The Advent of Lady Madeline
925647
First I Thank You for giving me my Wish!
I can't believe how much action Pamela could put into this Novella. It will be from Christmas time and young people finding their Loves! Lord Saxby, Hugo, is looking for a wife. He is going to a House Party when his sister Charley pushed him to go to a party sooner. Spoiler. He finds a mother cat in his room. Madeline then takes the cat. She isn't so much to marry. She finds she likes Hugo. He finds he really likes her. There is the usual entertainments and Maddie puts on stage plays with the guests as players. It was a different way to put lots of Shakespeare works in the story. She hears him with his brother and it chases her away. Spoiler. You will have to read this Novella to see how this story ends. I fell for this story and I would like you to fall in too! I hope you will not let this story get away. Enjoy your reading!  I have volunteered to read and review this book.
2895133
Princess and knight, dragons and wizards, battles and danger--another intriguing story about the courageous Princess Madeline and her new adventures!

A few months ago, I had the privilege to read The Escape of Princess Madeline by Kirstin Pulioff. Her first book was full of the delightful dreams of a young inexperienced princess searching for happiness and love. Since that time, Madeline has grown into a confident young woman ready to take destiny into her own hands. In this second book, The Battle for Princess Madeline, she has become a fearless warrior, fighting for her love, kingdom, and freedom. This is a thrilling story, full of delightful characters, tender moments, and glorious victories. The mysterious scenes revealing the influence of wizards and dragons take readers to an imaginary world filled with magic and superpowers.

The wisdom of the fearless princess will not surprise those who have read the first book. Once again, the daring young princess proves that in order to win, you must fight. Nothing can stop this brave princess. A powerful evil is threatening to destroy her love and her family. This is her life, her battle, her destiny, and she must fight for her love and happiness to protect her people from a dark evil.

The story is well developed and easy to follow. The vivid scenes will transport young readers into the magical world of fairy tales with thrilling characters that have come to life.

Another splendid read for young readers! I can hardly wait for a new book, Princess Madeline and the Dragon.
159971
Building on Ellis Peters' wonderful Brother Cadfael series, this first volume in this series involves a very young Prioress assigned to lead a priory that has fallen into some disarray and of course, murder ensues. Good opening salvo in a many-volume series.
4086970
LOVE THIS! I love that this young readers book is actually by John Bemelmans Marciano (who I believe is the grandson of the Madeline creator). You can tell from the quality of the art and the writing that it's the real deal. Great reading exposure in a portable small format, but still authentic and wonderful Madeline.
3630466
My 5 year old daughter loves the Madeline stories.  Her comment on this doll:  "That doesn't look like Madeline!"  I am so glad I was able to buy her most of the dolls and accessories before they changed the look.  Madeline is a classic character.  Why tart her up?
4672615
Edith Pargeter centers this interesting tale around the scene of her Brother Cadfael stories. I thoroughly enjoy
her descriptions of country and seasons and circumstances that change the thinking of her characters. Glad to find this book and prompt service by Amazon even across the Pacific to New Zealand.
2509798
I believe this would rate as my favorite book in this series to date.  As much as I disliked Lady Madeline and loved Derek's unwavering care & friendship to Lord Tristan; I came to adore "Maddie" for her tremendous strength & courage in becoming a person that others eventually admired and respected.  Bree was wonderful in creating images so that the reader was aware that these changes in Madeline did not just "POOF" happen, but took concerted effort, courage, trials, & even heartbreak!  I would highly recommend this book to everyone that enjoys historical fiction.  This is a clean romance suitable for all.
779872
This is the 9th book in the Josie Prescott's antiques store. Josie is excited this year because she has found a distant relative from England who is coming for Christmas. When he doesn't keep his date with Josie she is alarmed and goes looking for him and the priceless watercolors he had given his daughter. She used her knowledge of antiques to track the miniatures and what happened to her relative. The book seemed rather long and didn't have as much about Christmas as I thought it would.
1454241
My kids and I had very little exposure to Madeline, but Anna Quindlen's foreward intrigued me. My kids and I are now hooked. Madeline is such a charming character, and now we have all of her adventures to enjoy!
354798
The story is utterly charming and the character of Lady Gwendolyn Muir is welcome after her appearance in several previous books. She and Lord Hugo Trentham are a wonderful couple.  The narrator, Rebecca deLeuw, is wonderful!  Her voice makes this story even more enchanting.  I wish she read for all of Mary Balogh's books.
2787626
Princess Madeline lives in the fairy tale kingdom of Soron, with a loving father and twin brother, Braden, a castle of servants at her beck and call, a charmed and pampered existence  and yet, she is not happy. For one thing, her father King Theodore has decided that at the ball to celebrate her sixteenth birthday, a suitor will be chosen for her. This indignity totally offends Madeline who is quite capable of making her own decisions. She wants freedom, independence, the ability to make her own choices, andvery importantlyto choose her future husband for herself. The only thing to do is run away; desperate measures for sure, but a drastic situation calls for an equally drastic response. Her disappearance throws the castle and indeed the whole kingdom into total turmoil, with Knight Daniel, her champion and protector, setting off to find her. Various princely suitors (mostly unsuitable!), but eager to court favour with the king, also set off on their own missions to retrieve the princess. Madeline, however brave she feels inside, is completely unprepared for life in the real world. Her inexperience and ignorance land her in the clutches of brigands. Daniel, meanwhile, has done the unforgivable; he has approached the wizards, now banished from the kingdom, for their help. Will he find Madeleine in time? Have the wizards betrayed him? And why is the creepy Prince Paulsen so interested in saving Madeleine?

