Wisdom's Kiss by Catherine Gilbert Murdock

This was a clever little book. Although the author makes it clear that Wisdom's Kiss is not to be considered a sequel to Princess Ben, Princess Ben is indeed an important character in this novel because one of the main characters is her granddaughter. Cool! This is a stand-alone book, though, because Princess Ben is a totally different person as a grandmother than she was as a young woman and no knowledge of her previous adventures is needed to understand what happens in this book.

One of the neatest things about this story is that it is told from several points of view--and none of them are exactly narrations. We read memoirs, journal entries, encyclopedia articles, personal letters.... each from a different character's point of view. So fun! This is the story of a conniving enemy, a romance (not the obvious one, either), a betrayal, an adventure, a circus, an emperor, magic, a cat, and a kiss.

This book was peopled with great characters. I found the "other woman" very likeable despite her self-centeredness. I loved hearing the grown-up voice of our Princess Ben. I enjoyed meeting a bunch of new folks. Overall, it was a fun, witty, adventurous and totally adorable book. Highly recommended.