Eugene Fitzherbert and his best friend Arnie are about to age out of the Corona Home for Boys. Despite Miss Clare's loving care, there's only so much she can do with little to no resources at the orphanage. When the circus comes to town and Eugene spots a worker there with a tattoo that matches a mark on the letter left with him at the orphanage, he and Arnie decide to set out on their own. The figure they can make some money and send it back to the orphanage to help Miss Clare. But, the circus is not all that it seems and they are soon embroiled in some crazy (mis)adventures.

This was a quick and entertaining read. Eugene becomes Flynn Rider and Arnie becomes Lance Strongbow (after Lance Archer, a folk hero like Robin Hood). It's a fun little backstory to explain a bit about why Flynn does what he does and how he became the man he is in the movie Tangled. There's even a cameo from the horse Maximus! If you enjoy middle grade adventure and origin stories, give this one a try! Definitely recommended!

Disclaimer: I received a free electronic copy of this book from the publisher through Netgalley.com in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Set about 10 years before Flynn stumbles upon Rapunzel’s tower, we meet the 12 year old Flynn who is aging out of his orphanage. He and his friend join the circus, meet a motley crew of thieves, and have to decide for themselves what is right and what is wrong. Enjoyable story about friendship and standing up for what you believe in.

Thank you to NetGalley and Disney Publishing for the ARC.

My Summary:
5%: So we start the book with a kingdom destroyed, and a baby orphan, Eugene Fitzherbert. He grew up in the orphanage, and he only had books, and a letter from his parents with him.
20%: Eugene plans to leave the home with his friend Arnie, and luckily when he is at the circus, the first day they are in town, Eugene sees a man on stage with the same mark on his arm as his letter, from his parents.
45%: ok. So Eugene and his best friend, Arnie, decided to join the circus. Flynn sees a guy on stage with the But first they had to find the circus. When they are hiding behind a rock, they get captured. Eugene and Arnie make up fake names. Eugene is now Flynn Rider and his friend is now Lance Strongbow. (for the summary and review I will refer to the two boys as their fake names) They must have an initiation, so they are sent to find a key, from the Snuggly Duckling, for a plan unknown.
60%: So Flynn and Lance get the key to the circus. They are highly celebrated, and welcomed into the “family.” The Baron instantly likes them for bringing him the key. Flynn and Lance then get into a huge fight, and their friendship is over. They are ignoring each other, and Lance is getting used to the nice kitchen. Flynn was learning moves to steal.
End of book: Flynn and Lance learn about the upcoming heist, and are assigned the most important job. The Heist: Break into the kingdom's treasury, and steal the “Lost Princess” treasure, and hop town. Flynn is nervous, but does it anyway. While with Lance, they make a plan to trap the Stabbington brothers in the room. Flynn uses the moves from his storybooks, and brings them to life.

My Review:
Can I just say WOW? No? Okay. Where to begin. First things first there was nothing bad about this book. I am the biggest fan of Jen Calonita, and everything she writes is amazing. I never really thought about Flynn’s past, but this really showed me. The author’s writing was phenomenal! I only get digital Advanced Readers Copies (ARC’s), the kindle really can’t format the book, so it is nearly impossible to read. (I would love to get the print versions one day). Aside from that part, the book was phenomenal. The characters each are special in their own way, and in the Tangled movie, I loved the Snuggly Duckling scene, and this book got into the “thugs’” background. Have nothing bad to say about the book itself. It was a perfect read. Fun and twisted, but really amazing read.
If any teachers see this: think about teaching it.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. My opinion was not affected by the free copy.

I was pretty ambivalent toward the movie Tangled, but the series was absolutely amazing. I'm pleased to report that this book takes the show's story into account. It features Eugene and his friend Arnie, who later become known as Flynn Rider and Lance Strongbow. The main antagonist is the Baron, a character Eugene had history with in the series, and the prologue features Eugene's father and the Dark Kingdom. I liked the little details like Eugene getting the Rider series from his father or the cameos by Maximillian the horse and Pascal's mother (or at least I think it's his mother).

Most of my complaints are technical. I'm sure this will be cleaned up once the book is published, but I noticed some sentences seemed out of order or incomplete. The formatting was a little off as well. I'm also a little unsure of continuity and the timeline holding up to close scrutiny. And while I am aware this is for young audiences, that doesn't excuse it for being repetitive or having a "this is what I learned today" moment.

I'm a sucker for found family stories. That was the core theme of the Tangled series and this book emphasizes that as well. The dialogue felt like it was in line with the series, for the most part, and Flynn was perfectly in character. There are some great lines in this book that are quote-worthy. Over all, I would say that it's a fun little Flynn and Lance adventure. It's definitely more fun if the reader is familiar with the series, as they'll understand some of the Easter eggs, but I think those not as familiar will still like it.