What I've Read This Week

What I've Read This Week . . .

The Dragon Princess by E.D. Baker -- Middle Grades Fantasy
This installment of The Tales of the Frog Princess continues the story of Emma and Eadric fifteen years after we last saw them. This time, the unconventional heroine is their daughter, Millie. At 15, is a typical teen, she loves hanging out with her friends and believing her parents don't understand her. She is desperate to find a husband but keeps scaring off her suitors due to the unfortunate tendency to turn into a dragon whenever she loses her temper! When Millie does the unthinkable and shows her true self to her magic-hating paternal grandparents, Millie is advised by the witch Mundine to seek out the Blue Witch for advice on how to control herself. While her parents are preoccupied fighting sea monsters, Millie sets off on a journey to the icy mountains of the far north accompanied by her wannabe knight cousin Francis and her best friend Zoe, the vampire as well as a two-headed troll. Their adventure takes them to the top of a frozen mountain where they are attacked by an army of snowmen. Millie needs to use her strength and skills to help save herself and her friends and learn how to harness her inner dragon. This is a light, fun adventure but not as charming as some of the earlier books in the series. The ending was somewhat unfulfilling but I know there's another volume on the way soon. I most enjoyed learning what happened to the characters from the previous books in the series and seeing how their children are following in their footsteps while trying to maintain their own identities.

Hidden Voices: The Orphan Musicians of Venice by Pat Lowery Collins -- YA Historical Fiction

In early 18th century Venice, the three narrators belong to the Ospedale della Pietà, an orphanage which trains girls with extraordinary musical talent. Growing up in the Ospedale della Pietà often feels like a prison for pretty Rosalba, who dreams of love. Anetta is happiest caring for the babies in the nursery. Lucia longs for the love of her mother, a courtesan. The three girls look after each other and stand up for one another in the rigid orphanage/school environment. Anetta especially worries about Lucia and feels an overwhelming need to have Lucia by her side to protect her. Rosalba is rebellious and schemes to leave the confinement of the Pietà and find her mythical dream lover which eventually leads to trouble. Anetta struggles with her feelings for Lucia when Lucia is struck by a terrible illness and sent away to recover. Through it all the friends strive to achieve the very best in their musical professions, helped by the kindly, but absent-minded Father Vivaldi. This is a coming-of-age teen novel set against the backdrop of Venice. The vivid descriptions of the city are wonderful as well as the details of the music school and life at the Ospedale della Pietà. While the historical details are wonderful, I found the story somewhat difficult to read. It was hard to keep track of the different narrators because they all sounded the same to me. They were naive and whiny and self-entitled, typical teenagers, I suppose, but I expected more about their music and schooling and thought Vivaldi would be a greater presence in the novel. Instead, the plot seems unrealistic and overly full of difficult issues which are more common in novels set during the present day. The drama overpowered the story of the three girls coming-of-age in this music school in 18th-century Venice. This book could easily end up being challenged in some schools for the mature content. The book should come with a CD so the reader can listen to the magnificent Vivaldi compositions mentioned in the novel.

A Man of Her Own Choosing by Nina Pykare -- Regency Romance
Linnet Hungerford and her beautiful, beloved sister Fanny have been left orphaned with very little money under the infrequent care of a guardian who reminds them to live "abstemiously." Linnet is happy in the country raising horses but believes Fanny should be taken to London for a Season to find a wealthy husband. When Linnet, disguised as a stable boy, rescues the handsome Lord Henry from a carriage accident, she quickly realizes that he could be the one for Fanny and brings him home to meet the Hungerford sisters. Stephen discovers Linnet was the stable boy and expresses his disapproval of Linnet's behavior and Linnet soon realizes that the high-handed Stephen is not the right man for Fanny. Stephen manages to make the sisters feel at ease and promises to persuade their guardian to bring them to London. He quickly makes good on his promise and the sisters come to London and find that their guardian, Stephen's uncle has passed away and Stephen has inherited the guardianship of the Hungerford sisters! He insists that Linnet make her come out along with Fanny and when Linnet disagrees, he threatens to withdraw his sponsorship of Fanny. Forced into accepting a Season, Linnet still finds all the men dead bores except for Stephen's best friend whom Linnet thinks will make an excellent husband. Stephen seems to disagree with Linnet's assessment because the two are continually coming to cuffs and Stephen seems determined that each of the sisters will marry a man of her own choosing. The happy ending arrives fairly smoothly without much romance or drama. Linnet spends much of the book putting herself down and crying, which make me want to strangle her when I would otherwise like her and empathize with her feelings about the Season. Stephen has a hot temper and can be controlling and manipulative and I fail to see how that makes for a good relationship. I was also bothered by the serious breaches in correct behavior in the first chapter, some which were not deliberate. This is a fairly tame Regency without much plot or original characterization. Skip this one if you're looking for another Georgette Heyer.

The Sealed Knot by Elizabeth Law -- Traditional Regency
The heroine of this novel, Sparrow Harvey, is a young woman who knows her own mind and has been brought up to ignore conventions. When Sparrow first encounters the hero, Simon Adair, he is accosting a young urchin to whom Sparrow has just dropped a wrapped parcel. Needless to say, it sets Simon and Sparrow off on a path of banter and bickering over each others' behavior. When Sparrow's father breaks his leg trying to ride an untamed stallion, Sparrow learns that this incident is only the latest in a series of bad luck and she is determined to find employment to help pay their creditors. Sparrow first thinks she'll earn her living as a temporary governess, but has difficulty finding a position that would meet her terms. Then Sparrow comes across a young woman in distress; Marie Sinclair has lost her lover - literally! Adam Stuart left Marie to visit his great-uncle in Scotland and hasn't been heard from since. Marie hires Sparrow to go undercover to Scotland and find Adam. Sparrow lies to her family and to Simon about her real reasons for going to Scotland and heads off to the wild moors and is taken in as a companion for Lady Agnes Stuart. Sparrow uncovers some terrible family history and tries to figure out who Marie's Adam is and how the handsome, flirtatious young tutor Charles Roe fits in. Soon she discovers a plot that extends beyond a mere romance and threatens the monarchy. Sparrow must decide what to do about it and figure out if she can trust Simon, who has unexpectedly turned up in Scotland on the arm of a beautiful woman. The intrigue plot is a bit complicated for an American who doesn't know much about Scottish history. A sharp reader could probably figure out the mystery but that doesn't take away from the amazing descriptions and witty banter. I loved the dialogues between Simon and Sparrow but as in most traditional Regencies, the romance is rather light. The back jacket indicates that this was to be the first in a series featuring Sparrow and Simon which could explain the lack of conclusion in their relationship. Unfortunately, I can not find evidence that the author wrote more books about Sparrow and Simon which is a pity because I enjoyed their witty back and forth banter. This is a great read for those who love the traditional plots and for those who like witty dialogue.