The Princess Trio by Mette Ivie Harrison begins with The Princess and the Hound, continues with The Princess and the Bear , and then finishes with The Princess and the Snowbird . The series takes one main story arc and follows it between three very different women.
The trilogy takes place in a kingdom rich with magic. The aur-magic, also referred to as animal magic is a powerful force throughout the kingdom, and it is what keeps everything in harmony. It is magic born from the link between animals and humans. The aur-magic is within all animals and it used to be in many people. It is the magic of life, the original and true magic. Those who possessed the aur-magic were respected and it was looked upon as a blessing. But as time passed, people began, as they always do, to fear that which they did not understand. Those with the animal magic slowly fell out of favor until an event involving a wild man full of the magic, his army of animals and the transfiguration of their king from man into bear eliminated all positive feelings toward the magic. The world in which each of these stories takes place is not a good place to find yourself a wielder of the aur-magic, for those who are possess it are burned immediately upon discovery. There is no trial, there are no chances. To possess it means death. If this were not bad enough, there is another magic that begins to emerge in these stories, and that is the tehr-magic, a corruption of the original that destroys and kills instead of healing and giving life and the aur-magic is meant to do.
Each of the three books explores a different aspect of the aur-magic, it's reception among the people and the emergence of the darker tehr-magic. If the tehr-magic is allowed to spread too far, it will destroy all aur-magic, which effectively destroys the animals. Each princess has her own struggles within the story, each has her own demons to deal with. Describing their individual circumstances is impossible without spoiling much of the mystery around these three stories, so I won't offer details, but each is unique and each gives them a special advantage in their fight to save the aur-magic and those who carry it.
I will be honest and say that I didn't love the first book in the series. I liked it, but it didn't connect with me the way novels like this generally do. I remember finishing the book and being unable to find anything actually wrong with the book. Mette Ivie Harrison is a very talented writer. Her descriptions and world building are astounding and detailed without ever being overwhelming. And her characters — well, in my opinion this is where her strength as a writer lies. Because I believed in them. I believed in their actions, their motivations, their pasts and their futures. The story also intrigued me and held my attention for the entire duration of the book. So, without being able to pinpoint exactly what, something was missing for me. But, I liked it enough to read the second book when it became available, and this one, The Princess and the Bear is my favorite of the three.
The main couple in this story are my favorite. Of the three main character couples, these two are the couple I most believed in, the one I was rooting the hardest for, and the one I most wished to see again. I find that my preference for main characters is identical to my preference for story order. The second book is my favorite in the series, although the third is a very close second with the first in the series being my least favorite.
None of these are bad books, and all are worth reading, but they don't fall onto my favorites shelf. I think the Harrison is a strong writer, gifted at telling stories and creating believable worlds, even when they area full of magic. I think what is missing in these stories for me is the emotion. I don't feel along with her characters that way I do in other stories and that lessens how much I enjoy books over all. I also never felt the urgency one expects to feel when reading a story about an impending war and a dark magic that can alter every aspect of our existence. It was almost as if I were watching the events unfold over a filter rather than allowing me a closer glimpse of the events.
On a sidenote, this series does have some of the most beautiful cover images. I think that all three of them are stunning, although, once again, The Princess and the Bear is my favorite. (The Princess and the Hound comes in second this time though, rather than third). Misty reviewed The Princess and the Hound earlier in the event, which I have linked here. If you have read this, I would love to hear your thoughts! What do you think of Harrison's Princess trio?