Book Review: Eight Princesses and a Magic Mirror - Natasha Farrant (2019)

Title: Eight Princesses and a Magic Mirror
Author: Natasha Farrant
Duration: 3 hours 4 minutes
Publisher: W.F. Howes, Ltd.
Listen in Storytel

“Mirror, mirror on the wall . . . what makes a princess excellent?” When an enchantress flings her magic mirror into our universe, its reflection reveals princesses who refuse to be just pretty, polite, and obedient. These are girls determined to do the rescuing themselves. Princess Leila of the desert protects her people from the king with the black-and-gold banner; Princess Tica takes a crocodile for a pet; Princess Ellen explores the high seas; Princess Abayome puts empathy and kindness above being royal; and in a tower block, Princess saves her community’s beloved garden from the hands of urban developers.

Connecting these stories is the magic mirror, which reveals itself when each girl needs it most, illuminating how a princess’s power comes not from her title or beauty, but from her own inner strength. These beautifully imagined stories, complemented by vibrant and inviting artwork, offer the pleasure and familiarity of traditional tales with refreshingly modern themes.

***

Eight Princesses and a Magic Mirror is a fairytale anthology retelling about the journey of the magic mirror in search of the excellent princess. I discovered this book through my Storytel recommendations, and I was also looking for an audiobook to listen to.

The Story

"Mirror, mirror on the wall... What makes a princess excellent?"

The enchantress was assigned to be a fairt godmother for the soon to be newborn princess. About one month before the born, the enchantress began to wonder, what's make a princess excellent? Should it be a pretty face? Polite and obedient attitude? Or is there anything else?

When the enchantress tried to ask the magic mirror, the mirror couldn't provide an answer. Therefore, the enchantress sent the magic mirror across time and universe to learn about the eight Princesses. 

My thoughts

I should give a disclaimer because I listen this book as an audiobook. So, there must be a lot of parts that i couldn't catch😉

At the beginning, I'm interested because of the cover. Well, even though everyone told us not to judge a book by its cover, I just couldn't help it. The cover of this book is very pretty. Then, the blurb is also interesting. Therefore, I decided to read it.

As the title said, this book is about the journey of the magic mirror meets the eight princesses. I love how every story have their different vibes. Even though I couldn't catch all of the story, I love how Farrant decided to choose a diverse princess story to be told.

Some people said that the beginning of the story could be omitted, but I think, that prolog gave us the context and tie all of the eight stories. 

The conclusion itself is interesting. The magic mirror said that an excellent princess should be brave and fierce. They also realized that the real strength of all is in their inner self. Empowerment and self love at all cost.

Conclusion

As an anthology of fairytales, this books is interesting to read. Too bad I couldn't enjoy the illustration. 

3.5 stars for the idea and the cover~

Sincerely,
Ra
23.01.08
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