The Secret Princess: A Retelling of The Goose Girl

Well, that was a thousand times more epic than I expected... Of course, that's typical of Melanie Cellier's books. This one blasted my expectations out of the sky. Which means it was BRILLIANT.I love "The Goose Girl" retellings so much because of 1) how uncommon they are and 2) the multitude of themes that can be explored! I mean, yes I know, there are multitudes of themes in every fairytale that's retold, but not a lot of them deal with the suddenly-humbled-down status of this fairytale (granted, the original goose girl princess was something of a disappointment in this area, but we are thankful to the fairytale authors who do a good job in making up for that). Melanie Cellier did not disappoint!First of all, let's point out the absolute likability of these characters. Giselle is one of my favorite side characters over from the Beyond the Four Kingdoms series-- she's so practical and witty and endearingly blunt, yet tactful. She feels the need to prove herself capable of having her own adventure without her sister-in-law Celine always coming in to save the day. I loved that element in this story, and I loved Giselle's overall NON-contrived humility and open-mindedness. And she had her problems too, and the best thing about her personality is that she's so unafraid to address them. WE NEED MORE HEROINES LIKE THESE.Philip was certainly an intriguing character, but I do wish he had more depth to him. That's about it...I was so, so happy to read about our dear beloved Max and Alyssa and their life as it is twelve years after their own story. That being said, I am ridiculously excited for the next book in this series because there is a high possibility that it will be set in Rangmere, which means *covers mouth to muffle my anticipation* Ahem, let's move on.One of the best things about these retellings is how utterly complex and clever these plots are. The villains' schemes and even the brilliance of our own heroes never cease to amaze me, and honestly, this one was awesome. Really awesome. I won't say any more.Before I end this review I want to add that Arvin is quite possibly the best talking animal companion no one asked for but everyone expects.(How is it that every time I review one of these books I completely lose any trace of a professional edge and start rambling like a gushy fangirl? It's embarrassing, is what it is!)SO yes, I do 100% highly recommend this series. Well actually, the two series before this one, and then this one. Thank me later.Always be a happy camper!

The Secret Princess is an excellent Goose Girl retelling. It has almost all the elements of the original story (without a certain macabre horse head element), but is placed in this wonderful world Melanie Cellier has built over two series. It was also nice to see again or at least hear about characters from those previous series. I do think picking this one up without reading the others would not be much of a problem.As the start of a new series, it didn't bog down in the setup in the beginning, either. The pacing felt just right. Even though the happy ending and other little plot elements were expected, there were enough twists and triangles to keep some guessing. It left me smiling and satisfied at the end, and looking forward to the next book.

The Secret Princess is a retelling of the underappreciated Grimm fairy tale, "The Goose Girl." It is more loyal to the original story than other adaptations I have read and provides plenty of references to Melanie Cellier's other books. Princess Giselle was introduced as a friend to Princess Celine in A Crown of Snow and Ice, but we didn't get a true feel for her personality until now. Like all of the other princesses in the Four Kingdoms books, she is intelligent, capable, and prone to falling in love. The action kicks off right at the beginning when Giselle's ship is attacked by bandits who threaten the more vulnerable princesses traveling with her. She is determined to track them down without getting captured as well, so her handmaid Sierra suggests that they switch places to hide her identity from the bandits. After Giselle agrees to the idea, Sierra appeals to the queen and king of the kingdom where they washed up and convinces them that she is the true princess while Giselle is her maid. She casts Giselle away to become Arcadia's temporary goose girl, where the forsaken princess hides under the guise of a servant and attempts to uncover the mystery of the traitor behind the raid on her ship.What makes this book stand out among earlier fairy tales in the series is the vibrant supporting cast of characters. It is the first book I've read by Melanie Cellier with a talking animal, which gives it the feel of a Disney movie. Giselle's horse, Arvin, is a magical gift from the High Palace of the Godmothers. She is the only one who can hear him speak, which is usually for the best. He adds plenty of comic relief to an otherwise dark story of betrayal and espionage. I couldn't help cracking a smile at almost everything Arvin said about how superior he was to other horses and how no one he encountered was worthy of riding him. This book is also the first in the series to introduce a love triangle, though it's pretty clear who Giselle is going to end up with. The love interests, Philip and Damon, are both strong brave men with lots of tantalizing secrets who aid Giselle when she gets attacked by the traitors who know her true identity.I loved all of the references to Melanie Cellier's other Four Kingdoms books. The throwbacks provided excellent world-building and a sense of nostalgia for the setting and characters. It takes place in the kingdom of Arcadia from her first book, The Princess Companion. Princess Alyssa and Prince Max are now twelve years older and have children of their own. It was a pleasure to see how their relationship developed over the course of time and that Alyssa is still as respectful of commoners and servants as she was when she first stayed at the castle. This works very much to Giselle's advantage when she is thrown in with the servants as a goose girl. It was great to see that Giselle and Alyssa would have been friends regardless of their station and the instant bond that Giselle formed with Alyssa's son and daughter. I also enjoyed reading about Giselle's experiences herding geese as it was a task I was previously unfamiliar with.The Secret Princess may be the best book Melanie Cellier has written yet. It combines all of the strengths of the previous Four Kingdoms books while introducing a capable new heroine and a terrific cast of characters. I loved the humor with the talking horse as well as the more serious elements. It was refreshing to return to the familiar world of Arcadia and learn about all the new adventures that took place there during the book's 12-year time gap. I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves princess stories. The Secret Princess is a wonderful introduction to a lesser-known fairy tale. The next book in the series, The Mystery Princess, is currently available for pre-order, but it will be nearly a year before its release.

It took me a little bit to get into this. Probably because I was so busy that I read the beginning in snatches.Once I had time to sit down and read, I flew through this book in an evening. I LOVED this retelling of the Goose Girl fairy tale. Especially for one part of the original fairy tale that didn't happen, and I didn't end up bawling my eyes out. Sometimes, you just want a fun, happy, adventurous story that doesn't rip your heart out, and this one definitely fit that. It will be one Goose Girl retelling I'll happily re-read!Re-Read Update: I mentioned in my original review that I would definitely re-read this book, and I just did to refresh my memory before the release of book 2 in this series. I think I liked it the second time around even better than the first time! Also, this book has now released on audiobook, so I was able to listen to it this time around! Love Esther Wayne's narration of these fairy tales!