Book Review: The Hero's Guide to Being an Outlaw by Christopher Healy + Giveaway (US)

Release Date: April 29, 2014
Publisher: Walden Pond Press 
Pages: 516
Received: ARC from publisher
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars, Special Shelf

Crossing my fingers

After being burned by so many disappointing series enders, I was starting to fear even Christopher Healy would let me down. Thankfully, The Hero's Guide to Being an Outlaw delivered and I got (almost) everything I wanted.

I read a little bit each night, trying to spread it out over the longest possible amount of time. But that didn't work very well. Mostly I just went to sleep later than I intended each night. But happy, because this book is a downright joy to read. 

For those who haven't started the series yet

You have no more excuses. The final book is out, it's fantastic, and the entire series is well worth reading. Also, you need to read these books in order.

Here's what you can expect:

• Humor! Nearly every sentence is funny. Seriously.
• Memorable characters. Not just the main characters, or even the secondary characters. EVERYONE. If someone is present, they're memorable.
• Conversations with fellow readers that go something like, "And that scene?! Gah, too funny!" "But wait, that OTHER scene! Even better!" "And what about when they..."
• Don't even try to engage in a "Who is your favorite character" conversation unless you have a few days to spare, comfortable seating arrangements, and snacks. This could take a while.
• Totally fractured fairy tales
• Sweet romances
• Disaster, mayhem, and unexpected consequences
• Adventure
• Non-stop action. Sure they're long books, but they're easy to fly through. Also, there's pictures. 
• Camaraderie and relationships that are totally aw-inducing
• Grudges, feuds, magical objects, and tongue twisters
• Puns

Also, there's my reviews for The Hero's Guide to Saving Your Kingdom (book 1) and The Hero's Guide to Storming the Castle (book 2). 

For those who have started the series

Here's what you can expect: 

• A resolution to the romance questions (I'm almost 100% on board. There is one romantic pair I wish was handled differently)
• Appearances made by every single character ever from the previous books
• New characters, including a genie (wishes!!) and a cadre of colorful bounty hunters
• Pirates and high seas adventuring (also, marooning)
• A questionably-stylish hat
• Quests, chases, escapades, and escapes
• Coup d'etats, battle, torture, and rousing speeches in every kingdom
• Bards

Bottom line

Basically:

• Christopher Healy is an auto-buy author and his books are a must-have staple in any library
• I need to find a way to bribe, convince, cajole or otherwise make him write more books in this series because I'm so not ready for this to be over
• I don't even have words to explain how much I loved the end of the Stumpy Boarhound scene. And the bard scene. And the...
• Franchise this. I'm talking movies, action figures, sticker books, theme parks. Let's make it happen.

Explanation of rating system: Star Rating Key 



Info for the giveaway:

• What you can win: An autographed (!) hardcover of The Hero's Guide to Being an Outlaw by Christopher Healy
• As always, you do NOT have to be a follower
• This giveaway is US only
• You must be 13 years of age or older
• One entry per person
• I will contact the winner through email and the winner will have 24 hours to reply before a new winner is chosen 
• This giveaway closes on June 14th  

Click here to enter the giveaway!

Do you have any questions about The Hero's Guide to Being an Outlaw that I haven't addressed?
Feel free to ask in the comments!

Looking for another book like this?

You might like:

 Click on the pictures to go to my reviews.

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Book Review: The Hero's Guide to Storming the Castle by Christopher Healy

The Hero's Guide to Storming the Castle by Christopher Healy
#2 in the League of Princes series
Release Date: April 30, 2013
Publisher: Walden Pond Press
Pages: 496
Received: ARC from publisher
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars, Special Shelf

This is a review for a sequel, but there really aren't any spoilers here.

BUT, if you're still worried, you can read my review of the first book instead.

Summary

From Goodreads:

Prince Liam. Prince Frederic. Prince Duncan. Prince Gustav. You remember them, don't you? They're the Princes Charming who finally got some credit after they stepped out of the shadows of their princesses - Cinderella, Rapunzel, Snow White, and Briar Rose - to defeat an evil witch bent on destroying all their kingdoms.

But alas, such fame and recognition only last so long. And when the princes discover that an object of great power might fall into any number of wrong hands, they are going to have to once again band together to stop it from happening - even if no one will ever know it was they who did it.

