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Twist of Tales
Of Crowns and Cantytowns: A Retelling of The Prince and the Pauper
She’ll trick a pauper into wearing her crown to satisfy her own wanderlust.
Princess Sarina’s greatest dream is to travel, but her overprotective father insists on keeping her close to home. Simply running away isn’t working, since she never gets very far before she’s caught. When she fortuitously meets a pauper girl who looks like her twin, Sarina believes she’s found the missing piece to make her travel plans come true. All she has to do is trick the pauper into taking her place so nobody will realize the true princess is gone. Then she’ll be free to see the kingdoms to her heart’s content – at least, until the switch is revealed.
Alec Hendon has been a mercenary fighting on foreign soil for seven years, and now he’s finally ready to go home. Once back, however, he begins to think he shouldn’t have stayed away so long. His beloved home of Carabas and his family are not the same as he’d left them. Additionally, the pauper villages, known as Cantytowns, are more numerous and teem with dangerous gangs and slave traders. People from all the classes live in a growing fear of the king. And the worst part of all? When he finally sees his cousin again, she doesn’t remember him.
In all her great travel plans, Sarina didn’t count on running into a retired mercenary who believes she is his cousin (the very pauper she tricked into switching places), but can he save her from the perilous road ahead?
Of Crowns and Cantytowns is a mash-up retelling of Mark Twain’s classic novel, The Prince and the Pauper, and the beloved fairy tale, Puss in Boots. This book is part of A Twist of Tales, a series of nonmagical, Christian genderbent fairy tale retellings with epic adventures and animal companions.
Princess Sarina’s greatest dream is to travel, but her overprotective father insists on keeping her close to home. Simply running away isn’t working, since she never gets very far before she’s caught. When she fortuitously meets a pauper girl who looks like her twin, Sarina believes she’s found the missing piece to make her travel plans come true. All she has to do is trick the pauper into taking her place so nobody will realize the true princess is gone. Then she’ll be free to see the kingdoms to her heart’s content – at least, until the switch is revealed.
Alec Hendon has been a mercenary fighting on foreign soil for seven years, and now he’s finally ready to go home. Once back, however, he begins to think he shouldn’t have stayed away so long. His beloved home of Carabas and his family are not the same as he’d left them. Additionally, the pauper villages, known as Cantytowns, are more numerous and teem with dangerous gangs and slave traders. People from all the classes live in a growing fear of the king. And the worst part of all? When he finally sees his cousin again, she doesn’t remember him.
In all her great travel plans, Sarina didn’t count on running into a retired mercenary who believes she is his cousin (the very pauper she tricked into switching places), but can he save her from the perilous road ahead?
Of Crowns and Cantytowns is a mash-up retelling of Mark Twain’s classic novel, The Prince and the Pauper, and the beloved fairy tale, Puss in Boots. This book is part of A Twist of Tales, a series of nonmagical, Christian genderbent fairy tale retellings with epic adventures and animal companions.
204 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 21, 2026
About the author
Kirsten Fichter
11 books87 followersKirsten Fichter is a Christian writer who loves being the wife to her favorite person ever, mommy to four precious blessings, a piano enthusiast, a dragon buff, a serious bookworm, and an INFP synesthete. Fairytales have always fascinated her, and she has made it her goal to rewrite as many as possible and become known as the “Grimm Dickens” (i.e. mixing Grimm fairytales with a Dickens style). She is present in many online circles under the name “Kiri Liz” if you care about things like that. As you read this, she’ll be somewhere under a maple tree – trying very hard to finish the seventeen and half other stories she unwisely started all at once.
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
September 23, 2026
3.5 stars, personally ⭐️ Christian Fiction - Fairytale Retelling (no magic)
About this book:
“She’ll trick a pauper into wearing her crown to satisfy her own wanderlust.
Princess Sarina’s greatest dream is to travel, but her overprotective father insists on keeping her close to home. Simply running away isn’t working, since she never gets very far before she’s caught. When she fortuitously meets a pauper girl who looks like her twin, Sarina believes she’s found the missing piece to make her travel plans come true. All she has to do is trick the pauper into taking her place so nobody will realize the true princess is gone. Then she’ll be free to see the kingdoms to her heart’s content – at least, until the switch is revealed.
