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Reviewed by Liz Konkel for Readers' Favorite
The Heart Between Kingdoms by Mary Dublin and Anne Kendsley is the story of how a fairy princess became a human queen. Esmae is a princess in her fae kingdom of Evrosea, but after she discovers her father's plan to arrange a marriage for her, she turns to her childhood friend, Brennan, for help in escaping. She grasps at the chance of a new start when she sees a human prince passing through the woods. Esmae has no choice but to make a deal with a witch, one that goes horribly wrong. Now she's stranded in a human kingdom without any magic or a way home. The only way for her to fight the witch that cursed her is to put her trust in the prince she risked everything for. From evil witches to sinister kings and bad fairies, Daniel and Esmae rely on the strength of each other to save both of their kingdoms.
Mary Dublin and Anne Kendsley have an intriguing structure, dividing the plot into three individual stories that connect. The first follows how Esmae and Daniel meet and fall in love in a classic fairytale-styled adventure. Then their love story takes a turn as they're on the verge of becoming rulers and dealing with the ploys of an underhanded king. The last story jumps ahead a bit into the future following Esmae's daughter, with the majority of the story focusing on her. Though Esmae's long-time friend, Brennan, has a more prominent role in the story when Esmae rescues a captured fairy named Tessa. Tessa is a tragic character and garners a lot of sympathy. But as her story progresses, she finds a place for herself as well as forming a quick bond with Esmae's daughter.
The Heart Between Kingdoms is reminiscent of fairytales like The Little Mermaid and Thumbelina, as Esmae makes a deal with a witch in order to join a whole new world, and willingly gives up everything she is to do so. Then in a fun Thumbelina-esque way, Esmae spends a great deal of time in a small fairy size as she rummages through the prince's castle and gets toted around by him in the palm of his hand. The romance between them is sweet and is the primary plot of the first two stories, with the third one adding the budding relationship between Brennan and Tessa. Full of adventure and magic, The Heart Between Kingdoms delivers an action-packed good time with romance, daring rescues, and a lot of heart.
