The Princess in the Opal Mask

September 15, 2013
Inspired by The Man in the Iron Mask, The Prince and the Pauper and the eerie magic of twins, a novel of royal intrigue. The chapters alternate the voices of the two 16-year-old protagonists: the orphan Elara, kept like an ill-treated servant for the money paid for her keep; and Wilha, the Masked Princess, fated to wear a mask all the days of her life. Wilha doesn't know why: Does the populace of Galandria fear that she is hideous? Cursed? Blessed? Wilha is reserved; Elara is bold and canny. When Wilha is betrothed to Stefan, the prince of Kyrenica, as a gesture of peace between the uneasy kingdoms, Elara is captured and brought to the palace. She is actually Wilha's birth twin, needed as a pawn for the dangerous journey to Kyrenica. The girls circle warily around each other in this overwritten plot that includes hidden passages, secret letters, a lost book, a lot of political machinations and a tiny bit of romance. Nobles, peasants and objects pop up, do their thing, and fade away. The story ends with each girl poised for the sequel; they've found their strengths but left a lot unresolved plotwise. As this first of two volumes ends just when things are getting interesting, it's possible that readers who have made it to the end will stick it out for Book 2. (Fantasy. 11-14)

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November 1, 2013

Gr 6-9-Galandria is on the brink of war, threatened by neighboring Kyrenica and unrest among its own citizenry. Caught in the middle are Elara and Wilha, twin daughters of Galandria's monarchs. Prompted by an ancient prophecy regarding disaster brought upon the kingdom by royal twins, the king orders the sisters be separated shortly after birth. Elara is secreted away to a distant village to live in ignorant anonymity while Wilha is cursed to always hide her face behind a bejeweled mask. The sisters are unaware of the other's existence until their 16th birthday. Reunited and forced to be pawns in a dangerous political game that began centuries earlier, they have some important choices to make. Their actions will determine not only the fate of their kingdom, but also their own destinies. This fairy tale based on "Cinderella" and Alexandre Dumas's The Man in the Iron Mask is the first in a planned two-book series, and a departure from the author's earlier works. Despite sometimes stilted dialogue, the story shines with potential. Light romance and strong female characters make it an ideal choice for tween girls, and the dual viewpoint narration aids the plot's momentum. This delightfully fanciful tale will find a captive audience among fans of Gail Carson Levine.-Alissa J. Bach, Oxford Public Library, MI

Copyright 2013 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

November 1, 2013
Grades 8-12 Lundquist's debut YA novel combines elements of Cinderella with The Man in the Iron Mask to create a page-turner about twin princesses separated at birth. Told in alternating chapters by Wilhamina, the masked princess of Galandria, and Elara, a clever, resourceful foster child working as a servant, we follow their parallel stories as they intersect when Elara's true identity as Wilha's twin is revealed. Wilha has been promised to the prince of neighboring Kyrenica, a border country with whom Galandria maintains an uneasy peace. But political maneuvers set up Elara to pose as her sister on the journey to Kyrenica, while Wilha discovers that life as a commoner, although challenging, has many advantages. Meanwhile, Elara finds the power available to her as a ruler heady, and she steps forward as a thoughtful and decisive leader, unlike her twin, who has lived a life cowed by fear. With its swift pace, charismatic heroines, and all kinds of intrigue, Lundquist sets up a compelling and detailed history for her kingdoms, with legends of strong women rulers. Fantasy readers will eagerly await the promised second title.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2013, American Library Association.)