Alec Hendon has been a mercenary fighting on foreign soil for seven years, and now he’s finally ready to go home. Once back, however, he begins to think he shouldn’t have stayed away so long. His beloved home of Carabas and his family are not the same as he’d left them. Additionally, the pauper villages, known as Cantytowns, are more numerous and teem with dangerous gangs and slave traders. People from all the classes live in a growing fear of the king. And the worst part of all? When he finally sees his cousin again, she doesn’t remember him.
In all her great travel plans, Sarina didn’t count on running into a retired mercenary who believes she is his cousin (the very pauper she tricked into switching places), but can he save her from the perilous road ahead?”
Series: Part of the “Twist of Tales” multi-authored series, but is not connected to any other books.
Spiritual Content- Psalm 37:5 at the beginning; A Scripture is referenced; Prayers & Thanking God; A couple talks about God; ‘H’s are capital when referring to God; Sarina has wondered if God made a mistake in making her a princess, *Spoiler* ; Mentions of God/the Creator & His will; Mentions of prayers, praying, & thanking and praising God; Mentions of abbeys/chapels, going to chapel, & priests; A few mentions of blessings & being blessed; A mention of a miracle;
*Note: Mentions of evil people & their actions (including slave trading); A few mentions of luck & being lucky; A mention of a possible ghost at an estate.
Negative Content- Minor cussing including: An ‘idiot’ and two ‘blasted’s; Fictional phrases like “beards/wigs be torn” (x5), “by the Orders” (x2), “what in the kingdoms” (x1), and “curls and coiffers” (x1) are all said; The phrase “a pain in my petunia” is also exclaimed once; Someone swears by “every knights’ white beard”; Eye rolling & Sarcasm; Fighting, Being attacked, Threatened with a knife, Threatened with being sold as a slave, Being tied-up, Being knocked unconscious, Injuries, Pain, Blood/Bleeding, Fainting, & an Earthquake (up to semi-detailed); Helping someone escape from a slave trader; *Spoilers* ; *Spoilers, about a parent’s death* ; Sarina pushes someone twice (including into the water once) and tricks others into believing someone else is her (so she can travel like she wants); Sarina steals fruit from an orchard (believing that the owner would be pleased to feed her); Many mentions of gangs, thieves, stealing, & stolen items; Mentions of slave traders, a slavery ring, & people (including children) being kidnapped/taken by slaver traders to sell; Mentions of deaths & grief (including of loved ones like parents and extended family members); Mentions of executions; Mentions of torture, punishments, & receiving lashes (including those who speak badly about royalty facing these); Mentions of earthquakes, property damages, & people being killed in earthquakes; Mentions of fights, weapons, injuries, pain, & blood/bleeding (up to semi-detailed); Mentions of arrests & dungeons/jails; Mentions of threats & blackmail; Mentions of Sarina running away from the castle; Mentions of gambling; Mentions of hatred; Mentions of lies, lying, & liars; Mentions of rumors & gossip; A few mentions of a war; A few mentions of a fire, deaths, & burns; A few mentions of hunting (including slave traders for people to kidnap and sell); A few mentions of jealousy; A couple mentions of a kidnapping ransom; A couple mentions of taverns; A mention of the death of a pet (dog);
*Note: Two comments that women sold in the slave market do not always have it “easy” and that they are not promised a good home as it is “dependent on the buyers”; Mentions of people having a “mind disease” (also called “madness”) that causes them to lose their memories & there being treatment and medicine to help with it; A mention of a couple unable to have biological children.
Sexual Content- An embrace; A few blushes; Noticing (barely-above-not-detailed); A few mentions of crushes/romantic feelings; A couple mentions of flirting; Very light potential love in the future & the emotions.
-Sarina Terridan
-Alec Hendon
P.O.V. switches between them
204 pages
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Pre Teens- One Star
New Teens- Two Stars
Early High School Teens- Three Stars
Older High School Teens- Four Stars
My personal Rating- Three Stars (and a half)
This book was barely 200 pages, but it was an adventure! I don’t think Sarina or Alec caught a single break throughout these pages with all the problems they faced, but I was satisfied by the ending.
Blame the Barbie movie, but I’m always excited to learn about new “Princess and the Pauper” retellings. So much so that when reading about this book, I was confused how it was gender-bent like the rest of this multi-authored series because in my mind, that is the original edition. Ooops, sorry, Mr. Twain! 😅
At the beginning, I was afraid I wouldn’t like Sarina. She had her moments that made me want to sigh as she is very selfish and spoiled. But it’s truly because of how she was raised, so it actually made sense for her character. Didn’t mean I didn’t want to shake some common sense into her, but I could see glimpses of why she was the way she was. Sarina tricks the pauper to switch places with her against the pauper’s will or wishes. Because of this, she can come across as selfish and spoiled between that and some of her comments of being of importance. It was a little eye-rolling at times because I knew it wouldn’t go well for her (it never did) until there were some important realizations, but Alec was a very good Male Main Character and kind to her during the whole book.
