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The Damsel
In the Synthetic Universe, there's a world where everyone has superpowers. Everyone, that is, except for one girl. She is THE DAMSEL. Having been isolated from society and her duties as an idol of peace, Sara is shocked to learn her parents have enrolled her in public school. She's willing to bet this nightmare of social anxiety and sexual harassment has something to do with the TV studio and its lead executive, Gupta, who only wants her to scream and look pretty in their new reality TV show.
In a bid to escape the cameras, Sara stumbles upon a reclusive hero who hides a bitter secret. With his help, she might be able to fulfil her childhood dream of becoming normal like everyone else-becoming a superhero. Yet, if the studio executives discover the secret identity of the new vigilante around town, Sara will be locked away in shame and her family destitute.
If the public discover she's shirked her sacred duties, there will be riots-and when 8 billion people have the power to punch holes in mountains, you won't like them when they're angry.
Just what is a poor helpless damsel to do to achieve her dreams? It's time to kick butt and not worry about taking names.
THE DAMSEL is a witty and fiercely imaginative take on both the superhero genre and the fairy tale princess archetype that weaves an endearing, action packed tale of an unexpected loner who just wants to be seen for who she is..
Some traditions are meant to be broken
"Damsel power!... Am I too invested in this?" - SJ Whitby, author of the Cute Mutants series
"Such biting fiction" - Vanessa Krauss, author of the Fatality series
"I absolutely do not want to miss this!" - Aoiffe Ni Coinnigh-Duibhginn, Folklorist
"Damn good" - Jason Peters, Aberrant Literature
"Witty and clever" - Darley Anderson Literary Agency
In a bid to escape the cameras, Sara stumbles upon a reclusive hero who hides a bitter secret. With his help, she might be able to fulfil her childhood dream of becoming normal like everyone else-becoming a superhero. Yet, if the studio executives discover the secret identity of the new vigilante around town, Sara will be locked away in shame and her family destitute.
If the public discover she's shirked her sacred duties, there will be riots-and when 8 billion people have the power to punch holes in mountains, you won't like them when they're angry.
Just what is a poor helpless damsel to do to achieve her dreams? It's time to kick butt and not worry about taking names.
THE DAMSEL is a witty and fiercely imaginative take on both the superhero genre and the fairy tale princess archetype that weaves an endearing, action packed tale of an unexpected loner who just wants to be seen for who she is..
Some traditions are meant to be broken
"Damsel power!... Am I too invested in this?" - SJ Whitby, author of the Cute Mutants series
"Such biting fiction" - Vanessa Krauss, author of the Fatality series
"I absolutely do not want to miss this!" - Aoiffe Ni Coinnigh-Duibhginn, Folklorist
"Damn good" - Jason Peters, Aberrant Literature
"Witty and clever" - Darley Anderson Literary Agency
599 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 6, 2024
2 people are currently reading
6 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
October 4, 2024
I always have very nice things to say about any book which makes me laugh out loud - and The Damsel did this. There is just something wonderful about the analogies and inner commentary of our MC. Even though some of the prose I was like 'ha ha what does even mean feeling like grated cheese?' there was always a certain vibe captured and it was never a negative feeling.
The story is quite well constructed, a depowered individual among superheroes may not be completely unique, however I felt the way this world was constructed was very original. I liked the way society is constructed around The Damsel (well when I say 'liked' I mean I like how it was written the world is borderline dystopia) and the objectification of the role has a scary message underneath the superhero antics.
Couple of cautions - this is a long and action-packed story, there is a TONNE going on, which if its your thing will be all the better, but there are some twists and turns on the way which made me go 'ok we're doing this now?' again not critiques more just trying to match story to reader effectively!
Thank you Emma for a review copy of The Damsel - its a goodie.
The story is quite well constructed, a depowered individual among superheroes may not be completely unique, however I felt the way this world was constructed was very original. I liked the way society is constructed around The Damsel (well when I say 'liked' I mean I like how it was written the world is borderline dystopia) and the objectification of the role has a scary message underneath the superhero antics.
