Everyone has heard of Prince Charming. But did you know that Prince Charming isn’t just one guy. True story: There are four Princes Charming. And those dumb bards never even bothered to get their names right in their songs.
Sure, Frederic didn’t do much beyond dancing quite well with a girl named Ella at a ball. And maybe Gustav didn’t come off all that well after his attempted rescue of Rapunzel since she actually had to save him. But Liam is a hero through and through; he had to fight to overcome a lot of obstacles to rescue Briar Rose. Even if his kingdom might not appreciate it. Then there’s Duncan. Maybe he was really just in the right place at the right time with seven dwarves to tell him what to do, but sometimes that is all it takes to save the day and get the girl.
Despite their heroics–or at least their important roles–each prince is relegated to the anonymous title of “Prince Charming” when their deeds are immortalized in song. Worse, the princes might not be so charming as each and everyone of them loses their princess.
Jilted and disgraced, each prince sets off in search of redemption. Along the way they stumble upon each other and an evil plot that will need all four Princes Charming (and some help from some other familiar characters) to foil.
At the beginning of the story these four princes don’t have much in common. Before the story is over Frederic, Liam, Gustav and Duncan might finally become the heroes they were meant to be in The Hero’s Guide to Saving Your Kingdom (2012) by Christopher Healy (with illustrations by Todd Harris).
The Hero’s Guide to Saving Your Kingdom is Healy’s first novel.
With a breezy, humorous narrative Healy creates a quirky take on a lot of traditional fairy tales. Healy recreates these heroes, heroines, and villains in a fresh style all his own. Readers familiar with the original texts will find a lot of funny new touches while others will be introduced to the fairy tales in a fun new tale.
While some of the changes to these stories have the potential to frustrate readers* most of them amp up the opportunities for hilarity and action–sometimes at the same time. Because of the silliness the characters sometimes read as younger than they actually are, but with so much humor that’s easily ignored. Filled with adventure, The Hero’s Guide to Saving Your Kingdom is also a truly funny story sure to entertain readers from start to finish.
Although the ending is rushed in some aspects (perhaps to leave room for a sequel?), the overall journey of each prince is a sight to behold. As Frederic, Liam, Gustav and Duncan each conquers their own shortcomings these unlikely heroes also discover the importance of good friends and that it takes a lot more than fancy swordplay to really be a hero. The Hero’s Guide to Saving Your Kingdom is an ideal choice for readers who like their fairy tales fractured, their stories amusing, and their adventures entertaining.
*By readers, I mean me. It took me most of the story to get over Healy’s reinvention of the tale of Sleeping Beauty. Before getting into slight SPOILERS explaining my frustration let me also point out that I literally watched the movieSleeping Beautyevery day for at least a year when I was little. My mother was terrified the tape would break. So, I am understandably very invested in these characters. That said, I was dismayed that Sleeping Beauty’s prince was named Liam instead of Philip. Worse, Briar Rose is a truly horrible person. While I greatly enjoyed Gustav and Rapunzel’s updated storyline it was very hard to let Sleeping Beauty go.
Possible Pairings: The Fairy Tale Detectives by Michael Buckley, Journey Across the Hidden Islands by Sarah Beth Durst, Just Ella by Margaret Peterson Haddix, Rapunzel’s Revenge by Shannon Hale and Dean Hale and Nathan Hale, Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine, We Are Not Eaten by Yaks by C. Alexander London, Don’t Expect Magic by Kathy McCullough, The Accidental Highwayman by Ben Tripp, The Rumpelstiltskin Problem by Vivian Vande Velde, Dealing with Dragons by Patricia C. Wrede
Miss Print 