What do you think?
Rate this book
Runaway Princess #1
The Runaway Princess
"A dragon darkens our dells. A witch haunts our woods. Bandits roam our moors" . . . King Stromgard swept on. "In the tradition of so many monarchs, I offer my daughter's hand in marriage and half my kingdom to the prince who can rid us of these evils, restoring peace and prosperity to our realm."
And so the contest in the Kingdom of Greeve begins. But Princess Margaret is not your traditional princess. Meg firmly objects to her parents' giving her away, and she certainly has no intention of remaining in the tower where she is sequestered. Instead, she sets out to win the contest herself by enlisting the help of her good friend, her loyal maid, an eager guardsman, a young wizard, and a tenacious witch. Does Meg find her distinct place in the kingdom, or is she doomed to fulfill her royal duties?
Kate Coombs weaves a magical tale full of pesky princes, enchanted frogs, a beady-eyed scarf, and invisibility juice – a tale of wonder, but a story familiar to all who struggle to find their own place in the world.
And so the contest in the Kingdom of Greeve begins. But Princess Margaret is not your traditional princess. Meg firmly objects to her parents' giving her away, and she certainly has no intention of remaining in the tower where she is sequestered. Instead, she sets out to win the contest herself by enlisting the help of her good friend, her loyal maid, an eager guardsman, a young wizard, and a tenacious witch. Does Meg find her distinct place in the kingdom, or is she doomed to fulfill her royal duties?
Kate Coombs weaves a magical tale full of pesky princes, enchanted frogs, a beady-eyed scarf, and invisibility juice – a tale of wonder, but a story familiar to all who struggle to find their own place in the world.
288 pages, Hardcover
First published August 8, 2006
13 people are currently reading
4422 people want to read
About the author
Kate Coombs
35 books52 followersI was born in Spokane, Washington, but I spent most of my childhood in Camarillo, California, which is about an hour's drive north of Los Angeles. Whenever possible as a child, I read books—books, books, and more books. The rest of the time I rode my bike with my sister, Loni, or looked after my little brother and sister. Sometimes we went to the movies at an old theater we called "The Sticky Theater" because there was always soda spilled on the floor. I was already a fan of fairy tales and comedy, so it shouldn't surprise you to hear that my favorite movie when I was a child was Snow White and the Three Stooges.
I began writing stories, poems, and plays in grade school. For the plays, I would write myself parts like The Glorious Queen and my sister parts like The Quiet Servant Girl. She was a pretty good sport about it!
When I was a teenager, I played bells in the marching band and oboe in the concert band. For a while I wanted to be a concert oboist. I even learned to cut and tie my own double reeds, a tricky task. Next I dreamed of becoming an artist. But once I got to college and started studying art, my first love—books—came back and grabbed me, so I ended up majoring in English. I eventually worked as a college writing teacher, an editor of coffee table books and technical manuals, and a grade school teacher. I later worked as a home teacher, driving around Los Angeles to teach seriously ill students. I've been teaching on and off for years, instructing students in every single grade from K-13, kindergarten to college!
While I was teaching, I was also writing stories in my free time. I wrote a lot of stories, which gave me practice and helped me become a better writer. After a while I started sending my stories to publishers, asking to have them made into books for kids. It took a long time, but eventually my dreams came true—now I'm a published writer!
Six Fun Facts
My dad used to call me Kate the Great.
I was once attacked by a monkey.
When I see a dry leaf on the sidewalk, I go out of my way to step on it and hear the crunch.
I have six brothers and sisters. We're all adopted and from four different ethnic backgrounds.
I can flicker my nostrils really well.
My favorite color is the blue-green at the top of an ocean wave when it catches the light just before it falls.
I began writing stories, poems, and plays in grade school. For the plays, I would write myself parts like The Glorious Queen and my sister parts like The Quiet Servant Girl. She was a pretty good sport about it!
When I was a teenager, I played bells in the marching band and oboe in the concert band. For a while I wanted to be a concert oboist. I even learned to cut and tie my own double reeds, a tricky task. Next I dreamed of becoming an artist. But once I got to college and started studying art, my first love—books—came back and grabbed me, so I ended up majoring in English. I eventually worked as a college writing teacher, an editor of coffee table books and technical manuals, and a grade school teacher. I later worked as a home teacher, driving around Los Angeles to teach seriously ill students. I've been teaching on and off for years, instructing students in every single grade from K-13, kindergarten to college!
