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Return to the Four Kingdoms #5
The Rogue Princess
Kali has always dreamed of adventure, but she never expected to find it in the company of a talking cat. Puss definitely has an agenda, but he isn’t sharing it with her. All she knows is that he wants a miller’s child to accompany him across the Great Desert to the mysterious lands beyond.
Kali doesn’t mean to let her opportunity go, even if she doesn’t understand the purposes of the mysterious creature at her side. But when she encounters thieves and misadventure, she realizes something bigger is underway. Her people are under threat, and she can’t turn her back on them—no matter how irritated she is by the fellow traveler who turns up wherever she goes. Kali knows Xavier isn’t to be trusted, but she and Puss need his help. Only together can they avoid the traps laid for her and uncover the truth.
In this reimagining of the classic fairy tale, Puss in Boots, a miller’s daughter will have to trust a tricksy cat and a handsome young man if the three of them have any hope of saving her people.
Kali doesn’t mean to let her opportunity go, even if she doesn’t understand the purposes of the mysterious creature at her side. But when she encounters thieves and misadventure, she realizes something bigger is underway. Her people are under threat, and she can’t turn her back on them—no matter how irritated she is by the fellow traveler who turns up wherever she goes. Kali knows Xavier isn’t to be trusted, but she and Puss need his help. Only together can they avoid the traps laid for her and uncover the truth.
In this reimagining of the classic fairy tale, Puss in Boots, a miller’s daughter will have to trust a tricksy cat and a handsome young man if the three of them have any hope of saving her people.
323 pages, Kindle Edition
Published December 26, 2022
144 people are currently reading
958 people want to read
About the author
Melanie Cellier
127 books2,779 followersMelanie Cellier grew up on a staple diet of books, books and more books. And although she got older, she never stopped loving children’s and young adult novels.
She always wanted to write one herself, but it took three careers and three different continents before she actually managed it.
She now feels incredibly fortunate to spend her time writing from her home in Adelaide, Australia where she keeps an eye out for koalas in her backyard. Her staple diet hasn’t changed much, although she’s added choc mint Rooibos tea and Chicken Crimpies to the list.
She writes young adult fantasy including her Spoken Mage series, and her Four Kingdoms and Beyond the Four Kingdoms series which are made up of linked stand-alone stories that retell classic fairy tales.
She now feels incredibly fortunate to spend her time writing from her home in Adelaide, Australia where she keeps an eye out for koalas in her backyard. Her staple diet hasn’t changed much, although she’s added choc mint Rooibos tea and Chicken Crimpies to the list.
She writes young adult fantasy including her Spoken Mage series, and her Four Kingdoms and Beyond the Four Kingdoms series which are made up of linked stand-alone stories that retell classic fairy tales.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 114 reviews
March 21, 2025
3-ish stars ✨
It took me three tries to get into this book for some reason?? Maybe it was the Puss in Boots part or the 🌵🐪🏜 parts, but I had a time getting into the plot. 😃 I truly made myself keep going because I want to read the sixth book and I *refused* to skip a book in this series. I didn’t really care for her or her personality. Maybe it’s because I was reading this during a very stressful time, but she acted ridiculous. I will say that it was nice to see this couple together so much compared to all the other books in this series, but most of the time she was bickering or even rude towards him, so it kind of nulled it. I did really like the ending with the reveal though and that made the book much better to me.
Main Content-
A talking cat who is on a mission from the Palace of Light by the High King (he says he can’t read Kali’s mind but she wonders at times); Talks about & Mentions of the High King, following him (‘H’s are not capital when referring to the High King), the Palace of Light, and godmothers/wise women; A few mentions of Christening gifts from the godmothers (including one prior girl who got the ability to shoot fireballs from her hands); A mention of a possible enchantment.
Being grabbed at and attacked, Being robbed, Being trapped, Pain, (up to a few sentences).
The book starts with Kali suddenly learning that her father has passed away due to an infection & there’s mentions of her grief throughout the book (there’s one scene at the beginning that could be described as a panic attack with the room getting smaller); Xavier comments on forgetting things his father says (his father isn’t active in caring about his children as we learned and saw in the prior book); Kali comments on everyone (including her parents) disapproving about her nature about wanting to go on adventures and would tell her “recklessness is selfishness”; A cat comments on eating baby birds (Kali takes this as a joke).
Seeing a murder & someone else fall to their death (up to a few sentences on how and the bodies); A man uses a child as a shield & later holds a woman at knife-point; Many mentions of thieves/criminals, swindlers, stealing, stolen items, robbers/being robbed, murders/murderers, and living people to die; Mentions of a massacre; Mentions of smoke, a boat being caught on fire, & a group of people living another group to die/drown; Mentions of lies, lying, & liars; Mentions of hatred; Mentions of grief; Mentions of hunters, a trap, a cat hunting & gathering rabbits for Kali to sell; A mention of nightmares; The phrase “getting into bed with” someone about a business deal is used.
No major language, instead words like “dratted”, “wretched”, and “what in the kingdoms” are said; A few mentions of curses (said, not written); Sarcasm & eye rolling.
2 hand kisses,
2 neck/ear kisses,
1 hair/head kiss,
2 almost kisses (lasting a couple sentences),
2 no-details kisses,
3 kisses lasting a sentence,
1 kiss lasting a couple sentences,
1 kiss lasting a few sentences,
Staring at lips (up to a couple sentences); Kali imagines a guy kissing her (a sentence or two); Touches, Embraces, Hand holding, Warmth, Nearness, Shivers, Flutters, & Noticing (up to a few sentences); Flirting & Blushes; Love, attraction, & falling in love with the emotions.
Kali in caught in just her undergarments in front of a young man & later her clothes are stolen when she’s bathing in a river and the man teases her about it (but does not look at her); Kali is conscious about some of her stomach showing in an outfit but reminds herself that most of it is covered by extra material.
Mentions of kisses & kissing; Mentions of flirting, embraces, winks, & blushes; A couple mentions of jealous.
See my content reviews of the rest of the series & spin-off series here:
The Four Kingdoms series:
Book #1, Book #2, Book #2.2, Book #2.5, Book #3, Book #3.5, Book #4, and Book #5.
Beyond the Four Kingdoms series:
Book #1, Book #2, Book #3, Book #4, Book #5, and Book #6.
Return to the Four Kingdoms series:
Book #1, Book #2, Book #3, Book #4, Book #5, and Book #6.
The Four Kingdoms Duology:
Book #1 and Book #2.
