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65th out of 217 books
—
140 voters
Ivy's Ever After (Ivy #1)
by
Dawn Lairamore (Goodreads Author)
Filled with humor and high adventure, this fractured fairy tale tells how a spirited, nonconformist princess and an undersized, nonthreatening dragon join forces to foil an evil prince's dastardly plot to destroy their kingdom.
Hardcover, 311 pages
Published
May 1st 2010
by Holiday House
(first published March 16th 2010)
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Take an unconventional princess, a shy and timid dragon, an evil prince as would-be rescuer, and a kingdom that sorely needs a dash of hope. Mix in an absent-minded, wayward fairy godmother, a few trolls, and a cute stable boy. Bring all the ingredients together in a tale called Ivy’s Ever After by Dawn Lairamore as a winning recipe for a novel that girls aged 8 to 12 will love.
Ivy’s mother died soon after Ivy was born, and her father has been a wisp of his former self since. No one knows where...more
Ivy’s mother died soon after Ivy was born, and her father has been a wisp of his former self since. No one knows where...more
I loved this book. Not because it was the best or most imaginative book I've ever read in my life, or because the ending was so unpredictable. But because it wasn't any of those things and yet it still made me smile and relive the innocence of childhood. It made me feel the way I felt when I was first discovering books. In fact, each time I turned the page I was shocked at the lack of illustration because this reminded me greatly of a number of picture books I read when I was little, only more f...more
This is a good book to read aloud to someone from about 7-10 years old. When I read it, I think I was taken in by the very first page, which is an "ad" looking for a prince to rescue a princess. So I bought it and read it. It was way too young for me, but I managed to enjoy it until it got too silly.
I was expecting a twist on a fairy tale, but instead I got a twist on nothing much. Fairies on a white island with all these minarets and purple eyes? Trolls who are even dumber than they are malicio...more
I was expecting a twist on a fairy tale, but instead I got a twist on nothing much. Fairies on a white island with all these minarets and purple eyes? Trolls who are even dumber than they are malicio...more
Princess Ivory has grown up in the isolated kingdom of Ardendale as the only child of an absentminded king. Per the Dragon Treaty, she is locked in a tower when she turns 14, there to languish until the nefarious prince from a neighboring land kills her dragon guard and marries her. But as Ivy has no intention of marrying this prince, she escapes from the tower with the help of the dragon (a runty and peaceful creature named Elridge) and goes off with him to discover a way to foil the prince's p...more
Do you like fantasy and fairytales, Esteemed Reader? You do! Well then, here’s a fun one for you. Ivy’s Ever After made me feel small and tucked snug in my bed as though some parent were reading the book to me. This was, of course, not the case. I can’t imagine Mrs. Ninja putting up with my parents coming over to tuck me in and read a story at night now. But Ivy’s Ever After is a bedtime story if I ever read one and if you have younglings about in need of a good story before night night, this is...more
In Ardendale the princess is locked in a tower guarded by a dragon until a prince slays the dragon and frees her. Ivy is an unconventional princess and hates this tradition. When Prince Romil arrives, Ivy immediately dislikes his cold arrogance. Then she overhears him plotting to conquer the neighboring kingdoms, after he marries her. When she tells her father, he doesn’t believe her and locks her in the tower anyway. That’s when she meets Eldridge, the peaceful dragon who was chosen to guard he...more
I don’t have much to compare this to—my knowledge of children’s lit is fairly slim. The writing, of course, is simple—but its whimsical and moves right along. Every once in a while the writing gets a little out of control and discombobulated, but it rights itself fairly quickly. The story is broken into little episodes, which probably works well for a younger audience, but I found it felt a little boxed in. I loved the idea of turning a traditional fairy tale on its head—it gave the chance for t...more
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Instead of merely going ga-ga over a handsome Prince, Ivy is a beautifully written pro-active heroine who keeps a steady head and eventually saves her kingdom. Lairamore gives the reader a rich and vibrant cast of characters, and a well-crafted plot that keeps you turning pages and wanting to know more. She uses the idea of prophecies in compelling and non-cliche ways, and never lets the magic in the world 'save' the day-- Ivy does not get out of any of her scrapes easily, but has to use cunning...more
The blurb on the back flap quotes the author saying, "I've always loved fairy tales, but you can only take so many sweet proper princesses and ferocious, fire-breathing dragons. I thought it would be fun to write a fairy tale where the princess and the dragon team up against the handsome prince." Apparently she didn't realize that this has been done before (The Runaway Princess by Kate Coombs).
