Salutations my lovely, fantabulous people! Hope the weekend is treating y'all well! :) Anyway, lets get the gushing on!
The Secret Prince is the second installment in the Knightley Academy series by Violet Haberdasher, aka Robyn Schneider (seriously, look her up on youtube, she is fantastic!). Henry and his friends are back at the academy, but their troubles are far from over. With friendship issues, finding new friends/allies in the strangest of places, and the incoming trouble from the Nordlands, Henry and the Knightley crew have a lot to deal with. The growing tensions in the Nordlands, Henry decides to sneak over with a compatriot, but ends up getting stuck with some others. Will they find a way out?
It seems I haven't reviewed Knightley Academy on here, I must do so one day, probably as a re-read (ooh that sounds like a good blog feature!).
Ok, I hate to be a git right now, but I have to say this, so get ready for a rant of semi epic proportions (with lots of all caps rage):
Ok, I have to say it, THIS IS NOTHING LIKE HARRY POTTER! GET THAT INTO YOUR HEADS, THOSE WHO THINK THAT! UGH!!!! Ok I'm fine. So I was with my friend on the way to his birthday party, and I was telling him about Knightley Academy. I pulled out my Nook so I could read him the synopsis. He mentioned offhandedly that it sounded like Harry Potter (insert rolling eyes here). I told him it was nothing like it, especially since THERE'S NO MAGIC. Then I went to the reader reviews, and one person mentioned that it was like HP in a good way. Fine, I'll give it to her because she was positive, but honestly, when she was comparing the names from both books, I wanted to vomit. I'm sorry, but the characters are nothing like each other (especially one connection she made. Seriously I wanted to scream). Ok one of the characters is similar, maybe a couple more, but that's it. Yes, both main characters are orphans, and aspire to more, but that's where the similarities stop. I am so sick of people comparing this to Harry Potter, it's NOT anything like HP. X_X *Headdesk*. Ok, rant over.
Anyway, the story was BRILLIANT! I am in love with Robyn Schneider's writing, I really am. The story was smooth, enjoyable, and kept me guessing and continually shocked. Especially that library scene. Holy crap, me eyes went huge like this: O.O. This whole story took me for a roller coaster ride,and Haberdasher/Schneider didn't let me off the coaster until the end, leaving me wanting more. This book is truly addictive. Yeah the action doesn't really happen until the second half, but the first half builds up to it extremely well.
Henry is still fantasmagorical. All the characters in general develop well, and Henry is no exception. He goes through so much, you become so attached and feel so much for this fictional boy. He's like the little brother I never had. Frankie still rocked, although I wish she was more in the book, perhaps the 3rd one. I love her snark and wit, and those little moments of vulnerability which show she isn't all snark and bravado. Adam also had more depth, and I loved learning more about his past. He still retained his sense of humor, which is always great. Rohan, well I thought he was kind of a butthead in this one. He isn't as prominently featured, but when he was he seemed extremely elitist and alienating. Valmont, man did he surprise me. I mean that, he became one of my favorite over the course of reading this book. Who knew, huh? Another character shocked me as well, but you'll have to make it to the end to know who ;).
Haberdasher continues to engross me in her books. The writing is superb, the expansion of the world she created is fantastic. All in all she is beyond talented.
If you've read Knightley Academy, pick this up. If you haven't read this series, you should! It is utterly brilliant.
I'll next be reviewing The Mage in Black.
Until next time, viva la literature!
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