It took me three tries to get into this book for some reason?? Maybe it was the Puss in Boots part or the 🌵🐪🏜 parts, but I had a time getting into the plot. 😃 I truly made myself keep going because I want to read the sixth book and I *refused* to skip a book in this series. I didn’t really care for her or her personality. Maybe it’s because I was reading this during a very stressful time, but she acted ridiculous. I will say that it was nice to see this couple together so much compared to all the other books in this series, but most of the time she was bickering or even rude towards him, so it kind of nulled it. I did really like the ending with the reveal though and that made the book much better to me.
Main Content-
A talking cat who is on a mission from the Palace of Light by the High King (he says he can’t read Kali’s mind but she wonders at times); Talks about & Mentions of the High King, following him (‘H’s are not capital when referring to the High King), the Palace of Light, and godmothers/wise women; A few mentions of Christening gifts from the godmothers (including one prior girl who got the ability to shoot fireballs from her hands); A mention of a possible enchantment.
Being grabbed at and attacked, Being robbed, Being trapped, Pain, (up to a few sentences).
The book starts with Kali suddenly learning that her father has passed away due to an infection & there’s mentions of her grief throughout the book (there’s one scene at the beginning that could be described as a panic attack with the room getting smaller); Xavier comments on forgetting things his father says (his father isn’t active in caring about his children as we learned and saw in the prior book); Kali comments on everyone (including her parents) disapproving about her nature about wanting to go on adventures and would tell her “recklessness is selfishness”; A cat comments on eating baby birds (Kali takes this as a joke).
Seeing a murder & someone else fall to their death (up to a few sentences on how and the bodies); A man uses a child as a shield & later holds a woman at knife-point; Many mentions of thieves/criminals, swindlers, stealing, stolen items, robbers/being robbed, murders/murderers, and living people to die; Mentions of a massacre; Mentions of smoke, a boat being caught on fire, & a group of people living another group to die/drown; Mentions of lies, lying, & liars; Mentions of hatred; Mentions of grief; Mentions of hunters, a trap, a cat hunting & gathering rabbits for Kali to sell; A mention of nightmares; The phrase “getting into bed with” someone about a business deal is used.
No major language, instead words like “dratted”, “wretched”, and “what in the kingdoms” are said; A few mentions of curses (said, not written); Sarcasm & eye rolling.
2 hand kisses,
2 neck/ear kisses,
1 hair/head kiss,
2 almost kisses (lasting a couple sentences),
2 no-details kisses,
3 kisses lasting a sentence,
1 kiss lasting a couple sentences,
1 kiss lasting a few sentences,
Staring at lips (up to a couple sentences); Kali imagines a guy kissing her (a sentence or two); Touches, Embraces, Hand holding, Warmth, Nearness, Shivers, Flutters, & Noticing (up to a few sentences); Flirting & Blushes; Love, attraction, & falling in love with the emotions.
Kali in caught in just her undergarments in front of a young man & later her clothes are stolen when she’s bathing in a river and the man teases her about it (but does not look at her); Kali is conscious about some of her stomach showing in an outfit but reminds herself that most of it is covered by extra material.
Mentions of kisses & kissing; Mentions of flirting, embraces, winks, & blushes; A couple mentions of jealous.
See my content reviews of the rest of the series & spin-off series here:
The Four Kingdoms series:
Book #1, Book #2, Book #2.2, Book #2.5, Book #3, Book #3.5, Book #4, and Book #5.
Beyond the Four Kingdoms series:
Book #1, Book #2, Book #3, Book #4, Book #5, and Book #6.
Return to the Four Kingdoms series:
Book #1, Book #2, Book #3, Book #4, Book #5, and Book #6.
The Four Kingdoms Duology:
Book #1 and Book #2.
November 23, 2025
I really hope that Melanie Cellier never stops writing these books and will continue to do spin-offs in the Four Kingdoms universe and beyond (I’m sure there are so many more worlds in this universe to discover!) This series (well, 3 series technically, and I’m impartial to the Beyond The Four Kingdoms series in particular) are my all time favorite books I’ve ever read and these books will forever be my comfort books and comfort characters. I can’t imagine reading fairytales without having a new Melanie Cellier fairytale to look forward to! Four Kingdoms forever ❤️
December 31, 2022
A fun Puss and Boots retelling! I love all of this author's books, and I loved seeing all the call backs and cameos to previous books in the series while getting to know Kali and Xavier!
June 6, 2023
A cute, easy read! I've never read a Puss in Boots retelling, I don't even know the original tale, but this was a fun story, and I loved Sir Puss.
November 24, 2023
2.5 stars
This is the 5th book in this series. The series as a whole has been a solid 3 stars for me but this one was my least favorite. It felt so young and had all the YA potholes.
I did like the cat. I think I wanted more cat and less teen romance. So 2 stars.
This is the 5th book in this series. The series as a whole has been a solid 3 stars for me but this one was my least favorite. It felt so young and had all the YA potholes.
I did like the cat. I think I wanted more cat and less teen romance. So 2 stars.
December 26, 2022
I think Melanie Cellier is getting tired of these fairy tale retellings. Which is fair, I’d also get tired after 15+ books of the same subject matter.
The writing style took a while to find its feet, and the dynamic between Kali and Puss was the most interesting, but there’s a solid 2-3 month time skip between when they meet and where the story picks up. I wish we could have gotten to watch their relationship develop. Xavier was fun? But their chemistry was minimal, and I would have far preferred Puss to be around more. Instead the cat wanders off for seemingly chapters at a time and the rest of the characters and plot aren’t enough to keep me invested. I definitely don’t think Kali and Xavier were in love or even close to considering marriage by the time they brought it up 3/4 of the way through the book. Like. Maybe they could have gone on a date. Let Puss roast them a bit. Like I get Kali’s in denial and refusing to see the romance of it all, but that means the reader gets nothing but a disinterested heroine. Which isn’t that fun to read about.
The writing style took a while to find its feet, and the dynamic between Kali and Puss was the most interesting, but there’s a solid 2-3 month time skip between when they meet and where the story picks up. I wish we could have gotten to watch their relationship develop. Xavier was fun? But their chemistry was minimal, and I would have far preferred Puss to be around more. Instead the cat wanders off for seemingly chapters at a time and the rest of the characters and plot aren’t enough to keep me invested. I definitely don’t think Kali and Xavier were in love or even close to considering marriage by the time they brought it up 3/4 of the way through the book. Like. Maybe they could have gone on a date. Let Puss roast them a bit. Like I get Kali’s in denial and refusing to see the romance of it all, but that means the reader gets nothing but a disinterested heroine. Which isn’t that fun to read about.
December 28, 2022
Contains: kisses and a stabbing. First what I liked: I liked that this has the essence of the story of Puss and Boots without being too on-the-nose.
