The Princess and the Hound

by Mette Ivie Harrison

published

May 1st 2007 by Eos

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binding

Hardcover, 416 pages

isbn

0061131873 (isbn13: 9780061131875)

description

He is a prince, heir to a kingdom threatened on all sides, possessor of the animal magic, which is forbidden by death in the land he'll rule.

...more

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SciFi and Fantasy...: What I am also reading in September	29	94	09/25/2008 11:22AM

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Angie rated it:

06/26/08

Read in June, 2008

Despite the cover (and title), the princess and her hound are not the main characters in this story. The narrative centers instead on a boy named George. Prince George, to be exact. And Prince George possesses a pack of problems. His mother died when he was young, leaving him alone in the world with no siblings to share his grief and a father who knows how to rule a kingdom but understands nothing of how to be a father. On top of which, George has the dubious gift of animal magic. He can speak t...more Despite the cover (and title), the princess and her hound are not the main characters in this story. The narrative centers instead on a boy named George. Prince George, to be exact. And Prince George possesses a pack of problems. His mother died when he was young, leaving him alone in the world with no siblings to share his grief and a father who knows how to rule a kingdom but understands nothing of how to be a father. On top of which, George has the dubious gift of animal magic. He can speak their language and feels most comfortable out in the wild, conversing with the animals, than around humans. Trouble is, animal magic is feared and loathed far and wide in George's world and he quickly determines he must keep his talent a secret if he wishes to live long enough to inherit the throne.

When it comes time for George to do his princely duty and marry to preserve the kingdom, he goes forth to meet his betrothed with a strong sense of duty, if not alacrity, for the task at hand. The Princess Beatrice proves to be a particularly fierce young woman whose life has been as bleak as George's own and who has a few painful secrets of her own to guard, as well as a hound she refuses to be separated from. It's clear to the reader from the moment these two meet that they need each other desperately and would do well to stick together, that is if either of them could see past their own troubles long enough to recognize what's standing right in front of them. Beatrice, however, shows even less interest in the match than George, and the two of them are rarely ever in the same room together long enough to go about the business of getting to know each other. And marriage negotiations aside, there is a truly creepy mystery running throughout the book, to do with a potentially mad doctor moving from kingdom to kingdom bent on revenge.

Yep, it's a recipe for success. And it succeeds...for the most part. I liked the dark, creepy feel that pervaded the majority of the story. This is not a gentle fairy tale, by any means. Characters such as Beatrice's father and the mysterious doctor brought to mind the evil Cabbarus of Westmark fame (never a bad thing), and I liked George's journey from frightened boy to capable ruler. There were a few very poignant scenes, particularly between George and his father, that struck me. I even liked Beatrice, despite how off putting and seemingly lacking in all emotion she was throughout the book. The problem was in the unrealized potential between these two characters who needed each other so badly. Yes, I realize Beatrice's secret made realization a bit difficult on the whole but, when it finally did come out, things wrapped up rather quickly and I couldn't quite buy into the abrupt shift. I felt like they needed more time to cement things between them. And, I will admit, the ramifications of the revelation proved a bit too bizarre even for me to stomach. On the whole, The Princess and the Hound was a complicated and intriguing tale which I felt need a little more refining to smooth out the bumps and cracks along the way....less

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Emily rated it:

04/14/08

bookshelves: dark-ya, fantasy-sci-fi

Read in April, 2008

recommended to Emily by: ltue
recommends it for: fans of Robin McKinley, Gail Carson Levine

I thoroughly enjoyed The Princess and the Hound. It is one of those original fairy tales that sweeps you up into a fantasy land of animal magic and princesses.

Prince George shares a deadly secret with his mother. They have the animal magic. Those with animal magic are burned to death because the people fear them. When George's mother dies because of her magic, George tries to supress his, but it almost kills him, too.

