The Princess and the Opal Mask - Jenny Lundquist

The Princess in the Opal Mask
by Jenny Lundquist

So you take one part The Man in the Iron Mask, one part Cinderella, shake, serve over ice with a sugar rim and you have The Princess in the Opal Mask.  Sign me up!

I started to read this and then put it down and then picked it up and then put it down.  I wasn't in the mood and something in my gut was telling me to save it until I could really appreciate it. I'm so glad I did.  I loved the story and the fierce girls it follows. Elara is stubborn and independent and just wants to be free. Wilha is uncertain of the power she holds and caring and also just wants to be free.  I enjoyed watching as they navigated their way through the turns their lives took, slowly learning more about themselves as well as each other. Okay I wish they learned more about each other in this book but I guess I'll just have to wait for the sequel for that.

The suspense as the story shifted between each of their perspectives was well done. There were a couple moments that cringed because a character did something that I found not entirely realistic but just as a began to grow frustrated that it was all for a dramatic scene that I thought was coming a curve-ball was thrown and my frustration was forgotten. I didn't want to stop living in the world that was created even with all the bad guys and assassination attempts and life decisions.  I found the strength of the girls empowering and also appreciated when they accepted the help of others.

I can't wait to read the sequel.  Bummer it's not out until Fall 2014 but the author lives near my old stomping grounds. Maybe I'll go visit the in-laws and friends and see if I can casually bump into her at the grocery store.  Is that stalking?  Shucks.  Guess I'll just have to bank on meeting her at a future book signing.

**Source: from publisher