Wednesday, January 15, 2014

Blog Tour/Review: Princess Madeline and the Dragon by Kirstin Pulioff


Princess Madeline and the Dragon - Tour Button - 3 Kirstin Pulioff

About the Book

Title: Princess Madeline and the Dragon (Princess Madeline Trilogy, Book #3)
Author: Kirstin Pulioff
Publication Date: November 26, 2013
Publisher: Caliburn Books
Number of pages: 135
Recommended age: 10+

Summary

After a season of battle and rebuilding, the Kingdom of Soron is exhausted. With the return of the exiled wizards, the Spring Faire, and her upcoming wedding, Princess Madeline is looking forward to a peaceful season of celebration. When the mysterious green dragon reappears, threatening the kingdom and the king, Princess Madeline and Prince Braden won’t rest for long. Faced with this incredible new danger, Princess Madeline and Prince Braden must find a way to lead their kingdom and secure their future. Can they find the answers hidden within their mother’s cryptic messages from the past, or will the dragon destroy everything they hold dear? Follow Princess Madeline as she embarks on a dangerous new adventure to save her kingdom and her family.

Madeline has been studying with Elias, the wizard, for the past several months. After Madeline turned 16, she discovered her natural magic came from her dreams, which are now blocked and Elias is giving her different herbal tea combinations to try to release the block. Meanwhile, the kingdom is alive with preparations for Spring Faire and with all the craziness that recently happened, expectations are high for this to be a grand event. 

As King Theodore and Prince Braden are watching this event come together, Prince Braden sees a speck in the distance which grows larger and they are amazed to see that it's a green dragon, which circles around and then disappears.  When Madeline sees the dragon, the necklace she's wearing starts to burn her neck and Elias is able to explain to her what her necklace actually is and what it means. 

King Theodore scrambles to come up with a plan, trying to reassure his people in the meantime that everything will be okay. Elias makes his way to the King to explain what he has been able to learn about what's going on. One of the villagers makes a request that the people be given one day to rejoice before they take action and the King agrees to that. 

The celebration is in full swing and all is going well when Elias makes a shocking discovery. They go to warn the King but before they can, tragedy strikes and everything changes. Ceremonies are quickly moved up and Madeline and Braden face their toughest challenges yet.

This is a great ending to such a fun series! Madeline has matured a lot, which is good because she needs to dig deep to find the answers to help her people. She and Daniel are still adorable and I love them! We actually don't get a lot of interaction between them but just knowing that he's solid and is there for her made me happy! 

We see more of Braden, too, and he has some big decisions to make. He's not sure if he's ready but he still has to push forward. In book one, he liked Madeline's best friend, Sophia, and in book two, Sophia made a decision which ended their relationship. I still felt like there was something there, though, and was hoping for more closure between them in this book, but probably because it didn't end the way I thought it would. Braden does make some comments that show where he's at but I think I just kept hoping for something else.

A lot of questions are answered as the story unfolds and the little mysteries we've learned along the way are resolved. The end of the story made me a little teary and the end of the Epilogue put a huge smile on my face! I've really enjoyed this series. The books aren't very long but a lot is packed into them. I was surprised at the page count for this book because so much happened yet it didn't feel rushed at all. I highly recommend this series and definitely want my daughter to read it! I'm also looking forward to seeing what Ms. Pulioff has in store next!

My Rating=5 Stars

More Buzz About The Book

"The story is engaging on many levels, as is Pulioff's writing, but on this occasion I was mostly drawn into the action and the mystery as how to prevent the worst from happening. This is great entertainment and should do well across a wider age range." ~ 5 Star Review,ChristophFischerBooks, Amazon

"Kirstin Pulioff has saved the best for last. 'Princess Madeline and the Dragon' is the final installment in the 'Princess Madeline Trilogy'. I thought the first two books were finely wrought stories, but this novel surpasses its predecessors. Prophesies, family tragedies, magic and - of course - dragons, combine to produce a tale that is an instant classic. Written with a great deal of charm, 'Princess Madeline and the Dragon' will not disappoint Ms Pulioff's young fans. I look forward to seeing where next her imagination will take this natural storyteller. " ~ 5 Star Review, Diogenes, Amazon

"Princess Madeline and the Dragon is an exciting and thoroughly satisfying final chapter in this fantasy/adventure series. As she did with books one and two, the author has created a fantasy world in a rich medieval setting that we can believe in--and want to visit, over and over...Along with adventure, a sweet romance, and a theme that centers on the power of love, you may find a surprise or two! If your tween or teen loves princesses, brave heroes and fairytales of daring-do, they shouldn't miss this one!" ~ 5 Star Review, Ally S., Goodreads

Purchase

Princess Madeline and the Dragon by Kirstin Pulioff

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About the Author: Kirstin Pulioff

Kirstin Pulioff 

Kirstin Pulioff is a storyteller at heart. Born and raised in Southern California, she moved to the Pacific Northwest to follow her dreams and graduated from Oregon State University with a degree in Forest Management. Happily married and a mother of two, she lives in Oregon, and enjoys being a stay at home mom. When she’s not writing, she is busy with her kids and church.

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Goodreads Amazon Author Page


Princess Madeline and the Dragon Blog Tour Schedule (2014)

January 13
January 14
January 15
January 16
January 17
January 18
January 19
January 20
January 21
January 22
January 23
January 24
January 25
January 26

* $25 Blog Tour Giveaway *

Amazon 25 gift card

Prize: $25 Amazon Gift Card or PayPal cash (winner’s choice)

Contest runs: January 13th to January 31st, 11:59 pm, 2014

Open: Internationally

How to enter: Please enter using the Rafflecopter widget below.

Terms and Conditions: NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW. A winner will be randomly drawn through the Rafflecopter widget and will be contacted by email within 48 hours after the giveaway ends. The winner will then have 72 hours to respond. If the winner does not respond within 72 hours, a new draw will take place for a new winner. Odds of winning will vary depending on the number of eligible entries received. This contest is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with Facebook. This giveaway is sponsored by the author, Kirstin Pulioff and is hosted and managed by Renee from Mother Daughter Book Reviews. If you have any additional questions – feel free to send and email to Renee(at)MotherDaughterBookReviews(dot)com.

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2 comments:

Renee C. said...

Thanks for your great review of Princess Madeline and the Dragon. You raised a few good points. Madeline has definitely matured in the third book by leaps and bounds. You made an interesting point about Madeline and Daniel. Daniel's role as husband/boyfriend in all three books seems very marginal. I have to admit that I like that because it really allows for Madeline's strengths to shine through. Daniel supports her, but doesn't control her - that's a great message for young girls. I totally agree about the ending. I got teary-eyed too and I loved the final image. It is a most satisfying ending! Thanks for taking part in the Princess Madeline and the Dragon blog tour.

Melanie said...

Thanks, Renee! I'm glad I got to read this entire series, so thank you for the opportunity to read and review this final book.

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