What I didn’t like: First, the whole “romance”. Come on, she pushed him away the whole time and doesn’t really get to know him then he proposes out of the blue? Second, it seems she’s better off remaining empress (they could rule together and bring peace and restoration back to the land) than going and being princess of a country that already has plenty of royals. And finally, the end. There is no conflict. She saves the fortress then it skips ahead to her wedding day.
Oh and there were a lot of characters from the first go around of the four kingdoms. I didn’t really remember them so I had to keep looking their stories up to jog my memory about who they were.
What I didn’t like: First, the whole “romance”. Come on, she pushed him away the whole time and doesn’t really get to know him then he proposes out of the blue? Second, it seems she’s better off remaining empress (they could rule together and bring peace and restoration back to the land) than going and being princess of a country that already has plenty of royals. And finally, the end. There is no conflict. She saves the fortress then it skips ahead to her wedding day.
Oh and there were a lot of characters from the first go around of the four kingdoms. I didn’t really remember them so I had to keep looking their stories up to jog my memory about who they were.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 15, 2023
3 (but really 2.5) stars.
Out of all the princess books in this series, I think this is the worst one.
First of all, our main character is assaulted by a group of young adults at the beginning of the story, but then it's quickly swept under the rug and she forgives them because... what? They thought she was someone else? Oh, that makes it okay then.
They then never mention this again, as if this wouldn't have been a traumatising experience.
Second of all, the romance came out of nowhere and felt kinda forced. One second they're talking about a guy getting murdered and in the next the love interest is proposing.
Also, the book is building up towards this great confrontation between the caravan/desert people and the people they robbed, only for the book to end before we get there and jump straight to the fairytale wedding???
Out of all the princess books in this series, I think this is the worst one.
First of all, our main character is assaulted by a group of young adults at the beginning of the story, but then it's quickly swept under the rug and she forgives them because... what? They thought she was someone else? Oh, that makes it okay then.
They then never mention this again, as if this wouldn't have been a traumatising experience.
Second of all, the romance came out of nowhere and felt kinda forced. One second they're talking about a guy getting murdered and in the next the love interest is proposing.
Also, the book is building up towards this great confrontation between the caravan/desert people and the people they robbed, only for the book to end before we get there and jump straight to the fairytale wedding???
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 31, 2024
*4.9*
Oh. My. Word.
This was so stinking cute. Kali was an amazing main character. She could be annoying, but in the way you know she’s gonna change and learn. Xavier. Need I say more? This man was protective and sarcastic. ADORABLE!
Puss was most definitely my favorite character. About seventy percent in when he spits up a hairball…iykyk.
This is probably going to tie with The Desert Princess, but I’ll rank in a recent reads.
Content: minor violence, slight allegory, about 10ish kisses (maybe 5 on 💋) (up to semi-detailed, very sweet and swoony)
Oh. My. Word.
This was so stinking cute. Kali was an amazing main character. She could be annoying, but in the way you know she’s gonna change and learn. Xavier. Need I say more? This man was protective and sarcastic. ADORABLE!
Puss was most definitely my favorite character. About seventy percent in when he spits up a hairball…iykyk.
This is probably going to tie with The Desert Princess, but I’ll rank in a recent reads.
Content: minor violence, slight allegory, about 10ish kisses (maybe 5 on 💋) (up to semi-detailed, very sweet and swoony)
November 11, 2023
It took me a while to get into this one. I wasn’t very invested in the love story and it concluded to quickly. But I loved Puss as much as Arvin.
June 4, 2023
Not my favorite of Melanie's but not bad
did-not-finish
May 2, 2023DNF 57%
This series(all 3 set in this world) is like a towel that has been used so long that it's paper thin with holes everywhere. While I have always had a mixed reaction to this world(some good books some not so much) I have found that more and more I haven't been enjoying them.
While part if me wants to keep going to "finish" I realize that there's no end in sight and slogging on makes no sense.
This series(all 3 set in this world) is like a towel that has been used so long that it's paper thin with holes everywhere. While I have always had a mixed reaction to this world(some good books some not so much) I have found that more and more I haven't been enjoying them.
While part if me wants to keep going to "finish" I realize that there's no end in sight and slogging on makes no sense.
January 1, 2023
I'm kicking off 2023 with a review of the second gender-bent retelling of "Puss and Boots" that I've read, The Rogue Princess by Melanie Cellier. This is the latest in her Return to the Four Kingdoms series, the third book collection in an ever-growing list of fairy tale retellings with plenty of familiar faces from previous books. It is the second book since The Secret Princess to incorporate a talking animal, which I am finding that Melanie Cellier is quite skilled at writing about. Both Puss and Arvin are humorous Disney-style sidekicks that can lighten the mood of any story. As far as adaptations of talking animals go, "Puss in Boots" is the quintessential fairy tale.
The Rogue Princess tells the story of a miller's daughter named Kali who lives in the desert kingdom that was discovered in one of its prequels, The Desert Princess. Kali agrees to a mysterious quest accompanying an enchanted talking cat across the desert to the kingdom of Lanover after her brother refused to make the journey. Puss is a clever and cunning cat who was sent to Earth from the Palace of Light where the fairy godmothers of this world reside. His well-meaning arrogance is a perfect match for Arvin, the talking horse in The Secret Princess, whose success in helping another princess gave Puss the opportunity to take on this new mission. Over time, Kali learns to trust Puss's judgment even though he never gives an explanation for any task he assigns her until after it is complete, which gets frustrating to her at times.
While I enjoyed this book overall, the romance was a little cringy even though it followed the original fairy tale. When Kali meets her love interest, Xavier, for the first time, she believes he had abandoned her after promising to find her stolen pack and a new outfit when she was attacked and robbed. She is rightfully angry with him throughout most of the book. Yet, he shows little interest in learning the true source of her anger, taking amusement in all of their encounters, particularly when Puss tricks her into bathing, steals all of her clothing, and goes to Xavier for help so she can eventually be dressed in fine clothes by the royals at the palace. I was particularly pleased to see Evie from The Princess Search, one of the original Four Kingdoms books, make a comeback in this story since her passion for designing beautiful clothing was something I greatly admired. It was charming to see her happily living out her days as crown princess and being so kind and understanding with Kali.
Unlike the last book in this series, which was a bit of a mess, I liked how well the "Puss in Boots" fairy tale blends into the world of the Four Kingdoms. I think the biggest benefit is that it is a simpler story than "Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves," which makes it easier to mold into the type of book that Melanie likes to write. She's so skilled at creating clever animal sidekicks that I'm surprised she's only done it two times in over a dozen books. When the reason for Puss's plotting is finally revealed at the end of the story, I was genuinely surprised by the twist and found that it made for a satisfying fairy tale ending. I also liked that the book had a clear villain, though he didn't turn out to be much of a threat in the end, and that it set up potential enemies for future books. It fits perfectly into the expanding world of the Four Kingdoms and includes tons of references to characters from previous books as a treat to those of us who have read them all.
