Book Review: Princesses Behaving Badly by Linda Rodriguez McRobbie

Princesses Behaving Badly:

Real Stories from History—Without

the Fairy-Tale Endings

by Linda Rodriguez McRobbie

Published: November 19th, 2013

SYNOPSIS: 

You think you know her story. You’ve read the Brothers Grimm, you’ve watched the Disney cartoons, you cheered as these virtuous women lived happily ever after. But the lives of real princesses couldn’t be more different. Sure, many were graceful and benevolent leaders—but just as many were ruthless in their quest for power, and all of them had skeletons rattling in their royal closets. Princess Stephanie von Hohenlohe was a Nazi spy. Empress Elizabeth of the Austro-Hungarian empire slept wearing a mask of raw veal. Princess Olga of Kiev murdered thousands of men, and Princess Rani Lakshmibai waged war on the battlefield, charging into combat with her toddler son strapped to her back. Princesses Behaving Badly offers minibiographies of all these princesses and dozens more. It’s a fascinating read for history buffs, feminists, and anyone seeking a different kind of bedtime story.

REVIEW:

I was sent a copy of this for an honest review by Quirk Books.

First off I have to praise the author for bringing about a book focusing on several intriguing princesses in history. She retells these stories to the best of her ability. Let's be honest here, over time facts get mixed up and completely changed. Have you ever played the telephone game in school? When one person tells a story and then keeps passing it along eventually it's quite different. I appreciated all of the different cultures represented in here and how I have been made aware of women in history that I had never heard of before. After reading this I would really love to know more about Alfhild, Hatshepsut, and Roxolana... I think that's the main drawback on a book like this, I want more information! I enjoyed this and would definitely recommend it to others.

RATING: ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ 

Book Review: Batman: Nightwalker by Marie Lu

Batman: Nightwalker (DC Icons #2)

by Marie Lu

Published: January 2nd, 2018


SYNOPSIS:


Before he was Batman, he was Bruce Wayne. A reckless boy willing to break the rules for a girl who may be his worst enemy.

The Nightwalkers are terrorizing Gotham City, and Bruce Wayne is next on their list.

One by one, the city's elites are being executed as their mansions' security systems turn against them, trapping them like prey. Meanwhile, Bruce is turning eighteen and about to inherit his family's fortune, not to mention the keys to Wayne Enterprises and all the tech gadgetry his heart could ever desire. But after a run-in with the police, he's forced to do community service at Arkham Asylum, the infamous prison that holds the city's most brutal criminals.

Madeleine Wallace is a brilliant killer . . . and Bruce's only hope.

In Arkham, Bruce meets Madeleine, a brilliant girl with ties to the Nightwalkers. What is she hiding? And why will she speak only to Bruce? Madeleine is the mystery Bruce must unravel. But is he getting her to divulge her secrets, or is he feeding her the information she needs to bring Gotham City to its knees? Bruce will walk the dark line between trust and betrayal as the Nightwalkers circle closer.


REVIEW:

My friend Heather sent me a signed copy of this book as a Christmas gift and I LOVED IT!

I have long been a fan of Batman's origin story and Marie Lu’s take on teenage Bruce Wayne is refreshing, beautifully written, and true to his character. You can deeply feel the deep moral conflict he is going through and can see him gradually working his way towards his Batman persona. From the way that Bruce is written I can definitely see a few similarities to the version David Mazouz plays of him on the show Gotham. I really enjoyed the character Madeleine as well and by the end of the story I was gripping the edge of my seat. She was such a tricky character that made you couldn't help but care for and I would definitely like to see more of her in a future Batman book. I highly recommend this book to anyone that is a fan of Batman! 

RATING: ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️