Princess Ben

“My gown suited me as well as I could ever hope, though I could not but envy the young ladies who would attract the honest compliments of the night. My bodice did not plunge as dramatically as some, and no man — no man I would ever want to meet, surely — could fit his hands round my waist. What I lacked in beauty I would simply have to earn with charm...”

With her parents lost to assassins, Princess Ben ends up under the thumb of the conniving Queen Sophia. Starved and miserable, locked in the castle’s highest tower, Ben stumbles upon a mysterious enchanted room. So begins her secret education in the magical arts: mastering an obstinate flying broomstick, furtively emptying the castle pantries, setting her hair on fire...
But Ben’s private adventures are soon overwhelmed by a mortal threat to her kingdom.
Can Ben save the country and herself from foul tyranny?

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Beth says 4 Stars...
I really had a good time while reading this book. It was fun, despite its seriousness at times. The basic plot wasn't that original, but there were moments of true uniqueness in the minor plot points. What made this book good was the writing. It was funny and felt realistic. Nothing felt contrived, even when witchcraft started to pop up. The book was infused with humor, and this really allowed me to stay engaged for the entire time. Ben was an interesting character. At times I was ready to reach through the pages and strangle her, but that's a good thing in a way. She appeared to be a real person, but at the beginning is so immature. Despite my thoughts of killing a fictional character, Ben definitely grew up over the course of the book. That was really interesting to see, because her character development was very subtle. You didn't really realize that she was changing until it was as obvious as a club over the head. This was really Ben's book, and so the supporting characters were just that, supporting. They added to the story, but never upstaged Ben. I thought that this was an enjoyable read perfect for lovers of light fantasy.