The Four Kingdoms

The Four Kingdoms Reading Order:

Book One: The Princess Companion: A Retelling of The Princess and the Pea

Book 1.5: The Kitchen Maid (Not Pictured Above)

Book Two: The Princess Fugitive: A Reimagining of Little Red Riding Hood

Book 2.2: The Coronation Ball (Not Pictured Above)

Book 2.5: Happily Ever Afters: A Reimagining of Snow White and Rose Red

Book Three: The Princess Pact: A Twist on Rumpelstiltskin

Book 3.5: A Midwinter's Wedding: A Retelling of The Frog Prince

Book Four: The Princess Game: A Reimagining of Sleeping Beauty

Book Five: The Princess Search: A Retelling of The Ugly Duckling (Not Pictured Above)

I have mentioned my love of the folklore genre, or more specifically, fairytale retellings. One of my favorite authors in the genre is Melanie Cellier. I discovered her and her books last year and immediately fell in love with her collection of fairytales. She does a phenomenal job spinning beloved age-old fairytales in such a way that the story is still recognizable yet is different enough if feels like a different story. I also loved that all of the characters are interconnected between books. I enjoyed having characters I came to cherish in one book make appearances in later books.
The Four Kingdoms is Cellier's first series set in the world of the Four Kingdoms. Following this series are Beyond the Four Kingdoms and Return to the Four Kingdoms. All three series are well done and I highly recommend them for any fairytale lovers, especially after finishing The Four Kingdoms. 

My favorite book in this series is "The Princess Game" and it is also my favorite interpretation of sleeping beauty I've ever read. I loved the twist that instead of being asleep, Celeste is trapped inside her mind. The ending was the only thing I did not really love about this book. The ending felt too fantastical but given that this is a fairytale I'll let that slide.
One of the more interesting books was "The Princess Search" because it gives you a glimpse of how diverse the Kingdom of Lanover is, with its tropical beach ports and islands, jungles, and deserts."The Princess Search" was a tear-jerker, in the same way, the story of "The Ugly Duckling" is. There is something about having no home or family that pulls on one's heartstrings. Most likely the story elicits strong emotions from the readers because having a home and family, and wanting to belong are desires that all humans share.

This is a map of the Four Kingdoms and the Kingdoms Beyond