The Regal Pink by Jenny Knipfer is the beginning of a three-part fantasy series entitled Retold Fairy Tales, and it has secured its place in my heart as one of my favorite books I’ve ever read.
A wholesome story that follows a fairy on a mission to secure her wings, an orphan boy who has the power to grant wishes, and a king and queen without an heir, interwoven with powerful themes of love, hope, faith, and God’s greater plan for our lives, The Regal Pink is a must read for fans of Christian fantasy, clean fantasy romance, and fairy tale retellings.
Blurb for The Regal Pink by Jenny Knipfer
Far, far away, in the fairy tale kingdom of Evermoor, young, gifted Daniel dreams of escaping his life in captivity and his dastardly Uncle Aldrich. Diana, a flower fairy charged with guiding Daniel, helps him channel his ability to grant wishes, but his uncle exploits Daniel’s gift, stealing the wishes for himself.
Warned not to fall prey to mortal love, Diana keeps a friendly distance from Daniel, but she cannot deny her growing feelings for him. Will she shield her heart or risk losing the chance to ever go back home to the Green Glade and gain her fairy wings?
In the same kingdom, childless King Roderick and Queen Rosalind have become divided by a great sorrow. Battling the wounds of the past, the monarchs make a valiant effort to move forward, but can they learn to trust each other again? What future can the kingdom have without an heir?
My Thoughts
The Regal Pink by Jenny Knipfer is a retelling of the Grimm’s original tale, “The Pink.” As such there are several traditional fairytale elements such as a royal family, a magical gift, and fantastical beings. What is so refreshing about Knipfer’s story is how integral The Light is within her story. The Light is representative of God in the real world. Knipfer highlights so many vital reminders and lessons through The Light in her novel without it becoming preachy nor redundant. Her beautiful way of highlighting how people are not powerful enough to “ruin” God’s greater plan, that though we may never comprehend certain things in life there is purpose beyond our understanding, and faith in God is the foundation for how we should live our daily lives paired with the romantic elements moved me to tears on numerous occasions while reading.
The novel itself follows four characters through switching POVs (points of view). I absolutely loved how readers follow both the struggles of Rosalind and Roderick, an older married couple who struggle communicating and connecting post a traumatic loss, as well as a a young couple, Daniel and Diana, who struggle to define their relationship; are they friends or is there truly something more between them? There is something for all adult readers who love clean romance and fairy tale retellings within The Regal Pink!
What Others Are Saying
Christianity and The Regal Pink by Jenny Knipfer
Jenny doesn’t just use The Light to represent God within her book, but she uses her characters’ inner thoughts, dialogue, and actions to illustrate important truths that can be found in the Bible. Some of these truths include the importance of trusting in God’s plan (Proverbs 3:5-6), having faith through all things (Isaiah 41:10), and making sacrifices for love (John 3:16).
Personally, I clung to the lesson of having faith in spite of not having all the answers. That can be so difficult to do as humans, but “letting go” to “let God” is necessary.
Another aspect of Jenny’s writing that I admire is how she weaves fantasy elements, such as reference to “dark arts,” but she lets that fall to the background in order to highlight the narrative’s themes. She also takes time to acknowledge witchcraft is contrary to God’s direction in our lives in her author’s note in the end of her book. It’s beautiful to see a wonderfully written fantasy/fairy tale retelling that is so enjoyable but that honors God at the same time!
Is This Book Suitable for Young Adult Readers?
The Young Adult label is very broad in that it includes books for readers aged 13 through 18. Because of the complex nature of Roderick and Rosalind’s marriage and Roderick’s inner struggle on how to secure an heir, I would not say this is suitable for younger YA readers. However, older YA readers (16-18) can most certainly read and enjoy this!
The book is appropriately marketed as a clean fantasy romance. There are no graphic scenes nor inappropriate language except for one explicit term. This term is used in context of Roderick’s scheming to have a child in order to have an heir. In addition, there are two kiss scenes. But, in my opinion, they are sweet, relevant to the development of the story, and not overly described.
Favorite Quotes from The Regal Pink
Quotes that Resonated with My Soul
- “Life itself is light among the shadows.”
- “I know you are frightened, but what The Light calls us to, He prepares us for.”
- “All of us struggle with our place and purpose in this world…”
- “You must have realized by now that The Light only gives us the illumination we need for the next step on the journey and does not reveal the whole path to us at once, or many of us would run away.”
- “Just because you haven’t seen something-or recognized it as such-does not mean it is not real.”
- “…The Light uses the shadows in the lives of humans to deepen their spirits and to learn to trust and know Him more.”
- “He hoped his pain would not have been in vain and that it would make him a better man, not a bitter one.”
Quotes that Resonated with My Heart
- “Whatever the future held, my heart was tied to his and always would be.”
- “Did I love [redacted for spoilers] enough to give up who I was?”
- “She did not know how to fix what [they] had broken.” & “So that’s where life has brought us-caged in private arenas of our own reasoning.”
- “His heart burned and yet was filled with sunshine at the very sight of her.”
- “At last, he knew what true belonging tasted like.”
- “He could appreciate loveliness in other thins and people, but [redacted] had that sole adoration in his heart now and always would.”
- “All love is sacrifice, or it would not be love.”
Final Thoughts on The Regal Pink by Jenny Knipfer
In conclusion, The Regal Pink by Jenny Knipfer, is a beautiful fairy tale retelling. I would give it more than 5 stars if I could! While reading, I was consistently highlighting lines that resonated with me in some manner. It is a beautiful, wholesome novel with wonderful lessons on love, faith, and life. I cannot recommend this book enough, and I readily await for book 2 in the series!
Learn more about author Jenny Knipfer through our interview here!
Meet Author Jenny Knipfer
Jenny lives in Wisconsin with her husband, Ken, and their pet Yorkie, Ruby. She is also a mom and loves being a grandma. She has enjoyed many creative pursuits over the years but has found writing to be the most fulfilling.
Spending many years as a librarian in a local public library, Jenny recently switched to using her skills as a floral designer in a retail flower shop. However, she is now retired from work due to disability. Her education background stems from psychology, music, and cultural missions.
All of Jenny’s books have earned five-star reviews from Readers’ Favorite, a book review and award contest company. She holds membership in the: Midwest Independent Booksellers Association, Wisconsin Writers Association, Christian Indie Publishing Association, and Independent Book Publishers Association.
Jenny’s favorite place to relax is by the western shore of Lake Superior, where her novel series, By The Light of the Moon, is set.
She deems a cup of tea and a good book an essential part of every day. When not writing, Jenny can be found reading, tending to her many houseplants, or piecing quilt blocks at her sewing machine.
Her historical fiction, four-part series entitled, Sheltering Trees, is set in the area Jenny grew up in, where she currently lives, and places along Minnesota’s Northern Shore, where she has loved visiting.
Connect with Jenny
Keep current with Jenny by visiting her website at https://jennyknipfer.com. Ways to connect with Jenny via social media, newsletter, and various book sites can be found on her website.
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Thank you so much, Kayla for this praise-worthy and in depth review of The Regal Pink. Your kindness has touched my heart.
Thank you for writing such a beautiful story and sharing it with the world! 🥰
Your review of book makes one ready to it. The interview was amazing. I think all I us can be weak sometimes at trusting by faith. But as the book said we need to see the light because God is the light of life.
God is the light, indeed! 🩷