Find similar books

Lorraine O'Byrne

Escaping the Prince

language (Keeper Books June 6, 2017)
“Escaping the Prince” is a charmingly romantic and quirky adventure for young readers of eight onward. It does not follow the conventional route of the romantic tales that we are all familiar with, such as Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty etc. Set in the Pixie land that is Brandydook, the entire Kingdom is bursting with excitement and anticipation for the upcoming ball at which Prince Morgan will choose his bride to be. The law in Brandydook states that the prince must marry on his sixteenth birthday if he is to inherit the throne. Each and every pixie in the Kingdom desperately wants to be a princess of Brandydook. All, that is, except Buttercup, a wild and wilful pixie who has other plans for her life, none of which include Prince Morgan.

To help Prince Morgan make his choice, he has requested that each pixie perform for him at the ball. When Buttercup’s turn inevitably comes, she blunders through it clumsily and ends up falling at the Prince’s feet, having first knocked over the entire pixie band. The Prince, however, is undeterred by the fiasco and is intrigued by her difference from all the others who have tried so hard to impress him with their polished performances and amazing talents.

To the delight of her parents and Buttercup’s total and utter dismay, the Prince chooses Buttercup to be his bride. With plans for the royal wedding immediately underway, Buttercup feels trapped by her impending doom and with the help of her dear friend, Goodwin, she flees the Kingdom, seeking adventure in the land of humans.

As Buttercup crosses the boundary of Brandydook, she unwittingly disturbs the balance of nature by plucking some wild roses from the bank of the river, completely unaware that if a flower is taken from the Kingdom, it will spell the end of Brandydook for all eternity. The pixie embarks upon what turns out to be a perilous journey through the land of humans, fighting for her life as she goes. Plummeting down a waterfall, Buttercup is plucked from mid-air by a giant bird who tosses her into his nest to feed his ravenous chicks. Miraculously, she survives only to be chased at high speed by a monstrous black spider with great hairy tentacles. She is lost and alone in this terrifying world with danger at every turn and longs for the familiar surroundings of Brandydook.

As if things couldn’t get any worse, Buttercup is captured by a horrible little girl named Wendy who thinks she is a doll. Meanwhile, back in Brandydook, snow begins to fall and nature is slowly dying, taking with it the very essence of the Kingdom itself. Prince Morgan and his parents, King Rufus and Queen Tulip are furious and incredulous when they learn from Buttercup’s friend Goodwin, that she has abandoned them and in doing so has placed the Kingdom in grave peril. Mother Brandydook, an ethereal pixie linked to the natural life source of Brandydook reveals that Buttercup holds the key to the survival of the Kingdom and must be found at all costs. Feeling responsible and more than a little angry, Prince Morgan embarks on his own adventure to bring Buttercup back in order to save his homeland.

Enjoy reading Escaping the Prince? You may also like these books

  • Lorraine O' Byrne, Donal O' Byrne

    Watch out Bobby

    language (Feedaread Jan. 7, 2013)
  • Lorraine O' Byrne

    The Intruder

    language (Keeper Books Sept. 16, 2013)