SYNOPSIS
She was born with her eyes closed and a word on her tongue, a word she could not taste. Her name was Anidori-Kiladra Talianna Isilee, Crown Princess of Kildenree, and she spent the first years of her life listening to her aunt’s stories and learning the language of the birds, especially the swans. And when she was older, she watched as a colt was born, and she heard the first word on his tongue, his name, Falada.
From the Grimm’s fairy tale of the princess who became a goose girl before she could become queen, Shannon Hale has woven an incredible, original, and magical tale of a girl who must find her own unusual talents before she can lead the people she has made her own.
Genre: Fantasy
Age: Young Adult
Series: The Books of Bayern #1
REVIEW
Lyrical writing, lovable characters, and a beautiful portrayal of a fairy tale, this is a must read for all fairy tale lovers.
The Goose Girl by Shannon Hale follows the story of Anidori-Kiladra Talianna Isilee or simply Ani. As the first born to the king and queen and crown princess of Kildenree, Ani has spent her whole life forced to train to take on the throne. But she doesn’t think she can ever live up to her mother’s high standards. Gaining people’s attention and respect is not her strong suit. Instead, Ani is much more comfortable out by the lake, speaking with the birds and feeling the wind. It comes as a shock when all her hard work is for naught when her mother unexpectedly strips away Ani’s title as crown princess to instead be married to the prince of the neighboring, hostile kingdom of Bayern. What’s bad turns to worse when Ani’s lady-in-waiting turns on her, takes her title, and goes off to marry the prince of Bayern herself. Alone, betrayed, and lost, with no proof to her real identity, Ani finds herself tasked as Bayern’s goose girl, where she must either accept her fate or find her courage and fight for her title.
Ah, this book. *clutches heart* I read it many years ago and fell utterly in love, so it was a delight to revisit it this month. I forgot how truly beautiful it is.
Shannon Hale’s lyrical writing draws your right in. It just feels like a fairy tale. Her simple yet oh-so elegant descriptions whisk you away into a world both fantastical and yet familiar; homey. From the small kingdom of Kildenree, through the vast forest, to the great capital of Bayern, to the peaceful meadow where the geese roam, this story will utterly awaken your senses. The descriptions are so vivid, so alive. I felt like I was right there with Ani, lazing in the breezy field while the geese played by the shimmering river or sitting by the crackling fire in the cozy workers’ hall. It’s the type of book you can just crawl into and feel at peace. And though the setting is gorgeous, it’s our protagonist who truly makes the book shine.
Ani has always lived under her mother’s shadow, never feeling adequate next to the Queen’s natural grace and speaking skills and strong will. Ani is quiet, struggles with conversations, and much prefers the company of horses and birds than people. I honestly fell in love with her meek spirit and gentleness right from the start, but watching her grow and become her own was utterly inspiring.
Having her title cruelly ripped from her and no one in the world to rely on, Ani takes on the name Isi and becomes the humble goose girl and, much to her surprise, away from her mother’s shadow, away from the comforts of being royalty, she discovers who she truly is. Her arc was absolutely spectacular, and I loved how she managed to rally her fellow workers around her in her own way, despite always struggling to make friends. Her growth truly rung with me, because I know that feeling of having to step away from certain atmospheres, certain people groups, to discover who you really are. I love how Ani found her own strengths and courage and became the girl she was always meant to be.
The other characters are so fun too. Geric and Ani’s romance was precious. Enna was such a little spitfire who became a wonderful friend to Ani, and I loved that. Huzzah for female friendships! Conrad, Ani’s fellow goose boy, was such a little stinker, but I loved him too. XD All of Ani’s fellow workers just made me smile. They became a family for Ani, and it was beautiful to watch unfold.
Another favorite thing was the magic system! It felt so natural, I’m not even sure of “magic” is the right word. According to Ani’s aunt, the world and everything in it could once speak to one another, from people, to animals, to nature. These days, not many have the gift or take the time to listen, but Ani’s aunt helped Ani learn how to listen and speak with the birds. And Ani has another gift too—being able to speak with the wind. I don’t want to give too many spoilers away, and you really need to experience it yourself, but that natural way these gifts were woven into the world was so brilliant. Hale’s worldbuilding is truly phenomenal. From the setting, to the people, to the subtle but enchanting magic, everything felt so immersive, so real.
This is not a fast-paced book. It’s not stuffed with a ton of action and constant plot twists. But it doesn’t need to be. The sheer enchantment of it, the homey feel, the endearing characters, the melodic writing, drew me in from the very first sentence and kept me spellbound.
I feel like this is one of those books all fairy tale lovers should read at least once. It is the epitome of a charming fairy tale read, and one of the first books I think of when I’m asked for a good fairy tale retelling recommendation. Truly, I cannot recommend it enough.
The Goose Girl Elements
What I absolutely adore about this story is how close it follows the original fairy tale. It honestly just feels like an expounded version of the original, which I think is so fun. I love unique takes on fairy tales, but I also want at least one retelling out there that brings the original fairy tale to life, and this novel does it brilliantly.
I’m not sure there are any elements from the original that wasn’t in this story. It takes absolutely everything and weaved it in seamlessly, while making sense of some, erm, illogical plot threads of the original. *grins*
I highly suggest reading the original before this novel, just because it’s so much fun seeing how the author brought in everything (I’m talkin’ EVERYTHING, guys!), down to the most minute element. I loved it!
Content Cautions
I think this is labeled as young adult, but it honestly feels a little closer to a middle-grade read to me. Everything is very innocent and just so very whimsical.
Like I said, there is magic of sorts, but it’s such a natural part of the world, it can hardly be labeled as magic.
A few “sorcerers” and “witches” put on shows on the streets, but most of the characters claim it’s all just tricks. It was never confirmed nor denied if what they did was real magic, but I got the impression it was just the tricks of magicians.
The romance is fairly light, though there are a couple of kisses. A couple of times the “marriage bed” was mentioned, but it didn’t expand on anything past that.
Some violence. Quite a few sword fights take place, causing death and pretty bad wounds and a fair amount of blood. I wouldn’t call it an excessively gory book, but there are a few scenes that weren’t pretty.
Overall though, I think this is fine for pre-teens and up.
Conclusion
This story has become a modern classic for a reason. From the beautiful, immersive world, to Ani’s wonderful growth, to the enchanting take on a little-known fairy tale, it’s just about everything I want in a cozy, fairy tale read.
If you love charming fairy tales with a light touch of magic, relatable characters, heartwarming themes, beautiful arcs, and a setting to utterly awaken the senses, you absolutely need The Goose Girl in your life.
Fairy Tale Central 