Princess Form Princess and the Pea Disney
See a Problem?
Thanks for telling us about the problem.
Friend Reviews
Community Reviews
The girls are invited to the land of Torrens, where the king wants them to guard a magical gem - a little green marble called the Pea of Primeorder - that's in great danger of being stolen, by a thief so proud and brazen that he goes by the name of Apex.
Lis can tell right away that the royal family
Lis and her best friend Vorah are two of the only female warriors in their part of the world. They've spent the past few years travelling between kingdoms, taking out bandits and helping the helpless.The girls are invited to the land of Torrens, where the king wants them to guard a magical gem - a little green marble called the Pea of Primeorder - that's in great danger of being stolen, by a thief so proud and brazen that he goes by the name of Apex.
Lis can tell right away that the royal family are hiding something. The King is far too relaxed, the Queen seems more amused than alarmed by the attempted burglaries, and Prince Channing acts like he knows Lis well and admires her...
This is a very well-structured novella, fast-paced but detailed. One feels like one knows the characters after spending only sixty-seven pages with them, and the kingdom is easy to visualize and get lost in. The romance is no more sudden than in the average fairytale and it's very cute.
There's a brief moment during the crisis that might be a nod to Megan Whalen Turner's Thief, which is a good book to reference.
The only thing that bothered me is the cover. It's lovely, but Lis has dark hair in the story; Vorah is a redhead but not a likely candidate for the cover image. So who the heck is that?
A sweet, short, squeaky-clean fantasy romance adventure. Check it out if you like Cameron Dokey's fairytale retellings, Shannon Hale's Bayern series, Sherwood Smith's Crown & Court duology or Tamora Pierce's Tortall books.
...more
Just kidding, I refuse to re-read Violet Eyes: A Retelling of The Princess and the Pea and Stain still costs too much to justify buying. But I am really glad I found this one. Especially compared to more popular stories like Cinderella or Beauty and the Beast, there are hardly any Princess and the Pea retellings and I'm always delighted to find another version of my favorite fair First A True Princess and now this...do you know what it means?! Time to read all the Princess and the Pea retellings!
Just kidding, I refuse to re-read Violet Eyes: A Retelling of The Princess and the Pea and Stain still costs too much to justify buying. But I am really glad I found this one. Especially compared to more popular stories like Cinderella or Beauty and the Beast, there are hardly any Princess and the Pea retellings and I'm always delighted to find another version of my favorite fairy tale!
This version comes across as a weird combination of super clever and incredibly corny. It starts off with two warrior/mercenaries women kicking bad guy butt. (YEAH!) But despite very detailed action, it all felt...silly. I blame the eye-jabbing. All I could think of was:
We learn these two basically are legends in the mercenary world. (YEAH!) But one of the girls demonstrates a very annoying habit of referring to the other as "Master." Like, that is her entire personality: the annoying side kick who thinks it is hilarious to refer to her friend as "Master." Despite the heroine repeatedly claiming the other girl means it as a joke...we never get any evidence of this? I suppose in their behavior they act like partners, but in their conversation it screams "Hero and Annoying Sidekick."
But anyway, strong female friendships = good, so let's move on.
The story does a clever job introducing magic, warriors, bandits, and all sorts of exciting world building. (YEAH!) And then it goes and sticks our characters in this happy little country without conflict where the peasants go around singing every day.
I wish I were joking.
You ever see the cartoon movie Princess and the Pea by the people who made The Swan Princess?
For the record, I love the movie and I am not saying it is a bad comparison. But the peasants in that movie sing and villain is like "yeah...we need to crush this ridiculous happiness" and that is kind of how I felt.
We then meet the Royal family and the story kicks off with a really clever concept for the pea and a story line full of potential danger and intrigue! Except that it is literally the most predictable plot to ever plot. And not because this is a retelling of a familiar fairy tale. I mean the story itself barely bothers to hide what's going on. I predicted literally everything within the first two chapters. Granted, this is a very short novella and not intended to provide any great suspense. I just...was kind of surprised by how predictable it was considering how clever it started off?
Finally, though, the romance...
Eek.
I guess it wasn't insta-love?
