VVMBookBlog

Maya is 11 and has been raised by her very overprotective grandmother in California since her parents were killed in a car accident.  When her grandmother dies of a stroke, Maya goes to live with her mother’s family in Wyoming and discovers her love for horses and rediscovers her memories of her mother who was disliked by her grandmother.  As she overcomes her fears and becomes acquainted with her grandfather, uncle and Aunt Vi, she learns about her mother’s love for horses and a particular horse by the name of Artemisia.  A violent earthquake brings Maya and Artemisia together one day, forcing them to help each other to safety.

Chapters alternate between hearing the story from the point of view of both Maya and Artemisia. The reader gets to know Maya and struggles with her as she patiently survives her life with her domineering grandmother and then adjusts to her new life with her mother’s relatives.  Animal lovers, especially those who like horses, will really enjoy this book, but so will anyone who just wants a good story.

Cecelia is 14 years old and has always known the secret that she was the true princess of the kingdom of Suala.  By day she is the poor peasant girl orphan living in a remote village but by night she is being tutored in palace life by Sir Stephen, a knight from the kingdom.  When she senses that her identity has been revealed and she is in danger, she and her friend, Harper, leave their homes and make their way to the palace, only to find out that there are eleven other girls there with the same story!  Now who is the true princess?

If you’ve read and liked Just Ella by the same author or similar “Cinderella”-type stories, you’ll enjoy the twists and turns faced by Cecelia and her friends as they try to figure out this princess mystery.