Reviews of The Hostage Prince:
"The tone alternates between tongue-in-cheek and surprisingly dark, but the end result is an entertaining, thrilling fantasy with a host of endearing characters."
Publishers Weekly
"Brassy and smart, Snail is far more likable than the mostly whiny Aspen, and her perspective allows readers to understand that there is nothing particularly noble about this war—it is a petty skirmish between royal families that will likely end up hurting people like Snail without ever really affecting the actual courts. What begins as a typical fantasy quest therefore actually turns out to be a rather thoughtful look at conflict, loyalty, and courage, and the discussion sparked here will hopefully continue with the proposed sequels."
KQG, The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books
"The Hostage Prince arrived at our house at just the right time. Our tween twin girls have been searching for new books series to follow. They really liked that Snail was a key player and not just a helper throughout the story. Even in fantasy books it's not always easy to find strong female characters...This is a good book to add to your summer reading list. It's one different family members can read and enjoy. Our girls still ask questions about the different characters and storylines, so it's an easy conversation starter for families."
"My son was at the edge of his seat during the reading of this story and I often saw his flashlight on in his bed for up to thirty minutes after his bedtime. When I would check on him he would smile sheepishly, hold up The Hostage Prince and tell me that he 'had to read the next chapter.' Not to worry, he was happy to fill me in the next morning on what I had missed out on during his late night reading.
If you have an adventure loving child who loves fantasy then I highly recommend adding The Hostage Prince-The Seelie Wars (Book 1) to their summer reading list!"
"Colorful…[Features] a comical troll birthing scene, an ending twist and an intriguing riddle…The prince's boldly impossible plan will carry readers forward to the next installment."
Kirkus Reviews
"Aspen and Snail are refreshingly atypical heroes: Snail's prickly personality gets her into as much trouble as her clumsiness, and Aspen is neither brave nor clever. Nonetheless, they are quite likable, and both gain strength and self-confidence as their adventure progresses and they learn to trust each other. [The final chapters]...set the stage neatly for the next book in the series, leaving plenty more to learn about the Seelie/Unseelie conflict and the intriguing relationship between the prince and the apprentice"
School Library Journal