He was once a king, turned into a bear as punishment for his cruel and selfish deeds.
She was a once a princess, now living in the form of ... read full description
reviews
Dec 27, 2010
Anne
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The Hound was born a hound and only recently rescued from an enchantment as a princess.
The Bear was born a prince, who suffered from his own inadequacy, became a bad king, and was punished with two hundred years in the body of an animal whose language he cannot speak.
Neither is what they once were.
Nor able to fully embrace what they are now.
Until the Wild Man sends them on a quest.
A quest in which the Bear will have to face his past and More...
The Bear was born a prince, who suffered from his own inadequacy, became a bad king, and was punished with two hundred years in the body of an animal whose language he cannot speak.
Neither is what they once were.
Nor able to fully embrace what they are now.
Until the Wild Man sends them on a quest.
A quest in which the Bear will have to face his past and More...
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Jan 28, 2012
Rosalia
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The Princess is a Hound that switched bodies with a princess. The Bear is king who was turned into a bear by the wild man. The two unlikely companions must travel back in time to the time right after Richon became a bear and try to head the unmagic off in the past. Richon muyst also deal with his shame regarding his previous behavior and lack of knowledge.
So this is actually the second book in a series, but if you don't read the first one I think it is very possible to read and en More...
So this is actually the second book in a series, but if you don't read the first one I think it is very possible to read and en More...
Nov 06, 2011
Mara
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People told me that you could read this one without reading The Princess and the Hound, but I don't recommend it. You won't entirely understand some of the things that are discussed, nor will you have a prior "connection" to the characters in it. This isn't a stand-alone sequel.
The Princess and the Bear is good, but not nearly as good as The Princess and the Hound. George is in it for a very brief moment, then never appears again, and Richon (the bear), while a good character More...
The Princess and the Bear is good, but not nearly as good as The Princess and the Hound. George is in it for a very brief moment, then never appears again, and Richon (the bear), while a good character More...
Sep 20, 2009
Kathy
rated it: 
I actually couldn’t finish this one, so I probably shouldn’t even write a review. All I will say is that it was just very bland and hard to get into. The first 130+ pages were told from the perspective of the Bear and the Hound. I never really got how the two “fell” for each other in this form. It was just a given I guess. I kept hoping that once they transformed into humans it would get better…it didn’t. In fact, Chala (the hound), still seemed too much like a hound. I guess I didn’t like heari
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Sep 29, 2009
Jennifer
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I enjoyed the author's structuring of characters within the confines of their "rules" -- the bear is sentient and initially born a human with an interesting history but cannot speak to the dog in a language per se and the dog is a dog with a dog's view and language but once spent time as a human. These two characters travel together to resolve a need that has arisen which threatens their society -- which is torn between magic and unmagic. Various themes are struggles between good and e
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May 05, 2009
Shannon
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This book continues the story found in the Princess and the Hound, now following the Hound and the Bear. It is a different book, unique as it is not in anyway a retelling of a story. But, it does have the elements of a fairytale--magic, a prince, etc. The main difference is that the magic is animal/nature magic, not wizardry.
I enjoyed this book quite a bit. I started it on Sunday and kept trying to find ways to escape from the laundry and other tasks of the day on Monday to be ab More...
I enjoyed this book quite a bit. I started it on Sunday and kept trying to find ways to escape from the laundry and other tasks of the day on Monday to be ab More...
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Aug 23, 2009
Summer
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I was wrapped up in it from the very beginning. In the story of a once princess, who was never really human, now returned to the form of a hound, and a king now turned bear, these two protagonists seek to satisfy their vauge wants and needs as human and beast.
The story is told from both perspectives in an odd mix of human and animal thinking. I really got were the style was comming from, because the author has studdied Germanic lititure. I have read her previous book, the Princess a More...
The story is told from both perspectives in an odd mix of human and animal thinking. I really got were the style was comming from, because the author has studdied Germanic lititure. I have read her previous book, the Princess a More...
Jan 11, 2012
Sarah
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FANTASTY/ROMANCE CATEGORIES
Harrison's tale follows two characters: Chala the Hound and Richon the Bear. When they encounter the Cat Man and his trail of unmagic and death, they travel to find the Wild Man, who is the only one with a way to destroy the Cat Man. Once they reach the Wild Man, he turns them both into humans, sends them back into time when Richon was king, and tells them that only they can eliminate the unmagic. The remainder of the novel chronicles their quest to destro More...
Harrison's tale follows two characters: Chala the Hound and Richon the Bear. When they encounter the Cat Man and his trail of unmagic and death, they travel to find the Wild Man, who is the only one with a way to destroy the Cat Man. Once they reach the Wild Man, he turns them both into humans, sends them back into time when Richon was king, and tells them that only they can eliminate the unmagic. The remainder of the novel chronicles their quest to destro More...
