# Books About Princesses **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 2, 2017, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-about-princesses/776183 "2017-01-02T23:08:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2017, 12:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-about-princesses/776183/21 "2017-01-03T12:27:48Z")
[The Princess Who Saved Herself](http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17927134-the-princess-who-saved-herself). More suited for a six-year-old than a 19-year-old but still worth mentioning for completeness’ sake. Also, I prefer the original Jonathan Coulton song to the book, frankly. There’s also [The Princess Diaries](http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/38980.The_Princess_Diaries?ac=1&from_search=true)(now a major motion picture or two). And there are plenty of Adventure Time books which involve [a stupid number of princesses](http://adventuretime.wikia.com/wiki/Category:Princesses). Here’s [one graphic novel](http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17383106-adventure-time)featuring some of them. ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2017, 1:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-about-princesses/776183/22 "2017-01-03T13:55:01Z")
**The Hero and the Crown** is fan-freakin-tastic. ---
**Author:** ![Lightray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lightray/32/391_2.png) [@Lightray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lightray)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2017, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-about-princesses/776183/23 "2017-01-03T14:11:32Z")
[Beauty](https://www.amazon.com/Beauty-Spectra-Special-Editions-Tepper/dp/0553295276) by Sheri Tepper retells some classic fairy tales (as the title might indicate). The main character is actually the daughter of a Duke, but cites references that demonstrate such should be considered “princesses” as well. ---
**Author:** ![Inner\_Stickler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inner_stickler/32/318_2.png) [@Inner\_Stickler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inner_Stickler)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2017, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-about-princesses/776183/24 "2017-01-03T14:37:41Z")
> [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](#): > > **The Hero and the Crown** is fan-freakin-tastic. Yes it is and it is a prequel to The Blue Sword which was mentioned earlier. It’s YA but Patricia C. Wrede’s **Dealing With Dragons** is about a princess and quite funny. ---
**Author:** ![Sunny\_Daze](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunny_daze/32/438_2.png) [@Sunny\_Daze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunny_Daze)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2017, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-about-princesses/776183/25 "2017-01-03T14:49:45Z")
> [@Sunny\_Daze](#): > > Sophie Page, _To Marry a Prince_, a contemporary [del]Young[/del] **NEW** Adult story, about a young British woman who becomes involved with a British prince (note - different timeline - not Charles or William). Charming and well done. > > Nichole Chase, _Suddenly Royal_, also a contemporary [del]Young[/del] **NEW** Adult story, about an American college student who discovers that she is the long lost heiress to a title in a (non-existent) European country. Two error corrections, as noted above, to my own quotes. With hopes the mods forgive me. ---
**Author:** ![JcWoman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jcwoman/32/2889_2.png) [@JcWoman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JcWoman)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2017, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-about-princesses/776183/26 "2017-01-03T15:13:29Z")
> [@Lightray](#): > > [Beauty](https://www.amazon.com/Beauty-Spectra-Special-Editions-Tepper/dp/0553295276) by Sheri Tepper retells some classic fairy tales (as the title might indicate). The main character is actually the daughter of a Duke, but cites references that demonstrate such should be considered “princesses” as well. I was going to suggest this one also. Technically it’s a different spin on the Sleeping Beauty story. It’s very good. ---
**Author:** ![Lamia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Lamia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamia)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2017, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-about-princesses/776183/27 "2017-01-03T15:21:46Z")
> [@Inner\_Stickler](#): > > It’s YA but Patricia C. Wrede’s **Dealing With Dragons** is about a princess and quite funny. This was going to be my recommendation. There are actually [four books in the series](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patricia_Wrede#The_Enchanted_Forest_Chronicles), all of which involve Princess Cimorene, although she’s only the protagonist in the first one. I haven’t read this one, but _Princess Academy_ by Shannon Hale is a YA novel about non-royal girls who are attending a school that’s supposed to prepare them to for being princesses. The local prince intends to choose one of them as his bride. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2017, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-about-princesses/776183/28 "2017-01-03T15:29:51Z")
The Chicks in Chainmail series does include quite a few princesses. And accountants. And dragons. And… ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2017, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-about-princesses/776183/29 "2017-01-03T16:14:30Z")
I feel like I’ve been running into princesses in stories a ton lately. I’m writing this to try to remind myself to look up the books I’m thinking of when I get home. ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2017, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-about-princesses/776183/30 "2017-01-03T16:33:38Z")
The [Rose of the Prophet](https://www.amazon.com/Rose-Prophet-Trilogy-Weis-Fiction/dp/1931567433) trilogy centers around a prince from a pseudo-Arabian nomadic tribe, a princess from a warring tribe and young pseudo-European wizard. During a war among the gods, the deity of the nomads forces the two tribes to join via marriage, the prince is looking for a submissive bride, the princess of course is the exact opposite (fiery disposition, rides horses, etc) and the predictable clash of personalities ensues with the predictable conclusion. Was still a fun read though. ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2017, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-about-princesses/776183/31 "2017-01-03T16:35:21Z")
_Blue Moon Rising_ by Simon Green and its sequel are about a prince and princess equally. ---
