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Please Note: I received an advance copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This did not influence the opinions in my review in any way.
Synopsis (from Goodreads):
Once upon a time, a princess slept in a magical tower cloaked in thorns and roses.
When she woke, she found no Prince Charming, only a surfeit of hair and grotesquely long fingernails--which was, honestly, better than some creep who acted without consent. She cut off her long braids and used them to escape. But she kept the beard because it made a great disguise.
This is not a story about finding true love's kiss--it's a story about finding yourself. On a pirate ship. Where you belong.
But these are no ordinary pirates aboard The Puffy Peach, serving under Filthy Lucre, the one-eyed parrot pirate captain. First there's Vic, a swole and misogynistic centaur on a mission to expunge himself of the magic that causes him to conjure tea and dainty cupcakes in response to stress. Then there's Tempest, who's determined to become the first dryad lawyer--preferably before she takes her ultimate form as a man-eating tree. They're joined by Alobartalus, an awkward and unelfly elf who longs to meet his hero, the Sn'archivist who is said to take dictation directly from the gods of Pell. Throw in some mystery meat and a dastardly capitalist plot, and you've got one Pell of an adventure on the high seas!
In this new escapade set in the magical land of Pell, Delilah S. Dawson and Kevin Hearne lovingly skewer the tropes of fairy tales and create a new kind of fantasy: generous, gently humorous, and inclusive. There might also be otters.
Review:
Do you enjoy books with a ridiculous amount of puns? Parodies of beloved movies and fairy tales? Humor that is only slightly offensive? Well, The Princess Beard, by Delilah S. Dawson, and Kevin Hearne, will certainly provide all of those things and more. The third, and final, installment in the series is even more entertaining than the previous books, with fun characters, and send ups of pop culture that will keep you laughing.
What I Liked:
Characters:Each of the main characters are trying to figure out who they are beyond what society expects of them. There is Morgan, the runaway princess who would much rather be a pirate, Al, the elf who hates that his kind are tricksters, Tempest, a dryad who dreads becoming a man-eating tree, and Vic, the Centaur who is drowning in toxic masculinity. Each character is richly drawn and has a journey that I thoroughly enjoyed following.
Story:
I appreciated each character's story and that the authors gave equal weight to all. The pirate princess's story was just as important as Vic's. And each story told a different tale of how we need to stop trying to conform to stereotypes and forge our own path.
Along the way, there were very funny parodies of Harry Potter, fast-food chains, food politics, toxic masculinity, and corporate culture.
Series Ending:
As I looked at the ratings I gave the previous books, my enthusiasm (and star rating) has increased with each novel. What started out as a series of silly puns loosely strung together into a story has become a world of richly drawn societies and characters.
I loved that the ending of The Princess Beard brought back some story lines from the previous books to tie together all the various characters and themes.
Rating:
Release Date: October 8th, 2019
Publisher: Del Rey Books
Authors: Delilah S. Dawson & Kevin Hearne
Genre: Fantasy Parody
Page Length: 384 Pages
Source: NetGalley
Format: E-Book
Recommendation: A fun light-hearted book with spot on commentary on modern issues. An enjoyable read full of silly humor.
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