Review - Princess Alessa and The Frog War

[Billy Burgess]

Princess Alessa and The Frog War
BY: A. L. Albion
PUBLISHED BY: CreateSpace
PUBLISHED IN: 2011
ISBN: 978-1468004618
Pages: 462

 With an original title, Princess Alessa, the Frog War, and a cool cover to go along with it, I was very eager to jump into this young adult fantasy. I was looking for a quick read in between reviews, and, well, I was shocked to find out the book was over four hundred pages. There is nothing wrong with a four hundred plus length. Some of the best books for children and young adults are way over it.

 We, the readers, journey into a land called Gracbog, where the Princess Alessa has a strange encounter with a talking frog, Erwin, from a gypsy circus, warning her that the High Priest was plotting to kill her father the king. Of course, this is to throw the kingdom off as the frogs, yes I said frogs, starts a war with everyone.

There are many characters throughout the novel and they are all easily likeable. The plot is fast-paced and easy to follow as well. The author has created a weird world with Swamp Warlocks, talking frogs, and a strong mythology. Despite the word lengthy, I never felt that the book was epic, as the book’s target audience is probably middle grader graders, for me I wanted descriptions that are more detailed. There is an enough action and quick dialogue to keep you turning the pages. The last half became a bit confusing at times with too many new characters. Overall, I enjoyed reading about the frog war. If you like fantasy or fairy tales, you might want to try this.