A retelling twist-up inspired by the Princess Bride is precisely what you need to be reading during these crazy pandemic days. Let yourself be whisked into the Kingdom of Sand and Sky. When King Sendoa mysteriously dies, his daughter Princess Armarande of Ardenia (love that alliteration) is compelled by law to get married or lose the crown. She is only sixteen, so this proves to be trying to both accept as her father trained her to fight, not a figurehead.
The plot soon picks up speed and becomes precisely what fans of The Princess Bride enjoy: a journey to save her true love Luca filled with adventure and swordplay!

This was a fun one for the YA reader in your world.

The Princess Will Save You is a young adult fantasy romance by Sarah Henning. The Princess Will Save You is based on a gender swapping re-imagining of The Princess Bride, which is an absolutely fantastic and classic movie. If you have not yet watched The Princess Bride, you need to watch it immediately. Knowing it was a re-imagining of one of my favorite movies growing up was all I needed to know to get instantly super pumped for The Princess Will Save you. And I knew I was right to be excited- I loved this book!

In The Princess Will Save You, we meet our main character Princess Amarande, who sets off to save her true love- Luca. I don’t even know how to adequately convey how much and how deeply I loved Amarande. She is everything I want in a main character, fierce loyal and has a mind of her own. She is awesome! She is not afraid to take charge. And while there is an epic rescue quest plotline, throughout the book there is plenty of scheming, secrets and new twists and turns that unfold. I can’t wait to see how some of them get resolved in the next book. I love that Sarah Henning was able to thoroughly surprise me with some of the events.

While you might think it is inconceivable that this book would live up to the movie, it totally does. It has all the elements that fans of the movie will love- great swords man ship and fighting scenes, a sweeping romantic love, and fiercely brave characters. However; the book still manages to be it’s own story. This is not just a regurgitation of The Princess Bride, and I loved that Sarah Henning made the tale her own. I can’t wait to see what is going to happen next in this duology. I do know one thing though, I am sure it will be over too soon. I loved this book, and while I am ready for more, I am not ready for this story to end. The Princess Will Save You will be a book that I re-read several times over. I loved this fantasy romance, and I think you will too (whether or not you have watched the movie.) This was an awesome story!

4.5/5 gavels

This one pulled me in from the start. I immediately was swept away into the Kingdom of Sand and Sky. This one is a Princess Bride gender-bent retelling that is perfect for fans of YA fantasy.

The Princess Will Save You definitely pulls most of the plot from The Princess Bride, but that really didn't bother me. I knew what to expect and gave a perfect opportunity to emphasize the love between Ama and Luca.

I also enjoyed seeing a fresh cast of characters. I loved all of the side characters and can't wait to read more about them in the next book. Henning also does a great job of writing the villains. Instead of a love-to-hate, we get a Joffrey level hatred.

Overall, The Princess Will Save You is a fast-paced, action-packed, addictive romance great for fans of retellings.

While we all know and love the classic movie – and novel! – The Princess Bride, one of the things that’s easy to ask ourselves is: What would happen if Buttercup was the one who got to do all the adventuring?

That’s basically the gist of Sarah Henning’s The Princess Will Save You, a novel that’s simultaneously a Princess Bride homage and its own adventure tale. (Plus, have you seen this gorgeous cover? Swoon!)

It follows the story of Princess Amarande of Ardenia, a smart, kindhearted, and capable fighter who’s been raised by her warrior father to be the opposite of a diminishing wallflower. But when King Sendoa dies unexpectedly, her life is turned upside down.
Because despite how freethinking her father may have been in life, he never actually go around to changing the laws of succession, and if Ama wants to claim her rightful role as queen, she must marry first. Ama, naturally, doesn’t think she needs to ally herself with a man to lead her kingdom and refuses to do so. Instead, she chooses to take her case to the people and attempt to prove that she deserves to rule in her own right.

But when a political rival kidnaps the family stableboy – and Ama’s childhood friend – Luca in an attempt to force her to marry the prince of their choice, the princess realizes two things. One, she’s desperately in love with this boy who is also her best friend. And, two, she’s more than capable of getting him back herself.

Ama’s search for Luca is both exciting and exhilarating, as she learns much about who she is and what she wants. (And how sheltered her life has been, both in terms of her own experiences and what she understands about the world around her.) As she traverses some of the most dangerous parts of the continent on the hunt for her true love, Ama will find herself pushed to the limits of her strength and smarts, and forced to make some difficult choices along the way.

