The Princess and the Hound by Mette Ivie Harrison (♥♥♥½)Young adult fiction in a fantasy setting with a fair share of romance is something I have a special interest in. The Princess and the Hound was a book that was easily spotted to fit this description. However, more often than not in such stories, I am used to following the eyes of the female protagonist, which I enjoy because it usually means she is a complete, fleshed out character who is given her fair share of complexity and strength. Despite its title, this book is not told through the eyes of the Princess Beatrice, or her hound Marit, but rather her fiancé Prince George. What is refreshing is that the princess, such as we know her in the beginning of the book, is more than highlighted in both strength and weakness. This pleasing balance is matched in story and plot on all fronts, with Prince George and his interaction with the princess being both fumbling but utterly romantic and enchanting.
Spoiler (highlight to read): My one reservation is that while Princess Beatrice, aka the hound, is fully described in attitude and manner, when the hound becomes her true form and Marit retakes her form as a princess, she is not given the same treatment. Rather there are splatters of indications with no full light shone on Marit as a human. True we know her past through dreams but somehow this did not quite reach the level of understanding I was hoping for. Another hesitation comes from the introductory story which bordered on preaching; while I fundamentally agree with all sentiments therein, it seemed too intrusive to be enjoyable.
The Princess and the Bear by Mette Ivie Harrison (♥♥♥½)Of the three, I think this is my favorite story. Odd, because at first it did not sound interesting enough to bother reading. However, my faith in the author was concentrated after reading The Princess and the Hound, so I took this one to task as well. I am so glad that I did! Richon and Chala were more than likable as protagonists, though I thought I would be bored by them. Their romance was awkward and strange but I think no other romance would have suited them. I have never been impressed with the idea of an immortal-like being falling in love with a mortal: I feel that one who lived so long could have no interest who could not understand or comprehend such a life. Yet I found this and other premise dislikes swept away after I was caught up in the story.
I also found the plot of this story more compelling. In the first book the focus is Prince George's coming to terms with his powers both as one who possesses animal magic and as king, as well finding his way into Princess Beatrice's heart. Any excitement is left to the very last part of the book. For me, I found the adventure and challenge of The Princess and the Bear's plot more engaging. Although the character development in the first book felt more complete in terms of the narrator.
The Princess and the Snowbird by Mette Ivie Harrison (♥♥♥½)I only just finished this book. In terms of character development, particularly on the part of Liva, it was similar to The Princess and the Bear: it felt incomplete. I felt like Liva was someone I could never truly understand, much was the same for Chala, Richon and Princess Beatrice. Particularly strange since I felt like I knew Chala in the first book but in the second I wasn't sure I did anymore. Prince George and Jens were easily the most relatable characters of the series. Having hard to understand characters is realistic, particularly since some of these characters were born or had been living as an animal, but frustrating as a reader, as I want to relate to the characters.
The childhood friends/acquaintances turned lovers cliché is one of my favorites but The Princess and the Snowbird didn't quite bring it to life as I may have hoped. A few more meetings between Jens and Liva would have been nice, to give them a foundation. I feel that the previous two stories gave more in the way of romantic development. Nonetheless, this is a solid story, with a lot of a mystery, and a reader is eager to see it come to fruition.
There is another sequel which is only released as an eBook titled The Princess and the Horse which like The Princess and the Bear doesn't interest me in terms of plot summary but perhaps will catch me once I've started.
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