Review: The Beggar Prince

Mission complete! The Beggar Prince by Kate Stradling was the final book I had to review from the Once Upon a Prince series of fairy tale retellings completing my quest to finish this series by the end of the summer. This book is a retelling of "King Thrushbeard," which was a great choice for a series focusing on male fairy tale protagonists since the male lead in this story takes more of an active role than in some of the other stories this series has covered. Still, the source material has some questionable elements including a husband who lies to his wife about his identity and a spoiled princess with an overly controlling father. Although this book is primarily a beat-for-beat retelling of the original fairy tale, it does a good job of humanizing both characters and handles the controversial aspects of the story with grace. If you're looking for an in-depth and accurate adaptation of "King Thrushbeard," this book is an excellent choice.

Thorben is a stressed-out prince who is busy planning his upcoming coronation as King. When he receives an invitation to be a suitor to the spoiled Princess Leonie, the last thing on his mind is marrying her. However, Leonie proves herself to be such a difficult match that her father insists on marrying her off to the next beggar who arrives at the castle. When Thorben shows up seeking shelter on a stormy night, he is mistaken for a beggar and plunged into marriage with Leonie. Embarrassed about his bedraggled state, he decides to keep up the charade of a beggar until he can get his marriage annulled, hopefully without Leonie learning his true identity.  He finds a small hut and puts the unfortunate princess to work, discovering that she has few viable skills for their new lifestyle.

In comparison to the other books in this series, this one is mid-range. Though it doesn't alternate between Tor and Leonie's perspectives, there is enough information to know what Leonie is thinking most of the time, and the major decisions in the story rely primarily on Tor. The one improvement that the book adds to the fairy tale is an explanation as to why Leonie never recognizes Tor after spending so much time with him just because he grew a beard. I don't want to spoil it, but it is a common enough disability that I found it relatable in my own life. Thorben eventually discovers Leonie's secret, and the two rely on each other to the point that an annulment starts to seem more inconvenient than it's worth.

I enjoyed this book for the most part, but the lack of conflict prevents it from being one of the best in the series. It follows the fairy tale so closely that there is nothing new or unexpected to keep readers invested in this particular adaptation. Although there is an antagonist, he is warded off so easily that I was expecting him to turn up again later, but he doesn't. The ending is so rushed that there is a lot more these two could have overcome together before everything was resolved such as spending more time to deal with the mistrust in their relationship. If Tor hadn't kept putting off telling Leonie the truth about his identity, the book could have ended even faster. When Leonie ultimately learns the truth, she seems a bit too forgiving.

The Beggar Prince by Kate Stradling is a solid addition to the Once Upon a Prince series, offering a faithful retelling of "King Thrushbeard" with some tasteful tweaks to humanize the characters. While it may not be the strongest entry in the series due to its lack of conflict and rushed ending, it still provides an enjoyable read for fans of fairy tale retellings. Thorben and Leonie's story is a sweet and relatable exploration of growth, trust, and acceptance, even if it doesn't break new ground. Overall, this book is a great choice for those looking for a straightforward adaptation of "King Thrushbeard" with some pleasant character development