As George grows up, he tries to do everything a king-to-be should do. ...more

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Robin rated it:

03/25/08

Read in March, 2008

recommends it for: anyone who likes fairy tales, but also animals, magic, and court intrigue

This books joins some of my favorite fantasy novels reminiscent of fairy tales (although I believe this one is original), and reminds me strongly of Shannon Hale's Goose Girl series in the language, the character driven journey, and the internal struggle of the characters. This book gets points from me for being about the prince, rather than the princess, and therefore joins the rank...more

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Bonnie Gayle rated it:

12/26/07

bookshelves: fantasy-sf, library-books, reviewed

Read in December, 2007

recommends it for: fans of fairy tale style fantasy

This book ended up being different from what I expected, mainly because, despite the title, the p.o.v. is from a Prince, and not the Princess or the Hound.

NOTE: Don't read further if you haven't read the book, because it is impossible to summarize without giving away more than the jacket description does. So, if you want to read it entirely unspoiled, don't read on!

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Prince George has grown up with a loving, sweet mother, who is different from those around her: she can...more This book ended up being different from what I expected, mainly because, despite the title, the p.o.v. is from a Prince, and not the Princess or the Hound.

NOTE: Don't read further if you haven't read the book, because it is impossible to summarize without giving away more than the jacket description does. So, if you want to read it entirely unspoiled, don't read on!

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Prince George has grown up with a loving, sweet mother, who is different from those around her: she can talk with animals. Prince George discovers that he can talk with animals as well, and the 2 of them spend a blissful few years in their own bubble, despite the fact that animal magic, as their power is known, is banned in fear, and those discovered with it are burned. Because of this, no one knows of their power. When Prince George is young, though, something happens to his mother, which leaves him alone and lonely in the castle, and denying his animal magic, even to himself.

And, in such a way, Prince George grows up. When he is 17, he becomes betrothed to Princess Beatrice, from the kingdom to the south, who he has never met. When he meets her, he finds her to be incredibly cold to everyone around her, except to her beloved hound. The princess and the hound have an unusually tight connection, despite the fact that he can tell she does not have animal magic.

Soon, Prince George discovers that she is someone that he can love, someone who can accept him for who he is, and someone who needs his power as much as he needs hers...but, for any of that to happen, he is going to have to embrace his animal magic. Something he hasn't done in a long time.

A lot of my enjoyment was tampered by the poor editing my library's 1st edition copy had. Not only were there several glaring typos (for example, he takes a walk in the word instead of the wood), there were also a few things that just plain contradicted themselves: George as a child, hearing an owl telling his sad life story, which keeps him up, becomes several times later in the book, "the story his mother told him about the owl". Sir Stephen releases a dove, that later has never been released, and so on. Also, several things were not as fleshed out as they should have been. For example, why did the King never change the laws about animal magic, himself? (MAJOR SPOILER: And, why did the Princess and the hound become so close in a year's time if their situation was forced on them as a way of revenge?) These problems made the book feel like something that could have been much better, had more thought and time been put into it's editing. Hopefully, later editions will have those problems worked out!

Overall, it's a unique fairy tale, from a male's perspective (which is unique in itself), darker than usual, but it would have been better with editing....less

Like this review? yes (1 person liked it)

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Terry rated it:

09/24/08

bookshelves: middle-grade-readers, ya-12-and-up

Read in September, 2008

The Princess and the Hound called to me the minute I pulled it from the envelope. The cover catches your eye, and I found myself setting it face out on a very full bookshelf, glancing (okay, staring at it) as though it were a painting. I am happy to report that the story is as wonderful and as richly detailed as the cover.

In just a few pages, the author carried us back to the Middle Ages; a time when people were judged by their position in life and loyalty to their kingdom. Persons wh...more

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Debbie rated it:

(review of isbn 006113189X)

08/13/08

bookshelves: byu-lds-authors, fantasy-scifi

Read in August, 2008

Despite the girl on the cover and the princess in the title, this book is told from a boy's perspective. George is a prince who, along with his mother the queen, possesses the much-feared-and-thus-hidden animal magic. In him, the magic allows him to talk with animals in their own language. If he lets too much time go by without exercising his magical skill, he gets physically ill. The punishment for anyone found possessing animal magic is death, so George has grown up sneaking around to hide his...more

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thestorysiren rated it:

10/26/08

Read in March, 2008

The Princess and the Hound really starts in the prologue. It tells of the tale of King Richon and the Wild Man. Basically, King Richon is turned into a bear for his misdeeds toward animals by the Wild Man’s possession of animal magic. Since that time the animal magic has been feared, those who posses the traits are killed or must keep their talent hidden forever. Prince George posses the magic as did his mother. He is forced to keep it secret and thus isolates himself.