This book was on the shorter side and a lot happens. That said, I do wish there had been a “happy ever after” kind of epilogue to see how the kingdom is doing years later. I would have enjoyed seeing more faith discussions between our main characters as I was a little surprised when Sarina brought up about God halfway through the book as there hadn’t been any signs of her believing in Him until then. Alec was steady in this regard which endeared him to me more. I didn’t quite buy the romance between the two of them, but it’s a very light element to the book. I’ll be nit-picky and say that I wish there had been another 50 pages at least to have these elements explored a little more. However, I did end the book mostly satisfied and would be thrilled to see another book set in this world as I found the setting interesting with all the knights and colors.
As a note for potential younger readers and their parents: There is a very light romance thread in this book—so light there isn’t even a kiss, which I think worked well for the characters and how short of a time they have known each other—but there are mentions of slave traders and people (including children) being kidnapped and sold by them to other countries. One side character justifies running a slave trading ring because he needs the money, but the main characters look upon it as the evil it is and call it just that. There’s no mention of what will happen to those slaves (whether it’s physical or sexual slavery) besides the possibility of not going to a good place. It could be an introduction into talking about human trafficking without details being shared as it is a real and sad thing in our world. For younger readers, though, I leave it to a potential reader and her family to make the decision about what age would be best for her to read this book.
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:
“She’ll trick a pauper into wearing her crown to satisfy her own wanderlust.
Princess Sarina’s greatest dream is to travel, but her overprotective father insists on keeping her close to home. Simply running away isn’t working, since she never gets very far before she’s caught. When she fortuitously meets a pauper girl who looks like her twin, Sarina believes she’s found the missing piece to make her travel plans come true. All she has to do is trick the pauper into taking her place so nobody will realize the true princess is gone. Then she’ll be free to see the kingdoms to her heart’s content – at least, until the switch is revealed.
Alec Hendon has been a mercenary fighting on foreign soil for seven years, and now he’s finally ready to go home. Once back, however, he begins to think he shouldn’t have stayed away so long. His beloved home of Carabas and his family are not the same as he’d left them. Additionally, the pauper villages, known as Cantytowns, are more numerous and teem with dangerous gangs and slave traders. People from all the classes live in a growing fear of the king. And the worst part of all? When he finally sees his cousin again, she doesn’t remember him.
In all her great travel plans, Sarina didn’t count on running into a retired mercenary who believes she is his cousin (the very pauper she tricked into switching places), but can he save her from the perilous road ahead?”
Series: Part of the “Twist of Tales” multi-authored series, but is not connected to any other books.
Spiritual Content- Psalm 37:5 at the beginning; A Scripture is referenced; Prayers & Thanking God; A couple talks about God; ‘H’s are capital when referring to God; Sarina has wondered if God made a mistake in making her a princess, *Spoiler* ; Mentions of God/the Creator & His will; Mentions of prayers, praying, & thanking and praising God; Mentions of abbeys/chapels, going to chapel, & priests; A few mentions of blessings & being blessed; A mention of a miracle;
*Note: Mentions of evil people & their actions (including slave trading); A few mentions of luck & being lucky; A mention of a possible ghost at an estate.
