X-Spelled: The Untold Story of the Princess and the Pea

by Lana Borgholthaus

Is it possible for Maren to save her kingdom AND marry her true love?
Starving villagers crowd the poverty-stricken kingdom of Baron. The death toll climbs each day. The fate of the village hinges on the decision of their future queen, Maren. Although admired for her generosity and grace, she holds the keys to their troubled state. If she marries well, things will turn around. But, will she be able to marry her childhood love, Prince Daniel Trew? Or, will she have to settle for the mysterious Prince John? With an unknown past, Maren must prove her royalty to Queen Trew if she is to win Daniel’s hand in marriage. She must also get a true love’s kiss in order to break a spell before it becomes permanent, which would ruin all hope for her kingdom’s survival. With ravenous wolves, elite competition, a ghastly curse, a disfigured friend, and a superlative, nefarious witch at her tail, will Maren get her happily ever after?
X-Spelled is the untold story behind Hans Christian Andersen’s 1835 fairy tale, The Princess and the Pea . It explains why the princess is in the midst of “a terrible storm,” how she got “black and blue” from the pea, why it’s “a true story,” and more.

210 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 19, 2018

Reviews

[Kelsey Attwood · Rating 1 out of 5]

If I could give zero stars I would 😬
Sorry but the voice of the author was not soothing, it physically made me cringe. Especially when she was singing in the witches voice. I love a re-telling story but the tone of the voice made it super boring and I couldn’t get into it. I only finished it for my Alphabet Challenge..

[Mickey · Rating 3 out of 5]

A Princess and the Pea retelling complete with witches, princesses, long lost siblings, and vindictive mean royalty. I didn't feel this story needed to be retold, so I was interested to hear the romantic twist to this, and unfortunately, I was right; the story didn't need to be retold. I listened to this on audio, and the author read the book. Usually, this is an added benefit to a book, but it didn't work in this situation. It made many moments that may have been humorous cringe-worthy. In all fairness, I understood this to be a young adult romance book, but halfway through questioning the reading level, I realized it was likely geared toward tweens. I still enjoy stories for kids and reading with my children, but the story was still lacking. Given that it's a children's chapter book, I rated it three stars based on this understanding.

[Kimberly C. · Rating 5 out of 5]

The is a fun and entertaining “fractured fairytale” written for middle school aged readers. My 12 year old daughter read this book in less than two days and absolutely loved it. She says it is one of the best books she’s ever read. High praise indeed! In fact, I thoroughly enjoyed reading it myself! We both highly recommend this delightful book!

[Rachel Stone · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book for my A-Z readinf challenge for the letter X. While this book is clearly for child readers, it is honestly a nice little spon on the fairytale. The reading was easy to follow and comprehend (though sometimes a little bland), the storyline was cute and engaging, and the characters were enjoyable. I would definitely recommend this for young fairytale fans.

[Yvonne_Marin’s Bookshelf · Rating 3 out of 5]

it was ok

I needed a book title beginning with the letter x and saw this on KU. Thought it would be a cute read since The Princess and the Pea was one of my favorite stories growing up. It was ok. The writing was too juvenile at times and sometimes really good. Didn’t have a great flow but it came together at end. Cute story.

[Madi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short and Sweet