An assortment of unlikely characters come together to join the crew of the parrot pirate Clean Captain Luc (aka Filthy Lucre) including a former princess who awoke from her sleeping curse with a beard she quite likes, a centaur swoleboy who has a secret, a not very elf-like elf, and a dryad who just wants to go to law school. As they sail off in search of treasure they'll find plenty of adventure and also self-knowledge.

As the third and final book in the Tales of Pell series, this novel offers all of the fun, satire, social commentary, and puns that lovers of the previous books will expect. With a whole new cast of characters and the fun of a pirate adventure mixed in, the novel has a vaguely episodic feel while still working to give each of our main characters a fully developed arc. Dawson and Hearne also still have plenty of fantasy tropes to poke fun at (I particularly enjoyed the riffs on Harry Potter and Star Wars and there's also a recurring gag that will get a giggle from Star Trek fans). The novel however does have a particularly lovely ending that wraps up threads for characters from this novel as well as both of the previous books and should please readers who've enjoyed the whole journey. ( )

This reminds me a lot of the Piers Anthony "Xanth" series but somewhat more up to date. But much like Xanth, the plot is really just a loose framework to serve up puns and pop culture parodies. If that's your thing, great. If you really want a solid plot, this book probably isn't for you. ( )

You probably want to sit on the floor amid cushions while reading this third tale of Pell. Otherwise you may fall off your couch because you are laughing so hard. Once again Hearne and Dawson partnered to write a tale that combines wit, wordplay, and wisdom. Follow Morgan, Tempest, Al, Vic, Luc and many other “fione” characters as they adventure to they find where they belong. If you enjoy puns, poking fun at fairy tales, and not taking a story seriously, you’ll enjoy The Princess Beard.

I received an eARC of this title from NetGalley in exchange for a review. The FTC wants you to know. ( )