Nobody's Princess

Nobody's Princess
Author: Esther Friesner
Series: Nobody's Princess (#1)
Publisher: Random House
How Received: library

She is beautiful, she is a princess, and Aphrodite is her favorite goddess, but something in Helen of Sparta just itches for more out of life. Not one to count on the gods—or her looks—to take care of her, Helen sets out to get what she wants with steely determination and a sassy attitude. That same attitude makes Helen a few enemies—such as the self-proclaimed "son of Zeus" Theseus—but it also intrigues, charms, and amuses those who become her friends, from the famed huntress Atalanta to the young priestess who is the Oracle of Delphi.

In Nobody's Princess, author Esther Friesner deftly weaves together history and myth as she takes a new look at the girl who will become Helen of Troy. The resulting story offers up adventure, humor, and a fresh and engaging heroine you cannot help but root for.

I'm not going to say Nobody's Princess wowed me. It didn't. What Friesner does, she does well - she gets you into the story, cheering for Helen in all her quirky glory, eager to see what happens next. But that's about it. The writing is nothing spectacular, and Friesner could have made this good book great. The description is simple and only a few characters fully develop.

However, Helen and the plot line that accompanies her make up for these faults. Helen herself is a fantastic character -- right up there with Jacky Faber from Bloody Jack as one of my favorite kick ass heroines of all time. She's fearless and fun, and she doesn't care one twig about her beauty. I love it.

I was pretty. It never failed. One man even said I was beautiful, until his fellow envoy was very quick to say that no one could be beautiful in the palace of Tyndareus except his queen.

Pretty. What did that mean, really? And was I? I had no way of knowing...

Would I recommend this book over Bloody Jack? After all, both are historical novels with strong female characters. However, even despite my natural tendencies to the pirates, Bloody Jack is a more strongly written, better developed novel than Nobody's Princess. However, the wily young princess makes for a fun, quick read.

Overall Rating: 6/10

Peace, love, SPARTA.

~Nicole