Hi guys!
Welcome back to Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers, the site that loves to indulge the many sides of my reading personality...and share it with all of you.
Today, if you couldn't tell, we are once again playing hostess to a blog tour presented by the fabulous folks over at Walden Pond Press. (Hi guys! ~waves~) It features the third and final installment in the Hero's Guide to.... series/trilogy and although we've glanced at the book in passing on the first stop, NOW we get to REALLY dig in. Ready to read all about it? Let's! Today's featured book of choice is....
by
Christopher Healy
Illustrated by
Todd Harris
Todd Harris
9780062118486
Walden Pond Press
About the book.....
Prince Liam. Prince Frederic. Prince Duncan. Prince Gustav. You think you know those guys pretty well by now, don’t you? Well, think again. The Princes Charming, along with Ella, Snow, Rapunzel, and Princess Lila are caught and arrested for the murder of Briar Rose. The heroes are simultaneously shocked and sad to hear of this news. But a series of suspicious events leads them to believe that not only is Briar still alive, but some unseen evil is working its way into the throne rooms of all thirteen kingdoms. It’s up to the League to break out of prison, find Briar, and uncover the nefarious plot before the entire country is destroyed.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Oh the wonderful web THIS series has weaved!
All the Prince's Charming are back and better (or worse?) than ever with even more foes to attempt to discharge, a murder most heinous to disprove, and assorted feelings that need sorting out. There's old friends and new friends, old enemies and well, even older ones that are now counted among the new ones, devious plans that go WELL beyond the normal scope of things and traitors on all sides of the game. It's really and truly a befuddlement of a story with a trip through all thirteen kingdoms that would make any mapmaker's head spin (thanks to Smimf! Speedy fella...)...and you know what?
I LOVED IT!
It was a befitting end to the League of Princes (that should be extended to also say "...and Princesses as well as assorted friends") tale and a story the bards would gladly sing about for eons to come...if they could that is. (NOPE! Not telling!) The tale does get lengthy but remember, we're covering A LOT of ground here and not all of us have those awesome boots that turn a trip round the world into a hop skip and jump. The good news for reluctant readers? You won't even notice the length as the pages fly by whilst battling Lord Rundark and his evil henchmen, barely escaping the bounty hunters on your trail, narrowly missing the chance to be turned into chum thanks to some mighty powerful...glowing globes? Not everything is what it seems, nor everyone...something to remember when traversing through the text.
I love how each Prince and Princess has his/her day. They all learn more about themselves and each other while working towards a common goal...well, most the time anyway. The sum up at the end allows you to see each kingdom come into its own, though whether or not their somewhat loved rulers are there to see it is another mystery all together. (Nope. NOT TELLING!) Favorite characters? Such a hard decision, but if I must narrow it down....Princess would be Ella (she's not afraid to be who she is, consequences and opinions be darned), Prince would be Frederic (even I was surprised by my choice but really, he's a lover of words, how can you go wrong!), Bounty Hunter would be...someone I can't reveal (sorry, it'd ruin it all!), non-princess would be Jerica (you'll meet her along the way), and side character would be Blink and Deedle (when I hosted my first stop to introduce them, I hadn't met them yet....they are some brave little guys and really helpity help!).
In conclusion, a grand adventure in the making for readers young and young at heart. Although it can be read as a stand alone, it's MUCH better if you've read the first two...additional back story, references that make more sense, the whole nine yards as they say. See your preconceived notions of the princes and princesses shattered. Watch as new friendships are made. Smile as realizations about their heart's true matches are revealed. Laugh at their antics. Chuckle at their reactions and lack thereof. Root for your favorites and jeer at the enemies...because really, there ARE enough of them...but be certain who is who before the jeering begins. After all, first impressions are important, but they aren't the end all to end all; sometimes the heart of gold within simply needs time to shine.
