Cassandra's Castle — D.L. Gardner

While writing a term project on revolution, Cassandra, a feisty teenager from Seattle, accidentally opens a portal and time-travels to a magical land.

Before she can make sense of her surroundings, a grumpy old wizard named Silvio appears and informs her she's a princess. Being royalty is not safe these days, Silvio warns, especially not with the rebel named Valerio causing trouble. Who should appear at that moment but the very man he speaks of?  Cassie waves off Silvio's caution, immediately enamored with the handsome rebel leader. It takes no time at all for Valerio to coerce Cassie into joining forces against the king.

Fooled into thinking her part will be simple, Cassie soon becomes a pawn in a dark and dangerous rebellion. She realizes her mistake too late, for she meets the royal family, and falls in love with the king's son.

A unique YA fantasy page-turner that spans the void between vastly different worlds, Gardner captures the most endearing qualities of the genre in a story that's both refreshing and original.