The Princess And The Hound

He is a prince and heir to a kingdom threatened on all sides, possessor of the forbidden animal magic. She is a princess from a rival kingdom, the daughter her father never wanted, isolated from all except her hound. In this lush and beautifully written fairy-tale romance, a prince, a princess, and two kingdoms are joined in the aftermath of a war. Proud, stubborn, and bound to marry for duty, George and Beatrice will steal your heart—but will they fall in love?

George has always felt burdened by his princely duties, and even more by the need to hide the magic through which he speaks with animals, but when he is betrothed to the strange princess of a neighboring kingdom, his secret, and the persecution of people like himself, must come to an end.

He was once a king, turned into a bear as punishment for his cruel and selfish deeds. She was a once a princess, now living in the form of a hound. Wary companions, they are sent—in human form—back to a time when magic went terribly astray. Together they must right the wrongs caused by this devastating power—if only they can find a way to trust each other. But even as each becomes aware of an ever-growing attraction, the stakes are rising and they must find a way to eliminate this evil force—or risk losing each other forever.

Richly-imagined fantasy romance from the author of Princess and the Hound, a tale of two princesses--one with magic, one with none--who dare seek love in a world where real choice can never be theirs. For fans of Megan Whalen Turner, Catherine Fisher, and Cassandra Clare. Ailsbet loves nothing more than music; tall and red-haired, she's impatient with the artifice and ceremony of her father's court. Marissa adores the world of her island home and feels she has much to offer when she finally inherits the throne from her wise, good-tempered father. The trouble is that neither princess has the power--or the magic--to rule alone, and if the kingdoms can be united, which princess will end up ruling the joint land? For both, the only goal would seem to be a strategic marriage to a man who can bring his own brand of power to the throne. But will either girl be able to marry for love? And can either of these two princesses, rivals though they have never met, afford to let the other live?

She is the headstrong daughter of the hound and the bear, heir to all her royal parents' magic and able to transform at will into any animal she wishes. He is an outcast, a boy without magic, determined to make his way in the forest beholden to no one. Though Liva and Jens are as different as night and day, from the time their paths first cross they are irresistibly drawn to one another. Each wrestles with demons: Liva with the responsibility that comes with the vast magic she's inherited, Jens with the haunting memories he's left behind. Separately, they keep a lookout for each other and for the immense snowbird whose appearances signify a dark event on the horizon. When a terrible threat surfaces, Liva and Jens set out in an attempt to protect all they hold dear. Much is at stake—for while their failure could spell an end to all magic, their success could bring them together at last.

Just right for fans of Tamora Pierce and Patricia C. Wrede! When twelve-year-old Lady Lilah decides to disguise herself and sneak out of the palace one night, she has more of an adventure than she expected--for she learns very quickly that the country is on the edge of revolution. When she sneaks back in, she learns something even more surprising: her older brother Peitar is one of the forces behind it all. The revolution happens before all of his plans are in place, and brings unexpected chaos and violence. Lilah and her friends, leaving their old lives behind, are determined to help however they can. But what can four kids do? Become spies, of course!

King George and Queen Marit have lived sixteen years after the mysterious disappearance of their daughter Princess Ina. While they continue to look for her, they have adopted Dagmar as their heir and she is betrothed to Lord Morlieb, from a neighboring kingdom. But the king's horse and other animals have become wild and feral, attacking villagers, and there is a strange wolf in the forest near the castle who looks like he has lived for a thousand years. Soon, the tolerance for animal magickers that King George has spent his whole reign to protect is gone and only Princess Dagmar can save it. Praise for other books by Mette Ivie Harrison "Grips you from the very first page all the way to the surprising conclusion." Holly Black, author of The Spiderwick Chronicles " A]n extraordinary novel . . . I cannot recommend this novel highly enough . . . Mira, Mirror is one of those rare things - an imaginative fantasy that is also a deep novel about the human spirit. One of the most original, insightful fantasy novels ever written . . .This is a classic; you don't want to miss it." Orson Scott Card "Harrison brilliantly recasts a minor prop from the original story as a tragic heroine, and, in doing so, adds a whole new dimension to the tale, for a job well done." Michael M. Jones, Chronicle "Exciting debut . . . Harrison's "Mira, Mirror" follows in the new tradition of "Ella Enchanted" Claire Martin, Denver Post "One of my favorite authors." Orson Scott Card Praise for The Princess and the Hound, the first book in this series: " P]owerful, surprising, moving, and deep. . . The Princess and the Hound is a classic. It defies rules and formulas. It does nothing in the way that other fantasies have taught us to expect. Yet every rule-defying decision by Harrison is exactly right, leading to a breathtakingly right ending." Orson Scott Card "Harrison's writing style is most evocative of Robin McKinley but still all her own. Readers of fantasy, animal stories and subtle romances will enjoy this novel and hope for more from this skilled author. Fans of Robin McKinley, Patricia McKillip, Franny Billingsley, Cornelia Funke and Sherwood Smith should add this to their "must" be read list. Heidi Anne Heiner, SurlaLune Fairy Tales "Not since Tale of Desperaux have I opened a book and wanted to read aloud so much. In her prologue Mette Ivie Harrison evoked exactly the tone and voice of a classic fairy tale in the oral tradition. . ." interactivereader.com "With the language and feeling of a fairy tale, Harrison tells the story of . . . a likeable hero, a nuanced character who is sensitive to the needs of others while he is also trying to be strong and brave. Well-written and intriguing. Harrison has a PhD in Germanic literature and her intelligence and love of language shine throughout." Kliatt Praise for The Princess and the Bear: "the love story between the two strong protagonists is all the more powerful for being intensely restrained." Kirkus, starred review ""The plot pacing is even and taught." Amy Chow, School Library Journal Praise for The Princess and the Snowbird: "Once again, a strong female protagonist, romance, magical adventure and provocative questions will capture teens. Gillian Engberg, Booklist. "The love of the hound and the bear is one for the ages." Jessica Harrison, Deseret News "Harrison's fairy tales always feel like they are full of untapped depth to me." Melissa Baldwin

Fierce's mother has left her pack to become a human. Left behind, Fierce is determined to have nothing to do with humans. But one day she finds a woman who reminds her of her mother in the forest. She hesitates for a moment, just long enough for the woman--Princess Jaleel--to turn her into a human with the wild magic. Soon Fierce is dragged into human concerns about the effects of the misuse of wild magic by Princess Jaleel. Will Fierce choose to be human and save the world or to be a hound again and save herself?