Negative Content- Minor cussing including: An ‘idiot’ and two ‘blasted’s; Fictional phrases like “beards/wigs be torn” (x5), “by the Orders” (x2), “what in the kingdoms” (x1), and “curls and coiffers” (x1) are all said; The phrase “a pain in my petunia” is also exclaimed once; Someone swears by “every knights’ white beard”; Eye rolling & Sarcasm; Fighting, Being attacked, Threatened with a knife, Threatened with being sold as a slave, Being tied-up, Being knocked unconscious, Injuries, Pain, Blood/Bleeding, Fainting, & an Earthquake (up to semi-detailed); Helping someone escape from a slave trader; *Spoilers* ; *Spoilers, about a parent’s death* ; Sarina pushes someone twice (including into the water once) and tricks others into believing someone else is her (so she can travel like she wants); Sarina steals fruit from an orchard (believing that the owner would be pleased to feed her); Many mentions of gangs, thieves, stealing, & stolen items; Mentions of slave traders, a slavery ring, & people (including children) being kidnapped/taken by slaver traders to sell; Mentions of deaths & grief (including of loved ones like parents and extended family members); Mentions of executions; Mentions of torture, punishments, & receiving lashes (including those who speak badly about royalty facing these); Mentions of earthquakes, property damages, & people being killed in earthquakes; Mentions of fights, weapons, injuries, pain, & blood/bleeding (up to semi-detailed); Mentions of arrests & dungeons/jails; Mentions of threats & blackmail; Mentions of Sarina running away from the castle; Mentions of gambling; Mentions of hatred; Mentions of lies, lying, & liars; Mentions of rumors & gossip; A few mentions of a war; A few mentions of a fire, deaths, & burns; A few mentions of hunting (including slave traders for people to kidnap and sell); A few mentions of jealousy; A couple mentions of a kidnapping ransom; A couple mentions of taverns; A mention of the death of a pet (dog);
*Note: Two comments that women sold in the slave market do not always have it “easy” and that they are not promised a good home as it is “dependent on the buyers”; Mentions of people having a “mind disease” (also called “madness”) that causes them to lose their memories & there being treatment and medicine to help with it; A mention of a couple unable to have biological children.
Sexual Content- An embrace; A few blushes; Noticing (barely-above-not-detailed); A few mentions of crushes/romantic feelings; A couple mentions of flirting; Very light potential love in the future & the emotions.
-Sarina Terridan
-Alec Hendon
P.O.V. switches between them
204 pages
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Pre Teens- One Star
New Teens- Two Stars
Early High School Teens- Three Stars
Older High School Teens- Four Stars
My personal Rating- Three Stars (and a half)
This book was barely 200 pages, but it was an adventure! I don’t think Sarina or Alec caught a single break throughout these pages with all the problems they faced, but I was satisfied by the ending.
Blame the Barbie movie, but I’m always excited to learn about new “Princess and the Pauper” retellings. So much so that when reading about this book, I was confused how it was gender-bent like the rest of this multi-authored series because in my mind, that is the original edition. Ooops, sorry, Mr. Twain! 😅
At the beginning, I was afraid I wouldn’t like Sarina. She had her moments that made me want to sigh as she is very selfish and spoiled. But it’s truly because of how she was raised, so it actually made sense for her character. Didn’t mean I didn’t want to shake some common sense into her, but I could see glimpses of why she was the way she was. Sarina tricks the pauper to switch places with her against the pauper’s will or wishes. Because of this, she can come across as selfish and spoiled between that and some of her comments of being of importance. It was a little eye-rolling at times because I knew it wouldn’t go well for her (it never did) until there were some important realizations, but Alec was a very good Male Main Character and kind to her during the whole book.
This book was on the shorter side and a lot happens. That said, I do wish there had been a “happy ever after” kind of epilogue to see how the kingdom is doing years later. I would have enjoyed seeing more faith discussions between our main characters as I was a little surprised when Sarina brought up about God halfway through the book as there hadn’t been any signs of her believing in Him until then. Alec was steady in this regard which endeared him to me more. I didn’t quite buy the romance between the two of them, but it’s a very light element to the book. I’ll be nit-picky and say that I wish there had been another 50 pages at least to have these elements explored a little more. However, I did end the book mostly satisfied and would be thrilled to see another book set in this world as I found the setting interesting with all the knights and colors.
As a note for potential younger readers and their parents: There is a very light romance thread in this book—so light there isn’t even a kiss, which I think worked well for the characters and how short of a time they have known each other—but there are mentions of slave traders and people (including children) being kidnapped and sold by them to other countries. One side character justifies running a slave trading ring because he needs the money, but the main characters look upon it as the evil it is and call it just that. There’s no mention of what will happen to those slaves (whether it’s physical or sexual slavery) besides the possibility of not going to a good place. It could be an introduction into talking about human trafficking without details being shared as it is a real and sad thing in our world. For younger readers, though, I leave it to a potential reader and her family to make the decision about what age would be best for her to read this book.
