The Ugly Princess: The Legend of the Winnowwood

The Legend of the Winnowwood #1

by Henderson Smith

What would you give up to be beautiful? I don’t mean attractive, or pretty or any other term you could conjure up to describe that thing most women seek to be or most men seek to be with. I mean staggeringly beautiful, men falling at your feet with hopeless adoration as they gaze upon you dumbfounded. That beautiful. I could become that beautiful if I chose, but only with a steep price. Would you pay the price? Does that call to your heart?

It doesn’t call to mine. Yes, when I look at the girl in the mirror, I see a young woman of average height and slight build. I see her lovely emerald green eyes and I see her coarse, orange hair poking out in all directions like some unnatural haystack. I see the forty-seven warts that line her face, which accompany one large lump and two small boils. You’d probably think that I would be more than eager to trade for the great gift of beauty because I know some, if not all of you, would call me hideous. But I don’t think of myself as ugly.

I think of myself as powerful, strong and fierce – for I have magical powers – powers that amaze and terrify me at times. And today is the most important day of my life, because today my mother will say the words over me and seal my fate. For I, Olive, am the last of the Winnowwood and this is my story.


Based on the award winning screenplay of the same name, The Ugly Princess will take you on an amazing adventure filled with twists, turns and an ending that will take your breath away because it is also a love story of the most unusual, magical kind.

“In the tradition of The Princess Bride (with somewhat less whimsy) and The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making, Smith’s debut is a fairy tale in a new world…. The twists along this charming road make for an enchanting journey.” -- Kirkus Reviews --

Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult, Romance, Fiction, Magic, Fairy Tales, Middle Grade

Kindle Edition

First published March 6, 2014

About the author

I grew up as a military brat who travelled the world with my family. We moved ten times before I was twelve. Given that transient lifestyle, I had very few friends and I was quite shy. It always took some time to warm up to new surroundings and by the time I did, we were off to our next assignment. Books became my best friends and I lost myself to them. The wonderful, amazing world of books where you can live hundreds of lives that seem far more interesting than your own. Maybe you know that feeling too?

At long last, the sequel to The Ugly Princess has been published: Betrayed by Beauty. The dedication is as follows:

This is a story about sisters. Sisters by blood, as well as those sisters we choose to add to our family through our life experiences: bonds forged by love and friendship and other magic. This book is dedicated to all of those sisters, but especially to my dear sister, Robin, who has held my hand for as long as I can remember. From voting for my Easter Bonnet (the ugliest in my second-grade class) to thoughtfully listening to all the ideas for my stories and adding her insightful advice, she has always looked out for me. Please look out for yours. A sister is a gift from God, hold them close, take care of them and never let them fall away from you.

I hope you love it!

Reviews

[Brittany McCann · Rating 5 out of 5]

What can I say; this was a quick, easy, enjoyable read. From the moment I picked it up, I couldn’t put it down. It wasn’t an overly long book, but I did manage to finish it the same day I started reading it.

The Ugly Princess is written by Henderson Smith (who also happens to be from my home state of Montana). It is a fun and refreshing new kind of Fairy Tale, based around the lore of the Winnowwood. The Winnowwood are spectacular women, given magic and healing powers. However, whenever these powers are used the women get new warts or disfigurements to their faces causing them to become hideously ugly the more powerful that they are. There is one way out of this ugliness, but to take this loop-hole, one must give up these powers.

The heroine of the story is Princess Olive who reminds us in a whole new way that beauty really is in the eye of the beholder, and that true beauty lies within. I have to admit that the further I got into the story, regardless of how ugly Olive was described as being, I had a hard time seeing her that way in my mind. I think I must have seen her the way the animals did.

I give this book 5 out of 5 stars. Henderson did an amazing job of writing a story that was just plain fun to read. Princess Olive is an unlikely heroine and we get to travel with her in her adventures and when she can really learn how to have confidence in who she is. There are many great friends to Olive and even a dysfunctional family situation that has you rooting for Olive throughout the story. We learn not to judge to quickly on many fronts, and to trust our intuition through the eyes and thoughts of Olive. I loved this story and would even read it again, it was so fun! I would love to see a sequel in the making. *I have recently been informed by the author that a sequel IS in the works!

[The Captain · Rating 1 out of 5]

Ahoy there mateys! This be the second book of the year from me 20 in 2020 ports for plunder list. This was a fast read but extremely unsatisfying. I really don’t get how people think this is good.

Now to be fair, the premise sounds awesome. The story follows Olive who is the last in a long line of magical women. There is a catch to using magic. With every spell cast, the woman pays for it by turning uglier. Ye can give up yer magic and become beautiful in exchange. Olive refuses to give up her magic and as she says “But I don’t think of myself as ugly.”

Ha! That is a lie. Olive spends the entire book being upset about how ugly she is and craving the respect and love of those around her. She longs to be beautiful and she has no self-esteem at all. The people in this world are so shallow that the only thing that matters to any of them is how pretty they are. There is literally no discussion of any other character trait or talent having merit. And in terms of turning uglier, it all seems to occur on the face in the form of warts, boils, and bumps. It was odd that the rest of the body was fine.

Then there are the other characters. Olive’s own mother gave up her magic and then spends time waffling between wanting her children to be beautiful (knowing the cost) and wanting them to keep her magic. She outright lies to her children and is a coward. No one stands up to the obnoxious jerk father. The horrible sister is so selfish and tortures an animal with no repercussions because that is just her nature. The two sisters are so nasty and mean to one another. And yet the author continues to talk about how much love there is. I wouldn’t wish that kind of family love on anyone.

The plot and romance are both predictable and ridiculous. The writing was immature and had dialogue that was so bad that I actually laughed out loud over the absurdity of it. The word “boob” is used as an insult! How the characters fall in love was completely a) lackluster; b) unbelievable; and c) so quick, I think I blinked and missed it. The world building was non-existent. The magic had no real rules and the spells were both stupid sounding and stupidly executed. Olive turns 18 and suddenly becomes obsessed with finding “a mate.” The magical women actually think using magic to coerce men into having sex without consent is just fine because they brainwash them into having false memories. Ugh.

