The Princess Beard, Kevin Hearne
The Princess Beard, Kevin Hearne
List: $25.00 | Sale: $17.50
Club: $12.50

The Princess Beard
The Tales of Pell

Author: Kevin Hearne, Delilah S. Dawson

Narrator: Luke Daniels

Unabridged: 13 hr 11 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 10/08/2019


Synopsis

This princess can shave herself! The hilarious bestselling authors of Kill the Farm Boy and No Country for Old Gnomes are back with a new adventure in the irreverent world of Pell.

Once upon a time, a princess slept in a magical tower cloaked in thorns and roses. 

When she woke, she found no Prince Charming, only a surfeit of hair and grotesquely long fingernails—which was, honestly, better than some creep who acted without consent. She cut off her long braids and used them to escape. But she kept the beard because it made a great disguise.

This is not a story about finding true love’s kiss—it's a story about finding yourself. On a pirate ship. Where you belong.

But these are no ordinary pirates aboard The Puffy Peach, serving under Filthy Lucre, the one-eyed parrot pirate captain. First there’s Vic, a swole and misogynistic centaur on a mission to expunge himself of the magic that causes him to conjure tea and dainty cupcakes in response to stress. Then there’s Tempest, who’s determined to become the first dryad lawyer—preferably before she takes her ultimate form as a man-eating tree. They’re joined by Alobartalus, an awkward and unelfly elf who longs to meet his hero, the Sn’archivist who is said to take dictation directly from the gods of Pell. Throw in some mystery meat and a dastardly capitalist plot, and you’ve got one Pell of an adventure on the high seas!

In this new escapade set in the magical land of Pell, Delilah S. Dawson and Kevin Hearne lovingly skewer the tropes of fairy tales and create a new kind of fantasy: generous, gently humorous, and inclusive. There might also be otters.

About Kevin Hearne

Maybe being born and raised in Arizona has had an influence on American author, Kevin Hearne. Since many UFO stories come from the western states who have wide open spaces, maybe Hearne got the idea of being an urban fantasy novelist. Growing up hearing about UFO sightings perhaps gave him a bigger interest than most in the fantasy subject.

Hearne is the author of novels published by Del Rey in the fantasy book series, The Iron Druid Chronicles, plus the 2015 Star Wars novel, Heir to the Jedi. Prior to his writing career, he was a high school English teacher. He moved from Arizona to Colorado. He now lives there with his wife and son. He is known as a "tree hugger", likes dogs, and heavy metal.

Books to come out very soon are......Besieged, a collection of new Iron Druid stories, to be out July 11, and A Plague of Giants, the first book of The Seven Kennings, to be out in October.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Hidekisohma on November 20, 2019

The biggest thing I can say about this book was that it tried too hard. I found this in the library in the new section, and as i don't normally read books that JUST came out, I decided to give it a read. The first few pages looked interesting and i like fantasies that treat themselves differently th......more

Goodreads review by Liz (Quirky Cat) on September 29, 2019

I received a copy of The Princess Beard through NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review. The Princess Beard is the third novel in the Tales of Pell series, which is a joint project by Delilah S. Dawson and Kevin Hearne. Together these two authors have created a truly inane and amazing w......more

Goodreads review by Kelly on September 21, 2019

Oh, man. These adventures in Pell just keep getting more wonderfully ridiculous. No, wait. I'm wrong. The level of ridiculousness has remained constant in THE BEST WAY. They're just a rollicking ride from beginning to end. The Princess and her beard are no exception. Because waking up after a cursed......more

Goodreads review by Ashley on December 29, 2022

The first book in this series was fine, kind of fun, didn't work perfectly. But this was one was just tired and sour for me. Luke Daniels, one of my favorite audiobook narrators, couldn't even save it. More thoughts later. Later: No more thoughts. I declare REVIEW AMNESTY.......more

Goodreads review by Athena on October 30, 2019

Thank you so much to Del Rey and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review! All opinions are my own! I have really enjoyed reading this entire series. Book three, The Princess Beard, picks right up in the world of Pell with more puns, more great characters, an epic adventure, and closur......more


Quotes

Praise for Delilah S. Dawson and Kevin Hearne’s Kill the Farm Boy

“A rollicking fantasy adventure that upends numerous genre tropes in audacious style . . . a laugh-out-loud-funny fusion of Monty Python–esque humor and whimsy à la Terry Pratchett’s Discworld.”—Kirkus Reviews

“Dawson and Hearne’s reimagining of a traditional fairy tale is reminiscent of William Goldman’s The Princess Bride and William Steig’s Shrek! Irreverent, funny, and full of entertaining wordplay, this will keep readers guessing until the end.”Library Journal

“Will have you laughing out loud until strangers begin to look at you oddly.”SyFy

“A smart comedy . . . nuanced, complicated, and human.”Tordotcom

“[Dawson and Hearne] make fun of the typical ‘white male power fantasies,’ and in that, they succeed, with their heroes all characters of color and/or falling somewhere under the LGBTQ umbrella.”Publishers Weekly

“When you put two authors of this high caliber together, expect fireworks. Or at least laughs. What a hoot!”—Terry Brooks

“A rollicking adventure about friendship and finding one’s place in the world . . . [a] fantastic series finale. Dawson and Hearne crown their trifecta of tempestuous hilarity with enough puns and fairy tale spoofs to tickle anyone’s funny bone.”
Booklist (starred review)
 
“Challenge[s] gender roles in fantasy and skewer[s] social trends . . . This is a clever send-up of fantasy tropes and modern culture.”
Publishers Weekly