The Princess Who Forgot She Was Beautiful

The Harry Ferguson Chronicles Book 1

Young Adult - Fantasy - General
277 Pages
Reviewed on 04/16/2019
Buy on Amazon

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Author Biography

William David Ellis is a storyteller. Whether it’s weaving an old narrative into an entertaining and illuminating yarn or fashioning something brand new from wisps of legend, he can tell a story. Other than that, he is the son of an English teacher, the husband of an English teacher, and the father of an English teacher. In spite of them, he occasionally punctuates and is prone to lapses of consciousness where the Muse of inspiration grants him the heart of a skillful writer. He also is a beekeeper, a blackberry farmer, and the faithful guardian a sentient German shepherd.
His contributions to publication include:
• Columns in small and large newspapers across Texas, the most infamous of which was entitled, In the Ground or on the Grill, a comparison between cremation and traditional funeral costs. (Talk about stir up a stink!)
• Short stories, some of which have actually been written. Reflections, a Sherlock Holmes story, can be found at https://williamdavidellisauthor.com
• Novels: Dragons and Romans and the latest, The Princess Who Forgot She Was Beautiful

    Book Review

Reviewed by Cheryl E. Rodriguez for Readers' Favorite

The Princess Who Forgot She Was Beautiful is the first book in the five-part series of The Harry Ferguson Chronicles written by William David Ellis. It is summertime in a small town in Texas. To keep the children of the community entertained, the town librarian has asked her father to come and tell them a story. The old man, known as Hank, is a bit nervous, but agrees. Hank begins to tell his mystical fairy tale about a young boy, a princess, a talking sword, and an evil dragon. Hank is a masterful storyteller. In no time at all, he captures the hearts and imaginations of the children and the adults gathered in the library. In the crowd, there is one precocious and curious little girl who stands out among the rest. Little Sarah seems to immediately become one with the story. Hank and little Sarah connect in a peculiar way; somehow Sarah knows what’s going to happen in the story before Hank tells it. As the story unfolds, life in the small town becomes really strange. The fairy tale and the real world begin to meld, or could they be one and the same? One thing is for certain, one must beware of dragons dressed in shepherd’s clothing.

William David Ellis pens a brilliant fantasy adventure. Blending the mystical ancient past with the contemporary, telling a story within the story creates an unsurpassed element of anticipation. Ellis paints dramatic word pictures with his intelligent and broad use of the English language. Furthermore, he continues to entertain the reader with amusing touches of humor – “children really do say the darndest things.” Ellis’ portrayal of the various temperaments and behaviors of children was my utmost favorite part. His depiction is both creative and insightful – he understands kids. The clever storyteller within the narrative awakens their imagination while delicately educating his young listeners. The relationship between the storyteller and the children in the narrative is simply charming. Yet, the bond between the storyteller and little Sarah transcends time and the imagination. It is hard to wrap your head around it. As the plot action rises, the creepy eeriness does as well – something is wrong, bizarrely wrong. There are surprises, twists, and turns as the evil dragon is revealed and raises his ugly head! “There are more things we don’t know than we do know.” But nothing compares to the shocking cliffhanger ending. Well done, Mr. Ellis!

Edith Wairimu

The Princess Who Forgot She Was Beautiful by William David Ellis is the first book in The Harry Ferguson Chronicles. It is a fascinating young adult novel that combines aspects of adventure and time travel. Princess Sarah is the pride and joy of the kingdom. The people honor and love their princess and the wicked and forbidding dragon knows it. He captures the princess and is hell-bent on transforming and controlling her. Every knight in the kingdom tries to rescue her but they all end up dead. Harry, a young peasant boy, sets out on a quest to rescue the princess but it will take more than wit to defeat the fierce dragon. Harry and the princess are transported thousands of years into the future, but this time the dragon has become more cunning than before.

The Princess Who Forgot She Was Beautiful contains delightful twists at every turn of the plot. The story is set in two timelines and in both the protagonists' and the antagonist's features change though their roles remain. In the future period, Sarah changes to a six-year-old while Harry is an old man. The surprises in the book make its adventures captivating and unique. The plot’s pace is fitting and since the story is told from Harry’s point of view as an old man narrating to young children, the plot accommodates breaks within the plot and explanations to questions that may arise. The story also includes action scenes that are riveting as the ferocious dragon destroys everything in its wake to capture Princess Sarah. Definitely enthralling, The Princess Who Forgot She Was Beautiful is a treat for lovers of adventure.

K.C. Finn

The Princess Who Forgot She Was Beautiful is a work of fantasy fiction aimed at young adults, penned by author William David Ellis. In this first book of The Harry Ferguson Chronicles, we meet Harry Ferguson himself along with his beloved Princess Sarah. But when a terrifying dragon chases them and they are thrown a thousand years into the future, a small town in East Texas becomes the setting for a whole new medieval adventure thrust into the center of the modern day. Harry, now an old man, must solve the mystery of what has happened to his beloved Sarah, battle dragons, and meet a whole cast of crazy characters along the way.

Written for young adults at the lower end of the age group, this fun adventure story takes readers on a quick journey that is sure to keep them riveted. The characters are stalwart and true, almost like a western in their dutiful sense of right and wrong, but the fantasy elements like the dragons, angels, warriors and wicked creatures are well drawn and diverse. Harry makes for an intriguing hero and an unconventional love interest as he tries to piece his lost life back together, and he and the other characters leap off the pages with author William David Ellis’s vivid use of description. I particularly liked the flavor of East Texas that runs through the book, particularly in its dialogue, and the humor that the culture brings with it really lifts the novel up. Overall, The Princess Who Forgot She Was Beautiful is a fun and unusual novel.