Estimated Reading Time 1 Minutes
Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Childrens; New edition (July 25, 2017)
Paperback : 432 pages
ISBN: 978-1681193168
Thoughts: This book is a complete delight. It’s a modern fairy tale and I fell in love with the main character Ani right away. You get all of the nostalgic feelings you expect but the story is still engaging and full of adventure.
Favorite Quote: Right now I’d like all my troubles to stand in front of me in a straight line, and one by one I’d give each a black eye.
First sentence: She was born Anidori-Kiladra Talianna Isilee, Crown Princess of Kildenree, and she did not open her eyes for three days.
Summary from Amazon.com:
In this beloved first book in the Books of Bayern, from New York Times bestselling author Shannon Hale, Princess Ani must become a goose girl before she can become queen.
Anidori-Kiladra Talianna Isilee, Crown Princess of Kildenree, spends the first years of her life listening to her aunt’s stories and learning the language of the birds, especially the swans. As she grows up, Ani develops the skills of animal speech, but she never feels quite comfortable speaking with people.
So when Ani’s mother sends her away to be married in a foreign land, she finds herself at the mercy of her silver-tongued lady in waiting, who leads a mutiny that leaves her alone, destitute, and fleeing for her life. To survive, Ani takes on work as a royal goose girl, hiding in plain sight while she develops her forbidden talents and works to discover her own true, powerful voice.
The first book in master storyteller Shannon Hale’s beloved Books of Bayern series is equal parts fantastical and romantic, with an unforgettable protagonist to root for at its center.