The Rogue Princess is a fantastic female-driven retelling of "Puss in Boots" with lots of clever twists and surprises along the way. This is my second favorite book in the Return to the Four Kingdoms series next to The Secret Princess, which also had a comedic talking animal. Even though Puss never got his own pair of boots in this story, he was an endlessly entertaining sidekick with a master plan that would shock anyone into submission. I would recommend this book to any fairy tale fan who is looking for something light and humorous to kick off the new year with.
The Rogue Princess tells the story of a miller's daughter named Kali who lives in the desert kingdom that was discovered in one of its prequels, The Desert Princess. Kali agrees to a mysterious quest accompanying an enchanted talking cat across the desert to the kingdom of Lanover after her brother refused to make the journey. Puss is a clever and cunning cat who was sent to Earth from the Palace of Light where the fairy godmothers of this world reside. His well-meaning arrogance is a perfect match for Arvin, the talking horse in The Secret Princess, whose success in helping another princess gave Puss the opportunity to take on this new mission. Over time, Kali learns to trust Puss's judgment even though he never gives an explanation for any task he assigns her until after it is complete, which gets frustrating to her at times.
While I enjoyed this book overall, the romance was a little cringy even though it followed the original fairy tale. When Kali meets her love interest, Xavier, for the first time, she believes he had abandoned her after promising to find her stolen pack and a new outfit when she was attacked and robbed. She is rightfully angry with him throughout most of the book. Yet, he shows little interest in learning the true source of her anger, taking amusement in all of their encounters, particularly when Puss tricks her into bathing, steals all of her clothing, and goes to Xavier for help so she can eventually be dressed in fine clothes by the royals at the palace. I was particularly pleased to see Evie from The Princess Search, one of the original Four Kingdoms books, make a comeback in this story since her passion for designing beautiful clothing was something I greatly admired. It was charming to see her happily living out her days as crown princess and being so kind and understanding with Kali.
Unlike the last book in this series, which was a bit of a mess, I liked how well the "Puss in Boots" fairy tale blends into the world of the Four Kingdoms. I think the biggest benefit is that it is a simpler story than "Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves," which makes it easier to mold into the type of book that Melanie likes to write. She's so skilled at creating clever animal sidekicks that I'm surprised she's only done it two times in over a dozen books. When the reason for Puss's plotting is finally revealed at the end of the story, I was genuinely surprised by the twist and found that it made for a satisfying fairy tale ending. I also liked that the book had a clear villain, though he didn't turn out to be much of a threat in the end, and that it set up potential enemies for future books. It fits perfectly into the expanding world of the Four Kingdoms and includes tons of references to characters from previous books as a treat to those of us who have read them all.
The Rogue Princess is a fantastic female-driven retelling of "Puss in Boots" with lots of clever twists and surprises along the way. This is my second favorite book in the Return to the Four Kingdoms series next to The Secret Princess, which also had a comedic talking animal. Even though Puss never got his own pair of boots in this story, he was an endlessly entertaining sidekick with a master plan that would shock anyone into submission. I would recommend this book to any fairy tale fan who is looking for something light and humorous to kick off the new year with.
August 23, 2024
Content Rating: 5/5
Theme Rating: 5/5
Age Rating: 11+Some squeaky clean romance, as always;-) Perfectly appropriate.
1st Read:
This is such a great adventure! Xavier is such a troublemaker- which we knew already, but found out more of going into this book. Kali's such fun, too, and the two of them together(once they were getting along) were awesome. I loved the story- full of twists and turns and a bunch of WHAT?! moments. And then there's Puss- he was great, and I loved him mentioning Arvin(who is also awesome). And all the callbacks to other books were great! The Lanoverian family are some of my favorite characters in the Four Kingdoms world, so I squealed when they showed up.
Overall, this is another great adventure full of hilarity, a great plot, and sweet romance, great for anyone 11+!
2nd Read:
I loved this story and how it dug into some history touched on in previous books... and the character cameos were pretty amazing, too!! The timeline of Kali coming to the Four Kingdoms and Xavier and Xander coming has me a little confused based on the ending of the last book, but I'm just guessing the twins' crossing was faster. Overall, another great book in the series!
Theme Rating: 5/5
Age Rating: 11+Some squeaky clean romance, as always;-) Perfectly appropriate.
1st Read:
This is such a great adventure! Xavier is such a troublemaker- which we knew already, but found out more of going into this book. Kali's such fun, too, and the two of them together(once they were getting along) were awesome. I loved the story- full of twists and turns and a bunch of WHAT?! moments. And then there's Puss- he was great, and I loved him mentioning Arvin(who is also awesome). And all the callbacks to other books were great! The Lanoverian family are some of my favorite characters in the Four Kingdoms world, so I squealed when they showed up.
Overall, this is another great adventure full of hilarity, a great plot, and sweet romance, great for anyone 11+!
2nd Read:
I loved this story and how it dug into some history touched on in previous books... and the character cameos were pretty amazing, too!! The timeline of Kali coming to the Four Kingdoms and Xavier and Xander coming has me a little confused based on the ending of the last book, but I'm just guessing the twins' crossing was faster. Overall, another great book in the series!
March 7, 2024
I found both main characters extremely unlikeable. Xavier seemed arrogant, aloof, fickle and self-centered with his patronizing half smile. Kali was soooo whiny and witless. I swear, she repeated every single thing people said to her as a question. "I love mangos." "Mangos?" "The sky is sure blue." "... Blue??" 🙄🙄🙄
She is insanely immature and constantly put out with everyone, like a spoiled child. And she lacks any original thoughts. Any. How can any romance survive with such lackluster characters?
The story suffered greatly under the weight of such annoying characters, along with the spoiled and annoying cat. He was nothing like Puss in Boots! Just a rude snotty cat who likes to toss snark, cough up hairballs and sleep.
Also, Talin was an exceptionally uninteresting villain. And the ultimate climactic moment--moving a portrait from off the wall and holding it up? Oi. Just lame.
She is insanely immature and constantly put out with everyone, like a spoiled child. And she lacks any original thoughts. Any. How can any romance survive with such lackluster characters?
The story suffered greatly under the weight of such annoying characters, along with the spoiled and annoying cat. He was nothing like Puss in Boots! Just a rude snotty cat who likes to toss snark, cough up hairballs and sleep.