Review

Is it as good as the first?

Look, the first book left some pretty big shoes to fill. I had every confidence that Christopher Healy wouldn't let me down, but I'll be honest, I was a little worried. It's not that I had any real reason to worry. It's just that, well, when a book is SO good, it's kinda hard for a sequel to live up to that.

But don't worry, because The Hero's Guide to Storming the Castle totally lives up to all my internal hype. I keep almost wanting to say it's better than the first book, but then I remember how awesome the first book was and I think no, no, it can't be better (but maybe it is a little better. Or, no, ahm...agh I'm not good with ranking things.)

So, yeah, I'm going to go with: Yes, it is definitely as good as the first.

(and maybe even a little better.)

Are all my favorite characters back?

YES! Plus a few new ones who are now also favorites.

And not only are they back, but they're just as great as they were in the first book. Maybe better, since there's all sorts of character growth going on.

Well, Liam is a little less great than the first book but that's because he's doing hero-soul-searching and you know me and issues. I just wanted him to be quiet, put on his cape, and get down to the mission. Still, he's not that bad.

But his sister Lila? SHE was beyond awesome. Talk about a plucky, intrepid character! She also has a non-romantic relationship developing with another character that made me want to go around hugging puppies every time it came up. It's absolutely wonderful.

Also, it has great spinoff fodder (hint, hint, Mr. Healy...)

Then there's Briar, who was annoying in the first book (in a good way) but is downright BAD in the second book. She's fantastic! She totally revels in her villainous ways but I can't help wanting to invite her to a sleepover party anyway. One thing is for sure, we would definitely have fun. And pageantry (which is a plus, I think).

Her total hate-turned love flirting with Gustav is also a blast to read. They're two characters who are funny and great on their own, but enhance the second they're put together. But don't think romance is a big thing. It's there for sure, and the hints from the first book at switching up the couples are developed more (YAY!) but romance still takes a back seat to the humorous action.

I also have to note how Frederic never failed to make me laugh out loud. I'm a sucker for a good pun, and the way Frederic congratulates the other characters for their unintentional puns just about made my day. While it's insanely hard to pick a single favorite character among all the awesome characters in this book, I think Frederic may just be my favoritest favorite.

Four hundred ninety six pages is a LONG book

And I don't do well with long books. It's just, all those pages! Long books leave a lot of room for boring stuff, and I really don't like reading about boring stuff.

Thankfully, Christopher Healy doesn't write about boring stuff (and if he did, I guarantee he'd find a way to write it funny). The plot is peppered with all sorts of things like questing, mystery solving, battling, sneaking in castles, taking over kingdoms, plotting, scheming, and a bank-heist-type escapade to steal a sword (the presence of swords adds auto points).

Plus, more.

Every bit is super, laugh-out-loud funny. I'm not really big on quoting things, but The Hero's Guide to Storming the Castle makes me want to start quoting. I might have annoyed my husband (!!) once or twice or ten or so times reading bits out loud or just shoving the book at him and telling him to read the page I had open. It's that quotable.

Do you have to read the first book? Or the third?

I can't imagine why anyone wouldn't want to read the first or third books, but, yes, The Hero's Guide to Storming the Castle can be read pretty well as a standalone.

As for the first book, their adventures are referenced for sure, but it's pretty easy to get the gist of what happened without totally spoiling book one or leaving the reader lost in book two. So if you only have book two in your hands, go ahead and start reading. Just make sure to track down book one later on (because it's so worth it).  

And as for book three, there is definite Set Up going on at the end (villains cackling, heroes regrouping, travel plans established) but no one is left in peril or anything like that. So if you're worried about not starting the series until the third book is published and the series is complete, don't be. I'm a total proponent of that approach, but in this case I don't think it's necessary at all. Jump in.

Bottom line

Christopher Healy was an auto-buy author after The Hero's Guide to Saving Your Kingdom and he's still solidly an auto-buy author. I can't stop raving about this fantastic series and book-pushering it on everyone I know.

Explanation of rating system: Star Rating Key 

Do you have any questions about The Hero's Guide to Storming the Castle that I haven't addressed? 
Feel free to ask in the comments!

Looking for another book like this?

You might like:

 Click on the pictures to go to my reviews.

