Review: King Thrushbeard Fairy Tale Retold
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 02 17, 2014
The Scarecrow King by Jill Myles is Myles's version of the King Thrushbeard Fairy Tale. The Scarecrow King is about Princess Rinda and how since her father has no love for her at all, she acts like a spoiled brat in order to get her father's attention. However, Rinda's father is furious and tired of Rinda's disobedient nature and childish games and decides to get rid of her by marrying her off and sending her far away. He also tells her that if she doesn't pick her own husband, he will do it for her.Rinda doesn't want to marry and be sent away from everything that she knows so she comes up with a plan to put a stop to her father from marrying her off. She decides to make herself seem completely unsuitable for marriage at her older sister Imogen's  and her ball. However, Rinda's plan backfires on her when her father finds out that Rinda deliberately drove away all the noble suitors so she wouldn't have to marry any of them. Rinda's father makes good on his threat and tells Rinda that the next man that shows up at their door will be her husband.The next morning, Rinda is summoned to the drawing room by her father and is introduced to her new husband, a poor minstrel (or is that all he is?) named Aleksandr. Rinda is horrified that her father was actually very serious when he told her she was to marry the next man who shows up at their door. Rinda begs her father to change his mind about her marrying Aleksandr but nothing changes his mind and he gives his blessing for Rinda to marry a minstrel.Rinda soon sets off with her new minstrel husband on a horse-drawn cart carrying her trucks. Sadly Rinda isn't able to say goodbye to her sister since her father ordered that Rinda not be let back into the keep or disturb him or his daughter Imogen. Rinda tells her maid to tell her father that she has left and that she hopes he rots before leaving with her husband.Rinda then begins her journey with Aleksandr. A journey of hardships, discovery, happiness and love. Of realizing that her wealth doesn't matter, that her cold pride isn't needed or wanted anymore and that Aleksandr her poor minstrel husband that she loves is none other than the Lioncourt King.I have never heard of the King Thrushbeard Fairy Tale before but I liked Myles's version of it. I loved Rinda and Alek as a couple. They were so cute together. Rinda was sassy and rude and Alek was sweet and shy. They are a perfect couple together.I give this 4 stars.