While I was teaching, I was also writing stories in my free time. I wrote a lot of stories, which gave me practice and helped me become a better writer. After a while I started sending my stories to publishers, asking to have them made into books for kids. It took a long time, but eventually my dreams came true—now I'm a published writer!
Six Fun Facts
My dad used to call me Kate the Great.
I was once attacked by a monkey.
When I see a dry leaf on the sidewalk, I go out of my way to step on it and hear the crunch.
I have six brothers and sisters. We're all adopted and from four different ethnic backgrounds.
I can flicker my nostrils really well.
My favorite color is the blue-green at the top of an ocean wave when it catches the light just before it falls.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 230 reviews
August 2, 2015
Adorable! I loved The Runaway Princess. I can't believe it took me so long to read it! The story is full of humor and strong, fun characters. Especially Princess Meg!
Plot
The kingdom of Greeve contains a witch, a dragon, and a group of bandits. To rid the land of this evil, the King of Greeve offers half his kingdom and his only daughter's hand in marriage to the prince that defeats all three threats and restores peace. However, Princess Meg is no traditional lady and she certainly doesn't want to marry any old bread-for-brains prince! With the help of a garden boy, a maid, a clueless guard, and a redheaded wizard, she sets off to save all three targets from the princes and win the contest herself.
Thoughts
Princess Meg makes a fantastic heroine. She has courage and kindness and doesn't need a prince. I loved her character. She isn't a brilliant swordsman or endowed with magical ability. She just wants a voice in the matter of her future. She experiences character change.
The story is a typical fairy tale but with a twist. It isn't cliche, girl power either. Princess Meg may not "need a man", but she certainly needs her friends. She feels like a 14 year old.
If the book has any flaws, it does jump around a little. Occasionally in the middle of an intense scene, the story flips to something random and silly. It keeps the tone of the novel lighthearted.
This is exactly the sort of story that can be read to little girls.
A new favorite for my fairy tale repertoire!
Plot
The kingdom of Greeve contains a witch, a dragon, and a group of bandits. To rid the land of this evil, the King of Greeve offers half his kingdom and his only daughter's hand in marriage to the prince that defeats all three threats and restores peace. However, Princess Meg is no traditional lady and she certainly doesn't want to marry any old bread-for-brains prince! With the help of a garden boy, a maid, a clueless guard, and a redheaded wizard, she sets off to save all three targets from the princes and win the contest herself.
Thoughts
Princess Meg makes a fantastic heroine. She has courage and kindness and doesn't need a prince. I loved her character. She isn't a brilliant swordsman or endowed with magical ability. She just wants a voice in the matter of her future. She experiences character change.
The story is a typical fairy tale but with a twist. It isn't cliche, girl power either. Princess Meg may not "need a man", but she certainly needs her friends. She feels like a 14 year old.
If the book has any flaws, it does jump around a little. Occasionally in the middle of an intense scene, the story flips to something random and silly. It keeps the tone of the novel lighthearted.
This is exactly the sort of story that can be read to little girls.
A new favorite for my fairy tale repertoire!
December 2, 2018
Very visual, too much like a movie for my taste. But I do like some of the characters a lot, including especially Lex, and the twins. And towards the end it gets very funny. I also appreciate the fact that Meg isn't kick-ass, isn't ridiculously tomboyish, isn't 'spunky' ... she's a girl who is a person, strong and smart and silly and brave and real.
I also like this: "The queen's chambers were hung with hundreds of fluttering lengths of pink and gold glass that chimed delicately when a breeze was allowed to drift through the windows and shimmered when the light struck them." I'm not sure exactly how that would be arrayed in what setting, but I want!
(If any of you are artists or designers and can sketch something like that, please share!)
I also like this: "The queen's chambers were hung with hundreds of fluttering lengths of pink and gold glass that chimed delicately when a breeze was allowed to drift through the windows and shimmered when the light struck them." I'm not sure exactly how that would be arrayed in what setting, but I want!