I wanted a strong woman willing to stand up for herself and be proud in her magic. I wanted a woman who not only saved the world but realized her own worth came from her actions and not from what other people think. I didn’t want her to behave like beauty and a relationship was the goal of womanhood. I did NOT want her to magically become beautiful at the end and only be fulfilled by finding a husband. I wanted her to use her brain. I didn’t get anything that I wanted from the premise that had potential.

I don’t even want to donate me copy to another reader. Avoid this book. Arrrr!

[The Elves · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is not a fairy tale in the sense that Tolkien defined it, that is a story about faeries or faerie magic, but in the more generalize use of that world and it is quite a good one and we delighted in reading it. It is the story of the last of the Winnowwood, women who have magic but grow more ugly as they use it even when they do so for good. On the other hand, they can trade their powers for great beauty and all but one eventually does so. Princess Olive would rather have her powers to heal the animals of the forest than to be beautiful and gain the acceptance and admiration of mankind, and this is her tale. We thoroughly enjoyed it and expect that, if you love fairy tales of magic, you might as well.

The Silver Elves authors of An Elven Game of Rhymes: Book Two of the Magical Poems of Zardoa Silverstar and of Elven Silver: The Irreverent Faery Tales of Zardoa Silverstar

[Janet Hecht · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received a free copy of this book from the Goodreads First reads program, but I would have gladly paid full price for this gem.

Although my childhood is far behind me, I've never lost my love for fairy tales and this book just reaffirmed my love of the genre. It is wonderful to have a story where a woman chooses character, strength, and integrity over outer beauty despite how others judge her; while at the same time putting the lives of those same individuals her over her own happiness. It isn't always easy, but Olive digs deep into a reservoir strength as she sacrifices her outer beauty in order to protect and save others.

Olive is a princess of the Winnowood, women who possess wonderful magical abilities as well as the ability to communicate with and lead animals. These abilities come at a steep cost: every time they use their magic, their face incurs another type of blemish, such as warts and boils. A woman can give up her magic and become one of the most beautiful women in the world. Olive becomes the last of the Winnowood to retain her powers, as her sister chose beauty over magic. Thus, the future abilities of the Winnowood are dependent upon Olive and the daughters she yearns to have in the future. Olive faces many trials in her young life including saving her country from barbaric invaders.

This fairy tale is a good reflection of our current society, which often celebrates outer beauty while ignoring inner beauty. It is such an empowering story for anyone, but especially for young girls and women. Dysfunctional family dynamics were an integral part of this story, which made it very relatable. Life is a journey with lots of twisting paths and unexpected roadblocks, and this no exception. Olive had to make difficult decisions, but she was so selfless. She put the safety of her friends, her animal friends, and her family ahead of her own personal desires. And these were not always easy choices for her.

I enjoyed everything about this book. It is so well written and the story just flows fluidly. As with all fairy tales, there is a happy ending, but it is suggested that more challenges are in store for our heroine in her future. Right after I finished this, I contacted the author and she confirmed that a sequel is in the works. Yeah!

My intent was to give this book to my best friend's daughter after I finished it, but I'm going to have to buy her her own copy!

[Ginger · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book gifted to me through first reads contest in exchange for an honest review.

I had fun turning back the clock to read this one.
This is a great summer read for a middle grader that likes to read about strong heroins, dashing Heros and finding your inner strength all with a touch of magic. I liked the twist of the ugly princess.

I saw the writing style progress as the story went on and there is a hint that a second book may be following. I think we will see even more growth in the characters there.

I do have to slip in that the way the animals spoke grated on me a little bit. The 'grrrr - owling' kind of took away from the story, though I guess it would make it fun to read outloud to little ones ;)

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received a copy of this book for free through the Goodreads FirstRead program.

I finally got the chance to start this book at about 6:30 this evening. It's now 10:00, and I've finished it. It's a fast, easy, compelling read. The story is tightly-wound and moves quickly through its plot. That quickness can occasionally leave me wanting a little more depth (particularly in the vein of some thin characterizations and a few key events that passed before I could quite understand them). That said, it was a great book that I very thoroughly enjoyed. And I absolutely fell in love with Princess Olive.


(Spoiler Free) SUMMARY: The Winnowwood are a powerful race of women born with unbelievable power over the natural world -- healing and commanding animals, controlling the weather, shapeshifting... The price they pay for that magic, however, is that each time they use it, they become more and more ugly. Long ago, though, they were cursed with the choice to give up their powers to become as beautiful as they had been ugly. Our heroine, Princess Olive, is the last of the Winnowwood who has not chosen beauty over power (despite pressure from her father and transformed sister to do so).

Both Olive's powers and her appearance become crucial to the fate of her people as war approaches from both within her kingdom and from the barbarians across the sea. Can she learn to use her magic as well as her ancestors who could call down lightning to defeat any foe? Can she gain the respect and trust necessary to command those around her to save the kingdom? Can she hold onto her confidence and courage when she alone is left to protect the ones she loves?



CRITIQUE: I am a sucker for fairy-tales. I love fairy-tales. I love the original versions and the Disney versions and the modern versions. I love classic fairy-tales set in new times and places; I love them with twists and changes and turned on their heads. I am especially fond of new fairy-tales for a new generation. And in many ways, "The Ugly Princess" is just that. It's a fairy-tale with magic and true love and life-and-death stakes and questions of destiny, like any other before it. And that's part of why it's so great. It is fun and thrilling, but it deals with big themes and questions.

So it is a fairy-tale. But is it one for a new generation? I don't know how to answer that as well. Princess Olive is certainly a fantastic heroine. She is brave, compassionate, intelligent, and strong-willed. And she still feels true and believable because she is also naive, uncertain of herself, and capable of being somewhat vain or somewhat cruel in turns -- she's like a real person. I would want any of the young girls I know to try to be more like her: trying hard to do what is right and stay true to herself, even (or especially) when it is hard. I want girls to care more about who they are than what they look like. I want girls to be fiercely protective of themselves, their friends, and their beliefs.

