I had picked this one up because the reviews made it sound like it was tongue-in-cheek and a little satirical. I was intrigued by the full title which actually runs: Wisdom's Kiss: A thrilling and romantic adventure incorporating magic, villainy, and a cat. I thought perhaps it would have overtures of Princess Bride like qualities to it. In actuality, that was all a bit true, but also not quite there either. The book is what the title says and in a way takes itself quite seriously, but by using many different forms and narrators to tell the story, it creates a sort of parody-like nature. There is an over the top play format, letters the queen writes to her granddaughter and an acrobat writes to his school sweetheart, memoirs, biographies, and encyclopedic entries. The language in this is also highly inflected so younger readers would have a bit of trouble with it. There's a glossary in the back to help. It was a great read and I really enjoyed it, but I think it would be a specific reader who could really get into it and enjoy it for what it is.
I won't be able to sum up the story beyond the fact that its a thrilling and romantic adventure with magic, villainy and a cat, because there is too much going on and you will just have to read it to find out for yourself.
Interest and reading level: YA
Genre: Fantasy, Romance, Adventure
Comparable titles: Princess Bride, Princess Ben, The Goose Girl, Ella Enchanted
Book Connections: Primary sources such as letters, memoirs, clippings, etc. that detail a historical event
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