Ratings

Content Ratings based on a 0-5 scale where
0 = no objectionable content and
5 = an excessive or disturbing level of content

Guide to Rating System

LANGUAGE

SEXUAL CONTENT

ADULT THEMES

Ratings Explanation

Language:  There are two exclamations of “mother of God”, and someone is called a wench.

Violence: A girl is slapped repeatedly and also punched in the face.  A woman tells of her anger for the man she loved which ended in her throwing an ax in his back and killing him.  A girl is roughly treated, thrown into prison and sentenced to hang.  A man violently breaks things in a house.  A girl is chased and then held with a dagger against her belly.  Her home is set on fire.

Sexual Content- There is mention of flirting and using womanly wiles to distract men, a dance and a kiss on the cheek.

Synopsis

Lucinda Chapdelaine lives with her uncle by marriage and his abusive wife after being orphaned at the age of 5.  Life is hard as she works as a servant for them in their jewelry shop.  She is hungry, cold and often abused.  Then one day everything changes as a young man, an intruder, and a mysterious woman with an unusual gem step into the shop.  The woman is called a witch and her gem holds strong and secret powers.  The intruder is a thief who steals the gem from Lucinda and the young man is a prince, handsome and kind.  Soon their lives are intertwined as Lucinda sets out to reclaim the gem for the witch who in turn has promised her the home of her childhood.  She recruits the help of the thief to steal it back from the person he has sold it to.  Who is, of course, the prince.  Bigger evil is lurking though and Lucinda finds herself deep in trouble yet hoping for a better life, a friend, and maybe even true love.

This was a sweet, magical fairy tale kind of book.  It was an easy, quick read that left me feeling good in the end.  I loved the little goat who acted like a dog and the flower called the Amaranth; a mythical flower that never dies.  This book is a good fit for the recommended age group of 6th grade and up.