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
4.7 stars (5/10 hearts). I am a HUGE fan of
The Prince & the Pauper
so I was THRILLED when I saw this retelling!!! I was really pleased by how she retold it—so many clever twists of different elements, and so many adaptations of plot lines to fit a different story. Also, I lovedddd the easter eggs for the Barbie Princess & the Pauper, which I also love! I struggled occasionally with the writing style but I enjoyed the characters—Alec was such an upright fellow and Sarina grew so much (did I mention how well this book retells TP&TP?) and Boots 🐭 was so cute—and I really liked the message, too.
*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 22, 2026
What a fun Prince and the Pauper retelling! I had so much fun reading this! Between the characters sparing words with each other, to the intense situation happening in the kingdom, and the many times I wanted to slap a certain princess. XD (not too hard, just to get her to see sense, that's all. XD)
Characters:
Sarina was so spoiled, but she did have a good heart and she did justify everything she did...I understand from the beginning that a lack of understanding was her problem, that she didn't feel seen or loved, and I really felt for her...even when I wanted to slap her, it was for her own good, I promise! XD
Alec! Oh, dear Alec...you cracked me up, you were a darling, and I absolutely loved you for your slow decision making (I'm right there with you, buddy). He was so much fun to read about, especially when he thought a certain someone was mad...lol...
Bess and Cait were both great and I had so much fun getting to know Bess (and getting to know Cait through Alec's thoughts...lol...)
Language:
N/A
Romance:
Slow friends to more that I adored!
Magic:
N/A
Violence/Gore:
Mentions of people having died, earthquakes, slavery, people being sold into slavery, dislocated arm, cut hand, bleeding, near drowning, lashes, fist fights, kicking, and general descriptions of wounds and pain...nothing is overly detailed.
Overall:
I had so much fun reading this retelling and Boots, the wee little mouse, is so cute! I loved him so much! And the fact that he kept me from disliking Sarina because with him she was so caring and gentle. <3
Recommend age 12+
Characters:
Sarina was so spoiled, but she did have a good heart and she did justify everything she did...I understand from the beginning that a lack of understanding was her problem, that she didn't feel seen or loved, and I really felt for her...even when I wanted to slap her, it was for her own good, I promise! XD
Alec! Oh, dear Alec...you cracked me up, you were a darling, and I absolutely loved you for your slow decision making (I'm right there with you, buddy). He was so much fun to read about, especially when he thought a certain someone was mad...lol...
Bess and Cait were both great and I had so much fun getting to know Bess (and getting to know Cait through Alec's thoughts...lol...)
Language:
N/A
Romance:
Slow friends to more that I adored!
Magic:
N/A
Violence/Gore:
Mentions of people having died, earthquakes, slavery, people being sold into slavery, dislocated arm, cut hand, bleeding, near drowning, lashes, fist fights, kicking, and general descriptions of wounds and pain...nothing is overly detailed.
Overall:
I had so much fun reading this retelling and Boots, the wee little mouse, is so cute! I loved him so much! And the fact that he kept me from disliking Sarina because with him she was so caring and gentle. <3
Recommend age 12+
Review of advance copy received from Author
What an absolute delight.
This is my second book by this author and I so enjoyed it! I'll admit, I was a little scared at first, as I couldn't stand Princess Sarina, haha. I was really hoping there would be redemption, and that she'd grow on me over time so I continued on, and sure enough...within a few chapters, I was absolutely hooked and grew to love her character.
Also, I adore Alec. His morality, courage, determination, and kindness, even when he had every reason not to show it, were so admirable, and I loved the chapters from his perspective. His cousins were sweet, Norfolk was interesting, and sweet Boots was such a fun addition. I loved how Boots actually became a pivotal part of the plot. I would gladly read more books with these characters!
In addition, the mix of humor (especially revolving around Sarina - I laughed out loud at the fishing scene), and heart was so well-done. Fairly dark topics were broached with grace and from a perspective of trusting the Lord in the horrible. I couldn't put this down, and finished feeling both convicted and encouraged.
And those Barbie's Princess and the Pauper easter eggs? Caught them immediately and they made me smile. Such a fun spin on several different tales.
I highly recommend this book to readers 12+ who enjoy character growth, beautiful themes, feisty heroines, and admirable heroes. The romance was clean, very light, and endearing.
CW: a slave trade, death, fighting, injuries, lashings
** I received an ARC copy of this book, and wasn't required to leave a review. These are my honest thoughts.
This is my second book by this author and I so enjoyed it! I'll admit, I was a little scared at first, as I couldn't stand Princess Sarina, haha. I was really hoping there would be redemption, and that she'd grow on me over time so I continued on, and sure enough...within a few chapters, I was absolutely hooked and grew to love her character.
