Lisa Dawn's Blog: The Princess Blog, page 57
May 14, 2020
Review: Identity
Last week, I read Spelled and brought up some issues with the main character's personality as well as the lack of a direct antagonist. Now that I have completed
Identity
, the next book in The Kingdom Chronicles, I am pleased to say that my enjoyment Camille Peters' writing has greatly improved. The book has a fantastic protagonist who is easy to relate to and a deliciously wicked princess who does everything in her power to get between prevent the main character's happiness. The book is inspired by the fairy tale "The Goose Girl," in which a wicked handmaiden steals the identity of the princess she serves, but it more closely resembles the novella A Goose Girl by KM Shea, in which a selfish princess forces her handmaiden to take her place against her will. The story of a princess switching places with an underprivileged lookalike is fairly common in movies such as
The Princess and the Pauper
or
The Princess Switch
. It is a story that I never grow tired of, and this book was no exception.
Identity follows the struggles of Anwen, the handmaiden for the petty Princess Lavena, who was briefly mentioned in earlier books within this series. Lavena hired Anwen as her maid so that she could use her to take her place at events she does not want to attend due to their strong physical resemblance to each other. Lavena's mischievous role-swapping hits a new low when she forces Anwen into an unwanted marriage to Prince Liam, her betrothed. As a morally righteous woman, Anwen refuses to marry someone she doesn't know under the guise of another person. Lavena accounts for this by forcing Anwen to wear a magical contract ring that burns Anwen's finger any time she attempts to reveal her true self to Liam or his family. Living the life of a princess isn't so bad, but now Anwen must also take responsibility for the years of torment between the two ill-fated lovers due to their unwanted union.
This book was incredibly romantic. Unlike the earlier two books in the series, Anwen's relationship with Liam did not feel forced in spite of the fact that they had to get married before they knew each other. Liam's hatred of Princess Lavena is a huge obstacle for Anwen, but she eventually proves to him that her feelings toward their marriage are sincere. They are not your average fairy tale couple. They argue, disagree, and misunderstand each other constantly, but in the end, it is clear that want to be together and continue to work through their differences. Anwen also struggles to convince Liam's family of her identity due to her lack of princess training, but Liam is always there to support her. Together, they make each other better people, just like a real married couple should.
Of course, happy endings do not come easily when scheming villains are around. Princess Lavena proves herself to be such an awful character that I couldn't wait to find out how Liam and Anwen would ultimately rid themselves of her looming presence in their lives. The story picks up a lot when she makes a comeback near the end of the book, and I couldn't wait to find out what was going to happen next. The fact that Lavena is the true princess who was engaged to Liam to form an alliance between their kingdoms places a huge obstacle to of his happy ending with Anwen. Yet, he insists on standing by her no matter what, even when her overprotective brother and geese do their best to keep him away. The emotional conflict in this book was spectacular and kept me on the edge of my seat.
I would recommend Identity to fans of The Princess and the Pauper and similar stories. It is an excellent love story with loads of emotional depth and feels like a realistic fairy tale. I loved the budding romance between Anwen and Liam as well as all of the ways that Anwen managed to show small parts of her true self in spite of the ring's curse. Lavena is a fantastic villain who demonstrates that princesses are not always good by default. This is by far the best book I have read by Camille Peters, and I look forward to reading her future works.
Identity follows the struggles of Anwen, the handmaiden for the petty Princess Lavena, who was briefly mentioned in earlier books within this series. Lavena hired Anwen as her maid so that she could use her to take her place at events she does not want to attend due to their strong physical resemblance to each other. Lavena's mischievous role-swapping hits a new low when she forces Anwen into an unwanted marriage to Prince Liam, her betrothed. As a morally righteous woman, Anwen refuses to marry someone she doesn't know under the guise of another person. Lavena accounts for this by forcing Anwen to wear a magical contract ring that burns Anwen's finger any time she attempts to reveal her true self to Liam or his family. Living the life of a princess isn't so bad, but now Anwen must also take responsibility for the years of torment between the two ill-fated lovers due to their unwanted union.
This book was incredibly romantic. Unlike the earlier two books in the series, Anwen's relationship with Liam did not feel forced in spite of the fact that they had to get married before they knew each other. Liam's hatred of Princess Lavena is a huge obstacle for Anwen, but she eventually proves to him that her feelings toward their marriage are sincere. They are not your average fairy tale couple. They argue, disagree, and misunderstand each other constantly, but in the end, it is clear that want to be together and continue to work through their differences. Anwen also struggles to convince Liam's family of her identity due to her lack of princess training, but Liam is always there to support her. Together, they make each other better people, just like a real married couple should.
Of course, happy endings do not come easily when scheming villains are around. Princess Lavena proves herself to be such an awful character that I couldn't wait to find out how Liam and Anwen would ultimately rid themselves of her looming presence in their lives. The story picks up a lot when she makes a comeback near the end of the book, and I couldn't wait to find out what was going to happen next. The fact that Lavena is the true princess who was engaged to Liam to form an alliance between their kingdoms places a huge obstacle to of his happy ending with Anwen. Yet, he insists on standing by her no matter what, even when her overprotective brother and geese do their best to keep him away. The emotional conflict in this book was spectacular and kept me on the edge of my seat.
I would recommend Identity to fans of The Princess and the Pauper and similar stories. It is an excellent love story with loads of emotional depth and feels like a realistic fairy tale. I loved the budding romance between Anwen and Liam as well as all of the ways that Anwen managed to show small parts of her true self in spite of the ring's curse. Lavena is a fantastic villain who demonstrates that princesses are not always good by default. This is by far the best book I have read by Camille Peters, and I look forward to reading her future works.
May 10, 2020
Review: Spelled
It's been over a year since I reviewed Pathways, the first book in Camille Peters' Kingdom Chronicles series. Though it wasn't my favorite, I decided to check out the next two books from a box set she released recently with the first three in the series. Spelled tells the story of Rosie, the best friend of the protagonist in Pathways. I remember I found her mildly irritating for trying to force Eleanor to fall in love after she told Rosie repeatedly that she wasn't interested in a relationship. Unfortunately, reading a book from Rosie's perspective makes her flaws even more irritating than in Eleanor's book. She comes off as so much of a dreamer that it reaches the point of borderline psychosis. The romantic moments were charming, but it often felt like I was watching an episode of Crazy-Ex Girlfriend without the redemption arc where the main character seeks psychological help for her obsession.
Rosie is a romantic dreamer who is somewhat full of herself. She comes from a humble background and spends most of her time reading fairy tales and imagining herself as the heroine of her own story. When she learns that her best friend married a prince, she behaves as though she is now a very important person even though being "the best friend of the new princess" doesn't actually grant her a title or status. She decides that it is now her destiny to marry a prince and become a princess as well and does everything in her power to make this happen, even if it means ignoring her budding romance with Alastar, the royal guard. The first half of the book is rather slow, but tensions rise around the midpoint, where Rosie bakes some chocolates for Prince Liam that are laced with magic to force him to fall in love with her.
Spelled takes place in a world that has a similar mythology to the Amazon series Just Add Magic. Rosie possesses a cookbook with instructions to bake delectable sweets that have various side effects on the psychological state of the people who eat them. I thought this concept was fascinating in the Amazon series and would have loved to read more about it here. Instead, the book begins with a brief description of Rosie baking something to deal with her grief over losing her friend Eleanor (the main character from Pathways), but then she immediately learns that Eleanor is fine and simply disappeared for a little while to get engaged to a prince. After that, Rosie stays at the castle for Eleanor's wedding, and her enchanted treats are barely mentioned again until about halfway through the book is where all her problems begin.
Where the prequel to this book suffered from a lack of a villain, Rosie's actions here prove that she is the villain in her own story, which resolves the lack of conflict in a somewhat uncomfortable way. It is difficult to root for someone who we know is making the wrong decision even after she has had ample time to learn and grow from her mistakes. The saving grace of the book is Rosie's romance with Alastar. It's hard to imagine that a palace guard could fall for someone so silly, but by the end of the book, we learn that Alastar is just as silly as Rosie and is quite possibly the only person who knows how to put up with her ridiculous antics. She accuses him of being a villain after he gets understandably suspicious of her wandering through the palace at night, which causes him to continue keeping a close watch on her throughout her stay at the castle. His constant interference with her antics turns out to be the only thing that can save her from herself on multiple occasions.
Spelled is an uneven narrative that's difficult to review. The first half of the book is slow and repetitive as we get a strong sense of Rosie's obsession with marrying a prince and refusal to acknowledge her feelings for Alastar. However, once she casts the love spell on Prince Liam, the story picks up a lot. Even though I had fun reading it after that, I still found that there was little growth on Rosie's part. I would recommend this book if you are looking for something light and silly to your spirits, but not if you are looking for a story with meaningful character depth and plot development.
