The Two Princesses of Bamarre by Gail Carson Levine

This is a story of the two princesses of Bamarre, Meryl and Addie. Meryl has dreams of ridding the kingdom of dragons, specters, and ogres. Addie is just the opposite. She is fearful of everything, especially spiders and depends on her older sister for courage. When the mysterious illness, Gray Death, takes Meryl, Addie becomes determined to find the unknown cure by leaving the kingdom all alone. Rhys, a sorcerer, outfits her with a magical cloak and a tablecloth that produces food on demand. Other friends give her precious gifts that she will need to accomplish her mission before her sister dies. She sets out on her own and must travel across her world to find the cure, meeting gryphons, specters and dragons along the way.

I enjoyed this story, I think it was meant for a younger audience than I am use to reading. I kept thinking throughout the book that if I was 12-13 I would probably love this story. I enjoyed the idea of the story, but did feel a little let down. I thought there was too much time spent at the castle at the beginning of the story. Anyone could tell what was going to happen, and I was looking forward to Addie beginning her journey. The journey wasn’t as exciting as I thought it would be, and because of the magical gifts she received she was able to avoid most obstacles placed before her. I also felt that the relationship/courtship between Rhys and Addie’s wasn’t fully developed. The ending felt a little rushed, and a lot of new stories were introduced too late. I would have enjoyed if there was a few more chapters added to really explain the story and also the relationship with Rhys and Addie. Unlike some young adult books, this one was definitely written for young readers, and certain aspects of the story weren’t as developed as I would have liked.