Also, Talin was an exceptionally uninteresting villain. And the ultimate climactic moment--moving a portrait from off the wall and holding it up? Oi. Just lame.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 18, 2023
Summary: Based on Puss in Boots (gender-swapped), a miller’s daughter is on a journey for self-discovery—helped and hindered by a talking cat.
Pros: Cute romance and I think the MCs had an interesting arc.
Also, did I mention it had a talking cat? :P
Cons: The plot wandered and a lot more artistic liberties were taken with the original fairytale, but eventually we got back on track!
Conclusion: This one felt a little filler-ish compared to some of the others in this set, but still a sweet story that I can recommend to all Clean/YA retelling fans. Looking forward to the next/last one!
Pros: Cute romance and I think the MCs had an interesting arc.
Also, did I mention it had a talking cat? :P
Cons: The plot wandered and a lot more artistic liberties were taken with the original fairytale, but eventually we got back on track!
Conclusion: This one felt a little filler-ish compared to some of the others in this set, but still a sweet story that I can recommend to all Clean/YA retelling fans. Looking forward to the next/last one!
September 9, 2024
This one failed to pull me in more than most of hers. There was little action, and physical descriptions were sparse. Every time I started to connect to a character, they were left behind, except the main characters to whom I couldn't seem to connect. Despite the long, drawn-out plot, the ending was abrupt. There was build up to a fight, but then it jumped to the battle being over with no details. I keep reading her books because they're supposed to be clean romance, and I originally liked the idea of retelling the classic fairy tales while tying them together, but the romance and fairy tale parts fell flat. This may be my last in this series.
December 1, 2023
I LOVED her other books. But the way she is teated by the love interest- male companion is making me angry. Very angry. His complete disrespect and mocking attitude is obnoxious at best. The idea that she might end up with him as he is the love interest is irritating. I can’t it. It isn’t funny, or charming. And if it is a misunderstanding, then her reactions and his reactions are still not okay. I recommend skipping this book all together. I really hope Daisies story is as good as the originals in the series. This is so disappointing.
September 4, 2023
After marathoning through every single one (15+) of these fairytale retellings by Melanie Cellier, I was delighted to learn that IT'S NOT OVER!!!
There is one more coming out this year 🤩🤩
In the meantime, I'll happily plow my way through her other series!
There is one more coming out this year 🤩🤩
In the meantime, I'll happily plow my way through her other series!
April 24, 2024
I wasn’t impressed. Very shallow romance.
Finished it only because I plan on reading the next book. I didn’t want to miss information that might have left me confused during the next story.
Finished it only because I plan on reading the next book. I didn’t want to miss information that might have left me confused during the next story.
March 2, 2023
Unique
Likes:
-Interesting take on Puss n Boots
- No cliffhanger
- Eventually the romantic leads are kind and respectful to each other
- HEA
Dislikes:
The first 2/3 of the book is filled with frustration, angst, and stressful interactions between the romantic leads and the cat and heroine.
The heroine never successfully draws a boundary to prevent her financial exploitation, emotional manipulation, or her right to participate as an equally informed partner about her life. 1 Corinthians 5:11 states that if someone says they are Christian and steal or are verbally abusive (a reviler) you shouldn’t even eat with them. Further, the fruit of the Spirit is self-control and the fact that Puss steals, lies, deceives, and exploits the heroine herself to manipulate and coerce her to comply with his will without asking her for her cooperation does not support her to make loving decisions with self-control (Gal 5:22-23), that will let her guard her heart (per Proverbs) or protect her body as the temple of God (1 Cor 6:19-20).
In the original story Puss is conniving, like the shrewd manager in the NT parable that forgives debts so he has hospitable hosts that will help him once he’s fired. The cat tricks the Nobility into helping the girl because they wouldn’t help without being tricked.
In this “Christian” adaptation of Puss n Boots, the cat is conniving towards the heroine as well as the royal strangers who would have been hospitable anyway and it changes the story from the scrappy “underdog” who shrewdly wins through tricks to, ‘the abused “heir” whose “friends and allies” force her to take advantage of others’ like the thief who trained Oliver Twist to steal. However, in the HEA Oliver is free of the thief and the family who betrayed him and the heroine her is expected to allow an exploitive con-artist with gray morals to have close interactions and strong influence over her children because the cat has the permission of “the High King” (God). That sounds more like a real threat than a HEA.
Misinterpreting Scripture traditionally means women often accept abuse that they should not, according to their actual spiritual inheritance as outlined in the Bible.
However, God’s Scripture offers the heroine a way to protect herself from financial exploitation, verbal abuse, coercion, and physical abuse. All she has to do is obey biblical guidance and she doesn’t have to allow the cat to steal from her without repaying the theft or be verbally abusive. If he doesn’t stop, she has every right to refuse to eat with him and if she shouldn’t eat with him then she shouldn’t have any other social interaction with him either. Thus, she can implement boundaries to protect herself and her family. She also has a right to self-control, which means informed consent over her actions and she can absolutely refuse to cede her self-control to anyone else because on Judgment Day, she alone will absolutely answer for her own actions and no one else will (not the cat or her husband, since nobody can repent of her sins but her. Therefore, if the cat doesn’t start acting like a safe person, she is directed to exclude him from her life.
The fact that a Christian story has the hero violate the consent of the heroine by kissing her against her will is not only unbiblical, it’s creepy, and I took a star for that. The idea that she’s somehow attracted to him violating her choices is not romantic and it’s even creepier than the forced kiss.
The story gets much better in the last third, which is why I gave it 4 stars, but it was stressful reading to get there.
Likes:
-Interesting take on Puss n Boots
- No cliffhanger
- Eventually the romantic leads are kind and respectful to each other
- HEA
Dislikes:
The first 2/3 of the book is filled with frustration, angst, and stressful interactions between the romantic leads and the cat and heroine.
The heroine never successfully draws a boundary to prevent her financial exploitation, emotional manipulation, or her right to participate as an equally informed partner about her life. 1 Corinthians 5:11 states that if someone says they are Christian and steal or are verbally abusive (a reviler) you shouldn’t even eat with them. Further, the fruit of the Spirit is self-control and the fact that Puss steals, lies, deceives, and exploits the heroine herself to manipulate and coerce her to comply with his will without asking her for her cooperation does not support her to make loving decisions with self-control (Gal 5:22-23), that will let her guard her heart (per Proverbs) or protect her body as the temple of God (1 Cor 6:19-20).
In the original story Puss is conniving, like the shrewd manager in the NT parable that forgives debts so he has hospitable hosts that will help him once he’s fired. The cat tricks the Nobility into helping the girl because they wouldn’t help without being tricked.