(If any of you are artists or designers and can sketch something like that, please share!)
March 25, 2015
The adventures of Princess Meg (Margret, but she prefers Meg) as she attempts to thwart the Competition for Her Hand and Half the Kingdom. The whole being married off to a stranger is bad enough, but the competition has three stages of destruction: 1) getting rid of the witch (who hasn't harmed anyone), 2) getting rid of the dragon (who hasn't bothered anyone in ages, and you know what Bilbo Baggins says about sleeping dragons), 3) getting rid of the bandits (who honestly are more Robin Hood and his Merry Men than highway robbers and murderers). So Meg and friends set off to sabotage the competition before anyone gets hurt or killed.
The intro honestly had me worried, I was afraid that Meg was going to be a headstrong "I know better than my parents" kind of princess who is more concerned with getting her adventure (and being right) than with the good of her kingdom, but fortunately she isn't. She has a curiosity to know and understand people (and dragons) who are different than her and though she is a bit on an adventure bent, she soon realizes that adventures are much dirtier work than tales make them out to be and that you still have to see them through after you are over the whole "adventure" thing.
The intro was honestly the only thing I didn't like about the book. I love the Queen, especially when she starts coming into her own; I greatly approved of how Meg keeps making friends (often of people others just ignore and even making a friend of someone she originally didn't like) and the other royalty were quite hilarious! (Ah machinations, within plots ruined by honor or a good frog spell!)
Content notes: No language issues. The bad guy considers making Meg his queen by force, but that is all that happens, he considers it and two characters kiss to sell a cover story; no other sensuality issues. There are some sword battles, and injuries do occur, but I don't remember any deaths and no detailed injury descriptions.
July 22, 2022
I really liked this book!
It's about a princess who is locked in a tower while princes from different areas come to compete. The first prince to slay a dragon, banish a witch, defeat a troop of bandits, and retrieve the princess from the tower will win her hand in marriage. Sounds really traditional, doesn't it? Well, in this story the princess retrieves HERSELF from the tower, because she wants to save the dragon, witch, and bandits from the princes.
This was a really adventuresome fun read, and I found it remeniscent of some excellent books, namely Ella Enchanted (one of my favorite books), Patricia C. Wrede's Dragon series, and the wizard in this book reminded of Howl from Howl's Moving Castle.
It's about a princess who is locked in a tower while princes from different areas come to compete. The first prince to slay a dragon, banish a witch, defeat a troop of bandits, and retrieve the princess from the tower will win her hand in marriage. Sounds really traditional, doesn't it? Well, in this story the princess retrieves HERSELF from the tower, because she wants to save the dragon, witch, and bandits from the princes.
This was a really adventuresome fun read, and I found it remeniscent of some excellent books, namely Ella Enchanted (one of my favorite books), Patricia C. Wrede's Dragon series, and the wizard in this book reminded of Howl from Howl's Moving Castle.
September 6, 2008
Kate Coombs has such a wonderful sense of humor. The second half of the book I giggled on almost every page. All of the usual fairy tale elements are here: a dragon, a witch, frog princes, gallant princes, a band of robbers, a wizard and a princess locked in a tower. The trouble begins with a prime minister seeking economic developments and ends with a royal battle certain to bring, if not a fit of giggles, at least a rueful smile to your lips.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 8, 2016
Очаровательная сказонька про драконов, ведьм, разбойников, принцев и принцесс, а также самоидентификацию.
Пора уже официально признать, что сказоньки - мой литературный потолок, и перестать терзать приличную литературу.
Пора уже официально признать, что сказоньки - мой литературный потолок, и перестать терзать приличную литературу.
November 26, 2017
This is such a cute and solid book. You knew they would triumph in the end, but even then it was such a satisfying read. Classic “runaway princess who saves the day” middle school/children’s book. I read this ages ago and so coming back to it I could see why I loved this type of book when I was younger.
