The Princess and the Hound
Grade 7 Up&mdash;In the kingdom of Kendel, anyone caught talking with the animals or practicing animal magic is put to death, so Prince George learns early on to deny that part of his identity. He does everything for the sake of the kingdom, even if it means agreeing to an arranged marriage with Princess Beatrice from the neighboring kingdom of Sarrey. But Beatrice has a striking and unusual relationship with her hound, Marit, and George finds himself drawn to the pair, and to that part of himself that he has ignored for too long. He is faced with many decisions, including how to help his dying father, and how to free Beatrice and her hound. The story is interrupted at times with philosophizing, hints at the princess's secrets, and related mythology that might prove frustrating for unsophisticated readers. Strong characterizations can't make up for the uneven plot, and most readers are unlikely to stick with this lengthy tale.&mdash;Melissa Moore, Union University Library, Jackson, TNCopyright &copy; Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.