Luckily, I love this kind of story. There are some weak plot points, and the assumption everybody makes...more
Luckily, I love this kind of story. There are some weak plot points, and the assumption everybody makes...more
Princess Ivory is not your typical princess. She would rather be playing in the dirt than dancing at a ball, which is why she prefers to go by Ivy. When Ivy learns that she as part of her duty as a princess she will have to be locked in a tower guarded by a dragon until a prince comes to rescue her, she is less than thrilled. But duty is duty. That is until Ivy learns that by staying in the tower and waiting for the prince she will also be helping with her kingdom's demise. Ivy turns for help fr...more
The intro.."Once upon a time in the kingdom of Ardendal there lived a spirited princess named Ivy, who had no interest in being rescued by Prince Charming, and an undersized dragon named Elridge, who was better at solving word puzzles than breathing fire" is a perfect invitation to those of all ages who enjoy great story-telling. Dawn Lairamore is simply a great storyteller!! So talenting in painting a portrait of a wonderfully vibrant and original world, Ivy's Ever After is pure delight! The re...more
Good little fantasy about a princess who rebels against her country's tradition of being locked in a tower at age 14, which is guarded by a dragon, waiting to be rescued by whatever prince slays the dragon and rescues her.
Ivy learns that the prince in question plans to turn there little kingdom into his own personal war machine, starting with exterminating Ivy, her father the king, and all the dragons in the kingdom. With the help of Elridge, the young dragon sent to guard her, Ivy escapes from...more
Ivy learns that the prince in question plans to turn there little kingdom into his own personal war machine, starting with exterminating Ivy, her father the king, and all the dragons in the kingdom. With the help of Elridge, the young dragon sent to guard her, Ivy escapes from...more
Princess Ivory Isadora Imperia Irene (call her Ivy; she hates her full name) has learned something awful about her upcoming 14th birthday. According to an ancient treaty, she’s to be locked away in a tower of white stone on her, guarded by a dragon, until a prince comes to rescue her. Not if she has anything to say about it!
A story featuring an unusual feisty princess, a gentle dragon and a myriad of other characters acting out of character, “Ivy’s Ever After” is a lovely little fairy tale, the...more
A story featuring an unusual feisty princess, a gentle dragon and a myriad of other characters acting out of character, “Ivy’s Ever After” is a lovely little fairy tale, the...more
My local library had a display of girl centered fantasy books and I (who am female and lover of fantasy) was intrigued enough to check out several of the books. This is one of those books on the display. It was an ok story of a princess who decides to make her own choices and not give in to tradition. She befriends a dragon and then they unite to protect her kingdom. Everything about this story was just ok, not great, but not bad either. I will say, if you are looking for a uncoventional princes...more
While I enjoyed this story, it felt a little bit long to me. At first I was concerned that with its unconventional princess and dragon story line it might be a little too reminiscent of Dealing with Dragons (which I LOVE but Patricia C. Wrede did such a good job I don't need to see it rewritten elsewhere). Luckily, it's a different kind of story with younger characters, better for middle grade readers. The friendship between Ivy and Eldridge ring true and I very much liked the storyline that rel...more
Cute and fun. The writing is really good. Nice and flowing. Ivy, at the age of 14, as decreed by the Dragon Treaty, is locked in a tower with a dragon to guard her till the prince comes to slay the dragon, marry Ivy, and they will live happily ever after. Only the prince plans on killing Ivy, her father, the rest of the dragons, and taking over the kingdom and eventually, most of the country. So Ivy and her not-so-ferocious dragon go on a quest to find Ivy's godmother and ask her for help to get...more
Ivy's Ever After is not just a story about a princess and a dragon. Yes, the princess is feisty and yes, the dragon can breathe fire, but I was so pleasantly surprised by this story because Dawn Lairamore took some of the familiar elements of fairy tales and made them new again...and that's one of my favorite things because it's not easy to do. This novel is full of action and humor and I met characters that I want to revisit again and again. Ms. Lairamore may be a new author to many of us, but...more
This is definitely on the younger end but when we were at ALA this one jumped out as definitely me, must buy. I also got the sequel then so look forward to that coming soon.
Ivy has never been a very proper princess and when she finds out what is going to happen on her 14th birthday she really gets rebellious. For generations the princesses of this family have been locked in a white tower with a dragon to guard them and the man who slays the dragon is the man they will marry. This has kept peace...more
Ivy has never been a very proper princess and when she finds out what is going to happen on her 14th birthday she really gets rebellious. For generations the princesses of this family have been locked in a white tower with a dragon to guard them and the man who slays the dragon is the man they will marry. This has kept peace...more
As a huge fan of fantasy as I am, I couldn’t wait to review this debut novel from Dawn Lairamore entitled “Ivy’s Ever After.” I received an autographed copy of the book for free through Goodreads First Reads. The story begins with Princess Ivy finding out that on her fourteenth birthday she is to be imprisoned in a tower until a prince comes to slay the dragon that is protecting her, otherwise known as “The Dragon Treaty.” The book breaks a few of the traditional “rules” of fairy-tale's yet it i...more
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Reviewed by Kira M for TeensReadToo.com
Only child of the absent-minded king of Ardendale, feisty Ivy has pretty much raised herself. On her 14th birthday, as per the Dragon Treaty, Ivy is locked up in a tower with only an undersized dragon for company until a prince comes and slays her dragon guard, Eldridge.