But in other ways, this story holds many of those old tropes I don't want girls absorbing. It falls a bit into the trap of trying so hard to build one woman up that it tears others down. There were hundreds of Winnowwood, but Olive is the only one who valued her self over her appearance. We are expected to buy that an entire ancient, powerful race gave up their whole culture and lives just to be pretty and adored by men. Just so that Olive can be all the more special and strong. Sure, even Olive struggles with the temptation and desire to be pretty -- don't we all? -- but she knows in her bones that her power is an intrinsic part of her she could never bear to lose. So why did none of the others? Why must Olive be the only girl in the book who is strong?

**SPOILERS AHEAD** And, to further drive the point home, Olive ends up pretty anyways. Not just pretty, either -- the most beautiful woman anyone in her kingdom has ever seen. Do you know what message that sends? "You don't really win unless you're pretty. Being pretty is the ultimate reward. Don't worry, if you do the right thing, you'll one day get the conventional beauty that will make everyone love you even when saving the whole world wouldn't earn you their respect." Yes, yes, I know: the beauty makes Olive uncomfortable and she doesn't want it. That's not the point. The point is that saving everyone she loves and her whole country wasn't enough. Finding true love wasn't enough. Gaining her own self-respect and her confidence and peace with who she was wasn't enough. To get her happy ending, Olive also had to be pretty. It's such an invalidation of her story arc and her struggle. I felt like it took away her autonomy and her ability to choose her own fate. It took away her chance to be known and cared for on her own terms for who she was rather than for her appearance. When she has the man she loves, is gaining respect from those who understand who she really is, has come to peace with herself, and has broken free from those who hate and would control her...that should have been enough for her happy ending. But that's when she is turned into someone she doesn't recognize or understand. And I don't see a reason why (and unless the implied sequel gives me a good reason, I'm going to continue resenting the fact).

[Natalie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received a copy of this through Goodreads First Reads program.

Olive is the last of the Winnowwood, an ancient race of magical beings. All her other sisters have fallen prey to the curse - the choice of choosing beauty or magic. Olive's mother and sister gave up their magic to become beautiful, but Olive never will. She loves talking to the animals and using her powers to help others, even though, the more power she uses, the uglier she gets.

Trouble is brewing in the kingdom and though her father despises her, Olive might be the only one that can help. That is if she doesn't fall victim to villainous plots or highwaymen along the way.

I'm not going to tell you that this was the best written book I've ever read, there were definite errors and plot holes, but it was 100% charming and lovely. I read it straight through in one sitting. I've been in something of a reading rut lately so I was delighted to find myself washed away in the magic of the Winnowwood.

Olive is a beautiful character, kind, strong, and totally human in her feelings and actions. The romance was a whirlwind, but I was able to overlook that because it was built on something more than "my eyes met yours and I couldn't think of anything else." (gag!) The romance wasn't even the focus, and it felt very real to me, as did Olive's emotions. I also loved that it was a shorter book. So many authors these days seem to think that every book needs to think they longer they make a book, the better it is. So not true. Smith told her story with simple beauty.

The ending was fairly predictable, but I didn't care. I almost wish that the book had just ended without the epilogue, because I thought it was a nice place to end the story. I wasn't that surprised when I saw what was coming in the next installment, but I'm sure it will be charming.

If you are in the mood for a light, happily ever after type of fairy tale, grab this book - you'll love it!

*Thanks for the copy!

[Brittany McCann · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just as delightful as the first time, and even better than I remembered.

What can I say, this was a quick, easy, enjoyable read. From the moment I picked it up, I couldn’t put it down. It wasn’t an overly long book, but I did manage to finish it the same day I started reading it.

The Ugly Princess is written by Henderson Smith (who also happens to be from my home state of Montana). It is a fun and refreshing new kind of Fairy Tale, based around the lore of the Winnowwood. The Winnowwood are spectacular women, given magic and healing powers. However, whenever these powers are used the women get new warts or disfigurements to their faces causing them to become hideously ugly the more powerful that they are. There is one way out of this ugliness, but to take this loophole, one must give up these powers.

The heroine of the story is Princess Olive who reminds us in a whole new way that beauty really is in the eye of the beholder, and that true beauty lies within. I must admit that the further I got into the story, regardless of how ugly Olive was described as, I had a hard time seeing her that way in my mind. I think I must have seen her the way the animals did.

I give this book 5 out of 5 stars. Henderson did an amazing job of writing a story that was just plain fun to read. Princess Olive is an unlikely heroine, and we get to travel with her in her adventures and when she can really learn how to have confidence in who she is. There are many great friends to Olive and even a dysfunctional family situation that has you rooting for Olive throughout the story. We learn not to judge to quickly on many fronts, and to trust our intuition through the eyes and thoughts of Olive. I loved this story and would even read it again; it was so fun! I would love to see a sequel in the making.

[Rina Reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

I won a copy of this book in the Goodreads First Reads giveaways.

Like I mentioned in my earlier review of Cruel Beauty (by Rosemund Hodge), I have always enjoyed a creative fairy tale. Straight from the first paragraph I noticed the writing style lacked vivid description but told the story in a bard like fashion well suited to the tale. This book sucked me in and spit me out after a solid few hours of complete immersion.

Despite my preferences for more mature reading, The Ugly Princess brought the right amount of charm and entertainment to keep me enraptured from start to finish.

This was a quick read but in the short amount of time I spent living the life of Olive, I couldn't help but admire her self-love, steadfastness and determination. It was her kindness and faith that made her strong.

Fairy tales like this one are the stories that people need to hear. This book didn't try to redefine beauty, it showed the price of it and what really matters in a person. The humans on the story, so enraptured by the outer shell, were a frighteningly similar to real society in their values of beauty. In the end I knew how the story would finish, but the reason why this needs to be shown is because too many people fail to see what lies more than skin deep both in others and themselves.