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Hero's Guide Blog Tour and Giveaway

 

Please Welcome Frank!

You know Snow White's dwarfs? Well, Frank is one of them.

(Yeah, I know, you're probably wondering why he isn't named some random adjective, but there's an explanation for that in The Hero's Guide to Storming the Castle).

Occupation: Expert (at whatever you need done)
Affiliation: Sylvarian Dwarves
Kingdom of Origin: Sylvaria
Current Residence: A hovel in the Sylvarian forest just outside the Woodland Estate that once belonged to him and his fellow dwarfs.
Other Known Dwarfs: Flik, Frak, Frid, Ferd, Flup, Fork
Longtime Foe: Duncan (a.k.a., Dumb-can, Dunce-man, the Idiot Prince)
Likes: Snow White, backpacks, pluralizing with a V
Dislikes: Strangers who ask questions, historical re-enactments, humans who squat to talk to him
Signature Move: The Whipping Pinwheel Ax-Spin
Quote: “Why are you still talking to me?”
Little Known Fact: People assume that Frank is the leader of the Sylvarian dwarfs, as he is the one who most frequently communicates with humans. In reality, he is the lowest ranked. Because Sylvarian dwarfs hate communicating with humans.

A bit about the series:

Prince Liam. Prince Frederic. Prince Duncan. Prince Gustav. You’ve never heard of them, have you? These are the princes who saved Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella, Snow White, and Rapunzel, respectively, and yet, thanks to those lousy bards who wrote the tales, you likely know them only as Prince Charming. But all of this is about to change.

Rejected by their princesses and cast out of their castles, the princes stumble upon an evil plot that could endanger each of their kingdoms. Now it’s up to them to triumph over their various shortcomings, take on trolls, bandits, dragons, witches, and other assorted terrors, and become the heroes no one ever thought they could be.



My review of book one
My audiobook review
Interview with the Princes Charming 

Thank you so much for stopping by, Frank!

Want a chance to win a copy of The Hero's Guide to Storming the Castle? Or how about $200 to spend on books? Those are pretty much rhetorical questions because, I mean, really, who would say no?

Walden Pond Press is awesomely providing a bucket load of prizes! Each day during the blog tour the first three entrants will receive signed hardcover copies of The Hero's Guide to Storming the Castle. THEN everyone who enters will have a chance to win a $200 gift card to the bookstore of your choice!

Click HERE to enter! 

You'll be directed to Facebook where you can enter the secret code (Prince Charming) for a chance to win!

Giveaway details: 

You do NOT have to be a follower

Entrants with US addresses only

Ends 5/26/13

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Discussion & List: The Joy of Book Two

I have a love/hate relationship with series, but today I'm going to focus on the positive and gush about my explosive love for series, particularly book two.

Starting a series is great with all of its first-date suspense, hope, and possibilities. Few things come close to the delicious anticipation of wondering if I'll fall head over heels for this book and open a brand new chapter of awesomeness in my life.

Life was never the same

And then, if the stars align and everything comes together perfectly, then there's the wait for the second book. And, yeah, it's excruciating. But it's also kind of fun because even though I have to wait, I KNOW there will be a big payoff when the time comes due.

Plus, since it's only the second book, so I know I can read the book without all the sadness that comes along with reading the last book in the series when you know it's really The End.

It's like Christmas, or my birthday. Sure they only come once a year, but when they DO come, they're filled with piles of presents and tons of tasty food and general wonderfulness. And the best part is, I know these things are coming. I can rely on that guaranteed happiness, even if I have to wait a whole year for it.

And we get to do this EVERY year!

The second book in a series is often a dangerous thing, fraught with all sorts of peril like series stretching and the introduction of the dreaded Secondary Love Interest. Usually, second books scare the life out of me.

This didn't work out well for anyone

BUT, every rare once in a while a first book is so incredible, so special, so perfect that I KNOW the next book will be nothing short of chocolate fudge levels of perfection.

(Of course I'm still a little afraid I'll experience a crushing blow if the book doesn't live up to my super high expectations, but shhh, I'm pretending that isn't even a fraction of a possibility. Because, I just, I cannot fathom that reality.)

I've had my heart crushed way too many times by book disappointment, so I don't let my heart run wild after just any old book. I'm picky and jaded and I don't want to be hurt again.

