The 10th Kingdom
The 10th Kingdom by Kathryn Wesley is not really a romance novel, although there is a romance element in it. This is a novel of the television mini series and I would suggest reading it and watching the series too.
I saw the first episode of the series and went straight online to find the book. It was ordered and arrived shortly after seeing the second episode of the series. I had read it from cover to cover by the time the third episode was aired.
There are some parts in the novel that are not in the series and vice versa. However for the most part this novel sticks very closely to the television script. Something I am always thankful for after the massacre of Scarlett (the sequel to Gone with the Wind) – there is a classic example of how a wonderful book should not be brought to the television.
Anyway back to The 10th Kingdom…
Virginia Lewis has convinced herself that nothing exciting is ever going to happen to her. So of course you know that something will…and soon.
A New York waitress who is riding her bicycle to work through Central Park accidentally runs over a dog. A dog who immediately tags along after her as he tries to communicate. For this dog is no ordinary stray. He is Prince Wendell, the heir to the throne of the 4th Kingdom who has been magically changed into a dog by his step-mother.
Having escaped through a magic mirror and into New York he is chased by three trolls (who name New York The 10th Kingdom) and Wolf (half man, half wolf) a tracker who can follow his nose to find the dog.
The trolls soon find Virginia’s wallet and while she is at work they attack her father with troll dust which puts him to sleep. Virginia meanwhile is convinced that the dog (named Prince) is more than he seems…the fact he can write being a big clue. Going home she flees from the trolls and heads to her grandmother’s house, leaving her father to deal with their next visitor, in the form of Wolf.
Tony Lewis agrees to tell Wolf where is daughter is in return for a magic bean that will grant him six wishes.
Wasting most of them his wishes lead him to be running through Central Park with half of New York’s police force after him.
Virginia meanwhile has also met Wolf and is also heading for the park. Their paths cross and Tony uses his final wish to understand Prince Wendell and lets the dog lead them back through the mirror and into the realm of the 4th Kingdom and the Snow White Memorial Prison.
And this is where the journey really begins.
Separated almost at once Virginia is kidnapped by the trolls who believe she is a witch. Tony is thrown in jail and Prince Wendell finds he is about to be poisoned.
All seems lost until Wolf, who has decided to forget his mission to catch Prince Wendell, rescues Virginia and together they travel back to the prison to rescue Tony.
As you can probably tell from the names above this story is set in a world where Snow White, Cinderella and the other fairy story characters are real people. Or rather they were real people a couple of hundred years before.
Times have changed now and the 9 Kingdoms are under threat from the Evil Queen who will stop at nothing to rule them all.
Travelling across the 4th Kingdom Tony, Virginia, Wendell and Wolf follow the mirror that will send Tony and Virginia home again. Always elusive and forever slipping from their grasp their journey takes them ever nearer to the Queen and the destiny that awaits them all.
And on this journey everyone does some re-evaluating of their lives.
Prince Wendell, selfish and spoilt, finds that being a dog could actually be good for him. For once in his life he will have to work for his kingdom instead of having it handed to him.
Tony too will find that he has to work for what he wants and also he will have to be honest with his daughter as only this way will they ever have a strong relationship.
Virginia herself has to learn to trust people again. Hurt since her mother walked out on the family she has not opened herself to anyone since.
As for Wolf, he decided the moment he set eyes on her that Virginia was the woman for him. But as part animal he has a lot to learn about women and even more to learn about accepting the animal within himself. For if he sees himself as nothing but an animal…how would anyone else see him as human either.
One of the most unusual love stories – one where the girl does not get the Prince but the Wolf gets the girl. And in the style of a true fairy tale there is sure to be a happy ever after ending.
Filled with one-liners, Tony and Wolf having some of the best lines, this story is both original and amusing.
I would recommend anyone who with a sense of humour and a fondness for
fairy tales reads this book, especially if you enjoyed the television series.
The 10th Kingdom takes the old fairy stories and gives them a modern twist
that is more like the original fairy tales before they were toned down
for children to read.
RATING : 
(if you need an explanation of the hearts ratings see my homepage)
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Visit the Official 10th Kingdom Website