Once upon a time, there was a kingdom ruled by a king and a queen who had a son they adored. He was a beautiful boy, bright and beloved by the people who lived in the kingdom, but he had one tiny problem: he never smiled. Not as a child, not as a young man, and certainly not as an adult. He wasn’t unhappy – he was very happy indeed being a prince and all – but there was nothing that could make him smile or laugh. Fearful that his son (and therefore the entire kingdom) was cursed, the king decreed that whoever made the prince smile would earn the right to marry him.

When Prince Leo happens one day upon a young peasant falling into the mud, nothing can stop the laughter that bubbles forth. Although he is initially ashamed of laughing at the man’s plight, Leo soon finds that the peasant Dexter not only makes him laugh, but he makes him smile and love as well. What will happen, though, when he brings Dexter home to the palace and requests that his father abide by his decree and allow them to marry? The king never considered that it might be another man who would make Prince Leo smile. Surely he’ll be true to his word…won’t he?

In The Prince Who Never Smiled, Pepper Espinoza has penned an alternate version of the Russian fairy tale “The Unsmiling Tsarevna.” This is a quick and entertaining read that takes the form of several scenes linked together by narration, and it feels almost as if the story were being told out loud to the reader. While overall I enjoyed reading this story, I couldn’t help but feel as if it were somewhat rushed and that we got to the “and they lived happily ever after” part a little too effortlessly. There are elements in this story that just beg to be explored – most notably the servant Jax and his issues with jealousy – and I was just a little disappointed that they were left untouched. Overall, however, The Prince Who Never Smiled is still a fun read. It will appeal especially to those of us who have always loved fairy tales.

Reviewed by: Whitney