 So this is my teeny tiny list of sequels I've allowed myself to throw all caution to the wind and fall madly in love with the mere idea of their existence.

They'd better live up.

Fair warning: There be (tiny) spoilers for the first books here!

The Pirate's Wish by Cassandra Rose Clarke
sequel to The Pirate's Curse

The first book hit pretty much all of my marks for a Special Shelf book with its sleepover friend paragon of a main character, sizzling hate-turned-love romance, and heaps of fantasy peril and action. The ending left off with the potential for an even more excitement-filled quest to come, and if the strength of the first book is any indication, The Pirate's Curse is going to set a new high in quest-fantasy.

I'm banking on The Pirate's Wish having all that, and more. Namely, I want more sizzle in the romance. Sure it was pretty close to perfect in the first book, but I felt like Naji was holding out in that department a little. He's a little too closed off and mysterious, so I'm hoping book two sheds a little more light on his, presumably, growing feelings for Ananna.

An 11th hour name change wouldn't hurt, either (I mean, Naji?? I'm still not over it).

The Runaway King by Jennifer A. Nielsen
sequel to The False Prince

The idea of basking in Sage's presence is enough for me. I don't even care all that much what he's doing.

But, I'd prefer if he were scheming and manipulating and being cheeky about it all like he was in The False Prince. The blurb gives me hope that there will be a good dose of twistyness mixed with clever plotting and murder (always good for a book, I think).

I like that the blurb makes it sound like Sage has matured and gotten all responsible in The Runaway King (I always love a Capable Guy), but I'm hoping his signature sass hasn't been completely set aside. Also, a little more development of that barely-there distrustful romance would be fantastic. But just a smidgen.

The only thing I'm really not jumping for joy over is the name change. I read the blurb three times thinking, "Who the heck is Jaron?!" before I realized that, oh yeah, that's Sage's real name. But, pfft. He'll always be Sage to me.

The Hero's Guide to Storming the Castle by Christopher Healy
sequel to The Hero's Guide to Saving Your Kingdom

I can't stop recommending The Hero's Guide to Saving Your Kingdom. Adults, kids, teens, tweens—I've even made the elderly whip out their magnifiers and read that book. My pitch is simple: Do you like to laugh? Well then, do I have a book for you!

I'm expecting nothing less out of Christopher Healy's follow up. The cover and blurb are certainly worthy and I have no doubt the author is up to the task. So, my expectations? Super high. But my fears the book might not fulfill those expectations? Practically zero. I have total confidence, Mr. Healy.

I don't really have doubts or hopes for this sequel. Not like the other books. In this case, I just hope The Hero's Guide to Storming the Castle is filled with all of the same characters (and maybe a few new ones, too. Evil villainS? Plural? Yessssss) and that they're acting exactly like themselves. And, ok, maybe it would be cute to see the rearranged couples pair up a little more solidly, but that isn't a requirement at all.

Biggest reason I'm crossing my fingers in hopeful anticipation? I desperately want Bronson Pinchot to record an audiobook version.

Dark Triumph by Robin LaFevers
sequel to Grave Mercy

I know this book is following different characters from the main duo in Grave Mercy, but I'm kind of okay with that. Don't get me wrong, I loved Ismae and Duvall, but I'm all about the slow burn romance and that ship has sailed for them already. When the romance comes together in book one, all book two usually offers is conflict and third parties. Or sappy, spark-less tru wuv. Either way, no thank you!

So I'm all over the idea of keeping the awesome world of assassin nuns, gods of death, and courtly intrigue but turning the focus on two new love interests. Sybella is even more distrustful and prickly than Ismae, so I'm not expecting any kind of instalove nonsense out of her. In fact, the only instalove I'm pretty certain about is the love I have for Sybella, and I can't wait to get to know her even more.

My only fear? I wasn't IN LOVE with Sybella's soon-to-be-main-squeeze. So, yeah, I'm worried I won't be feeling this romance the way I was with Duvall. But I trust Robin, so I'm not too worried. Plus, I'm sure I'll be plenty distracted with all of the historical fantasy world building and political intrigue.

Also, Sybella. I really have fallen in instalove.

What about you?