Rosie is a romantic dreamer who is somewhat full of herself. She comes from a humble background and spends most of her time reading fairy tales and imagining herself as the heroine of her own story. When she learns that her best friend married a prince, she behaves as though she is now a very important person even though being "the best friend of the new princess" doesn't actually grant her a title or status. She decides that it is now her destiny to marry a prince and become a princess as well and does everything in her power to make this happen, even if it means ignoring her budding romance with Alastar, the royal guard. The first half of the book is rather slow, but tensions rise around the midpoint, where Rosie bakes some chocolates for Prince Liam that are laced with magic to force him to fall in love with her.
Spelled takes place in a world that has a similar mythology to the Amazon series Just Add Magic. Rosie possesses a cookbook with instructions to bake delectable sweets that have various side effects on the psychological state of the people who eat them. I thought this concept was fascinating in the Amazon series and would have loved to read more about it here. Instead, the book begins with a brief description of Rosie baking something to deal with her grief over losing her friend Eleanor (the main character from Pathways), but then she immediately learns that Eleanor is fine and simply disappeared for a little while to get engaged to a prince. After that, Rosie stays at the castle for Eleanor's wedding, and her enchanted treats are barely mentioned again until about halfway through the book is where all her problems begin.
Where the prequel to this book suffered from a lack of a villain, Rosie's actions here prove that she is the villain in her own story, which resolves the lack of conflict in a somewhat uncomfortable way. It is difficult to root for someone who we know is making the wrong decision even after she has had ample time to learn and grow from her mistakes. The saving grace of the book is Rosie's romance with Alastar. It's hard to imagine that a palace guard could fall for someone so silly, but by the end of the book, we learn that Alastar is just as silly as Rosie and is quite possibly the only person who knows how to put up with her ridiculous antics. She accuses him of being a villain after he gets understandably suspicious of her wandering through the palace at night, which causes him to continue keeping a close watch on her throughout her stay at the castle. His constant interference with her antics turns out to be the only thing that can save her from herself on multiple occasions.
Spelled is an uneven narrative that's difficult to review. The first half of the book is slow and repetitive as we get a strong sense of Rosie's obsession with marrying a prince and refusal to acknowledge her feelings for Alastar. However, once she casts the love spell on Prince Liam, the story picks up a lot. Even though I had fun reading it after that, I still found that there was little growth on Rosie's part. I would recommend this book if you are looking for something light and silly to your spirits, but not if you are looking for a story with meaningful character depth and plot development.
May 8, 2020
Disney Is Celebrating Cinderella's 70th All Year Long!
Disney loves celebrating anniversaries for their animated princesses, especially when they hit a new decade. This year's princess of honor is Cinderella from the 1950 animated classic of the same name.
Cinderella
had a major impact on many people's childhoods, including my own. It was released before I was born and went back in the vault before I could obtain it on VHS, so I watched it for the first time on a copy that my uncle recorded for me from a Blockbuster rental, which I suppose was the '90s version of piracy. Of course, I was first in line to purchase it years later when it came out on Platinum Edition DVD. Though it was not my favorite version of this overexposed fairy tale, there were things that made this particular adaptation stand out from the many live-action adaptations released over the following years. Cinderella's dress transformation sequence is one of the most famous and beautiful pieces of animation ever made. I remember being enamored as a child by the many reflections of Cinderella that appeared in the soap bubbles whens she performed the song "Sing Sweet Nightingale." The success of the movie saved the studio at a time when Disney was near bankruptcy, so it's no wonder Cinderella's iconic castle is featured as the centerpiece of Walt Disney World.
With everything happening in the world right now, it will be difficult for Disney to hold a live event for Cinderella's 70th, but that doesn't mean we can't find other ways to celebrate. Earlier this year, Disney released a couple of limited edition designer dolls in commemoration of Cinderella's anniversary, including a gorgeous new interpretation of her work dress complete with lace and floral accents. They have been posting frequently about the movie on social media with fun viral videos such as this compilation of incredible transforming dresses, including a particularly creative one that transforms from a pumpkin dress into one inspired by Cinderella's royal coach. Though the theme parks are now closed, they offered several special Cinderella-themed treats to guests who attended earlier in the year such as cupcakes with glass slippers made of frosting. Just prior to the halt on Hollywood productions, Disney began to work on a spin-off of Cinderella called Godmothered for their new streaming service. Godmothered is a prequel to reveal that is said to reveal the origin story of Cinderella's Fairy Godmother. Even though it will likely be delayed, hopefully we won't have to wait too long after Cinderella's anniversary celebration to see it.
Cinderella is a timely example of how to remain calm and keep busy when you're stuck at home, even if you don't always get along well with your family. Like many of us right now, she was not allowed to leave the house but found plenty of ways to stay entertained long before her Fairy Godmother whisked her away to the ball. Cinderella's hobbies involved cooking, cleaning, and other chores for her wicked stepmother and stepsisters, but she also made friends with the mice that scurried through her walls and sewed tiny clothes for them. She even designed own dress for the ball and tried to work on it before getting interrupted by her family, showing us that being home all the time does not necessarily mean we have all the time in the world. Cinderella was always on high alert, whether it was because of a mouse hiding in Anastasia's teacup or being locked in her room during a visit from the grand duke. Yet, she maintained a gentle and compassionate resolve and refused to let it break her spirit. We can all learn something from this soft old-fashioned optimism.
Disney's animated Cinderella inspired several live-action adaptations over the course of the following 70 years. In 1957, seven years after the Disney movie, Rodgers and Hammerstein aired their now world-famous musical production of the fairy tale starring Julie Andrews. Forty years later, Disney did their own adaptation of Rodgers and Hammerstein's version with a full cast of minority actors, featuring
This could not be a better time to celebrate the story of a girl who fought adversity and remained hopeful in spite of all the negativity that surrounded her. Disney's 1950 Cinderella set a visual standard for the famous fairy tale character that has been adapted countless times since. Though , who lended her voice to the animated princess in 1950, is no longer with us, her legacy is carried on by later "Cinderella" adaptations and women who contributed their voices to future Disney Princess incarnations. Four of these women--, who played Ariel in The Little Mermaid , , who played Belle in Beauty and the Beast , , who provided the speaking voice for Princess Jasmine, and , who provided the singing voice for Pocahontas--will host a royal Disney Princess Q&A on Zoom next Saturday, May 16th, to answer your questions about the legacies that their characters left behind. All ticket sales for the event go to Give Kids the World Village, a charity that Cinderella would have been sure to support if she were still with us today. I hope to see you there!
With everything happening in the world right now, it will be difficult for Disney to hold a live event for Cinderella's 70th, but that doesn't mean we can't find other ways to celebrate. Earlier this year, Disney released a couple of limited edition designer dolls in commemoration of Cinderella's anniversary, including a gorgeous new interpretation of her work dress complete with lace and floral accents. They have been posting frequently about the movie on social media with fun viral videos such as this compilation of incredible transforming dresses, including a particularly creative one that transforms from a pumpkin dress into one inspired by Cinderella's royal coach. Though the theme parks are now closed, they offered several special Cinderella-themed treats to guests who attended earlier in the year such as cupcakes with glass slippers made of frosting. Just prior to the halt on Hollywood productions, Disney began to work on a spin-off of Cinderella called Godmothered for their new streaming service. Godmothered is a prequel to reveal that is said to reveal the origin story of Cinderella's Fairy Godmother. Even though it will likely be delayed, hopefully we won't have to wait too long after Cinderella's anniversary celebration to see it.
Cinderella is a timely example of how to remain calm and keep busy when you're stuck at home, even if you don't always get along well with your family. Like many of us right now, she was not allowed to leave the house but found plenty of ways to stay entertained long before her Fairy Godmother whisked her away to the ball. Cinderella's hobbies involved cooking, cleaning, and other chores for her wicked stepmother and stepsisters, but she also made friends with the mice that scurried through her walls and sewed tiny clothes for them. She even designed own dress for the ball and tried to work on it before getting interrupted by her family, showing us that being home all the time does not necessarily mean we have all the time in the world. Cinderella was always on high alert, whether it was because of a mouse hiding in Anastasia's teacup or being locked in her room during a visit from the grand duke. Yet, she maintained a gentle and compassionate resolve and refused to let it break her spirit. We can all learn something from this soft old-fashioned optimism.
