Lisa Dawn's Blog: The Princess Blog, page 56
June 14, 2020
Princesses and the Power of Forgiveness
There has been a growing trend among princess shows over the past few years. Princesses always forgive the ones who hurt them the most. Though the Warrior Princess archetype has grown more popular now than ever before, it is still an inborn characteristic of a princess to choose the path of the lover over the fighter unless she is given no other option. The parallels between the endings of Tangled: The Series and She-Ra and the Princesses of Power this year are so prominent that they could have been written by the same person. Both shows feature a princess who is betrayed by her best friend and end with the two frenemies working out their differences and confessing their love for each other with the fate of the world at stake. Even though both Cassandra and Catra chose to lash out against their former princess allies with violence, Rapunzel and Adora proved to be the bigger person by refusing to fight back because violence only leads to more violence. This is an important and powerful message that we can all learn from, especially today.
I don't consider myself a political person, but the events that have been taking place all over the world in recent weeks are impossible to ignore. A terrible act of violence was committed by a police officer in Minneapolis, who was rightfully punished for his crime. While some people have responded to this with peaceful protesting, others have taken advantage of the situation by robbing and murdering even more people than the ones they are trying to defend. I believe that if this had happened in a fairy tale princess's kingdom, she would have stood up for the rights of everyone who was hurt and taken a stand to protect her people so that no one, regardless of race, gender, or sexuality, would be hurt again. I was shocked to see how many people have spoken out in favor of the violence, claiming that it is the only way for their message to be heard. Yet, the message has been loud and clear among anyone using social media without any need to place more lives at risk.
Last week, I binge-watched Sofia the First on Netflix and noticed a pattern in the final season. Sofia faced off against numerous villains throughout the first three seasons, some of whom seemed too powerful for a little girl to fight on her own. Yet, thanks to her friends and her magic amulet, she always prevailed. With the fourth season rolled around, there were countless comebacks from each of these former foes. One by one, Sofia took the time to listen to their stories about why they had tried to hurt her and her friends in earlier episodes. One by one, she forgave them and allowed them the opportunity to see beyond their cruelty and violence and evolve into a better person. Cedric, who had plotted against her since the very beginning, was the most obvious example. Throughout the show, we learned about his neglectful father, toxic raven friend, and sister who never forgave him for a single mistake from his childhood. Little by little, Sofia won him over with her innocence and kindness until he no longer cared about taking over the kingdom. She did the same for Miss Nettle, Princess Ivy, and even Prisma, who caused her a great deal of trouble in The Mystic Isles special.
I've heard the word "privilege" thrown around a lot lately. Princesses come from a place of privilege by nature, but they do not let it define who they are. In fact, many of them don't even like being princesses. Instead, they choose to use their power to help those who don't have the same advantages as them. Ideally, we would live in a world where everyone is treated as a prince or princess and is given an opportunity for their dreams to come true through hard work and good decision-making. We are closer to this today than we ever were before. Yet, we are approaching a crossroads in the path of humanity, and it is my hope that we choose the right one. Just as Grandmother Willow told Pocahontas, "Sometimes the right path is not the easiest one." If Rapunzel gave into Cassandra's anger instead of taking the time to listen, the kingdom of Corona would have been taken over by Zhan Tiri. If Adora allowed Catra to be consumed by hate, Etheria would have been destroyed by the Horde. These are the lessons being taught to the next generation of female leaders and entrepreneurs.
I support black lives, peaceful protesting, and justice against those who have been wronged. I do not support violence, riots, hatred, looting, or lashing out against innocent people. The world we live in is not a fairy tale. That is what draws me to idealized fantasy worlds led by powerful and kind-hearted women who selflessly offer forgiveness to those who have wronged them in the past. We must learn from our fellow princesses to be patient and convince those who act in anger that the path of hatred is not the right way. It is only then that we will be able to save our beloved kingdoms. This is the path I choose. Where do you stand?
I don't consider myself a political person, but the events that have been taking place all over the world in recent weeks are impossible to ignore. A terrible act of violence was committed by a police officer in Minneapolis, who was rightfully punished for his crime. While some people have responded to this with peaceful protesting, others have taken advantage of the situation by robbing and murdering even more people than the ones they are trying to defend. I believe that if this had happened in a fairy tale princess's kingdom, she would have stood up for the rights of everyone who was hurt and taken a stand to protect her people so that no one, regardless of race, gender, or sexuality, would be hurt again. I was shocked to see how many people have spoken out in favor of the violence, claiming that it is the only way for their message to be heard. Yet, the message has been loud and clear among anyone using social media without any need to place more lives at risk.
Last week, I binge-watched Sofia the First on Netflix and noticed a pattern in the final season. Sofia faced off against numerous villains throughout the first three seasons, some of whom seemed too powerful for a little girl to fight on her own. Yet, thanks to her friends and her magic amulet, she always prevailed. With the fourth season rolled around, there were countless comebacks from each of these former foes. One by one, Sofia took the time to listen to their stories about why they had tried to hurt her and her friends in earlier episodes. One by one, she forgave them and allowed them the opportunity to see beyond their cruelty and violence and evolve into a better person. Cedric, who had plotted against her since the very beginning, was the most obvious example. Throughout the show, we learned about his neglectful father, toxic raven friend, and sister who never forgave him for a single mistake from his childhood. Little by little, Sofia won him over with her innocence and kindness until he no longer cared about taking over the kingdom. She did the same for Miss Nettle, Princess Ivy, and even Prisma, who caused her a great deal of trouble in The Mystic Isles special.
I've heard the word "privilege" thrown around a lot lately. Princesses come from a place of privilege by nature, but they do not let it define who they are. In fact, many of them don't even like being princesses. Instead, they choose to use their power to help those who don't have the same advantages as them. Ideally, we would live in a world where everyone is treated as a prince or princess and is given an opportunity for their dreams to come true through hard work and good decision-making. We are closer to this today than we ever were before. Yet, we are approaching a crossroads in the path of humanity, and it is my hope that we choose the right one. Just as Grandmother Willow told Pocahontas, "Sometimes the right path is not the easiest one." If Rapunzel gave into Cassandra's anger instead of taking the time to listen, the kingdom of Corona would have been taken over by Zhan Tiri. If Adora allowed Catra to be consumed by hate, Etheria would have been destroyed by the Horde. These are the lessons being taught to the next generation of female leaders and entrepreneurs.
I support black lives, peaceful protesting, and justice against those who have been wronged. I do not support violence, riots, hatred, looting, or lashing out against innocent people. The world we live in is not a fairy tale. That is what draws me to idealized fantasy worlds led by powerful and kind-hearted women who selflessly offer forgiveness to those who have wronged them in the past. We must learn from our fellow princesses to be patient and convince those who act in anger that the path of hatred is not the right way. It is only then that we will be able to save our beloved kingdoms. This is the path I choose. Where do you stand?
June 12, 2020
Review: Enchantment
Yesterday, Camille Peters released her latest book in the Kingdom Chronicles, and I was fortunate enough to receive an ARC. Enchantment is a loose adaptation of "Beauty and the Beast" about a merchant's daughter who finds herself trapped in a castle by an enchanted garden. It takes place in the same world as the other Kingdom Chronicles books, which I've had some mixed feelings about. My favorite by far is Identity, which was the first in the series to introduce a formidable villain. Enchantment has some conflict and adversaries, but none of it comes into play until the last few chapters. The majority of the book is a traditional love story, which works fine if you are looking for a peaceful read. However, if you are seeking action and adventure, it might be better to skip ahead to the end.
Enchantment begins in the middle of Maren's story, when she finds herself bound to the grounds of a castle after plucking a rose from its enchanted garden. She explains to the flowers and the prince she finds that she ran away from home after her father forced her into a marriage agreement. It's a shame that the book doesn't go into detail about her daring escape or the specific reasons she doesn't want to marry Lord Brone as seeing how she got along with her father and how her fiancé treated her would have made it a lot more interesting. Instead, Prince Briar takes her into his care immediately after hearing about her situation and promises to protect her from her father and her unwanted engagement. After that, the book progresses toward the climax at a snail's pace. I enjoyed reading about Maren helping Briar to care for his dying father and how she interacts with the enchanted garden that holds her captive at first, but it becomes repetitive after nothing else happened for at least three quarters of the book.