My only problem was they convinced all the frogs-turned-princes-again to go back in the end because otherwise there’d be, like what almost happened, a war over the missing princes. Makes sense. If it hadn’t been for the sly and clever Queen, utilizing tears and cool levelheadedness, war would’ve broken out. And then they let the bad prince get turned into a frog and go off to the pond. Possibly to be eaten or killed by an old not-too-happy-henchman-turned-salamander. Like, of all the kingdoms and families to mess with, someone as treacherous and obnoxious as the bad guy here is not a group I want to mess with? Although, I can’t really judge an entire kingdom based off their slimy prince. All I’m saying is it can cause diplomatic issues, even if everyone doesn’t like the prince there necessarily.
What some people might be uncomfortable reading about in this book because of personal opinion or belief: um, I really hope no one would find any issues?
My only problem was they convinced all the frogs-turned-princes-again to go back in the end because otherwise there’d be, like what almost happened, a war over the missing princes. Makes sense. If it hadn’t been for the sly and clever Queen, utilizing tears and cool levelheadedness, war would’ve broken out. And then they let the bad prince get turned into a frog and go off to the pond. Possibly to be eaten or killed by an old not-too-happy-henchman-turned-salamander. Like, of all the kingdoms and families to mess with, someone as treacherous and obnoxious as the bad guy here is not a group I want to mess with? Although, I can’t really judge an entire kingdom based off their slimy prince. All I’m saying is it can cause diplomatic issues, even if everyone doesn’t like the prince there necessarily.
What some people might be uncomfortable reading about in this book because of personal opinion or belief: um, I really hope no one would find any issues?
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 22, 2018
This was a really cute book and I quite liked it. I'm excited to read the sequel to see where else this story will go. There is great character growth over the course of the story.
July 18, 2012
Very fun and just a perfect summer read. Entertaining and clever, it reminded me a lot of Patricia C. Wrede's Enchanted Forest Chronicles, especially the treatment of magic-users and princes.
Princess Margaret, Meg to her friends, is offered up as a prize in her kingdom's contest to rid the land of a witch, a pack of bandits and a dragon. Princes from across the lands come to vie for her hand in marriage, a share of the dragon hoard and half the kingdom. But Meg has other plans. If she can win the contest, or at least prevent any of the others from winning, her problems will be solved. Except her father decides to lock her in a tower and it takes her dear friends Cam, the gardener boy, and Dilly, her maid, along with some assistance from Nort, the young guard at her tower, to get her out of the tower and off on her adventure.
On her adventures she meets some fantastic characters and ends up having to help save the whole kingdom, with the help of a number of people: Lex - an impressive but youthful wizard, Gorba - a witch whose signature spell is turning princes into frogs and likes a good love story, Bain - a prince in the contest who is not quite what he claims, Alya - the Bandit Queen, Laddy - an adorable baby dragon, and scarf - an odd and magical creature. Oh, and Dagle and Dorn, the twin princes.
As I said, fun and I'll be picking up the sequel The Runaway Dragon.
Also, really liked that they kept the romance mainly out of this one since Meg is only 14. Thank you!
Princess Margaret, Meg to her friends, is offered up as a prize in her kingdom's contest to rid the land of a witch, a pack of bandits and a dragon. Princes from across the lands come to vie for her hand in marriage, a share of the dragon hoard and half the kingdom. But Meg has other plans. If she can win the contest, or at least prevent any of the others from winning, her problems will be solved. Except her father decides to lock her in a tower and it takes her dear friends Cam, the gardener boy, and Dilly, her maid, along with some assistance from Nort, the young guard at her tower, to get her out of the tower and off on her adventure.
On her adventures she meets some fantastic characters and ends up having to help save the whole kingdom, with the help of a number of people: Lex - an impressive but youthful wizard, Gorba - a witch whose signature spell is turning princes into frogs and likes a good love story, Bain - a prince in the contest who is not quite what he claims, Alya - the Bandit Queen, Laddy - an adorable baby dragon, and scarf - an odd and magical creature. Oh, and Dagle and Dorn, the twin princes.
As I said, fun and I'll be picking up the sequel The Runaway Dragon.
Also, really liked that they kept the romance mainly out of this one since Meg is only 14. Thank you!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 22, 2009
The only reason I read this is because my sister left it on my bookshelf. I'd say the age range is about elementary school. It was a cute story. A king holds a contest for princes to take care of the problems in his realm: slay a dragon and get the treasure, capture the Robin Hoodlike bandits, and remove the witch. The winner will get to marry his daughter, Meg. Meg is not the embroidary type. She likes catching frogs with her friend the gardener's son. So she escapes from her tower and goes around thwarting her father's contest because she thinks the witch and dragon are innocent and not really bad for the kingdom.
