Earlier this month I read The Goose Girl by Shannon Hale, and this week I finished reading the sequel, Enna Burning.
The Goose Girl is based on the Brothers Grimm fairy tale of the same name, with which I was not familiar. (After reading the book, I read the original fairy tale, which is posted on Shannon’s site, and I have to say she has improved the story immensely.) The basic premise is: for political reasons, Princess Ani is sent to marry the prince of a neighboring kingdom. During the journey, she is betrayed by someone who wants to take her place for nefarious reasons, and she barely escapes with her life — eventually ending up tending geese while she tries to figure out a way to reveal the imposter without getting herself killed.
The characters are engaging and the plot is unpredictable (except in the general way that you know Ani will find victory in the end.) It’s sold as a young adult fantasy, but it works for not-so-young adults, too.
The sequel, Enna Burning, centers on one of Ani’s friends from her goose-tending days. As the kingdom is being invaded, Enna develops the magical power to control fire. Sounds like a pretty useful talent, unless you have to worry about whether it’s the other way round: the fire is controlling you.
Enna’s story is somewhat darker than Ani’s. But it’s still an intriguing tale of friendship, betrayal, and redemption.
I look forward to reading Shannon’s most recent novel, Princess Academy, which is a Newbery Honor book.