Enchantment draws inspiration from "Beauty and the Beast," but it doesn't feel much like a retelling due to the lack of conflict and dark undertones that the fairy tale is known for. Instead, it flips the story on its head and pushes all of the thematic elements to the end of the book. Maren has nothing to fear from Prince Briar or his castle. Her magical imprisonment is a minor inconvenience since she was already searching for a place to hide from her father. Briar has a normal appearance and temperament and welcomes her into his home the moment they interact, which eliminates the challenge of searching for his inner beauty like in the original fairy tale. Instead, Maren is insecure about her own appearance, which is silly if she looks anything like the lovely maiden on the cover of the book. For some reason, the people in her hometown don't find her pretty. However, it is not a gender-bent retelling of "Beauty and the Beast" because a beastly curse does eventually affect the prince at the tail end of the book.
My biggest issue with Enchantment was the pacing. I think not much would have changed if it had been only half the length. It takes very little time for Maren and Briar to warm up to each other, and most of it involves them wandering around the castle and exploring the gardens together. There was a part where Maren accidentally releases some sort of dark magic, but it takes a long time for it to affect the world around her. If the effects of the darkness had taken place immediately, the book would have been more engaging. I appreciated that the author attempted to reverse the transformation of the "beast" by having him start out normal and become more temperamental at the end, but it took away any sort of challenge Maren would have had to win his love when they first met. There was no reason for Maren not to fall in love with the kind prince who welcomed her into his castle and offered protection to her. By making her father evil, the book also eliminated the sacrifice that the "beauty" character made by leaving her family in order to protect her him.
Enchantment is a safe alternative to for people who are unable to handle the darker elements of "Beauty and the Beast." It is a slow-moving romance about a girl who seeks rescue and finds love. There are also some magical elements including talking flowers and a topiary hedgehog. The story's lack of action is redeemed in the final chapters, when we are finally introduced to Maren's fiancé and the challenge she must face to save Briar. I would recommend this book to people who enjoy innocuous love stories, but not those who crave the darker elements of the fairy tale. It is a new release, so buy it now if you want to be among the to first read it.
Enchantment begins in the middle of Maren's story, when she finds herself bound to the grounds of a castle after plucking a rose from its enchanted garden. She explains to the flowers and the prince she finds that she ran away from home after her father forced her into a marriage agreement. It's a shame that the book doesn't go into detail about her daring escape or the specific reasons she doesn't want to marry Lord Brone as seeing how she got along with her father and how her fiancé treated her would have made it a lot more interesting. Instead, Prince Briar takes her into his care immediately after hearing about her situation and promises to protect her from her father and her unwanted engagement. After that, the book progresses toward the climax at a snail's pace. I enjoyed reading about Maren helping Briar to care for his dying father and how she interacts with the enchanted garden that holds her captive at first, but it becomes repetitive after nothing else happened for at least three quarters of the book.
Enchantment draws inspiration from "Beauty and the Beast," but it doesn't feel much like a retelling due to the lack of conflict and dark undertones that the fairy tale is known for. Instead, it flips the story on its head and pushes all of the thematic elements to the end of the book. Maren has nothing to fear from Prince Briar or his castle. Her magical imprisonment is a minor inconvenience since she was already searching for a place to hide from her father. Briar has a normal appearance and temperament and welcomes her into his home the moment they interact, which eliminates the challenge of searching for his inner beauty like in the original fairy tale. Instead, Maren is insecure about her own appearance, which is silly if she looks anything like the lovely maiden on the cover of the book. For some reason, the people in her hometown don't find her pretty. However, it is not a gender-bent retelling of "Beauty and the Beast" because a beastly curse does eventually affect the prince at the tail end of the book.
My biggest issue with Enchantment was the pacing. I think not much would have changed if it had been only half the length. It takes very little time for Maren and Briar to warm up to each other, and most of it involves them wandering around the castle and exploring the gardens together. There was a part where Maren accidentally releases some sort of dark magic, but it takes a long time for it to affect the world around her. If the effects of the darkness had taken place immediately, the book would have been more engaging. I appreciated that the author attempted to reverse the transformation of the "beast" by having him start out normal and become more temperamental at the end, but it took away any sort of challenge Maren would have had to win his love when they first met. There was no reason for Maren not to fall in love with the kind prince who welcomed her into his castle and offered protection to her. By making her father evil, the book also eliminated the sacrifice that the "beauty" character made by leaving her family in order to protect her him.
Enchantment is a safe alternative to for people who are unable to handle the darker elements of "Beauty and the Beast." It is a slow-moving romance about a girl who seeks rescue and finds love. There are also some magical elements including talking flowers and a topiary hedgehog. The story's lack of action is redeemed in the final chapters, when we are finally introduced to Maren's fiancé and the challenge she must face to save Briar. I would recommend this book to people who enjoy innocuous love stories, but not those who crave the darker elements of the fairy tale. It is a new release, so buy it now if you want to be among the to first read it.
June 7, 2020
The Stolen Queen Is Here!
If you are already subscribed to my mailing list, you probably received an email this morning that my book The Stolen Queen is now available on Amazon for Kindle and paperback. I was going to wait until August for the anniversary of The Princess Blog, but with all the awful things going on right now, I thought it would be nice to give my readers a chance to relax and escape from their towers. The Stolen Queen is a sequel to The Stolen Jewel, but it can easily be enjoyed as a standalone story due to the new protagonist and setting. I decided to follow in the footsteps of the other authors I read and give each of the royal ladies of Klingland her own book. In case you missed it, I also published a short story from the perspective of Denise in my blog a few months ago as a free prequel to The Stolen Trilogy. The final book will be told from the perspective of Lady Krystal, who has a great number of misdeeds to make up for.
Just like The Stolen Jewel, The Stolen Queen started out as a screenplay that I workshopped with my UCLA writing group. I came up with the idea after many of my readers told me that Lily was their favorite character. The Stolen Jewel ended with Lily stuck in a position she never thought she would end up in, so I thought it would be interesting to explore how such a carefree character would handle the new responsibilities that were placed on her shoulders. I struggled to convey her optimism and energy in the original narrative of The Stolen Queen, so I exaggerated it to the extent that she came across as overly immature. After ample feedback from my writing group and amazing editor, Claerie Kavanaugh, I realized that the way people come off toward others is different from the way they experience the world in our own minds. Enthusiastic Disney Princess characters like Ariel and Rapunzel are not relatable because of their excitement, but instead because of their struggle to be taken seriously by their peers in spite of their innocence and carefree natures. That is what I ultimately needed to include in Lily's story in order for her to feel like a real person.
The mermaid aspect of the book dates back to long before I came up with the idea for The Stolen Jewel. It's no secret that "The Little Mermaid" is my favorite fairy tale. I wrote my own adaptation over ten years with Of Land and Sea: The Untold Story of The Little Mermaid . Alongside my other novellas, I had always wanted to tell an original story about a princess who got separated from her love due to a forced mermaid transformation. I wrote several opening chapters with this concept in mind, but they always lost steam very early into the process. I realized that concept alone was not enough to carry an entire novella. Once I developed the rich world of Klingland in The Stolen Jewel, I finally had a strong enough setting and cast of characters to turn my vague concept into a fully fleshed-out story. Lily is a dreamer who loves fairy tales, so she is the perfect candidate to discover an enchanted underwater world. I drew further inspiration from one of my favorite YouTube channels, which released a video about mermaids explaining that they represent the concept of being stuck between the worlds of childhood and womanhood, which was exactly what Lily was going through when she became queen unexpectedly. That was when it all came together for me.
When I wrote my first draft of The Stolen Queen, I failed to consider the theory of the United Sovereign Queen and how princess characters are often only seen as appealing if they are not cute and helpless. Being cute is an inherent part of Lily's character, but that doesn't mean that she cannot be capable and smart as well. This epiphany finally made its way through my thick skull after receiving similar feedback from my screenwriting group and my editor. I was still thinking of Lily as a princess archetype and failed to consider that she had already struggled with being queen for a full year before this story began. She would have inevitably picked up some skills along the way and learned to take matters seriously. My husband suggested making her a botanist due to her interest in gardening, and that was what made the second draft really come together. From there, I was able to create problems within the kingdoms that only Lily was able to solve thanks to her knowledge of plants and herbs. As a result, she completed her transition from a naive mermaid to a capable queen.