[Fari · Rating 2 out of 5]

**I received a free copy of this book through GoodReads to review**


"The Ugly Princess: The Legend of the Winnowwood" follows a young lady named "Olive." Olive is the Princess of Rosemount, her father being the King. However, what is unique and different about Princess Olive is not that she's a Princess, it is that she is ugly... Let me rephrase that, Olive is very beautiful, indeed, but it's in her heart where nobody but only her closest can see. You see, Princess Olive is last of the Winnowwood, the magical beings that could heal, talk to and control animals. However, nothing ever comes without a price and this magic is not an exception. Every time one of the Winnowwood use their magic, a wart, bump or boil appears. That seems like a rather small price to pay to have hundreds of animal friends, the true friends who see you as you are in your heart and the ones who truly care about you wouldn't care about those silly boils. At least, that's what Olive thought so.

As Olive turns 18, one of the most important days of her life, disaster strikes. Her father has been captured by the King of Alganoun, their neighbor kingdom and it's up to Olive to save him, no matter how much he hates her and is out to destroy anything important to her. Join Princess Olive as she comes to rescue with her friends Bear, Side Stripe, Mouse and ...a Highwayman...??

This book is certainly something different. The story-line, plot and the characters were all very unique, indeed.

I haven't read anything like this in a long, long while and in my opinion, this was quite a good change. Sure, there were flaws with this book and if GR allowed half stars, I would have given this book a 4.5 stars but GR doesn't and so this book now deserves 5 stars. ;)

I enjoy the plot as I had mentioned before, it is something very unique and different. 5 stars for the plot!

The characters... I enjoyed Olive I guess, but she's a hypocrite. She always goes on about how her father is a fool or how her sister is a fool. How her father is too self-absorbed and conceited, however, she herself is also very self-centered. Though, I guess she needs to have something to boost her confidence, but she is still overly conceited, in my opinion. Too much. However, other than that, she was the perfect protagonist! (Which is saying a lot coming from me because I have a tendency to not like the main protagonist all that much... It's weird... But if I say that I like a main protagonist, it means that I really did like it!)

Also, her sister... I didn't like her at first, which was okay, since I think that was the point. However, I think that the sister should just stick to one personality. It's not that big of a spoiler...One moment she's being mean to Olive, and the next, she's hugging Olive and crying. I think she should either be mean or nice, choose one and not jump around every second. I'm okay if it happens gradually, like she's evil and mean at first and then gradually learns and becomes nice to Olive...

I actually liked the King. Well, not the king but how his character was the same throughout. Like, he stuck with what he believed. I wouldn't have minded a bit of character-development and him learning some things, but I'm okay with this as well. So, that was good. The Queen was also a good character that Ms. Smith has created. The Queen surprised me and it's not as much that I like THE QUEEN but more how her character's secrets are developed and spilled.


One thing that bothered me about this book is the sentence-structure. It didn't seem like a middle-grade book, much less YA. The first 50-ish pages of this book had poor sentence structure and that effected my reading mood a bit. I had to push through those pages but I am glad that I did because by the end of the book, the sentence-structure had improved wonders and I applause Ms. Smith for that. I really enjoyed the last part of the book for various reasons... Which I'm not allowed to say because of SPOILERS!


I read the review over and it seems as if I didn't like the book. However, I DID give it 5 stars, didn't I? I would recommend it, especially to middle grade lovers and also YA-fanatics who need a break from all the drama and big books and stuff. It's a fairly small book, 200 pages, and you can finish it in one sitting. It's fast paced and interesting. And the thing is, I started liking it even more closer to the end but I can't give the ending away... :( Why I was giving constructive criticism throughout this review is because there's a huge chance that there'll be a sequel! (Well, I really do hope so because you cannot just leave it at that!!) I hope Ms. Smith will consider some of these points and hopefully make the sequel even better! I'm really looking forward to reading the sequel and I now know which book to re-read if I need a break from all the other dark, drama-filled books that I read! XD

[Anna || BooksandBookends · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was lucky enough to win a copy of this book as part of Goodreads 'First Reads' giveaways. I'm extremely glad that I did as well as I thoroughly enjoyed it.

The concept is wonderful, a young girl with magical powers has the power to heal and converse with animals. There's only one catch with this - each time she uses her powers she gains a wart, boil or cut making her appearance increasingly unsightly. The rest of her family, who are all Winnowwood, choose to abandon their powers to regain their former beauty. This is an enchanting tale which reminded me why fairytales are marvellous things. I look forward to a sequel of this novel which the ending of the story hints at... No spoilers, you need to grab a copy of this book and read it for yourself. Initially I thought this book wouldn't be brilliant from looking at it's front cover. It just goes to show - never judge a book by its cover!

[Stephanie Hubert · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a really great book! I was not expecting a lot, and I was really surprised! I got this with the FIRST READS Giveaway on Goodreads about a month ago. If you are a person that loves fairytales, then you will love this. I hope that they make this book into a Disney movie! Wow! it was so great! I learned a lot from this book from the aspect of beauty obviously. I'm a person that has acne and that has a lot of difficulties accepting it and this book sort of reminded me that theres a lot worst than that. Also that most of the Ugly people are the people with the truest hearth and that needs love the most. I went to my little cousins house yesterday with the book (she's 9 years old) and I showed her the book. She said that she wouldn't like it because the princess is Ugly. I was disappointed in her...Our society of today has all been changed to be all the same and be the most beautiful! That is not how life should work! Us humans are too brainwashed in this world of beauty, and not true love and personality. I definitely loved this book and I'm sure that it will stay close to my heart for a very long time and I hope that this book gets more known because of it's interior beauty. If Disney does not do a princess like Olive, than I will be the one that will show every child the most courageous hero; Olive.