But literally the characters themselves describe the love interest this way: "He's about as emotional as a potato; but he'll have to produce an heir somehow.
And honestly, I cannot think of a better description. The love interest is a potato. I'm all for serious young men with a heart of gold. But at some point, the guy needs to show some personality. Literally, any personality, I beg you!
So obviously I wasn't a huge fan. His weird parents I would classify as part of the "clever" part of the plot. But their on-the-nose "what it means to be a princess!" certainly shoved it back into corny.
Finally, the conclusion apparently connects to other stories. That is all well and good and maybe I will even read them. But mostly the Epilogue made me go:
So....3 stars for the story rounded up to 4 because I found the Princess and the Pea retelling particularly clever
...more
Anyway, this is a retelling of the fairytale "Princess and the Pea". Here, the princess is actually a renowned mercenary who has "warrior princess" as a nickname. She is hired to guard a gem known as "the Pea of Primeorder". I will examine plot, character, and polish and then determine a grade.
PLOT
The first thing I want to say
The Princess and the Pea - a retelling by K.M. Shea. I think I was asked to review this in the Clean Indie Reads group, but I am not sure. It was something like that.Anyway, this is a retelling of the fairytale "Princess and the Pea". Here, the princess is actually a renowned mercenary who has "warrior princess" as a nickname. She is hired to guard a gem known as "the Pea of Primeorder". I will examine plot, character, and polish and then determine a grade.
PLOT
The first thing I want to say is that this book is lean. It is 99 pages long in total, and even shorter when excluding front matter, back matter and the next-book-preview at the end. This means the narrative is tightly focused on events directly related to story itself. Only set piece event are included: the opening fight, the job offer, the first attempt at the gem's theft, etc. This gives the story a certain drive and energy, as well as preventing clutter that would distract from the two main plot threads, the gem's safety and the romance of the two leads.
This pre-empts any attempt at world building. There are great attempts at flavoring the world, such as tidbits about previous jobs Lisheva has taken, primary traits of nearby countries, and how mages are regulated. In fact, the musical specialty of the country that the story takes place in becomes a plot point. However, these are mostly confined to a single chapter.
The musical specialty is limited to the existence of several fine instruments in the library, and I don't recall a scene where anyone used them. I don't even know what the palace that the entire story takes place in looks like, save for structures that are necessary for the plot, such as the castle's gate and the existence of a garden.
On one hand, the story possesses laconic energy that prevents lulls. On the other hand, the appeal of the story rests entirely in character interaction. Fortunately, this is where it is shines (and the fights are pretty good as well).
One more thing about the plot is that it makes no attempt to hide the obvious. The identity of Apex the legendary/foolish thief is strongly hinted at immediately and shortly thereafter unmasked. Lisheva falling in love with and marrying Prince Channing is implicated by the king himself in the second chapter, before the job offer itself. This is not a story that relies on tension or suspense, which I find refreshing.
This story takes Happily Ever After and merges it with And The Adventure Continues for a delightful ending.
CHARACTERS
Our protagonist is the "princess" in question, Lisheva the Warrior Princess. She is a wandering mercenary who enjoys the challenges presented by her line of work. She is a challenge seeker but she is professional about it; no self-imposed handicaps to make it more interesting or whatever. Her first scene, and the first scene of the story, is her trouncing bandits due to her long honed combat skill. She doesn't kill anyone in this story despite her occupation but I'm not sure if this is a Pragmatic Hero thing or a Thou Shall Not Kill mentality. She has a reason/excuse for the former every time, which becomes suspect by the climax.
Fun fact: despite her profession, her seriousness, and the implication that "warrior" is an unusual job for a woman in her home country, she is not a stereotypical man-hater. That trait actually belongs to her mare.
Vorah is the sidekick, and she is a great sidekick. She serves as comedy relief by making jokes but is an excellent aid to Lis in combat, not a bumbling sort of comedy. The running gag of referring to Lisa as "master", "teacher" or "boss" when Lis doesn't like any of it is funny. She is a foil to underscore Lis's seriousness.