Eldridge, however, is a peace-loving dragon who loves puzzles and doesn't care to be slain - and Ivy doesn't care to be rescued. Together, the two join forces and escape.
Prince Romil, a nefa...more
Only child of the absent-minded king of Ardendale, feisty Ivy has pretty much raised herself. On her 14th birthday, as per the Dragon Treaty, Ivy is locked up in a tower with only an undersized dragon for company until a prince comes and slays her dragon guard, Eldridge.
Eldridge, however, is a peace-loving dragon who loves puzzles and doesn't care to be slain - and Ivy doesn't care to be rescued. Together, the two join forces and escape.
Prince Romil, a nefa...more
For every girl who loves princess stories, a lively tale with dragons, trolls, and a fairy godmother. According to her kingdom's law, when Princess Ivy turned 14, she was locked in a tower guarded by a dragon. The prince who could succeed in slaying the dragon would marry the princess and rule the kingdom. But Princess Ivy is not your average helpless, pampered princess. She's a feisty, gutsy heroine who's not going to wait around to see who shows up to save her. An exciting adventure for ages 1...more
Ivy's Ever After was a cute story, retelling the typical Rapunzel-esque plotline. A not so prim princess (Ivy) was supposed to be guarded in the White Tower by a ruthless dragon (who turns out to be kind and educated), but none of it really goes as planned.. Both are oddballs among their peers, and unite to save the kingdom from Prince Romil and his evil minions, encountering beasts and fairies alike. This was a fun read, light and fluffy.
This book is about a princess named Ivy who is being forced to stay up in a tower gaurded by a dragon until someone will rescue her. It comes as a shock to her at first and she is totally against it. I thought this book was very interesting and has times where it can be very funny. I would definetly reccomend this book to anyone who likes a book full of detail and fun. I found this book particularly interesting and I would reccomend this book to anyone who wants a good fantasy tale. I would give...more
There's not much to say about this. A very sweet, quick read, good for all ages, though specifically made for ages 8-12. Pretty much a book any girl around the age I just mentioned, who that loves fantasy and fairytale-like stories, would enjoy this. It's reading level is for any age, but I don't think an adult would like it much - mainly since the language is directed to 8-12 year olds. (Like saying "good goat's fur!" instead of a curse word. Zero explicit language in this.) But it was still a...more
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Really, really cute. Ivy's not your average princess, and Elridge is not your average dragon. The law dictates that once Ivy turns 14, she has to be locked up in a tower guarded by a dragon and wait for a prince to slay that dragon. But Ivy has no desire to be locked up in a tower to await rescue by a prince (he's dispicable), and Elridge isn't really the fighting type. Fun read for 8-12 year olds.
This was a fun and sweet story of a girl and a dragon. I loved that Ivy was not going to wait around for some prince to rescue her. She went out and got what she needed. I also really enjoyed that it was less about a romance than about friendships and family love. Definitely a great addition to fairy-tale stories for those who want something a little different in a heroine. Full review at One Librarian's Book Reviews.
When Princess Ivy discovers that she has to be locked in a tower at age fourteen until a prince slays a dragon that is guarding her, she is stunned. When the evil and arrogant Prince Romil shows up right before she is locked away, Ivy knows she has to stop the madness somehow. Things don't slow down as Ivy and her dragon decide work together to save each other and their kingdoms.
This was probably not quite 5 stars for me, but since two of my girls read it and loved it, I bumped it up. This was a delightful story about a somewhat unconventional princess and a misfit dragon who forge a friendship and work together to save the kingdom. This would have been a fun read-aloud with my girls (if they hadn't already read it!) -- perfect for that age!
Two and a half stars. The princess and the dragon join forces against the handsome (and despicable) prince. The characters are a little too stock and predictable, but the story is a less so and flows fairly smoothly. Not a classic or a keeper, but a pleasant read or read-aloud for the 6-12 year old reader.
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Dawn Lairamore has always loved fairy tales but thinks you can only take so many sweet, proper princesses and ferocious, fire-breathing dragons. She thought it would be fun to write a fairy tale where the princess and the dragon weren't what you expected. She can't embroider or walk with a book balanced on her head, so, much like her character Ivy, she would make a pretty terrible princess. Visit...more
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