Wicked Marigold

In a funny and charming fantastical romp, overlooked Princess Marigold is nothing like her perfect, just-returned sister—so she runs away to an evil wizard’s tower to prove her wickedness.

Princess Marigold—who hadn’t yet been born when the remarkable Princess Rosalind was kidnapped—is eleven when the unthinkable happens: her older sister escapes her captivity and comes home. Marigold has always known she’s not as good, sweet, or kind as the sister everyone adores, but amid the celebration of Rosalind’s return, Marigold realizes something new: if Princess Rosalind is good, then Princess Marigold must be wicked. And there’s no place for wickedness in the kingdom. When Marigold tries to find a new place for herself in an evil wizard’s fortress, though, the results are disastrous. Before she’s even learned to cackle or scowl properly, she gets tangled up in a magical plot to ruin all the Cacophonous Kingdoms. Is Marigold too wicked to make things right? Or can she—with the help of a kitchen boy, a well-dressed imp, and a grumpy blob of glop—find her own way to restore peace? This endearing fantasy will have princess and anti-princess fans alike chuckling and cheering.

Caroline Carlson is also the author of the Very Nearly Honorable League of Pirates trilogy, The World’s Greatest Detective, and The Door at the End of the World. Her novels have won accolades from the New York Times, the American Booksellers Association, Bank Street College of Education, the American Library Association, and Junior Library Guild. She holds an MFA in writing for children from Vermont College of Fine Arts and lives with her family in Pittsburgh.

A richly imagined middle-grade examination of sibling dynamics with plenty of endearing fantasy elements.
—PEOPLE

A witty and wise tale of wickedness (with a twist). . . . Caroline Carlson offers an accomplished, rib-tickling take on princess stories. . . . The smart prose hums along, and this fresh look at familiar tropes is a real winner.
—Shelf Awareness (starred review)

Full of snappy humor, delightful wordplay, and quirky characters—a tentacled, people-eating creature called the Thing, a spiffy imp, and a reticent blob—this book is a whimsical exploration of belonging and sibling relationships. . . . A witty and engaging anti-fairy-tale adventure.
—Kirkus Reviews

Carlson (The Door at the End of the World) tempers astute depictions of Marigold’s experience in trying to live up to unrealistic expectations with capricious magic, strange monsters, and complex characters. Humorous subversions of traditional fantasy tropes make this an insightful tale of nature versus nurture and good versus evil.
—Publishers Weekly

Carlson seems perfectly at home with this comical fairy tale fantasy, setting a lovely balance between humor and heart, her language as playful as the world she's built. Putting aside the magical mayhem, colorful characters, and surprisingly high stakes, the book ultimately works because at its core is a genuinely moving story of a girl learning about self-worth.
—Booklist

Carlson’s deftly told story tackles questions of good versus evil and sibling bonds with a cast of oddball creatures and lots of humor. Clever, quirky, and cozy.
—The Horn Book