Review: The Princess and the Hound by Mett Ivie Harrison

The Princess and the Hound is a wonderful (non)-retelling of The Beauty and the Beast, but this time, the girl is the beast. The story begins with Prince George as a young boy first discovering his animal magic. However, in the kingdom of Kendel, having animal magic is seen as a great evil, for which a person is burned. Throughout the book, George struggles with having animal magic, and eventually finds a solution for all.

Meanwhile, when George is an adult, he must marry Princess Beatrice of Sarrey, to unify the two kingdoms after a long war. When he goes to visit Princess Beatrice, he discovers that she is never without her hound, Marit. He later discovers that Marit and Beatrice have actually switched bodies, and he is the only who can switch them back.

I found The Princess and the Hound to be a wonderful story of its own, and didn't really find it to be a retelling at all (this is a good thing, in my book). The characters had depth and the writing was wonderful. There was also a little something for everyone; romance, adventure, magic. The only problem I had with it was that I found the bond between Beatrice and Marit confusing. All in all, I loved it, and would recommend it to anyone, especially those who enjoy fairy tales.

A second opinion: Becky's Book Reviews