**SPOILERS ARE COMING**

I loved the story with the Winnowwood! It was so interesting with all the legends and magic, it was so cool. The love story is not the main point in this book, but I still loved it! I hated the family so much because they where all so concentrated on the beauty! Look at the Dad that didn't even like her because she was hideous! SHE SAVED HIS FREEKING ASS 2 TIMES AND HE STILL DOSENT LOVE HER!!! WHAT IS HIS PROBLEM!!!!!! Arg! that just made me mad a bit, but whatever. I knew that Victore was a villain from the moment we heard his name! I don't know he just has an ugly evil sounding name ;) As for Bart too, I felt his appreciation of how Olive was being mean and severe with him. It was nice. When Victore kidnapped Olive sort of , I was so scared that he would cut her crux! That was so stressing. What was those white hair guys hahaha, that was funny :P BLOOD, WAR, DEATH, ?! HAHA they where so crazy... The sister was the most annoying character I have ever met in a long time! I wanted to kill that little bitch ! When she did that lightning thing with the ancestors oh! That just amazed me! I knew that she could get it out of herself. I loved that Olive has animal friends and that she had a love for them, that is a rare thing that we see in books. I love how the idea of the book is so unique and different from everything that I have ever read before. I hope that the writer does other fairytales like this one so I could read it also! I'm really glad I won this book! When Victore cut her crux, I was so surprised and so sad that she would not be able to use her powers anymore and that she would never learn more with Bart like she learned form him the lightning :(( But, I'm glad that she got back her forces and put her dad in the right place. I don't know about you ,but I just knew in the ending that Bart would be the Prince! I just felt it :D I was so happy that she finally got her happy ending with a guy that loves her with all his heart. I didn't know anymore if she would be better with her crux back and be beautiful or be powerless and Ugly. I think that Ugly would have made her happier but powerless would have made her depressed so I didn't know what would be best for her. I think that her being beautiful with her powers finishes well the story and makes a great conclusion to it all.

I hope you liked it as much as I did ;)
-Steph

Theme song: My Immortal by Evanescence: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5anLP...

[Julie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion, and I’m so grateful that I was given the chance to read this story. The story of Olive, the last of the Winnowwood was such a great read. Olive is everything you could hope for in a heroine. She is strong, smart, and capable. Although she wants someone to love and to love her, she doesn’t need a man and/or a relationship to define her. She is confident in who she is and unwilling to change to please others. She has her doubts and times that she feels uncertain about what to do, but she makes a choice and keeps fighting. She is definitely a character that I would love for my 13 year old daughter to read and want to be like.

One of the things I loved about this story was that Olive had to overcome the beliefs and shortsightedness of those in her family to become who she was meant to be…to have her life become what she wanted it to be and deserved for it to be. Unfortunately, not everyone comes from a loving, supportive family, but everyone has the chance to overcome that. Olive never gave in to the easy path of life. She stuck to what she believed in, stayed true to herself, and THAT is what brought her happiness. This message is especially needed in today’s society. Be true to yourself and who God has created you to be. You shouldn’t have to change who you are or what you look like to make people love you. If that is a requirement, then the person loves who you became, not who you are.

This story was an adventure. I never found a moment of it dull or lacking. It moved at a good pace and was well written. I would recommend it for those in middle school and up. There was no bad language or suggestive scenes, just good, clean entertainment. Very refreshing!! I highly recommend it.

[Maria · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a free copy of 'The Ugly Princess' through Goodreads First Reads.

Reading this book was pure joy! Even though the plot was somehow predictable and definitely made for younger readers - despite the fact that the subject lingered on severe subjects as war and the impact of beauty, which is an important topic nowadays.
The book was easy to read and to comprehend and I really liked Olive, the Heroine. She stayed true to herself and rather helped her people than becoming beautiful through eschewing to help or removing her crux.
I liked the concept of the Winnowwod and found myself a little disappointed when I got to know that all Winnowwood exchanged their power to be beautiful. Nevertheless, I was all the more glad to discover the difference Olive stated.
Sadly the story seemed to be in a rush, everything happened quite fast and the storyline was sometimes a bit blurred.
All in all is this book a nice and fast read!

[Skyla · Rating 4 out of 5]

I won this book on goodreads first-reads and I'm really excited. I can't wait till this book arrives and I can read it because it looks really interesting.

EDIT:
I have now read the book and I can say that it was a great read. I love that the book was about an ugly princess who didn't care about the way she looked. She is probably one of my favourite princesses. She saved the kingdom twice before she was 19. She risked her life to save a father who hated her. She agreed to marry someone just so her sister wouldn't have to. And above all she would do anything for her animals. I also love the fact that she could be beautiful if she wanted, but chose not to. She thought it was stupid that someone would give up their powers for beauty. Even at the end of the book when she turns pretty she didn't like it. She didn't want people to think of her as pretty. She wanted people to think of her as brave. And she is a true role model.

I love this book so much and can't wait to read the next one.

[Emmaleah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rating 5/5 stars.

I was given this book to review and I am so glad it was The Ugly Princess as it is one of the best short stories I have ever read.

The message in the story is amazing and so valid in life that I feel as though all should know it.
One does not need to be beautiful to find love.
I loved the characters and the plot line and would recommend this book to everyone due to its wonderful message though it would be great for teenagers to read. I feel as though Olive is such a great female hero and is really quite inspirational.


Thank you to Brittany for this insightful and delightful novel that I will definitely be re-reading.

[Dee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just received from goodreads FirstReads !!

It was fabulous!! Loved the story, the prose and the enchanting characters :)

Hoping to read another book from this author;)

The way Olive discovered herself brought some of my own memories back. The animal communication made it humorous and middle-school. I was honestly not expecting much going into the book, and I turned out to be most pleasantly surprised to get completely sucked into the story.

So, thank you GoodReads, for this awesome experience!

[Savannah · Rating 5 out of 5]

I got the chance to read this book during a First Reads Giveaway and I am so glad I did. The Ugly Princess: The Legend of the Winnowwood was such a good read I couldn't put it down. A story focused around the legend of the Winnowood whom posses magical powers that come with a great price and their equally difficult decision to give up their power in exchange for eternal beauty. A greatly imaginative story that will keep any fantasy lover engaged with the characters and plot. I highly recommend this book to any one who enjoys a little Young Adult fantasy peppered with romance.

