The Underground Princess

Greetings!

Instead of pursuing my more common trains of thought, I wanted to use today as a new jumping off point. I find regularly reading to be one of the most rewarding things one could do for mental health and imagination. Now, where does one start when beginning their journey on discussing books that helped shape them as a person, or in my case as a writer?

Well, I found the answer to be quite easy - the beginning. Reading throughout a child's life is a priceless gift that any parent can bestow. A strong imagination not only leads to amazing acts of artistic creation but can also strengthen problem-solving skills and allow young readers to see a solution by looking outside of the norm. I attribute much of my (possibly dwindling) mental acuity to the fact that I was always reading when I was young. Every night I would slide into bed a few hours before I needed actually to be asleep for school the next morning and just enjoy being lost in whatever story I had lined up next, sometimes with a queue of up to ten books waiting for me.

As I've grown older I find myself shoving reading into a corner, after all when am I supposed to find time to enjoy a book between the cascading waves of stress and difficulty that come with adult life? Thus, I am even more grateful for people like my mother who constantly pushed me to read and who always alerts me to a new book that she may think I would enjoy, even if I don't pick it up. Without being guided to the world of literature I would like to think that I would have made my way there on my own eventually, but a parental figure starting you out on your first steps not only is an excellent way to ensure that your child reads but is a fantastic bonding opportunity between child and parent. Now, let's jump into the matter at hand. Instead of going the route of merely suggesting the usual (but still wonderful) titles - Harry Potter, Percy Jackson, etc. - I'd like to make some suggestions that you may not hear about from box-office movie adaptations, but from places, you may not have taken the time to look. There are myriads of talented writers ranging from literature for children to adult non-fiction that many of us just overlook because they aren't plastered on the front of a newspaper or magazine. On that note, I'd like to introduce a title I had a very good time reading, and would most certainly recommend to any parent or a young reader looking for a strong story to join the ranks of their favorite titles. Without further ado, allow me to introduce -

(Cover image from https://www.amazon.com/Underground-Princess-Balderdash-Saga-Book-ebook/dp/B00OTYZ4ZY#nav-subnav)

Welcome to the first of many books I will be introducing over my next few blog entries - The Underground Princess. I've been lucky enough to have some experience with the incredibly talented J.W. Zulauf and thoroughly enjoyed reading over his work during early morning time spent with my Kindle.

The Underground Princess follows the young Princess Scarlet through the beginnings of her adventures in the underground kingdom of Balderdash - where the deceased have been given a second subterranean chance at life. Princess Scarlet's search for true love leads her down a path of conflict and self-discovery that any young reader would fall into quickly. The world and characters are wonderfully crafted even to give mature readers like me a clear vision of Balderdash, its inhabitants, and even their hopes and dreams. This brings me to a point I wanted to make sure I spent time discussing. Today, at least in my opinion, the time of the tired damsel in distress motif has grown stale. No one wants a female lead to sit around her ivory tower pining over the Prince that may or may not come to bring meaning to her life - and luckily this is not the sort of Princess Scarlet is. Princess Scarlet faces danger, death, love, and betrayal with more grace and wisdom than characters published in books meant for people in their 40's.

Themes and events that some authors may shy away from in a work meant for children are expressed beautifully, most of all the aspect of death. The human condition of mortality is something we all have to come to terms with in our way, but The Underground Princess tackles this topic with tact - enough so that the usual gloomy pall hanging over such a subject completely dissipates.

The story is delightfully illustrated throughout, giving the characters you have come to enjoy even more personality (which they all have in spades from the get go). As this is the first book in the Balderdash Saga, I am excited about the next iterations and plan on collecting them for when I have a young reader of my own.

When it comes down to it, The Underground Princess is a great book to gift any young reader. The characters all portray strengths and weaknesses that we deal with on a daily basis, it contains a strong female lead which we could all use more of and most importantly is just plain fun to read. Thumbs way up!

If you are interested in The Underground Princess, you can find it in a variety of places and(as mentioned above) can even be downloaded to your Kindle at your convenience!

Amazon:  http://www.amazon.com/Underground-Princess-Balderdash-Saga-Book-ebook/dp/B00OTYZ4ZY

Evolved Publishing: http://www.evolvedpub.com/product/the-underground-princess/

See you soon for my next recommendation; I believe my next entry will deal with some great Young Adult literature I have dug up over the past few months. Until then!