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The Princess and the Hound | 
 enlarge | Author: Mette Ivie Harrison
Publisher: Eos
Category: Book
List Price: $17.99
Buy New: $4.95
You Save: $13.04 (72%)
New (33) Used (17) from $4.93
Avg. Customer Rating:  18 reviews
Sales Rank: 124630
Media: Hardcover
Reading Level: Young Adult
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 416
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.2
Dimensions (in): 8.3 x 5.6 x 1.5
ISBN: 0061131873
EAN: 9780061131875
ASIN: 0061131873
Publication Date: May 1, 2007
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Shipping: Expedited shipping available
Shipping: International shipping available
Condition: Brand spankin' new - no remainder mark
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| Editorial Reviews:
Product Description
He is a prince, heir to a kingdom threatened on all sides, possessor of the animal magic, which is forbidden by death in the land he'll rule. She is a princess from a rival kingdom, the daughter her father never wanted, isolated from true human friendship but inseparable from her hound. Though they think they have little in common, each possesses a secret that must be hidden at all costs. Proud, stubborn, bound to marry for the good of their kingdoms, this prince and princess will steal your heart, but will they fall in love?
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| Customer Reviews: Read 13 more reviews...
 Huh. June 30, 2008
I did not have the highest expectations for this book, but I figured that even if it were a bit silly that it would be a quick, enjoyable read. The story itself is engaging enough, but due to the poor quality of the writing, finishing the book quickly came from duty rather than interest and ease.
The writing is my biggest complaint. I mean this sincerely--it read as beginner's fanfic. The author tells you what the character is thinking rather than shows you, and then after she tells you, she reinforces the telling by saying it again a little differently (which I imagine was the attempt to build upon the sentiment in effort of complexity). I could literally predict what the next sentence would be because Prince George's thoughts were not but cliches.
The attempt at creating a believable, slow-building romance just fell flat. Granted our hero and heroine take long enough to fall in love, but once the actual declarations are made, it's forced and unconvincing. The potential is there, but the book ends at the promise of potential rather than showing us two people who fall in love. Do not get me wrong, this is not a complaint for want of true love, but rather a complaint that the book does not develop what it promises to develop; the whole book is contingent upon an even that never comes.
Keeps you reading...even through "cringe" moments April 6, 2008
I bought this book specifically because of the reviews based on Amazon...I was intrigued by the way Orson Scott Card defended his blurb and opinion, and how people who obviously were fans of his reacted to the book. I wanted to find out for myself what all the fuss was about.
I found the book very well written. I'm a fan of the genre, and have read many books along similar lines, but this was interesting and unique, and kept me reading. In my opinion, a bit of the beginning was slow for me, because despite the title, the book is told from Prince George's point of view, and I wanted the book to get to Princess Beatrice and her hound Marit sooner. I thought that the plot was very tight and the storyline was consistent. My biggest problem was a few "cringe moments" about halfway through the book. I'm not going to spoil anything, but when George figures out how to use his magic to his full extent and solve Princess Beatrice's problem....there were times I was cringing in disgust, which is not a reaction for most of the book. The author seemed to skim over the result of George's magic in this one scene in such a way that I was picturing the animals reacting in a very...unconventional...way, and I didn't really like it. I think I would have been better off if the twist hadn't meant love for the animals, too, and that's all I'll say on that topic.
All in all, if you like YA Fantasy, especially with a bit of romance thrown in, I highly recommend this book. The twist of who's the bad guy was a little obvious to me--but at least it was also obvious to George, who figured it out. The complications with the crown were wonderfully portrayed, and the ideas of love (with the exception of the animal love) were brilliant.
 ,, March 17, 2008
I'm not sure how to describe this book. It is my favoritest book(but I'm 13) I read this book once and was amazed with it but after reading it a second time it's not as good the first time. Maybe it's because I've reread it too soon after reading it the first time. I would strongly recommend reading the whole book. The beginning is a little boring but it gets more exciting toward the end.
