Author: Stephanie Burgis
Rating: 2/5
Princess Sofia is sent to Villenne on a diplomatic mission which she butchers within five minutes of arriving there. And then Ice Giants make things complicated.
Spoilers ahead.
Detailed Summary
Sofia is sent to Villenne by Princess Katrin to oversee an exhibition or something like that. She’s carried there by Jasper’s mother. Jasper is Aventurine’s brother who loves philosophy and regularly writes letters to Sofia about it (she’s a philosophy nerd too!). The royal family of Villenne feel threatened and Sofia isn’t very prudent with her remarks either so she gets exiled to this tiny cottage away from the city centre. A cat decides it likes her. Sofia decides she’ll walk around the kingdom incognito. She befriends three goblin students and a kobold named Fedolia who show her around. Sofia is shocked to find her favourite philosopher is almost arrested for giving a lecture on power. Jasper comes to Villenne and transforms into a boy. Sofia shows him around and is summoned by Villenne’s royal family. Katrin arrives on a dragon, travel-sick and angry that Sofia hasn’t followed her instructions. She yells at Sofia in front of everyone. Sofia tries to flee because she’s so upset but Katrin and Jasper’s mother are taken by the Ice Giants. Sofia, Jasper and Fedolia go to rescue Katrin and the dragon. Fedolia is revealed to be a traitor who had stolen one of the Ice Giant’s hearts. Sofia convinces Fedolia to stay faithful to them. She uses the heart as a bargaining chip and gives the Ice Giants a lecture on power and convinces them to release the hostages. Sofia also brokers a treaty between the giants and Villenne. Katrin and Sofia make up and have a sister’s day out (incognito, of course). The book ends with the sisters allowing the cat to come with them and thinking of establishing a university and offering a safe refuge for immigrants.
Plot and Pacing
This, again, was a really cute book but perhaps it wasn’t the wisest idea to read all three books of the series in one go because Burgis definitely has a formula. The protagonist is always a spunky girl with some thrown-in-your-face insecurity. Around the halfway point, she will ALWAYS run away. And then somehow do wondrous things to solve everything neatly. Yes, I know this is a middle-grade book so there isn’t all THAT much room for subtlety but I just couldn’t get into this book. Also, I understand that Sofia is a philosophy geek but I felt like there was just a tad too much philosophy shoehorned in which made it a bit jarring to read.
Characters
The one thing I absolutely loved about this book was the relationship between Katrin and Sofia because it reminded me so much of my relationship with my sister. We’re not very love-y either (well, I’m not) and it’s only recently that she’s been telling me about her personal life and thoughts. I thought Jasper and Sofia were also super cute and nerdy and I am genuinely curious about what a YA book with the two of them would look like.
Writing Style
Again, nothing new to say here that I haven’t said in my other reviews.
Earnestly Eccentric 