Elisa’s 'mountainous' body shrivels away when she spends a month on forced march eating rat, and thus she is a better person. With a character so smart that she doesn't have much to learn, body size is stereotypically substituted for character development. Elisa uses her untried strategic knowledge to always-good effect. War is coming, and perhaps only Elisa's Godstone-and knowledge from the Belleza Guerra-can save them. With no warning, this fat, self-loathing princess is married off to a distant king and is embroiled in political and spiritual intrigue. She's a devout reader of holy books and is well-versed in the military strategy text Belleza Guerra, but she has been kept in ignorance of world affairs. 11-14)Īdventure drags our heroine all over the map of fantasyland while giving her the opportunity to use her smarts.Įlisa-Princess Lucero-Elisa de Riqueza of Orovalle-has been chosen for Service since the day she was born, when a beam of holy light put a Godstone in her navel. Still, this is good silly fun-a refreshing antidote to a genre overflowing with grit and gloom. (Fantasy.

More troublesome are a weakness for telling over showing and the distressing tendency to equate moral virtue with physical beauty. Can Kyra survive long enough to execute Ariana? And can she live with herself if she succeeds? Ignore the ridiculously contrived plot and shaky worldbuilding the sheer bravura charm of Kyra’s voice will sweep away any reservations. Against this dreadful future Kyra pits her impressive martial training, her formidable skill with poisons, an infallible (and adorable) tracking pig, and the equally adorable (if infuriating) Fred, rogue and companion-of-the-road.

But Kyra’s newly awakened (if unwanted) prophetic visions have revealed that if the princess lives, the kingdom dies. Sixteen-year-old Master Potioner Kyra is on the run from the army, the royal family, organized crime and her business partners (including her ex-fiance)-all because she tried to kill her best friend Princess Ariana. Don’t let the title or cover fool you! No grimdark teen fantasy or angst-y heroines here just a frothy confection of a fairy tale featuring poisoners, princesses, perfumers and pigs, none of whom are exactly what they appear (except maybe the pigs).

Poison by bridget zinn