The Secret Promise by Paula Harrison

The Rescue Princesses series, Book 1. Nosy Crow, 2012.
(Ages:7-9) This is exactly what you would expect from a book with this series title and cover. The only surprises here are the somewhat odd combination of a traditional fairytale land of royal kingdoms and castles with super fast jets and ex-undercover agent/ninja maids. Very much in the vein of the 'tween' super series such as Rainbow Magic and Magic Kitten this title is the first in what promises to be a vast collection of stories about these four 'rescue princesses'.
As this is the introduction to the series the reader is privy to the meeting of the four princesses who have travelled to Mistberg Castle with their respective King and Queen parents from their own lands. Gathered together for the Grand Ball in which they are being presented to the twenty royal families from around the world the four princesses form a friendship over their love of all things exciting and un-princess like, namely an outdoor obstacle course. So when they discover a wicked plot to destroy all the deer in Mistberg Forest the princesses get caught up in an adventurous rescue to save the day and set things right. This is a chapter book for the slightly older rather than beginning reader but will only interest a small age range within its appropriate reading age. This being said the book is well within the interests of its female target age range as it combines favourite topics of princesses and animals. A real hit no doubt!
Nicole Smith-Forrest