The third major character is Channing, the prince of country that the story takes place in. Shea has fun with his stoic nature and chiseled physique by saying he resembles a statue until he talks, while also expressing his thoughts and emotions without breaking this stoic demeanor. He is wise, including knowing when to seek wisdom from others. He is noble and polite, but also proud of his skills.
The king and queen, Channing's parents, are minor characters but still have distinctive personalities and characteristic scenes. The only character who falls flat is the ultimate villain of the piece. This is not a problem.
Other than providing the initial conflict to the start the story and the climax to end it, this villain doesn't have a role to play. Simply the fact that they exist is enough for the narrative. In fact, Lisheva lampshades how unnecessary a fully developed character is by saying that their motivation for their villainy doesn't matter; regardless of the reason, they did villainy. In fact, the villain's existence does more to illuminate the king's character traits than their own.
POLISH
This is a tight book, and so it reads well and quickly. I didn't see any errors.
Trickster Eric Novels gives "The Princess and the Pea" a B+
I don't remember if this was review request or not, but either way it is an honest review.
...more
2.5 stars
not bad but lacking flavor. i think the ideal audience is probably a white lady who loves fantasy but mostly just reads mercedes lackey and anne mccaffrey, with maybe a little robin hobb when she's feeling spicy2.5 stars
...more
As always, it's fun to see what elements Shea pulls from the original story while crafting her own unique take around it. The 'princess' here is a renowned mercenary, hired to guard the Pea (an important magical artifact) from thieves. She does indeed arrive in a r I loved K.M. Shea's take on this admittedly strange fairy tale. Why is it so important that the prince find a true princess to marry, and why is the criteria that she be so sensitive that a pea can bruise her through twenty mattresses?
As always, it's fun to see what elements Shea pulls from the original story while crafting her own unique take around it. The 'princess' here is a renowned mercenary, hired to guard the Pea (an important magical artifact) from thieves. She does indeed arrive in a rainstorm and the Pea does eventually end up under her mattress, though it is in the interest of keeping it safe. The Prince is a sweetheart. It's not often you see a character that is both shy and a competent warrior. I also liked how ruthlessly competent Lis and her female companion Vorah are. No maidenly self-doubt from them; they know who they are and what they're good at, and they don't apologize or act sheepish about being women in a largely male profession of muscle for hire. An almost ironic take since in the original the princess is so delicate a pea can bruise her, and that's the trait she's prized for. ...more
Also, I particularly liked how thievery was addressed by the main heroine Lis here. A delightful story - a real treat.
All I really remember from the original was the real princess was able to feel the pea. This story takes a much more action-packed approach.
Lis the main protagonist is a butt-kicking, sword wielding mercenary sent to guard the magical Pea. Prince Channing (who I called Prince Charming throughout the entire novella), and his family task Lis and her friend to guard this gem at all lengths.
Prince Channing was c
I thought this was a really cute and different re-telling of The Princess and the Pea.All I really remember from the original was the real princess was able to feel the pea. This story takes a much more action-packed approach.
Lis the main protagonist is a butt-kicking, sword wielding mercenary sent to guard the magical Pea. Prince Channing (who I called Prince Charming throughout the entire novella), and his family task Lis and her friend to guard this gem at all lengths.
Prince Channing was charming, quirky, shy and weird. I really enjoyed his complex character. Because this is a novella their love story does develop rather quickly for my liking. But I like that the author has had Channing see Lis in action and following her for years in the shadows.
I would definitely want to read more within this series.
...more
Author: K.M. Shea
Format: MOBI/Kindle (Free)
[ Enjoyed ] Mostly yes.
[ Last Read ] Finished this afternoon.
[ Reread ] Maybe.
[ Cover Lust ] Not really.
[ Intriguing Title ] Nope.
[ Interesting Premise/Plot ] Didn't bother looking.
[ Preview Impressions ] N/A
[ Kept My Attention ] Mostly.
[ Got Bored / Mind Wandering ] Almost. Some fight scenes and chunks of dialogs felt long.
[ Skimmed/Skipped Scenes/Chapters ] Almost. (Ditto above.)
[ Reread Past
Author: K.M. Shea
Format: MOBI/Kindle (Free)
[ Enjoyed ] Mostly yes.
