Wicked Marigold [Paperback]

"A witty and wise tale of wickedness (with a twist). . . . An accomplished, rib-tickling take on princess stories." —Shelf Awareness (starred review)

Princess Marigold—who hadn’t yet been born when the remarkable Princess Rosalind was kidnapped—is eleven when something unexpected happens: her older sister escapes her captivity and comes home. Marigold has always known she’s not as good, sweet, or kind as the sister everyone adores, but amid the celebration of Rosalind’s return, Marigold realizes something new: if Princess Rosalind is good, then Princess Marigold must be wicked. And there’s no place for wickedness in the kingdom. When Marigold tries to find a new place for herself in an evil wizard’s fortress, though, the results are disastrous. Before she’s even learned to cackle or scowl properly, she gets tangled up in a magical plot to ruin all the Cacophonous Kingdoms. Is Marigold too wicked to make things right? Or can she—with the help of a kitchen boy, a well-dressed imp, and a grumpy blob of glop—find her own way to restore peace? This endearing fantasy will have princess and anti-princess fans alike chuckling and cheering.A richly imagined middle-grade examination of sibling dynamics with plenty of endearing fantasy elements.
—PEOPLE

A witty and wise tale of wickedness (with a twist). . . . Caroline Carlson offers an accomplished, rib-tickling take on princess stories. . . . The smart prose hums along, and this fresh look at familiar tropes is a real winner.
—Shelf Awareness (starred review)

Full of snappy humor, delightful wordplay, and quirky characters—a tentacled, people-eating creature called the Thing, a spiffy imp, and a reticent blob—this book is a whimsil5