Storming the Castle-- Character Interview!

The Hero’s Guide to Storming the Castle Giveaway

All readers of this blog have exclusive access to a special giveaway for THE HERO’S GUIDE TO STORMING THE CASTLE. You will need this SECRET CODE to enter: PRINCE CHARMING. Click here to enter.(This is through Facebook. Sorry. Can't log in here at school to figure out where to enter said secret code!)

WHAT YOU WIN: If you are one of the first three people to enter the giveaway TODAY, you will receive a signed copy of The Hero’s Guide to Storming the Castle. EVERYONE who enters the giveaway from 5/6 to 5/26 is eligible to win a $200 gift card to the bookstore of his or her choice.

Healy, Christopher. The Hero's Guide to Storming the Castle.
30 April 2013, Walden Pond Press
Copy received from the publisher.

The League of Princes is back after the events of The Hero's Guide to Saving Your Kingdom,  and this time the crisis is more severe-- Liam is being forced to marry the evil Sleeping Beauty, Briar! Frederic, who is engaged to Ella but knows that Ella rather prefers Liam, feels bad for his friend, but also a little relieved. He is still afraid of most things, even after finding out that his mother was quite the adventuress. Gustav is still looking for a fight, and eager to get away from his 16 older brothers, so when Frederic feels he should help Liam escape, the two take off for Avondell. They are not able to stop the wedding, and once it is over, Briar unleashes even more avaricious requests-- she wants Liam to go to Deeb Rauber's castle and retrieve the sword of Erinthia that has a hilt set wtih orange jade. He agrees, but only because she has locked his friends in the dungeon and agrees to release them for the quest. Joined by Snow and Duncan, as well as various trolls and others they meet on the way, (such as Little Taylor, who has ninja sewing skills!) the bumbling group makes their way to Rauber's. The now 11-year-old bandit is being rude to people as usual, but trying to form alliances with people like the war lord Wrathgar, which doesn't make getting into the loot room any easier. Luckily, the princes and their companions make enough of a ruckus that they might be able to retrieve the sword. But will they escape? And if they make it back home, will the bards get any of the story right?
Strengths: I especially like the language and tone in this series, as well as the characters. There are a ton of medievalish, fairy tale fantasies out there, but the Princes Charming set this one apart. I am easily irked by weird character names, but Healy has a fine touch with these, and I giggled at the names instead of being annoyed. Frederic, Gustav and Duncan are over-the-top in their weirdness, but again, never managed to annoy me, and Frederic does grow a bit. I liked Liam's insecurity, the strong female characters, and the shifting relationships in the large group. These books are just a fun romp.
Weaknesses: The ending felt a bit weak, but clearly sets up another book.

We are pleased to welcome (with reservations!)The Gray Phantom!
(If you want an interview with me, you have to head over to Project Mayhem today!)

The Gray Phantom

Occupation: Thief, vandal, murderer

Affiliation: None

Kingdom of Origin: Unknown

Current Residence: Unknown (though he mostly terrorizes the town of Flargstagg in Sturmhagen)

Parents/Family: Unknown

Known Allies: None

Longtime Foe: The forces of law and justice

Likes: Is there anything that a man like the Phantom can truly enjoy?

Dislikes: Peace, joy, light

Signature Move: The De-Kidneyer

Quote: “You have seen the Gray Phantom. Now you die.”

Little Known Fact: There are no widely known facts about the Gray Phantom

Catch the blog tour at the following sites!

Monday, May 6th - Cari Blogs hosts Prince Liam
Tuesday, May 7th - Ms Yingling Reads hosts The Gray Phantom
Wednesday, May 8th -Bookalicious hosts Rapunzel
Thursday, May 9th - Adventures of Cecelia Bedelia hosts Deeb Rauber
Friday, May 10th - Kid Lit Frenzy hosts Prince Frederic
Saturday, May 11th - The Write Path hosts Cap'n Gabberman
Sunday, May 12th - Flashlight Reader hosts Mister Troll
Monday, May 13th - Mundie Kids hosts Snow White
Tuesday, May 14th - Candace's Book Blog hosts Ella
Wednesday, May 15th - Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers hosts Little Taylor
Thursday, May 16th - Novel Novice hosts Ruffian the Blue
Friday, May 17th - The Hiding Spot hosts Lord Rundark
Saturday, May 18th - Mod Podge Books hosts Lila
Sunday, May 19th - Poisoned Rationality hosts Wrathgar
Monday, May 20th - Buried in Books hosts Vero
Tuesday, May 21st - Small Review hosts Frank
Wednesday, May 22nd - Book Rat hosts Briar Rose
Thursday, May 23rd - Alison's Book Marks hosts Prince Gustav
Friday, May 24th - There's a Book hosts Prince Duncan
Saturday May 25th - Bunbury in the Stacks hosts Madu
Sunday, May 26th - A Foodie Bibliophile in Wanderlust hosts Stanislav Flimsham