As heroines go, Ama is instantly likable: Fierce, kind-hearted, yet still willing to sacrifice anything for the things she cares about. Plus, though she has plenty of strengths, Henning doesn’t fall into the trap of making her a perfect character, and Ama makes plenty of mistakes and poor decisions along the way. But she’s also a fighter, and I can’t wait to see where the journey takes her in the next installment in this series.

Fair warning: There’s one segment toward the end of the novel that piles on the Princess Bride references with a trowel, so much so that it’s difficult to get through without laughing. I mean, I love the original book/film more than most people, but still really could have done without such a direct, multi-chapter recreation of the Pit of Despair scene. Particularly when it didn’t really advance the story in any meaningful way.

That said, Ama manages to gather her own unique cast of supporting characters around her and ends up with an appealing set of mysteries to solve. Who was her father, really? What was his real relationship with the Warlord? And why did he – a man who always planned ahead – fail to figure out a way to give his daughter the very power he spent his life training her to wield?

Still, the most interesting part of The Princess Will Save You isn’t how closely it mirrors the beats of William Goldman’s famous story. It’s what’s going to come afterward. Because this is the first book in a series, and it ends at what is both a very familiar and unfamiliar point.

As you’ve probably guessed, the title is true – Ama does manage to save her love, in true swashbuckling style. But she also learns some difficult and painful truths about the father she loved, and the kingdom she’s set to rule along the way, How she will respond to those things is the true question of the story, and what makes the prospect of a sequel so exciting. (In some ways, more exciting than this novel, a fun time though it was.)

Because, after all, we know the ending of The Princess Bride. But what about what comes after? What happens after the rescuing’s done and true love’s declared?

I can’t wait to find out.

Thank you for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

"If people are tired by the sound of your voice, they no longer hear you."

When I read the description for this book I instantly wanted to read it! I have actually never seen the princess bride, so I was interested to see how it would pan out. I really enjoyed it! It was just the book I needed for fun, summer, fantasy reading with a touch of nostalgia. I thought the characters were really well developed and I really liked the general idea of the book. But somewhere in the middle I sort of lost interest in the story. And I think for me personally I really like a romance driven fantasy story. While the romance between Princess Amarande and Luca was the main plotline, it was done in a way where it felt more like a side plotline. I had originally been worried this book would just be another same old lovey dovey princess fantasy that I've read a hundred times before, but it really wasn't at all. Anyway! I thought it was great! I'd recommend it to YA readers!

Amarande is a princess trained by the king, her father and his second in command, Koldo to be a capable adversary. But all her training has been hypothetical and fully controlled until now. Her father has been killed and the murderer is one of the suitors coming to claim her hand. Since she is not permitted to rule the kingdom as a woman, she must marry a prince to keep her kingdom from being overtaken. Amarande’s love, best friend, and stable boy Luca is stolen as an incentive for Amarande to marry Prince Renard. But what the pirates who stole him do not know is that the princess will save him.
Being a fan of the Princess Bride I do see some similarities to that story but I feel that The Princess will Save You has a refreshing protagonist and many new elements that really add to a new story that only slightly resembles The Princess Bride.
With Amarande being so headstrong and capable its refreshingly nice to have a girl who is not relying on a man to save her. In fact, she insists on being able to rule the kingdom as her blood right and not because she can marry to a prince who can rule for her. While she loves Luca, she does not see a need to marry him.
I was very inspired by the differing kingdoms and scenery throughout the story. Going from desert to chilly mountains. All the places and different people and their different attire kept my mind spinning with new imagery.
I really enjoyed this book and it kept me entertained throughout with all the fighting and strategy. As well as the many different dangers and people all working on sides that changed as their needs did. This created so many twists and possibilities as the story continues. I cannot wait to read the next in the series.

This book was a retelling of 'The Princess Bride. In the original, my favorite character was Inigo Montoya, corresponding to in this book my favorite character, Ula, the fencer,. The book mirrored a few of the characters, but the rest of it wasn't really a good representation. For one thing, it was missing the humor that permeated The Princess Bride.
The retelling also didn't really start until the last quarter. The first 75% could be any generic YA fantasy and didn't really remind me of 'The Princess Bride.' But the last part was so similar to it that I believe some of the lines are quoted from the movie/book.
Also, the world seemed completely unexplained. It took place in a kingdom, with multiple different rulers that were represented by animals, but a lot of the events that happened in this world went unexplained and didn't really add to the plot at all. And many of the political events that took place moved slowly and took away from the princess's quest.

