G57 Book Review of Maelyn by Anita Valle
Author: Anita Valle
ISBN: 9781438283913
Publisher: Amazon
Part of a Series: Nine Princesses Novellas
Type of book: Fantasy, princesses, nobility vs commoner, books, ideas, arranged marriages
Year it was published: 2012
Summary:
Maelyn was not born a princess. The king found her as a child, the lone survivor of a poor village slaughtered by the Red Fever. Suddenly she became a princess of Runa Realm, the first of nine orphans adopted by the king.
By her eighteenth year, Maelyn rules over Runa and a family of nine sisters. But some call the princesses frauds and imposters, a handful of urchins raised into royalty. Even Uncle Jarrod, the High King of Grunwold, seems determined to prove that Maelyn no longer deserves to be a princess. With a family losing faith in her, and a kingdom growing dangerously hostile, even Maelyn begins to wonder if she is truly a real princess. And if her riches will turn to rags once again….
The Nine Princesses Novellas is a series that chronicles the adventures of an unconventional family of princesses, the struggles they face in a kingdom often hostile to their humble origins, and the day-to-day dramas of nine young women whose personalities often clash like swords. Fans of Gail Carson Levine and Shannon Hale would enjoy this young-adult series. Recommended for ages 12 and up. For more information go to www.anitavalleart.com
Characters:
The characters and personalities of the princesses, however brief, tended to be the strong points of the book. Although I feel that I'm a lot like Maelyn with coming up with unusual ideas or finding holes in stories and situations, I really was curious about Coralina as well as others. The characters of Uncle Jarrod is not very well drawn as I would have liked, but I still would like for him to make an appearance in the future books and to find out more about him.
Theme:
Anybody can be a princess
Plot:
This is written from Maelyn's point of view in third person narrative. In beginning there are some mysterious events that aren't explained at all, and the writing tended to be disconnected a bit as the audience watched Maelyn in her princess role. Towards the very end of the book, I started to enjoy it a lot, and wasn't prepared for the certain discoveries that the author revealed. I also felt pity for the sisters, although not Uncle Jarrod.
Author Information:
(from goodreads.com)
born
Philadelphia PA, The United States
gender
female
website
http://www.anitavalleart.com
genre
Literature & Fiction, Young Adult, Science Fiction & Fantasy
influences
Shannon Hale, Gail Carson Levine, Charles Dickens
member since
August 2012
About this author
I think people like to read lists more than paragraphs, so I'll do my bio as such.
* Born and raised in Philly, home of the best cheesesteaks.
* Except for first grade, homeschooled all the way through.
* Two younger brothers and two younger sisters who are my very bestest friends.
* Married at 20, had three kids by 30. Developed the Nine Princesses during that period.
* Gave up the project several times in frustration and despair over the publishing industry.
* At 31, thanks to the internet and Kindle, finally published "Maelyn". So happy.
* Random interests: drawing, reading, music, chocolate, Nintendo, BBC movies, Colin Firth, Panera Bread.
Opinion:
I do admit that the book had a four star potential at the end, but it didn't quite reach the level, unfortunately. This is a very lovely novel with princesses that were born commoners but due to a generous king became princesses of Runa. The birth and heritage are questioned in the book and reading much encouraged. I liked the relationship between Willow and Maelyn, but what I didn't like is that the writing tended to be disconnected and the narrative wasn't linear. Some story hints were left in the air until the very end when certain things were resolved while others will hopefully be resolved in future books. I think I would have preferred if certain things were revealed at beginning rather than end. Despite the rating, I would encourage others to try it, and to give it to girls to tell them that books aren't so bad. I think its more enjoyable for middle readers rather than people around my age, but its my opinion. When she gets an opportunity, the author's strength is in the plot itself rather than day to day things, unfortunately.
Quick notes: I would like to thank the author for the opportunity to read and review the book.
3 out of 5
(0: Stay away unless a masochist 1: Good for insomnia 2: Horrible but readable; 3: Readable and quickly forgettable, 4: Good, enjoyable 5: Buy it, keep it and never let it go.)
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