This is a traditional fairy tale with a realistic twist. The princess does start out as a bit spoiled, but a few nights on her own, braving brigands and an inhospitable environment soon shake her up. Parents reading this will smile at the part where Madeline deeply regrets giving up what she had for what she thought she wanted: isn't that what life is all about? This is a life lesson in a dynamic package as she comes to terms with her own selfish desires versus what her responsibilities as future princess would be. She also realises how much pain she has caused those who love her. The authors strength lies in wonderful, rich descriptions that entice all the readers senses. From the opulence of the palace, to the terrors of the forest, to the magicality and enchantment of the wizard realm, the readers will experience it first-hand. Although the story seems simple, there is a strong back history that no doubt comes into play with the subsequent books. There is also a strong hint that certain people are not who they appear to be. I would have liked a more detailed back history, instead of a prologue to create Sorons past and delve deeper into King Theodores painful memories. I hope this is developed more in the following books. Charming, and with enough fairy tale elements to satisfy young readers, this book sets a nice beginning for the Princess Madeleine Trilogy.
1658778
Good, but not as engaging as some of Madeline Baker's other novels. Worth the read if you are keeping up with her books.
4402508
In this book we find Sister Frevisse on the road with another nun from St. Frideswide.  They are waylaid in their travels by a cousin of Sister Frevisse. This cousin is one she hasn't seen for some time because he's been an outlaw .  He has stopped his cousin to enlist her aid in getting him a pardon so that he can resume a normal life.  While Sister Frevisse is waiting for an answer about this pardon she is lodging at the home of one her cousin's business partners and a murder is commmitted.  Sister Frevisse is forced to jeopardise everything she holds dear to solve the crime.  She enters a world of lies and deceit in order to protect some and expose others.  Ms. Frazer does a good job of setting her stories in the period and the plot moves along in a way that is very compatable with this period.
3748245
Justin Ambrose, dashing cavalier and close companion to Prince Rupert, was bored with life in the Royalist garrison in Banbury, until he met the sister of a local merchant.  Famous for his romantic conquests, Justin had never before let a woman touch his heart.

But Abby was no ordinary woman.  She was beautiful and she was brave. She was also young and terrfied of her brother, a religious fanatic and self-sworn enemy of all Royalists.

