Disney’s Belle once longed for far-off places, daring sword fights, and a prince in disguise. K. R. Martin’s The Pirate Princess gives us double those dangers, featuring a prince and princess, both in disguise, fighting a usurper to the throne. Princess Renee dances on a knife’s edge. She wants to balance her desire to be a true queen with her parents’ desire for a perfect pretty princess who is seen and not heard. But if Renee follows her parents’ plans, the country and the man she loves will be in danger. Martin darts between a love story and political intrigue, until The Pirate Princess parries and lunges into a perfect conclusion.

Best for: Young adult fans of swashbuckling adventure with a side of romance.

Discern: Some violence and abuse in context of sword fights and piracy; light sexual content, such as implied relations between a husband and wife.