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Elara was orphaned as a baby, given a home with a family who doesn’t really care about her and a harsh mistress who sees her as more of a slave — a means to get what she wants — than an adoptive daughter. She’s always dreamed of who her parents were and of what her real name could be, and now that she’s almost of an age to be on her own, she is determined to learn her true identity.
Meanwhile, in the capital city, Princess Wilha sits on the sidelines watching her younger brother being groomed for the throne. The Opal Crown should have been her birthright, but instead, she’s known across kingdoms as the Masked Princess and has been forced since she was born to wear a mask to hide her face. People wonder if she’s ugly … or if she’s dangerously beautiful. Either way, everyone is sure that she’s cursed. Wilha can’t be sure herself. Hers doesn’t seem like a face that’s cursed, but if she’s not really cursed, then why has her father made her conceal her face all these years? Why does he refuse to look at her?
When an assassination attempt threatens the tenuous peace between their kingdom and a neighboring country, Elara and Wilha are brought face to face, and an unsettling truth is revealed.
Wilha has been given away to become the bride of the enemy’s son in hopes their marriage will stave off war. Elara is forced to travel as her double, but when they arrive at the new castle, among strangers who do not know the difference between them, Wilha and Elara find they have a chance to claim new identities. Yet how long can their facade last before their lies come to light?
The Princess in the Opal Mask is a cute read reminiscent of Gail Carson Levine’s Ella Enchanted. Also, despite the ages of the main characters, the story seems to border more on middle-grade than YA. In fact, it almost reads like a Disney movie. Some aspects aren’t realistic at all, but I love it all the same for what it is — an adorable, fluffy fairy tale read without the darker aspects so common in YA. The ending also resolves too easily (in fact, things seemed to turn out so perfectly, it probably could have been left a standalone), but I’m actually looking forward to reading the second book and seeing where this adventure, and the characters, will go.
Rated: None. Only has some mild peril and action.
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