Once a Princess by Sherwood Smith

     I really like Sherwood Smith! I don't care for the cover of this book, though--it's misleading and provocative. Funny how the provocative cover of the Perry Mason book amused me but this one irritates. Maybe it's the audience it's intended for? This is a YA book. Its sequel, Twice A Prince also has a potboiler cover, unfortunately.

   However, the books themselves are lots of fun! In this book we meet Sasha, whose mom, Sun, was once married to a prince from another world (yes, really--another WORLD). This makes Sasha a princess, of course. But years ago her dad, the king, sent Sun and Sasha away to earth to escape a danger that threatened all of them. He promised to return for them, but instead he disappeared, leaving Sun and Sasha to fend for themselves. They learn to defend themselves as they move from place to place, avoiding those from their old world who search for them in order to make them disappear too. However, when Sasha is taken by force back to her home country, Sun follows and adventures ensue.

     This book has it all--pirates, princes, intrigue, betrayal, kidnapping, magic, all sorts of battles, heroes and villains. Sasha is a fun, no-nonsense heroine who defends herself and tries to do the right thing. Her mom is a strong and mature lady and the two of them have a good relationship--such a nice thing to find in a YA book! The book is engaging and clean. It also has an ending that will make you wish you had the next book immediately at hand. Just warning you.