I am so pleased to share The Stolen Queen with all of you today and hope you enjoy it. If you haven't already read The Stolen Jewel , do not hesitate to pick up a copy to learn about Charlotte's story as well. My writing skills improve with every book I release, and this one was a huge leap for me. It was the first time I hired a professional editor and did a complete rewrite of a story. I intend to continue honing my skills through The Princess Blog for years to come. The third and final book in The Stolen Trilogy will be The Stolen Slipper, which I hope to share with you next year. If you have enjoyed any of my books, kindly leave an honest review on Amazon or Goodreads and spread the word!
Just like The Stolen Jewel, The Stolen Queen started out as a screenplay that I workshopped with my UCLA writing group. I came up with the idea after many of my readers told me that Lily was their favorite character. The Stolen Jewel ended with Lily stuck in a position she never thought she would end up in, so I thought it would be interesting to explore how such a carefree character would handle the new responsibilities that were placed on her shoulders. I struggled to convey her optimism and energy in the original narrative of The Stolen Queen, so I exaggerated it to the extent that she came across as overly immature. After ample feedback from my writing group and amazing editor, Claerie Kavanaugh, I realized that the way people come off toward others is different from the way they experience the world in our own minds. Enthusiastic Disney Princess characters like Ariel and Rapunzel are not relatable because of their excitement, but instead because of their struggle to be taken seriously by their peers in spite of their innocence and carefree natures. That is what I ultimately needed to include in Lily's story in order for her to feel like a real person.
The mermaid aspect of the book dates back to long before I came up with the idea for The Stolen Jewel. It's no secret that "The Little Mermaid" is my favorite fairy tale. I wrote my own adaptation over ten years with Of Land and Sea: The Untold Story of The Little Mermaid . Alongside my other novellas, I had always wanted to tell an original story about a princess who got separated from her love due to a forced mermaid transformation. I wrote several opening chapters with this concept in mind, but they always lost steam very early into the process. I realized that concept alone was not enough to carry an entire novella. Once I developed the rich world of Klingland in The Stolen Jewel, I finally had a strong enough setting and cast of characters to turn my vague concept into a fully fleshed-out story. Lily is a dreamer who loves fairy tales, so she is the perfect candidate to discover an enchanted underwater world. I drew further inspiration from one of my favorite YouTube channels, which released a video about mermaids explaining that they represent the concept of being stuck between the worlds of childhood and womanhood, which was exactly what Lily was going through when she became queen unexpectedly. That was when it all came together for me.
When I wrote my first draft of The Stolen Queen, I failed to consider the theory of the United Sovereign Queen and how princess characters are often only seen as appealing if they are not cute and helpless. Being cute is an inherent part of Lily's character, but that doesn't mean that she cannot be capable and smart as well. This epiphany finally made its way through my thick skull after receiving similar feedback from my screenwriting group and my editor. I was still thinking of Lily as a princess archetype and failed to consider that she had already struggled with being queen for a full year before this story began. She would have inevitably picked up some skills along the way and learned to take matters seriously. My husband suggested making her a botanist due to her interest in gardening, and that was what made the second draft really come together. From there, I was able to create problems within the kingdoms that only Lily was able to solve thanks to her knowledge of plants and herbs. As a result, she completed her transition from a naive mermaid to a capable queen.
I am so pleased to share The Stolen Queen with all of you today and hope you enjoy it. If you haven't already read The Stolen Jewel , do not hesitate to pick up a copy to learn about Charlotte's story as well. My writing skills improve with every book I release, and this one was a huge leap for me. It was the first time I hired a professional editor and did a complete rewrite of a story. I intend to continue honing my skills through The Princess Blog for years to come. The third and final book in The Stolen Trilogy will be The Stolen Slipper, which I hope to share with you next year. If you have enjoyed any of my books, kindly leave an honest review on Amazon or Goodreads and spread the word!
June 5, 2020
Review: Selkie's Song
A few months ago, I reviewed the book
Dragon's Maid
from the Love's Enchanted Tales series by Kimberly A. Rogers. I enjoyed the fantasy, originality, and romance of Dragon's Maid, so I decided to go back and read the first book in the series, which was based on my favorite fairy tale, "The Little Mermaid."
Selkie's Song
was not the first "Little Mermaid" adaptation I've read with a selkie protagonist, but I still prefer KM Shea's version,
The Little Selkie
, due to its faster pacing and stronger heroine. There was so much I wanted to like about Selkie's Song, especially due to its many tongue-in-cheek references to the Disney movie, but most of the story drags like crazy due to poor decision-making on behalf of the main character. I can see from reading Dragon's Maid that Kimberly Rogers improved her writing as the series progressed, so I suppose this was more of an experimental book to set up the vast dragon-centric world of Love's Enchanted Tales, which is admittedly no small feat.
Selkie's Song tells the story of Naia, a selkie who becomes harder to relate to with each subsequent chapter. She is an outcast among the selkies due to her red hair and pale skin that stands out among her dark-haired and dark-skinned kin. Her hobbies of gardening and the arts are far more common among humans than for her own species. This is an interesting setup for the book because it makes it sound as though Naia relates better to humans than to selkies, but instead, she longs to be accepted among her kind. She has a great deal of respect for the Great Selkie, Malik, who shows favoritism toward her, but she brushes it off as kindness and assumes that he wishes to court her sister instead. Naia's continuously ignorant assumptions are what drive the entire first half of the book. When a human prince decides he loves her and wants to marry her after her pelt goes missing, she assumes that he is hiding it in a secret place despite never seeing him with it or making any mention of having it. She allows him to take her to his castle and court her without ever asking him if he actually has her pelt and continues this foolish deception even when she has an opportunity to be rescued by Malik.
Selkie's Song is not the first "Little Mermaid" adaptation I've read that pokes fun the Disney movie, but it is far more direct with its references and even comes off as mocking it. The human prince who captures Naia in exchange for her affections is named Eric, and he is betrothed to the Lady Vanessa, who he forgets about as soon as she has been replaced by a shinier object. He also asks Naia if her name is Ariel multiple times after she gives him the silent treatment. In her fruitless efforts to find her pelt, Naia makes it her mission to play matchmaker between Eric and Vanessa is Eric will lose interest in her and return the pelt that she assumes he possesses. This drawn-out game of deception is not only boring, but it also poses a huge threat to Naia's life. It is made clear that Naia will die if she is separated from her pelt for too long, and yet she continues to dance around the matter and never asks for help even when it is offered. The original little mermaid was self-sacrificing, but it was always in the name of love, and not survival. Naia doesn't care for Eric at all and grows much closer to Vanessa in her attempts to bring them together even though Vanessa deserves better than someone who would drop her like a hot potato the moment he sees a prettier girl.
I think I would have enjoyed this book more if it were shorter. It is twice as long as most books in this genre, including others in this series. So much of the story is wasted on Naia's ignorance that by the time she actually gets what she wants, I had stopped caring. The author made a note at the end that she wanted to make her story closer to the fairy tale than the Disney version by not making Naia end up with the human prince. Yet, any similarity to to the Hans Christian Andersen story is eliminated if Naia never had feelings for the prince to begin with. Her love interest, Malik, seems to be the only character in the book who possesses common sense, but even he hides his true feelings for Naia until it is too late and she gets captured by Eric. So much of this story would not have even happened if the characters did not repeatedly sabotage their own happy endings. If Naia and Malik had come clean with each other immediately after her capture, the rest of the story would have been more engaging and less tiring.
Selkie's Song is an interesting study of selkie mythology and does a decent job to set up the world of Love's Enchanted Tales, but I don't think Kimberly Rogers fully understood the story that she was trying to adapt. Making the human prince a lovesick moron who couldn't see Naia's obvious lack of interest in him defeated the purpose of having her sacrifice anything for his sake. Likewise, Naia is a frustrating heroine because so many chapters were wasted on her obviously wrong assumption that Prince Eric has her pelt. My suggestion would be to shorten the amount of time she could survive without the pelt and tell Malik the truth right away to build up to the excitement of the book's climax. I would recommend this book for people who are interested in the mythology of selkies, but not for fans of "The Little Mermaid."
