"Wren to the Rescue" by Sherwood Smith

Rating: 3.5

Description: Wren is just an ordinary orphan, enjoying life and waiting for the opportunity to slip away from the orphanage and have adventures when she finds out that her best friend, Tess, is really Princess Teressa, heir to the throne of Meldrith. Tess has been hidden at the orphanage ever since she was a baby because an evil sorcerer king has vowed to take any child of the king of Meldrith in revenge for a rescue made years ago. But now Tess is going home for good, and Wren is invited to come along to keep the princess company. Excited at the prospect of adventures (and an evil sorcerer king with a grudge certainly sounds adventurous), Wren jumps at the chance. But when Tess is kidnapped by the evil Andreus, Wren is no longer having fun. After determining that the adults of Meldrith don't seem to be doing much to help Tess, Wren sets off to rescue her friend herself, along with sorcerer apprentice Tyron and the young Prince Connor, Tess's uncle. As they journey to Senna Lirwan, where Andreus rules, they face many challenges, sent from both Andreus and from people in Meldrith who do not desire Teressa's return. In the end, each of the children will have their own role to play in Tess's rescue. But can they reach the princess and get her out right under the nose of most powerful sorcerer in the known world?

Review: "Wren to the Rescue" is full of harrowing adventure and magic. While some of the adventure seems run-of-the-mill fantasy and the plot doesn't really deviate from the "get from point A to point B, rescue princess, return to point A", it's engaging enough nevertheless. Wren, Tess, Tyron, and Connor each have their own distinctive personalities (though Tess is a bit dull), and each has their own unique talents to bring to the story. While not overly distinctive from other fantasy, "Wren to the Rescue" is still an enjoyable read.