What series are you SO in love with that you just KNOW the second book will be complete perfection for you?

Do you have any hopes or fears for them?

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Audio Book Review: The Hero's Guide to Saving Your Kingdom by Christopher Healy

The Hero's Guide to Saving Your Kingdom by Christopher Healy, read by Bronson Pinchot
Release Date: May 2012
Publisher: Harper Audio
Hours: 9 hours 5 minutes, unabridged
Received: Audio copy from publisher

Review

This is a review of the AUDIO version

If you are interested in my review of the book, check out my review. This is only a review of the reader in the audiobook format.

I should preface this review by confessing that I am not much of an audiobook listener. I try every now and then to listen to an audiobook because I feel like I should do something productive and entertaining while doing boring things like walking on the treadmill or folding laundry. But, embarrassingly, my mind wanders.Try as I might, audiobooks are often a struggle for me.

So that is why it is especially notable when I say,

This is the bestest audiobook in the ENTIRE WORLD!

At this point you're probably sick of me gushing about The Hero's Guide to Saving Your Kingdom because I've mentioned it, oh, maybe once or twice before...but that's because I'm so gosh darn in love with it. I didn't think my love could grow any larger than it already was, but then I listened to the audiobook...

...and dare I say it, but I think I'm even more in love with the audio version than I am with the print version. It was like taking all of the best traits of movies and all of the best features of books and smushing them together into a package of awesome.

The voices!

Bronson Pinchot doesn't just read the book. He becomes the book. He gives every character their own unique voice and channels all of their character traits perfectly.

You know how in a book the author needs to include things like "X character said" or whatever so you know who is actually speaking? I didn't need that at all here because Bronson Pinchot made all of the voices so distinct that it was as if I were listening to different people talk.

Even the girl characters sounded good, which is a pretty big feat considering Bronson Pinchot is not actually a girl (in case you couldn't tell).

Also of note is that each character has a different accent. Yes, accents! And they totally make sense for the characters. I don't remember the book specifying things like "said Liam with an Irish lilt" but somehow each accent Bronson Pinchot chose seemed like the exact right choice for each character and made me love them even more than I already did.

It's the little things like this that I think really made this reading. It's clear he took the time and effort needed to truly get the book and embody the characters. He did such a good job I almost want him to be the voice actor for every single character in the upcoming movie version (even though I'm sure they'll get, you know, real women and stuff like that).

It's like he took perfect chocolate, and then somehow made it better

Bronson Pinchot managed to avoid one of my biggest pet peeves with audiobooks, namely, I don't like it when the characters don't sound like they do in my head. Erm, I mean, when I read a book I imagine a character's voice sounds a certain way and audiobook readers usually sound NOTHING like how I imagine the character would sound (I cringe every time a woman reader does the "deep manly voice" for the hot hero).

It's like, ok, anyone read the Mortal Instruments series and totally NOT picture that tiny strange-eyed little guy they horribly miscast as Jace? Totally wrong, right?? Any tiny bit of desire I might have had to see that movie shriveled up and died when I saw that casting (especially after holding out hope for Mr. Hot Abs. I mean, Alex Pettyfer).

That's pretty much akin to the crushing, gnawing disappointment I experience with most audiobook voices.

But now think of the joy you experience every time you flip on The Vampire Diaries and see the smoking perfection of Ian Somerhalder not only capturing but enhancing all of the gorgeous goodness (and badness!) of Damon Salvatore (what, please tell me I'm not alone here??).

THAT is what I'm talking about. I mean, no, of course there are no shirtless men in the audio version of The Hero's Guide to Saving Your Kingdom (or any version, for that matter. It's MG, ladies! Sheesh). But what I do mean to say is that Bronson Pinchot's voice acting was the absolute beyond-my-wildest-dreams perfect "casting" for The Hero's Guide to Saving Your Kingdom. Every time he opened his mouth I basked in the sweet sounds of exactly what an audiobook should be.

Bottom line

I was thoroughly entertained and my mind didn't wander once while listening.

I doubled my workout times so I could listen to just one more chapter, and just one more (don't worry, I made up for it by eating extra ice cream).

I contemplated dropping my freshly laundered clothing into the dirt just so I would have to spend more time re-washing and folding so I could have an excuse to continue listening.

I think I'm going to go now and listen to it again.