At the age of sevente...more

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Garrett rated it:

06/03/08

I really enjoyed this book. I read the entire second half in one sitting (it was hit and miss before that as I got into the story - which is why it is not a 10 rating). I even got a bit teary-eyed in a couple places (that's a good thing).

So, let's look at the way the story was put together.

Setting: This was a fairly generic setting of medieval times. Most of the story revolved around the castle and the immediately-surrounding forest. The rest was set in the other kingdom's castle and imm...more I really enjoyed this book. I read the entire second half in one sitting (it was hit and miss before that as I got into the story - which is why it is not a 10 rating). I even got a bit teary-eyed in a couple places (that's a good thing).

So, let's look at the way the story was put together.

Setting: This was a fairly generic setting of medieval times. Most of the story revolved around the castle and the immediately-surrounding forest. The rest was set in the other kingdom's castle and immediately-surrounding forest. There was a bit of the countryside thrown in here and there, but nothing really stood out. The major difference for setting was the animal magic part. The fact that the setting was so bland just highlights this major difference, so that I was focused more on the people and their interactions than with what stuff looked like.

Plot: I went into this thinking that it was a retelling of the Beauty and the Beast story (based on what I'd heard at the LTUE conference earlier this year). However, it was much more than that. And even quite different than that. I saw the whole princess and dog thing from the very start and wondered why the prince didn't pick up on it immediately (by the way, Mette did a good job of fixing this later), but I thought the other plot machinations with the revenge angle was brilliant and I couldn't guess what was happening or would happen.

Conflict: This story had it in spades. I felt that the conflicts were fairly real and appropriate. In fact, I wanted more. Not necessarily more conflict, but more information about why and the character goals and motivations. I also liked how Mette used the various characters to show that solutions are not always perfect for everyone. I can see this story being expanded into a series (although it can certainly stand alone as well).

Characters: We get to meet lots of different kinds of people, who all felt very authentic. This is what made the story for me. I enjoyed the romantic "dance" of the prince and princess, the contrasted relationships of the prince and his parents and the princess and her father, and the community of those with animal magic with each other.

Text: The beginning was a bit slow, for me, and could have used a bit more work, but I never really felt let down or disinclined to read (as I have been with other books - part of the reason that I read 8-10 books at a time). The language was basically transparent, and the story shone through....less

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Jennifer rated it:

05/11/08

bookshelves: trt-reviews

Reviewed by Safia Abdul for TeensReadToo.com

In an enchanted land, Prince George is a young man who has always kept a secret. He, like his mother, was born with the ability to talk to animals, a gift shunned by the rest of the kingdom. In fact, anyone found with the "animal magic" is burned at the stake to get rid of the "evil." When his mother dies, George is left all alone and seeks refuge in his own private world.

Then a marriage arrangement is made with the princes...more

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Dlora rated it:

04/08/08

bookshelves: fantasy

Read in April, 2008

recommended to Dlora by: Tom, April

Prince George is the protagonist of this fantasy. I don't much like the name George, but Mette IVie Harrison changed my aversion to it by the end of the story. I think it says much for her writing skills that she chose a weak name like George and was able to change the connotations of it as her character grew and developed. I grew to love him--and his name.

Briefly, the story line follows Prince George who must learn how to be a king. And that is complicated by having to hide his gift for ani...more

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Sabine rated it:

02/23/08

Read in February, 2008

recommends it for: everyone

The Princess and the Hound by Mette Ivie Harrison is the story of Beauty and the Beast turned upside down and backwards. I had the chance to meet the author last week and she described it as what would happen if the girl was the beast.
The story is told from the POV of Prince George who has grown up his entire life having to hide the fact that he can talk with animals, for admitting to such a crime would bring death. When he finds out that his soon to be bride as a hound that she keeps as a con...more

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Lacey rated it:

06/08/07

Has a copy to sell/swap — Read in June, 2007

recommends it for: no one . . .