Also, I adore Alec. His morality, courage, determination, and kindness, even when he had every reason not to show it, were so admirable, and I loved the chapters from his perspective. His cousins were sweet, Norfolk was interesting, and sweet Boots was such a fun addition. I loved how Boots actually became a pivotal part of the plot. I would gladly read more books with these characters!
In addition, the mix of humor (especially revolving around Sarina - I laughed out loud at the fishing scene), and heart was so well-done. Fairly dark topics were broached with grace and from a perspective of trusting the Lord in the horrible. I couldn't put this down, and finished feeling both convicted and encouraged.
And those Barbie's Princess and the Pauper easter eggs? Caught them immediately and they made me smile. Such a fun spin on several different tales.
I highly recommend this book to readers 12+ who enjoy character growth, beautiful themes, feisty heroines, and admirable heroes. The romance was clean, very light, and endearing.
CW: a slave trade, death, fighting, injuries, lashings
** I received an ARC copy of this book, and wasn't required to leave a review. These are my honest thoughts.
September 30, 2026
What a fun tale! This gender bent Prince and the Pauper retelling was such an enjoyable read. I was alternately annoyed with and laughing at the characters (as is befitting of such a tale). I really appreciated how Fitcher brought about the character arcs of Sarina and Alec. The adorable little mouse Boots was such a sweet addition to the tale. With plenty of remarkable side characters as well. The kingdom it is set in was well painted and certainly came alive.
A fun cozy read with stakes enough to keep the plot moving on swiftly the whole time.
*I received an ARC from the author for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
A fun cozy read with stakes enough to keep the plot moving on swiftly the whole time.
*I received an ARC from the author for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
October 3, 2026
I somehow misplaced my ARC for Of Crowns and Cantytowns by Kirsten Fichter, and by the time I recovered it, the book was already out. Better late than never, right? This book is a gender-bent retelling of The Prince and the Pauper from Beyond the Bookery's Twist of Tales series. Does that mean it's basically just a novel of Barbie as the Princess and the Pauper? Well, not exactly. The story itself is very different. However, the book is chock-full of references to the Barbie movie, especially in the first few chapters. There were so many direct quotes from the film that it got a little distracting at first, but they tapered off once the story got rolling.
Princess Sarina is sick of her royal life and wants to start over. Why? There's no specific reason. Like most princesses, she simply wants to be free to see the world without being confined by her royal duties. When she meets a peasant girl named Cait who looks almost identical to her, she stages an "accident" and runs away, forcing Cait into her role. She is discovered by Alec, Cait's cousin, who has a difficult time believing that she's really the princess at first. Together, they uncover a slave trading scandal and must work together to stop it, meeting numerous companions along the way.
Sarina is a difficult character to root for. She is immature, petty, and not very bright. Although she grows over the course of the book, I was more interested in learning Cait's story, which apparently would have made the word count too long for this series if it had been included. While Sarina's silliness makes for an overall light-hearted tone, the book deals with some surprisingly dark themes, including the slave trade and the king's many off-page executions. Sarina must come to terms with the darker aspects of her kingdom during her time outside the palace walls and foster that knowledge to become a better monarch.
The book is a light read with its heavier themes only mentioned and never described in detail. In fact, a lot of the most interesting parts of the story, including Cait's experience as princess, seem to happen off-page. Still, the references to both Barbie as The Princess and the Pauper and "Puss in Boots" made fun additions that added levity to the more serious parts. Alec has an interesting backstory as a runaway marquis who missed a series of major life-changing events his family went through in his absence. His story parallels Sarina's as a cautionary tale about the dangers of running away from your responsibilities.
Overall, Of Crowns and Cantytowns is a cute and cozy gender-bent Prince and the Pauper retelling with a silly protagonist and her amusing pet mouse. The sensible Alec balanced Sarina's silliness well, though it took him a bit longer than it should have to realize that she wasn't his cousin. The scattered references to the Barbie movie and "Puss in Boots" fairy tale are a lot of fun to look for as well. I'd recommend this book to someone looking for a lighter read with relatively low stakes.
Princess Sarina is sick of her royal life and wants to start over. Why? There's no specific reason. Like most princesses, she simply wants to be free to see the world without being confined by her royal duties. When she meets a peasant girl named Cait who looks almost identical to her, she stages an "accident" and runs away, forcing Cait into her role. She is discovered by Alec, Cait's cousin, who has a difficult time believing that she's really the princess at first. Together, they uncover a slave trading scandal and must work together to stop it, meeting numerous companions along the way.
