The Prince and the Witch

The Prince and the Witch is a coming of age story with all of the beats of greatness in theory but not enough pages to fill it. Incredibly short at only 152 pages, it reads more like an outline for a story that could easily go on for 400. The setting is vague and unmoored (I googled, “when was chicken wire invented?” And “where do dates grow?” Because I had a hard time picturing exactly what the world was supposed to be), the prose reads a little too young for the teen protagonists, and character motivations are so painfully obvious it's almost spelled out on the page. The titular characters don't even meet until the 50% mark, so any potential for a relationship to form - for tension or buildup or passion to flourish - is too fast and unbelievable. I showed up for The Prince AND the Witch, and I felt like that John Travolta gif - holding a coat and flummoxed. I wish the story had started way earlier for the two to spend a ton more time together. As it is, both characters are cookie cutter and milquetoast. Two stars for the potential of a story waiting to come out.

Thanks to Edelweiss for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions my own.