Book Review: The Hero's Guide to Storming the Castle by Christopher Healy, Bronson Pinchot

The Hero's Guide to Storming the Castle is the second book in The League of Princes series by Christopher Healy. Like with the previous audiobook, Bronson Pinchot is our narrator (and does a spectacular job!) I highly recommend starting with the first book The Hero's Guide to Saving Your Kingdom so that you know the Princes Charming; Prince Liam, Prince Frederic, Prince Duncan, and Prince Gustav along with all their quirks and the feisty Cinderella, Lila, Rapunzel, Snow White, and Briar Rose. Fame and recognition are fleeting, especially when the bards and one young outlaw do not seem to care for you. However, when the princes discover that an object of great power might fall into any number of wrong hands they band together once again band together to stop it from happening. They each have their own crisis to face, but work together to save the world as they know it, regardless of the fact that the world will most likely not know that they saved them all, again.

In The Hero's Guide to Storming the Castle Healy takes us back to the fractured fairy-tale world he created in The Hero's Guide to Saving Your Kingdom for another tale of medieval mischief. What I really liked about this sequel, is that it was not just a rehash of the characters in another crazy situation- each of the character has their own moments, struggles, and growth that well well beyond my expectations. The adventure, fun, and excitement were all there- with mysterious plots, magical gems, fairy tale creatures, silliness, and some furiously fast fight or flight moments. All of that would have made the book an okay read. But then Healy adds Liam's crisis of character, Briar Rose's growth as a character, getting to know each character better as a whole was just a fabulous treat. And, like with the first installment, the narrated version includes some excellent voice acting by Bronson Pinchot. He does such distinct voices for each character that you know immediately who is thinking or talking, and the accents and inflections always add an extra dimension to my understanding and thoughts on the characters.

I highly recommend listening to The Hero's Guide to Storming the Castle, but only after having enjoyed  The Hero's Guide to Saving Your Kingdom. The action is fast, there is plenty of humor, and well developed characters that offer something for everyone.