What is a Princess to Do?

Loud, Disorderly & Boisterous by Adam M. Johnson

Disclaimer: I received this book from the author in exchange for a review. 

Summary: Imagine for a moment that you are a dangerously clever, thoroughly over-educated sixteen year old, who feels wholly disconnected from her current station in life and hates her father. Imagine also that you have the further misfortune to find yourself alive during the 13th Century, that your father is the philistine King of a small Central European country, and that he does not approve of the fact that you can quote Aristotle more expertly than you can curtsy. Finally to top everything off imagine that you have just learned that you are to be married off to a German nobleman who believes that you will make an excellent pawn in an ongoing struggle to become Holy Roman Emperor...

What do you do?

If your name is Aletheia––first and only daughter of his Royal Highness Edward IX, and most indubitably born in the wrong century––you proceed to flee. If your name is Aletheia you also find yourself embarking on a bizarre and comic odyssey across perilously chaotic medieval Europe. During her journey our heroine will encounter cross dressing Romanians, bamboozle criminally incompetent highwaymen, crush spherically odious tutors (using only the power of pure logic), and, in at least one desperate instance, impersonate the Virgin Mary, all in the hopes of reaching a final destination that is about to be sacked by an army of waylaid Crusaders...

Review: A fun tale that pokes fun of itself and features much that is incongruous to the 13th century.

I call this book fantasy because of how often it breaks the fourth wall of the 13th century. As far as I know, it's relatively historically accurate to the 13th century. The characters, however, behave much differently than someone in the 13th century behaved, especially Aletheia. She is very spirited, too spirited for the 13th century. Plus there are the mentions of concepts or items that were not invented till later like hotels. It all made for a very hilarious effect although it could get a little much.

The plot, for the 13th century at least, was unbelievable. The king was an idiot, but he certainly would have not allowed his daughter to run off nor would his daughter have done such a thing (although she might thought of it). Despite all that, the adventures of Aletheia, Tom, Will, and Gus were very entertaining. They got into so many scrapes and adventures. My favorite was when Aletheia pretended to be the Virgin Mary. The ending was a little abrupt and the reader is left uncertain as to what will happen. I hope they find their happy ending.

Rating:

Recommendation: I would recommend this book to those that enjoy humorous tales or tales of princesses that do not behave how they are supposed to.