The Princess Fugitive: A Reimagining of Little Red Riding Hood by Melanie Cellier Review

In general, I am not a fan of the fairy tale Little Red Riding Hood. It's a creepy story about a deceiving wolf who in the original Charles Perrault version eats the little girl and her grandmother and that's the end of the story. I know that in the Grimm Brothers version the wolf gets what coming to him and Little Red Riding Hood is saved but even with this happy ending the story has just never appealed to me. So, when I finished Melanie Celliers first book The Princess Companion, I wasn't too excited to start The Princess Fugitive simply because of its origin story. Looks however can be deceiving (just like the wolf) and this book turned out to be my favorite book (so far) in the Four Kingdoms series. Before continuing I should mention that this book contains some spoilers from the Princess Companion so read it at your discretion. 

The Princess Fugitive actually has actually very little to do with its original source. This certainly benefited the story a great deal since I don't think a talking wolf would have suited the Four Kingdoms series setting. This is the story about princess Ava the main antagonist from the Princess Companion and her journey of redemption. Princess Ava is woken up in the middle of the night by an assassin who she is able to kill off before he can do his job. Recognizing him as a soldier who had formerly pledged his loyalty to her Ava believes that her father is trying to kill her after her failure in Arcadia. Fearing for her life she and her personal bodyguard Hans flee into the woods to protect themselves. However, they soon get learn that the assassins were not only targeting her but her brother and father as well. While her cruel brother Konrad managed to fend them off the king was killed in the attempt. Concluding that her uncle was behind the attack and realizing Konrad might also be a threat to her life Ava tries to ask her godmother for aid only to find out the High King who the fairy godmothers serve doesn't find her worthy of their help. Determined to prove them wrong Ava vows to find the High King in his Palace of Light and demand he help her. Given a disguise Ava and Hans join a merchant caravan fleeing the country. However, this is just the beginning of Ava's and Hans journey. Throughout her quest Ava must shed the wolf she has become and learn to be the hero her people desperately need. Will she succeed? Read the book to find out.

Ava goes through a lot of development throughout this book. She starts out as calculating and deceitful and grows into a kind and compassionate leader. Something I found very interesting was how Melanie Cellier made her both the wolf and little red riding hood. Metaphorically, Ava had been swallowed by the wolf since her father had made her both a villain and his own weapon. The two figures in her life that tried to keep her the kind girl that she was had vanished (her mother died, and her grandmother disappeared) and she was left alone to become exactly what her father wanted her to be. Throughout the course of her journey her true self (the kind little girl she used to be) is begging for her to be free of the wolf (her deceitful self) and become the hero she needs to be. I liked Ava as a protagonist much more than Alyssa from the previous book. While Alyssa's journey was more about her adjusting to court life and finding her place as princess companion (a role that is not quite a servant or noblewomen) Ava's journey focuses on her personal growth and then later fighting for her kingdom who needs to be saved. This book just honestly appealed to me more.

The love interest Hans was also an upgrade from Prince Max. Hans is Ava's personal bodyguard who is extremely loyal to her. When Ava escapes the castle after an assassination attempt, he doesn't hesitate to flee with her. But more importantly he sees the good in Ava when even she doesn't. Hans has had feelings for Ava even before the events of the book, but he doesn't expect anything to happen considering their different stations in life. Despite that he tries to aid Ava in any way he can throughout the whole story. And without him I don't know how far Ava would have gotten. It goes without saying I was eagerly waiting for them to get their happy ending together.

Two important side characters are Sara and Evelyn who vaguely represent the main girls in the fairy tale Snow White and Rose Red. They have their own shared novella Happily Ever After's that I will be reviewing shortly. Sarah and Evelyn are cousins, and daughters of merchants. When Ava and Hans join their caravan, the girls are quick to befriend them. Evelyn is part of the guard and is skilled with a blade with a tough personality to match. Sarah in more of a lighthearted character who doesn't want to be a part of any battle. At one point Ava makes a bade decision that purposely puts Sarah's life in danger in order for her to escape. She comes to regret her decision and must work hard to regain both girls trust and their friendship. 

Another important aspect I really enjoyed about this book is that it shows more of the fairy godmothers. As I stated above the fairy godmothers serve the High King who is the true ruler of all the four kingdoms. The godmothers usually favor princesses and help lead them down the right path of true love and prosperity. They don't seem to appear that much in the series, but their actions are definitely felt throughout the books. 

Overall, this book really surprised me. I never thought I would enjoy this book as much as I did. While it's true that this book doesn't have too much in common with its source material, (which I think is a huge benefit in this case) it tells an amazing story that kept me invested from start to finish. I rate this book 5 stars. It is so far, my favorite in the Four Kingdoms series. Expect more books from this series to be posted. Until next time.