The Princess Blog

One of my favorite series that I have had the pleasure to review is the Fairy Tale Adventures series by AG Marshall . Throughout these books, the author builds a unique fantasy world that breathes new life into many old stories, tying them together in unexpected ways. Princess of Shadows  introduced a new version of "The Princess and the Pea" featuring a legendary shadow warrior who is anything but delicate. Princess of Secrets  gave a fresh take on "The Frog Prince"  in which the princess was a spy who used her selfishness and extravagance as a cover to hide her true intentions. It has been a long wait, but the fifth book in the series, Princess of Mirrors , AG Marchall's take on "Cinderella," is finally here. Like the others, the heroine in this book is not a typical Cinderella and has many secrets of her own, ones that a certain prince is dying to uncover. When her father was on his deathbed, he told Gabriella two things: to guard the magic mirror...

When you love a book series as much as I love A.G. Marshall's Fairy Tale Adventures , you are bound to come upon a book that you don't love quite as much as the rest. The first three books in this series  were just about perfect in terms of creative retellings , relatable characters , and playful references to other adaptations . I cannot recommend them enough. The latest Fairy Tale Adventures release is Princess of Roses , a retelling of the beloved classic  "Beauty and the Beast."  On its own, this book is a perfectly fine adaptation that expands upon the universe of the series and adds ample backstory to both main characters. However, after being spoiled by the overwhelmingly magical other books in this series, I found this one to be a tad bit lacking. It downplays much of the magic and mystery that I love about the original fairy tale by devoting an extensive section to the realistic and mundane elements of the main characters' lives before they were touched b...