In this “Christian” adaptation of Puss n Boots, the cat is conniving towards the heroine as well as the royal strangers who would have been hospitable anyway and it changes the story from the scrappy “underdog” who shrewdly wins through tricks to, ‘the abused “heir” whose “friends and allies” force her to take advantage of others’ like the thief who trained Oliver Twist to steal. However, in the HEA Oliver is free of the thief and the family who betrayed him and the heroine her is expected to allow an exploitive con-artist with gray morals to have close interactions and strong influence over her children because the cat has the permission of “the High King” (God). That sounds more like a real threat than a HEA.
Misinterpreting Scripture traditionally means women often accept abuse that they should not, according to their actual spiritual inheritance as outlined in the Bible.
However, God’s Scripture offers the heroine a way to protect herself from financial exploitation, verbal abuse, coercion, and physical abuse. All she has to do is obey biblical guidance and she doesn’t have to allow the cat to steal from her without repaying the theft or be verbally abusive. If he doesn’t stop, she has every right to refuse to eat with him and if she shouldn’t eat with him then she shouldn’t have any other social interaction with him either. Thus, she can implement boundaries to protect herself and her family. She also has a right to self-control, which means informed consent over her actions and she can absolutely refuse to cede her self-control to anyone else because on Judgment Day, she alone will absolutely answer for her own actions and no one else will (not the cat or her husband, since nobody can repent of her sins but her. Therefore, if the cat doesn’t start acting like a safe person, she is directed to exclude him from her life.
The fact that a Christian story has the hero violate the consent of the heroine by kissing her against her will is not only unbiblical, it’s creepy, and I took a star for that. The idea that she’s somehow attracted to him violating her choices is not romantic and it’s even creepier than the forced kiss.
The story gets much better in the last third, which is why I gave it 4 stars, but it was stressful reading to get there.
May 21, 2023
This book was pleasant enough that I finished it, at least. It was a little hard to get a handle on what the plot actually was, since it felt like Kali and Xavier were just wandering around most of the time. I knew the caravan was a threat but it just never felt like a big deal. But there was enough stuff going on to keep me engaged and Puss had such great personality that his character made up for a lot of the aimlessness of the plot.
I'm not too familiar with the original "Puss in Boots" story. That being said, I wish Puss had featured more in the story. There were so many times when he just disappeared with no explanation, only to show up again a little later with no explanation. As I said, he was a great character, it just didn't feel like there was enough of him and the role he played seemed minimal at times. Kali and Xavier were just as likely to stumble onto things on their own without his help.
Speaking of Kali and Xavier, their romance left a lot to be desired. Most of the book was them bickering, or Kali being mad at Xavier while he found the whole thing funny. It was hard to find such a couple appealing. There was also a lot of Kali telling herself she couldn't fall in love with him, and I couldn't really get why. I know she thought he abandoned her when they first met but that didn't seem to be enough of a reason for the stretched out angst. There was also too much miscommunication and misunderstandings going on, and it was so hard to know if Xavier had magical homing powers that kept bringing him to Kali or if it was identical twin shenanigans. I wish Kali had at least noticed different clothes or one of them had a different haircut or SOMETHING to tell the twins apart so the reader would know what was going on.
I would've liked more time in that ancient empire so I could better understand Kali's heritage. I think that part was what drew the most inspiration from the original story, since the whole idea was Puss fooling people into thinking his companion was nobility. More development in that would've been nice. And I know this is all inspired by fairy tales/folk stories, but it still wrapped up way too neatly. The guy who was harassing Kali ended up dead and these other caravan people just saw Kali looked like the empress and were like "okay have a nice day bye". Maybe if the characters spent less time wandering around?
All in all, it was still a nice read. I'm sure the cameos from the other characters would've meant more if I could remember who they were.
I'm not too familiar with the original "Puss in Boots" story. That being said, I wish Puss had featured more in the story. There were so many times when he just disappeared with no explanation, only to show up again a little later with no explanation. As I said, he was a great character, it just didn't feel like there was enough of him and the role he played seemed minimal at times. Kali and Xavier were just as likely to stumble onto things on their own without his help.
Speaking of Kali and Xavier, their romance left a lot to be desired. Most of the book was them bickering, or Kali being mad at Xavier while he found the whole thing funny. It was hard to find such a couple appealing. There was also a lot of Kali telling herself she couldn't fall in love with him, and I couldn't really get why. I know she thought he abandoned her when they first met but that didn't seem to be enough of a reason for the stretched out angst. There was also too much miscommunication and misunderstandings going on, and it was so hard to know if Xavier had magical homing powers that kept bringing him to Kali or if it was identical twin shenanigans. I wish Kali had at least noticed different clothes or one of them had a different haircut or SOMETHING to tell the twins apart so the reader would know what was going on.
I would've liked more time in that ancient empire so I could better understand Kali's heritage. I think that part was what drew the most inspiration from the original story, since the whole idea was Puss fooling people into thinking his companion was nobility. More development in that would've been nice. And I know this is all inspired by fairy tales/folk stories, but it still wrapped up way too neatly. The guy who was harassing Kali ended up dead and these other caravan people just saw Kali looked like the empress and were like "okay have a nice day bye". Maybe if the characters spent less time wandering around?
All in all, it was still a nice read. I'm sure the cameos from the other characters would've meant more if I could remember who they were.
October 29, 2025
The Rogue Princess was an absolute delight to read, with amazing characters and fun adventures throughout!
I loved Kali! She was a delightful character to read, and I adored how adventurous she was. She wanted to do everything and see everything. One of the big parts of this book was her realizing that being adventurous wasn’t a bad thing, and it can be beneficial. She was also very sweet and kind, while also being a little snarky.
I loved Xaiver, as well! He was introduced in the previous book, as one half of the troublesome twins of Kuralan. We got to know Xavier as an individual this book, and he was so great. I love how fun he was. He was constantly laughing at everything (though this did cause some problems) but also knew when it was time to be responsible. He also helped Kali realize there is nothing wrong with being adventurous.
Their romance was so cute! It did start out as a misunderstanding, which was kind of hilarious when you find out. There was a lot of Kali struggling with liking somebody who couldn’t commit, and I liked how that storyline was concluded. My all-time favorite part of this book was part at the end when she leaned over a balcony and Xavier gripped onto her, and she was like I always knew he would be there to hold onto me. I am not at all doing this moment justice, but it was so sweet and romantic, and you realize that he has been catching her all through the book! I always love when a love interest protects their girl but doesn’t encroach on who they are as a person.
There was a talking cat! I don’t love cats, but I often love a good fictional cat, and Puss was no exception. He was similar to Arvin with this superiority complex, but he also had no interest in humans, either. He was mischievous and so flippant, it was incredibly entertaining to read. Definitely one of my favorite characters!