I will now and forever compare all audiobook readers on the scale of 1 to Bronson Pinchot.

So, yeah, I recommend it.

Add it to Goodreads!
Buy it on Amazon!

Do you have any questions about the audiobook version of The Hero's Guide to Saving Your Kingdom that I haven't addressed? 
Feel free to ask in the comments!

Have you ever listened to an audiobook that had a beyond amazing reader? (My workout routine could seriously use your recommendations!)

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Character Interview: The Princes Charming

Click to make larger. All pictures illustrated by Todd Harris.

Please Welcome the Princes Charming!

Or is it the Prince Charmings? *ahem* I mean, please welcome Prince Liam, Prince Gustav, Prince Frederick, and Prince Duncan! The stars of The Hero's Guide to Saving Your Kingdom were kind enough to stop by today and answer some of my very important questions.

Prince Liam, totally swoony.

Q: Which characters would you most want to kiss?

Liam: This is a bit of a sore subject for me. I’m going to pass.

Frederic: Hmm, this doesn’t sound like a proper type of question to be answering in such a public venue.

Gustav: Stop waffling, Captain Romance! Just answer the question.

Frederic: Well, Ella of course. She’s my fiancée. I did kiss her that night at the ball, but strangely enough, never since then. Hmm.

Duncan: I would choose J.P. McWiggins! He’s a squirrel who lives in my backyard. I think his whiskers would tickle.

Frederic: But, Duncan, what about Snow White? She’s your wife.

Duncan: Yes, and I already know what it’s like to kiss her. I don’t know what it’s like to kiss a squirrel.

Frederic: Well, what about you, Gustav? Whom would you kiss?

Gustav: Nobody. Next!

Prince Gustav, wishing his sword weren't so tiny

Q: Which characters do you most want to slap or give a verbal tongue lashing to?

Gustav: Ah, now we’re getting somewhere! Let’s see… Lady Lipless, Captain Garbage-Hair, Tressie McTressington, Corporal Pipsqueak, Babyface von Vexmonger…

Liam: Are we supposed to know who any of those people are?

Frederic: I think I might say myself. I could probably use a kick in the rear sometimes to get me going. But at least I know I’d be gentle about it.

Duncan: J.P. McWiggins. He steals far too many of my acorns.

Prince Frederic, the hilariously dainty.

Q: Which scene would you most want to reenact? Which scene would you never want to repeat?

Liam: Honestly, I can’t think of any I’d want to repeat.

Frederic: I think I’d have to agree. Although if you forced me to reenact one scene, I guess I’d pick something toward the beginning of the book, since I got progressively dirty as the story went along. And I’d certainly never want a repeat of me getting sat upon by a troll.

Gustav: Any scene with me punching someone is a pretty good one to repeat. As long as we cut it off before the end.

Duncan: I don’t even remember where J.P. McWiggins came into the story, but I think I’ll say that scene.

Liam: For reenacting or for never repeating?

Duncan: Either.

Prince Duncan, odd duck.

Q: Which scene do you think will surprise readers the most?

Liam: I think people will be surprised to hear what the bards got wrong about us in those original “Prince Charming” stories. For instance, I don’t think most readers will know I’ve been saving lives since I was three years old.

Frederic: Yes, and the way my father used to discipline me as a child by feeding me to a tiger.

Gustav: And what a horrible person Rapunzel is.

Frederic: Rapunzel is not a horrible person! She’s perfectly lovely.

Gustav: Eye of the beholder, Beanpole. Eye of the beholder.

Duncan: I think readers will be shocked by the betrayal of Monday Bird.

You should really click to view this one large!

Q: What is one piece of advice you would give the reader?

Liam: Believe in yourself and your own special talent. There’s a hero inside every one of us and—

Gustav: Boring! Here’s my advice: Always attack your enemy head on. They’ll never see it coming.

Frederic: You can get through most problems by asking yourself, “What would Sir Bertram the Dainty do?”

Duncan: Never trust a squirrel to hold onto your wallet for you. I learned this the hard way. Curse you, McWiggins! Oh, who am I kidding? I can’t stay mad at you. Come here, little cutie squirrel. Here’s my wedding ring; put it someplace safe, okay?

Readers should add The Hero's Guide to Saving Your Kingdom to their To Be Read list if they like...

