Customer Reviews

The Runaway Princess

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RUNAWAY PRINCESS isn't your grandma's fairy tale. The princess in the tower? Yeah. She has no intention of staying there. And all those witches, bandits and dragons? Misunderstood. Kate Coombs gives us a fresh take on the well-known fairy tale world with clever touches, endearing characters, and unique twists, all adding up to a delightful and entertaining read.

Following closely on the heels of Coombs' lovely debut book THE SECRET KEEPER, RUNAWAY PRINCESS does not disappoint. It's sure to become a favorite of discerning readers everywhere.

This book was awsome! In my English class we had to pick a book for pleasure reading. I choose this one and believe me, it was PLEASURE reading. I couldn't put it down! The characters are so real and you find yourself rooting for them. This book is a clever twist on any fairy tale you've ever known. You'll find yourself laughing out loud and counting down the minutes till you can read it again. The twists, turns and halarious plot and characters make "The Runaway Princess" a must read!

Kate Coombs has done it again! Once again this gifted author takes a fairy-tale world and stands it on its head. Princess Meg stands up to her father and the Kingdom of Greeve will never be the same again. All the ingredients for a delicious romp through a world of wicked witches and fantabulous frogs await those clever enough to pick up this story. A winner!

I've been reading books to place on a summer reading list for my fifth graders. This one is by far my favorite pure fun book. I would highly recommend it to reluctant readers who have to read a longer book. While it's long in page length, the language is definitely easy to comprehend. I could easily see this as a very entertaining movie.... one to which they don't have to take a lot of artistic license like they did with Ella Enchanted. They completely lost the flavor of the book with that movie... but that's another story. The great part about being an elementary teacher is that you get to read books like this! They don't take long at all for an adult to read in this time-crunched world, and they are just as entertaining for us as they are for kids. Enjoy!

When I was a child, I wasn't wild about princesses. They didn't seem to be very active players in any tale; they had bad things happen to them and they waited for a prince to rescue them. Even as a very young girl, that didn't appeal to me. Neither did the stories about them.

This story, however, would have engaged me. The princess gets put into a tower, just as in a lot of the old tales, but she doesn't stay there long. She is in charge of her own destiny right from the get go. But not only does Coombs set the Princess stereotype on its ear, she does the same for witches, dragons, princes, wizards, bandit chieftains, and stubborn, unthinking kings. It's an adventurous romp, and should thrill and engage any child- especially girls who are tired of being cast as ladies in waiting for their prince to come.

The Runaway Princess is a delightful, entertaining story for readers of all ages. My daughter and I read it together and couldn't wait each night to explore the adventures awaiting us. Great job, Kate Combs, we can't wait to read the next one together as well!

Wow! What a great book. The Runaway Princess by Kate Coombs is a fun and exciting read. Meet Princess Margaret (Meg) of Greeve, the princess who didn't want to be a princess, Cam, one of her best friends, and apprentice gardener, and Dilly, Meg's other best friend, who also happens to be her maid. The story begins with Meg's father announcing that whoever rids the land of the three evils, The Dragon, The Witch, and The Bandits, shall win first place, the princess's hand and marriage, and become heir of the Kingdom of Greeve. Obviously, Meg is appalled, and tries furiously to end this long tradition. But, unfortunately her parents refuse, and lock Meg in a tower. This is definitely not the result Meg was looking for, and she wants out! With the help of several helpful persons, such as Cam and Dilly, she gets out. Thus begins the tale of the Runaway princess. Meg must travel the kingdom in hopes to win the contest herself; negotiate with a stubborn witch with a passion for amphibians (and the men they used to be), a baby dragon that comes under her care, a wizard in disguise, several nasty princes, a troop of bandits, and all the while pretend she is still in the tower! This book is similar to books by Gail Carson Levine such as Ella Enchanted, or, Fairest, though maybe for younger readers. I would recommend this book for ages 8-11, above that some of the writing may seem a bit easy to read, and less complex, which is not necessarily a bad thing. I loved this book, and would recommend it to anyone. It is a pleasurable read, one you would open on a rainy day, and not put down until you're done. The writing is enchanting, comical, and very descriptive, though at times it may seem a bit simple. But, the plot is witty and quickly changing. The end is sweet, if not a surprising, definitely not what I expected. As quoted from the end of the book, "Once upon a time, there was a princess who knew she meant for more than twirling her tresses and swooning." Enjoy!

I adored this novel. I have read dozens of books that have redone the classical fairy tale setting, but this is the best one I have ever had the pleasure to open. Coombs has a simple, yet elegant and easy to read writing style. The character interaction is hilarious, and the heroin is very likable and strong. Wonderfully done Kate Coombs! I hope there is a sequel.