We got to see Evie and Tillie and Frederic and Cassian and all of their children! I wish Cassian and Frederic were in the story a little more, and we got to see the kids a little bit more, but I adored these moments! I love seeing these characters married with kids. It made me so happy! I loved getting this little glimpse into their lives, and I felt like this was a nice goodbye to these characters! One of the best parts of this was getting to know more about Tillie. We didn’t get to know her all too well in The Princess Search, so I enjoyed this closer look. I also loved how Evie was still making dresses, and we got to see how she uses that to benefit her kingdom!
I loved the adventure that took place! Most of the books in this series have had some adventure, but this is definitely one of the most adventurous books in the series. I loved the travel elements and all the different places we got to see throughout the book!
A new rebellion did pop up in this book, that was reminiscent of the rebellion in The Princess Search, so I did enjoy some of the parallels. I will say I found the reasoning behind the rebellion a little confusing. I really wanted a stronger reasoning than was given. Here is a slight spoiler: there was a populated city in the desert. This community definitely felt a little cultish (though it wasn’t super overt). I will also say that this part of the story, with the antagonist, wrapped up really quickly and somewhat easily, and I wish that more time was given to this part of the story. I did like this part of the story and thought it added a deeper layer to this world!
The Rogue Princess was an adventurous retelling of Puss in Boots, with travel, romance, and wonderful characters, including an adventure seeking main character and a carefree love interest! Definitely a wonderful book to go on an adventure with!
I loved Kali! She was a delightful character to read, and I adored how adventurous she was. She wanted to do everything and see everything. One of the big parts of this book was her realizing that being adventurous wasn’t a bad thing, and it can be beneficial. She was also very sweet and kind, while also being a little snarky.
I loved Xaiver, as well! He was introduced in the previous book, as one half of the troublesome twins of Kuralan. We got to know Xavier as an individual this book, and he was so great. I love how fun he was. He was constantly laughing at everything (though this did cause some problems) but also knew when it was time to be responsible. He also helped Kali realize there is nothing wrong with being adventurous.
Their romance was so cute! It did start out as a misunderstanding, which was kind of hilarious when you find out. There was a lot of Kali struggling with liking somebody who couldn’t commit, and I liked how that storyline was concluded. My all-time favorite part of this book was part at the end when she leaned over a balcony and Xavier gripped onto her, and she was like I always knew he would be there to hold onto me. I am not at all doing this moment justice, but it was so sweet and romantic, and you realize that he has been catching her all through the book! I always love when a love interest protects their girl but doesn’t encroach on who they are as a person.
There was a talking cat! I don’t love cats, but I often love a good fictional cat, and Puss was no exception. He was similar to Arvin with this superiority complex, but he also had no interest in humans, either. He was mischievous and so flippant, it was incredibly entertaining to read. Definitely one of my favorite characters!
We got to see Evie and Tillie and Frederic and Cassian and all of their children! I wish Cassian and Frederic were in the story a little more, and we got to see the kids a little bit more, but I adored these moments! I love seeing these characters married with kids. It made me so happy! I loved getting this little glimpse into their lives, and I felt like this was a nice goodbye to these characters! One of the best parts of this was getting to know more about Tillie. We didn’t get to know her all too well in The Princess Search, so I enjoyed this closer look. I also loved how Evie was still making dresses, and we got to see how she uses that to benefit her kingdom!
I loved the adventure that took place! Most of the books in this series have had some adventure, but this is definitely one of the most adventurous books in the series. I loved the travel elements and all the different places we got to see throughout the book!
A new rebellion did pop up in this book, that was reminiscent of the rebellion in The Princess Search, so I did enjoy some of the parallels. I will say I found the reasoning behind the rebellion a little confusing. I really wanted a stronger reasoning than was given. Here is a slight spoiler: there was a populated city in the desert. This community definitely felt a little cultish (though it wasn’t super overt). I will also say that this part of the story, with the antagonist, wrapped up really quickly and somewhat easily, and I wish that more time was given to this part of the story. I did like this part of the story and thought it added a deeper layer to this world!
The Rogue Princess was an adventurous retelling of Puss in Boots, with travel, romance, and wonderful characters, including an adventure seeking main character and a carefree love interest! Definitely a wonderful book to go on an adventure with!
![Profile Image for Jacquelyn 💐 {This Rapunzel Reads} [Jesus Christ, my Living Hope].](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fi.gr-assets.com%2Fimages%2FS%2Fcompressed.photo.goodreads.com%2Fusers%2F1766269624i%2F169222098._UX200_CR0%2C0%2C200%2C200_.jpg&w=128&q=75)
March 3, 2025
🐈🐈🐈🐈🐈🐈🐈🐈🐈🐈🐈🐈🐈🐈🐈🐈🐈🐈🐈
I’m excited to hear about Kali and her story! This is my first Puss and Boots retelling and I’ll admit the whole Puss and Boots thing isn’t really my favorite so we’ll see how this goes! I’m also excited to see Xavier again! Kali was a great character! I loved her from the beginning! She was sweet, determined and brave! Xavier was delightful! I loved him instantly! He was funny, charming and sweet! I grinned or laughed many times at his comments! How Kali and Xavier met was funny! I loved watching the two of them fall in love! They were just so perfect for each other! It was great to see Evie, Frederic, Tillie and Cassian again! I loved the scene where they had to save each other! This was heart pounding and thrilling! Even though I didn’t love it as much as the previous one, this was another fabulous and swoon worthy fairytale retelling by Melanie Cellier!! I throughly LOVED it!! I cannot wait to read the Rapunzel one and to see more of Xander!! I’ve been waiting so long for it!!
Quotes that I liked:
🐈 "I love you far more than is sensible, my darling Kali. And I have every intention of chasing you for the rest of my days, so please have pity on me and stop running."
🐈 I groaned. "Exactly! You're a prince! How can I marry you?" “How can you not?" he asked and pulled me forward, pressing his lips down firmly over mine.
🐈🐈🐈🐈🐈🐈🐈🐈🐈🐈🐈🐈🐈🐈🐈🐈🐈🐈🐈
I’m excited to hear about Kali and her story! This is my first Puss and Boots retelling and I’ll admit the whole Puss and Boots thing isn’t really my favorite so we’ll see how this goes! I’m also excited to see Xavier again! Kali was a great character! I loved her from the beginning! She was sweet, determined and brave! Xavier was delightful! I loved him instantly! He was funny, charming and sweet! I grinned or laughed many times at his comments! How Kali and Xavier met was funny! I loved watching the two of them fall in love! They were just so perfect for each other! It was great to see Evie, Frederic, Tillie and Cassian again! I loved the scene where they had to save each other! This was heart pounding and thrilling! Even though I didn’t love it as much as the previous one, this was another fabulous and swoon worthy fairytale retelling by Melanie Cellier!! I throughly LOVED it!! I cannot wait to read the Rapunzel one and to see more of Xander!! I’ve been waiting so long for it!!
