The Golden Princess and the Moon (Angelico Press)

Fairy tales are some of the most timeless and important stories of a culture. They get passed down from generation to generation, can impart wisdom/lessons, and can even find their way into other cultures. It's a big reason the Brothers Grimm, Hans Christian Andersen, and others still survive to this day. Sleeping Beauty is one of the more well known fairy tales as both the Brothers Grimm and Charles Perrault re-told this story, which actually had its origins in the 14th Century. It has since been told and re-told in popular media, most notably by Walt Disney. Recently, Angelico Press released a re-telling of this story entitled The Golden Princess and the Moon.

The book begins with a young Prince Erik crying in the woods, An old woman, named Ninny Nanny, hears him and offers give him something to eat and a place to rest. He is wary at first because he has heard that she is a witch. However, he relents to her offer after she informs him that she knew his deceased mother. Prince Erik's mother believed in magic and the old world. However, his father, the king, tried to stamp out anything magical in his land. When he goes back to Ninny Nanny's cottage, he rests for a while and has a dream about a princess. Her name is Rosa. She is a mere child and a spoiled brat at that. Prince Erik was disgusted with her but Ninny Nanny warned him that he must allow children time to grow up and mature. The rest of the book then focuses on this three characters, their maturation, their struggles, and their identities. I want to tell you more, but I don't want to spoil the book either.

It is no secret that I am not a fiction fan. For that reason, if I request to review a fiction book, I must truly believe that the book is very special or has enormous potential. This book has both. The author, Anna Maria Mendell, has an evocative writing style that draws the reader in. Her imagery and character development give us fleshed out characters, which creates a richer story as opposed to a two-dimensional plot with a predictable ending. She also steeped this story in religious symbolism without beating the reader over the head with it. Her use of faeries and magic made this book have a classic feel, but with a fresh coat of paint. I look forward to what else this author has to offer in the future and hope she decides to tackle other fairy tales with the same depth and beauty as she did this one.

This book was provided to me for free by Angelico Press in exchange for an honest review. If you found this review helpful, please click here and hit Yes!