Selkie's Song tells the story of Naia, a selkie who becomes harder to relate to with each subsequent chapter. She is an outcast among the selkies due to her red hair and pale skin that stands out among her dark-haired and dark-skinned kin. Her hobbies of gardening and the arts are far more common among humans than for her own species. This is an interesting setup for the book because it makes it sound as though Naia relates better to humans than to selkies, but instead, she longs to be accepted among her kind. She has a great deal of respect for the Great Selkie, Malik, who shows favoritism toward her, but she brushes it off as kindness and assumes that he wishes to court her sister instead. Naia's continuously ignorant assumptions are what drive the entire first half of the book. When a human prince decides he loves her and wants to marry her after her pelt goes missing, she assumes that he is hiding it in a secret place despite never seeing him with it or making any mention of having it. She allows him to take her to his castle and court her without ever asking him if he actually has her pelt and continues this foolish deception even when she has an opportunity to be rescued by Malik.
Selkie's Song is not the first "Little Mermaid" adaptation I've read that pokes fun the Disney movie, but it is far more direct with its references and even comes off as mocking it. The human prince who captures Naia in exchange for her affections is named Eric, and he is betrothed to the Lady Vanessa, who he forgets about as soon as she has been replaced by a shinier object. He also asks Naia if her name is Ariel multiple times after she gives him the silent treatment. In her fruitless efforts to find her pelt, Naia makes it her mission to play matchmaker between Eric and Vanessa is Eric will lose interest in her and return the pelt that she assumes he possesses. This drawn-out game of deception is not only boring, but it also poses a huge threat to Naia's life. It is made clear that Naia will die if she is separated from her pelt for too long, and yet she continues to dance around the matter and never asks for help even when it is offered. The original little mermaid was self-sacrificing, but it was always in the name of love, and not survival. Naia doesn't care for Eric at all and grows much closer to Vanessa in her attempts to bring them together even though Vanessa deserves better than someone who would drop her like a hot potato the moment he sees a prettier girl.
I think I would have enjoyed this book more if it were shorter. It is twice as long as most books in this genre, including others in this series. So much of the story is wasted on Naia's ignorance that by the time she actually gets what she wants, I had stopped caring. The author made a note at the end that she wanted to make her story closer to the fairy tale than the Disney version by not making Naia end up with the human prince. Yet, any similarity to to the Hans Christian Andersen story is eliminated if Naia never had feelings for the prince to begin with. Her love interest, Malik, seems to be the only character in the book who possesses common sense, but even he hides his true feelings for Naia until it is too late and she gets captured by Eric. So much of this story would not have even happened if the characters did not repeatedly sabotage their own happy endings. If Naia and Malik had come clean with each other immediately after her capture, the rest of the story would have been more engaging and less tiring.
Selkie's Song is an interesting study of selkie mythology and does a decent job to set up the world of Love's Enchanted Tales, but I don't think Kimberly Rogers fully understood the story that she was trying to adapt. Making the human prince a lovesick moron who couldn't see Naia's obvious lack of interest in him defeated the purpose of having her sacrifice anything for his sake. Likewise, Naia is a frustrating heroine because so many chapters were wasted on her obviously wrong assumption that Prince Eric has her pelt. My suggestion would be to shorten the amount of time she could survive without the pelt and tell Malik the truth right away to build up to the excitement of the book's climax. I would recommend this book for people who are interested in the mythology of selkies, but not for fans of "The Little Mermaid."
May 31, 2020
Review: The Secret Princess
If you've been following my blog for a while, you probably noticed that I posted book reviews almost every week for the past couple of years. All of that started when I received the first book in Melanie Cellier's Four Kingdoms series, The Princess Companion, as a Hanukkah present from a friend. That got me started on a long-running obsession with reading every princess ebook I could get my hands on. I've read and reviewed all of her books since then and was a little disappointed when she switched from her fairy tale retellings to The Spoken Mage series. Now, the world of the Four Kingdoms is back with
The Secret Princess
, the first book in a new series called Return to the Four Kingdoms that takes place in the same world as her other retellings. The book features Princess Giselle, a minor character from A Crown of Snow and Ice, and it just might be the most perfect fairy tale book ever.
The Secret Princess is a retelling of the underappreciated Grimm fairy tale, "The Goose Girl." It is more loyal to the original story than other adaptations I have read and provides plenty of references to Melanie Cellier's other books. Princess Giselle was introduced as a friend to Princess Celine in A Crown of Snow and Ice, but we didn't get a true feel for her personality until now. Like all of the other princesses in the Four Kingdoms books, she is intelligent, capable, and prone to falling in love. The action kicks off right at the beginning when Giselle's ship is attacked by bandits who threaten the more vulnerable princesses traveling with her. She is determined to track them down without getting captured as well, so her handmaid Sierra suggests that they switch places to hide her identity from the bandits. After Giselle agrees to the idea, Sierra appeals to the queen and king of the kingdom where they washed up and convinces them that she is the true princess while Giselle is her maid. She casts Giselle away to become Arcadia's temporary goose girl, where the forsaken princess hides under the guise of a servant and attempts to uncover the mystery of the traitor behind the raid on her ship.
What makes this book stand out among earlier fairy tales in the series is the vibrant supporting cast of characters. It is the first book I've read by Melanie Cellier with a talking animal, which gives it the feel of a Disney movie. Giselle's horse, Arvin, is a magical gift from the High Palace of the Godmothers. She is the only one who can hear him speak, which is usually for the best. He adds plenty of comic relief to an otherwise dark story of betrayal and espionage. I couldn't help cracking a smile at almost everything Arvin said about how superior he was to other horses and how no one he encountered was worthy of riding him. This book is also the first in the series to introduce a love triangle, though it's pretty clear who Giselle is going to end up with. The love interests, Philip and Damon, are both strong brave men with lots of tantalizing secrets who aid Giselle when she gets attacked by the traitors who know her true identity.
I loved all of the references to Melanie Cellier's other Four Kingdoms books. The throwbacks provided excellent world-building and a sense of nostalgia for the setting and characters. It takes place in the kingdom of Arcadia from her first book, The Princess Companion. Princess Alyssa and Prince Max are now twelve years older and have children of their own. It was a pleasure to see how their relationship developed over the course of time and that Alyssa is still as respectful of commoners and servants as she was when she first stayed at the castle. This works very much to Giselle's advantage when she is thrown in with the servants as a goose girl. It was great to see that Giselle and Alyssa would have been friends regardless of their station and the instant bond that Giselle formed with Alyssa's son and daughter. I also enjoyed reading about Giselle's experiences herding geese as it was a task I was previously unfamiliar with.
The Secret Princess may be the best book Melanie Cellier has written yet. It combines all of the strengths of the previous Four Kingdoms books while introducing a capable new heroine and a terrific cast of characters. I loved the humor with the talking horse as well as the more serious elements. It was refreshing to return to the familiar world of Arcadia and learn about all the new adventures that took place there during the book's 12-year time gap. I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves princess stories. The Secret Princess is a wonderful introduction to a lesser-known fairy tale. The next book in the series, The Mystery Princess , is currently available for pre-order, but it will be nearly a year before its release.
The Secret Princess is a retelling of the underappreciated Grimm fairy tale, "The Goose Girl." It is more loyal to the original story than other adaptations I have read and provides plenty of references to Melanie Cellier's other books. Princess Giselle was introduced as a friend to Princess Celine in A Crown of Snow and Ice, but we didn't get a true feel for her personality until now. Like all of the other princesses in the Four Kingdoms books, she is intelligent, capable, and prone to falling in love. The action kicks off right at the beginning when Giselle's ship is attacked by bandits who threaten the more vulnerable princesses traveling with her. She is determined to track them down without getting captured as well, so her handmaid Sierra suggests that they switch places to hide her identity from the bandits. After Giselle agrees to the idea, Sierra appeals to the queen and king of the kingdom where they washed up and convinces them that she is the true princess while Giselle is her maid. She casts Giselle away to become Arcadia's temporary goose girl, where the forsaken princess hides under the guise of a servant and attempts to uncover the mystery of the traitor behind the raid on her ship.
