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Jun 24, 2011ychi rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
Firstly -- look out: omniscient point of view. The first hint of this is when we dip from Edric's head to that of a dog's; definitely disorienting at times. This POV does help make it feel more fairytale-like, though, so I'd say it's a job well-done. The characters of Marigold -- princess who doesn't like princessy things -- and King Swithbert -- old king who's been duped by his queen, but stands up for himself -- are almost stock, except that nothing in this novel is stock exactly, not even Edric's wonky metaphors ("...he had buttered his bread and now he had to lie in it"). All of the animals have full-blown personalities, and Marigold's blond triplet sisters turn out to be delightfully un-blond. There are spontaneous bits of humour that are hilarious, especially that bit about the king breaking the guard's britches and the guard having to hold up his pants. (Or maybe that's just me.) Everything ends "happily ever after", which works for this fairytale but also furthers my impression that this novel should've been sold as middle-grade. The quirky atmosphere and brisk pacing help ensure that Once Upon A Marigold, if predictable at times, is a quick, light read, charming and never boring.