When the rebel army unleashed its might on the castle, Justin fought tirelessly to break the siege.  But even his closest friends did not know what tormented him.  And Abby, as she sat with the rebel commanders at her brother's table, dreamed of a man she could not, must not love...

(this is from the book's back cover)
2203283
When maid of honor Alicia Sutton's "little letter" complaining about the poor conditions at Princess Elizabeth's home infuriates Queen Mary, her sister Kate is blamed and sent off to Elvenwood Hall, otherwise known as the Perilous Gard, under the guardianship of Sir Geoffrey Heron. Kate insists to Alicia that she will be fine at Elvenwood Hall, but Kate begins to notice odd things in the area even before her official arrival. The villagers show fear and distrust toward anyone connected with the castle. When discussing the so-called Holy Well behind the castle, the old nurse Dorothy speaks of "those in the well." Most seriously, Sir Geoffrey's daughter Cecily has inexplicably disappeared, while his younger brother Christopher punishes himself for causing what he believes was her death.

When Kate discovers information that makes her believe little Cecily is alive, kidnapped by "those in the Well," Christopher secretly concocts a rescue plan that places his own life in jeopardy. Kate knows that if "those in the Well" are, as she believes, not the "Fairy Folk" they style themselves to be but rather pagans whose ancestors fled from the coming Christianity, then they intend to use Christopher as a human sacrifice. Kate's unwilling journey into the fairy hill leads her to Christopher. But how can an out-of-favor maid of honor stop the Fairy Folk?

Elizabeth Marie Pope's plausible explanation for some British fairy legends, though probably untrue, provides a fascinating framework around which to build her Tudor-era tale. Her skillful use of ballads adds atmosphere to her stories (three ballads appear in "The Perilous Gard," the most important of which is "Tam Lin," which helps Kate rescue Christopher.) Careful attention to historical detail and an imaginative and fastpaced plot combine with a strong sense of realism (for example, those in the fairy hill sometimes suffer panic attacks from being so far underground) to make this story among the most vivid I've ever read, despite the fact that it is considered juvenile fiction. Actually, I don't recommend that parents give this book to anyone under ten due to its intensity, as well as the maturity of some thematic material. (There is also one lonely curse word near the end.) "The Perilous Gard" is geared more toward teenagers, with a strong capacity to ensnare adults.

Pope's attention to historical detail also allows her to deal with Christianity from the perspective of a typical court member of court during Queen Mary Tudor's time. Christopher's name is discussed in the context of the saint after which he was named; Kate attempts to argue him away from his self-punishment by talking about God's mercy; and she tries to prove to the Fairy Queen that Christ's sacrifice on the cross makes the sacrifice of Christopher unnecessary. For this reason, Christian school teachers and homeschool parents may find this book interesting to discuss with their students.

Juvenile fiction or not, this book now numbers among my favorites. How Elizabeth Marie Pope could write a novel this amazing and then not write any more is beyond me.
4018534
Fun, historical and informative to enhance beauty of Advent season.  I recommend this book to anyone who would like to increase their Spiritual  life.  Claudia
1472122
Though MAD ABOUT MADELINE weighs almost as much as our little girl did on her second birthday -- the day she was given this book -- there was no detering Emily from reading it.  Comfortably situating herself on her tummy with the book propped up on a pillow, Emily did not stop turning the pages until she had reached the end, and uttered, "Uh-oh."  Discovering the beauty of an appendix scar in one book, to the thrill of walking the tightrope in another, and feeling the sadness at the loss of Genevieve in yet another, our daughter was mesmerized with Madeline.  Madeline is good, but not without being curious and even sometimes mischievous.  She is clever and determined, but never at the expense of proper reverence.  She is a wonderful character whose personality endears her to both children and adults alike.  Madeline is a must -- she inspires and she entertains -- and you can't help but be "Mad About Madeline!"