Book Review: Thrice Upon A Marigold by Jean Ferris

It’s a baby girl for King Christian and Queen Marigold! Her name is Princess Poppy Allegra April Rosemary and she arrived at 11:20 p.m. Of course her royal parents, royal grandfathers, royal aunts and uncles, as well as the whole kingdom are ecstatic for her birth. Queen Marigold is worried about the potential fairy gifts at her daughter’s welcome celebration, considering the difficult childhood her own fairy gift caused her to endure. But before Marigold can properly panic about it, Poppy is kidnapped!

Although they were warned, Poppy is still taken before Christian and Marigold can take steps to protect her. Luckily, the people who warned them know the kidnappers better than almost anyone else. Phoebe and Sebastian just so happen to be the children of the kidnappers: Boris, ex-torturer-in-chief, and Vlad, ex-poisoner-in-chief, Queen Olympia’s most devoted employees. Unreconciled to their exile for the reprehensible things they did while Olympia was in power, kidnapping Poppy is their attempt at both revenge and enough money to start a new life elsewhere.

Marigold and Christian will have to call on old friends and new ones in order to make sure they get Princess Poppy back safe and unharmed.

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This is the third installment of the Marigold series, and it’s just as amazing as the first two. Marigold and Christian are as in love as ever, with each other and with their beautiful baby girl. Marigold struggles to balance her queenly duties with her maternal feelings. She wants to be with Poppy all the time, but she knows she has a responsibility to her subjects. Marigold also doesn’t appreciate having her ability to face threats questioned by her husband. Christian has to learn that keeping things from her doesn’t protect her, it makes her unable to protect against unknown threats.

Phoebe and Sebastian are lovely side characters. They both struggle with their fathers’ reputations. People assume they must be as evil as the men who raised them. Neither of them believed their fathers’ occupation was right, participated in anything heinous, or chose to follow their fathers into exile. Still, their own reputations are tainted. Despite worrying that no one will believe them, or they might be accused of complicity, Phoebe and Sebastian choose to report their suspicions of the kidnapping and even help to bring their fathers down, clearing their own names.

I’d give it 5 stars! Recommended for anyone who strives to do the right thing even at great personal cost.

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