The writing annoyed me a bit. Lots of jumping between stories and it didn't draw me in. The premise was good and all of the aspects of characters, some who matched their stereotype and some who didn't, was well done. I liked that everyone in the story had an opportunity to do the right thing and really the royal people were just as flawed as any of the servants or common people.
The writing annoyed me a bit. Lots of jumping between stories and it didn't draw me in. The premise was good and all of the aspects of characters, some who matched their stereotype and some who didn't, was well done. I liked that everyone in the story had an opportunity to do the right thing and really the royal people were just as flawed as any of the servants or common people.
Read
December 15, 2010"A dragon darkens our dells. A witch haunts our woods. Bandits roam our moors” . . . King Stromgard swept on. “In the tradition of so many monarchs, I offer my daughter’s hand in marriage and half my kingdom to the prince who can rid us of these evils, restoring peace and prosperity to our realm.
And so the contest in the Kingdom of Greeve begins. But Princess Margaret is not your traditional princess. Meg firmly objects to her parents’ giving her away, and she certainly has no intention of remaining in the tower where she is sequestered. Instead, she sets out to win the contest herself by enlisting the help of her good friend, her loyal maid, an eager guardsman, a young wizard, and a tenacious witch. Does Meg find her distinct place in the kingdom, or is she doomed to fulfill her royal duties?
Kate Coombs weaves a magical tale full of pesky princes, enchanted frogs, a beady-eyed scarf, and invisibility juice – a tale of wonder, but a story familiar to all who struggle to find their own place in the world.
And so the contest in the Kingdom of Greeve begins. But Princess Margaret is not your traditional princess. Meg firmly objects to her parents’ giving her away, and she certainly has no intention of remaining in the tower where she is sequestered. Instead, she sets out to win the contest herself by enlisting the help of her good friend, her loyal maid, an eager guardsman, a young wizard, and a tenacious witch. Does Meg find her distinct place in the kingdom, or is she doomed to fulfill her royal duties?
Kate Coombs weaves a magical tale full of pesky princes, enchanted frogs, a beady-eyed scarf, and invisibility juice – a tale of wonder, but a story familiar to all who struggle to find their own place in the world.
March 26, 2012
Princess Margaret is incensed. Her father has offered half the Kingdom and her hand in marriage to the prince who defeats the dragon, withers the witch, and beats down the bandits who are 'terrorising' the Kingdom. Honestly, the dragon hasn't eaten anyone since Margaret's great-aunt, the witch is mostly harmless -- good luck charms and love spells and the occasional metamorphosis into a frog, but only for those who really deserve it. And Meg can't help but admire the bandits' whole 'rob from the rich to give to the poor' schtick. Meg doesn't even want to marry a prince -- they're all so boring -- and as a final indignity she is to be 'sequestered' in the highest tower of the castle until the contest is won. As if! However, warning the witch, defending the dragon, and backing the bandits is harder than Meg thought it would be with all those princes in the way, not to mention having to maintain the illusion of her presence in the tower, with only a garden boy, a maid, and an over-eager junior guardsman as accomplices. And then things get *really* complicated . . .
February 26, 2012
Delightful!! This is a princess story that even boys will enjoy. The cast of characters is expertly developed, traditional fairy tale elements are turned on their head (nice witch, baby dragon, princess winning the contest that princes are supposed to win, etc.), and the details are just right. The details are so hard to nail in stories like these and Coombs does it with aplomb. Names like twins Dorn and Dagle, an underage wizard with a fondness for hot chocolate, a princess getting locked into a tower--but that same tower gets "accidentally" turned invisible...
This is a great reading romp and would make a fun read aloud as well. Although the main characters are in their teens, this reads much like your old school princess tales and can be appreciated by a wide range of children/adults.
This is a great reading romp and would make a fun read aloud as well. Although the main characters are in their teens, this reads much like your old school princess tales and can be appreciated by a wide range of children/adults.
