Lisa Dawn's Blog: The Princess Blog, page 29

Story Saturday: The Village Girl

"The Village Girl"Sonia knew that she didn't belong at the magic school that had miraculously accepted her despite her lack of a noble background. Typically, an ordinary village girl like her could never qualify to learn magic, but she had a lucky break when a wizard showed up in her hometown to defend it against a monster when it fought back, and his wand flew out of his grasp. He was incapacitated, so Sonia picked it up and repeated the same spell she saw him use. Somehow, it worked despite her complete lack of training. The village deemed her a hero that day and enrolled her in the magic school, but the other students saw her as anything but.

Despite her one lucky break, Sonia was no magic expert. She struggled in her classes a lot more than the other students who could refer to their friends or family members who already knew how to use magic when they were having trouble. The only class she enjoyed was enchanted fashions, where she could design beautiful outfits and bring them to life. Even there, a princess named Delia was always boasting about how wonderful her life was at the castle and how sad it was that the school had admitted a commoner.
Lunchtime was Sonia's least favorite time of the day. All the other royals and nobles would group together at different tables, but none of them would let Sonia sit with them. She usually ended up sitting at a table alone while other students would teleport the empty chairs to their own tables to make room for their friends. One day, Sonia noticed someone else sitting by himself at lunch. A nervous-looking boy who appeared to be around her age was fumbling with his glasses after he dropped his wand. Sonia went over and picked it up for him.
"May I sit here?" she asked.
"Go ahead, but I'm surprised you'd want to sit with me," said the boy. "Most people avoid me."
"Me too!" said Sonia, grinning. For the first time, she felt that she had finally met someone she could relate to.
The boy introduced himself as Colin, and Sonia spent the next hour venting about her difficult classes and how stuck-up the royals were, which he adamantly agreed with. She wondered if she had finally found another commoner like herself at the school. Over the next few days, Sonia began looking forward to lunchtime and getting to know her new friend better. She confided in him that some of the princes at the school liked to play tricks on her at her locker after classes, such as putting exploding potions inside that stained her uniform or shooting paper planes at her that would magically follow her no matter where she went.
One day at her enchanted fashion class, Sonia overheard Princess Delia talk about the upcoming school dance and how her nerdy brother Colin was never going to find a date. Upon hearing this, her heart skipped a beat. Could the quiet boy who had been keeping her company all this time have been a prince all along? She decided to confront him about it at lunchtime.
"Is it true?" she asked, hoping there was some sort of explanation to the contrary.
"Yes," Colin said begrudgingly, "Delia's my sister."
"But that makes you..."
"It's not like I chose to be a prince."
"You lied to me!" Sonia shouted. "You're no different than all those other wicked boys who play tricks on me every day!"
"I never lied. You didn't ask me if I was a prince!"
"But you agreed that the royals are closed-minded and full of themselves!"
"Because that's what I really think!"
"But you're one of them!"
Blinded by her rage, Sonia grabbed her lunch and stormed off.
Later that afternoon, Sonia went to her locker to pack up her things for the day. Too late, she felt a jolt below her feet and noticed a group of mean princes who liked to pick on her laughing nearby. The next thing she knew, she was floating in the air. She clung to the door of her locker, but the magic force pulling her body up toward the ceiling was difficult to fight. Soon she might start floating all over the school with no way down.
"Let me go!" she cried.
"Only if you go all the way back to your little village and never return to this school again," said one of the boys.
"That's enough!"
Just as Sonia lost her grip on the locker, Colin raced down the hall and cast a reversal spell on her. Unfortunately, that meant she was about to fall all the way down from the ceiling to the floor. She squeezed her eyes shut and screamed, but the painful impact never came. When she opened her eyes, she found herself resting safely in Colin's arms. He had anticipated her fall and caught her just in the nick of time.
"Are you all right?" he asked.
"I think so," she blushed.
"This is why no one wants to be friends with you!" jeered one of the princes. "No true royal would be so nice to a mere peasant."
"Then maybe I'd rather be a peasant," said Colin, helping Sonia get back to her feet.
"What a loser," said one of the princes as they wandered off together.
"Just because I'm royal doesn't mean I'm anything like them," Colin said, with his protective grip still pressed firmly around Sonia's shoulders.
"You're right. I'm sorry I misjudged you," said Sonia, still blushing.
"Now that that's cleared up, would you like to go to the school dance with me?" he asked.
Sonia grinned, thinking of the beautiful gown she designed in her last enchanted fashion class. "I have just the thing to wear!"
And so Sonia and Colin attended the dance together, and she looked so beautiful in her magical dress that none of the other royals dared say a word against her. With Colin's help, she successfully completed all her classes and lived happily ever after.