This book interested me because it claims to be a "retelling of the Beauty and the Beast story" where "the princess is the beast." But this story had SO little in common with the B&B story that it wasn't really justified being called a retelling. In fact, if I hadn't read that about it, it probably wouldn't have reminded me of B&B at all. And although it's categorized as a "romance," the romantic element took backseat to a lot of unimpressive subplots that d...more

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Gwen the Librarian rated it:

02/02/08

bookshelves: teenbooks

Read in January, 2008

In recent times, animal magic has been outlawed from Prince George's kingdom and other surrounding kingdoms. Those with animal magic are persecuted and sometimes killed. Unbeknownst to his kingdom, Prince George and his mother, the queen, both have animal magic and must fight to keep it hidden and in check in front of their subjects. Denying the animal magic can make them sick, so life is a constant balancing act.

When George is betrothed to Princess Beatrice of a rival kingdom, he fears ...more

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Jennifer Marie rated it:

03/08/08

bookshelves: 2008-book-list, fantasy-sf, romance, young-adult-2008

Read in March, 2008

Review as I go:

So I'm a third into the book and here's my problem - From the description of the book the first 3rd of the story shouldn't be there. I read the description thinking ohhh!!! But then last night I have to read OVER a hundred pages to get the "Prince's" background before the story finally started where I thought we would. Now yes I can understand some background, but I felt like I just had to read a short story before starting the novel. I would have tried to work t...more

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April rated it:

01/27/08

Read in January, 2008

Tom read this book first since I was still finishing another. He REALLY liked it and so I immediately thought that I wouldn't...we don't always have the same taste in books. He prefers robots and spaceships and, well, I don't :-) But, he also really likes struggles for right and wrong and characters growing and trying to do what's best. This book was one of those types of books.

The characters are great and the story is unique with a good amount of fantasy. Yes, it of course has romance and ...more

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Emily Ann rated it:

04/09/08

bookshelves: 2008, children, dogs, fairy-tales, five-stars

Read in April, 2008

This was a quick, compelling, and delightful read. I think it's actually juvenile literature, but the story was a complex enough allegory to keep me interested even if the language was simple.

I think I first learned of it in another book talking about fairy tales (The Witch Must Die, I believe) and the discussion of it was interesting enough that I wanted to read the book.

The story is simple. The prince is kind-hearted and unsure of himself. The princess is slightly ...more

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Sheriforgot rated it:

07/30/08

Read in July, 2008

A bit slow going, but fun. That is, until it takes a turn for the CRAZY 3/4 of the way through! Still interesting, but if you're going to make a book turn so psycho, you really need to clarify what the heck you're talking about. The whole "two people in one" thing was way too vague and on many levels made no sense.

It bugged me how it was obvious that the physician was poisoning the king and only the prince seemed to be catching on. Kind of dumb.

Also, with the queen dying ...more

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Tracie rated it:

09/25/07

bookshelves: middle-school

Read in September, 2007

recommends it for: MS+

Prince George has the feared and forbidden animal magic which he must keep hidden or risk being burned at the stake. After his mother dies, he and his father try to repair their distant relationship as George is groomed to become the next king. They find a workable companionship, but do not become close until his father takes ill and George is betrothed to Princess Beatrice from a neighboring kingdom. Beatrice herself is a strange, aloof woman with a hound that is her constant companion. ...more

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Marianne rated it:

05/10/08

Read in May, 2008

recommends it for: fantasy lovers

I liked this book more than I thought I would. The beginning was a bit slow, but I found myself pulled into the story. The title of this book is misleading. It is more about a prince than the princess and the hound- how he becomes a man worthy to be king and how he and his princess fall in love. It isn't your regular romantic story, though. Their love is truly tested. The book was very surprising, not just in its plot. I was surprised how much I enjoyed it. This book is worth giving a tr...more

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Sara rated it:

10/18/08

Read in October, 2008

This book is an interesting take on the typical fairy tale. Centered not around "the princess and the hound" but around young Prince George. I found the relationships in the book believable and interesting. The introduction of the concept of 'animal magic' is unique. The language is quite beautiful. It was a bit slow in parts but all in all a fun fantasy read. An excellent choice for anyone who likes books by Gail Carson Levine or Shannon Hale.
*I am writing to revise a bit of my ...more

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