Books about:
     Fairy tales, princes, princesses, bandits, trolls, witches, retold or reimagined stories, snarky dialogue, slapstick, wordplay, swordplay, uncovering mysteries, saving kingdoms

Books/movies like:
     The Princess Bride, The Sisters Grimm, Wicked, Shrek, Tangled

About The Hero's Guide to Saving Your Kingdom:

Prince Liam. Prince Frederic. Prince Duncan. Prince Gustav. You've never head of them, have you? These are the princes who saved Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella, Snow White, and Rapunzel, respectively, and yet, thanks to those lousy bards who wrote the tales, you likely know them only as "Prince Charming." But all of this is about to change...

Rejected by their princesses and cast out of their castles, Liam, Frederic, Duncan, and Gustav stumble upon an evil plot that could endanger each of their kingdoms. Now it's up to them to triumph over their various shortcomings, take on trolls, bandits, dragons, witches, and other associated terrors to become the heroes no one ever thought they could be.


Author bio:

Christopher Healy spent years reviewing children’s books and media online and in print before setting off to write The Hero’s Guide to Saving Your Kingdom, his first children’s book. He lives with his wife and their two children in New Jersey. You can find him online at:

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

Thank you so much for stopping by, guys!

Are you laughing as hard as I am? I seriously can't get enough of these guys. Last month I reviewed The Hero's Guide to Saving Your Kingdom, and later on this month I'll have a review for the audio version. So that's three times I've hung out with these guys and I'm still begging for more!

Have you read The Hero's Guide to Saving Your Kingdom?

How would you answer these questions?
(Remember, no spoilers please!)

If not, WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?! 
(Click that to read the first 75 pages!) 

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Book Review + Giveaways: The Hero's Guide to Saving Your Kingdom by Christopher Healy

The Hero's Guide to Saving Your Kingdom by Christopher Healy
Release Date: May 1, 2012
Publisher: Walden Pond Press
Pages: 419
Received: ARC from publisher
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
Goodreads
Amazon

Summary

From Goodreads:

Enter a world where everything, even our classic fairy tales, is not at all what it seems.

Prince Liam. Prince Frederic. Prince Duncan. Prince Gustav. You've never head of them, have you? These are the princes who saved Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella, Snow White, and Rapunzel, respectively, and yet, thanks to those lousy bards who wrote the tales, you likely know them only as "Prince Charming." But all of this is about to change...

Rejected by their princesses and cast out of their castles, Liam, Frederic, Duncan, and Guztav stumble upon an evil plot that could endanger each of their kingdoms. Now it's up to them to triumph over their various shortcomings, take on trolls, bandits, dragons, witches, and other associated terrors to becom the heroes no one ever thought they could be.

Review

Prince Charming had better return

Have you ever read a book and as soon as you turn the last page the first thing you think is, "Gosh, I SO hope there is a sequel!" And not because the author didn't actually, you know, finish the story, but because what they did write was so fantastically amazing that you don't want to even imagine a life where there aren't more of their books to read?

That's pretty much were I'm at right now with Christopher Healy and The Hero's Guide to Saving Your Kingdom. The ending was left a little open in that "Continuing Adventures" kind of way, but the story wrap was pretty satisfying. Mostly I'm contemplating bribery so I can get my little hands on more because I want more Frederic, Liam, Gustav, and Duncan (a.k.a. Prince Charming) right now.

Lucky for me, there are more books planned!

Prince Charming sets the record straight

I like to think of myself as a fairy tale fanatic, but how much of a fanatic can I really be if I can't even come up with the names of the princes who sweep my beloved fairy tale princesses off their feet? When I rack my brain trying to come up with even one name...I've got nothing. Worse than nothing, I've got "Prince Charming," and that's just embarrassing.

(oh, wait, that's not true. I forgot about Prince Phillip from Disney's Sleeping Beauty. I was totally in love with him when I was five. Oh yeah, and there's Eric from The Little Mermaid. Ok, whatever, that's only two out of how many? I think the point still remains).

But is it really my fault? I'm going to go with author Christopher Healy on this one and blame it on the bards. Because really, how can *I* be blamed for this unfortunate lapse when all the major tales focus on the princesses?