[Elaine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Received this book from GoodReads,

My daughter and I both read this book and we agree that it was an awesome story!! I try to read some of what they are reading so we can discuss the book and this book had a lot of points to discuss. Thank you for writing a book that lifts girls up and let's them know that no matter what they are special in their own way.

[Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received a free copy of this book from the Goodreads First reads program, but I would have gladly paid full price!

I really enjoyed reading this title. I recommended this book to several of my friends who like fantasy and fairy tales. It makes me happy to read cute, funny, and happy tales.

[Henderson Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is based on the screenplay that won the Austin Film Festival Screewriting Award.

[mad mags · Rating 5 out of 5]

ALL the scars! (Instead of stars! See what I did there?)

(Full disclosure: I received a free copy of this book for review through Goodreads' First Read program. Also, this review contains clearly marked spoilers towards the end.)

"I wondered if in the history of the world there had ever been a Princess as ugly as me? I doubted it. But was there ever a Princess in the history of the world who saved their kingdom twice from annihilation by the time they were eighteen, and I doubted that as well. I gave myself a brave smile then attached the veil to my crown and appraised myself - well, it was a beautiful dress."

So there's this princess named Olive, see.

But she's also a magical creature called a Winnowwood - the last of her kind.

In addition to being troll-like in appearance, Winnowwoods can control nature, speak to animals, assume animal form, even heal their fellow earthlings. But every time a Winnowwood uses her magic to change something outside of herself - such as to heal her nonhuman friends - she becomes uglier on the outside: she sprouts a new boil or wart, for example. But to the animals she just grows more and more beautiful.

Hundreds of years ago, the lands were teeming with Winnowwoods. But a witch called Cassandra the Dragon Slayer cursed them with a knife, the Blade of Winnowwood, which tempts the Winnowwoods with physical beauty: should they use it to sever their crux (an extra joint on their pinky which is the source of their powers), they will lose their magics in exchange for youth and beauty. This is why all the Winnowwood save for Olive are gone - having long since died or succumbed to the curse. The beauty a Winnowwood will attain after "winnowing" is inversely related to how ugly she is at the time of the ceremony.

Beauty is all Olive's younger sister Roseline ever wanted. As a child, she rarely used her magic, for fear of becoming uglier than she already was. But the day of her winnowing ceremony, she made a rare visit to the glen, where she spent hours torturing a doe - slashing her chest, breaking a leg with a hammer, etc. - so that she could heal the deer over and again, becoming uglier and uglier with each act of magic. And, ultimately, more and more beautiful that night. (Spoiler alert: Olive found the doe her sister left for dead and healed her - or her physical scars, anyway.)

The whole time I'm reading this, I'm thinking: yeah, but what about dinner time? You don't eat your friends: cows, pigs, chickens. Awkward.

Turns out that Olive and her mom Opal are both vegetarians! (Roseline was, but not since her winnowing.) It's not vegan, but I'll take it.

Up until this point, I'd slowly been falling in love with The Ugly Princess: The Legend of the Winnowwood. But page 57? That's when I gave my heart over to it fully. This is one beautiful story, people. Inside and out.

No, really. Even the book is physically beautiful, with a lush matte cover; thick, luxurious pages; and a whimsical fairy tale font.

Olive is her people's last hope; the last Winnowwood who not only retains her powers, but who can give birth to the next generation of Winnowwood women. But our young heroine isn't just cursed with the Blade of Winnowwood - she's saddled with a rather monstrous family as well. Just as Olive is as kind and compassionate as she is physically ugly, her father and sister are as superficial and cruel as they are attractive; you've already heard how Roseline tortured an unsuspecting - nay, trusting and defenseless, for nonhumans are bonded to the Winnowwood through magic! - animal in the name of beauty. (And I don't think it's incidental that Roseline abused a doe, and not a buck; rather, it's emblematic of women hurting other women to gain the approval of men.)

Though Olive saves her father's Kingdom from Druzazzi invaders (think: punk rock Vikings) not once, but twice, she's met with anger instead of gratitude: how dare she show her ugly face in public, thus bringing shame upon her family? A man enamored of physical beauty, King Michael feels nothing but disgust for Olive, who has chosen - continues to choose, with each moment of her being - the very real power wielded by the Winnowwoods over the temporary, fleeting power of physical beauty. A power that, ultimately, is contingent upon the social mores of others. A power that's painfully limited in its scope. Unfortunately for Olive, beauty is also the only power that's worshiped in women, as her mother so unhelpfully points out.

Time and again, King Michael threatens to cut off Olive's crux, with or without her consent. Though Opal initially has her daughter's back, when Michael's war plans backfire and he is (deservedly) kidnapped by Ivan, King of Alganoun, Opal all buts demands that Olive winnow so that she can marry Ivan's son, thus cementing a treaty between the two nations. Of course, Roseline could "do her duty" (ugh, how I hate that phrase! As though it's ever okay to expect someone to give up their bodily autonomy by acquiescing to an unwanted marriage! See, e.g., Take Back the Skies .) - but she's madly in love with Prince Victore, and wouldn't it be a shame for her to give up her true love? Nevermind that Olive has so much more to lose - after all, the fate of the Winnowwood rests on her young shoulders.

Though the pressure to winnow is unrelenting at times, Olive resists. Her powers are priceless, and she wouldn't trade them - and her animals friends - for anything. Instead, Olive hatches a plan to rescue her father from King Ivan's towers. As heroic plots so often do, Olive's escape plan goes sideways as she's sucked into a treacherous and convoluted conspiracy involving Prince Victore, King Ivan, the highway bandit known as Black Bart, and the wave of Druzazzi invaders who are fast approaching the coast line. Will Olive emerge triumphant, with both her life and her powers intact?

In The Ugly Princess, Henderson Smith has created a new kind of fairy tale that's refreshingly feminist. While Olive is indeed conflicted about her choice not to winnow - often fearing that she'll never find a man to "mate" with her - she holds strong to her convictions. Even single, she is never alone: surrounded as she is by a multitude of animals who love her, respect her, would gladly die for her. Friends - family - who know full well the extent of Olive's beauty. Olive is a lovely person, an exciting heroine for young girls to identify with and root for.

