Princess Ben : being a wholly truthful account of her various discoveries and misadventures, recounted to the best of her recollection, in four parts

Catherine Gilbert Murdock's talents for storytelling and creating strong female characters take a fresh turn in this spirited and sophisticated fairy tale. Benevolence is not your typical princess. With her parents lost to assassins, Princess Ben ends up under the thumb of the conniving Queen Sophia. Starved and miserable, locked in the castle's highest tower, Ben stumbles upon a mysterious enchanted room. So begins her secret education in the magical arts: mastering an obstinate flying broomstick, furtively emptying the castle pantries, setting her hair on fire . . . But Ben's private adventures are soon overwhelmed by a mortal threat to her kingdom. Can Ben save the country and herself from foul tyranny? [A] deliciously frothy fairy tale."Horn Book Magazine, starred review The wild adventure, intricately imagined setting, memorable characters, and romance will charm readers, especially fans of Gail Carson Levine's Fairest."Booklist,... A “deliciously frothy fairy tale” from the award-winning author of The Book of Boy and the Dairy Queen series (Horn Book Magazine, starred review). Catherine Gilbert Murdock's talents for storytelling and creating strong female characters take a fresh turn in this spirited and sophisticated fairy tale. Benevolence is not your typical princess. With her parents lost to assassins, Princess Ben ends up under the thumb of the conniving Queen Sophia. Starved and miserable, locked in the castle's highest tower, Ben stumbles upon a mysterious enchanted room. So begins her secret education in the magical arts: mastering an obstinate flying broomstick, furtively emptying the castle pantries, setting her hair on fire... But Ben's private adventures are soon overwhelmed by a mortal threat to her kingdom. Can Ben save the country and herself from foul tyranny? “Murdock spins a rip-roaring yarn that borrows fairy-tale conventions (particularly from “Sleeping Beauty”) and reverses them to suit her strong, resourceful heroine. The wild adventure, intricately imagined setting, memorable characters, and romance will charm readers, especially fans of Gail Carson Levine's Fairest.”—Booklist (starred review) “Murdock's first venture into fantasy offers a fairy tale with several twists and surprises, and readers will be drawn into the world and moods that she creates.”—School Library Journal “Readers will love every minute they spend with [Princess Ben].”—Teensreadtoo.com This ebook includes a sample chapter of Wisdom's Kiss. "My gown suited me as well as I could ever hope, though I could not but envy the young ladies who would attract the honest compliments of the night. My bodice did not plunge as dramatically as some, and no man--no man I would ever want to meet, surely--could fit his hands round my waist. What I lacked in beauty I would simply have to earn with charm..." Benevolence is not your typical princess--and Princess Ben is certainly not your typical fairy tale. With her parents lost to assassins, Princess Ben ends up under the thumb of the conniving Queen Sophia. Starved and miserable, locked in the castle's highest tower, Ben stumbles upon a mysterious enchanted room. So begins her secret education in the magical arts: mastering an obstinate flying broomstick, furtively emptying the castle's pantries, setting her hair on fire... But Ben's private adventures are soon overwhelmed by a mortal threat to her kingdom. Can Ben save the country and herself from tyranny? A Girl Is Transformed, Through Instruction In Life At Court, Determination, And Magic, From Sullen, Pudgy, Graceless Ben Into Crown Princess Benevolence, A Fit Ruler Of The Kindgom Of Montagne As It Faces War With Neighboring Drachensbett. Written By Catherine Gilbert Murdock. A Girl Is Transformed, Through Instruction In Life At Court, Determination, And Magic, From Sullen, Pudgy, Graceless Ben Into Crown Princess Benevolence, A Fit Ruler Of The Kingdom Of Montagne As It Faces War With Neighboring Drachensbett. Reprint.