Princess Ben by Catherine Murdock

Princess Ben tells the life and trials of young princess Benevolence of Montague from the moment she becomes the crown princess of her country until-- well, I'm not going to spoil.
Ben has lead a normal, happy, love-filled life next to her parents Prince Walter and Princess Prudence (or Pence, as everyone calls her), she's only her uncle's heir because Queen Sophia hasn't been able to have a child. But that's not something she thinks about much. She's happy eating and basking in all the love.

Until the day her mother and uncle are brought to the castle dead and her father vanishes. Things are uncertain as Ben's forced to endure both her parents' being gone and the not so tender-mercies of her aunt Queen Sophie who's as warm as an icicle. But there is one nice thing in this whole mess... Ben discovers she has magic powers! and thus begins her secret magic education - even though she's only really good at a couple of spells.

That's only the beginning of this story that reads like and old fashioned, honest to God, fairy tale. It's fun and Ben makes one very endearing narrator. She's plump, and she knows it and doesn't really has any complex about it, and I really appreciate that.

The only part that sort of bothered me a little was the romance between Ben and Florian (Prince from the neighboring country who's forever trying to conquest Montague); they do spend some time together but the LOVE seems a bit out of no-where for me. I guess I could do with more scenes of them together, though I liked them both.

Not my favorite Catherine Murdock book - that would be The Off Season - but it's a good book

Grade:
3/4