Pitchforks: 5/5
Katie Appenheimer's fairy tale "Crownless," might seem like your stereotypical bedtime story about a damsel in distress waiting for her prince, but it offers so much more.
Princess Alannah was born a female and for this reason, upon becoming a teenager, she is stowed away in a magical land of "The Wilds" until prince charming comes to rescue her. This time though, the prince must be from the same bloodline as Alannah in order to pass the tests to gain passage into the magically protected land.
Alannah, on the other hand, must either choose to be saved or rule her new home for which she once showed disdain, after being banished from her kingdom. If she chooses to rule "The Wilds," her homeland of Looia might face the greatest peril it has ever endured. If she chooses to comply with her destiny and follow the prince back to the kingdom, then she can live happily ever after.
Choice seems to be the main theme in this fantasy novel and friendship drives the plot. Alannah must choose between the love of her life and her best friend. She must also juggle all of the expectations she has accrued upon meeting new creatures that need her help.
Talking panthers, wizards and fairies make this book almost dreamlike and keeps the reader yearning for more. "Crownless" is definitely a page-turner with twists and spins. If Alannah could be compared to a major character of a famous book, she would be Katniss Everdeen from "The Hunger Games."
Although the novel takes place in an Arthurian world, the word choice and complexities of life are completely relatable to young adult readers. "Crownless," is a mixture of Arthurian legend with a modern day twist.
Appearing to be helpless and looked down upon because of her gender, Alannah is able to stun everyone and take anyone down. Appenheimer's clever word choice and beautiful description makes for a quite enjoyable prose and a discovery of a new and enchanted world.
This is a book readers will not want to miss. Being under 250 pages in length, "Crownless" is an easy pool-side read for these lovely spring days. "Crownless" is available to readers on Kindle readers, on Amazon and at Barnes and Noble.
Reach the reporter at rosal.lopez@asu.edu.
