Customer Reviews

The Princess and the Snowbird

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

"The Princess and the Snowbird" addresses the final solution to the problem of the people's aversion to animal magic from the first two books in the trilogy. Here, we are introduced to Liva, daughter of the hound and the bear, who have dedicated their lives to helping those with animal magic. In their hopes to truly make a difference, the two give up their magic and give it all to Liva, who, with their combined magic, is able to shift to any animal she desires.

The story sets forward, showing the reader how the sheltered Liva, who had only lived in the forest, comes to understand human nature and its cruelty to those who are different, and also discover hope - that not all men are evil.

Much shorter than the other two books, and slightly different, with two types of magic identified, it takes a slight shift in perspective. Harrison writes in her bookflap, "The trick to making a reader believe that two characters will fall in love with each other is to make the reader fall in love with both characters". While she dispenses good advice, I think the books works because of her voice, rather than my love for her characters.

Harrison's voice is quite mesmerizing - dragging you into the story, even if the premise is quite outlandish.

Definitely would recommending reading the first two books to understand what is going on in this story and to get the full conclusion.

This book has a very nice story line for young and old. It takes you to a place of magic. The story is so well written you would think this really happened.

I'm a huge fan of Mette's books and loved seeing this book's perspective from the daughter of two characters I have loved and see what she turns into. It's definitely a dark book, with the abusive way of not belonging so evident in Jens past. I really love the world and the plot of these books and this last one did not disappoint. The reader gets a fuller glimpse into the world around these interesting characters who can change their form and contain magic.

The bad guy in this book was horrific and one that I won't soon be forgetting. I think it takes a really well made bad guy to turn the story into something darker and this one definitely does such. Mette writes so beautifully and really engrosses you in a world so magical that it comes alive in the reader's mind. I can't wait to read her latest novel, Tris & Izzie.

This is the third book by Mette Ivie Harrison about the same world. While Chala and Richon are in the story, this book revolves around their daughter Liva. She is more animal than human but can take any form she wants using the aur-magic. The other protagonist of the story, Jens, has no magic whatsoever and has a pretty rotten life. Though he has an affinity for animals without magic, there is little he thinks he can do to help them.

While this book once again focuses on magic in a human society, to me the romance played a bigger role. Liva was raised by two people who had lived more of their life as animals, she doesn't understand the feelings that she and Jens have towards each other. They just aren't logical to her. I am impressed that Jens has the patience to put up with her especially after everything he has been through. I was worried at the end for a while but everything was cleared up, better than I hoped and not in the way I expected.

After I finished reading this book it took a day for me to decide if I liked it as much as I liked the other books. I think one of the reasons why I wasn't sure I liked the book was because this was the first time you meet Liva. THE PRINCESS AND THE HOUND introduces the characters to THE PRINCESS AND THE BEAR. I liked the introduction to the non-human characters before we were actually in their head because it is a little jarring to have characters who have animal behaviors. Jens balances Liva out nicely and after I got over the fact that Liva just didn't think the same way I did, I like everything the story has to offer. I hope that there are more books from this same world, especially since each story is stand-alone.

She is endowed with aur-magic beyond anything anyone has seen before.

He has no magic, and is shunned by his village because of it.

Liva is the daughter of the Hound and the Bear who spent their long lives protecting animal magic and those who hold it. Jens has lived his life being beaten, ignored and persecuted because of his lack of magic. They seem the most unlikely of pairs, but theirs is a love that transcends magic.

Liva must live up to her heritage to protect and save magic, and Jens, who is immune to it, is the only person who can help her. Together, they must track down and stop the Hunter from mutilating and killing other humans with aur-magic.

This is the third installment in Mette Ivie Harrison's Princess trilogy - I don't know the official name. The love story in this was probably my favorite because it came so early on in the book and was not really a surprise to the characters. But as far as story content, I think it was a little lacking from the other books. It was still a beautiful book, and it wasn't as long as the others. That works both for and against it.

Definitely worth reading though.

A hounting,enriching tale.A strong female protagonist,romance and magical adventure.What more can a fantasy story lover can ask?I really loved it.Although I've been told that this was a thirteen year old,or so, story I must say I don't aggree.I've read all three books and I adored them.And I am over thirty!!!!

Even though I have read and enjoyed the previous books, I still found the marriage of the hound and the bear a bit...odd and unsettling. Still, they made better parents than any of the others in the book. Plus, Live got some super sweet powers out of the deal: she can turn into any animal. I so wish I could do that; it would be my childhood dreams come true!

This fantasy novel, much like de Lint's The Painted Boy, is much more about Liva's internal battles than her battle with evil. The final conflict concludes swiftly and anticlimactically, leaving another two chapters in a short book. The focus is on her coming to terms with her humanity. In some sense, the ending reminds me of Kristin Cashore's Graceling, of how dark it is and how everything isn't perfect.

As a consequence of that, the most interesting aspects of the novel were the philosophical. Mette Ivie Harrison's fantasy world clearly reflects the way humans destroy nature, poisoning it and taming it to meet human needs. Her world definitely appeals to me, with the animal languages and the different kinds of magic. What I love about this, although it's a bit preachy, is the message that humans are no better than animals. It has always been a major pet peeve that we humans consider ourselves better than our animal counterparts. So many people claim that we are different from animals, that we aren't animals. Except for the part where we totally are. So, Mette Ivie Harrison, you rock for sharing my (totally correct) opinion. Also, I met her at ALA very briefly and she's a really sweet woman!

I recommend this book to those who enjoyed the previous books in the series. Although this one is not quite as good, it is a short read and thought-provoking. I would not suggest beginning here if you have not read any of the other books, since I think aspects of it would be confusing and off-putting.

Out of the three "The Princess and.." books, this was probably my favorite. Mette Ivie Harrison is a solid storyteller who is able to get you quickly situated into her fantasy world. Her characters are rich and complex, and her setting believable. At times you feel like you are in an alternate medieval Europe.

One thing that is different from the Princess and the Snowbird is the talk of the two different types of magic. This was the one section of the book that kind of felt out of focus for me...mainly because it was not already pre-established in the previous novels. Other than that, it was a haunting, enriching tale that I read from cover to cover in one sitting.

I would like to recommend this book to readers that like to read fantasy and to readers that are 13 or younger. In my opinion this book is a well written book. I also think it is a really good book and would like to acknowledge it to others. I would like the author to write more stories like it. This book may inspire people to read more.