Sarina is a difficult character to root for. She is immature, petty, and not very bright. Although she grows over the course of the book, I was more interested in learning Cait's story, which apparently would have made the word count too long for this series if it had been included. While Sarina's silliness makes for an overall light-hearted tone, the book deals with some surprisingly dark themes, including the slave trade and the king's many off-page executions. Sarina must come to terms with the darker aspects of her kingdom during her time outside the palace walls and foster that knowledge to become a better monarch.
The book is a light read with its heavier themes only mentioned and never described in detail. In fact, a lot of the most interesting parts of the story, including Cait's experience as princess, seem to happen off-page. Still, the references to both Barbie as The Princess and the Pauper and "Puss in Boots" made fun additions that added levity to the more serious parts. Alec has an interesting backstory as a runaway marquis who missed a series of major life-changing events his family went through in his absence. His story parallels Sarina's as a cautionary tale about the dangers of running away from your responsibilities.
Overall, Of Crowns and Cantytowns is a cute and cozy gender-bent Prince and the Pauper retelling with a silly protagonist and her amusing pet mouse. The sensible Alec balanced Sarina's silliness well, though it took him a bit longer than it should have to realize that she wasn't his cousin. The scattered references to the Barbie movie and "Puss in Boots" fairy tale are a lot of fun to look for as well. I'd recommend this book to someone looking for a lighter read with relatively low stakes.
September 26, 2026
This was a sweet, well-written, and at times humorous story about opening your eyes to the truth around you and making changes with the power you’ve been given. There is a tiny hint of romance, some violence/injury, kidnapping, and human trafficking/slavery, and plenty of faith including many prayers for God’s protection and guidance.
At first, the FMC seems pretty unlikable as she is selfish and self-centered, seemingly without a care for the needs and well-being of anyone else around her. She is a product of her upbringing, having been raised by an uncaring and stifling father. But deep inside she has a caring heart that just needs to be unlocked and set free. I liked how the author portrayed this character. Even though she has these difficult character traits, there is something endearingly honest about her, as she never hesitates to speak and act as herself (even though she’s trying to maintain a secret identity) and her poise and determination in the face of difficult interactions and circumstances are inspiring. This story is her journey to understanding, compassion, and transformation through perilous experiences, unexpected friendships, an adorable mouse companion, and eye-opening honesty.
I recommend this story to anyone who enjoys retellings of classic tales and fairy tales, stories of character growth and embracing the roles you’ve been given, and story with a little bit of romance and faith.
Thank you to the author for the eARC. All opinions expressed in this review are my own and given willingly.
At first, the FMC seems pretty unlikable as she is selfish and self-centered, seemingly without a care for the needs and well-being of anyone else around her. She is a product of her upbringing, having been raised by an uncaring and stifling father. But deep inside she has a caring heart that just needs to be unlocked and set free. I liked how the author portrayed this character. Even though she has these difficult character traits, there is something endearingly honest about her, as she never hesitates to speak and act as herself (even though she’s trying to maintain a secret identity) and her poise and determination in the face of difficult interactions and circumstances are inspiring. This story is her journey to understanding, compassion, and transformation through perilous experiences, unexpected friendships, an adorable mouse companion, and eye-opening honesty.
I recommend this story to anyone who enjoys retellings of classic tales and fairy tales, stories of character growth and embracing the roles you’ve been given, and story with a little bit of romance and faith.
Thank you to the author for the eARC. All opinions expressed in this review are my own and given willingly.
September 21, 2026
4.25 stars: This unique fairytale retelling reimagined The Prince and the Pauper as being about a princess who, upon finding a lookalike, decides to live out her dream of traveling outside the castle - only to realize that there are consequences for switching places with someone else. I was hoping that the character arcs would be a little more dramatic; Sarina got off pretty easily in almost every instance. I also thought the wigs and knight orders would matter more; Alec's progression through orders did not really affect the story. This was really fun to read!
Thank you to the author for the ARC; all opinions are my own.
Thank you to the author for the ARC; all opinions are my own.