July 14, 2024
My older sister said anyone who liked "Dealing With Dragons" would like this. She was right, but not being a huge fantasy fan, I much preferred the well rounded, delightfully "real" developing characters in this tale. No simpering princess here, but neither were her male counterparts weak fools. Every character, but one, was likable and "human" and of course, there has to be an antagonist. I enjoyed the author's skill at showing feminine strength without crossing the line into feminism. And the twin princes...so much entertaining fun. Bravo! A clean, light, fun fairy tale.
March 13, 2010
This was fun - like Dealing with Dragons, where the princess questions the need for a knight to rescue her, and goes about dealing with things on her own. Very enjoyable.
April 11, 2015
Very well done. Humor, character development, fun story, good characters, and so much more. A lovely read. Really good. Recommended.
October 8, 2009
This princess has spunk, brains, and a couple of good friends to help her save the day.
August 9, 2023
The feisty Princess Margaret (Meg) of Greeve has reached the ripe old age of 15 and her father, King Stromgard, has decided it is time for her to marry.
The marriage, argues the Prime Minister, Garard, will put an end to the economic slowdown and stimulate growth and progress in the kingdom.
Princes from kingdoms far and wide are invited to compete for the hand of Princess Margaret - and all they need to do is kill a dragon, banish a witch and defeat the notorious bandit Rodolfo and his men.
Meg has gumption and ain't having any of it, a decision which sees her confined to a solitary tower in the Castle grounds. But not for long!
"The Runaway Princess" is a traditional fairytale, complete with all the expected trimmings (including a suitably eccentric wizard who makes very good hot chocolate), with a modern outlook and a great sense of humour.
Not forgetting the witch Gorba who is a fan of the books by Lady Isabella Comfrey:- “The Golden Goblet of Love, The Perils of Princess Peridot, The Capture of a Royal Heart … and Prince of My Dreams.”
It's a lovely book at every level and I enjoyed it tremendously. Kate Coombs knows how to tell a fantastical tale with a straight bat and an unerring eye for emotion. It's great fun!
4 very solid Stars. I only give 5 Stars for books that have stuck with me over the decades, but this would be a strong contender.
The marriage, argues the Prime Minister, Garard, will put an end to the economic slowdown and stimulate growth and progress in the kingdom.
Princes from kingdoms far and wide are invited to compete for the hand of Princess Margaret - and all they need to do is kill a dragon, banish a witch and defeat the notorious bandit Rodolfo and his men.
Meg has gumption and ain't having any of it, a decision which sees her confined to a solitary tower in the Castle grounds. But not for long!
"The Runaway Princess" is a traditional fairytale, complete with all the expected trimmings (including a suitably eccentric wizard who makes very good hot chocolate), with a modern outlook and a great sense of humour.
Not forgetting the witch Gorba who is a fan of the books by Lady Isabella Comfrey:- “The Golden Goblet of Love, The Perils of Princess Peridot, The Capture of a Royal Heart … and Prince of My Dreams.”
It's a lovely book at every level and I enjoyed it tremendously. Kate Coombs knows how to tell a fantastical tale with a straight bat and an unerring eye for emotion. It's great fun!
4 very solid Stars. I only give 5 Stars for books that have stuck with me over the decades, but this would be a strong contender.
November 11, 2018
What an adorable read! I apparently marked this "to read" at some point, but completely forgot about that and happened to just pick it up off a shelf at the library. (I seem to be making this a theme of late.) Huzzah for happy accidents! There were some small problems with transitioning and building up the story at the beginning of the tale (bits were decidedly choppy), but it's such a fun romp through some of our favorite fairy tale tropes, that it's hard to be overly stern with the book. I liked the array of characters and the way the author skipped through their different shenanigans. And Princess Meg is spunky and adventurous without becoming obnoxious or unbelievable (a trope I'm glad the author avoided ;) ). I almost gave this 3 stars, but it grew on me, and I really loved the way Kate Coombs tied up her denouement. Any book that ties all those different threads into such a tidy little bow deserves that extra star.
June 12, 2020
Lots of twists and turns! Delightful story of a princess with no interest in getting married, much less in a contest where the winner gets her plus half the kingdom as a prize. With the help of her friends--a maid, a gardener's assistant, a castle guard, and eventually a witch and wizard--she sneaks out of the locked tower and begins a series of adventures in her attempts to thwart the contest.