Prince George of Kendel has the dreaded animal magic. Which the people of the kingdom usually burn you if they discover you have it. 17 years after a 10 year war between Kendel and Sarrey things are still not perfectly smooth. Thinking of the good of his kingdom George agrees to marry Princess Beatrice, who he hasn't really heard much of. He goes to Sarrey to meet her. When he gets back his dad, who was sick when he left is still sick.
over all it's a good book. If my friends acctually read books I would recommend it to them.
A must read February 15, 2008
Reviewed by Dylan James (age 11) for Reader Views (2/08)
Prince George had a troubled childhood, everything from his mom dying, to possessing the "evil, animal magic." Now in his late teens, he has had better times and is about to be married to Princess Beatrice to heal bitter tensions between his kingdom and her father's kingdom, a usual opponent in war. There is something not right about Princess Beatrice and her strange dog that won't leave her side. Beatrice's father, the King, is an annoying guy that takes every chance he can get to torment Beatrice and George. George takes Beatrice to his kingdom to be wed. At his kingdom, he discovers shocking truths about Beatrice and her dog, and he also discovers that his dad has been poisoned and is slowly dying.
What will George do?
Because I'm an action/comedy fan, my first thought after reading this book was that it was bleak, sad, and a little bit boring. After I thought about it more, I decided that I liked it even though I usually don't like books of this kind. Because this book was dripping with drama and suspense, it will almost definitely be able to make you keep reading and truly want to know what will happen next. In this book, there is the best surprise moments I have ever read and it has a great storyline. If you are a drama or a surprise fan, don't pass this book up. The writing was great, the suspense and surprise were great and the drama-dripping scenes were great. It was a great book for drama fans and a recommendable book for other fans. Sufferers of discrimination may not like this book because of how people look down on "animal magic." Both boy and girls will like this equally but I think because of some suggestive sentences, age 9+ should be the earliest to read this book. My favorite part of this book is when George finds secrets about Beatrice and her dog.
If the author wants other types of book fans to enjoy this, then I recommend adding a few more action scenes. I think that doing this will go a long way to getting action fans and help a little with drama fans. But don't get me wrong, though he might add stuff, the author has a good thing going here and should NOT change anything already in "The Princess and the Hound."
A Nice Fairy Tale of a Prince, a Princess and a Hound January 18, 2008
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
George is a prince with a secret. Like his mother, he has the magical ability to speak to animals, a talent that is viewed as evil by those not so gifted. Throughout the land, those with animal magic are hunted down and killed, and George's mother herself is a victim of this prejudice, dying when someone gets too close to discovering her secret. Growing up without his kind and loving mother and living in fear of his secret being exposed, George has become a dutiful but distant crown prince. When he nears adulthood, he agrees to a betrothal with Princess Beatrice in order to secure the uneasy peace between their kingdoms.
Beatrice is a princess with a secret. Although she has no animal magic of her own, she seems unnaturally close to her intelligent and loyal hound, Marit. Growing up with a harsh and unloving father, Beatrice has become a quiet and self-possessed princess. During the course of their betrothal, George begins to unravel the princess' secret and along the way finds himself falling in love and gaining an inner strength he didn't know he had.
Having not really enjoyed Harrison's earlier novel, Mira, Mirror, I wasn't expecting too much from this one. However, I am a sucker for YA novels involving princesses and the cover art is awfully pretty, so I decided to give it a try. I'm glad that I did, because I found an appealing tale of love, secrets and magic. George is by far the most interesting character in the book and shows a great deal of development and the markings of an excellent king. Beatrice and Marit (despite being a hound, she is quite an important character) are slightly less developed and seem to be off in their own world part of the time. A man-turned-bear which has roamed the woods for centuries also gets a subplot, which takes a rather bizarre twist at the end (although it is a happy twist for the bear, I'm still left a bit weirded out by the result). The end wraps up a little too cleanly and easily, especially in a kingdom where fear and hatred of magic has persisted for generations. However, there are apparently two planned sequels on the way, so maybe the happy ending is temporary. I look forward to the next book and hope that the romance between George and Beatrice continues to develop (and that the author continues to improve).
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