Princess:

Light and Shadow Beginnings

By Katrina J. Daroff (Indie author, 2023)

Pages: 366 (Print)

Via: Library

Genre: Fiction/Romance/Dark Fantasy/Coming of Age

Mom’s a sucker. I know. This isn’t exactly news. If you’ve been reading along with us for any length of time, you know that Her Royal Momness is a sucker for pretty much any well-written ‘dog book.’ (Because, hey! Me!) Also horse stories. Good, solid action/adventure/outdoor-ish tomes. Historical fiction. Legal/crime thrillers. Children’s and YA books. Faith-flavored titles that aren’t preachy. Ghirardelli chocolate…

But didya know that Mom’s also a sucker for ‘lost books’? Well, she is.

Lost

Like the other day when we were visiting The Book Place. (I have to wait outside. Something about ‘service dogs only.’ So annoying.) Anywho, Mom’s cruising along the shelves and comes to a sign that says:

Use You Library Card to Grab These Never-Before Checked Out Books

Well, Who can resist that?

So this book was parked beneath the sign. That’s how it wound up in Mom’s book bag. You know. The one that’s the size of Alaska. Needs a team of sled dogs to help haul it home…

Found

Wait. Where was I? Oh yeah. Lost books. Anyway, we got this book home. And started reading. Here’s what we found:

The Basics:

“No harm can come to any resident of the palace so long as the roses bloom.”

Catiya “Cat” is a princess of Volentia. Is she also “the daughter of the prophecy” relentlessly hunted by the Darkness? If Cat inherits her mother’s magic when Cat turns sixteen, she will become heir to a throne. And there are those who’ll stop at nothing to make sure that never happens.

But nobody told Cat that. 

When shadow assassins start infiltrating the palace and targeting Cat, everything about her carefully constructed world comes crumbling down around her. The people she loves most are keeping secrets from her, including who she really is.

Meanwhile, magic has been extinct for hundreds of years. Thomas knows this to be true. Or, he thought it was true until he starts having visions of a girl and a danger lurking in the shadows. He knows she needs his help. But he needs to find her first (think Prince Charming in search of Cinderella. Only without the ashes. Or the shoe.) Perhaps the world has more magic than Thomas ever believed possible.

Meanwhile again, the Darkness, “a creature of nightmares,” is stalking Cat. (Think the Shadow in Cornelia Funke’s Inkheart.) 

Steeped in myth, legend, damp caves, exile, intrigue, treachery, magic and murder, Princess also swims in family secrets. And what’s up with Captain Roderick? Is he friend or foe? There’s also a spy in the Volentian palace. But who? And why?

Analysis

This is a fun read with lots of potential. The author’s world-building skills are impressive. Characters often sparkle and shine like morning dew on a rose bush. The characters of Cat, her older brother Prince Ryder, and Cat’s lady-in-waiting, Emma, are especially well done. Full of flavor. Attention to details regarding speech, dress, hair, and food is excellent. Descriptions of settings and personalities are rich and robust. The story itself is fresh and nimble and represents a clever blend of romance, fantasy, and magic. 

But…

This novel is not quite ready for prime time in its present form. It’s a solid effort for a first-time author. But it’s also painfully obvious that this first-time author lacked a professional editor. The text has multiple, repeated errors and typos, so much so that they detract from the overall read. A few examples:

• P. 49: “make the duke call of the marriage…”
• P. 52: “Her mother had been a prisoner in for almost a month now.”
• p. 91: “Glad her was with her.”
• P. 116: “She felt like she everything she knew…”
• P. 130: “Girls gathered around the scatted tables…”

“Heal” is used when the clear intent of the passage is “heel.” And on and on. It’s kinda cringeworthy. Amateurish. And like we said, not quite ready for prime time. 

We would’ve also liked to have seen cover art that’s more vibrant. Ditto the “no harm can come to residents of the palace as long as the roses bloom” angle played up a little more. It doesn’t really go anywhere, despite the potential for some interesting story arcs.

Overlong

Although intricate and quite strong in places, the plot feels overlong and starts to drag elsewhere. In other places, it’s just too pat. Like Lady Fara’s sudden, miraculous transformation from ruthless, manipulative spider to a penitent teddy bear. Overnight. Wait. What?

Better

So although this story has good potential and is a pretty solid read overall, it would be even better with some more polish and elbow grease. We would’ve scored it higher but the issues noted above preclude same.

We look forward to reading sequels if they receive professional attention. Now back to the Sucker Shelf…

Our Rating: 3.0