Summary: Nalia is a shy bookworm princess whose only close friend is her best friend Kerinan, the son of an earl. On her 16th birthday, Nalia is told she’s a substitute princess; a stand-in, someone to take the place of the real princess while her life was in danger.
But now the danger that the prophecy predicted had passed without a hiccup, they didn’t need her anymore. Her parents are suddenly the king and queen of Thorvaldor and Nalia turns from beloved daughter into something the cat dragged in. She’s kicked out immediately with few possessions and a small bag of coins for her services to the crown. The only thing that’s truly hers is her new name… Sinda, but who on earth is Sinda?
Why I started this book:
I saw it on the shelf in the library and thought I would like the book because the cover reminded me of the original cover for Ella Enchanted.
Likes:
- Keirnan’s loyalty to Sinda. He wasn’t in love with her because she was a princess and could elevate his status and that of his family. He loved her when her position as the heir to the crown would have hurt his chances with her and now that she’s a commoner, nothing will stand in his way to keep her safe and reveal his feelings.
- The fun old fashion names: Orianne. Sinda (I really thought at first this would be turned into something like Sindarella), Mika, etc… and the names of the kingdom and major city Vivaskari. They’re fun to repeat aloud.
- It’s got it all. There’s magic, and romance, and journeys, and self discovery and flare. I love the world, the pacing, and the plot.
Dislikes:
- The “Nameless God” is a pagan god. The god is said to have infinite wisdom and yet he can’t see all things or the outcome of the Sidna’s journey. It’s frustrating to say the least.
- Tyr. At first I liked him, but in the end I’m glad his pursuit of Sinda didn’t get very far beyond a single kiss.
- The end where somebody nice dies.