What makes this book stand out among earlier fairy tales in the series is the vibrant supporting cast of characters. It is the first book I've read by Melanie Cellier with a talking animal, which gives it the feel of a Disney movie. Giselle's horse, Arvin, is a magical gift from the High Palace of the Godmothers. She is the only one who can hear him speak, which is usually for the best. He adds plenty of comic relief to an otherwise dark story of betrayal and espionage. I couldn't help cracking a smile at almost everything Arvin said about how superior he was to other horses and how no one he encountered was worthy of riding him. This book is also the first in the series to introduce a love triangle, though it's pretty clear who Giselle is going to end up with. The love interests, Philip and Damon, are both strong brave men with lots of tantalizing secrets who aid Giselle when she gets attacked by the traitors who know her true identity.
I loved all of the references to Melanie Cellier's other Four Kingdoms books. The throwbacks provided excellent world-building and a sense of nostalgia for the setting and characters. It takes place in the kingdom of Arcadia from her first book, The Princess Companion. Princess Alyssa and Prince Max are now twelve years older and have children of their own. It was a pleasure to see how their relationship developed over the course of time and that Alyssa is still as respectful of commoners and servants as she was when she first stayed at the castle. This works very much to Giselle's advantage when she is thrown in with the servants as a goose girl. It was great to see that Giselle and Alyssa would have been friends regardless of their station and the instant bond that Giselle formed with Alyssa's son and daughter. I also enjoyed reading about Giselle's experiences herding geese as it was a task I was previously unfamiliar with.
The Secret Princess may be the best book Melanie Cellier has written yet. It combines all of the strengths of the previous Four Kingdoms books while introducing a capable new heroine and a terrific cast of characters. I loved the humor with the talking horse as well as the more serious elements. It was refreshing to return to the familiar world of Arcadia and learn about all the new adventures that took place there during the book's 12-year time gap. I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves princess stories. The Secret Princess is a wonderful introduction to a lesser-known fairy tale. The next book in the series, The Mystery Princess , is currently available for pre-order, but it will be nearly a year before its release.
May 29, 2020
The Secret Is Almost Out!
Reports of recent production delays made me question whether or not the upcoming Disney+ original movie
Secret Society of Second-Born Royals
was far enough along to premiere this summer as initially promised. Two days ago, I received my answer when a long-anticipated trailer for the action-packed princess flick was finally dropped alongside a release date of July 17th. I was excited about this movie not because I have a preference for princesses who kick butt, but instead because of its lead actress,
There's something off about the way the Secret Society of Second-Born Royals trailer begins. We see our rebel heroine Sam skateboarding through a modern-day city and being escorted by a pair of police into a prison. She says "People call me a princess" in a gruff voice that makes it sound like it's a rude nickname that used to mock her for her clearly unprincess-like behavior. As more of the story unfolds, we learn that Sam is, in fact, an actual princess of a kingdom that bears a strong resemblance to New York City. T-shirts, ballgowns, and leather jackets are all acceptable fashion in the kingdom of Illyria. It gives off subtle vibes of Princess Protection Program , another contemporary Disney Channel princess movie, but even that film implied that the princess's home country was less contemporary than the one she was hiding out in. If anything, the world of Illyria is probably inspired more by the Descendants franchise with princesses and princes attending a modern-day high school and rejecting the centuries-old traditions of their lineage.
This movie appears to be Disney's answer to countless fan requests for a Disney Princess Avengers-style team up, unless you count Wreck-It Ralph 2 , in which case, that already happened. After the acquisition of Marvel, Disney's two biggest franchises were their superheroes and their princesses. It was only a matter of time before they attempted to combine the two. Releasing Secret Society of Second-Born Royals on Disney+ gives them a subscription to hide behind if the combination of princesses and superheroes doesn't work. Unlike Disney Channel, which can be seen by just about anyone with a cable subscription, Disney+ can only be be viewed by hardcore fans who deliberately signed up for the streaming service, providing an opportunity for experimental programming. Secret Society of Second-Born Royals features princes as well as princesses, so it is a transparent attempt to amass fans of Disney's male-oriented and female-oriented franchises. Oil and water don't usually mix, so Secret Society of Second-Born Royals has just as much potential to become an epic disaster as it does a cult classic.
The aspects of this movie that I am most excited about are the very things that Sam's character is most likely to reject. As much as I love nuance of the line "Where the fairy tale ends is where our story begins," I have hope that the movie will slip in more fairy tale references than the trailer implies. I've never been a fan of action movies, but of course, the princess element is a huge selling point for me. The second half of the trailer includes footage of Sam running around in a beautiful Cinderella-like ballgown despite her dislike of all things princess. I'm also looking forward to learning about what sorts of superpowers each character will have. Even though Skylar's character informs them they all have powers in the trailer, we never see any of the society members use supernatural abilities in the subsequent action clips. If it's anything like the 2005 movie Sky High it may surprise us with some silly and seemingly useless abilities that become useful during the climax in creative ways.
With the lockdown order still in place in my hometown, I was hoping that Disney would shorten the wait and release this movie in June, but if I have to wait until July 17th, then so be it. I'm glad it wasn't delayed further and can't wait to see one of my favorite actresses portray the next new Disney Princess. Sure, it could turn out to be a campy mess due the vast differences between fairy tales and superheroes, but that won't stop me from tuning in. As modern as the world of Illyria appears, I'm relieved the costumes aren't as much of a hot mess as the Party City Halloween attire we got from Descendants. The next month and a half won't be easy, but I'm glad the release date for Secret Society of Second-Born Royals is no longer being kept a secret.
There's something off about the way the Secret Society of Second-Born Royals trailer begins. We see our rebel heroine Sam skateboarding through a modern-day city and being escorted by a pair of police into a prison. She says "People call me a princess" in a gruff voice that makes it sound like it's a rude nickname that used to mock her for her clearly unprincess-like behavior. As more of the story unfolds, we learn that Sam is, in fact, an actual princess of a kingdom that bears a strong resemblance to New York City. T-shirts, ballgowns, and leather jackets are all acceptable fashion in the kingdom of Illyria. It gives off subtle vibes of Princess Protection Program , another contemporary Disney Channel princess movie, but even that film implied that the princess's home country was less contemporary than the one she was hiding out in. If anything, the world of Illyria is probably inspired more by the Descendants franchise with princesses and princes attending a modern-day high school and rejecting the centuries-old traditions of their lineage.
This movie appears to be Disney's answer to countless fan requests for a Disney Princess Avengers-style team up, unless you count Wreck-It Ralph 2 , in which case, that already happened. After the acquisition of Marvel, Disney's two biggest franchises were their superheroes and their princesses. It was only a matter of time before they attempted to combine the two. Releasing Secret Society of Second-Born Royals on Disney+ gives them a subscription to hide behind if the combination of princesses and superheroes doesn't work. Unlike Disney Channel, which can be seen by just about anyone with a cable subscription, Disney+ can only be be viewed by hardcore fans who deliberately signed up for the streaming service, providing an opportunity for experimental programming. Secret Society of Second-Born Royals features princes as well as princesses, so it is a transparent attempt to amass fans of Disney's male-oriented and female-oriented franchises. Oil and water don't usually mix, so Secret Society of Second-Born Royals has just as much potential to become an epic disaster as it does a cult classic.
The aspects of this movie that I am most excited about are the very things that Sam's character is most likely to reject. As much as I love nuance of the line "Where the fairy tale ends is where our story begins," I have hope that the movie will slip in more fairy tale references than the trailer implies. I've never been a fan of action movies, but of course, the princess element is a huge selling point for me. The second half of the trailer includes footage of Sam running around in a beautiful Cinderella-like ballgown despite her dislike of all things princess. I'm also looking forward to learning about what sorts of superpowers each character will have. Even though Skylar's character informs them they all have powers in the trailer, we never see any of the society members use supernatural abilities in the subsequent action clips. If it's anything like the 2005 movie Sky High it may surprise us with some silly and seemingly useless abilities that become useful during the climax in creative ways.
With the lockdown order still in place in my hometown, I was hoping that Disney would shorten the wait and release this movie in June, but if I have to wait until July 17th, then so be it. I'm glad it wasn't delayed further and can't wait to see one of my favorite actresses portray the next new Disney Princess. Sure, it could turn out to be a campy mess due the vast differences between fairy tales and superheroes, but that won't stop me from tuning in. As modern as the world of Illyria appears, I'm relieved the costumes aren't as much of a hot mess as the Party City Halloween attire we got from Descendants. The next month and a half won't be easy, but I'm glad the release date for Secret Society of Second-Born Royals is no longer being kept a secret.