Opal - who seems to regret her decision to winnow - is a more difficult character to grasp. Though she's initially supportive - even proud - of Olive's choice to retain her powers, she quickly flip-flops when her monster of a husband is in peril. In fact, it's difficult to see why Opal's even with Michael to begin with; his only redeeming quality is his handsomeness, which is only skin-deep. King Michael is an overbearing, abusive, superficial man, and a horrible father to his daughters. (Though he comes to favor Roseline after she winnows, he was equally ashamed of both girls when they were children.)

* spoiler alert! *

The witch's curse contains a rather interesting loophole: if a man should fall in love with a Winnowwood, warts and all, then she shall be allowed to shed her ugly outer shell and enjoy physical beauty while retaining her powers. It's easy to see why Cassandra would include this clause: believing that no men would ever fall in love with such hideously ugly women, she decided it would be even crueler to give the Winnowwoods this false source of hope.

Only, in a rather expected twist, Olive manages it, and manages it well: Black Bart, who kidnaps her en route to King Ivan's and then later joins her in defeating the Druzazzi invaders, recognizes Olive's inner beauty and falls in love with her, thus fulfilling the curse. (Or is it more of a prophecy at this point?)

To be honest, I wasn't terribly thrilled at Olive's eleventh hour transformation; but to be fair, neither is Olive. Used to being the object of scorn and derision, she doesn't know how to handle the fumbling, bumbling men who now fall at her feet. She was more comfortable being mocked than worshiped; and besides, she'd rather be praised for her talents and accomplishments - which, hello, include striking down a Druzazzi battleship with a bolt of lightning! - than her physical looks.

The epilogue handily sets up a sequel, and I look forward to seeing how Olive deals with this new development. I can think of many educational, instructive plot lines which involve dealing with unwanted male attention.

And hey, it could have been worse: at least her powers, temporarily lost due to her sister's beast of a fiance, are restored to her.

* end spoiler alert! *

Also problematic is the Winnowwod's traditional method of "mating" with human men, which sounds a lot like rape: ambushing and drugging them with a potion that fools them into thinking that their sex partners are actually attractive. I'm not really sure how the author could have gotten around this; by having the women pay for sex, perhaps? A little raunchy for a kid's book, but still preferable to the alternative.

Finally, it's worth mentioning that, for a self-published book, The Ugly Princess is both well-written and edited. I only spotted a few minor mistakes, mostly of the punctuation variety. CreateSpace books make me nervous (I've run into some real duds!), but this one can hold its own with the big publishing houses any day.

4.5 stars, rounded up to 5 on Amazon.

http://www.easyvegan.info/2014/06/25/...

[J. Else · Rating 5 out of 5]

In one word, this book is: adorable. But a case could also be made for "empowering." This is a definite must read for young girls, which is well defined from the start in the author's dedication page. The author does a delightful job of exploring the meaning of beauty. For the ugliest people are those who sacrifice a piece of themselves the most. While the most beautiful are those that have given up their powers to help others. I can tell one of the authors main points is to illustrate that people can be seen for their deeds instead of only by their outward appearance. I think this is sweetly discovered by the main character. This main character was compelling, enduring, and relatable. How often young girls undervalue themselves and think nobody understands them or that nobody can truly love who they are inside.

This book has good characterization, especially with some of the animal characters. I was sad her grandpa never showed up again at the end. However, overall the story is extremely enjoyable for adult readers and should resonate with younger readers, especially with all the commercialized air brushed beauty they see around them in magazines, on movie screens, etc.

Were they are predictable moments? Yes. But the author also has some good surprises for you too, particularly in the last chapter. There is going to be more, and I'm so excited about it!

**SPOILERS FROM HERE**

I think my favorite moment was when Olive becomes the prophesy. The magic was enchanting, and I liked how it tied to the early Winnowwood. But a truly character-defining moment was when Olive first saw herself after the transformation, and she wasn't impressed. She wasn't that girl. At least that's not what she saw herself as. She had never valued beauty. She never needed it. And she knew it wouldn't change her especially since her magic returned to her.

Another good plot choice was that the prince who fell in love with Olive was not the most handsome prince. I'm so glad the author didn't feel she had to have a gorgeous-on-the-outside prince fall in love with Olive. The point is what makes a person beautiful is not how they look, and the author kept this consistent even with Olive's love interest. Having a handsome prince fall in love with her would have ruined the "beauty" of the author's message. The focus should never be by appearances alone.

This book is great. While I would have liked more moments to explore Olive's grandfather and mother, I know the author has more in store for us. I highly highly recommend this book. I think it's a rare piece of literature that is original in its theme about princesses, princes, and true love.

READ THIS BOOK. Need I say more? Great writing by an inventive author.

[Laurel Tyndall · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received this book for free from a Goodreads Giveaway.

This was a wonderful, refreshing fairy tale! I loved every page of it!

I read fairy tale retellings all the time. They are my absolute favorite addiction. My shelves are lines with different adaptations of Cinderella's, Snow White's, Twelve Dancing Princesses, Snow Queen's, Beauty and the Beasts, Frog Princes, Swan Princes and Princesses... Fairy tale retellings always remind me that, even though you may grow older and wiser, you never have to grow up.

I will add this lovely tome to those shelves with pride.

Princess Olive is a gorgeous character. She's everything a really wonderful fairy-tale princess should be - brave, sweet, caring, and likeable (to readers). Except that she's ugly, which only adds to just how beautiful she is. And to just how wonderful crafted this tale is.

The ONLY part of this book I didn't like? Rosaline. I really dislike that fact that she didn't get SOME kind of comeuppance for her horrid (and I truly do mean disgustingly horrid) actions.

Still, that's not enough to give me anything less than five stars - and, trust me, if there were more stars to give, this book would definitely get them!