But what I found most difficult was the main character, Amarande. She had absolutely NO personality whatsoever. Her basic mantra was 'I'm going to fight and do whatever it takes to save Luca,' and we never really learned what she was like on her own. I found any chapter that centered around her to be lacking, because it didn't really feel like I was reading about an actual human with emotions and interests of her own.
The one aspect of this book that I thoroughly enjoyed was the part about the kidnappers, specifically Ula. Each of the kidnappers seemed to have a personality, and seemed to each have their own ideas and thoughts. Most of the chapters centering around them I actually enjoyed. Overall, I feel like most of this was like a typical YA fantasy, but without a relatable protagonist.

Princess Amarande, daughter of the great Warrior King of Ardenia, was raised to be a fighter. But after the sudden, unexpected death of her father, she finds herself trapped by the patriarchal laws of the continent of Sand and Sky. In order to take the throne, she must be married first, a law that will never be changed with the three neighboring kings eyeing her as a means to increase their own power. Then Luca, the stable boy who owns her heart, is kidnapped. According to the note left behind, Amarande will never see him alive again, unless she marries the king of Pyrenee. Determined to take charge of her life, Amarande sets off on a dangerous quest across the Torrent, a lawless desert ruled by a dangerous and mysterious Warlord, in order to save the boy she loves.

There are few things I love more than a story about a Princess who gets shit done, and Princess Amarande of Ardenia is certainly one of those characters. She’s smart, determined, and knows how to handle a sword or two. And she’s willing to sacrifice everything for love. Even though Amarande and her love interest Luca were each compelling characters in their own right, I wasn’t quite sure why they were so in love with each other.

I think that this problem actually stems from the story’s source material. The Princess Will Save You is very loosely inspired by William Goldman’s The Princess Bride. When I say loosely, I mean that if this fact hadn’t been part of the book’s marketing I probably would not have picked up on it. When something is compared to The Princess Bride I always expect humor to be involved. While this book wasn’t totally serious it also wasn’t laugh-out-loud funny. That didn’t keep me from enjoying the story, but it was certainly a disappointment for a lot of the die-hard Princess Bride fans on goodreads.

I’ve never read The Princess Bride, but the movie is an all-time favorite of my friend Cassidy, so I’m pretty familiar with the story. The romance between Wesley and Buttercup isn’t something that is built up over the course of the narrative. The audience is told that they’ve known each other for years and fell for each other slowly, but by the time the story begins, their love for each other is just an established truth within the universe. Considering that Amarande and Luca are apparently based off of Buttercup and Wesley, it's unsurprising that their love is treated as a fact. However, I couldn’t quite figure out why they were so in love. Most of the plot relied on them being separated, which means we didn’t get too many scenes with them interacting to help us figure it out. Because of this, it did feel a little bit like the reader was just supposed to take Henning’s word for it when it came to exactly what made these two love each other.

There were several side characters that I found super intriguing who were kind of ignored throughout the story in favor of Amarande and her quest. I’m not sure if this was a true weakness of the story, or if I’m just too much of a sucker for a group dynamics. Reading about one character journeying on their own just isn’t my cup of tea. I got super excited near the end of the book because teamwork was finally happening. One of the reasons I’m looking forward to book two is because it seems like we’re going to see some exploration of these new relationships.

One thing I did really enjoy was the political element of this fantasy world. Amarande faces obstacles throughout the story that wouldn’t even be an issue for a male protagonist. She can’t be a ruler in her own right simply based upon the fact that she’s a girl. And although it is possible for those laws to be changed, the rulers of the three other kingdoms see her more as a bargaining chip than a legitimate ruler. Her enemies are politically more powerful than her, but she makes up for it by being a cunning strategist and warrior. But in order to succeed she’s going to have to learn how to maneuver within this world of male-oriented political power, something her father failed to teach her amongst all the sword training.

