The Two Princesses of Bamarre
by Gail Carson Levine
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Book Summary Information
Author: Gail Carson LevineEdition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2003-04-15
ISBN: 006440966X
Number of pages: 272
Publisher: HarperCollins
Product features:
- ISBN13: 9780064409667
- Condition: New
- Notes: BRAND NEW FROM PUBLISHER! 100% Satisfaction Guarantee. Tracking provided on most orders. Buy with Confidence! Millions of books sold!
Book Reviews of The Two Princesses of Bamarre
Book Review: The Two Princesses of Bamarre; Q3 Book Project
Summary: 4 Stars
The Two Princesses of BamarreBy: Gail Carson Levine
Reviewed By: K. Kim
Period: P.5
The two young princesses of Bamarre are like the sides of a coin. Princess Meryl is a brave, courageous lady who dreams of fighting the gryphons, ogres, dragons, and specters of her country. Her goal in life is to find the cure to the Gray Death, which is a disease that carries off hundreds in Bamarre every year. None who contract the disease survive. Meryl's younger sister is Princess Adelina, or Princess Addie. She has an incredible fear of the creatures Meryl could face and laugh at, especially spiders. She shrieks when shadows fly over her, be it a bird or gryphon, and Meryl comes to comfort her. The two sisters love each other dearly, and despite their different personalities, they are best friends. Addie is fearful of Meryl's wishes for adventures, and makes her promise not to go off until Addie herself is wed. Then, the unexpected happens. Meryl is struck with the Gray Death and has troubles even standing up. Addie is panic-stricken, for she never suspected that her sister could die within the castle walls themselves. Long ago, a specter prophesized that the cure to the Gray Death would be found when cowards found courage and rain fell all over Bamarre. Addie thinks the cure may be found when her own cowardly father seeks to find the cure, but when he fails she takes matters into her own hands to save her sister. She embarks on a perilous mission to find the cure to the Gray Death, armed with magical gifts from her late mother, the seven-league boots and spyglass. A sorceror, Rhys, offers her a self-setting tablecloth, intricate maps, a cloak of darkness, and his feelings and concern for her. With strong motivation, Addie sets off to search for the legendary fairies who know the cure of the Gray Death. Time is limited, and she must travel quickly to save her sister in time. She encounters ogres, specters, gryphons, and finally the most deadly creature of Bamarre; a dragon. The dragon Vollys captures Addie and takes her to her cave, where Addie is forced to entertain the lonely and beautiful beast. As the days of Meryl's life slip away, Addie is agonized, for she can't leave the dragon's lair. Finally, she manages to escape with the knowledge of the cure. The victim of the Gray Death must drink from the magical falls of Mount Ziriat directly. Addie rushes to save her sister, but time is against them. They reach the Ziriat Falls only to be greeted by Vollys' ambush party. Meryl is not saved by the falls. However, she was on the verge of dying when the fairies of Mount Zariat offer to transform her into a fairy. She accepts, and so Addie is saddened by the fact that they can no longer live together, for Meryl has duties as a fairy. Addie and Rhys get married within the fairies castle, and so the sisters part their separate ways.
I liked this book because of its constant action. The mythical creatures in the story seemed to come to life through the details, and I felt as if I had entered Bamarre itself. The following quote describes the dragon Vollys in her slumber: "Her wings were tucked in neatly, and she lay curled into herself, with her long head resting on one of her front legs. I had seen the castle cats at home sleep just that way hundreds of time." The author gives a clear image of that sleeping dragon, and so I read this book with interest every step of the way. I also liked how the author portrayed dragons. "Her gaze, cold and clever, was probably directed at a poor deert snake. But perhaps she did see me. Dragons knew things. Perhaps they saw things. Perhaps she saw my intentions and my fear and now knew about me and Meryl." I adore dragons in every way, and when the author gives the reader an idea that dragons are superior creatures with much wisdom and power, I appreciate that.
I also liked this book because it added humor and realistic speech. Addie's cowardice is most amusing when Meryl becomes exasperated at it. " 'I have to work this out. Listen, Addie.' She [Meryl] looked up. 'If the terrain is rough and the ogres are throwing rocks, what should the knights do in defense?' 'Gallop away?' 'I should have known better than to ask you.' She bent over her notebook again." Reading this book, I was kept awake by the fresh conversations and situations. You can really get the impression that Addie and Meryl are best friends through reading the book.
My favorite part of the book was when Addie was trapped in Vollys' cave. She was held in the grasp of Vollys' tail, then deposited in the beautiful cavern. She stayed there for days, and although it made me feel squeamish that Meryl's life was steadily dropping as Addie was stuck in the dragon's lair, I felt excited about the character being near a dragon. Dragons had the knowledge of the cure to the Gray Death, and so it was very intense to read the chapters of Vollys' cave. You'd never know what could happen next. Also, the parts where Addie is stuck in the cave are the parts where people read of dragons' lonliness. They are solitary creatures, but despise being alone and enjoy humans for company. However, they soon tire of them and destroy them, but mourn for them right afterwards. I thought this interesting.
The book was a delightful read, and I'd recommend it to anyone who likes fantasy or adventure.
Summary of The Two Princesses of Bamarre
When a plague strikes Bamarre, Princess Addie must save her sister.
Brave and adventureous, Princess Meryl dreams of fighting dragons and protecting the kingdom of Bamarre. Shy and fearful, Princess Addie is content to stay within the safety of the castle walls. The one thing that the sisters share is their unwavering love for each other.
The tables are turned, however, when the Gray Death leaves Meryl fatally ill. To save her sister, meek Princess Addie must find the courage to set out on a dangerous quest filled with dragons, unknown magic, and death itself. Time is running out, and the sisters' lives?and the future of the kingdom of Bamarre?hang in the balance.
After stealing the hearts of middle-grade girls with her delightful Newbery Honor-winning Cinderella retelling, Ella Enchanted, Gail Carson Levine here creates a fairy tale of her own and gives it a characteristic grrrl-power twist. Twelve-year-old Addie admires her older sister Meryl, who aspires to rid the kingdom of Bamarre of gryphons, specters, and ogres. Addie, on the other hand, is fearful even of spiders and depends on Meryl for courage and protection. Waving her sword Bloodbiter, the older girl declaims in the garden from the heroic epic of Drualt to a thrilled audience of Addie, their governess, and the young sorcerer Rhys. But when Meryl falls ill with the dreaded Gray Death, Addie must gather her courage and set off alone on a quest to find the cure and save her beloved sister. Addie takes the seven-league boots and magic spyglass left to her by her mother and the enchanted tablecloth and cloak given to her by Rhys--along with a shy declaration of his love. She prevails in encounters with tricky specters (spiders too) and outwits a wickedly personable dragon in adventures touched with romance and a bittersweet ending. Young fans of princess stories will gobble this one up. (Ages 10 to 14) --Patty Campbell
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