Middle Grades Pick: Rose and the Lost Princess

Rose and the Lost Princess
by Holly Webb
Sourcebooks Jabberwocky
2014
272 pages
ISBN: 9781402285844



Magical, mysterious, glorious, gutsy, and mesmerizing, readers will love the magical plot and masterful storytelling. Rose is a character who is quirky and winsome; an orphan with moxie and spirit who will steal your heart!

From the captivating cover to the poetic and pitch perfect prose, Rose and the Lost Princess is a gem. Rose is a maid in the magical home of Aloysius Fountain, a master magician. He has agreed to tutor her in the magical arts along with housemate Freddie. Gus the cat is a constant curmudgeonly companion and Rose loves his sassy, purrfect (pun intended) demeanor. The other servants are either afraid of Rose thinking she might be some sort of witch or they are jealous of her new status in the household. Rose considers running away but is talked out of it by Mr. Fountain.

Winter comes early to London and with a vengeance; gossips believe it unnatural, perhaps even an evil spell. They begin blaming magicians and Parliament considers locking up all magical folk.  The King is worried about the safety of his daughter, the princess. His guards can't seem to keep her safe, so the King asks Mr. Fountain for Rose's services. Rose will pose as the princess's personal maid but secretly be a spy for the king and a magical bodyguard for the princess.  Princess Jane plays along at first, but tells Rose that she knows she knows that Rose is not just a normal maid.

There is magic afoot, but it's not of Rose's doing and the Princess is in real danger. Will Mr. Fountain and Freddie be able to uncover the dark forces? Can they recover the lost princess? Will Rose be found out as the imposter that she is? Can magic save the kingdom after all?

Readers who love a magical mystery will love Rose and the Lost Princess.

Highly, highly recommended grade 4-up.

FTC Required Disclaimer: I received the arc from the publisher. I did not receive monetary compensation for this review.

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