Overall I really enjoyed The Princess Will Save You. It was an incredibly fast-paced, fun fantasy read. Amarande is a strong female protagonist who could kick ass, who was often relatably overwhelmed by her seemingly impossible situation, but who kept fighting anyway. And even though I wasn’t quite sure what made her and Luca fall for each other, I still loved their “Soft Boy who will follow the Kickass Girl to the ends of the earth” dynamic. And the ending left me totally ready to jump into book two, which unfortunately doesn’t seem to have a pub date released yet. If you’re a fan of political intrigue, dangerous quests, and the true love trope in fantasy then I think you’ll enjoy The Princess Will Save You as much as I did.

Princess Amarande's father just died, which normally means she'd ascend to the throne, but without a husband, she's not able to rule. So, the kingdom's councilors decide to try to find her a husband and neighboring nations, sensing vulnerability, start to position their armies at the border. Of course, the council finds the meanest and most abusive potential mates, and when one of them orchestrates the kidnapping of Amarande's true love, a stable boy named Luca, Amarande knows it's time to fight back.

This is apparently a The Princess Bride retelling, but for the most part, that's pretty subtle for the first 80% of the book or so. I didn't read this title originally because I love The Princess Bride. I've seen the movie approximately 50,000 times. I've read the book probably more than 10 times (although not recently). I figured there was no way this book could live up to that one, but was convinced to read the book by the lovely folks at Tor at a recent conference and I was intrigued by the gender swapping aspect. But I should've stuck with my first inclination - The Princess Bride this was not.

Look, this book isn't bad or anything. It's very quickly paced, and there is some character development (some) which is more than you can say for many YA fantasy novels that have been published in the last year or so. But the thing is, it's not funny. One of the best parts of The Princess Bride is that it's satirical. It's hilarious. It has a clever, delightful, sometimes acerbic wit. This book has none of that. My other favorite bit about The Princess Bride is it's inventiveness - the Zoo of Death (book only, kids!), the Fire Swamp, the R.O.U.S.s, and the Dread Pirate Roberts all add a unique flavor to the book and movie that this book just didn't have - the most you get here are some extremely venomous snakes. Not exciting.

Ultimately, this book is fine. But if one sets out to retell The Princess Bride, one must be cool with having the retelling compared to original, and by that metric, this book comes up extremely short. 2 stars - it was ok.

Thanks to Netgalley and Tor Teen for the eARC, which I received in exchange for an unbiased review. The Princess Will Save You is available now - put your copy on hold today!

I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review

My Rating: 3.5 Stars

WHY DID NOBODY TELL ME THIS WAS A DUOLOGY? Could I have done my research and discovered for myself that there was another book to this series? Well, yes. Did I? Nope. So now I’m sitting here fighting the urge to beg Tor Teen for an ARC of the second book even though the title and cover have yet to be revealed. Make better choices, Erin.

For the most part, I really enjoyed this book! While it wasn’t an all consuming, I’ll die now if I don’t continue reading kind of book, it was overall a great read. I liked both Luca and Amarande, as well as the majority of the side characters. The villain(s) were sufficiently evil and intriguing and I definitely feared for the lives of our characters at multiple points throughout the book.

Now, before my fellow millennials come at me…I’ve only seen The Princess Bride once in my entire life so I can’t speak to the similarities, but I hear that overall they were relatively minor? Read other reviews for a more comprehensive recap of movie vs book if that’s what you’re looking for.

There were a couple of things that took some getting used to. First of all, the main characters are already in love when this story begins, eliminating any and all angst. While their romance was cute, I really missed that heart pounding tension that I typically get from a really wonderful romance. Now, I understand that the book was written this way to reflect the movie plot, but I felt as though I was missing something.

Additionally, the lack of a map was a bummer! (Yes, I did check the finished copy for a map. No dice) I would have liked one to reference as I was getting to know and understand the world. There were also some POV changes that were rather jarring and unexpected. I thought the book would be in Ama’s point of view given how it started and the fact that there were no chapter headers. However, the POV would change at random intervals thought the book with no indication. I want to say there were at least six different POVs by the end of the novel. While for the most part these changes in narration added to the story, they were nonetheless unexpected and a touch jarring.

All of this being said, I definitely plan to pick up the sequel and am honestly tempted to check out Sarah Henning’s other duology. Thank you to Tor Teen for this galley!

If you loved The Princess Bride, and are looking for a more serious take on it as well as feminist, this is going to be the one you pick up. Sarah Henning has such a way with telling a story, and I have picked up most of her books because I love the worlds she creates. This one is no different. The romance itself isn't too mushy, but very straightforward, which worked for this story. There are several aspects that you can note that make it reminiscent of The Princess Bride.

