The Princess Test: A Review

Hello, my lovelies, I’m back for book two!

The Princess Test by Gail Carson Levine

4.5 Stars

King Humphrey has decided it's time for his son, Prince Nicholas, to marry. But he must make sure the bride is a real princess. So he devises a series of princess tests, designed to weed out the phonies and the fakes. Meanwhile, Nicholas has fallen in love with Lorelei, a mere blacksmith's daughter. She's no princess, but he wants to marry her all the same--but how will she ever pass the terrible tests?

-From Goodreads

When I read this series as a teen I read them out of publication order because I read them in the order I could get them from the library. This was actually the last book that I read so it was nice to actually read it in the “right” order this time around.

I really love this book. It’s a Princess and the Pea retelling and the author does such a wonderful job with it. Her additions are clever and fun, while also keeping with the original heart of the tale.

What I Liked:

As I stated, I really like this book. It might be my favorite of the series (I’ll hold out on making that decision until I’ve reread all of them though). The story is sweet, much like its predecessor. But this story feels tighter than the other, better put together.

I love the twist the author put on the original tale, stating right from that start that Lorelei (our “princess” who actually happens to be a blacksmith’s daughter) is a very particular person. From her birth she has always needed things to be just so.

But this need is just that- a need more so than the desire most Princess and the Pea interpretations tend to make it out to be. Lorelei doesn’t do the dishes not because she’s spoiled and stuck-up but because she gets a rash when she does. She is also very accident-prone so any game she plays or chore she is set to almost always ends in blood.

At heart she is a sweet girl who hates how much of a burden she is to everyone. And when she does point out that things aren’t just so she does it kindly and discretely. She is never stuck-up, picky, or rude. She’s kind and loving and gentle and I love her so much.

Just as much as I love Prince Nicholas, the love interest. He’s kind and earnest and endearing. He isn’t particular at all, not noting the subtle imperfections that his parents and Lorelei so easily pick out. He is quite happy and content with taking life as it comes.

His and Lorelei’s relationship is sweet and charming (and like the last book very appropriate even for younger readers). The author puts a nice twist on the “love at first sight” cliché, while also avoiding the “bickering at first sight” cliché. I loved them together from the start and that never changes over the course of the story.

As with the last book (and as is a running theme in this series) the writing style is clever and fun. The King and Queen (as a twist on the original tale) are very finicky and their words choices fit that. It’s really fun and makes the story even better. The narration is also great, making it the perfect sort of book for reading aloud.

What I Didn’t Like:

The villain in this book is the housekeeper Lorelei’s dad hires to look after her when her mother passes. The woman gets fed up with how particular Lorelei is and how much work she is to care for and she decides to do her in. It’s honestly all a bit weird. I don’t know why the author felt this was the right thing for her story because I frankly find it really, really strange.

It’s only a part of the book’s conflict though and I was able to overlook how odd I thought it was (perhaps from all my years of reading actual fairy tales and having to overlook other really strange things?)

Overview:

As I have said several times, I really like this book. Save for the weird side-plot of the murderous housekeeper there isn’t much I dislike about it. I definitely liked it more than the first book and am so very excited to keep rereading the series to see what else the author has in store for this world.

The playlist, as I stated last week, will be up when I've finished reviewing the rest of the series!

On Monday I’ll be sharing my thoughts on how writers can talk to non-writers (a follow-up to this post) and I hope to see you then! Until the next time we meet, don’t forget to live happily ever after <3

~Jennifer Sauer, the Ivory Palace Princess

P.S. Let’s chat! What are some of your favorite Princess and the Pea retellings? What are some things you haven’t seen but would like to in a retelling of this tale?