"fine romantic fantasy"
In 1819 in Little Marching, England Penelope Trask lives a
somewhat sedate life. That is staid and proper (most would
say dull) until Prince Damien Augustus Frederic Michel of
the kingdom of Nvengaria arrives claiming she is his
princess. Penelope assumes that the handsome royal is
either a lunatic or found the wrong female. Damien is not prepared for rejection as he anticipated the
villager would jump at the opportunity of becoming a
princess. Instead the obstinate princess to be distrusts
him perhaps for good reason. He needs to marry her
immediately if he is to fulfill an ancient prophecy and
regain his kingdom from an usurper. As they trek to his
remote nation, they fend off attacks mundane by assassins
and magical by evil wizards; they even survive a battle
with a shapeshifting Logosh. All this makes Penelope a
believer that there is more to earth than her village even
as she and her prince fall in love. PENELOPE AND PRINCE CHARMING is a fine romantic fantasy
that shows Jennifer Ashley can leave the pirates behind.
The story line is at its best when the lead couple
struggles to survive against overwhelming odds, some
mundane (assassins being an everyday occurrence) and some
from the fantasist realm as the romance takes a back seat
and at times feels intrusive to the fantasy. Sub-genre
fans will enjoy this beguiling tale. Reviewed by Harriet Klausner
Posted April 25, 2006
Reviewed by PNR Group Member
Posted January 19, 2007
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