Disney's animated Cinderella inspired several live-action adaptations over the course of the following 70 years. In 1957, seven years after the Disney movie, Rodgers and Hammerstein aired their now world-famous musical production of the fairy tale starring Julie Andrews. Forty years later, Disney did their own adaptation of Rodgers and Hammerstein's version with a full cast of minority actors, featuring
This could not be a better time to celebrate the story of a girl who fought adversity and remained hopeful in spite of all the negativity that surrounded her. Disney's 1950 Cinderella set a visual standard for the famous fairy tale character that has been adapted countless times since. Though , who lended her voice to the animated princess in 1950, is no longer with us, her legacy is carried on by later "Cinderella" adaptations and women who contributed their voices to future Disney Princess incarnations. Four of these women--, who played Ariel in The Little Mermaid , , who played Belle in Beauty and the Beast , , who provided the speaking voice for Princess Jasmine, and , who provided the singing voice for Pocahontas--will host a royal Disney Princess Q&A on Zoom next Saturday, May 16th, to answer your questions about the legacies that their characters left behind. All ticket sales for the event go to Give Kids the World Village, a charity that Cinderella would have been sure to support if she were still with us today. I hope to see you there!
May 3, 2020
Review: Princess of the Rose
Before I begin, please be aware that the book I'm about to review contains extremely sensitive content that should only be read by adults. If you are under the age of 18, please skip this review and refer to my other book recommendations for something else to read. I learned about Princess of the Rose through a promo thread on Twitter for indie authors. Being an indie author myself, I was eager to help promote the work of K.L. Bone. Of course, the title and premise piqued my interest as well. This is the sixth book in her Black Rose series, which I was unfamiliar with. Looking over the reviews, I learned that it is a prequel to the series and that many readers recommended reading it first because the earlier books would have spoiled the ending. With that in mind, I eagerly dove into the dark world of the Muir court. Though it was different from the sort of book I usually read, I was impressed with K.L. Bone's beautiful imagery and gothic storytelling as well as the innocent protagonist. However, the tragic nature of the tale deterred me from wanting to read more of the series.
Princess of the Rose tells the tragic story of Princess Liza, who, like many fairy tale princesses, wants to find love and obtain the freedom to make her own decisions. Sadly, she is not destined for such a fulfilling life. Instead, she is kidnapped by the wicked Prince Nicholi who intends to force her to marry him. In that respect. the book felt like a darker version of "Beauty and the Beast" where the beast never becomes a better person. Not only is Liza held prisoner in Nicholi's castle for the span of a human lifetime, but she is also disguised by magic so that no one can know her true identity. A rumor is spread to her home kingdom that she is dead to prevent her family from coming to look for her. Though Liza demonstrates many of the traits of a traditional "Damsel in Distress," she does her best to make the most of a bad situation. She begs the knights to have mercy on her, tries to convince Nicholi to let her go, and finds solace in the arms of a captain. Yet, her feeble efforts are never enough to achieve the freedom she so desperately desires.
What I found most intriguing about this book was the setting. It takes place in a beautiful world of immortal beings that reminds me of the Netflix drama Ashes of Love. Age means very little for these characters or whom centuries pass in the blink of an eye. Because of their unique bloodlines, Liza is able to have a relationship with the prince's uncle without the stigma of an uncomfortable age gap. Another side effect of her royal blood is the effect it has on roses. True to its name, Princess of the Rose is packed with beautiful rose motifs that are reminiscent of the anime Revolutionary Girl Utena. Liza demonstrates her lineage as a rose heir by transforming the colors of the roses around her to a beautiful violet in response to her touch. Yet, her connection to these magical blooms does not always work in her favor. Nicholi kidnaps and torments her in the hopes that she will be his rose bride and give him a rose heir with the same abilities as her. The roses also have a dangerous side that can give or take life from their chosen heirs.
As much as I enjoyed the beautiful imagery in Princess of the Rose, there were portions of the book that I had to skim over. It contains high levels of Game of Thrones-style violence, sex, and rape. It is completely inappropriate for younger audiences or anyone who is easily triggered. If I didn't relate so much to Liza, I probably would not have finished it. She is the only character who seems to have any semblance of a conscience. I appreciated that the knights she confides in seem to genuinely care about her predicament and want to help her, but none of them act on that desire. Even Liza's lover, Erik, does terrible things and sees himself as unworthy of her affections. Sometimes it gets frustrating that Liza is such a passive character, but the alternative is for her to become as cold and blood-thirsty as everyone else, so her retention of innocence turned out to be the biggest redeeming factor of the book in spite of how passive it made her.
If you are looking for a light and happy fairy tale, Princess of the Rose is not for you. However, if you enjoy dark tragedies and mature content in a Game of Thrones-like setting, this is a beautifully written work of fiction. I appreciated that the wide-eyed protagonist refused to become corrupted by the awful world around her. It is for this reason that I don't think I would enjoy the other books in the series. I could not relate to any of the other characters besides Liza, and this is the only book about her as far as I know. Even though it isn't the type of story I normally read, the beautiful imagery and juxtaposition between her character and the setting really made it mostly enjoyable for me.
Princess of the Rose tells the tragic story of Princess Liza, who, like many fairy tale princesses, wants to find love and obtain the freedom to make her own decisions. Sadly, she is not destined for such a fulfilling life. Instead, she is kidnapped by the wicked Prince Nicholi who intends to force her to marry him. In that respect. the book felt like a darker version of "Beauty and the Beast" where the beast never becomes a better person. Not only is Liza held prisoner in Nicholi's castle for the span of a human lifetime, but she is also disguised by magic so that no one can know her true identity. A rumor is spread to her home kingdom that she is dead to prevent her family from coming to look for her. Though Liza demonstrates many of the traits of a traditional "Damsel in Distress," she does her best to make the most of a bad situation. She begs the knights to have mercy on her, tries to convince Nicholi to let her go, and finds solace in the arms of a captain. Yet, her feeble efforts are never enough to achieve the freedom she so desperately desires.
What I found most intriguing about this book was the setting. It takes place in a beautiful world of immortal beings that reminds me of the Netflix drama Ashes of Love. Age means very little for these characters or whom centuries pass in the blink of an eye. Because of their unique bloodlines, Liza is able to have a relationship with the prince's uncle without the stigma of an uncomfortable age gap. Another side effect of her royal blood is the effect it has on roses. True to its name, Princess of the Rose is packed with beautiful rose motifs that are reminiscent of the anime Revolutionary Girl Utena. Liza demonstrates her lineage as a rose heir by transforming the colors of the roses around her to a beautiful violet in response to her touch. Yet, her connection to these magical blooms does not always work in her favor. Nicholi kidnaps and torments her in the hopes that she will be his rose bride and give him a rose heir with the same abilities as her. The roses also have a dangerous side that can give or take life from their chosen heirs.
As much as I enjoyed the beautiful imagery in Princess of the Rose, there were portions of the book that I had to skim over. It contains high levels of Game of Thrones-style violence, sex, and rape. It is completely inappropriate for younger audiences or anyone who is easily triggered. If I didn't relate so much to Liza, I probably would not have finished it. She is the only character who seems to have any semblance of a conscience. I appreciated that the knights she confides in seem to genuinely care about her predicament and want to help her, but none of them act on that desire. Even Liza's lover, Erik, does terrible things and sees himself as unworthy of her affections. Sometimes it gets frustrating that Liza is such a passive character, but the alternative is for her to become as cold and blood-thirsty as everyone else, so her retention of innocence turned out to be the biggest redeeming factor of the book in spite of how passive it made her.
If you are looking for a light and happy fairy tale, Princess of the Rose is not for you. However, if you enjoy dark tragedies and mature content in a Game of Thrones-like setting, this is a beautifully written work of fiction. I appreciated that the wide-eyed protagonist refused to become corrupted by the awful world around her. It is for this reason that I don't think I would enjoy the other books in the series. I could not relate to any of the other characters besides Liza, and this is the only book about her as far as I know. Even though it isn't the type of story I normally read, the beautiful imagery and juxtaposition between her character and the setting really made it mostly enjoyable for me.
April 30, 2020
The Final Season of She-Ra Is Upon Us
The fourth season of She-Ra and the Princesses of Power ended on a massive cliffhanger with Adora rejecting the destiny of "the She-Ra" and destroying her enchanted blade that had been the source of her powers since the show began. Glimmer's shocking betrayal of her friends threw the magical world of Etheria into harm's way as Horde Prime made preparations to invade. The show has veered so far from its '80s predecessor that it's now anyone's game what might happen next. Today, DreamWorks released a new trailer depicting the epic scale of the fifth and final season, which will drop on Netflix on May 15th. Over the course of its roughly year-and-a-half-long run, this inspired reboot has struggled with some unnecessary filler seasons scattered throughout its otherwise brilliant on-going plot. If this trailer is any indication of what we are going to expect in two weeks, the new season will have little to no filler and focus entirely on the ramifications of these beloved characters' decisions and how it effects their mental and emotional state, something we can all relate to during these difficult times.