May 24, 2020
My Next Life as a Villainess Is the Ultimate Princess Visual Novel Escapist Anime!
That title is a mouthful, isn't it? The full name of this currently running anime series is My Next Life as a Villainess: All Routes Lead to Doom! Usually, I stick to Magical Girl anime for my Japanese princess fix, but this show caught my eye due to my guilty pleasure for visual novels. It follows the adventures of a spoiled noble girl named Catarina Claes who gets hit on the head one day, which causes her to remember her past life as a modern-day high school student. She realizes that she got hit by a bus in the real world and got reincarnated into her favorite visual novel as the villain. The concept seems a little silly at first, but what follows is loads of fairy tale fun as her true personality takes over the villainous princess archetype that the fates bestowed upon her. The girl living in Catarina's body refuses to suffer the dire fate of the villain, so the voices in her head come up with elaborate schemes to change her fate through visuals that are reminiscent of Pixar's Inside Out. Her adamant refusal to live out the life of the villain allows her to grow up with all of the most admirable qualities of a fairy tale princess.
Catarina lives inside a visual novel called Fortune Lover, which is filled with all of the beautiful aesthetics of princess settings. It is a visually rich world of colorful gardens, elaborate architecture, and beautiful flowing gowns. When Catarina comes of age, she attends the Magic Academy to learn how to manipulate the elements. Magic is an everyday occurrence in this world, but it does not overpower the romantic elements of the show. Catarina is introduced to each potential love interest from Fortune Lover at various social events throughout her early years. She has a leg up over the competition because she already knows their personalities from playing the game in her previous life. Aside from the handsome princes, there are also several female characters she befriends in the world of Fortune Lover, one of whom is heavily implied to be a reincarnation of someone she was friends with in the real world.
Catarina charms each character by appealing to their desires in an attempt to avoid getting one of the many bad endings for her character. She fails to realize that her efforts have an added side effect that causes all of these romantic interests to fall in love with her instead of the game's protagonist, Maria, who she charms as well. The trope of an unassuming protagonist ending up with an entire cast of characters competing for their affections is a long-standing genre called harem anime that was popularized by shows such as Tenchi Muyo. However, it was rare for a harem anime to feature a female protagonist, which makes this a more modern take on the concept. It also has queer elements, which are trending right now with shows such as She-Ra and the Princesses of Power, due to Catarina charming her female peers just as much as the princes in her story.
Anime has changed a lot since it was popularized in western society during the '90s. Instead of action-packed "monster of the week" episodes that feature fearsome villains, many newer series provide "slice of life" storylines where we follow charming characters who get into silly conflicts that can be easily resolved with a simple conversation. Sometimes, this formula gets boring due to the lack of any real stakes. In My Next Life as a Villainess, Catarina has no enemy because she believes that she is the villain of Fortune Lover. However, once she gains control of her past memories, she turns out to be the sweetest character in the game who wins all of the love interests away from the former protagonist, Maria. As a result, any possibility of getting a "bad ending" for her character becomes null and void, but that doesn't make it any less fun to watch her panic about it as she overcompensates by being fun and charming to everyone she meets.
If you need more shows to binge in your tower, I recommend My Next Life as a Villainess: All Routes Lead to Doom! for a quick princess fix. There are currently eight episodes out with new ones releasing every Saturday on Crunchyroll. The anime is based on a series of Japanese light novels by Satoru Yamaguchi that began online in 2014. It stars a charming and somewhat naive heroine who is an absolute blast to follow as she lives out her favorite visual novel, Fortune Lover, and remains completely oblivious to the fact that she has become the protagonist and can have her pick of any love interest in the game. It is the ultimate escapist fantasy for any visual novel fan.
Catarina lives inside a visual novel called Fortune Lover, which is filled with all of the beautiful aesthetics of princess settings. It is a visually rich world of colorful gardens, elaborate architecture, and beautiful flowing gowns. When Catarina comes of age, she attends the Magic Academy to learn how to manipulate the elements. Magic is an everyday occurrence in this world, but it does not overpower the romantic elements of the show. Catarina is introduced to each potential love interest from Fortune Lover at various social events throughout her early years. She has a leg up over the competition because she already knows their personalities from playing the game in her previous life. Aside from the handsome princes, there are also several female characters she befriends in the world of Fortune Lover, one of whom is heavily implied to be a reincarnation of someone she was friends with in the real world.
Catarina charms each character by appealing to their desires in an attempt to avoid getting one of the many bad endings for her character. She fails to realize that her efforts have an added side effect that causes all of these romantic interests to fall in love with her instead of the game's protagonist, Maria, who she charms as well. The trope of an unassuming protagonist ending up with an entire cast of characters competing for their affections is a long-standing genre called harem anime that was popularized by shows such as Tenchi Muyo. However, it was rare for a harem anime to feature a female protagonist, which makes this a more modern take on the concept. It also has queer elements, which are trending right now with shows such as She-Ra and the Princesses of Power, due to Catarina charming her female peers just as much as the princes in her story.
Anime has changed a lot since it was popularized in western society during the '90s. Instead of action-packed "monster of the week" episodes that feature fearsome villains, many newer series provide "slice of life" storylines where we follow charming characters who get into silly conflicts that can be easily resolved with a simple conversation. Sometimes, this formula gets boring due to the lack of any real stakes. In My Next Life as a Villainess, Catarina has no enemy because she believes that she is the villain of Fortune Lover. However, once she gains control of her past memories, she turns out to be the sweetest character in the game who wins all of the love interests away from the former protagonist, Maria. As a result, any possibility of getting a "bad ending" for her character becomes null and void, but that doesn't make it any less fun to watch her panic about it as she overcompensates by being fun and charming to everyone she meets.
If you need more shows to binge in your tower, I recommend My Next Life as a Villainess: All Routes Lead to Doom! for a quick princess fix. There are currently eight episodes out with new ones releasing every Saturday on Crunchyroll. The anime is based on a series of Japanese light novels by Satoru Yamaguchi that began online in 2014. It stars a charming and somewhat naive heroine who is an absolute blast to follow as she lives out her favorite visual novel, Fortune Lover, and remains completely oblivious to the fact that she has become the protagonist and can have her pick of any love interest in the game. It is the ultimate escapist fantasy for any visual novel fan.
May 21, 2020
Review: Ella and Ash
If you've been keeping up with my author mailing list, you would have seen that I recommended the book Ella and Ash by K.A. Last before I had the chance to read it. I decided to remedy that yesterday when I breezed through a copy of this short and sweet "Cinderella" retelling. The book follows the Brothers Grimm version of the story instead of the more popular Perrault version that Disney uses, so there was no Fairy Godmother. Ella spends a great deal of time at her mother's grave, where she meets the prince character prior to the ball. Like most modern "Cinderella" adaptations, this book attempts to address the prince's lack of character development that is so often criticized in older versions, but the romance still feels a little rushed. Overall, it's a fairly standard retelling of the fairy tale with a few new elements.
Ella is the same familiar girl we all know who lives with her evil stepmother and two wicked stepsisters, Anna and Drew. She frequently visits her mother's grave, which is located under a magic willow tree that powers an enchanted pendant that Ella's mother left her. The pendant grants magical rewards for good deeds, but punishes those who use it for selfish gain. In that respect, it reminds me of the Amulet of Avalor from Sofia the First, but we rarely see Ella use it, and never for anything as extravagant as Sofia. She meets her love interest, Ashwin, on one of her trips to the cemetery when he goes to mourn his brother. He falls in love with her instantly and with little explanation. While this is on point with the fairy tale, this version fails to justify giving Ella and Ash more time to get to know each other before the ball. In spite of the extra time they spend together, it doesn't feel like their romance is any less rushed than if they first met and fell in love there.