The Hero's Guide to Saving Your Kingdom focuses on the oft neglected princes and is one of those "real deal tell-all" kind of stories where everything you thought you knew turns out to be not quite true after all. I LOVE that type of story, and The Hero's Guide is a top notch entry in the genre.

Apparently none of the princes ended up with the right princess (except maybe Duncan), none of the princesses are what we've been led to believe, and all of the princes are a little miffed at being relegated to generic "Prince Charming" status.

Prince Charming is hilarious

So that writing style? Yep, I noticed it...because it is fantastic! It's laid back, modern, and very funny. Christopher Healy writes all those observations I would think, but then he makes his characters say them out loud (but about ten million times funnier than I could ever be). Think The Princess Bride for tweens, but still totally readable for adults.

I don't usually LOVE books told in the third person, but I am kinda partial to the universal omniscient variant, which Christopher Healy used to full advantage. (You know, where the narrator talks directly to the reader.)

The nameless narrator almost becomes a character in its own right, breaking the fourth wall to offer up little tidbits of information that the characters are not privy to but I felt super cool for being "in" on (and I also felt embarrassingly predictable because that narrator played me like a fiddle with a number of "made you look" scenarios that I totally fell for).

Prince Charming is fantastic

The plot itself is pretty good. It didn't move at lightning speeds and the events are actually pretty basic, but the characters were so fresh, funny, and endearing that I was never bored.

Plus, people in nine states got to hear me laugh out loud because of my book, which I think is a new record for embarrassing myself by having to explain my Reading-Induced Emotional Outpourings. (I read this during my road trip).

The cast list is pretty big (four princes, five princesses, a witch, a bounty hunter, a bandit king and his henchmen, a giant, trolls, and so on), but they're all so unique and clearly drawn that I didn't have trouble sorting through all of them. This is a light MG book and so the characters don't have a TON of depth, but in this case that's ok.

My favorites are probably Liam and Frederic. Liam is where you'll find your MG-level swoon with his "classic hero" personality and sharp mind (I think I loved him the most when he was taunting the bandit king--I guarantee you will never guess the nature of those scenes!).

If The Hero's Guide to Saving Your Kingdom were turned into a movie, Liam would be that hot cartoon prince you totally don't have a crush on because he's a cartoon and that's just weird (...but you totally DO have a crush on him because, hey, he's hot! Dimitri, anyone?)

And, following that line of thought, if this were a movie, Frederic would be voiced by David Hyde Pierce channeling his Niles character. Frederic is such a prissy little wimp, but I adore him. He sees danger everywhere, abhors dirt, and considers picnicking outside to be high adventure. Watching him embark on a quest, rise to the occasion and find his inner strengths was worthy of fist pumps and out-loud cheers.

The other characters are equally amusing and likable, but you'll have to read the book to meet them and learn their hilarious back-stories. Otherwise I'll be rambling about them all day long.

Prince Charming is coming home with me

I am SO ordering a copy for myself and another for my library! My library tweens (girls AND boys!) are going to love The Hero's Guide to Saving Your Kingdom, and I'm pretty sure I'll be able to pass it on to some teens and even a few adults as well.

The Hero's Guide to Saving Your Kingdom is perfect for fans of The Princess Bride, fractured fairy tales, and hijinks.

Explanation of rating system: Star Rating Key 

Do you have any questions about The Hero's Guide to Saving Your Kingdom that I haven't addressed? 
Feel free to ask in the comments!

Chris Healy Bio: Christopher Healy spent years reviewing children’s books and media online and in print before setting off to write The Hero’s Guide to Saving Your Kingdom, his first children’s book. He lives with his wife and their two children in New Jersey. You can find him online at www.christopherhealy.com.

But wait, there's more!

Want to win your very own copy? 
Walden Pond Press is graciously providing TWO ways to win!

 Click here to enter for a hardcover and signed bookplate!

Click here to enter for a digital audio download!

Info for the giveaway:

• As always, you do NOT have to be a follower
• You must have a US/CA mailing address for the hardcover, International for the audio download
• You must be 13 years of age or older
• One entry per person
• Your address is not required, but including it will help with sending the book out to you sooner
• I will contact the winner through email and the winner will have 24 hours to reply before a new winner is chosen 
• This giveaway closes on May 19th 

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