All the Prince's Charming are back and better (or worse?) than ever with even more foes to attempt to discharge, a murder most heinous to disprove, and assorted feelings that need sorting out. There's old friends and new friends, old enemies and well, even older ones that are now counted among the new ones, devious plans that go WELL beyond the normal scope of things and traitors on all sides of the game. It's really and truly a befuddlement of a story with a trip through all thirteen kingdoms that would make any mapmaker's head spin (thanks to Smimf! Speedy fella...)...and you know what?
I LOVED IT!
It was a befitting end to the League of Princes (that should be extended to also say "...and Princesses as well as assorted friends") tale and a story the bards would gladly sing about for eons to come...if they could that is. (NOPE! Not telling!) The tale does get lengthy but remember, we're covering A LOT of ground here and not all of us have those awesome boots that turn a trip round the world into a hop skip and jump. The good news for reluctant readers? You won't even notice the length as the pages fly by whilst battling Lord Rundark and his evil henchmen, barely escaping the bounty hunters on your trail, narrowly missing the chance to be turned into chum thanks to some mighty powerful...glowing globes? Not everything is what it seems, nor everyone...something to remember when traversing through the text.
I love how each Prince and Princess has his/her day. They all learn more about themselves and each other while working towards a common goal...well, most the time anyway. The sum up at the end allows you to see each kingdom come into its own, though whether or not their somewhat loved rulers are there to see it is another mystery all together. (Nope. NOT TELLING!) Favorite characters? Such a hard decision, but if I must narrow it down....Princess would be Ella (she's not afraid to be who she is, consequences and opinions be darned), Prince would be Frederic (even I was surprised by my choice but really, he's a lover of words, how can you go wrong!), Bounty Hunter would be...someone I can't reveal (sorry, it'd ruin it all!), non-princess would be Jerica (you'll meet her along the way), and side character would be Blink and Deedle (when I hosted my first stop to introduce them, I hadn't met them yet....they are some brave little guys and really helpity help!).
In conclusion, a grand adventure in the making for readers young and young at heart. Although it can be read as a stand alone, it's MUCH better if you've read the first two...additional back story, references that make more sense, the whole nine yards as they say. See your preconceived notions of the princes and princesses shattered. Watch as new friendships are made. Smile as realizations about their heart's true matches are revealed. Laugh at their antics. Chuckle at their reactions and lack thereof. Root for your favorites and jeer at the enemies...because really, there ARE enough of them...but be certain who is who before the jeering begins. After all, first impressions are important, but they aren't the end all to end all; sometimes the heart of gold within simply needs time to shine.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
OH...and one more thing.
WE HAVE A WINNER!
That's right!
The winner of the SIGNED COPY of this FABULOUS book is...
TAMMY S.
*the crowd goes wild*
Way to go and congratulations!
Also, I have to agree, Duncan is a bit of an oddball but one of the good guys through and through.
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Special thanks to Debbie (and the whole team!) at Walden Pond Press for the chance to participate in this FABULOUS tour....and the chance to host TWO spots along the way! (THANKS!) For more information on this title as well as the first two installments, feel free to click through the link provided in this post...and to continue the bookish fun, be sure to check out the official BOOK TRAILER as well as the other stops on the tour....
Hero's Guide to Being a Blog Tour
5/5 – Icey Books
5/8 - The Book Rat
5/12 - Word Spelunking Book Blog
5/15 - Buried in Books
5/16 - KidLit Frenzy
5/19 - Mundie Kids
5/20 - The Flashlight Reader
5/21 - Bunbury In the Stacks
5/22 - The Hiding Spot
5/23 - Novel Novice
5/26 - Mundie Kids
5/26 - This Kid Reviews Books
5/27 - This Kid Reviews Books
5/28 - Small Review
To discover more from the publisher's ever growing catalog, connect with them online via their blog, Facebook page, Pinterest presence, or capture their tweets on Twitter. This title is available now, as are the first two installments, so be on the lookout for it on a bookstore shelf near you.
Until next time...and happy reading!
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