My main reason for giving it 4 stars instead of 5 is that the characters are all pretty much presumed white. The princess, Meg, is at least described as having brown hair, not blond, but it seems like it would have been fairly simple to have at least a few of the characters be described as having varying skin colors.
For readers' advisors: story doorway is primary, character secondary. Strong female lead. Just friendships--no romantic subplots.
My main reason for giving it 4 stars instead of 5 is that the characters are all pretty much presumed white. The princess, Meg, is at least described as having brown hair, not blond, but it seems like it would have been fairly simple to have at least a few of the characters be described as having varying skin colors.
For readers' advisors: story doorway is primary, character secondary. Strong female lead. Just friendships--no romantic subplots.
September 8, 2019
My inclination is to give this book 1 or 2 stars because it's all over the place in terms of plot, but lots of fairytales tend to be this way, so die-hard fans are used to it.
The king of Greeve has decided to host a contest for all eligible princes, with the prize being Princess Margaret's hand in marriage. The winner of the contest must successfully rid the kingdom of its annoyances: a witch, a dragon, and a band of bandits. The king decides to sequester Meg in a guarded tower until the contest is over. Of course, Meg is perturbed by this and decides to sneak out and warn the so-called annoyances, because she doesn't think any of them truly mean any harm to the kingdom. Along with her gardener friend, Cam, she persuades the guard and her maid to go along with her scheme.
I liked the book up to the point of her sneaking out, at which point there were simply too many characters to keep track of. There's no character development, so all the princes meld together into one form, making them hard to distinguish. The author needs to slow down, give more detail to each scene and eliminate those parts that aren't essential to the story.
The king of Greeve has decided to host a contest for all eligible princes, with the prize being Princess Margaret's hand in marriage. The winner of the contest must successfully rid the kingdom of its annoyances: a witch, a dragon, and a band of bandits. The king decides to sequester Meg in a guarded tower until the contest is over. Of course, Meg is perturbed by this and decides to sneak out and warn the so-called annoyances, because she doesn't think any of them truly mean any harm to the kingdom. Along with her gardener friend, Cam, she persuades the guard and her maid to go along with her scheme.
I liked the book up to the point of her sneaking out, at which point there were simply too many characters to keep track of. There's no character development, so all the princes meld together into one form, making them hard to distinguish. The author needs to slow down, give more detail to each scene and eliminate those parts that aren't essential to the story.
February 23, 2023
I liked this one quite a bit!
While Princess Margaret did follow the whole "I don't want to be a princess" trope, Kate Coombs used it well: rather than being a completely selfish idiot, Meg cares for her people and country, though she doesn't always express or direct it in the best manner. (Then again, who among us does at sixteen?) She isn't worried about romance, embroidery (ugh!), or living up to other's expectations for her. She isn't always as respectful as she should be, either, but what heroine is without flaws? In the end, she grows past them beautifully into a lovely, dedicated young lady.
While Princess Margaret did follow the whole "I don't want to be a princess" trope, Kate Coombs used it well: rather than being a completely selfish idiot, Meg cares for her people and country, though she doesn't always express or direct it in the best manner. (Then again, who among us does at sixteen?) She isn't worried about romance, embroidery (ugh!), or living up to other's expectations for her. She isn't always as respectful as she should be, either, but what heroine is without flaws? In the end, she grows past them beautifully into a lovely, dedicated young lady.
January 11, 2018
Overall, an enjoyable treat. Will recommend to my daughter at some point, I imagine.
I deeply appreciated the strength and ingenuity of the characters, that there was no romantic subplot, and that none of the adult women were absent, abusive, or clueless. The lighthearted pacing and dialogue made for a fun, engaging read.
I'm not about the "traditionally feminine arts are there to stick our tongues out at" brand of princess story, though. That is one reason this isn't five stars from me. Other reasons include sort of pedestrian storytelling/sentence structuring. But it's by no means bad.
I deeply appreciated the strength and ingenuity of the characters, that there was no romantic subplot, and that none of the adult women were absent, abusive, or clueless. The lighthearted pacing and dialogue made for a fun, engaging read.