Review: Time Princess - The Moravia Express

The latest Time Princess visual novel is a good old British murder mystery around the turn of the 20th century that takes place aboard a train. It incorporates plenty of popular tropes while also adding some new twists the genre. It is most similar in tone to the previous release from this game called Have You Seen Claudia? right down to the "gotcha" twist ending. The character and plot development are some of the best this game has released in recent months, which shows appear that their writers all have different strengths. I would have loved to see this level of worldbuilding in one of their fantasy stories. The visual novel was well-written and would have been very enjoyable if it hadn't been for the secret ending.

You play as Bianca Finch, a businesswoman and aspiring actress who purchases a VIP ticket for the wrong train at the wrong time. She soon finds herself wrapped up in a conspiracy revolving around the murder of another actress named Chloe Swann that had taken place a year or two prior. The other VIP passengers all have some sort of connection to Chloe. After one of them is murdered in the name of vengeance for Chloe's death, Bianca funds a project to build a time machine so she can go back to prevent the murder on the train and find the true culprit. Everything seems to wrap up well after her second attempt until she realizes that nothing is quite what it seems. After completing most of the story's main endings, a final section unlocks that switches the story's genre from a murder mystery to a psychological thriller.

This visual novel has three companions who are all share a connection to unfortunate Chloe Swann. Cortland Rask is the primary love interest and the victim that Bianca goes back in time to save. Because was the primary suspect in Chloe's murder, the other passengers on the train do not take kindly to him. Bianca feels she can trust him for reasons that are never quite explained until the end and tries to protect him from those seeking vengeance for a murder that she does not believe he committed. Eirene is a nervous young woman who tries to use underhanded methods to prevent Bianca from boarding the train. Though Bianca does not understand her motives, she finds it difficult to dislike someone who is already so unsure of herself. The final companion is Renard Keller, a renowned psychologist who has lengthy discussions about his work that foreshadow the twist at the end of the game.

I would say this story was the opposite of Lunar Legend, which focused more on introducing a new clothing style to the Time Princess wardrobe than it did on the plot. Instead, The Moravia Express focuses heavily on plot and characters. The clothing, while nice, provides nothing we haven't already seen in this game. There are a number of turn-of-the-century fashions ranging from casual to formalwear. While nothing particularly stood out to me, I did like the range of styles the story provided while still remaining pretty accurate to the time period. The outfit Bianca wears to disarm a bomb is particularly unique because it incorporates a stylized version of metal armor. My favorite piece was her formal ballgown with a blue sweetheart bodice, lacy white skirt, and matching tights that reminded me of my childhood.

The Moravia Express is a well-written mystery story that would have been a lot of fun to explore if it hadn't been for the disappointing ending. The "gotcha" factor wasn't entirely out of the blue as the game provided plenty of foreshadowing, especially if the player spends a lot of time with Renard, but it successfully killed the mood, which was already rather grim after dealing with things like murder and suicide. It leaves players with a feeling of hopelessness and defeat, even after going back in time for a chance to make everything right. The initial three outcomes are far more optimistic and satisfying than the "true" ending. On a final note, I thought the facial expressions for the villain of the story were hilariously over the top. How did you feel about this visual novel? Let me know in the comments!

Review: Voiceless - A Mermaid's Tale

Seeking out books I see in Facebook ads can be hit or miss, but I'm glad I picked up this one. Voiceless: A Mermaid's Tale by Anna Finch is a uniquely modern take on "The Little Mermaid" that is feminist without being too misandronist. It is not a true retelling of my favorite fairy tale, but more of a "What if?" scenario that explores what could have happened if the story took place in a different type of setting and if the main character had made a different decision when facing the sea witch, kind of like selecting a diverging branch in a visual novel. Though it uses some direct dialogue from the Disney movie during a key scene that many authors seem to enjoy referencing, there are few references to the Disney movie or even the Hans Christian Andersen story overall. Instead, this is a well-researched book about trauma and manipulation built around a fantasy setting.

Voiceless tells the story of an ambitious young mermaid named Moriah who is trapped in an underwater society that treats women as second-class citizens. It's a powerful story about women's rights and liberation, although I thought it was interesting that the author chose to make women oppressed in a mermaid society because mermaids are typically presented as matriarchies. However, I can see what she was going for by incorporating the metaphor of the original Little Mermaid losing her voice. Moriah chooses not to give up her voice and requests magic lessons from the sea witch instead but was voiceless in a different way due to her grandfather's oppression of her society. In that respect, this book reminded me a bit of Frozen 2 by making the grandfather a villain so the main character would be one generation removed from him and less likely to know or understand his motives than she would be with her father, who is kind and cares about her.