Ella and Ash follows the Brothers Grimm version of the fairy tale, but it also contains references to a few of the Disney movies. Like the Disney heroine, Cinderella is friends with the mice living in her family's manor. They help her clean up her stepsister's spilled beans in addition to the birds from the Brothers Grimm story. In another familiar scene, Ella makes her first dress out of old gowns that belonged to her mother before her stepsisters tear it to shreds. Like Disney's 2015 live-action adaptation, Ella shares a love of horses with her prince and gets to know him better while they go out riding together before they meet again at the ball. When they are reunited on the big day, Ash recognizes Ella instantly as the girl he fell in love with at the countryside even though she is wearing a mask and formalwear. He even comments that he prefers seeing her dressed down in trousers with mussy hair, which creates a more contemporary tomboy image of the otherwise feminine Cinderella character we know and love.
My favorite thing about Ella and Ash is the lore that K.A. Last incorporates into the world where it takes place. Ash first realizes that Ella was born into a higher station than she appears to be because she possesses a magical pendant. In this world, magical artifacts are passed down among wealthy or powerful families. Ash has a magic ring that forces people to tell the truth, something that pays off later. However, these magical items have limitations that take away their potential for more innovative storytelling. For instance, Ella rarely uses the pendant due to the belief that she will be cursed if she gives herself a gift from its magic, which turns out later not to be true. Ash receives a time-stopping watch takes time away from the life of its user, so Ella doesn't want him to use it. Even when he does, it isn't for anything life-threatening or urgent. If this book were a little longer, I would like to learn more about the magic of this world and see how it can directly affect pivotal moments in the story.
Ella and Ash is a traditional retelling of "Cinderella" with a few added elements. I rarely see adaptations that don't include the Fairy Godmother character, so it was refreshing in that respect. Though the fantasy world-building was impressive, I would have liked seeing more of it. If anything, the book suffered from being too short. I liked that Ella met Ash before the ball, but it would have been nice to see their romance build up gradually over the course of their meetings. Still, it was a sweet story with a gentle protagonist. If you are a fan of "Cinderella" and would like a quick read that can be completed in one sitting, this book is for you.
Ella is the same familiar girl we all know who lives with her evil stepmother and two wicked stepsisters, Anna and Drew. She frequently visits her mother's grave, which is located under a magic willow tree that powers an enchanted pendant that Ella's mother left her. The pendant grants magical rewards for good deeds, but punishes those who use it for selfish gain. In that respect, it reminds me of the Amulet of Avalor from Sofia the First, but we rarely see Ella use it, and never for anything as extravagant as Sofia. She meets her love interest, Ashwin, on one of her trips to the cemetery when he goes to mourn his brother. He falls in love with her instantly and with little explanation. While this is on point with the fairy tale, this version fails to justify giving Ella and Ash more time to get to know each other before the ball. In spite of the extra time they spend together, it doesn't feel like their romance is any less rushed than if they first met and fell in love there.
Ella and Ash follows the Brothers Grimm version of the fairy tale, but it also contains references to a few of the Disney movies. Like the Disney heroine, Cinderella is friends with the mice living in her family's manor. They help her clean up her stepsister's spilled beans in addition to the birds from the Brothers Grimm story. In another familiar scene, Ella makes her first dress out of old gowns that belonged to her mother before her stepsisters tear it to shreds. Like Disney's 2015 live-action adaptation, Ella shares a love of horses with her prince and gets to know him better while they go out riding together before they meet again at the ball. When they are reunited on the big day, Ash recognizes Ella instantly as the girl he fell in love with at the countryside even though she is wearing a mask and formalwear. He even comments that he prefers seeing her dressed down in trousers with mussy hair, which creates a more contemporary tomboy image of the otherwise feminine Cinderella character we know and love.
My favorite thing about Ella and Ash is the lore that K.A. Last incorporates into the world where it takes place. Ash first realizes that Ella was born into a higher station than she appears to be because she possesses a magical pendant. In this world, magical artifacts are passed down among wealthy or powerful families. Ash has a magic ring that forces people to tell the truth, something that pays off later. However, these magical items have limitations that take away their potential for more innovative storytelling. For instance, Ella rarely uses the pendant due to the belief that she will be cursed if she gives herself a gift from its magic, which turns out later not to be true. Ash receives a time-stopping watch takes time away from the life of its user, so Ella doesn't want him to use it. Even when he does, it isn't for anything life-threatening or urgent. If this book were a little longer, I would like to learn more about the magic of this world and see how it can directly affect pivotal moments in the story.
Ella and Ash is a traditional retelling of "Cinderella" with a few added elements. I rarely see adaptations that don't include the Fairy Godmother character, so it was refreshing in that respect. Though the fantasy world-building was impressive, I would have liked seeing more of it. If anything, the book suffered from being too short. I liked that Ella met Ash before the ball, but it would have been nice to see their romance build up gradually over the course of their meetings. Still, it was a sweet story with a gentle protagonist. If you are a fan of "Cinderella" and would like a quick read that can be completed in one sitting, this book is for you.
May 17, 2020
Disney Princesses Give Kids the World from Quarantine
Yesterday was a big day for Give Kids the World Village, a vacation resort in central Florida for children with critical illnesses. Due to the recent world crisis, the village is temporarily closed, so they have found other ways to support sick children by holding fundraiser events online. Yesterday's event was a virtual Q&A with four famous actresses who played Disney Princesses during the Disney Renaissance era. They include Jodi Benson, who did the voice of Ariel, Paige O'Hara, who did the voice of Belle, Linda Larkin, who did the voice of Jasmine, and Irene Bedard, who did the voice of Pocahontas. You can make a donation under any one of their names by clicking on them above. It was a pleasure to be present for this magical princess reunion on Zoom as these talented actresses discussed their experiences with Give Kids the World Village, Disney theme parks, and working as voice artists.
The event, entitled "A Royal Evening for Give Kids the World," was hosted by Omar Elkalyoubie, the Development Manager for the program. He used a virtual green screen background of Cinderella Castle in Walt Disney World during the interview, adding some magic to his workstation. Paige had her Disney Fine Art paintings that she did of Belle on display behind her. The Zoom meeting ran a little over an hour as Omar asked the princesses various questions that were sent in prior to the event, including many from sick children who participated in the program. Irene Bedard was the last presenter to arrive and the first to leave due to technical difficulties with her computer. Linda Larkin communicated with her via text message, showing us how close these actresses are due to their shared experiences as Disney Princesses. Jodi Benson and Paige O'Hara admitted that they have been friends for 40 years, meaning their bond dates back to when they were still aspiring actresses dreaming of stardom.
I've seen many princess interviews both online and in person, but I still learn something new every time. This was one of the only interviews I've ever seen with Irene Bedard, who had a lot to say about playing the lead role in
At the end of the event, Omar introduced a surprise guest,
The animated Disney Princesses weren't the only ones spreading socially distanced joy this weekend. The three talented ladies of the Broadway Princess Party--Susan Egan, Courtney Reed, and Laura Osnes--released this beautiful cover of "A Million Dreams" from the movie The Greatest Showman yesterday for the Los Angeles LGBT Center's "Rainbowthon" that took place on May 14th. Even though their concert is temporarily postponed, they are continuing to support fans with virtual experiences available though their website including royal shout-outs, private princess coaching, and virtual concerts. Even though we can't be together in person right now, these princesses are not letting that stop them from bringing inspiration to anyone in need of a little happiness.
The event, entitled "A Royal Evening for Give Kids the World," was hosted by Omar Elkalyoubie, the Development Manager for the program. He used a virtual green screen background of Cinderella Castle in Walt Disney World during the interview, adding some magic to his workstation. Paige had her Disney Fine Art paintings that she did of Belle on display behind her. The Zoom meeting ran a little over an hour as Omar asked the princesses various questions that were sent in prior to the event, including many from sick children who participated in the program. Irene Bedard was the last presenter to arrive and the first to leave due to technical difficulties with her computer. Linda Larkin communicated with her via text message, showing us how close these actresses are due to their shared experiences as Disney Princesses. Jodi Benson and Paige O'Hara admitted that they have been friends for 40 years, meaning their bond dates back to when they were still aspiring actresses dreaming of stardom.
I've seen many princess interviews both online and in person, but I still learn something new every time. This was one of the only interviews I've ever seen with Irene Bedard, who had a lot to say about playing the lead role in
At the end of the event, Omar introduced a surprise guest,
The animated Disney Princesses weren't the only ones spreading socially distanced joy this weekend. The three talented ladies of the Broadway Princess Party--Susan Egan, Courtney Reed, and Laura Osnes--released this beautiful cover of "A Million Dreams" from the movie The Greatest Showman yesterday for the Los Angeles LGBT Center's "Rainbowthon" that took place on May 14th. Even though their concert is temporarily postponed, they are continuing to support fans with virtual experiences available though their website including royal shout-outs, private princess coaching, and virtual concerts. Even though we can't be together in person right now, these princesses are not letting that stop them from bringing inspiration to anyone in need of a little happiness.
