ISBN-13: 9781582349909
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing USA
Published: May 2005
400pp
Anidori-Kiladra Talianna Isilee (Ani) is the Crown Princess of Kildenree. Besides having born with a title, she also has a gift of hearing and understanding the birds, her beautiful horse, Falada and the wind. Ani's mother, the queen doesn't believe in this and wants her to master the gift of people-speaking so she will be able to take over her place one day but Ani isn't interested and doesn't think she has the talents. Feeling disappointed, the queen decides to marry her off to a prince of the next kingdom, Bayern.
So this begins Ani's journey, with a small number of guards and her serving maid, Selia to accompany her. But along the journey, Selia and a few of her cohorts kill her guards so that Selia can take over Ani's place. Ani manages to flee from their grasp, and she finds help in a forest woman named Gilsa who looks after her welfare until she is well enough to continue her journey to Bayern, hoping she will reach before Selia before everything is too late.
However, when she reaches Bayern she is dismayed to find Selia and her gang have already reached the place and Selia has took over her place being the princess. Feeling unsure of her plan and afraid that the King might not believe her tales, Ani becomes a goose herd instead, looking after the King's geese and waiting for a chance to strike. During this time, she has also befriended the children of the forest folk and fell in love with Geric, who claims he is the prince's guard.
But when Selia has taken a way too far by instigating a war between Kildenree and Bayern to hide her treachery, Ani decides she has to do something and to stop the war after telling her real identity to her friends.
The Goose Girl is a beautiful retelling of the Grimm Brothers' fairy tale. I was totally taken away by the story through Shannon Hale's skillful writing and her rich imagination. There is never a boring part as I find the story slowly unfolds before my eyes when flipping through the pages. It is indeed an engrossing read, a wonderful tale filled with adventure, danger, suspense and lots of twists and turns. I hated the story to end when I came to the last page of the story, and it was only after reading the interview with the author that I closed the book with a satisfactory sigh. This will be another keeper and a re-read for me.
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Melody! Stop doing this to me... please... I beg you... You're burning a BIG hole in me pocket... LOL.
Great review and sounds like another great story. I'll wishlist this one for now. (Near broke, I am buying books hahaa!)
I'm glad you enjoyed this one so much :) I was very sad to see the story end too...which was why I ordered the following two in the series right away :P
Bayern?? We just came back from there!
Alice - LOL! We booklovers always do that to one another... good books are meant to share anyway! ;P I hope you'll get this next, because it's really, really worth reading!!!
Nymeth - I LOVE this story!!! This one will be shortlisted for my Book of the Year! I've just ordered Enna Burning and Princess Academy and Book of a Thousand Days, and I'm still looking out for River Secrets though. ;)
Darla - Really? Wow, that's a nice coincidence! I didn't know that there's a real Bayern exists!! ;P
I just read this and reviewed it too giving it 5 as well!
awww I need to read this sooooon!!!
nice review, I'm not familiar with the goose girl fairy tale, but I think I won't read it, so that it'll be completely new for me:)
Book of a thousand days is lovely too.
I think I pretty much have to read this one now. I've read so many good reviews of it!
If I must, I must, Melody... haha!
Rhinoa - It's worth the 5-stars rating!! Absolutely a great read!
Valentina - I hope you'll read this soon! I can't wait to read Book of a Thousand Days!
Kim & Alice - Yep, it's a must read!!! :D
I love the cover of this one as well. I know you shouldn't judge a book by it's cover but an attrative cover does have an impact. Another book to add to my list.
Funny, I just finished The Goose Girl last night and even though I found the beginning a little slow, the last half of the book made up for it! Great review!
What an exciting story and I love that it is based on the Brother's Grimm. Another for the pile!
I couldn't agree with your more, Melody! I didn't want this one to end either! Loved every single word of it.
Alison - Thanks for visiting my blog. :) I love the cover too, and the best thing is the story is a great read!!
Stephanie - Thanks. I'm completely hooked from the beginning till the end. It's both an enchanting and magical story.
Jaimie - I'm glad to hear you'll add this book to your wishlist. It's a must read IMO, hehe. ;)
Debi - I loved everything in this book! I'm definitely looking forward to reading more of Shannon Hale's books in future! :)
I love this one. Shannon Hale is so great. My favorite--if I had to choose--would probably be Book of A Thousand Days.
I hope you enjoy the other Hale books as much. :)
Becky
Hi Becky! Thanks for visiting. :)
I really enjoyed reading this book, and I'm definitely looking forward to read her other books. :D
One of my faves too, Melody! :)
Glad we all have the same thoughts, Bunny. :)