If you love fairy-tales and their retellings (or even if you just love a good fantasy), I truly recommend that you read this gorgeous book. It really is a refreshing and new fairy tale that I can't wait to read again when I go on a semi-annual fairy-tale bender.

[Alicia Franklin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed every second of this book and I recommend this to anyone looking for a light romantic adventure with a strong lead female character! While fast paced and easy to read, I instantly fell in love with Princess Olive (and Bart!). She was strong, sympathetic and her love for animals made me love her even more. My heart ached for her whenever anything bad happened and there were moments I shook my head in anger or even gasped out loud. Getting that kind of emotion from me is pretty rare!

SPOILERS from here.

I really enjoyed her interactions with Bart and their chemistry was so fun, I wanted more! Everything happened within a few days but I really wished I could have read about their relationship developing over an extra fifty pages or so. The invasion of Druzazzi happened a day after she met Bart and while I enjoyed their banter, I realized it would be very short lived after the news because they had to go save their people! Also, while Olive got a happy ending, I almost wished she hadn't been transformed into the most beautiful woman in the world. Her charm was that she was not perfect and she was strong because of it. Bart saw her inner beauty, as did the animals, and that was all that mattered to her. I had an image of her in my mind and once she transformed, I could no longer imagine her. The ending really sets up for a second book, and I REALLY HOPE there's a second book because I need more!!

[Lisa Tobleman · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was given a electronic copy of this book to review and based on the little blurb Ms. Smith sent me I jumped at the chance to read this new fantasy for middle graders.

The dedication says it all to me:

“For all the girls who stand on the sidelines wishing they too could be beautiful. I hope you will let Olive show you how beautiful you truly are and the power that you already wield. Open your eyes to your own magic!” -H. Smith

I love this sentiment, and this book delivers. Olive is not pretty, in fact princess Olive might be considered to be ugly by everyone except her animal friends who think she is the bravest most beautiful person they know. Every time Olive uses her magic she becomes a little more physically ugly. But she can become beautiful if she gives up her magic. How much does becoming beautiful matter? How much is she willing to give up?

This is a beautiful fairytale story with enough hard action and adventure to appeal to both boys and girls. In a time of never ending self promotion, what a fantastic message that the beauty inside matters more. If you are a fan of Ella Enchanted or Princess Academy I think you will love this story. I will not spoil the ending, but if you are looking for a great tale for your kids this Summer, I could not recommend this book more highly.

See more reviews at

http://winston-library.org/book-blog/

[Sarah Pantoja · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Ugly Princess is written in the style of a fairy tale. It is narrated in the first-person by the last of the Winnowwood, Princess Olive. The Winnowwood are humanoid beings who are all female. They possess a wonderful power that is contained in the crux of their little finger which allows them to heal animals and to harness the powers of nature. This gift comes at a cost though. Each time a Winnowwood uses her gift she becomes more and more ugly. Warts and boils appear with every act of magic they perform. However, the more acts they perform the more beautiful they become within. That inner beauty can be seen in their reflections in water. A Winnowwood always has the option of giving up their gift in exchange for their beauty by cutting off their crux in the moonlight with a special blade. The only way for a Winnowwood to retain her powers and to become beautiful is for a man to fall in love with her as she is, warts and all, before cutting off her crux.

This was a quick and very enjoyable read. It was nice to see a story in which the main female character is the heroine and saves her people rather than having to be saved by a prince. A prince does come to her aid and helps her to save her kingdom, but ultimately it is her powers that save the kingdom. He falls in love with her as he sees what she is capable of, regardless of its cost to her.

[Daniel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a copy of The Ugly Princess through a Goodreads giveaway. While not normally my type of fiction, I found myself enjoying The Ugly Princess: The Legend of the Winnowwood from the first page. Despite some rather adult subject matter: war, torture, severed fingers, this book could easily be categorized as YA, but still deep enough for an adult audience.

The characters were well-defined, always a plus in my opinion, and there was enough action and intrigue to make the romance side of the story palatable to a reader like me. I won't give away any spoilers, and there are a few twists in the story I did not see coming.

If I have any complaints about The Ugly Princess, they pertain to structure more than pot or execution. This book could have used some editing; there are many grammatical mistakes and spelling errors throughout the narrative. Most jarring to me was the use of "lightening" when "lightning" should have been used. In fact, the author switches back and forth between these two spellings seemingly at random. A lack of proper punctuation, specifically commas and semicolons, also take away from the reading experience as a whole.

With a good dose of editing, this book could easily earn 5 stars.

[Tanna Shelley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I won this book in the first reads giveaway. I am so happy that I got the chance to read it. This book is now going into my all time favorites group of books I've read. It is a great story about a princess who is ugly but has the opportunity to become beautiful, all she has to do is give up her very special power or being able to turn into animals, talk to animals, and heal them. She choses to stay ugly in order to keep her powers even when everyone is so mean to her and even her family would rather her be beautiful than keep her powers. It is a book that shows you there is more important things about yourself that make you beautiful than just your appearance. I think this is a book all girls should have to read. It shows them that you can be strong, smart, talented, kind and loving even if your not the most beautiful girl. And if you are all of those things people will finally see how truly beautiful you really are. I will definitely be saving this book for when my girls get older. I absolutely loved this book!

[Rachael · Rating 5 out of 5]

'The Ugly Princess' tells the story of a young Princess named Olive who is the last of her kind. The Winnowwood are magical beings who have the power to talk to animals, heal animals, transform into animals and control the weather. The catch being that each time they use their powers they become uglier. Both Olive's mother and sister have made the choice to sacrifice their powers and become beautiful leaving Olive as the last of the Winnowwood.

This was such a wonderful story with a great message. Olive refuses to give up her powers just to become beautiful, and in doing so she saves her whole kingdom. The story is so unique and original, but has that epic classic fairy tale feel. I fell in love with the characters and the plot.

I found this book to be a very enjoyable read and I loved that the ending implies that there may be a sequel. I really hope that lots of young girls read this book and hear the message that it's ok to not be beautiful, as long as you are happy as you are :)