May 15, 2020
The Spirit of She-Ra Lives On!
On September 9, 1985, She-Ra: Princess of Power premiered as a He-Man spin-off with a traditional good vs. evil plot about Adam's twin sister, Adora. At that time, female superheroes and strong women were not seen often on television. Over thirty years later, the tables turned. Now the warrior princess archetype is dominant, while damsels in distress are frowned upon and have become virtually nonexistent in modern media. That makes it the perfect time to reboot this once revolutionary series through an even more contemporary lens. Instead of being a straight action series like its predecessor, She-Ra and the Princesses of Power introduces complex studies of character relationships, fleshing out the two-dimensional heroes and villains from the 1985 series. Most characters in the reboot belong to gender and sexual minorities, making it a beautiful celebration of diversity for a today's audiences. This inspired DreamWorks cartoon concluded today with the fifth and final season streaming on Netflix.
In the '80s and '90s, children's cartoons were fairly cut and dry. There were the good guys, who you loved, and the bad guys, who you loved to hate. Very few people crossed over that line. She-Ra: Princess of Power was no exception with Adora fighting for the Rebel Alliance against the wicked Horde. Yet, the show's pilot movie, "The Sword of She-Ra," began with Adora being brainwashed to think that the Horde was helping the people of Etheria. She made an instantaneous turn from the side of evil to good without ever looking back at the people she once called her comrades. The 2015 version of Adora has a more realistic reaction learning that everything she thought she knew was a lie. Though she understands that Hordak is hurting people, she can't blink away her entire childhood of being raised by Shadow Weaver and being friends with Catra, nor can Catra accept that the person she was so close with for so many years is now her enemy. The emotional heart of She-Ra and the Princesses of Power revolves around the fact that Adora and Catra still care about each other despite fighting on opposing sides, which was solidified in the final moments of the show.
Adora and Catra are not the only characters who struggle to make the right decisions. She-Ra and the Princesses of Power reimagines all of the characters from the original series with diverse body types, personalities, and romantic preferences. The show's five-season run gives it just enough time to flesh out its enormous cast, rounding out with a story arc in the final season that focuses on Netossa and Spinerella, a lesbian couple that had been mostly overlooked throughout the first four seasons. Even Hordak, the static villain of the original series, becomes a complex a fully fleshed-out character by with the reveal that he is an inferior clone who wishes to prove himself as worthy to the true villain of the series, Horde Prime. There were plenty of other characters who switch sides throughout the course of the show as well, especially in the plot-driven fourth season, teaching viewers that no one is truly a good or bad person, even if they have a big poisonous scorpion tail on their back. Entrapta's desire to help her friends despite struggling with social cues can also be interpreted as a positive portrayal of autism.
The ending of She-Ra and the Princesses of Power is similar to that of Tangled: The Series, another princess cartoon that reached its conclusion this year. Both series feature a strong princess with a female friend who feels overshadowed by her and takes dangerous actions to get more attention, only to be won over by the princess's love in the end. In the case of Tangled, Rapunzel was already in a relationship with Eugene that culminated in marriage in the "Tangled Ever After" short released prior to the series, so her relationship with Cassandra could only go so far. In She-Ra and the Princesses of Power, however, Adora and Catra had a lesbian-encoded frenemy relationship since the beginning. Their influence over each other was so powerful throughout the course of the show, especially in the third season, that I don't see how it could have possibly ended any other way than how it did. The conclusion to She-Ra and the Princesses of Power is the ultimate reward to all of the fans who have watched it since the beginning. It delivers everything we could have wanted from a finale and more. Each character's story arc gets tied up with a bow, and it delivers a beautiful message about forgiveness that is perfectly on trend with modern media.
Even though today marks the end of the Netflix reboot of She-Ra and the Princesses of Power, the spirit of the series lives on. After two He-Man reboots, we were long overdue for a She-Ra one, and the timing could not have been better. Girl power is everywhere these days, making the world of Etheria, where women are the stronger sex and princesses are warriors, timely and appropriate for modern audiences. The timeless themes of diversity and acceptance fit just as well into this show as they did for other princess series from bygone eras. With so many Netflix originals popping these days, it would be great to see another reboot or spin-off in the near future. Now that She-Ra has come to a close, Elena of Avalor remains the last animated princess show still airing, primarily due to its inconsistent release schedule this season of only one episode a month. It is only fitting that She-Ra's ending gives way to Elena's since both princesses are voiced by the same actress, .
In the '80s and '90s, children's cartoons were fairly cut and dry. There were the good guys, who you loved, and the bad guys, who you loved to hate. Very few people crossed over that line. She-Ra: Princess of Power was no exception with Adora fighting for the Rebel Alliance against the wicked Horde. Yet, the show's pilot movie, "The Sword of She-Ra," began with Adora being brainwashed to think that the Horde was helping the people of Etheria. She made an instantaneous turn from the side of evil to good without ever looking back at the people she once called her comrades. The 2015 version of Adora has a more realistic reaction learning that everything she thought she knew was a lie. Though she understands that Hordak is hurting people, she can't blink away her entire childhood of being raised by Shadow Weaver and being friends with Catra, nor can Catra accept that the person she was so close with for so many years is now her enemy. The emotional heart of She-Ra and the Princesses of Power revolves around the fact that Adora and Catra still care about each other despite fighting on opposing sides, which was solidified in the final moments of the show.
Adora and Catra are not the only characters who struggle to make the right decisions. She-Ra and the Princesses of Power reimagines all of the characters from the original series with diverse body types, personalities, and romantic preferences. The show's five-season run gives it just enough time to flesh out its enormous cast, rounding out with a story arc in the final season that focuses on Netossa and Spinerella, a lesbian couple that had been mostly overlooked throughout the first four seasons. Even Hordak, the static villain of the original series, becomes a complex a fully fleshed-out character by with the reveal that he is an inferior clone who wishes to prove himself as worthy to the true villain of the series, Horde Prime. There were plenty of other characters who switch sides throughout the course of the show as well, especially in the plot-driven fourth season, teaching viewers that no one is truly a good or bad person, even if they have a big poisonous scorpion tail on their back. Entrapta's desire to help her friends despite struggling with social cues can also be interpreted as a positive portrayal of autism.
The ending of She-Ra and the Princesses of Power is similar to that of Tangled: The Series, another princess cartoon that reached its conclusion this year. Both series feature a strong princess with a female friend who feels overshadowed by her and takes dangerous actions to get more attention, only to be won over by the princess's love in the end. In the case of Tangled, Rapunzel was already in a relationship with Eugene that culminated in marriage in the "Tangled Ever After" short released prior to the series, so her relationship with Cassandra could only go so far. In She-Ra and the Princesses of Power, however, Adora and Catra had a lesbian-encoded frenemy relationship since the beginning. Their influence over each other was so powerful throughout the course of the show, especially in the third season, that I don't see how it could have possibly ended any other way than how it did. The conclusion to She-Ra and the Princesses of Power is the ultimate reward to all of the fans who have watched it since the beginning. It delivers everything we could have wanted from a finale and more. Each character's story arc gets tied up with a bow, and it delivers a beautiful message about forgiveness that is perfectly on trend with modern media.
Even though today marks the end of the Netflix reboot of She-Ra and the Princesses of Power, the spirit of the series lives on. After two He-Man reboots, we were long overdue for a She-Ra one, and the timing could not have been better. Girl power is everywhere these days, making the world of Etheria, where women are the stronger sex and princesses are warriors, timely and appropriate for modern audiences. The timeless themes of diversity and acceptance fit just as well into this show as they did for other princess series from bygone eras. With so many Netflix originals popping these days, it would be great to see another reboot or spin-off in the near future. Now that She-Ra has come to a close, Elena of Avalor remains the last animated princess show still airing, primarily due to its inconsistent release schedule this season of only one episode a month. It is only fitting that She-Ra's ending gives way to Elena's since both princesses are voiced by the same actress, .
