The Princess and the Bear

The Princess and the Bear
By Mette Ivie Harrison
HarperTeen, 2009. 327 pgs. Young adult fiction.

A hound who has lived as a human princess and a bear who was once a king join forces in a forest filling with a strange "unmagic." In their human forms, they are sent back in time to repair the magic of the world and to conquer the evil power that has threatened to overtake their present time.

This book serves as both a sequel to The Princess and the Hound as well as a stand-alone novel. I found it to be markedly better and more engaging than the first; the characters had more heart, were much more likable, and were more successfully developed. The storyline was also more intriguing and had a much more satisfying conclusion. Although not my favorite by any means, this book is still a worthwhile read.

CW