I'm not about the "traditionally feminine arts are there to stick our tongues out at" brand of princess story, though. That is one reason this isn't five stars from me. Other reasons include sort of pedestrian storytelling/sentence structuring. But it's by no means bad.
July 18, 2018
A delightfully different fairy tale about a princess who wasn't content to sit around and let herself become a prize for men to fight over, and sets out to win her own hand (and save herself from a despicable, lying prince). I loved Meg and all her friends, and I can't wait to read more of their adventures, as I see there is a sequel, featuring Laddy! Also, despite the fact that I love that this book wasn't about romance or Meg finding her prince, I can't be the only one hoping to see Bain pop up again in the future, with his delightfully smirky smirk.
March 7, 2022
This novel reminded me a lot of Dealing with Dragons, but unlike Cimorene, who has to leave behind everything in order to begin her new life, in this novel Meg is surrounded by friends, with a watchful mother hovering in the background. I think as a child I would have scoffed at Meg's adventures because she never really had to go it alone, but as a mom I appreciated how her freedom had a few sensible guard rails. Don't get me wrong, I'm not going to to let my kid go questing, but for the world that they live in it was the best a mom could do.
September 11, 2023
We just weren't wild about this.
There were SO many characters--every few pages a new character's name was added and it was hard to know which ones were significant and which were not. My kids were constantly asking, "Who was that again?"
The chapters were too jumpy; as a read-aloud this just felt too disjointed to have just a couple of pages go by and then we were jumping to another setting or time.
There were a couple of funny moments and I liked the concept of a princess that doesn't need to be rescued, but overall to me this one was forgettable.
There were SO many characters--every few pages a new character's name was added and it was hard to know which ones were significant and which were not. My kids were constantly asking, "Who was that again?"
The chapters were too jumpy; as a read-aloud this just felt too disjointed to have just a couple of pages go by and then we were jumping to another setting or time.
There were a couple of funny moments and I liked the concept of a princess that doesn't need to be rescued, but overall to me this one was forgettable.
March 9, 2025
I read this a while ago (middle school) but still remember it and love it!
Basically from what I remember, the princess is kept in a tower and the king’s basically telling everybody that whoever can save the kingdom from its dangers can have her hand in marriage. She’s not a conventional princess though (I remember her playing with frogs and such).
She breaks out of the tower (“the runaway princess”) and I think runs off in the forest. Big adventure, befriends a dragon too, it’s all very wholesome and funny. Need to read it again as I’ve forgotten most of it 😆
Basically from what I remember, the princess is kept in a tower and the king’s basically telling everybody that whoever can save the kingdom from its dangers can have her hand in marriage. She’s not a conventional princess though (I remember her playing with frogs and such).
She breaks out of the tower (“the runaway princess”) and I think runs off in the forest. Big adventure, befriends a dragon too, it’s all very wholesome and funny. Need to read it again as I’ve forgotten most of it 😆
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Read
January 10, 2023Cute story! Subverts the traditional fairy tale tropes we're familiar with. What does happen in the story isn't shocking, but it is fun.
I found the characters rather likeable. I really enjoyed Dilly, Gorba and Janna. I would very much like to join tea time with Janna and Gorba. I want to give all the scratches to Laddy.
I thought the Prime Minister was going to be a shady, underhanded character, but he was just inept?
I found the characters rather likeable. I really enjoyed Dilly, Gorba and Janna. I would very much like to join tea time with Janna and Gorba. I want to give all the scratches to Laddy.
I thought the Prime Minister was going to be a shady, underhanded character, but he was just inept?
November 16, 2016
Meg is not happy to be the prize for a contest of princes. With the help of her maid, Dilly, and friend Cam, she sets out to win the contest and earn the right to live her life as she pleases.
I really enjoyed reading about Meg. She was a fun and engaging heroine. This book was clean and light-hearted.
I really enjoyed reading about Meg. She was a fun and engaging heroine. This book was clean and light-hearted.
June 12, 2017
Great book with a likeable princess who (with her friends) solves her problems well. But oh the problems keep getting more and more complicated! Highly recommend for upper elementary or anyone who likes to see a princess do her self-rescuing thing.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 230 reviews