Nov 26, 2011
Jaclyn
rated it:
An interesting take on the fairy tale genre; however, I found the logic a little hard to get past. I normally enjoy a good fantasy and have no trouble getting into that world and believing the story even if it is seemingly unbelievable; however, I had difficulty in dealing with this story. A bear and a dog being friends? And then falling in love when there humans? It was hard to understand the logic behind this. I also had a hard time believing the characters, Chala was a bit too masculine and R
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Jan 27, 2010
Kim (magicsandwiches)
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If you're familiar with the Brothers Grimm, you know that the classic fairy tales of old are dark and strange and full of stories within stories. So, too, is The Princess and the Bear. I had to set aside all my notions of modern fairy tales, fractured fairy tales, and fairy tale retellings to not be freaked out by this story. Once I abandoned all my preconceived notions, I enjoyed this book a lot. It's a beautiful story about finding and embracing one's true self and the sacrifice one makes
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Aug 02, 2010
Holly
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I read the summary of this book after reading The Princess and the Hound, and it didn't really sound that interesting to me so I didn't read it. Then I saw there was a third book, and I didn't want to read the third before reading the second, so I gave it a try. I ended up really, really liking it. For me, it drew me right in by the first page or two. I remember the first book being a little slow, and I think the pace of this one was just as slow, but it didn't feel slow. I had a hard time putti
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May 01, 2009
Jennifer
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Reviewed by Joan Stradling for TeensReadToo.com
In an age of kings and princesses, Harrison weaves a fantasy tale of magic that links humans and animals in a surprising and unique way.
King Richon and Princess Chala continue the adventure begun in THE PRINCESS AND THE HOUND. Though I did not read the first book, I had no problems understanding and enjoying THE PRINCESS AND THE BEAR.
Richon and Chala are given a chance to pit themselves against the cat man and des More...
In an age of kings and princesses, Harrison weaves a fantasy tale of magic that links humans and animals in a surprising and unique way.
King Richon and Princess Chala continue the adventure begun in THE PRINCESS AND THE HOUND. Though I did not read the first book, I had no problems understanding and enjoying THE PRINCESS AND THE BEAR.
Richon and Chala are given a chance to pit themselves against the cat man and des More...
Aug 23, 2009
Jayne
rated it:
The author states that she hadn't planned for a sequel to the Princess and the Hound and then found that the Bear and Hound had a story of their own. In fact, this story really stands on it's own two feet. I liked how each chapter rotates narration between the Bear or the Hound. I also really enjoyed the story line being from an animal's perspective and especially the Hound's intuition. (In book she says Peter should be sent away because he 'smells evil'. Peter's fate was never brought up again
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Jul 30, 2009
Kelly
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This sequel to The Princess and the Hound features the other pair from that story - King Richon and the Hound. Beginning at the end of the previous story, the Bear and the Hound discover an evil cat/man who is poisoning parts of their forest with "unmagic". In order to combat the unmagic that is spreading throughout their forest and killing everything in its path, the Wild Man sends Richon and the Hound back to the time immediately after Richon was transformed into a bear. I enjoyed
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Aug 18, 2010
Kayla
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The Princess and the Bear by Mette Ivie Harrison was a very interseting book that took you into a fairy tale land full of magic, enchantment and more. The characters where fun to read about though at times the book can be slightly confusing it was still good. The writing style was nice and simple and easy to read. It was fun to read the book because it brought you into a whole new world full of many imaginative thigs which I love. All and all I recomand if you love fairy tales type books and for
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Sep 05, 2009
JoLee
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The Princess and the Bear is a companion novel to Mettie Ivie Harrison's The Princess and the Hound. In this book, the Hound and the Bear of the first novel must embark on a journey through space and time to thwart the unmagic that is destroying their forest. The Bear must once again face the Wild Man who changed him as a young, arrogant king into a bear. Both the Bear and the Hound take on human form and in doing so discovery that they are more than just a Hound or a Bear, a Princess or a Ki
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Aug 27, 2010
It has been a long while since I read "The Princess and the Hound" and I don't remember much, but this book's jacket said that this book wasn't a sequel, and could be read by itself. There are a number of references to "Hound", but I remembered enough to make "Bear" an enjoyable read. It took a while for me to get into the rhythm of the words (I'm not sure how else to describe it). Ms. Harrison's style is different than I'm used to, and I thought it was a little
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Dec 26, 2010
Saral
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That was a lovely book... I personally was over the moon with the alternative change in perspective... FOR ONCE we could understand both POV gradually and not wait until the end of the book to know the hero/heroine full POV of the many situations they passed through.
My only problem was that I didn't read The Princess and The Hound... So I was utterly lost at som points... (I have this horrible tendency of judging a book by its cover and not want to read the summary so it won't ruin it More...
My only problem was that I didn't read The Princess and The Hound... So I was utterly lost at som points... (I have this horrible tendency of judging a book by its cover and not want to read the summary so it won't ruin it More...
May 17, 2010
Janyse
rated it:
Though this book wasn't the best thing ever, I give it 4 stars for being something clean that I can recommend to everyone. The basic plot contains magic between humans and animals with the main characters being human some of the time and bear/hound the other part.
Chala and Richon go back in time to right some wrongs and to stop the "unmagic". After spending so much time as animals, they have a challenge in dealing with each other and navigating the human world that needs More...
Chala and Richon go back in time to right some wrongs and to stop the "unmagic". After spending so much time as animals, they have a challenge in dealing with each other and navigating the human world that needs More...