Quotes that I liked:
🐈 "I love you far more than is sensible, my darling Kali. And I have every intention of chasing you for the rest of my days, so please have pity on me and stop running."
🐈 I groaned. "Exactly! You're a prince! How can I marry you?" “How can you not?" he asked and pulled me forward, pressing his lips down firmly over mine.
🐈🐈🐈🐈🐈🐈🐈🐈🐈🐈🐈🐈🐈🐈🐈🐈🐈🐈🐈
July 11, 2025
I debated between three and four stars for this one because the ending was ridiculous, but it was foreshadowed enough that I expect something like the ending to happen. That means that my reaction to the absurdity was more amusement than annoyance. The ridiculous ending was further mitigated by the fact that this book's main draw was not the ending. The ending and the setup for it were more like background noise there to push the romantic leads together by giving them a mutual problem meaning that the book's main draw is the characters. I thought they all worked reasonably well. Kali and Xavier have a very banter focused relationship that was fun to watch. Xavier was the most romantically forward of the princes in Cellier's book which made him a nice change of pace. I wouldn't want more than one of him in this series, but one out of twenty is fair.
While the romance was fine, the best part of the book by far was Puss, a cat based on Puss in Boots. I loved the fact that he never tried to hide that he was a magical cat. He'd talk to anyone and everyone, happily asserting his authority. It was a nice change of pace from other stories with a magical animal. I found his personality perfectly suited to a cat.
While the romance was fine, the best part of the book by far was Puss, a cat based on Puss in Boots. I loved the fact that he never tried to hide that he was a magical cat. He'd talk to anyone and everyone, happily asserting his authority. It was a nice change of pace from other stories with a magical animal. I found his personality perfectly suited to a cat.
August 29, 2023
I listened to this on audio so please excuse all misspelled character names and places.
Also the only thing I knew about Puss in Boots before this came from Shrek, so suffice it to say, I was only expecting a talking cat.
This book can be read as a standalone.
After Kali’s father dies, her MIA brother comes along to claim the mill and basically spurs Kali into leaving everything she’s known and seeking adventure. “His” talking cat, Puss, agrees to join her, as he was sent to accompany “the Miller’s child.” (This must be a Puss in Boots thing since it came up multiple times.)
Off Kali goes, into one misadventure after another. She eventually finds that Caravan Cobalt is destroying the reputation of the Fraser people - her mother’s people - and she unwillingly teams up with Xavier to try to stop them.
I like Kali, even if she’s naive and a bit slow to understand what’s happening and who is pulling some of the strings. There were multiple times when I wanted to be like “I told you so!”
Puss is everything you expect a big ginger cat to be.
Everything resolves nicely, and as you can expect in Melanie Cellier’s works, you get a nice little HEA.
January 17, 2023
Kali and Xavier get off on the first wrong several feet as they both pursue adventure and a villainous group wreaking havoc across Lanover. The Rogue Princess is hilarious, adventurous, and generally great fun to read. It is very fast-paced and light-hearted yet still charming and romantic. Puss has the most impeccable or the most obnoxious timing depending on who you ask. Kali is adventurous, full of good instincts, passionate, determined, and not afraid to show how she really feels. Xavier is playful, adventurous, brave, and ready to help anyone who truly needs it. Lanover comes to life through the descriptions of Melanie Cellier. The characters vibrantly interact with each other in a way that had me laughing out loud many times. It was also a pleasure to encounter some of the previous incredible characters. This would be a delightful read for anyone who likes a quick read, clean romance, lots of humor, talking animals, things not always being what they seem, traveling adventures, and fairy tale retellings.
July 28, 2023
I really liked this version of puss in boots. I like how the hero is really a heroine. I thoroughly enjoyed the character of Puss who always appears to act like he is better than everyone else but yet you see his softer, caring side randomly throughout the book. This is the next book in the series (they really are better if you read them in order). We learned about Zaria's story in the previous book and discovered one of her best friends, Kali, in that book. Kali is the daughter of a miller and a former desert nomad. This book is her story. Kali has a great sense of adventure and a desire to explore. When her father dies and her brother inherits the mill, she decides to go on an adventure. Puss comes along at the same time and convinces her to go with him across the desert. In Lanover, she ends up meeting Prince Xavier from Kurulan (her own country). Kali and Xavier end up on all kinds of adventures all the while being directed by Puss without there really knowing if he was doing the directing or not. In the end we find out if Kali can save the day or not.
June 27, 2025
I enjoyed this book, it was engaging and kept my interest throughout. I don't know why, but I really like the element of a talking, intelligent animal (The Secret Princess with Arvin the talking horse is my favorite from this series) and Puss made this book much more enjoyable and interesting for me than the last two books in this series. It was also so fun to get to see characters from The Princess Search again. Xavier was a great love interest and I loved how protective and persistent and playful he was and how he seemed to just get Kali. Each of the moments he had to "rescue" her had me grinning. I didn't love him in The Golden Princess when we were first introduced to him and his twin, Xander, so I was pleasantly surprised how much I liked him in this book. Kali was a fantastic character as well and I thoroughly enjoyed her story and all the elements of the original Puss in Boots story as well as the twists. I've never read a retelling of this fairytale before and thought it was fantastically done!
March 1, 2023
"The Rogue Princess" is a YA re-telling of a fairytale. If you know the original fairytale, the miller's son married a princess because he obediently followed the instructions of the talking cat. It's not that he's clever, but the cat's clever and manipulated events to get the desired result. Puss took the spotlight in this story, too, especially if you like cats.
Kali's a bit dense (which is okay as some people are). She's likable, means well, and isn't stupid, but she's unable to put together the clues about what's going on for herself. Prince Xavier's not quite as dense. He's quite happy to rescue Kali whenever she needed it and seemed to fall in love with this role more than her. However, he did encourage her that her desire for adventure (which he shared) could be a good thing. They had an interesting adventure. There was no sex or bad language. Overall, I'd recommend this enjoyable fantasy.
Kali's a bit dense (which is okay as some people are). She's likable, means well, and isn't stupid, but she's unable to put together the clues about what's going on for herself. Prince Xavier's not quite as dense. He's quite happy to rescue Kali whenever she needed it and seemed to fall in love with this role more than her. However, he did encourage her that her desire for adventure (which he shared) could be a good thing. They had an interesting adventure. There was no sex or bad language. Overall, I'd recommend this enjoyable fantasy.
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