Ivy's Ever After by Dawn Lairamore

Release Date: Available Now from Holiday House

Source: From Publicist

Synopsis:

A frothy, fractured fairy tale filled with humor and high adventure!

Long ago in the kingdom of Ardendale, the Dragon Treaty had been signed to protect the dragon herds and lure gallant young princes to the remote kingdom to marry its princesses. Since then, when a royal princess turns fourteen, she is locked in a tower guarded by a dragon to await rescue by a handsome prince. But feisty Princess Ivy doesn't care to be rescued; and Elridge, an under-sized, peace-loving dragon who's better at solving puzzles than breathing fire, certainly doesn't care to be slain. Princess and dragon join forces, setting off on a perilous journey across the Craggie Mountains. Can they overcome hungry trolls, hypnotic swamp sprites, and fairyland magic in their quest to escape their dire fates? Fast paced and fun, Ivy's Ever After offers a lighthearted twist on the classic fairy tale.

It's always the books that it takes me forever to get around to that truly blow me away. Then I have to think...why did it take me so long to read this?! That is, of course, the case with Ivy's Ever After. It's been sitting on my shelves for a couple months now, and I finally picked it up earlier this week. I finished it in two days, and that's while completely cleaning and reorganizing my room. Once I started reading, I couldn't stop thinking about the book until I finished it (at 2am a couple nights ago).

This is an adorable read. It has all the elements of a classic fairy tale, but then it shakes things up and takes that classic tale in a whole new direction. Ivy is a wonderful heroine. She's not your average princess. She'd rather be outside running around with her friends, the stable boy and the daughters of the kitchen staff, than sitting with her nursemaid, Tildy, learning all those things a good princess should know. Ivy has no use for embroidery, etiquette, or fancy dresses. When she finds out she's to be locked in a tower at fourteen, Ivy's world is turned upside down. It's like everyone around her has gone mad, because they can't fathom why she's upset at the prospect of spending, potentially, her whole life waiting for some prince to save her. Ivy doesn't want to be dependent on any prince to determine her fate.

Enter Elridge, who's pretty helpless at being a dragon. When the two meet, you just know they're going to be kindred spirits. Their adventures together as they try to save Ivy's kingdom and her future are truly exciting. All those magical creatures we've come to know and love are present and accounted for, but they might just be a little different than you remember them.

This was a fun read from start to finish. I just loved Ivy and I'm hoping that we'll get to read more about Ivy and Elridge in the future. Lairamore has created an exciting world that I know I'll want to return to again and again. Check this one out....I think you'll like it!