The Two Princesses of Bamarre

Rating: 5/5

Author: Gail Carson Levine

Pages: 241 (2001 hardcover edition)

Genre: Children’s/Young Adult Fantasy

 Age Level: 8-12

The Two Princesses of Bamarre tells the story of, well, two princesses of Bamarre… Go figure. Meryl and Addie couldn’t be more different. Meryl is full of life and courage and wants nothing more than to set out on magnificent adventures just like Drualt of old, Bamarre’s greatest hero. Addie, on the other hand, is much more timid, and is very content living life at home with her sister. She’s confident that as long as she has Meryl to take care of her, she’ll always be safe (even from things as dreadful as spiders!).

But there’s one thing that even Addie’s spirited sister cannot conquer. The Gray Death is a sickness that plagues the citizens of Bamarre. Once someone begins showing symptoms, they have a matter of days before they die. The pattern is always the same—weakness, the deep sleep, three days of terrible fever, and death. You cannot avoid it if it chooses you, and there is no cure.

When Meryl is diagnosed with the Gray Death, all seems lost. At first, Addie believes her sister is strong enough to be the first to beat the disease, but even she soon admits that there’s nothing she can do but watch her sister and dearest friend slip away.

No! That won’t do at all! For Addie there’s no other choice than to embark on the most terrifying adventure of her life. Surely facing ogres, gryphons, and even dragons is a small price to pay if it means finding the cure and saving Meryl. But what if Addie can’t make it back in time?

My Reaction:

I first read this book some years ago now. It was a book from my mother, and I remember really enjoying it. Recently I’ve been rereading many of my books, and I really wanted to give this one another go. It was just as enjoyable as I remembered.

I came across the question from an interested reader, “Is this book too childish and predictable?” My answer is, "Absolutely not!" Although there are similar elements found in other stories, Levine has crafted a unique story with great characters. This is the sort of book that can be enjoyed by readers of all ages. I’ve read books that feel childish, and this is not one of them. It sucked me right in especially at the climax!

Things I love about this book are the fairy tale qualities to it (I love a good fairy tale!) and the way the characters learn and grow. This book is loaded with adventure and has a bit of an unexpected ending. I would recommend this book to anyone.

Reader Guidance:

This is a section I’ve decided to add so you can be aware if there’s anything in the books I review that you might not be comfortable with. I know I’m sensitive about certain things in books, and I know there are people who are more sensitive than me.

For me, this book has nothing to be concerned about. There’s no language or anything like that. Because Addie is going on this grand adventure, facing all sorts of creatures, there are a couple of moments that involve using a sword against said creatures and there is mention of a wound to a specific creature (trying to avoid spoilers here!) bleeding, but nothing major. There isn’t vast detail that may be gross or disturbing.

Similar Books:

Gail Carson Levine won the Newbery Honor Award for her first book “Ella Enchanted” (It took her nine years for someone to publish it by the way). I would highly recommend “Ella Enchanted,” and I would advise that you shouldn’t judge the book by the movie…They are very different. Levine has written a bunch of books that have the same sense of fairy tale and adventure. Any of them are worth a read.

I also just learned that Levine has only recently published a new book that takes place in Bamarre! I don’t know about you, but I’m going to check it out! The book is called, “The Lost Kingdom of Bamarre.”

Next Book:

The next book I’ll be reviewing is “Sheer Power: Crossing Paths” by Vye Brante.

Please leave a comment! Tell me what you think about “The Two Princesses of Bamarre.” And please leave me recommendations for books to read!