The trailer starts out with a sense of hopelessness, depicting imagery of Adora staring at her broken sword and wondering about her new destiny now that she can no longer be She-Ra. We hear a beautiful ballad-like remix of the series' theme song, "Warriors." The slower emotional pace of this formerly energetic song sets the tone for the season, which is far more somber than the ones we've seen in the past. Characters who were once full of energy now watch the destruction of their world with teary-eyed expressions as Horde Prime invades to take everything they once held dear. This is the biggest challenge they have ever faced. The fate of the entire world of Etheria now rests solely on the show's legion of princesses. A clip of Bow telling Adora she isn't alone is juxtaposed by images of Catra and Glimmer brooding in solitude as they come to terms with the horrible consequences of their mistakes from previous seasons.
There is also a clip that appears to show Adora attempting to save Catra from an unseen danger, meaning that long-time Catradora shippers may finally get the happy reunion between the two frenemies that they have been hoping for. In earlier seasons, Catra let her obsession and jealousy of Adora define her and motivate many of her questionable decisions. She cheated, lied, and betrayed the people she was closest to in the name of getting revenge on Adora for taking her dreams of glory. Now, her actions have affected not only her, but all life on Etheria, and that might finally be the turning point for her to seek redemption and finally do something good for a change. At the end of the last season, Glimmer made a rash decision as a result of not feeling respected enough as the new queen of Bright Moon and must now take responsibility for Horde Prime attacking her home. In the trailer, we see a clip in which Catra appears to rescue Glimmer from an energy prison, revealing that Glimmer and Catra's shared experiences might bring them together in this final season.
The most intriguing clip of the trailer is one in which Adora faces a portal with a white ghost-like She-Ra silhouette looking back at her from the other side. To me, this could mean one of two things. The silhouette could be the ghost of Mara, the previous She-Ra, who sacrificed herself to save Etheria. It is possible she accessed some sort of time travel magic to advise Adora and help her save her home world now that their goals are aligned. The other possibility is that the faceless image represents the spirit of all She-Ras and presents the possibility that the purpose of "the She-Ra" was not as clear-cut as Light Hope claimed. Now that Adora has given up her power, she must make amends with the spirit of She-Ra to get it back. This may explain how she will be able to face off against Horde Prime without the power of the sword. Either way, it looks like we're in for a real emotional roller coaster!
Overall, the final season of She-Ra and the Princesses of Power has a decisive shift in tone from the comedic and energetic episodes we had in the beginning. This is definitely the right direction now that the characters are about to enter the final battle. I love how much the characters and story have grown since the show began. They are no longer innocent one-dimensional teenagers trying to do what they think is right. Each one has seen what the light and darkness are capable of. They have learned that the world is not black and white as they once thought and that there is not always an obvious solution to every problem. Considering the twists and turns that the show has taken thus far, I am not expecting a perfect happy ending. As Catra and Glimmer have demonstrated, there are both positive and negative consequences for every big decision. I'm excited to see how everything plays out on May 15th when the new season drops on Netflix.
The trailer starts out with a sense of hopelessness, depicting imagery of Adora staring at her broken sword and wondering about her new destiny now that she can no longer be She-Ra. We hear a beautiful ballad-like remix of the series' theme song, "Warriors." The slower emotional pace of this formerly energetic song sets the tone for the season, which is far more somber than the ones we've seen in the past. Characters who were once full of energy now watch the destruction of their world with teary-eyed expressions as Horde Prime invades to take everything they once held dear. This is the biggest challenge they have ever faced. The fate of the entire world of Etheria now rests solely on the show's legion of princesses. A clip of Bow telling Adora she isn't alone is juxtaposed by images of Catra and Glimmer brooding in solitude as they come to terms with the horrible consequences of their mistakes from previous seasons.
There is also a clip that appears to show Adora attempting to save Catra from an unseen danger, meaning that long-time Catradora shippers may finally get the happy reunion between the two frenemies that they have been hoping for. In earlier seasons, Catra let her obsession and jealousy of Adora define her and motivate many of her questionable decisions. She cheated, lied, and betrayed the people she was closest to in the name of getting revenge on Adora for taking her dreams of glory. Now, her actions have affected not only her, but all life on Etheria, and that might finally be the turning point for her to seek redemption and finally do something good for a change. At the end of the last season, Glimmer made a rash decision as a result of not feeling respected enough as the new queen of Bright Moon and must now take responsibility for Horde Prime attacking her home. In the trailer, we see a clip in which Catra appears to rescue Glimmer from an energy prison, revealing that Glimmer and Catra's shared experiences might bring them together in this final season.
The most intriguing clip of the trailer is one in which Adora faces a portal with a white ghost-like She-Ra silhouette looking back at her from the other side. To me, this could mean one of two things. The silhouette could be the ghost of Mara, the previous She-Ra, who sacrificed herself to save Etheria. It is possible she accessed some sort of time travel magic to advise Adora and help her save her home world now that their goals are aligned. The other possibility is that the faceless image represents the spirit of all She-Ras and presents the possibility that the purpose of "the She-Ra" was not as clear-cut as Light Hope claimed. Now that Adora has given up her power, she must make amends with the spirit of She-Ra to get it back. This may explain how she will be able to face off against Horde Prime without the power of the sword. Either way, it looks like we're in for a real emotional roller coaster!
Overall, the final season of She-Ra and the Princesses of Power has a decisive shift in tone from the comedic and energetic episodes we had in the beginning. This is definitely the right direction now that the characters are about to enter the final battle. I love how much the characters and story have grown since the show began. They are no longer innocent one-dimensional teenagers trying to do what they think is right. Each one has seen what the light and darkness are capable of. They have learned that the world is not black and white as they once thought and that there is not always an obvious solution to every problem. Considering the twists and turns that the show has taken thus far, I am not expecting a perfect happy ending. As Catra and Glimmer have demonstrated, there are both positive and negative consequences for every big decision. I'm excited to see how everything plays out on May 15th when the new season drops on Netflix.
April 26, 2020
Love Never Dies: A Tale of Two Musicals
This may seem like an unusual topic for my blog, but it felt appropriate after Andrew Lloyd Webber streamed The Phantom of the Opera for free last weekend followed by its sequel, Love Never Dies, this weekend as part of his The Shows Must Go On series. I had seen Phantom of the Opera twice on stage and watched this recording of Love Never Dies online when it was first released nearly a decade ago. I have strong feelings about both productions and how they demonstrate why making a sequel to a princess story is generally a bad idea. You might try to argue that Phantom is not a princess story, but Christine Daaé is just as much of a musical theater princess as Johanna is in Sweeney Todd. She is a feminine ingenue who is gifted with a beautiful singing voice and coveted for her kindness and gentility by all who are fortunate enough to know her. Phantom of the Opera is a beautiful allegory for love and obsession and the complex psychological effects of physical deformities. Love Never Dies is a forced rehash of the original story that lacks the depth, mystery, and passion in spite of the best efforts from Andrew Lloyd Webber and the talented lyricist
The biggest flaw with Love Never Dies is that it addresses the fact that Christine has grown from a princess to a queen yet still forces her into the same situations from her past that she should have matured beyond. She doesn't learn anything from her experiences in Phantom of the Opera and makes the same poor decisions like Elsa does with Anna in Frozen 2 . Many sequels dance around challenge this by giving the protagonist a child who must go through a similar experience to their parents and learn the same lessons like Melody in The Little Mermaid 2 . Love Never Dies does give Christine a son named Gustave, but he is too young to end up in a love triangle like his mother, so the story reverts back to the washed relationship between Christine and the Phantom regardless. Another major issue with princess sequels is that most of them are based on fairy tales that end with "happily ever after," so the sequel must tear that happy ending away in order to remain interesting, much like the time travel storyline of Cinderella 3 . The ending of the original Phantom of the Opera implied that Christine married Raoul and lived happily ever after, free at last from the Phantom's corruption. The sequel spoils all of that by turning Raoul into a drunken loser who is incapable of satiating Christine's love of music and backpedaling Christine's ambiguously torrid relationship with the Phantom by giving them a child.
What made The Phantom of the Opera so alluring was that few people were ever welcome into the Phantom's hidden world. When he seduces Christine into visiting his underground chambers, we see it through her eyes as a magical wonderland on a plane that exists somewhere in between fantasy and reality. The whimsical allure of his world is enhanced by the powerful vocals of the title song. In Love Never Dies, the Phantom stops living in the shadows an opens a freak show in Coney Island where he welcomes everyone who wishes to see people who look different from the societal norm. "The Beauty Underneath," which he sings to Gustave about his troupe of freaks, is by far the catchiest song in "Love Never Dies," but it feels entirely out of place with the rest of the music, whereas the song "The Phantom of the Opera" blends perfectly into the operatic style of the titular musical. Gustave is entranced at first by the Phantom's magical world, but Christine is already familiar with it. Therefore, the scene where she passes out upon seeing the Phantom in her dressing room again for the first time in ten years and then sings with him for roughly ten minutes about how he was from "Once Upon Another Time" is incredibly boring and lacks any of the mystery and intrigue of its predecessor.
