Publication date: May 4, 2009
Tags: YA, historical fiction, Medieval England, sorcery
Rating: 2 out of 5
Summary
Joan’s brother, the malevolent Black Prince, forces Nell to act the role of the princess and carry on with the marriage. It’s up to a ragtag group of people to help Nell and George escape from the Black Prince, but how can Nell know who to really trust? And with an army of rats and a crown to the Black Prince’s name, how can Nell survive the throes of his black-hearted ambitions?
Review
THE PLAGUE was a decisively odd and unsatisfying read. I had expected a grand and exciting adventure full of so much danger you couldn’t possibly flip a page without encountering it. However, this book was slow, disjointed, and inconclusive. I never got a sense for any of the characters, most of whom seemed to pop in and out of the story arbitrarily, their backstories and motivations unexplained. The Black Prince was a too perfect villain, with consistently evil actions and a predictable ending.
My favorite character was little George, a naively optimistic and trusting boy who helps heal the afflicted and has not yet realized how dangerous the world is. Other than that, however, I felt no connection to this book at all.
Writing: 3/5
Characters: 2/5
Plot: 2/5
Overall Rating: 2 out of 5
Cover discussion: 3 out of 5 - The cover was what attracted me to this book in the first place. There's just something very intriguing about the fresh-faced model, her face dappled with sunlight. I also like how the green of her eyes matches the background. (Of course, the cover has nothing to do with the story itself. Alas.)