Dec 13, 2011
Hey, you know what would have been awesome? Knowing this was book two in a three-part series before I got almost 200 pages into it. That explains why I am so effing confused half the time.
Several things happen that make absolutely NO SENSE if you haven't read the first book. I was getting pretty irritated about it, but was forging on, expecting things to become clearer as it went along. Except that it didn't. I have been pretty disappointed with it so far. Now I can stop slogging thr More...
Several things happen that make absolutely NO SENSE if you haven't read the first book. I was getting pretty irritated about it, but was forging on, expecting things to become clearer as it went along. Except that it didn't. I have been pretty disappointed with it so far. Now I can stop slogging thr More...
Oct 21, 2010
Mimi
rated it:
This was a wonderful sequel, and I am excited to read the third in the trilogy. In this story, we get to continue the story of the hound and the bear. The story of George and Marit is mentioned, and completely not resolved, so I assume that is what will play out in the third novel. Which is good. I need to know how that ends. :)
This book deals with the never-ending battle between magic and unmagic. Magic essentially ends up being life, in a way, and everyone has it. If they do not ha More...
This book deals with the never-ending battle between magic and unmagic. Magic essentially ends up being life, in a way, and everyone has it. If they do not ha More...
Feb 16, 2011
Deborah
rated it:
He was a king, but 200 years ago a wild magic man turned him into a bear as punishment for his cruelties against animals and magic. He's had two centuries of loneliness to think about the pathetic ruler he was.
She was a hound who lived as a human for a year in the body of a princess. Now she's a hound again, and she's found companionship in the oddest of places: an enchanted bear.
The two live in peace until a strange death of unmagic plagues their forest home. The only pe More...
She was a hound who lived as a human for a year in the body of a princess. Now she's a hound again, and she's found companionship in the oddest of places: an enchanted bear.
The two live in peace until a strange death of unmagic plagues their forest home. The only pe More...
Apr 12, 2011
Lotusgirl
rated it:
Why I bought it? It is the sequel/companion book to The Princess and the Hound that I loved. I had been keeping tabs on when it came out.
Synopsis: A hound that was a princess for a while and a bear, who was once a human king changed into a bear because of his wicked deeds, are companions in a forest that is under attack by "unmagic." They must end the invasion of the "unmagic" to save their world from destruction. In the end, they must go back in time to when the b More...
Synopsis: A hound that was a princess for a while and a bear, who was once a human king changed into a bear because of his wicked deeds, are companions in a forest that is under attack by "unmagic." They must end the invasion of the "unmagic" to save their world from destruction. In the end, they must go back in time to when the b More...
Jul 25, 2010
Heather
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers.
To view it, click here
Oct 09, 2011
Ashley
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Originally reviewed on my blog (with the other two books in the trilogy). You can read it at Books from Bleh to Basically Amazing.
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 More...
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 More...
May 19, 2009
Stephanie
rated it:
Let's just say, WAY better than Princess and the Hound. The plot's more intruging, the writing style is tons better and the characters are more alive.
Like I said, the plot is definitely better and I love how Mette gives us perspectives from the animals - the Hound and then the Bear so we could delve deeper into their minds. I also loved the idea of time traveling and though it didn't happen as fast as I thought it would, at least it didn't take too long for the plot to actually begin More...
Like I said, the plot is definitely better and I love how Mette gives us perspectives from the animals - the Hound and then the Bear so we could delve deeper into their minds. I also loved the idea of time traveling and though it didn't happen as fast as I thought it would, at least it didn't take too long for the plot to actually begin More...
Feb 26, 2011
Harrison has a very unique story telling ability. One of the things I love about reading so much is being exposed to different writing styles. Harrison has one of the most lyrical and beautiful writing style. The writing itself feels like a fairy tale. Which makes absolutely no sense at all, but I just can't think of how else to describe it. The writing alone is enough to lull you into the story, regardless of what it's actually about.
This is more of a companion novel to The Princess More...
This is more of a companion novel to The Princess More...
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Jul 08, 2010
Debbie
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This book reminds us of the value of animals in our world. And give people who have a particular talent with animals "magic". Those of us without natural animal magic can feel for the man who was a bear because of his lack of animal magic too -- and feel for the hound who loses her magic to save the world. It is s story of redemption and learning to love -- the bear took hundreds of years to change his evil ways -- and was given a 2nd chance to right the wrongs he had committed. I
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Aug 10, 2010
Rachael
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I am not sure how I even ended up with this book at the library. It's premise sounded kind of "lame"- but I gave it a chance because a friend of mine really loved The Princess and the Hound. I was pleasantly surprised once I got past the first few chapters. It is an easy read. It reminded me of Shannon Hale's writing. Might even give it 3.5 stars.
Jul 30, 2009
Barbara
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Companion story to the Princess and the Hound. The is the story of the Hound, who was transformed into a princess for a while in the first book and then returned to her hound form. The bear (a prince transformed into a bear by the Wild Man) and the hound join forces to defeat the forces of evil in this enjoyable fairy tale for the YA audience. Not up to McKinley or McKillip standards by any means, but not too shabby.