Then there's Meg Giry. Even though I remembered the ending of Love Never Dies from when I watched it online years ago, I completely forgot Meg's involvement in the tragic resolution of the story. This adds an additional level of irony to her character arc of feeling ignored. Her forgettable nature is just as much the writers' fault for not giving her enough emotional solos as it is her own flaw for being too passive of a character in both musicals. Meg was a minor and forgettable character in the original Phantom of the Opera. In Love Never Dies, she was never given a song that truly depicts the jealousy that she went through when the Phantom continued to obsess over Christine years after she disappeared from his life. That's not a character flaw. That's a writing flaw. In order for the infuriating ending of Love Never Dies to at least make sense from a story standpoint, Meg would have needed to be a more prominent character throughout the course of the show, which would have been also been interesting than watching Christine stand next to the Phantom for ten minutes and sing about how he was an artifact of her past. Glenn Slater tweeted about an aria he wrote for Meg that got cut, which makes me wonder how it would have turned out if different decisions had been made throughout its conception.
To me, Love Never Dies is the perfect storm of why it's better to end a fairy tale with "happily ever after" than to try to force more drama into a completed story. The ambiguous ending of The Phantom of the Opera that allows the audience to decide what happened to the Phantom was just as poignant as it was satisfying. I think the best way to make a sequel is to focus on a different character who we don't know as much about and watch them overcome their own struggles in the new world created by their predecessors. That's why the trilogy that I'm currently writing features a different protagonist in each story. If Love Never Dies had been primarily about Meg with small cameos from Christine, it would have been a far more engaging musical with a thought-provoking ending that would have given the audience a better understanding of her actions. Then again, I don't think it's necessary at all to make a sequel to a long-running musical that people will continue to see for many years to come assuming we can ever go outside again.
The biggest flaw with Love Never Dies is that it addresses the fact that Christine has grown from a princess to a queen yet still forces her into the same situations from her past that she should have matured beyond. She doesn't learn anything from her experiences in Phantom of the Opera and makes the same poor decisions like Elsa does with Anna in Frozen 2 . Many sequels dance around challenge this by giving the protagonist a child who must go through a similar experience to their parents and learn the same lessons like Melody in The Little Mermaid 2 . Love Never Dies does give Christine a son named Gustave, but he is too young to end up in a love triangle like his mother, so the story reverts back to the washed relationship between Christine and the Phantom regardless. Another major issue with princess sequels is that most of them are based on fairy tales that end with "happily ever after," so the sequel must tear that happy ending away in order to remain interesting, much like the time travel storyline of Cinderella 3 . The ending of the original Phantom of the Opera implied that Christine married Raoul and lived happily ever after, free at last from the Phantom's corruption. The sequel spoils all of that by turning Raoul into a drunken loser who is incapable of satiating Christine's love of music and backpedaling Christine's ambiguously torrid relationship with the Phantom by giving them a child.
What made The Phantom of the Opera so alluring was that few people were ever welcome into the Phantom's hidden world. When he seduces Christine into visiting his underground chambers, we see it through her eyes as a magical wonderland on a plane that exists somewhere in between fantasy and reality. The whimsical allure of his world is enhanced by the powerful vocals of the title song. In Love Never Dies, the Phantom stops living in the shadows an opens a freak show in Coney Island where he welcomes everyone who wishes to see people who look different from the societal norm. "The Beauty Underneath," which he sings to Gustave about his troupe of freaks, is by far the catchiest song in "Love Never Dies," but it feels entirely out of place with the rest of the music, whereas the song "The Phantom of the Opera" blends perfectly into the operatic style of the titular musical. Gustave is entranced at first by the Phantom's magical world, but Christine is already familiar with it. Therefore, the scene where she passes out upon seeing the Phantom in her dressing room again for the first time in ten years and then sings with him for roughly ten minutes about how he was from "Once Upon Another Time" is incredibly boring and lacks any of the mystery and intrigue of its predecessor.
Then there's Meg Giry. Even though I remembered the ending of Love Never Dies from when I watched it online years ago, I completely forgot Meg's involvement in the tragic resolution of the story. This adds an additional level of irony to her character arc of feeling ignored. Her forgettable nature is just as much the writers' fault for not giving her enough emotional solos as it is her own flaw for being too passive of a character in both musicals. Meg was a minor and forgettable character in the original Phantom of the Opera. In Love Never Dies, she was never given a song that truly depicts the jealousy that she went through when the Phantom continued to obsess over Christine years after she disappeared from his life. That's not a character flaw. That's a writing flaw. In order for the infuriating ending of Love Never Dies to at least make sense from a story standpoint, Meg would have needed to be a more prominent character throughout the course of the show, which would have been also been interesting than watching Christine stand next to the Phantom for ten minutes and sing about how he was an artifact of her past. Glenn Slater tweeted about an aria he wrote for Meg that got cut, which makes me wonder how it would have turned out if different decisions had been made throughout its conception.
To me, Love Never Dies is the perfect storm of why it's better to end a fairy tale with "happily ever after" than to try to force more drama into a completed story. The ambiguous ending of The Phantom of the Opera that allows the audience to decide what happened to the Phantom was just as poignant as it was satisfying. I think the best way to make a sequel is to focus on a different character who we don't know as much about and watch them overcome their own struggles in the new world created by their predecessors. That's why the trilogy that I'm currently writing features a different protagonist in each story. If Love Never Dies had been primarily about Meg with small cameos from Christine, it would have been a far more engaging musical with a thought-provoking ending that would have given the audience a better understanding of her actions. Then again, I don't think it's necessary at all to make a sequel to a long-running musical that people will continue to see for many years to come assuming we can ever go outside again.
April 24, 2020
Review: The Spoken Mage Series
Last year, I wrote a review of Voice of Power, the first book in Melanie Cellier's Spoken Mage series, and decided I wasn't engaged enough in it to read the rest. Then she released all four books at a discount, and I decided to put them aside until I felt the time was right to complete the rest of the series. That time came this week. The recent pandemic has us all locked away in our towers, and we now have more free time than ever before. Even though it had been over a year since I read the first book, I still remembered it vividly. The tale of a girl who can cast magic spells using only her voice in a world where the written word is the only way for most people to access power is hard to forget. I have to give Melanie Cellier credit for keeping each book fresh and interesting while maintaining the same overall tone. Still, I had many of the same issues with the other three books in the series as I did with the first one. I began reading The Spoken Mage because I was a fan of Melanie's fairy tale retellings, but this felt more like a war epic than it did a fairy tale.
The Spoken Mage begins with Voice of Power and is about a girl named Elena who lives in a world where only the nobility are able to read and write because this ability creates the power to cast magic spells. That means that commonborn people like Elena are banned from learning about the written word due to the dire consequences of uncontrolled bursts of magic from those who are not bred to use it properly. All of that changes when Elena accidentally casts a controlled spell using only the sound of her voice and is forced to study magic at the Royal Academy so she can learn how to control her powers. She is also sent there so the higher mages can keep an eye on her and have a better understanding of her unique ability. The series follows a traditional "chosen one" arc with Elena living an simple and ordinary life until she is sought out by many important people due to being the only person who can cast spells by speaking instead of writing. She struggles to come to terms with the fact that she isn't the normal peasant she thought she was and has trouble fitting in at the academy due to her lack of noble blood.
Similar to the Harry Potter books, Elena is treated as an outsider to the world of magic at first but quickly outshines all of her classmates by epic proportions. I found that The Spoke Mage series drew inspiration from many sources, which makes it difficult to identify a specific audience. The second book, Voice of Command , ends with Elena signing up for the military to save her little sister just like in the Hunger Games series and, to a lesser extent, the story of Mulan . At the same time, the books contain some fairy tale elements such as a romance with a handsome prince and the setting of a magical kingdom. Voice of Command is mostly about Elena helping the healer mages with a fast-spreading epidemic, which hits a little too close to home right now. The rest of the series focuses heavily on Elena using her powers to help fight in the war efforts, which encompass the majority of the third book, Voice of Dominion . Elena is so overpowered that she has little need for romance, causing her relationship with Prince Lucas to feel uneven and flat. It was difficult to root for them as a couple because I never understood what they saw in each other or had to offer. It feels like they only want to be together because she is the heroine of the story and he is the prince.
The relationship between Elena and her family, on the other hand, is much stronger than her romantic dalliance with Lucas. I loved her devotion to her sickly younger sister, Clemmy, and her older brother, Jasper, who studied at the University near the Royal Academy due to his superior intellect. It warmed my heart to see how much their parents cared about all three of them, and how protective they were over each other. Some of the biggest highlights in the books were Elena's visits to the University to check up on Jasper and the sacrifices that she made for Clemmy's safety. They feel like a real family that anyone would love to be part of. That's why the decision that Elena makes at the end of Voice of Dominion is so problematic and undermines a major theme presented throughout the series about respecting lower classes. The decision s completely out of character for her and emphasizes how the changes she went through after studying magic and living with nobility were not entirely for the better. Yet, this decision has no negative ramifications in the end and winds up being a deus ex machina for her poorly developed relationship with Lucas. For that reason, I found the final book, Voice of Life , somewhat less enjoyable than the other three.
