If you like Disney Princess movies then you’ll probably enjoy this one.  A princess is pressured to find a husband, and an evil witch has a grudge. There are prince charmings and prince not-so-charmings.

Possible Concerns:

  • Rushing into marriage. Sleeping Beauty asks if she really should marry her prince after knowing him for just a few weeks (whaaa???). Her sister assures her that he’s her true love so she should go through with it. 
  • Shallow Princesses. Although the main character princess has substance, I don’t like that she’s the exception and not the norm. The other princesses are ditzy, easily persuaded, and never bothered to learn how to read.
  • Arrogance/ No Submission out of Love. The main character “disobeys” her prince when he asks her to stay inside the carriage.  I get it that she’s technically not under his authority (they’re not married), but her attitude isn’t helpful. The guy is trying to do his job protecting her and she’s making it hard on him!
  • Witches and spells. There is magic and the occult (mostly in witches). 

Things I like:

  • Princes have character. The prince Charmings have personal names (more than “Charming”—actual personal names!) and have more character than a Ken-doll.
  • Substance in one princess. The main character princes is brave and clever.
  • “Charmings” are vetted. Snow White princess is crafty at discerning the true character of the men who court her.
  • Forgiveness. Snow ends up choosing a husband who has a beautiful humble servant heart. Moreover, forgives him for hurting her feelings, and I like that her Charming isn’t perfect.  It’s refreshing.
  • Authenticity. The main character isn’t as beautiful as the other princesses. So she grapples with not being as beautiful as the girls who have magic airbrushing their blemishes away. Her prince loves her regardless and their relationship is beautifully full of friendship and companionship.
  • I like Mash Ups of several princess stories: Rapunzel, Sleeping Beauty, and Snow White all together.

Overall, if you love Disney then this would be a great fit (and it’s no surprise that the author wrote the story that inspired Disney’s The Frog Princess (which I don’t recommend). 

See also my reviews of other books in this series: The Wide Awake Princess (Book 1), and Unlocking the Spell (Book 2). It helps read those first.

If you’re looking for an awesome princess story, I recommend The Runaway Princess by Kate Coombs, which is clever and refreshing.  The villains in that story are more interesting and unpredictable.