The Princess and the Hound by Mette Ivie Harrison

Summary:
A Prince with the animal magic that must be kept secret, or he will be put to death. A Princess who has only ever loved her hound, and has a dangerous secret of her own. The last thing they should do is fall in love.

He is a prince, heir to a kingdom threatened on all sides, possessor of the animal magic, which is forbidden by death in the land he'll rule.

She is a princess from a rival kingdom, the daughter her father never wanted, isolated from true human friendship but inseparable from her hound.

Though they think they have little in common, each possesses a secret that must be hidden at all costs. Proud, stubborn, bound to marry for the good of their kingdoms, this prince and princess will steal your heart, but will they fall in love?

My Review:

I would classify this as a YA Paranormal Romance- though the romance isn't the typical YA style where they see each other for the first time and instantly fall madly in love for no particular reason.  The entire story is essentially about how they discover each other- and there's no real romance until right at the end.  

From the title,  it sounds like the Princess and the hound are the main characters, but the story is actually told through the point of view of Prince George.  As the summary states, both he and the Princess have secrets- and the book is about how he reconciles himself to his own secret and how he discovers hers.  

There are some dark-acting characters- but there is nothing too graphic.     There isn't really anything I would be concerned about a younger child reading, it just may be too difficult (probably most appropriate for a teenage audience).

Overall I enjoyed this book.  It's the first of a trilogy and I plan on reading the other two.