Overall, I enjoyed The Spoken Mage series as much as I could, but it didn't have the same level of charm or romance as Melanie Cellier's fairy tale books. So much of it was about people trying to hunt down Elena for her unique skill, and in the end, it felt as though she lost track of what she was fighting for. She had the perfect family and could have used that to prove that being commonborn does not make one a lesser person instead of assimilating into the world of the royals and nobles. I think the story would have been better if Prince Lucas had not been in it at all. Their romance felt out of place and even inappropriate at times. There were a lot of characters to keep track of even without the royal family, which occasionally made the story difficult to follow. I appreciate that Melanie Cellier tried to go in a different direction with this series, but there were still some fairy tale elements forced into the plot that didn't belong despite that. If it had been written for a different type of audience entirely, it would have the potential to be a terrific fantasy war epic.
The Spoken Mage begins with Voice of Power and is about a girl named Elena who lives in a world where only the nobility are able to read and write because this ability creates the power to cast magic spells. That means that commonborn people like Elena are banned from learning about the written word due to the dire consequences of uncontrolled bursts of magic from those who are not bred to use it properly. All of that changes when Elena accidentally casts a controlled spell using only the sound of her voice and is forced to study magic at the Royal Academy so she can learn how to control her powers. She is also sent there so the higher mages can keep an eye on her and have a better understanding of her unique ability. The series follows a traditional "chosen one" arc with Elena living an simple and ordinary life until she is sought out by many important people due to being the only person who can cast spells by speaking instead of writing. She struggles to come to terms with the fact that she isn't the normal peasant she thought she was and has trouble fitting in at the academy due to her lack of noble blood.
Similar to the Harry Potter books, Elena is treated as an outsider to the world of magic at first but quickly outshines all of her classmates by epic proportions. I found that The Spoke Mage series drew inspiration from many sources, which makes it difficult to identify a specific audience. The second book, Voice of Command , ends with Elena signing up for the military to save her little sister just like in the Hunger Games series and, to a lesser extent, the story of Mulan . At the same time, the books contain some fairy tale elements such as a romance with a handsome prince and the setting of a magical kingdom. Voice of Command is mostly about Elena helping the healer mages with a fast-spreading epidemic, which hits a little too close to home right now. The rest of the series focuses heavily on Elena using her powers to help fight in the war efforts, which encompass the majority of the third book, Voice of Dominion . Elena is so overpowered that she has little need for romance, causing her relationship with Prince Lucas to feel uneven and flat. It was difficult to root for them as a couple because I never understood what they saw in each other or had to offer. It feels like they only want to be together because she is the heroine of the story and he is the prince.
The relationship between Elena and her family, on the other hand, is much stronger than her romantic dalliance with Lucas. I loved her devotion to her sickly younger sister, Clemmy, and her older brother, Jasper, who studied at the University near the Royal Academy due to his superior intellect. It warmed my heart to see how much their parents cared about all three of them, and how protective they were over each other. Some of the biggest highlights in the books were Elena's visits to the University to check up on Jasper and the sacrifices that she made for Clemmy's safety. They feel like a real family that anyone would love to be part of. That's why the decision that Elena makes at the end of Voice of Dominion is so problematic and undermines a major theme presented throughout the series about respecting lower classes. The decision s completely out of character for her and emphasizes how the changes she went through after studying magic and living with nobility were not entirely for the better. Yet, this decision has no negative ramifications in the end and winds up being a deus ex machina for her poorly developed relationship with Lucas. For that reason, I found the final book, Voice of Life , somewhat less enjoyable than the other three.
Overall, I enjoyed The Spoken Mage series as much as I could, but it didn't have the same level of charm or romance as Melanie Cellier's fairy tale books. So much of it was about people trying to hunt down Elena for her unique skill, and in the end, it felt as though she lost track of what she was fighting for. She had the perfect family and could have used that to prove that being commonborn does not make one a lesser person instead of assimilating into the world of the royals and nobles. I think the story would have been better if Prince Lucas had not been in it at all. Their romance felt out of place and even inappropriate at times. There were a lot of characters to keep track of even without the royal family, which occasionally made the story difficult to follow. I appreciate that Melanie Cellier tried to go in a different direction with this series, but there were still some fairy tale elements forced into the plot that didn't belong despite that. If it had been written for a different type of audience entirely, it would have the potential to be a terrific fantasy war epic.
April 19, 2020
Everyone Is Singing Princess Songs!
In these tough times, we could all use a smile and a song to cheer ourselves up. Hollywood and Broadway are shut down right now, but the people behind them still want to bring joy to the world. That's why the past few days have been filled with beautiful musical performances for everyone with a computer to stream online from the comfort of their own homes. Various stage shows such as the Disney Cruise Lines adaptation of the live-action Beauty and the Beast movie and weekly recordings of Andrew Lloyd Webber's greatest hits that used to require an expensive ticket and carefully planned trip are now available to watch from the comfort of our own living room for free thanks to the magic of the internet and the generosity of entertainers. Many of the people who performed in these glorious productions still have the urge to entertain people from quarantine, so we were also treated to more recently recorded serenades of various Disney songs that follow the stay-at-home guidelines beginning with the Disney Family Singalong on ABC last Thursday night.This made-for-TV special was put together by a bunch of ABC celebrities who refused to go speechless while locked away in their towers. Performances included Auli'i Cravalho singing her signature song, "How Far I'll Go," from Moana , Ariana Grande performing "I Won't Say I'm in Love" from Hercules, and
The lights of Broadway didn't feel so dark on Friday when we received not one, but two pre-recorded shows streamed right into our towers for free on YouTube. Both of these shows were streamed to support charity funds for COVID-19 efforts on behalf of the performers. The first one was the next show in Andrew Lloyd Webber's The Shows Must Go On series, which started two weeks ago with a performance of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. This weekend he premiered the 25th-anniversary performance of his classic Phantom of the Opera at the Royal Albert Hall in London. You'd better watch it while you still can because this free show will only be available for a few more hours. The breathtaking performance stars Sierra Boggess as Christine, who I met about 15 years ago when she originated the role of Ariel for Disney's short-lived run of The Little Mermaid on Broadway. This princess of the stage really gives it her all as Christine in a gorgeous and emotional performance that shows off her amazing soprano vocals. Phantom is a popular show among princess fans because of its similarities to the plot of "Beauty and the Beast" as well as its beautiful love songs.
Shortly after this spectacular musical streamed live, Disney got in on the action with a Disney on Broadway 25th Anniversary Concert special that was pre-recorded in November. The stream was hosted live by
The tragedies we have suffered over the past couple of months remind us not to take anything for granted. I am incredibly grateful to all of these performers for filling my life with beautiful music during these trying times. You should definitely check these shows out if you need your spirits lifted with some hopeful princess songs, and maybe even sing along! I've always been an avid fan of musical theater, but the cost and travel challenges can be an obstacle to seeing as many shows as I would like. It's wonderful that these entertainers are using their talents to keep us motivated and even more so that they are promoting a worthy cause. You can use the YouTube links in this post for the Phantom of the Opera and 25th Anniversary Disney on Broadway concerts to donate to their COVID-19 efforts.
April 17, 2020
Review: The Jinni Key
I dove right into The Jinni Key after I completed The Stolen Kingdom by Bethany Atazadeh. This book is an adaptation of "The Little Mermaid," but it doesn't work as a standalone story as well as other series adaptations do. Instead of switching perspectives between the two new love interests, the book continues the story from Arie and Kadin's points of view from The Stolen Kingdom along with introducing us to Rena. As much as I liked this book, I would have loved to see some Gideon or Bosh chapters to offer more clarity and perspective on Rena's story. It also felt like Arie's story was dragged out into this book when it could have concluded in The Stolen Kingdom, but that's a minor gripe. I enjoyed The Jinni Key even more than The Stolen Kingdom overall since I'm a bigger fan of "The Little Mermaid" than "Aladdin."
The Jinni Key picks up right where The Stolen Kingdom left off except that now we see the point of view of the "Meremaid" Rena and the circumstances that turned her human. Like I was expecting, Rena comes off as less silly and vapid when the story is told from her perspective. Many characters in the book dislike her, and I can even see why some readers might get frustrated by her pragmatic goal-oriented personality, but I didn't mind it at all. She is a woman who knows what she wants. Ironically, the biggest obstacle to Rena's happiness is that she possesses an item that can grant anyone's deepest desire. She can easily use the Jinni Key to unlock a projection of people's wishes, but the act of granting them takes a huge toll on her body. There are many Jinn and Mere alike who wish to take the key from her, but it can only be passed on if she gives it away willingly. That is why she agrees to a bargain with her sister, Yuliya to allow her to use one of her magic shells to give Rena legs in exchange for the the opportunity to prove Gideon's love for her. Losing the bargain would mean giving up the key to Yuliya and staying underwater forever with Mere whose only interest in Rena is superficial.