Like other adaptations I've read and seen, the human world in Voiceless is set in modern times, making Moriah's society feel even more dated due to its backward way of thinking. When Moriah visits the land, she falls for a human named Michael and does lots of modern activities with him like playing video games and eating fast food. Michael helps open Moriah's eyes to the many problems in her society and inspires her to lead a revolution against her grandfather. He is not a cardboard prince who is just there to drive the plot along. Michael has problems of his own involving his family that Moriah is eventually able to help with by using the magic that she learns from the sea witch. Both Moriah and Michael are flawed characters that complement each other perfectly, allowing them to learn and grow.

I couldn't help seeing some parallels between the mermaid world in this story and some of the more problematic areas of the middle east. Using power tactics and treating women like second-class citizens is something that certain parts of the world still struggle with today. While I probably would have been less interested in this story if it didn't take place in a fantasy setting, I appreciate that the author used this book to give a voice to those who might consider themselves voiceless. In addition to encouraging its readers to stand up for what they believe in, it also has a strong mental health message and encourages therapy to recover from trauma. It goes beyond the "happily ever after" ending of a fairy tale to show that there is always more work to be done.

Voiceless is a modern feminist fairy tale done right that doesn't degrade all men into sexist dirtbags. It has strong characters with complex backgrounds and a great message about speaking out against injustice. This book does a much better job than Ever Cursed to show the breakdown of a patriarchal society and give women their own voice. I like that it doesn't criticize nations that are already free and instead compares two very different societies to show what it's like to learn that there are better opportunities out there, which in a way, was what the original "Little Mermaid" character was seeking. It draws more inspiration from real life than your average fantasy story, which is what makes this book truly unique. If modern feminist fairy tales are your jam, be sure to check this one out.

Disney Releases More Diverse Princess Products!

There have been a lot of new merchandise and announcements popping up about the Disney Princesses as of late. The company has added plenty of diversity through their past films, and now they are going at full force in their merchandise with the upcoming new Little Mermaid movie, cosplayer dolls, and more Tiana-themed park attractions. I am eager to see more Disney Princess products and entertainment and hope that the original animated classics that started the brand don't get lost in the shuffle. It's nice to see that Disney is releasing new princess merchandise even though their push for diversity is overpowering a lot of the storytelling that made the brand so enticing in the first place.

The first announcement is a series of Disneybound/cosplay dolls designed by veteran artist Steve Thompson. Referred to as "ily" dolls, which I believe stands for "I love you," this new fashion line depicts a diverse group of Disney Princess fans who dress in casual clothing that is themed after their favorite princesses, also known as "Disneybounding." Each doll has her own set of princess-inspired mouse ears to complete the look. The artist notably went out of his way to to use girls who look as little like their favorite character as possible. This set of dolls was meant to depict the average princess fan, not the average princess character. As such, Ariel's fan has an Indian appearance, Snow White appears to be mixed race, Jasmine's fangirl is blonde, Belle's is black, Cinderella's looks Latina, and Tiana's biggest fan is Asian. These dolls come with a large closet of alternative looks and accessories to represent various Disney Princesses using contemporary clothing. I have mixed feelings about this line. I love that fans get their own dolls to represent themselves, but I prefer the fantasy fashions of older times to modern-day princess fashions, even though it is possible to style them similarly to the more classic looks. These dolls continue a new legacy of Disney Princess that was introduced in Wreck-It Ralph 2, where the princesses began wearing casual clothing and acting more modern.

In Little Mermaid movie news, some new artwork was just revealed for four tie-in books that will be released for the upcoming live-action remake. These children's storybooks depict Halle Bailey in the look that was created for her role as Ariel in the upcoming movie. This film is rumored to have a much larger marketing campaign than other live-action remakes of the past with as much new merch as the original animated film had in 1989. This large initiative may serve as further evidence of the upcoming Ariel animated series that might be redone in the style of the new live-action film, but that has yet to be confirmed. I'm really digging the look of Halle as Ariel with her pearly dreads, shimmery tale, and organic-looking purple scaly top as opposed to the seashells from the original film. The only thing that I don't want to see is for her style of the character to completely replace the original since the animated version of Ariel is and will probably always be my favorite Disney Princess. This is unlikely to happen as the live-action personas have never replaced the animated ones on Disney Princess merchandise. You should expect to see a lot more of this imagery appearing on store shelves through various products when the movie gets closer to its release in May.

