The Wolf Princess

Synopsis

Orphan Sophie dreams of going on the school trip of a lifetime to St Petersburg in Russia, but doesn’t hold out much hope. She has neither the money nor the support of her aunt, who is her legal guardian. But after a mysterious Russian woman visits her boarding school and takes an inexplicable interest in her, Sophie finds herself on the list along with her two best friends, the bookish Marianne and the sophisticated Delphine. However, the school trip doesn’t exactly go to plan. On route to St Petersburg, the girls find themselves abandoned on the train. They are forced to leave the train by a disgruntled conductor and seek refuge from the deep-set snow in a derelict but cosy hut. They are rescued in the night by a bear-like man, Ivan, who seems to have been expecting them and who escorts them onto an altogether more decadent train – but the destination is not St Petersburg. Instead, the girls find themselves the guests of the glamorous and mysterious Princess Anna Volkonskaya. The Volkonsky palace is a crumbling and rambling place, with family portraits on the walls and whispers of family secrets echoing through the corridors. A family of servants live in the Under Palace in a warren of alleyways and rooms. The Princess takes a keen and somewhat intimidating interest in Sophie, who is at first beguiled to have been singled out for once in her less-then-remarkable life. But pleasure soon turns to fear as the Princess’s behaviour becomes more and more sinister. And, as white wolves prowl outside, Sophie knows the palace and its inhabitants are in danger. With the help of surly teenage servant, Dmitri, Sophie uncovers the secret of the incredibly valuable family jewels which have been missing for decades, discovering also that the Princess is a fraudster and not of the royal line at all. Most startlingly Sophie discovers that it is she who is next in line to the throne and set to inherit the great fortune, and it is she who and must continue to keep the great Volkonsky name alive. With one last attempt at deceit, Anna convinces Sophie to entrust the diamonds to her to keep them safe, which Sophie does. The diamonds are whisked away, the fortune gone for good. The pack of white wolves, whom Sophie had always feared, turn out to be protectors of the true Volkonsky line and rally to keep the young princess safe. Meanwhile Anna, in mid-escape across the treacherous frozen lake, is tragically swept to her death under the ice. But with the jewels gone and the mistress of the house no more, Sophie must now make the hardest decision of all. Should she return home with her friends and sever her connection with the Volkonsky family, or should she stay on at the palace and live with her new-found and loyal friends? She decides that family and blood run deepest and decides to stay. And as she contemplates life in the crumbling palace there is one last surprise in store: A long thick rope of diamonds gently held in the mouth of a pure white wolf. Restored to their rightful owner…

Copyright:

2012

Book Details

Book Quality:

Excellent

Book Size:

323 Pages

ISBN-13:

9781908435347

Publisher:

Chicken House

Date of Addition:

03/02/23

Copyrighted By:

Cathryn Constable

Adult content:

No

Language:

English

Has Image Descriptions:

No

Categories:

Children's Books, Animals, Literature and Fiction, Mystery and Thrillers, Parenting and Family, Education, Politics and Government

Reading Age:

10–13

Submitted By:

Sarah Wallis-Newman

Proofread By:

Sarah Wallis-Newman

Usage Restrictions:

This is a copyrighted book.