Initial Thoughts

I was super excited to get my hands on a copy of this book. Tagged as a “gender bent Princess Bride retelling”, the story sounded so up my alley. Also, despite my feelings about the ending of the first book, I really liked Sarah Henning’s Sea Witch duology.

Some Things I Liked

The feeling of narration. Like the Princess Bride movie, the story read like someone was narrating a story and I really enjoyed that aspect. Normally, I prefer first person narration but this felt right for the type of story.
The romance. It wasn’t messy or confusing and there were no love triangles. It was true love plain and simple.
The realism in the political plot as well as the betrayals. There are some heavy themes in this book and I thought they paired well with the idea of true love and rescues. Princess Amarande and Luca have both had hard lives in very different ways but I loved that their problems didn’t weigh them down. Furthermore, Amarande was ready to do whatever it took to get Luca back.

One Thing I Wasn’t Crazy About

I found the story insanely predictable. I had literally guessed who everyone was, their relationships, and the repercussions of those relationships less than 50 pages in. I wish I had been surprised a bit more.

Series Value

I would definitely keep reading this series. I like the plot and the characters and I am eager to know more. I do not feel like this book merits re-reading come the release of subsequent sequels, however. The details were rich but not so much so that I can’t remember the plot well enough.

Final Thoughts

I enjoyed this book. I think it’s my favorite of Sarah Henning’s stories. It paid homage to a classic story and had a good storyline. I’d keep reading and am eager to see more of Sarah Henning’s ideas in the future.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Recommendations for Further Reading

Sea Witch by Sarah Henning – if you liked the writing style and are interested in another retelling with a twist by Sarah Henning, try this duology.
Roar by Cora Carmack – if you liked the idea of runaway princesses and royals who would do anything to save their loved ones, try this series.
Caraval by Stephanie Garber – if you liked the idea of true love as a powerful form of magic, try this series.

Thank you Netgalley and publisher for the arc!

This was definitely a different and refreshing take on your typical YA fantasy. Anyone familiar with the Princess Bride will recognize the inspiration in The Princess Will Save You.

While fun and entertaining I did feel as though something was lacking during my read through. However, I did just finish reading so I will be posting a more concise review later when my thoughts are all sorted out.

For now I give the following rating: 3.6/5

I always love fantasy novels with a strong female main character and this book did not disappoint. I loved the balance between Amarande alternately kicking butt and receiving assistance throughout the action of the novel. It was refreshing that she was strong and capable, but also human. The Princess Bride references/similarities were smart and enjoyable.

𝗙𝗔𝗩𝗢𝗨𝗥𝗜𝗧𝗘 𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗥𝗔𝗖𝗧𝗘𝗥𝗦: Ula, Amarande and Luca. ⁣⁣
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𝗙𝗔𝗩𝗢𝗨𝗥𝗜𝗧𝗘 𝗔𝗦𝗣𝗘𝗖𝗧𝗦: I never watched the Princess Bride (shocking I know!) but I was instantly intrigued by this story. I loved the idea of a gender-bent retelling with a strong female as the lead for once. ⁣⁣
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Amarande was a brilliant female lead. I loved her character from the very beginning, she was strong and powerful. The vulnerability she showed was to the ones she loved, basically just Luca. ⁣⁣
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Their romance was fluff and sweet, Luca was such a cinnamon roll. It was interesting reading a book where the relationship is pretty much established, I usually read ones where there is development in the beginning. It was a nice change to read. ⁣⁣
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The plot twists kept me going. I thought this was a stand-alone. Needless to say the ending left my gasping for more. There were parts in the book where I was asking for depth and more but knowing it’s a series, I can’t wait to see how the rest of this world built and unfolds. ⁣⁣
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𝗥𝗘𝗖𝗢𝗠𝗠𝗘𝗡𝗗𝗘𝗗 𝗙𝗢𝗥: readers looking for their next Princess story.

The Princess Will Save You is a gender-bent Princess Bride with some differences. I’ve read The Princess Bride recently, and to be honest, I liked this version so much more.

Princess Amarande is the only child of widowed King Sendoa, and has been raised side by side with her best friend and stable boy, Luca. Her father dies while out patrolling with his most trusted confidante, General Koldo. After his funeral, Princess Ama must choose a prince from a neighboring kingdom to marry, otherwise she cannot rule. Luca is kidnapped while Ama is meeting with a potential suitor, and Ama suspects that it is to blackmail her into choosing one of them. She sneaks out of the castle and embarks on a journey to rescue the stable boy that she has only just begun to admit she has feelings for.

