Red Hood's Revenge (PRINCESS NOVELS) [Mass Market Paperback]

Jim C. Hines (Author)

Book Description

Release date: July 6, 2010 | Series: PRINCESS NOVELS (Book 3)

Wars may end. But vengeance is forever.

Roudette's story was a simple one. A red cape. A wolf. A hunter. Her mother told her she would be safe, so long as she kept to the path. But sometimes the path leads to dark places. Roudette is the hunter now, an assassin known throughout the world as the Lady of the Red Hood. Her mission will take her to the country of Arathea and an ancient fairy threat. At the heart of the conflict between humans and fairies stands the woman Roudette has been hired to kill, the only human ever to have fought the Lady of the Red Hood and survived-the princess known as Sleeping Beauty.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Starred Review. The third of Hines's reimagined princess tales (after The Stepsister Scheme and The Mermaid's Madness) transcends its predecessors with exciting combat scenes and emotionally complex characters. Warrior princess Talia (Sleeping Beauty) killed the prince who raped her while she slept, and then fled the desert land of Arathea. When the prince's mother sends infamous shape-shifting assassin Roudette (Red Riding Hood) after her, Roudette, Talia, and fellow princess-adventurers Danielle (Cinderella) and Snow (Snow White) make an uncomfortable alliance against the real enemies: the capricious fairy powers who have kept Arathea under their control for over a hundred years. Far more than a modernized retelling, Hines's work is a real synthesis of cultural tropes into a unique world that is worth visiting again and again.
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About the Author

Jim C. Hines has been a paid juggler, earned a black belt in two different marital arts, performed yo-yo tricks at the top of the Eiffel Tower, and lived with a brain-damaged squirrel. (Only three of those are true.) One of his earliest stories earned first place in the Writers of the Future contest. He’s published more than forty short stories as well as numerous fantasy novels, including the humorous Jig the Dragonslayer trilogy, the Princess series, which re-imagines traditional fairy-tale princesses as butt-kicking action heroines, and the Magic Ex Libris series, about a centuries-old secret society dedicated to the use and control of book magic. In 2012, he won the Hugo for Best Fan Writer. Jim lives in Michigan with his wife, two children, and an unstable number of pets. He can be found online at www.jimchines.com.

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: DAW (July 6, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0756406080
• ISBN-13: 978-0756406080
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 4.2 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (25 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #312,113 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Jim C. Hines' latest book is LIBRIOMANCER, a modern-day fantasy about a magic-wielding librarian, a dryad, a secret society founded by Johannes Gutenberg, a flaming spider, and an enchanted convertible. He's also the author of the PRINCESS series of fairy tale retellings as well as the humorous GOBLIN QUEST trilogy. His short fiction has appeared in more than 40 magazines and anthologies. Jim lives in Michigan with his wife and two children. He's currently hard at work on CODEX BORN, the second book in the MAGIC EX LIBRIS series. Online, he can be found at http://www.jimchines.com.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Truly unique and completely enjoyable July 8, 2010

By SciFiChick TOP 1000 REVIEWERVINE™ VOICE

Format:Mass Market Paperback

Roudette may be known as "Little Red Riding Hood," but her innocence was taken when she saw her grandmother brutally murdered by the Hunt. Now, Roudette is a deadly assassin. Her latest mission lands her in the presence of three legendary princesses - Danielle, Talia, and Snow (also known as Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, and Snow White respectively). The princesses go in search of the person who sent Roudette. But their journey leads them to Arathea, Talia's former home - where she's still wanted for murdering the prince who woke her.

The princesses have all gone through various changes in the past couple books. Danielle is now a mother. Snow was in a serious accident where her head was damaged, which has been affecting her magical abilities. And Snow now knows of Talia's unrequited feelings for her, which brings awkwardness to their friendship. Despite their shortcomings, the ladies continue to kick butt and hold their own against the deadliest of enemies.

More dramatic than previous installments, this latest story revolves mainly around Talia and Roudette, bringing to light more of their dark and horrible pasts. But that doesn't mean the adventure is lacking. There's plenty of the suspense and action that make this fantasy series great. Hines' princess heroines from fairy tale lore are truly unique and completely enjoyable from start to finish. I can't wait to see what comes next from this highly talented fantasy author. His Goblin series remains one of my favorites to this day.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Quick, but good July 12, 2010

By Aile

Format:Mass Market Paperback

A quick read, but worth buying. I enjoyed the ongoing tension between Snow and Talia. Roudette is a fascinating character because, in many ways, she is what Talia could have become had she not had the network she found after waking up.

I am continuing to enjoy Danielle's arc. She has grown up so much over the books. In this volume we see how she integrates the person she's become with her marriage and motherhood. I like that, unlike in some novels, there isn't a switch between being awesome and being a wife/mother. Instead the two support one another, making her a well-rounded and great character.

I was uncertain about this series after reading the first book, but the story just keeps getting better.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars This series just grows stronger October 20, 2010

By Steven Saus

Format:Mass Market Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

[Full disclosure: I personally know Jim C. Hines and have worked with him in the past.]

Red Hood's Revenge is the third in Jim Hines' "Princess Novels". I used to describe this series as "Charlie's Angels meets Disney Princesses, but with plot." I'm not sure I'm going to be able to do that anymore - simply because this series has grown strong enough that such comparisons don't do justice to Jim's books.

Sure, the three main characters - Danielle, Talia, and Snow - are based on Cinderella, Snow White, and Sleeping Beauty. But they - just as with Roudette (Red Riding Hood) - are not the saccharine helpless maids marketed by the mouse. They are fully realized characters set in a rich world of thier own. Red Hood's Revenge is inspired by these fables the same way that O Brother Where Art Thou is inspired by the Odyessy. Familiar elements (a red cloak, a spell of sleeping) show up, but in a fully imagined original world.

I cannot recommend Jim's books strongly enough. They are a great blend of epic fantasy elements with fully realized characters and setting, while dodging the problems (and weight) of a typical fantasy epic.

One small note: Issues of sexuality and romance are addressed in this book. The action takes place "offscreen", so to speak. If it were a movie, I'd rate it PG, and I'm comfortable with my 12-year-old reading it.