The Two Princesses of Bamarre

April 1, 2003
"The author enters a world of high fantasy with this latest princess tale, peopled with sorcerers, elves and fairies, but plot twists win out over character development," wrote PW. Ages 10-up. (Apr.) .

Starred review from March 22, 2004
A pair of princesses becomes determined to find a cure for a mysterious illness that killed their mother. "The author enters a world of high fantasy with this latest princess tale, peopled with sorcerers, elves and fairies, said PW
. Ages 12-up.

June 11, 2001
The robust voice of esteemed British actress Lynn Redgrave escorts listeners on an adventurous journey in Levine's (Ella Enchanted) latest fantasy novel. Princess Addie and her older (by one year) sister Princess Meryl are the best of friends, even though their personalities appear to be totally different: Addie is fearful and shy while Meryl favors swordplay and entertains thoughts of slaying monsters and dragons. But when Meryl is stricken by an ancient, fatal illness known as the Gray Death, Addie must overcome her fears and embark on a dangerous quest to find a cure. Addie's search leads her through forests filled with ogres and specters and even to a dragon's lair, where she learns the secret of what will heal Meryl. Along the way, Addie is bolstered by magical gifts and occasional visits from Rhys, the young sorcerer she has come to love. However, finding an antidote for the Gray Death does not save Meryl in a way that anyone would expect. Redgrave energetically characterizes a colorful line-up of characters and beasts, from the stern busybody of a governess, Bella, to Rhys, whose accent falls somewhere between Scottish and Indian. But Redgrave most convincingly portrays Addie's shift from trepidation to courage. Ages 10-up.

March 1, 2001
Levine (Ella Enchanted) enters a world of high fantasy with this latest princess tale, peopled with sorcerers, elves and fairies, but plot twists win out over character development. When teenage narrator Addie was two years old, and her sister, Meryl, just three, the siblings lost their mother to the Gray Death, a mysterious illness that continues to plague the kingdom of Bamarre, randomly selecting its victims. Meanwhile, under their monarch father's weak rule, "ogres, gryphons, specters and dragons... were slaughtering hundreds of Bamarrians every year." When the Gray Death strikes Meryl, Addie becomes determined to find the cure. Rhys, a sorcerer who fancies Addie, outfits her with a cloak ("It's not a cloak of invisibility," he tells her, "but if you're in shadow... you won't be noticed") and a tablecloth that produces food on demand; Bella, the girls' tutor, bequeaths to her gifts from their mother, seven-league boots ("the boots go seven leagues when you take a step") and a spyglass that can view a distance of seven leagues and also penetrate stone and wood. Despite Addie's myriad adventures (an encounter with a specter, an ogre and a dragon) and the courage she gains throughout, her character remains an enigma. Other subplots, such as Rhys and Addie's courtship, are not fully developed. Even after the heroine completes her mission (Levine plants clues to its outcome with a Beowulf-like poem interspersed throughout the novel), readers may feel let down. Ages 10-up.

April 15, 2001
Gr. 4-7. Timid Princess Addie becomes so distressed when her protective older sister Meryl contracts the Gray Death, an always-fatal wasting sickness, that she vows to find the cure. Aided by magical gifts from those closest to her, including a tall, handsome young sorcerer, Addie finds the courage to carry out her quest. When captured by Vollys, a she-dragon who knows the cure, Addie uses her skills, wits, and patience to discover the secret and save her sister's life. Readers will find this an exciting adventure story with a sympathetic heroine. Both princesses are well-defined characters, and the portrayal of the dragon is quite original; the scenes in her lair are the most absorbing parts of the book. However, the love interest seems more conventional and less convincing. Still, Levine's many fans will enjoy this fantasy of a princess who triumphs when she discovers her inner strength.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2001, American Library Association.)

May 1, 2001
Gr 4-7-This story takes place in a magical time and mystical place and is teaming with dragons, specters, gryphons, elves, and fairies. Princesses Addie and Meryl live with their father, the king, in the castle of Bamarre, where magic and sorcery are a part of everyday life. While Meryl is fearless and confident, Addie is quite comfortable letting others take care of her. When Meryl falls victim to a mysterious illness called the Gray Death, which has already taken countless citizens including the girls' mother, Addie is determined to find the cure and save her. The prophecy is that "the Gray Death will be cured when cowards find courage and rain falls over all Bamarre." Aided by magical gifts from her governess, the elf nurse, and the king's sorcerer, Addie begins her quest. In a Chaucer-like tale, the story of Drualt, a hero of epic proportions, is excerpted in verse throughout the story. He serves as a role model for Addie, who believes she is weak, but her adventures teach her that one must look within to find strength. While this lesson is presented in a somewhat didactic manner, it is one that adolescents can never hear too often. An unexpected twist neatly ties up most of the loose ends. The characters aren't as fully drawn and the writing is not as consistent as we have come to expect from Levine, resulting in a slow starter that speeds up slightly at the end.-Kit Vaughan, Midlothian Middle School, VA

Copyright 2001 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

July 1, 2001
Courageous Princess Meryl contracts the disease that plagues Bamarre, and it is known that courage demonstrated by a former coward could extinguish the epidemic. Her timid sister Addie arms herself with her sister's sword and sets out to find the cure. Levine makes entertaining use of magical paraphernalia. Emphasis is on the action, and the outcome is a nice mix of the hoped-for and the unexpected.

(Copyright 2001 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)