Princess Tiana's dream of owning her own restaurant is coming true at last! After I questioned the laziness of retheming an old ride for Tiana instead of giving her something more relevant to the movie, Disney has announced that Tiana's Palace, the beautiful restaurant that she built with Naveen at the end of The Princess and the Frog  from an old sugar mill, is being replicated at new Orleans Square in Disneyland. This is the perfect parkgoer experience for fans of the film because it was the force behind Tiana's decisions that drove all the events of the movie. Though the restaurant will not be a character experience, it is being designed very much in the style of the one in the movie with authentic New Orleans flavors inspired by Tiana's friends and adventures. It's exciting to get a new princess-themed restaurant at Disneyland since they shut down my favorite dining experience, Ariel's Grotto, several years ago. This initiative takes place in addition to many other upcoming Princess and the Frog themed projects, including the revamped Tiana's Bayou Adventure ride and her animated series on Disney+, which was delayed until next year.

Disney's initiative to include as much diversity as possible in their princess line means a whole lot of new merchandise and experiences for us fans to enjoy, which is wonderful. Though the ily dolls are not quite my cup of tea due to the modern-day fashions, I love the idea of creating inclusivity for fans who don't look like their favorite characters. I'm also intrigued by the new artwork of Halle Bailey as Ariel since live-action remakes aren't typically associated with art. Some fans pointed out that the the ily dolls include girls with every hair color except red, something that was also a concern for Halle Bailey's new look as Ariel before it was revealed that she would still be a redhead in the film. As a fellow redhead myself, I hope to have some future representation in the Disney Princess lineup, but of course, I am very happy with princesses like Giselle and the original animated Ariel who I relate to very much. Which of these diverse initiatives are you most excited about? Do you think Disney is focusing so much on inclusivity that it overpowers their legacy of great storytelling, or is this a step in the right direction? Let me know in the comments!

Anime to Watch in the Winter 2023 Season

Lately, it's been much easier to find new princess anime series than Disney movies. Every three months, a slew of new anime shows are release, most of which blend fantasy worlds with reality, and there's almost always at least one new series about or related to princesses. The winter season has just begun, and I have discovered three shows that fall into what I would consider the princess genre. Since I have only watched the first episode of each, I can't speak for the quality of these shows to determine whether they will be worth sticking around for until the end the season, but I can say that this new season has a large variety to offer no matter what type of anime you enjoy.

First up is The Magical Revolution of the Reincarnated Princess and the Genius Young Lady. This is a yuri (girl love) anime that is way more fast-paced than Revolutionary Girl Utena, despite both shows having "revolution" in the title. In the first episode, the main character, Princess Anisphia, runs off with her brother's fiancée, Euphyllia, after he dumps her in a humiliating public display. Anisphia uses magic to create a flying broomstick that she uses for their getaway vehicle, which she was inspired to create through vague memories of airplanes from her past life. There is so much happening in the first episode of this show that I'm really not sure what to make of it. Not only can Anisphia memories of her past life be a whole show in itself, but we see so little of Euphyllia's personality in the first episode that I have no idea what she's like. Plus, the romance between the two girls is already so established by that single rescue act that it doesn't seem like there will be any time wasted on pining, second-guessing, or drama. This fast-paced method of storytelling has been the norm in anime for the past few years, often leaving very little plot remaining for future episodes, which is what happened with last season's Bibliophile Princess, a show fizzled out as fast as it started.

Next is Sugar Apple Fairy Tale, a series with a lovely art style and enchanting premise that may be in danger of building up a toxic relationship if it is not done properly. In an unusual turn of events, the series has a strong and stoic male fairy as the love interest for our petite candy-making heroine. Shall, a human-sized warrior fairy, is far from your average Prince Cornelius. He was brought up in a cruel world where fairies are treated like slaves and sold to the highest bidder. When the main character, Ann, seeks a bodyguard for her trip to a sweet-making competition, Shall convinces her to purchase him from a fairy shop. Though he is dripping with sexual tension, he treats Ann in a passive aggressive manner, constantly reminding her that she is in charge while making her very uncomfortable in the process. I'm curious to see where this series is going, but I stopped watching shows like Fena: Pirate Princess because of the way the love interest treated the main character. Right now, I can see their relationship going in a healthier or more toxic direction depending on what happens in the next few episodes.

