The Princess Madeline Trilogy tour!
Title: The Escape of Princess Madeline (Princess Madeline Trilogy, Book #1)
Author: Kirstin Pulioff
Publication Date: November 4, 2012
Publisher: Caliburn Books
Number of pages: 138
Recommended age: 10+
Summary: The Kingdom of Soron is known for many things, its rolling landscape, haunting history, fiery sunsets, and its beautiful princess. Princess Madeline woke on her sixteenth birthday to realize that her future had been planned out, a life full of privilege, royalty, and boredom… a life with a husband and knight champion that she did not choose. Using her charm, strength and stubbornness, she defies the King at every turn, determined to keep her freedom on her terms.
Freedom quickly turns to disaster as she finds herself seized by a group of wandering bandits. With the kingdom in turmoil over her capture; her Knight Champion eager to prove himself, a group of dedicated suitors determined to win her hand, and a group of exiled wizards join forces in the hunt to rescue her. Follow Princess Madeline in this adventure full of twists and turns as she tries to find her freedom and answers to her questions about life and love.
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Title: The Battle for Princess Madeline (Princess Madeline Trilogy, Book #2)
Author: Kirstin Pulioff
Publication Date: May 21, 2013
Publisher: Caliburn Books
Number of pages: 159
Recommended age: 10+
Summary: The Kingdom of Soron bustled with activity as preparations for the Fall Festival began. Lively merchants, hardworking farmers, and musicians eagerly awaited this event of harvest and joy. This year’s festival was even more important, as they celebrated Princess Madeline’s betrothal to her knight champion, Daniel. Celebration quickly turns to disaster as Prince Paulsen returns with curious demands, either Princess Madeline will be his, or no ones. Rejection turns to obsession and battle is declared.
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Title: Princess Madeline and the Dragon (Princess Madeline Trilogy, Book #3)Publisher: Caliburn Books
Number of pages: 135
Recommended age: 10+
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The Buzz
And now for my review:
Princess Madeline and the Dragon by Kirstin Pulioff
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
In the third installment of the series, Princess Madeline has matured and grown to accept her responsibilities. Disaster strikes, soon after the war, in the form of a dragon. The King charges Prince Braden to fight the dragon and Madeline to journey to Dragon’s Gate, far from her childhood home, to make a new one. More than in previous books, I felt the emotion because the author also matured in storytelling. Death seemed ready to take its toll.
Without giving spoilers, I can say Madeline and her brother Braden have to accept their new roles. Obstacles block her way even though she accepts her charge. Soon, her goals diverge from her companions’. Her mother’s magical legacy helps her see things others can’t. But it doesn’t always work right or in time, leaving Madeline in the dark, blocked both figuratively and literally. Then a bit of foreshadowing from previous books becomes a ray of hope. The question remains whether she can convince the others to see the light.
Braden finds himself in more serious trouble battling the dragon. Scene switches help increase the tension between the two storylines until they merge into an exciting climax. Whose way will win the day? You might guess since Madeline is the heroine.
I read all three books to evaluate the whole series, short reads well suited for middle grade, with simple plotlines laced with magic. Even though Madeline gets married in the final book, there’s no sexual content except kissing. The pace was best in book three, but as in the others, every so often I went what? If misused words and vague pronouns frustrated me, how will tweens decide what they mean? I also thought the author held back from real-life serious consequences such as death. Not good for teens who haven’t learned that mistakes can kill.
Still, I liked the storytelling and the messages throughout the series, and I enjoyed Madeline’s character growth from pig-headed, selfish, and impetuous teen towards a selfless, loving, and responsible adult. I’m just one of those people who notices mistakes and can’t really like a book with so many. 3 stars, a nice finish to a fun adventure series I liked. I think between girls and boys, tweens would also rate the book a 3. I was provided a free copy in exchange for an honest review.
About the Author: Kirstin Pulioff
Kirstin Pulioff is a storyteller at heart. Born and raised in Southern California, she moved to the Pacific Northwest to follow her dreams and graduated from Oregon State University with a degree in Forest Management. Happily married and a mother of two, she lives in Oregon, and enjoys being a stay at home mom. When she’s not writing, she is busy with her kids and church.
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* $25 Blog Tour Giveaway *
Prize: $25 Amazon Gift Card or PayPal cash (winner’s choice) Contest runs: January 13th to January 31st, 11:59 pm, 2014 Open: Internationally How to enter: Please enter using the Rafflecopter widget below. Terms and Conditions: NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW. A winner will be randomly drawn through the Rafflecopter widget and will be contacted by email within 48 hours after the giveaway ends. The winner will then have 72 hours to respond. If the winner does not respond within 72 hours, a new draw will take place for a new winner. Odds of winning will vary depending on the number of eligible entries received. This contest is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with Facebook. This giveaway is sponsored by the author, Kirstin Pulioff and is hosted and managed by Renee from Mother Daughter Book Reviews. If you have any additional questions – feel free to send and email to Renee(at)MotherDaughterBookReviews(dot)com.
Thank you for your thoughtful review of Princess Madeline and the Dragon. You have provided the author with some good feedback that I’m sure she’ll apply in her future writing. Thank you so much for taking part in the blog tour.
Hi, Renee. You reminded me that I need to send Kirsten my Kindle notes. Those should help her fix the worst mistakes and the most common. Thanks for stopping by!