The Sleeping Prince

Gr 9 Up—In The Sin Eater's Daughter, 16-year-old Twylla is engaged to the Prince of Loremere but is an outcast. People fear her because she also happens to be the kingdom's executioner. One simple moment of skin-to-skin contact with her will emit a poison that will kill. Twylla feels that no one will truly be able to love her. When a new guard, Lief, arrives at the jail, he looks at her like she is a real person. When they uncover a devious plot by the Queen to destroy Loremere's enemies that could place everyone in danger, they join together to save the kingdom. The second installment opens with the Queen awakening the Sleeping Prince, who is not very happy about the years he spent cursed from his long enchantment. The plot then follows Errin, Lief's sister, as she tries to take care of their ill mother, who she believes has "Scarlet Varulv," a disorder that causes her to act like a wild animal during the full moon, by selling illegal herbal cures in an effort to keep her out of an asylum. When her village is evacuated because of the impending war against the Sleeping Prince, Errin must travel across the kingdom to save her family. Give to teens who enjoy fairy-tale settings with good vs. evil conflicts and battles mixed with fantasy magic, strange creatures, and spooky folklore.