The new season rounds out with yet another anime about an otome villainess swapping roles with the leading lady. Endo and Kobayashi Live! The Latest on Tsundere Villainess Lieselotte is the third anime I've seen with this premise over the past couple of years. The first was My Next Life as a Villainess: All Roads Lead to Doom! and the other from last season's anime lineup, I'm the Villainess, So I'm Taming the Final Boss. Despite its similarities, the latest entry in this unique and seemingly random genre still manages to introduce a new element. Instead of a character from the story remembering visual novel from a past life, Prince Siegward, the love interest in the game, hears the voices of a couple from the real world who are playing it. Of course, he believes these two modern-day gamer geeks to be gods, and they must decide how much information they should divulge to him without drastically altering the game's story. Using their knowledge of previous playthroughs, Endo and Kobayashi use their newfound gaming powers to steer Prince Siegward in the direction of the visual novel's villainess, Lieselotte, and unlock an entirely new ending that was never meant to be part of the its original gameplay.

All of these new anime series have unique premises that could go anywhere at this point. The one I'm most cautiously optimistic about at the moment is Sugar Apple Fairy Tale because I never could have imagined a show about a meek girl being protected by a sexy domineering fairy, but I can see things going in a potentially dangerous direction depending on how the story plays out. Magical Revolution is also a little concerning in that it feels like the show divulged its entire plot in the first episode, which many mean there isn't anything left to happen in it, something that has been the case for many modern anime series. Meanwhile, Endo and Kobayashi looks like pure hilarious fun, similar to a "Let's Play" video on YouTube except that one of the characters can hear the commentators. Which anime series are you most excited about this season? Let me know in the comments!

Review: The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea

The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea by Axie Oh is an Asian-inspired book that was recommended to me by a friend. It does not have any princesses in it per se, but it is (very) loosely based on a Korean fairy tale called "The Tale of Shim Cheong." It incorporates the concept of sacrificial brides, which overlaps with the common princess trope of forced marriage alliances and the desire to be free. Typically, these types of stories end with the princess or maiden either falling in love with her captor, which can come off as toxic unless it's done well, or escaping, if her betrothed is truly irredeemable. One such book I reviewed was The Princess Curse, in which a girl was forced to marry a demon and eventually came to terms with their relationship. This book did not come off as romantic to me in the slightest. However, I also read Stolen Midsummer Bride by Tara Grayce a few weeks ago, about a girl who voluntarily chooses to get kidnapped as a fae bride for personal reasons, and found it surprisingly cute. This book had too many things happening to be construed as toxic or cute, but it was certainly a unique reading experience.

The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea is compared by readers to the Hayao Miyazaki movie Spirited Away , which is more beloved for its unique worldbuilding than for its memorable characters. I've always thought that film was just okay for that reason, and I feel the same about this book. The main character, Mina, begins as a strong heroine who sacrifices herself to marry the Sea God in place of her brother's lover, Shim Cheong, so that they can be together. This selfless act pulls her down the rabbit hole into the spirit realm, a lush Asian mythology-inspired environment of spirits, gods, and goddesses. After this, the story gets a little muddled as we meet an unnecessarily large cast of characters from the spirit realm who are unique in their own way, but are difficult to keep track of and do not have any defining personality traits to speak of.
Mina finds herself caught in a love triangle between the Sea God, who turns out to be a young boy that just wants to be told bedtime stories, and Shin, one of the spirits she meets upon entering the mythological realm. She is tied to both of them at different times through the Red String of Fate, a concept from Chinese mythology that represents the overlapping fates of True Love. While the reason for the switching string is explained at the end of the book, it's difficult to know which of the two relationships to root for since neither of the bonds that Mina shares comes off as romantic, especially considering that she never wanted to enter the spirit realm in the first place. Though the author does an excellent job of building a believable fantasy world, she struggles to build a believable love story.
The book spends a lot of time exploring the dichotomy between destiny and free will. Mina changes Shim Cheong's fate at the beginning, but then it turns out that Shim Cheong was always meant to enter the spirit realm anyway. Does that mean Mina's sacrifice was in vain because everything had already been pre-determined? Mina's marriage to the Sea God was supposed to be destined by the Red String of Fate, but then the string is cut, and a new one appears that connects her to Shin. So does she have free will or doesn't she? The answer that the book gives to this question lies somewhere in the middle. The delicate balance between destiny and free will is so difficult to maintain that the time the narrative spends doing so causes it to lose many opportunities to build genuine relationships between Mina and the characters whose lives she touched.
It's not too surprising that if Spirited Away was not my cup of tea, a book that was heavily inspired by it would not become one of my favorites. Despite that, I can see why Miyazaki fans would enjoy reading this. It contains rich visuals and pays worthy tribute to various aspects of Asian mythology. It was nice that the main character decided to take control of her own destiny at the beginning of the story even though it gets pretty muddled after that. I think I would have enjoyed it more if there were fewer characters that Mina encountered in the spirit realm and placed more focus on why she began to develop feelings for Shin after the Red String of Fate tied her to him instead. This is a good book for fans of Asian mythology and Studio Ghibli movies, but I would warn any hopeless romantics out there not to expect to be swept away by a life-changing love story.