I know I’ll have some that disagree, but I thought this take on The Princess Bride was superior to the original tale. The main complaint I’ve noticed is that is is not funny at all. It might not have had the subtle humor, but it did have:
A badass, capable, and intelligent heroine
An adorable cinnamon roll love interest that supports and loves the heroine just as she is
Multi-dimensional villains
Strong, powerful women
Action and adventure
Romance
Twists and turns, backstabbing and treachery

This book may be more serious than the original, but it has so much more depth. I really love the movie version of The Princess Bride, but the book was just meh. The Princess Will Save You gave me all the feels, and I will forever recommend it over the original.

I received an advanced reader copy of this book from Netgalley in return for my honest opinions and review.

I LOVED Sea Witch, so I was thrilled to try a new adventure from Sarah Henning, especially because The Princess Bride is one of my favorite movies. I ended up really enjoying this novel, and I think you all will find reading it a delightful way to spend an afternoon.

I was drawn to The Princess Will Save You by its promise of high stakes adventure, and it did not disappoint! Half the book had me with my heart in my throat, and after the first couple of chapters I didn’t want to put it down. I basically tore through it in two sittings, and at 368 pages it’s a medium sized read.

There’s no magic in the story currently, but royal politics and intrigue abound because of the Land of Sand and Sky’s division between kingdoms. I love royalty YA, so I was totally prepared for this one. The back-alley dealings of rogue princes and the intentions of our heroine princess to keep her crown are nothing new to YA per se, but the fact that this is a Princess Bride retelling (with all the complications of the original, minus the humor to my dismay) kept enough originality and I was never bored.

Amarande’s quest to rescue Luca and gain her throne is understandable, and I became so angry on her behalf for the lack of agency allowed to her by the patriarchal customs of her continent. This is the easiest way to infuriate me, so no wonder I was on Amarande’s side so quickly. I do feel that she could have used a bit more victory in the book though. She won a few of her battles, but I wish I could feel like Amarande had gained more by the end of the story. To my current understanding, this is a duology, so… can’t she have a little win or two?

The duology point brings me to the fact that I didn’t realize that this is the first book in a series when I started it, so I totally wasn’t expecting that ENDING!! It’s cliffhanger time, y’all! I was totally shocked when I turned the page and there was no next chapter, especially because I haven’t read a book with a cliffhanger ending in ages. I will absolutely be reading the next book, and I eagerly await any news on it.

Overall, I give The Princess Will Save You 4/5 stars—it’s perfect for any fantasy reader, even if you haven’t seen The Princess Bride. If you have, you’ll get to smile at a few more references and understand some of the plot's inspiration.

In this gender-swapped version of The Princess Bride, sixteen-year-old Princess Amarande “Ama” of Ardenia finds herself in a tough position when her father dies suddenly. With the laws of succession, Amarande can’t ascend to the throne unless she marries, but putting down her foot, she states that her advisors cannot barter her off without her consent and signature. Amarande’s world changes when her constant companion and unexpressed love interest, Luca is stolen away, a blackmail note stating that Amarande must marry Renard of the neighboring kingdom of Pyrenee to get Luca back unharmed. Deciding to take matters into her own hands, Amarande ignores the missive and sets out into the untamed lands of the Torrent to rescue Luca. While there, Amarande finds more than she bargained for, and as secrets long hidden come to light, they threaten to change the very power structure of the kingdoms of the Sand and Sky forever.

When I started reading The Princess Will Save You, I actually didn’t know that it was billed as a gender-swapped version of The Princess Bride. What drew me to this novel initially was the feminist title and Charlie Bowater’s beautiful cover. From there, I was pretty much hooked from the first chapter. After finishing Sarah J. Maas’ Throne of Glass series late last year, I’ve had a bit of a hangover, waiting for a book that struck a similar tone with a strong heroine who isn’t afraid to speak her mind while showing a tender side with those she loves. Sarah Henning offered both these ingredients and much more.

