The Goose Girl - 5 stars

     The Goose Girl is the first book in Shannon Hale's Books of Bayern series. It's actually a retelling of the classic 'Goose Girl' fairy tale, but Shannon Hale has done a marvelous job of expanding the story into a wonderful story about a girl who can speak the languages of animals and elements, a girl with an inner strength she never knew she had. 

     Princess Anidori-Kiladra Talianna Isilee, Crown Princess of Kildenree, has listened to her aunt's curious tales about a time when people could understand the languages of animals and even speak to the wind since she was a little girl. Ani possesses this gift of languages which has been almost lost, and she learns to speak to the swans in the royal pond and a lovely colt called Falada born in the royal stables. But as she grows, so does her gift, and there are murmurs about the oddities of the Crown Princess. Ani's mother feels she has no choice but to send her away in marriage to a prince of a distant land: Bayern.

     Who would have guessed that along the road to Bayern, Ani is betrayed by her lady-in-waiting, Selia? Selia has pretended to be her friend, but all along she has planned to murder Ani and take her place as the Queen of Bayern. Luckily Ani escapes, and with the help of a forest woman and her son, finds her way to the capital city of Bayern, the city that was to be her home after she was married. But instead of being received as a princess and a bride-to-be, Ani is a stranger in a strange land. Selia has beaten her to the capital city and fooled everyone into believing she is the real Princess Anidori-Kiladra Talianna Isilee. Ani makes a living as a goose girl and tries to hide from Selia's hired mercenaries as she develops a new gift: a connection with the wind.

     But it's not just Ani's life that's at risk. Her homeland of Kilandree is suddenly in peril when the much larger Bayern begins to muster troops for a surprise attack. Selia intends to destroy everyone who could possibly give away her real identity and take away her new title of Princess. And Selia can do all this because she has people-speaking, a gift like Ani's understanding of animals and the wind. This gift gives her words special weight, and she can convince people to do anything she wishes, no matter how vile it is. It's going to be up to Ani to save her native country from Selia, with only the help of her unlikely animal-herder friends and a wounded captain of the guard.

     The Goose Girl is a book I admire for a variety of reasons. It has a wonderful plot and a captivating, magical story premise because of the idea of languages. It also has amazing characters, and the characters are what make Shannon Hale's stories so enchanting. Ani became so real to me after reading The Goose Girl. She's kind and gentle and not particularly brave - unlike some of the more macho heroine's that I regularly find in other recent publications. This is refreshing and makes the story all the more beautiful. Enna, Finn, Razo, Conrad, and other characters are also fresh and distinct, all of them with a rich background that flavors their actions and even the words they say. I love how Shannon Hale draws you in with her words. She writes in a way that feels as natural as breathing to me, and it makes her books comfortable to read and read again. 

    Shannon Hale also incorporates very deep meanings into her stories - this isn't just a casual novel, but a story with meaning. Ani has the qualities of a queen, and The Goose Girl tells the story of how she realizes this and becomes a leader of a people she has made her own. Selia has chosen to do what's wrong to get what she wants, and she has allowed herself to hate Ani because she has what Selia wants most: a title and a throne and a country of obedient subjects. The contrast of these two characters and their goals are part of what make The Goose Girl shine as a story.

     I cannot recommend The Goose Girl highly enough. For people who enjoy a high-quality retelling of a classic fairy tale, this books is one of the best I have ever read. For readers who enjoy a good fantasy, this is that book. I found The Goose Girl to be a highly entertaining, captivating story full of meaning and characters who feel like family. It's definitely a must-read.

Link to author website: http://www.squeetus.com/stage/main.html