Story Saturday: The Amazon Dagger

*This is a sequel to last week's story, "The Prince Competition" based on a suggestion from one of my favorite readers. Thanks, Sugar!

"The Amazon Dagger"A few years after a peasant boy named Ellis won a competition that gave him the rare honor of becoming an Amazon prince, Princess Jacqueline was crowned Queen and gave birth to a new heir, who she named Dagger. Dagger was expected to be as mighty and clever a warrior as her parents, but a problem soon arose. Whenever Dagger was invited to spar with her fellow Amazons, she would run off to chase butterflies and climb trees, and no one could ever find her until it was time for dinner.

One day, Dagger's mother asked her why she always ran away from her sparring lessons.
"I don't want to fight," said Dagger. "I'd rather chase butterflies and paint the beauty I see in the world around me. Our island is so beautiful, yet no one ever seems to take notice of it."
Jacqueline found this concerning, so she had a special weapon designed for her daughter. It was a dagger after the princess's namesake with a jeweled handle and butterflies carved onto the blade. Dagger was pleased with the gift and wore it proudly on her belt. She often moved it this way and that to admire the rays of sunlight reflected in the faceted jewels on the hilt.
"Do you want to learn how to use your new weapon?" asked her mother.
"It is a lovely ornament," replied Dagger. "Far too lovely to stain with the blood of my enemies."
Not sure how to handle the situation, Jacqueline consulted her prince consort, Ellis.
"There is more to life than fighting, my love," said Ellis. "Perhaps she can be useful to her tribe in a different way."
"But what other way is there?" asked Jacqueline in frustration.
"I can teach her the art of smithing. The Amazons need a constant supply of armor and weapons to maintain their way of life."
Jacqueline was not thrilled by the idea of the princess becoming a mere weaponsmith, but she had already tried everything else, so she allowed Ellis to share his knowledge with their daughter.
Dagger caught on quickly to the trade and designed some lovely new armor for the royal guards that incorporated the leaves and butterflies she so admired on their beautiful island. Her designs became the new standard for all the Amazon warriors.
One day, three warriors approached the castle gate. They were wearing the old armor that was now obsolete in their tribe.
"Who goes there?" asked one of the guards.
In an annoyingly squeaky voice, one of the warriors responded that they had been hired by the queen to join the Amazon army and had come to train at the palace arena.
"Nonsense," responded the other guard. "If you really were hired by the queen, you would be wearing the new armor issued by Princess Dagger. You are imposters!"
With that, a great battle ensued, but the imposters were taken down quickly by the royal guards since their uniforms made them easy to tell them apart from the true Amazons. After stripping them of their armor, the Amazons realized that they were actually men wielding poison arrows who had disguised themselves to assassinate the royal family and conquer their island. Ellis recognized one of them as his evil stepbrother who had escaped from the dungeon after all these years and sought revenge.
"Princess Dagger has done us proud today," announced Queen Jacqueline. "If it had not been for her ingenuity, these foolish men could have infiltrated our castle and poisoned our some of our finest warriors. I hereby decree Princess Dagger as the royal armorsmith from here on out!"
The Amazons cheered as the princess held up her jeweled dagger in victory. At last, she had found a place in her tribe where she could finally belong.

Review: Cinderella and the Secret Prince

It seems like every time someone wants to make a low-budget fairy tale movie, their first thought is to come up with a new take on "Cinderella." One might think that after the extremely poor reception of Happily N'Ever After, this idea would have lost some traction. Yet, it seems that is not the case. Cinderella and the Secret Prince is a novel take on the classic tale that managed to escape my notice when it was released in 2018. Produced by a humble animation studio called Gold Valley Films, which only has four movies under its belt, I was willing to give it the benefit of the doubt like I did with Charming, another low-budget fairy tale film that came out around the same time.

I discovered Cinderella and the Secret Prince on Plex, a free streaming service with a number of obscure shows and movies. Though I wasn't expecting much, I found it surprisingly charming. It is very reminiscent of the Barbie movies from the early 2000s that take classic fairy tales and put their own spin on them. The first few minutes are just like the "Cinderella" fairy tale, but then the story pivots in a completely new and unexpected direction. The person who helps Ella is not the Fairy Godmother herself, but the godmother's young apprentice, Crystal, while the true Fairy Godmother is hiding a dark secret. Then it turns out that the prince who Ella danced with at the ball was an imposter, and the true prince is trapped in the body of one of her mouse companions. The rest of the movie focuses on her quest to restore the prince to his true form and get revenge on the witch who cursed him.

