Ogre Enchanted

Title: Ogre Enchanted

Rating: 4/5

Author: Gail Carson Levine

Pages: 352

Genre: Young Adult/Fantasy

Synopsis:

If you’re familiar with the story of Ella Enchanted, then you know that some interactions with fairies are more trouble than they’re worth, especially if that fairy is Lucinda.

Well, Lucinda makes another appearance in this story to ruin someone else’s life. This time, she isn’t blessing someone with the gift of obedience. Instead, she curses a young healer named Evie, turning her into an ogre, all because she turned down a marriage proposal! Now Evie only has a limited amount of time to break the curse, and there’s only one way to do that. Someone must propose to her and she must accept—not the easiest task for a smelly ogre who finds it very tempting to eat a human being despite the fact that she used to be one.

Set in the same world as Levine’s award winning Ella Enchanted, this book is a good stand alone story reminiscent of the classic tale of Beauty and the Beast.

My Reaction:

I’m pretty sure I said it before, but I’ll say it again—I always enjoy a good Gail Carson Levine book. This story is such a great addition to her collection of books. If you know someone who is a fan of fairytale type stories, just buy them a ton of Levine’s books.

What’s great about Levine’s stories is that even if they have similarities to stories we’re familiar with they’re so uniquely their own. They are original with great characters. I had a fair idea of how the story would end after only a few pages, but really just one main plot point. Everything surrounding it and leading up to it wasn’t entirely predictable.

Evie is a strong, courageous character that learns a lot in the process of her journey. Sometimes people, or ogres, aren’t all that they seem. Maybe we can lift the lives of others even if our own circumstances are less than favorable.

Ogre Enchanted is a great read especially if you’re already a fan of Levine’s books.

Reader’s Guidance:

Well, there is a part where Evie kills a band of ogres and their heads are later left on display outside of a city. That’s probably the most violent event in the story.

Similar Books:

Ella Enchanted or anything else by Gail Carson Levine

Books by Cameron Dokey—she’s done a good handful of fairytale retellings

Books by Liesl Shurtliff like Rump

Epilogue:

I hope you all are enjoying this holiday season. I know I've been enjoying some good baking. We made up some goodies to take to some of our neighbors, and of course we saved a few for ourselves. So, basically a sugar cookie has been part of my dinner every night this week. And they are delicious! Also, some are in nerdy shapes like Yoda and Mickey Mouse. We couldn't help ourselves. I'm a bit of a cookie cutter fanatic, so we had a good amount to choose from besides the traditional Christmas shapes.

I also tried a couple things I've never done before like fudge (super easy by the way) and Mexican wedding cookies. Nom nom nom! I love baking! What are you guys enjoying as part of your Christmas celebrations? What are some cool traditions you have? I should start a book related tradition. It seems fitting especially when I know that there are some book traditions out there for this time of year. 

It's hard to believe that 2018 is almost over! Stay tuned for a post on my top picks out of the books I read this year!

My attempts to make a storm trooper cookie.

The Lost Kingdom of Bamarre

Title: The Lost Kingdom of Bamarre

Rating: 4/5

Author: Gail Carson Levine

Pages: 385

Genre: Children’s Fantasy

Synopsis:

Peregrine has always strived to make her parents proud by being the best Lakti she can be. She trains hard, is one of the fastest runners around, and is full of bravery—the complete opposite of the Bamarre servants in the castle who everyone knows are weak and cowardly. But there’s only one problem with all of her efforts—Peregrine isn’t a Lakti but a Bamarre. With this new knowledge, Peregrine has a difficult choice to make—she can keep it all a secret and let things continue as normal, or she can complete a daunting task given to her by the fairy Halina to free her people from oppression.

My Reaction:

If you’ve ever read and enjoyed any other of Gail Carson’s Levine’s books, you’ll enjoy this one as well. If you haven’t read anything by Gail Carson Levine, you should!

On the back cover, the book is described as “a compelling and thought-provoking fantasy,” and I think I have to agree with that statement. It’s thought provoking in that it deals a lot with prejudice and overcoming certain mindsets. I kept thinking as I read this story that this is such a good book for some of the things you can see in the world right now.

Peregrine is an amazing heroine. She’s strong, bold, speaks her mind, can get herself out of tricky situations, but it takes a major eye opening moment—the revelation that she’s actually a Bamarre and not a Lakti—for her to recognize her own prejudice and the prejudices of others. What gives this story a bit of a heart-wrenching element is that she also has to come face to face with the mindsets and prejudices of her own parents, both adopted and biological. The stark contrast between her adoptive father’s reactions versus her adoptive mother’s reactions are fascinating in that we can see two possible outcomes from people with similar backgrounds and beliefs. Through her parents we can see two sides of the coin—the ill effects of prejudice versus the benefits of overcoming prejudice.

The other thing that is so great about Peregrine is that even she has her weaknesses to overcome. She gains wisdom through her experiences and can then be hugely influential in aiding an oppressed people.

Reader’s Guidance:

There are elements of war and oppression in this story. There are a couple of deaths mentioned, mostly by way of stabbing. There’s some slapping of inferiors that happens. There’s also one scene where a man is flogged.

Similar Books:

The Two Princesses of Bamarre by Gail Carson Levine

Goose Girl by Shannon Hale

Next Book:

One book I’ve been meaning to read for awhile now is Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery. I know some people who are a fan of the TV miniseries from the 80’s. I’ve never seen it myself, but it’s gotten me interested in the story itself. I know there’s quite a few books in the series, but for now we’ll just worry about book one.

Happy reading!

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!