I got this book because it was listed as a recommendation for people who like retellings of, or new takes on classic fairy tales.
I agree with the recommendation, and I liked many things about the book. It deals with what happens after the hero gets the title, the lands and the princess... "Happily Ever After" isn't always that simple. I liked how the simple country lad has to deal with the cutthroat politics of court, and 'his' princess, Gail, is a woman with a mind of her own.
The plot is just enough classic fairy tale and just enough original story. It deals well with the complexity of emotional relationships between fathers and sons. About halfway through, I thought I might be giving it 5 stars.
But I'm not.
First, the book suffered from a heavy-handed and gratuitous injection of religion. (Basically, the message is: you might not need God when things are easy, but when the going gets tough, you'll need faith to get you through. Bleah to that.) However, although that was annoying, it wasn't too big a deal.
My biggest complaint is: Stewart sets up a realistic and meaningful dilemma: Our Hero and the Princess love each other dearly. However, Our Hero wants a son, and to be a father. Gail, on the other hand, has no interest in children, wants to travel the world, be independent, and does NOT want to be a mother.
So, how does Stewart deal with this problem? Um, Gail changes her mind. For no apparent reason. It's just like, at the end, "oh well, I guess having kids won't be so bad after all." Huge cop-out, and failure to meaningfully interact with an issue that is usually a dealbreaker in real relationships.
I agree with the recommendation, and I liked many things about the book. It deals with what happens after the hero gets the title, the lands and the princess... "Happily Ever After" isn't always that simple. I liked how the simple country lad has to deal with the cutthroat politics of court, and 'his' princess, Gail, is a woman with a mind of her own.
The plot is just enough classic fairy tale and just enough original story. It deals well with the complexity of emotional relationships between fathers and sons. About halfway through, I thought I might be giving it 5 stars.
But I'm not.
First, the book suffered from a heavy-handed and gratuitous injection of religion. (Basically, the message is: you might not need God when things are easy, but when the going gets tough, you'll need faith to get you through. Bleah to that.) However, although that was annoying, it wasn't too big a deal.
My biggest complaint is: Stewart sets up a realistic and meaningful dilemma: Our Hero and the Princess love each other dearly. However, Our Hero wants a son, and to be a father. Gail, on the other hand, has no interest in children, wants to travel the world, be independent, and does NOT want to be a mother.
So, how does Stewart deal with this problem? Um, Gail changes her mind. For no apparent reason. It's just like, at the end, "oh well, I guess having kids won't be so bad after all." Huge cop-out, and failure to meaningfully interact with an issue that is usually a dealbreaker in real relationships.