It isn't just the story that reminds me of classic Barbie movies. The way that the characters express themselves with their hand gestures, clever smirks, and innocent sincerity are all very nostalgic of how characters from old Barbie movies would move and speak. It isn't too surprising, therefore, that the actress , who plays the role of Ella, is the current voice of Barbie's sister, Stacie, in the newer movies. While the animation looks older than something that came out in 2018, it's still charming with bright colors, expressive faces, and lovely medieval fashions that are reminiscent of Tangled  and other Disney Princess costume designs. Ella is a warm and optimistic princess who treats her friends with patience and understanding just like the classic storybook character.
I would say this was a pleasantly enjoyable film if it hadn't been for the way it ended. I don't think there's anything wrong with giving a movie a sequel or two to provide its fans with more content, but when you end a fairy tale film with a completely contrived problem that's clearly on there for sake of forcing its viewers to watch the sequel, that cheapens the movie and defeats the whole purpose of watching it in the first place. The follow-up to this film, which was shortened from Ella and the Little Sorcerer to Little Sorcerer, came out last year, to give the movie a proper conclusion, but I'm too irritated with the way this one ended to watch it. Who knows if that one is even a proper conclusion? All I can say is that this movie would have had a perfect ending if it had only finished a few minutes earlier.
At this point, I'm not really sure how to feel about this movie. It's an aesthetically pleasing low-budget "Cinderella" adaptation with many unexpected twists and turns, but the ending left me feeling so unsatisfied that I have no desire to watch the sequel. At least they followed up on their cliffhanger, unlike The Other Kingdom, a series I watched recently that ended on a huge cliffhanger with no follow-up. I would only recommend Cinderella and the Secret Prince to people who are feeling nostalgic for the older Barbie films so long as they are aware that it is the first of two parts and are willing to watch Little Sorcerer afterward to finish the story.

Review: The Rogue Princess

I'm kicking off 2023 with a review of the second gender-bent retelling of "Puss and Boots" that I've read, The Rogue Princess by Melanie Cellier. This is the latest in her Return to the Four Kingdoms series, the third book collection in an ever-growing list of fairy tale retellings with plenty of familiar faces from previous books. It is the second book since The Secret Princess to incorporate a talking animal, which I am finding that Melanie Cellier is quite skilled at writing about. Both Puss and Arvin are humorous Disney-style sidekicks that can lighten the mood of any story. As far as adaptations of talking animals go, "Puss in Boots" is the quintessential fairy tale.

The Rogue Princess tells the story of a miller's daughter named Kali who lives in the desert kingdom that was discovered in one of its prequels, The Desert Princess. Kali agrees to a mysterious quest accompanying an enchanted talking cat across the desert to the kingdom of Lanover after her brother refused to make the journey. Puss is a clever and cunning cat who was sent to Earth from the Palace of Light where the fairy godmothers of this world reside. His well-meaning arrogance is a perfect match for Arvin, the talking horse in The Secret Princess, whose success in helping another princess gave Puss the opportunity to take on this new mission. Over time, Kali learns to trust Puss's judgment even though he never gives an explanation for any task he assigns her until after it is complete, which gets frustrating to her at times.

While I enjoyed this book overall, the romance was a little cringy even though it followed the original fairy tale. When Kali meets her love interest, Xavier, for the first time, she believes he had abandoned her after promising to find her stolen pack and a new outfit when she was attacked and robbed. She is rightfully angry with him throughout most of the book. Yet, he shows little interest in learning the true source of her anger, taking amusement in all of their encounters, particularly when Puss tricks her into bathing, steals all of her clothing, and goes to Xavier for help so she can eventually be dressed in fine clothes by the royals at the palace. I was particularly pleased to see Evie from The Princess Search, one of the original Four Kingdoms books, make a comeback in this story since her passion for designing beautiful clothing was something I greatly admired. It was charming to see her happily living out her days as crown princess and being so kind and understanding with Kali.

Unlike the last book in this series, which was a bit of a mess, I liked how well the "Puss in Boots" fairy tale blends into the world of the Four Kingdoms. I think the biggest benefit is that it is a simpler story than "Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves," which makes it easier to mold into the type of book that Melanie likes to write. She's so skilled at creating clever animal sidekicks that I'm surprised she's only done it two times in over a dozen books. When the reason for Puss's plotting is finally revealed at the end of the story, I was genuinely surprised by the twist and found that it made for a satisfying fairy tale ending. I also liked that the book had a clear villain, though he didn't turn out to be much of a threat in the end, and that it set up potential enemies for future books. It fits perfectly into the expanding world of the Four Kingdoms and includes tons of references to characters from previous books as a treat to those of us who have read them all.

