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The Goose Girl (Books of Bayern #1)

The Goose Girl (Books of Bayern #1)

By Shannon Hale

Series: Books of Bayern

Recommended age: Teen & Up
Full Review & Content Notes

Story/Writing Quality

Adult Themes
PG Betrayal, identity loss, and resilience

MPAA-style ratings (G / PG / PG-13) applied Language Rating
G Clean throughout

Violence Rating
PG Threats and danger, non graphic

Sex / Nudity Rating
G Gentle romantic undertones only

Substances Rating
G None

LGBTQ+ Content
Please note this is not meant to be a negative in any way — this is a way for our readers to make informed decisions about their reading choices. None

In this first book in New York Times bestselling, Newbery Honor-winning author Shannon Hale's beloved YA fantasy series Books of Bayern, Princess Ani must become a goose girl before she can become queen.

Anidori-Kiladra Talianna Isilee, Crown Princess of Kildenree, spends the first years of her life listening to her aunt's stories and learning the language of the birds, especially the swans. As she grows up, Ani develops the skills of animal speech, but she never feels quite comfortable speaking with people.

So when Ani's mother sends her away to be married in a foreign land, she finds herself at the mercy of her silver-tongued lady in waiting, who leads a mutiny that leaves her alone, destitute, and fleeing for her life. To survive, Ani takes on work as a royal goose girl, hiding in plain sight while she develops her forbidden talents and works to discover her own true, powerful voice.

The Goose Girl is a stunningly beautiful fairytale retelling, filled with rich language, hopeful messages, and vivid imagination. Shannon Hale’s writing hooked me from the very first page. The story is both warm and exciting, and the characters are wonderfully relatable and memorable. With themes of courage, love, friendship, and duty, this book(and its sequels) left a lasting impression on my heart.” — Purely Fiction Reader Review

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