The biggest strength of this book is how it illustrates the pitfalls of falling in love too quickly, a common theme in modern fairy tales. This is particularly relevant for a story about a woman who sacrifices everything to be with someone she met one time who was unconscious for most of it. A Princess of Wind and Wave by Melanie Cellier touches a little on the mermaid's idealized image of her prince, but everything still works out in the end. In The Jinni Key, Rena spends half her time on land just trying to find Gideon after several missed opportunities. Her agreement prevents her from talking about the curse, so she can't tell anyone why she needs to find him. It doesn't prevent her from talking at all, which gives other characters an opportunity to get to know her, which opens up more options for her to find love. Even though Rena comes off as a little naive and lovesick, the way Gideon treats her when they finally find each other is infuriating, but that's necessarily not a bad thing. Few adaptations acknowledge that the prince in "The Little Mermaid" treats the mermaid as a pet, calls her his "dumb foundling" and forces her to stand by him at his wedding to someone else. The Jinni Key does a different take on this concept by introducing a world in which the Jinn are prejudice against the Mere. As a Jinni, Gideon has an instant dislike for Rena not because of who she is, but because of what she is.
At first, I didn't like how much The Jinni Key focused on Arie and Kadin from the book's prequel, but I understood why it was necessary in order to to teach Rena about selflessness at the end. Still, I would have appreciated more interactions between Arie and Rena to show how little Rena knew about friendship as well as love. She seemed to have no friends in the ocean, so this book was a missed opportunity to build upon the power of strong female relationships. Arie and Rena usually felt like two separate entities unless it was convenient to the plot for them to help each other. Even though Arie considers Rena a friend, she doesn't have much reason to aside from the fact that Rena keeps following her around. The few times they do interact with each other, it is always about their love interests instead of sharing interests or learning more about each other. Rena proves that her naivete about love is not entirely a bad thing when she helps Arie mend her relationship with Kadin. By the end of the book, Rena has a much better understanding of what it really means to love someone.
The Jinni Key is a fresh and charming take on "The Little Mermaid" and a welcome extension to the story that began in The Stolen Kingdom. I enjoyed seeing Rena grow as a person throughout the course of the book and learn some difficult life lessons that everyone must eventually discover. The Jinni Key also does a great job of expanding upon the lore behind Bethany Atazadeh's series by giving the Mere magical shells that could perform various tasks and showing that prejudice still exists in fantasy worlds. Arie's story from The Stolen Kingdom finally received fulfilling resolution in this book. I wouldn't recommend reading The Jinni Key before The Stolen Kingdom, but it is an essential sequel once you have completed the first book. The third book in the series, The Cursed Hunter , a retelling of "Beauty and the Beast," is set for release on June 30th.
The Jinni Key picks up right where The Stolen Kingdom left off except that now we see the point of view of the "Meremaid" Rena and the circumstances that turned her human. Like I was expecting, Rena comes off as less silly and vapid when the story is told from her perspective. Many characters in the book dislike her, and I can even see why some readers might get frustrated by her pragmatic goal-oriented personality, but I didn't mind it at all. She is a woman who knows what she wants. Ironically, the biggest obstacle to Rena's happiness is that she possesses an item that can grant anyone's deepest desire. She can easily use the Jinni Key to unlock a projection of people's wishes, but the act of granting them takes a huge toll on her body. There are many Jinn and Mere alike who wish to take the key from her, but it can only be passed on if she gives it away willingly. That is why she agrees to a bargain with her sister, Yuliya to allow her to use one of her magic shells to give Rena legs in exchange for the the opportunity to prove Gideon's love for her. Losing the bargain would mean giving up the key to Yuliya and staying underwater forever with Mere whose only interest in Rena is superficial.
The biggest strength of this book is how it illustrates the pitfalls of falling in love too quickly, a common theme in modern fairy tales. This is particularly relevant for a story about a woman who sacrifices everything to be with someone she met one time who was unconscious for most of it. A Princess of Wind and Wave by Melanie Cellier touches a little on the mermaid's idealized image of her prince, but everything still works out in the end. In The Jinni Key, Rena spends half her time on land just trying to find Gideon after several missed opportunities. Her agreement prevents her from talking about the curse, so she can't tell anyone why she needs to find him. It doesn't prevent her from talking at all, which gives other characters an opportunity to get to know her, which opens up more options for her to find love. Even though Rena comes off as a little naive and lovesick, the way Gideon treats her when they finally find each other is infuriating, but that's necessarily not a bad thing. Few adaptations acknowledge that the prince in "The Little Mermaid" treats the mermaid as a pet, calls her his "dumb foundling" and forces her to stand by him at his wedding to someone else. The Jinni Key does a different take on this concept by introducing a world in which the Jinn are prejudice against the Mere. As a Jinni, Gideon has an instant dislike for Rena not because of who she is, but because of what she is.
At first, I didn't like how much The Jinni Key focused on Arie and Kadin from the book's prequel, but I understood why it was necessary in order to to teach Rena about selflessness at the end. Still, I would have appreciated more interactions between Arie and Rena to show how little Rena knew about friendship as well as love. She seemed to have no friends in the ocean, so this book was a missed opportunity to build upon the power of strong female relationships. Arie and Rena usually felt like two separate entities unless it was convenient to the plot for them to help each other. Even though Arie considers Rena a friend, she doesn't have much reason to aside from the fact that Rena keeps following her around. The few times they do interact with each other, it is always about their love interests instead of sharing interests or learning more about each other. Rena proves that her naivete about love is not entirely a bad thing when she helps Arie mend her relationship with Kadin. By the end of the book, Rena has a much better understanding of what it really means to love someone.
The Jinni Key is a fresh and charming take on "The Little Mermaid" and a welcome extension to the story that began in The Stolen Kingdom. I enjoyed seeing Rena grow as a person throughout the course of the book and learn some difficult life lessons that everyone must eventually discover. The Jinni Key also does a great job of expanding upon the lore behind Bethany Atazadeh's series by giving the Mere magical shells that could perform various tasks and showing that prejudice still exists in fantasy worlds. Arie's story from The Stolen Kingdom finally received fulfilling resolution in this book. I wouldn't recommend reading The Jinni Key before The Stolen Kingdom, but it is an essential sequel once you have completed the first book. The third book in the series, The Cursed Hunter , a retelling of "Beauty and the Beast," is set for release on June 30th.
April 11, 2020
Story Saturday: The Veiled Princess
"The Veiled Princess"Once upon a time, a princess was born while her kingdom was in the midst of a terrible plague. The royal healer was able to protect the newborn princess from the ailment, but sadly, the queen passed away shortly after. It was the queen's dying wish to name the infant princess Miri. The king loved his wife so much that he refused to ever marry again and was determined to make Miri the heir to the kingdom. Yet, he was concerned. The plague had taken the lives of so many. If he lost Miri, the kingdom would be without a successor. So the king did what he thought was best. Miri was locked away in a tower to avoid catching the illnesses of the outside world. To further ensure her safety, the king decreed an order that any servant who attended Miri in her tower must cover their face when they visit her, and she, in turn, must wear a veil that covers her nose and mouth in the presence of others. As a result, no one in the kingdom ever saw what Princess Miri's face looked like.
Though Miri led a lonely life, she was not entirely unhappy. Her tower was adorned with the most comfortable bed money could buy, and her closet was filled with beautiful gowns in every color imaginable. It was too bad that she had no one to show them to. Her most prized possession was a vanity mirror that hung on her tower wall with an ornate gilded frame that belonged to her late mother. The mirror was rumored to have magical properties that Miri discovered one day when she spoke upon it "Mirror Mirror in my tower, what shall I do to pass the hour?" A light flooded across the silver surface, and her reflection vanished. Miri was bombarded with flashes of images that revealed different parts of her kingdom. She saw many splendors such as noble festivals, children playing, and peasants tending to their farms.
Mimi grew dizzy from the numerous images that flowed past the once static surface. "Stop!" she shouted. To her relief, the projections stopped in what appeared to be an infirmary. She saw a healer tending to a few sick patients, but not nearly as many as she would have expected from what her father described about the illness that still plagued the kingdom. There was a boy who looked like he was around her age gathering tools for the healer. Miri gasped, for she had never seen another person's face before. He was handsome. Could he see her too? She made sure to adjust her veil, just in case. Miri called out to the boy, and to her surprise, he came closer. He knocked on the screen to make sure it wasn't an illusion. She assumed he must have another mirror on his side.
