of the participants never return. Or, if they do, they come back a bloodied mess!
Not really a cute story. But there were some definite laugh-out-loud moments. Plus, some very sweet moments. HEA even with the queen doing her darndest to keep them apart! This totally is a "love conquers all" book!
September 10, 2026
This was a sweet and rich story about holding fast to your morals in the face of corruption and trusting the Lord to help you battle and overcome evil. The MMC was a wonderful character, and I admired his faith and optimistic influence, despite constantly being in dire circumstances. He always comes back to trusting God and influencing others to trust as well. The FMC was a complicated character, having been under the influence and captivity of a manipulative and controlling mother, she hardly allows herself to feel or do anything out of a constant fear of upsetting her mother. Her journey of waking up to hope and the possibility of love was beautiful.
I recommend it to anyone who enjoys books with unique retellings of fairy tales and classic stories, morally upright men, trials that prove character, and sweet love that is begins to blossom in spite of dire circumstances.
Thank you to the author for the eARC. All opinions expressed in this review are my own and given willingly.
I recommend it to anyone who enjoys books with unique retellings of fairy tales and classic stories, morally upright men, trials that prove character, and sweet love that is begins to blossom in spite of dire circumstances.
Thank you to the author for the eARC. All opinions expressed in this review are my own and given willingly.
September 15, 2026
Wow! I loved this book! I have to admit I was only able to see the correlation to the Princess and the Pea after being told that it was a retelling of that, I found more elements of Snow White. However, none of that took away from my enjoyment of the story! Ellina is so tragically trapped that it is difficult to see a way out for her, but she doesn't give up on her hope for more, even though she comes close a few times. Fenrick, is someone you can't help but root for. He is noble and kind and honest about his limitations. The story was woven with beautiful threads of faith and creativity. There was very little in terms of physical intimacy, an embrace and a few kisses on the head. There was no swearing and the violence was not overly described. This was wonderfully written and kept you engaged from start to finish! I did receive an advanced copy of this book. All opinions are my own.
September 16, 2026
I loved, first off, that this story has a quiet thread of faith that is present every day & that comes across completely sincere! This story was so easy to love with wonderful characters, a fairytale setting, faith, & Pea who was so much fun! Fenrick is humble, thoughtful, & full of faith, love, & compassion! I liked how he brings out the best in everyone around him! Ellina is sweet, softhearted, & has been trapped by the circumstances in her life. She grows so much through the story though! I really enjoyed Runi, Viggo, & Anders too! A beautiful story of unexpected love, bravery, & fighting for what’s right even when it’s hard! My first book by this author & won’t be my last! I only wish this story had a bonus epilogue!!
September 12, 2026
What a brilliant opening to the series! I loved the nods to the original fairytale, especially Sir Pea! I also enjoyed Fenrick and Ellina’s banter. And all the lovely side characters like Viggo, Runi and Anders. And I couldn’t stand Ellina’s mother, she reminds me of the stepmother from Ever After. If you enjoy stories with Noble MMCs, timid but brave FMCs and the cutest animal companions. This is a tale you’ll enjoy!
My favorite quote from this book:
I must caution you, Princess. You’re running out of time.” “I know.” My reply escaped as a whisper. “I’ve been a coward. But I’m determined to make things right.”
I received an ARC from the Author. All opinions are my own.
My favorite quote from this book:
I must caution you, Princess. You’re running out of time.” “I know.” My reply escaped as a whisper. “I’ve been a coward. But I’m determined to make things right.”
I received an ARC from the Author. All opinions are my own.
September 7, 2026
This was a wonderful clean Christian romance retelling of The Princess and the Pea with hints of The Glass Hill and Snow White in there as well! The Christian aspects weren’t too preachy but were still a strong deciding factor in the story as the characters made choices and worked towards resolution. I loved the theme of overcoming and pressing forward in faith, and I loved the way the prince stayed true to his values and gave the Princess hope and encouragement, and I also thought the lizard pet was a cute touch! I received an ARC copy and this is my review.
Review of advance copy received from Author
First time reading this author, and I am not disappointed. The themes of courage and being strong for others are so uplifting. ❤️ I love how Fenrick sees the people's struggle and helps them by being kind and being himself, only fighting when necessary. Also, how he stood by Ellina and showed her the true situation of her kingdom and the world. I love how Ellina found herself through the Lord and is trying to be better than her mother. ❤️
Review of advance copy received from Author
Arc reader. This was not what I expected but in a good way
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