The Scavenger Princess

De: Penelope Wright

Narrado por: Penelope Wright

In less than a moon cycle, Abra will come of age...and assume responsibility for the debts her mother ran away from years ago when she abandoned Abra as a child. Unfortunately, the men who hold Ma's debts aren't the type to let Abra pay them off in fish and clams. Her life is over before it has even begun.

But then, a once in a generation storm gives Abra a chance to escape north. Most likely, she'll be caught, one of her fingers will be chopped off, and she'll be sent back...but slim hope is better than none.

Abra didn't plan on finding the dead woman half buried in the sand beneath the overturned hull of the boat. She didn't plan on assuming her identity either. But the dead woman's father must fulfill the marriage contract he made with the Duke of Exas. He has to send somebody to marry the duke's son, Prince Kalen, and Abra looks an awful lot like his daughter.

Now, thrust into the highest levels of international intrigue with nothing but an assumed name, a fancy new wardrobe, a flimsy cover story, and her wits, Abra must convince everyone that she is royalty. It would be a whole lot easier if brilliant, moody Prince Kalen wasn't dead set against marrying anyone, let alone the daughter of his country's arch rival...

©2024 Penelope Wright (P)2024 Penelope Wright

So Glad To See Another Story in this World!

An intriguing introduction to a new corner of Penelope Wright’s ever-expanding universe. The Scavenger Princess is set in the same world as The Queen Trials and The Collapse series. While there are some shared references, this story seems to take place in a geographically remote region, possibly a few generations after the events of The Collapse and maybe well before the timeline in The Queen Trials. The timeline placement isn’t entirely clear yet, which adds a bit of mystery to the setting.

The book opens with some jumping around at first to fill out the main characters interesting history and some important world building info, but soon settles into a compelling narrative. We’re introduced to Abra, a bright and resourceful young woman living in a small island community that survives by scavenging items that wash ashore and fishing the sea. It’s seems to be a post-apocalyptic culture shaped by generations of adaptation following the events of The Collapse. There are references to a mysterious illness that is supposed to be contained on the island where Abra is. I think we will learn more about that in future books. Maybe the island is a testing group?

Abra, burdened by her mother’s lingering debts, is desperate to escape the community. She seizes a chance to flee by boarding a boat—only to be cast adrift and washed ashore in an unfamiliar land. There, she’s thrust into a strange new world and culture and unexpectedly pressed into service as a stand in for a princess who has lost her memory. From that moment, the story truly takes off.

As always, Wright’s world-building is layered and meaningful, deeply tied to character motivations and plot development. Abra herself reminds me a lot of Cleo from The Queen Trials—strong, intelligent, and easy to root for. The story moves quickly, and I found myself flying through it.

It’s exciting to see a new series unfold in this rich universe. I’m already looking forward to the next installment!