Review sponsored by Warren Publishing / Pipevine Press
The Children’s Book Review | May 8, 2017
The Borrowed Princess
Written by Steve Underwood
Illustrated by Judy Siler Boyette
Age Range: 7 – 12
Paperback: 246 Pages
Publisher: Warren Publishing, Inc.
ISBN: 978-1943258550
What to expect: Royalty, Adventure, and Survival
Steve Underwood’s The Borrowed Princess, the first in The Daughters of the Lost King series, presents a strong story of adventure, relationships, and royal family alliance-building. The book begins by introducing readers to the Azarule royal family, mainly focusing on Princess Campanulis, or “Tic” as she likes to be called. Tic, the youngest of seven sisters, has her own ideas about the way a princess should behave, and it is her unique personality that initiates an exciting journey.
Tic is selected as the family representative to travel to another kingdom to help teach new royals the politics of governing. Along the way, Tic and her trusted friends uncover plots to disrupt her journey. They must fight for survival amidst pirates, rival countrymen, and dangerous beasts. Tic’s courage and cunning mind keep her royal delegation moving forward, along with help from some unexpected sources.
In The Borrowed Princess, Underwood creates fascinating characters that are deeply connected to one another. Young readers will admire the courage and complexity of the main characters and will easily root for their success throughout their travels. The book presents some old world dialog, which can be understood very well in the context of the book. The author also includes a glossary of terms that provide additional definitions, which will edify readers that are enthusiastic about terminology.
This engaging story will be a wonderful journey for tweens and older readers that enjoy strong characters and books about adventure. The quick pace of the tale will excite younger readers, while the diplomatic chess game of the overall story will keep older readers curious with each turn of the page. Readers who enjoy The Borrowed Princess will surely be excited to find the next book in The Daughters of the Lost King series.
Available Here:
This book is also available on Amazon and through Ingram wholesale distribution along with Warrenpublishing.net
About the Author
Steve Underwood graduated from UNC-Greensboro where he played a little basketball (“a very little”), served as Student Government President, and was the Student Commencement Speaker for his graduation. He enjoyed the University so much, he returned for two more degrees. Steve taught for thirty-three years at the secondary and college level before retiring to become an author. He and his wife live in Sanford with two adopted Plott Hounds. Their real sons live nearby. When they were younger, Jonathan and Alex went on many excursions to old historic sites. Steve has told them, “You may recognize elements of some of those sites and adventures we had when you read this book.” As a Middle-Grade reader, Steve loved history, fantasy, and science fiction. “What I remember most were the Classic Illustrated comic books my mother bought for me. I read Shakespeare and Hugo and Twain and dozens of other great writers.” He hopes his readers get a chance to do the same. Steve has a published novel, but this is his first Middle-Grade story. “I wanted to write something funny for my young granddaughters,” he says, “but Tic and Plover took over the story and made it their own.”
You can email Steve and be sure to like us on The Borrowed Princess Facebook page.
Dedicated Reviews allow authors and illustrators to gain prompt visibility for their work. Warren Publishing sponsored this non-biased review of “The Borrowed Princess.” Learn more about getting a book review …
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