The Rogue Princess is a fantastic female-driven retelling of "Puss in Boots" with lots of clever twists and surprises along the way. This is my second favorite book in the Return to the Four Kingdoms series next to The Secret Princess, which also had a comedic talking animal. Even though Puss never got his own pair of boots in this story, he was an endlessly entertaining sidekick with a master plan that would shock anyone into submission. I would recommend this book to any fairy tale fan who is looking for something light and humorous to kick off the new year with.

Story Saturday: The Prince Competition

"The Prince Competition"Once upon a time, there was an Amazon princess named Jacqueline. Princess Jacqueline's world was surrounded by strong female warriors. She was trained her whole life to be one of the best. Her people believed that men were weak and could never hope to compete with the strength of a woman. Still, one person in each generation was selected to find a mate so they could bear their next queen, and unfortunately, Princess Jacqueline was that person. Though she did not look forward to the task, she knew that if she was going to choose a prince, he would need to be the strongest among men. She called forth a competition among all eligible men, stipulating that she would only marry one who could defeat her in combat. Challengers traveled from all over the world for the opportunity to marry the Amazon princess. Many of them were royalty, and despite their confidence, these warriors were defeated the fastest by Jacqueline's royal entourage, and most never even made it far enough in the competition to fight the mighty princess. The few that did were taken down in an instant by her might and skill. She was disappointed that most of the competitors fought using basic moves that she had learned to overpower as a child since these were the techniques that were taught to knights and princes around the world and were the easiest for the Amazons to overtake.
"Is there no man out there who is worthy of taking me in combat?" the princess sighed.
Her ladies tried to comfort her by sparring with her using their best moves and providing a true challenge, but even that could not raise her spirits, for she knew it was her solemn duty to sire an heir.
Soon, the stories of Jacqueline's strength spread far and wide, and the number of competing warriors visiting her kingdom slowed to a trickle, for they all knew they were no match for her. The rumors spread so far that a young man in a peasant village who had been abused by his wicked stepbrothers and stepfather all his life heard about this opportunity to escape his dreadful situation. Though Ellis knew of the princess's strength, he had ways of outsmarting any foe, something he had taught himself in order to survive his stepfamily's abuse. He was an expert at dodging and used his opponents' strength against them by moving at just the right time to cause their attacks to injure themselves. Late one night, he snuck away and boarded a ship to enter the competition.
When the Amazons saw Ellis arrive at the palace gates, they scoffed at him thinking he was lost. His ragged clothing and scrawny muscles were nothing like the buff armor-clad competitors they were used to fighting. Still, they saw how sad the princess had become and decided to let him enter as a joke. Perhaps seeing such a goofy-looking competitor would help to cheer her up.
Jacqueline took pity on Ellis when she saw his meager appearance. Since he had not brought a weapon, she relinquished her sword and agreed to fight him in hand-to-hand combat, promising to go easy on him. After all, anyone who would challenge the Amazons in his condition was quite brave, so the least she could do was let him leave without any debilitating injuries.
Princess Jacqueline determined the best way to fight Ellis was to take him out with a single blow to prevent as much damage as possible. She squeezed her fist and channeled her strength into her best knock-out punch. When she released it, however, she was shocked to find that the power of her punch caused her to double over and punch a hole in the ground, scraping her own knuckles. Ellis was nowhere to be seen. She heard his breath from behind her and managed to dodge his own blow in just the nick of time. Perhaps she had underestimated this peasant. He fought nothing like the royals she had grown accustomed to. If a punch couldn't hit him, perhaps she could take him down with a kick. She turned to face him and prepared to knock him off his legs, but as soon as she released her foot, he was gone again, and her legs got tangled together, knocking her down instead.
When all was said and done, Jacqueline could not deny that Ellis had bested her in combat. Not only that, but she actually liked this warrior for he lacked the arrogant air of the others she had fought. While most of them were as simple as a rock, Ellis learned to rely on his own cleverness to battle her instead of the formal training that she was so accustomed to taking down. Jacqueline held up Ellis's hand in victory and announced him as her new prince. The Amazons cheered for him. They preferred him to any of the other warriors they had fought because his humble appearance served as a reminder that they would always be bigger and stronger than any man in their territory, while his cleverness would prove a valuable asset.
When Ellis's stepfather and stepbrothers received word that he had bested the Amazon princess in battle, they could not believe it. They traveled to the Amazon kingdom to fight them, swearing it was a mistake, and were immediately defeated and locked up. Without ever needing to worry about his family bothering him again, Ellis lived happily ever after and spent many years sparring at Jacqueline's side.