[ Last Read ] Finished this afternoon.
[ Reread ] Maybe.
[ Cover Lust ] Not really.
[ Intriguing Title ] Nope.
[ Interesting Premise/Plot ] Didn't bother looking.
[ Preview Impressions ] N/A
[ Kept My Attention ] Mostly.
[ Got Bored / Mind Wandering ] Almost. Some fight scenes and chunks of dialogs felt long.
[ Skimmed/Skipped Scenes/Chapters ] Almost. (Ditto above.)
[ Reread Past Scenes For Fun ] No.
[ Reread Past Scenes Cause My Memory Sucks To Clear Confusion ] No.
[ Stayed Up Late ] Yes.
[ Took a Long Break Midway ] No.
[ Ending Left Me Feeling ] ...damn my crappy memory!
[ Easy Light Reading ] Yes.
[ Turn Brain Off ] Yeah.
[ Guilty Pleasure ] Nah.
Other thoughts I'm throwing in: (Might contain spoilers; I fail at identifying them.)
All I knew about the original Princess and the Pea fairy tale was from during a 1st grade reading session where this princess slept atop maaaaaaaaaaaaany mattresses and still felt the pea. (Then our teacher gave us a dehydrated pea to put under out mattress. Imagine my shock at the many classmates saying they felts the pea that night.) So, this retelling(?) does involve a princess (sort of), a pea (sort of), and the pea(?) under a mattress(!!!).
This prequel surprised me with the battle/action scenes. They felt...long. In an epic fantasy...short. But for a fairy tale-ish story? Long. Predictable stuff in the plot. Humor present without being over the top. Romance and ending fit the fairy tale feeling. Overall length good: neither too short nor too draggingly long.
...more
The only thing holding me back from giving this story 5 stars is the romance felt very rushed. I suppose this is to be expected from a novella, but still there wasn't a whole lot development there. The bulk of the plot revolves around Lis and her efforts to protect th
Fun and fast paced novella from one of my favorite authors. As with all of K.M. Shea's Timeless Fairy Tale books, The Princess and the Pea delivers enduring characters, lots of action, and an original twist on a classic fairy tale.The only thing holding me back from giving this story 5 stars is the romance felt very rushed. I suppose this is to be expected from a novella, but still there wasn't a whole lot development there. The bulk of the plot revolves around Lis and her efforts to protect the legendary jewel, which was fantastic to read! However this did not leave much room for Lis and Prince Channing to have many tender moments together.
Don't get me wrong, I really like both characters and think they make a fun couple. Channing is big and shy and so very adorable! I just wish there could have been some more build up. (This was a free e-book though, so I really shouldn't complain. Thank you for the freebie K.M. Shea!)
...more
I feel like there were lots of nods in here that I will better understand after I read the series, so I may go back and reread this one for fun, but as i
This was a cute little prequel. A short, easy read, packed with action! The Princess and the Pea is one of my favorite fairy tales, so this was a fun one for me. I liked the characters a lot--and the nod to the snow queen! I'm excited to finally read the Timeless Fairy Tales!! 2020 threw me off my game, but I'm going to get through this series!I feel like there were lots of nods in here that I will better understand after I read the series, so I may go back and reread this one for fun, but as it stands alone, I liked the little bit of intrigue and the peek into Lis and Vorah's outstanding characters. The romance was a little abrupt, but I totally saw it coming and it made me grin anyway. It's hard to do development in eight chapters, so I get that. There were a few bits that really made me laugh and I very much enjoyed the action sequences. I was surprised at how invested I was in such a short little story! Fun little read! Looking forward to Book 1!
...more
her name is Lis and she's smart, she's badass, she's amazing!
Channing was a cute and perfect man
Vorah was a perfect, quirky and unique best friend that everyone wish to have
love the characters (Lis, Channing, the king, Vorah, the queen) in this book
love how relaxing K.M. Shea's books are
love the interactions and the romances
a bit downside tho...
the plot was a bit predictable
the conflict ended too abruptly
i don't always follow th
her name is Lis and she's smart, she's badass, she's amazing!
