Wisdom's Kiss ~ Catherine Gilbert Murdock

For those that have read Catherine Gilbert Murdock's Princess Ben, yes, this a return to that wonderful world where women rule. Benevolence even makes another appearance as the aging grandmother of Wisdom (Dizzy) who is to be married and is discovering that marriage is not the life of adventure she hopes for.

In a love triangle that is equal parts poignant and farcical, Wisdom instead falls hopelessly in love with Tips who is semi-promised to his childhood best friend Trudy who is a village orphan with prescient visions. Trudy and Tips have not seen each other since he was taken from their village as a young boy. They write to each other, Tips not altogether honestly.

Fate conspires to reveal just how different Tips's life is from his letters, bringing Trudy, Tips and Dizzy together on the eve of Dizzy's wedding to the son of a power-hungry duchess who will flinch at nothing to get control of Dizzy's homeland. Dizzy escapes this marriage and runs off to join the circus with the help of Ben, Tips, Trudy, the Emperor and a cat. The escape involves sword-play, disguise, many tears, and an air-ship powered by magic.

Told through the memoirs of the pompous circus director, Dizzy's diary, Tips's letters to Trudy (with corrections), Trudy's biography, Ben's letters to her ruling grand-daughter, the memoirs of the devious Duchess, and the occasional melodrama, the story unfolds in every direction but where you might expect.

Murdock masterfully weaves a hilarious tale. There are laughs even in this story's darkest moments of betrayal and grief. Bittersweet laughs, to be sure, but Murdock proves that laughter is the more powerful and the ridiculous is lurking everywhere if we are only strong enough to look for it.