**Author:** ![gregorio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/fbc32d/32.png) [@gregorio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gregorio)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2017, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-about-princesses/776183/32 "2017-01-03T16:37:26Z")
There’s always “The Paper Bag Princess”. Quick read. Worth a revisit. ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2017, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-about-princesses/776183/33 "2017-01-03T16:58:51Z")
Filed under “non-traditional princesses” would be [Archangel](https://www.amazon.com/Archangel-Samaria-Book-Sharon-Shinn/dp/0441004326) by Sharon Shinn. Mortals in the book world are watched over by angels, chief among which is the Archangel. The Archangel is required to marry a mortal woman who becomes the Angelica and rules with him. The current Archangel, Gabriel, is informed of his divinely selected bride, Rachel, a former nomad turned slave. She’s naturally less excited about the deal than he is (and his enthusiasm is purely from sense of duty), adventure and romance ensue. She _was_ divinely selected from birth to become the Angelica so she was technically a princess all along. Although book one in a series, it’s stand alone. ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2017, 12:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-about-princesses/776183/34 "2017-01-04T00:39:34Z")
> [@jsgoddess](#): > > I feel like I’ve been running into princesses in stories a ton lately. I’m writing this to try to remind myself to look up the books I’m thinking of when I get home. Here are some of the ones I was thinking of. **Exceptional** _Spindle’s End_, by Robin McKinley (mentioned upthread). A reimagining of Sleeping Beauty that is just brilliant. **Quite good** _A Brief History of Montmaray_, by Michelle Cooper. For those who love _I Capture the Castle_. _Cinder_, by Marissa Meyer. A retelling of the Cinderella fairy tale starring… a cyborg. _The Sentinel Mage_, by Emily Gee. Straight up epic fantasy. _Princess Ben_, by Catherine Gilbert Murdock. Ben is a really good character in this YA novel. _The Girl of Fire and Thorns_, by Rae Carson. The first is fine. The next two are better. **Readable** _Princess Academy_, by Shannon Hale. It’s cute! _The Princess and the Hound_, by Mette Ivie Harrison. Slightly odd, but it’s nicely offbeat. _Just Ella_ and _Palace of Mirrors_, by Margaret Peterson Haddix. Readable. Not necessarily much more. \*\* Kinda-sorta princesses\*\* _Troubled Waters_, by Sharon Shinn. She’s not really a princess, but it might fit the bill. The first sequel definitely has a princess. _Crown Duel_ and _Court Duel_, by Sherwood Smith. ---
**Author:** ![Baker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bb73d2/32.png) [@Baker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baker)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2017, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-about-princesses/776183/35 "2017-01-04T01:24:47Z")
When growing up in the late 60’s I read this book. > **[Item no longer available](https://www.abebooks.com/books/search)** > > The item you are looking for is no longer available. It’s called The High King’s Daughter, and takes place in Ireland, circa the tenth century. Alfred is king of England. The princess in the book is an older teen, and doesn’t like the constraints her rank places on her. Lot’s of adventure, a Viking invasion, and later on, an Irish prince too. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2017, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-about-princesses/776183/36 "2017-01-04T01:45:53Z")
If you do go with Xanth, I’d suggest not giving her anything later than Man From Mundania. That’s near the threshold where Anthony got creepy and quasi-pedo. I think the creepy didn’t really show itself until later than that. There are even more princesses in later books, but that’s smack square in the middle of the pedo phase. ---
**Author:** ![gkster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gkster/32/14107_2.png) [@gkster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gkster)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2017, 1:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-about-princesses/776183/37 "2017-01-04T01:54:58Z")
Three classics, oldies but goodies by George MacDonald This one, “The Light Princess,” is really an extended short story > **[The Light Princess by George MacDonald](https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/697)** > > Free kindle book and epub digitized and proofread by volunteers. Parts 1 and 2, The Princess and the Goblin [http://www.gutenberg.org/files/34339/34339-h/34339-h.htm](http://www.gutenberg.org/files/34339/34339-h/34339-h.htm) and The Princess and Curdie [http://www.gutenberg.org/files/36612/36612-h/36612-h.htm](http://www.gutenberg.org/files/36612/36612-h/36612-h.htm) All of Lloyd Alexander’s Chronicles of Prydain, starting with _The Book of Three_, feature Princess Eilonwy. What about Gail Carson Levine’s _Ella Enchanted_? And my favorite film about a princess is _Roman Holiday_. Audrey Hepburn makes a lovely princess. ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2017, 3:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-about-princesses/776183/38 "2017-01-04T03:30:13Z")
> [@jayjay](#): > > If you do go with Xanth, I’d suggest not giving her anything later than Man From Mundania. That’s near the threshold where Anthony got creepy and quasi-pedo. I think the creepy didn’t really show itself until later than that. There are even more princesses in later books, but that’s smack square in the middle of the pedo phase. Yeah, I’m sure there were probably options after that, but I would avoid them, on the whole. Even if, by whatever chance, they end up non-pedo, you would still have to deal with the fact that he was writing by numbers by that point. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2017, 3:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-about-princesses/776183/39 "2017-01-04T03:37:35Z")
> [@Ethilrist](#): > > Mercedes Lackey has a number of princesses in her Valdemar novels, but she doesn’t do much to perpetuate the stereotype… > > Princess as main character: The Mage Winds trilogy (Winds of Fate, Winds of Change, Wings of Fury) > Princess as notable secondary character: Exile’s Honor, Arrows of the Queen Misty also has a few princesses in her deconstructed fairy tale series, The 500 Kingdoms. ---
**Author:** ![hogarth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hogarth/32/1773_2.png) [@hogarth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hogarth)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2017, 5:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-about-princesses/776183/40 "2017-01-04T05:17:29Z")
“The Prisoner of Zenda” has a princess as one of the main characters. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-about-princesses/776183.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-about-princesses/776183.md?page=3)