Channing was a cute and perfect man
Vorah was a perfect, quirky and unique best friend that everyone wish to have
love the characters (Lis, Channing, the king, Vorah, the queen) in this book
love how relaxing K.M. Shea's books are
love the interactions and the romances
a bit downside tho...
the plot was a bit predictable
the conflict ended too abruptly
i don't always follow the details (maybe because i read it when i was distracted?), which made it feels a bit bland (?)
... or not. K.M. Shea does not disappoint in this prequel to the Timeless Fairytale series.
The characters are endearing and convicting, with a bit of sass and good humor.
My only complaint is that while Channing and Lis' story was progressing promisingly, I felt it was a bit stunted at the end in comparison with Shea's other novels- however I realize this could because of its shortened/ prequel nature.
Rega
"I'm a warrior, she reminded herself. Not a princess. And that is the end of this tale."... or not. K.M. Shea does not disappoint in this prequel to the Timeless Fairytale series.
The characters are endearing and convicting, with a bit of sass and good humor.
My only complaint is that while Channing and Lis' story was progressing promisingly, I felt it was a bit stunted at the end in comparison with Shea's other novels- however I realize this could because of its shortened/ prequel nature.
Regardless, its worth the read, especially if you're a fan of the series- which is excellent.
...more
The main female friendship was still pretty good. (Even if it took a while for their chemistry to stick.)
The Princess and the Pea was a unique take on the classic fairy tale—the princess was a warrior and the pea was a jewel she was hir
My previous experience with K.M. Shea was her Goose Girl retelling, which was part of a compilation with other fairy tale authors. While that story was cute, I didn't find it particularly memorable so never read any more of her work. After having countless friends recommend her books, I decided to be brave and give her another chance. And I was pleasantly surprised!The Princess and the Pea was a unique take on the classic fairy tale—the princess was a warrior and the pea was a jewel she was hired to protect. I'm not really a fan of warrior heroines, but Lis had many admirable qualities that made her likable. I really liked Prince Channing; I have a thing for shy and awkward but thoroughly sweet guys. His romance with Lis was cute, although quite underdeveloped. And while I predicted pretty much every twist the plot took, it was still creative and fun. I particularly loved the message about what makes a true princess. So cute and inspirational!
I would have liked The Princess and the Pea a lot more if not for the many action scenes and if more page time had been devoted to the romance, but despite those quibbles, it was still an enjoyable story. I'm now eager to read more of K.M. Shea's books and see how she creatively spins other fairy tales.
...more 
4 out of 5
I really liked that Lis was a true warrior, and her friendship with Vorah. The two of them were fabulous and totally made this story worth reading. The romance was kind of unnecessary, imo. I didn't really feel like Lis was truly in love at the end. The friendship between Vorah and Lis, and how kickass they were, made the story.4 out of 5
...more
It's only a short story though, and it was free, so you know. I don't mind so much.
There is no way those two fell in love in that period of time though. It's ridiculous.
Anyway. It's alright
I do usually enjoy K.M. Shea's work. But this one kinda fell flat.It's only a short story though, and it was free, so you know. I don't mind so much.
There is no way those two fell in love in that period of time though. It's ridiculous.
Anyway. It's alright
...more
....happy reading!!
I love to write funny, clean stories with strong characters. Books like that are among my favorite to read so naturally I love writing stories like that as well. My philosophy is that life is tough, so books should be something that makes you relax and laugh!
VISIT MY FACEBOOK GROUP
https://www.facebook.com/group
I love to write funny, clean stories with strong characters. Books like that are among my favorite to read so naturally I love writing stories like that as well. My philosophy is that life is tough, so books should be something that makes you relax and laugh!
VISIT MY FACEBOOK GROUP
https://www.facebook.com/groups/27090...
VISIT MY AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE
https://www.amazon.com/K-M-Shea/e/B00...
VISIT MY WEBSITE
https://kmshea.com/
Related Articles
Welcome back. Just a moment while we sign you in to your Goodreads account.
Princess Form Princess and the Pea Disney
Source: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/40694402-the-princess-and-the-pea
0 Response to "Princess Form Princess and the Pea Disney"
Postar um comentário