Over the next few weeks, Miri learned a lot about the healer's apprentice, Jacob. She was careful not to reveal her identity as the princess, but she told him many other things such as how her father kept her in isolation all her life to protect her from the plague. Jacob had heard about the devastating effects of the plague from his childhood. He assured her that no one had contracted that particular illness in years. In fact, most people he saw were quite healthy. He told her about how he came to work for the healer after she saved his mother's life. Miri admired Jacob for his kindness.
Jacob asked Miri to describe her symptoms, and she listed everything she felt, such as fatigue, loneliness, boredom, and physical weakness. He shook his head and explained to her that those were natural effects of living in isolation and had nothing to do with the illness her father had described. He asked her if she had any difficulty breathing without her veil, but Miri refused to remove it for fear that Jacob might find her ugly. She had grown too attached to him to take that risk. Jacob respected her wishes but regularly asked if it would be possible for them to meet in person. Though Miri continued to refuse him, her defenses waned over time. She had grown quite attached to him.
One day, Miri's father announced that he was planning a grand gala to celebrate her sixteenth birthday. Miri rejoiced at the idea of being around so many people until her father told her that it was too dangerous for her to attend. The guests would celebrate outside her tower, and Miri would look out upon them and wave from above. Miri was displeased by this, especially after everything Jacob had told her. She tried to explain to her father that neither she nor anyone in the kingdom had shown signs of the plague in years, but when her father asked her how she knew this, she backed down. When she was left alone again, she consulted Jacob through her mirror.
"Has your father ever seen you without your veil?" he asked.
"No," she said.
"Good. Then I have a plan."
A few days before the gala, Miri requested one hundred yards of embroidery floss from her servants. She told them that she wanted to prepare a special gown for everyone to see her in during the party. Once her request was granted, she worked tirelessly on weaving a ladder that would span the length of the tower. Each time her father or one of her servants came to visit, she would hide her work under her bed. When her sixteenth birthday arrived, the ladder was complete. At dawn, she slipped outside through her window, unnoticed by the guards who stood on the other side of her door. Jacob met her at the bottom.
"Are you ready?" he asked. She nodded, and without another word, she removed her veil. Miri took a deep breath of the cool morning air, marveling at the refreshing scent of dew and newly bloomed flowers. Jacob gasped, for Miri was the most beautiful girl he had ever seen. Soon, guests from all over the kingdom arrived for the party. Jacob and Miri blended right into the crowd. Some people asked Miri where she came from for she was a vision of loveliness. Miri simply smiled mysteriously and turned the conversation back them.
When the hour struck for Miri to greet her guests, her father gave an elaborate speech about how their coveted princess was about to grace them with her presence. All eyes gazed up to her tower window, where not a soul looked out up them. "She's probably just shy," said the king. "I'll go talk to her."
Miri stepped forward. "Wait," she said. "You threw this party for the princess who you claim to covet with your life, and yet you do not even recognize your own daughter."
"Miri?" the king gasped followed by every single attendee at the gala. "You can't be outside of your tower! You'll get sick. Our kingdom needs a queen when I am gone."
"You are the one with the sickness, not me. Jacob is a healer's apprentice, and he told me that the plague ended years ago. I am in perfect health, and I will never learn to be queen locked in a tower. I will go with him to learn more about the healing arts so that I can help my people when the next crisis strikes."
"You will do no such thing!" the king roared.
"I refuse to live under your control for one more day. I am the princess, and I will do as I please."
The king did not see Miri again until he was on his deathbed many years later. She and her husband Jacob tended to him in his final moments. It was only then that he admitted he was wrong to keep her away from the world. He was impressed with her skill in comforting his ailments as he felt himself fade from the world. Miri became a great queen who ruled her people with love. She let them have the freedom to come and go as they pleased, and when illness overtook them, she and Jacob tended to the sick with the utmost expertise. They both lived happily ever after.
Though Miri led a lonely life, she was not entirely unhappy. Her tower was adorned with the most comfortable bed money could buy, and her closet was filled with beautiful gowns in every color imaginable. It was too bad that she had no one to show them to. Her most prized possession was a vanity mirror that hung on her tower wall with an ornate gilded frame that belonged to her late mother. The mirror was rumored to have magical properties that Miri discovered one day when she spoke upon it "Mirror Mirror in my tower, what shall I do to pass the hour?" A light flooded across the silver surface, and her reflection vanished. Miri was bombarded with flashes of images that revealed different parts of her kingdom. She saw many splendors such as noble festivals, children playing, and peasants tending to their farms.
Mimi grew dizzy from the numerous images that flowed past the once static surface. "Stop!" she shouted. To her relief, the projections stopped in what appeared to be an infirmary. She saw a healer tending to a few sick patients, but not nearly as many as she would have expected from what her father described about the illness that still plagued the kingdom. There was a boy who looked like he was around her age gathering tools for the healer. Miri gasped, for she had never seen another person's face before. He was handsome. Could he see her too? She made sure to adjust her veil, just in case. Miri called out to the boy, and to her surprise, he came closer. He knocked on the screen to make sure it wasn't an illusion. She assumed he must have another mirror on his side.
Over the next few weeks, Miri learned a lot about the healer's apprentice, Jacob. She was careful not to reveal her identity as the princess, but she told him many other things such as how her father kept her in isolation all her life to protect her from the plague. Jacob had heard about the devastating effects of the plague from his childhood. He assured her that no one had contracted that particular illness in years. In fact, most people he saw were quite healthy. He told her about how he came to work for the healer after she saved his mother's life. Miri admired Jacob for his kindness.
Jacob asked Miri to describe her symptoms, and she listed everything she felt, such as fatigue, loneliness, boredom, and physical weakness. He shook his head and explained to her that those were natural effects of living in isolation and had nothing to do with the illness her father had described. He asked her if she had any difficulty breathing without her veil, but Miri refused to remove it for fear that Jacob might find her ugly. She had grown too attached to him to take that risk. Jacob respected her wishes but regularly asked if it would be possible for them to meet in person. Though Miri continued to refuse him, her defenses waned over time. She had grown quite attached to him.
One day, Miri's father announced that he was planning a grand gala to celebrate her sixteenth birthday. Miri rejoiced at the idea of being around so many people until her father told her that it was too dangerous for her to attend. The guests would celebrate outside her tower, and Miri would look out upon them and wave from above. Miri was displeased by this, especially after everything Jacob had told her. She tried to explain to her father that neither she nor anyone in the kingdom had shown signs of the plague in years, but when her father asked her how she knew this, she backed down. When she was left alone again, she consulted Jacob through her mirror.
"Has your father ever seen you without your veil?" he asked.
"No," she said.
"Good. Then I have a plan."
A few days before the gala, Miri requested one hundred yards of embroidery floss from her servants. She told them that she wanted to prepare a special gown for everyone to see her in during the party. Once her request was granted, she worked tirelessly on weaving a ladder that would span the length of the tower. Each time her father or one of her servants came to visit, she would hide her work under her bed. When her sixteenth birthday arrived, the ladder was complete. At dawn, she slipped outside through her window, unnoticed by the guards who stood on the other side of her door. Jacob met her at the bottom.
"Are you ready?" he asked. She nodded, and without another word, she removed her veil. Miri took a deep breath of the cool morning air, marveling at the refreshing scent of dew and newly bloomed flowers. Jacob gasped, for Miri was the most beautiful girl he had ever seen. Soon, guests from all over the kingdom arrived for the party. Jacob and Miri blended right into the crowd. Some people asked Miri where she came from for she was a vision of loveliness. Miri simply smiled mysteriously and turned the conversation back them.
When the hour struck for Miri to greet her guests, her father gave an elaborate speech about how their coveted princess was about to grace them with her presence. All eyes gazed up to her tower window, where not a soul looked out up them. "She's probably just shy," said the king. "I'll go talk to her."
Miri stepped forward. "Wait," she said. "You threw this party for the princess who you claim to covet with your life, and yet you do not even recognize your own daughter."
"Miri?" the king gasped followed by every single attendee at the gala. "You can't be outside of your tower! You'll get sick. Our kingdom needs a queen when I am gone."
"You are the one with the sickness, not me. Jacob is a healer's apprentice, and he told me that the plague ended years ago. I am in perfect health, and I will never learn to be queen locked in a tower. I will go with him to learn more about the healing arts so that I can help my people when the next crisis strikes."
"You will do no such thing!" the king roared.
"I refuse to live under your control for one more day. I am the princess, and I will do as I please."
The king did not see Miri again until he was on his deathbed many years later. She and her husband Jacob tended to him in his final moments. It was only then that he admitted he was wrong to keep her away from the world. He was impressed with her skill in comforting his ailments as he felt himself fade from the world. Miri became a great queen who ruled her people with love. She let them have the freedom to come and go as they pleased, and when illness overtook them, she and Jacob tended to the sick with the utmost expertise. They both lived happily ever after.
