Wisdom's Kiss

Readers looking for the same, only different, will be delighted with this new YA fairy tale by Catherine Gilbert Murdock. Written from eight perspectives through journal entries, encyclopedia pages, letters and even a play, Wisdom's Kiss tells the story of Princess Wisdom, a soldier named Tips, and Trudy, an orphaned girl with second sight.

Trudy and Tips are childhood friends growing up together in the small town of Bacio. Their paths cross with Princess Wisdom when she travels the country to marry Roger, the Duke of Farina. But in this comedy of errors, nothing turns out the way any of them have planned. Full of secrets, adventure, political intrigue, a traveling circus, magic and, of course, true love, this twisting tale never takes itself too seriously.

Young adult readers may remember author Murdock from her Dairy Queen trilogy. While those novels were realistic fiction, this story is fully set in the fairy-tale realm. Some of the characters from Princess Ben make appearances here, but each book stands on its own. And although it's listed as a YA, middle-grade readers will probably enjoy this novel just as much.

With so many viewpoints, the disjointed style of storytelling will not be for everyone. But for those looking for an unusual take on tales of magic and true love, this may well be the lighthearted fantasy they've been waiting for. --Sherrie Petersen, children's book reviewer and blogger

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