September 21, 2026
This mashup of The Prince and the Pauper, The Lion and the Mouse, and Puss in Boots had a wonderful Christian moral of choosing to serve others and choosing the right, even when it was hard. I loved how each fable or tale was incorporated into this story, and the book was its own individual story! The mouse was such a cute sidekick (even though it didn’t act like a mouse)! I really enjoyed finding out what was going to happen next to this delightful trio (and later, quartet) of characters with such strong individual personalities, and the cute clean slow burn romance was the icing on the top! I received an ARC copy and this is my review.
September 23, 2026
Of Crowns and Cantytowns was a fun adventure with a high spirited princess determined to see the world and an indecisive, honorable knight who just wants to go home. The growth shown in the characters is good and productive and it happens at a reasonable pace. The story is packed with adventure, danger, and loyalty. There is no profanity, no spice and little violence that is not gory. A enjoyable read that combined the Princess and the Pauper with Puss in Boots. I did receive an advanced copy of this book. All opinions are my own.
September 24, 2026
I must confess I expected the animal companion to be more suited to a Cinderella retelling. Good overall
October 2, 2026
I received a free eARC of this book; the opinions expressed are my own.
Enjoyable light read, I could see this being a pleasant book for a fairytale-loving teenage girl.
It took me a while to get into the story because of Sarina’s selfish behavior, though I know her growth is kinda the point. And it was beautiful to see her grow into a better person as she began to understand the suffering of those around her.
The worldbuilding felt solid and lived-in, though not remarkably unique. Lavish aristocracy, destitute peasants, and a tiered knighthood system. One notable feature that I wish was developed more was the semi-frequent earthquakes the kingdom experienced; one was mentioned as history and another happened during the story.
Sarina was a memorable character, selfish and arrogant yet somehow very real and honest, with decisiveness that developed into caring action as she understood her position to help people. Her belief in God wasn’t mentioned in the first half of the book, so it did appear inconsistent when she suddenly started praying later.
I wish Bess’s character had been developed more. She seemed like she could be interesting, but there just really wasn’t enough there. Alec was relateably too thoughtful about decisions and demonstrated noble self-sacrifice, but I did not quite buy the romance between him and Sarina. For their personalities, I would expect such a relationship to take a long time to develop.
I didn’t find the mouse’s, Boots, game of fetch realistic either, but this is a fairytale, and it was both cute and important to the plot.
The prose was lacking in my opinion and repeatedly dragged me out of the story. The plot, however, was solid, and I appreciated the allusions to the original story and Mark Twain. The theme was also clearly written and fit Sarina’s character well.
Enjoyable light read, I could see this being a pleasant book for a fairytale-loving teenage girl.
It took me a while to get into the story because of Sarina’s selfish behavior, though I know her growth is kinda the point. And it was beautiful to see her grow into a better person as she began to understand the suffering of those around her.
The worldbuilding felt solid and lived-in, though not remarkably unique. Lavish aristocracy, destitute peasants, and a tiered knighthood system. One notable feature that I wish was developed more was the semi-frequent earthquakes the kingdom experienced; one was mentioned as history and another happened during the story.
Sarina was a memorable character, selfish and arrogant yet somehow very real and honest, with decisiveness that developed into caring action as she understood her position to help people. Her belief in God wasn’t mentioned in the first half of the book, so it did appear inconsistent when she suddenly started praying later.
I wish Bess’s character had been developed more. She seemed like she could be interesting, but there just really wasn’t enough there. Alec was relateably too thoughtful about decisions and demonstrated noble self-sacrifice, but I did not quite buy the romance between him and Sarina. For their personalities, I would expect such a relationship to take a long time to develop.
I didn’t find the mouse’s, Boots, game of fetch realistic either, but this is a fairytale, and it was both cute and important to the plot.
The prose was lacking in my opinion and repeatedly dragged me out of the story. The plot, however, was solid, and I appreciated the allusions to the original story and Mark Twain. The theme was also clearly written and fit Sarina’s character well.
September 30, 2026
Sarina is the most irritating character! She's the princess. And all she wants is to travel around to see her country. However, she's so arrogant. Plus, she keeps landing in trouble.
Alec deserved so much better. And he cannot catch a break! I was so frustrated at every single turn; tragedy waited.
And there's a Bess in the story!!
I feel like one of my favorite stories was ruined!
Clean, one profanity.
Alec deserved so much better. And he cannot catch a break! I was so frustrated at every single turn; tragedy waited.
And there's a Bess in the story!!
I feel like one of my favorite stories was ruined!
Clean, one profanity.
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