As the protagonist, Amarande was an excellent character. Trained by her father and his best military commander, General Koldo, who also happens to be a woman, Amarande is fierce and knows her way around a blade. Growing up with the orphaned Luca, the two train obsessively, to the point where they know how the other person thinks and moves. As they encounter many obstacles while traveling over the kingdoms of the Sand and Sky, this knowledge saves them on multiple occasions. Amarande also offers pointed verbal barbs at chosen targets, such as when she refused to be sold by the council to the highest bidder and stood up at her father’s funeral stating that any prince or king wishing to marry her must have her consent, all of which had me cheering. Yet in creating a character like Amarande, author’s always run the risk of making them without flaws. Henning avoided this by showing how Amarande’s training had fallen short, particularly when she was in the harsh lands of the Torrent with little sleep, little food, and potentially fatal encounters. All of these were theoreticals that Amarande had trained for but had never experienced and it allowed her the ability to be imperfect as she grappled with how to overcome the gaps in her training.

Given the title, another aspect of the novel that had to work was the love story between Amarande and Luca. Henning found a beautiful balance between being believable and sappy. Growing up together, the reader is able to witness the fact that both characters have been raised in the castle under the same tutelage and now in their adolescence are grappling with feelings that have been left unsaid. Though they have not explicitly talked about their feelings, everyone around them seems to be able to see the potential in their relationship, which, of course, results in Luca being used as blackmail. As their journey takes them to different lands, Amarande and Luca find ways to finally express their feelings and consider how an orphan and a princess might chart a path together.

Utilizing the third-person omniscient point of view, the reader is treated to many different perspectives, including several other women who play various roles in the novel. Though not all of the women get their own dedicated chapters, General Koldo, Ula, Osana, and the Dowager Queen Inés all play significant roles in pushing the narrative forward. All imbued with their own power, they offer the proof that Amarande seems to be looking for that women can claim their own kingdom and agency despite the laws of the Sand and Sky.

Overall, I loved The Princess Will Save You. Though I guessed the reveals in the last chapter, the epilogue left me reeling, and I’m certainly on board for the sequel in order to find out the fate of all the characters.

Touted as a gender-reversed reimagining of "The Princess Bride", "The Princess Will Save You" portrays Princess Amarande of Ardenia as Westley, in search of the stolen Princess Buttercup, Luca. Maybe. I’m not really sure how the role reversal is supposed to work, if at all. From what I can tell, this book draws its inspiration mainly from the “save-the-girl-before-she-gets-married-to-that-rotten-guy” idea in "The Princess Bride", and not too much else (unless you count Luca’s catch phrase of “Always, Princess” as a derivative of Westley’s iconic “As you wish” *rolls down hill*).

Amarande’s father, King Sendoa has died under suspicious circumstances, leaving Ama to rule as his sole heir. Despite this being a book where the lady gets to wear the proverbial pants, the kingdom in which she lives still believes that only a man can claim the throne, so she must wed. Enter all of the princes from the neighboring kingdoms, set on marrying Ama for her throne and her large, powerful army. When Luca, her one true love, is kidnapped as blackmail to force her into marrying one of the princes, she sets off to rescue him herself. Obviously she meets more badass broads along the way, runs into trials and tribulations in Luca’s rescue, and has to deal with the courtly machinations that await her at home.

While I enjoyed reading Amarande’s character and following her on her many journeys, Luca’s character was undeveloped at the beginning of the novel. I didn’t know too much about him, only a bit about his past and that Amarande had loved him for quite some time. And since we weren’t given much of Luca’s character until about halfway through the book, the romance fell flat for me. While we definitely learn more about his personality by the end, he still read flat to me. I have a feeling this will change in book two, however.

This book is worth it for the last 25% and what I’m sure will be an excellent remainder of the series. The real star of the show here isn’t the romance, but the system of power and corruption that is happening, and all of the players on the board at the end of book one. I’m genuinely excited to get my hands on the next one!

This is an excellent adaptation of The Princess Bride that is far more fantasy than comedy. If you’re not a fan of the original, I would still give this one a try—conversely, if you’re die-hard fan of the film or book, skip it.

I love how strong Princess Amarande as a character, but I also enjoyed Luca’s way of observing and taking in the world. As predicted, he and Amarande fall in love instantly; I could have used more depth and descriptions about their relationship beyond Ama wanting to kiss him all the time. Nonetheless, I enjoyed them, and the side characters (especially Ula) were fleshed out well.

I would be remiss if I left out the frustrating cliffhanger; if you’re looking for a stand-alone YA fantasy, this isn’t it.