Couple of cautions - this is a long and action-packed story, there is a TONNE going on, which if its your thing will be all the better, but there are some twists and turns on the way which made me go 'ok we're doing this now?' again not critiques more just trying to match story to reader effectively!
Thank you Emma for a review copy of The Damsel - its a goodie.
June 26, 2024
I saw the near 600 page count and thought, "There is no way this isn't just unedited bloat. I've seen enough bad booktok bait books to know this." Then again, those books aren't The Damsel.
The Damsel is a combination slice-of-life action-adventure heroine story, Spider Gwen meets The Truman Show. Our leading lady is Sara, a blonde and powerless person in a version of our world that caters to what is basically Kryptonians if they were all transplanted from Krypton before their star went supernova (speed, flight, laser eyes). As an underpowered person with unique blonde locks, she is destined to be fought over and viciously coveted, because anyone who protects a Damsel is considered the height of moralism, virtue, and power. But also, a spectacle that must be filmed; a position thrust that Sara utterly resents. She has always aspired to be a hero, powers or not, as she believes people should do more with the abilities they are given.
The Damsel is ultimately a story about proving ones worth and defying expectation regardless of circumstance and disability. As noted, Sara's considered to have a rare disability that leaves her underpowered, of which others find whimperingly fascinating. What isn't explicitly outlined but clearly hinted at, Sara also is level 1 on the autism spectrum as well as a lesbian. Author Jun covers inclusivity organically and without preaching. The novel has Sara of the future telling a story to her show's director, mostly starting when she's forced into the public eye by going to high school in her late teens. Being singled out as different leads to relentless and relatable levels of bullying, and I can't help but contemplate how much of the author's experiences influenced some of the encounters. To say the least, it was gripping, organic, and made me want to cling on to this story for the finale to see if the Damsel will achieve her goals of being more than just a precious object stored in a tower and become the hero she always wanted to be.
There's very little to remark about when it comes to flaws in this story. Author Jun excels at unreliable narrator, and while the reader might be able to read through the lines, it is intended to be narrated this way to give it a personal feel. As a YA novel, this isn't exactly YA for the current teenager demographic. Many of the references are targeted towards Millennials (but since the majority of people reading YA fiction are for some odd reason 30+ year old white ladies (I'm guilty, and yes, this is a stat. Look it up), then this might not be a problem.) The climax feels fast, almost rushed, and this is only because the general length and building of a proper training montage and so on is being used to develop Sara as a wannabe hero.
This is an amazing read. I've always loved Emma Jun's work, and is a stellar example of her work. I emphatically recommend it.
The Damsel is a combination slice-of-life action-adventure heroine story, Spider Gwen meets The Truman Show. Our leading lady is Sara, a blonde and powerless person in a version of our world that caters to what is basically Kryptonians if they were all transplanted from Krypton before their star went supernova (speed, flight, laser eyes). As an underpowered person with unique blonde locks, she is destined to be fought over and viciously coveted, because anyone who protects a Damsel is considered the height of moralism, virtue, and power. But also, a spectacle that must be filmed; a position thrust that Sara utterly resents. She has always aspired to be a hero, powers or not, as she believes people should do more with the abilities they are given.
The Damsel is ultimately a story about proving ones worth and defying expectation regardless of circumstance and disability. As noted, Sara's considered to have a rare disability that leaves her underpowered, of which others find whimperingly fascinating. What isn't explicitly outlined but clearly hinted at, Sara also is level 1 on the autism spectrum as well as a lesbian. Author Jun covers inclusivity organically and without preaching. The novel has Sara of the future telling a story to her show's director, mostly starting when she's forced into the public eye by going to high school in her late teens. Being singled out as different leads to relentless and relatable levels of bullying, and I can't help but contemplate how much of the author's experiences influenced some of the encounters. To say the least, it was gripping, organic, and made me want to cling on to this story for the finale to see if the Damsel will achieve her goals of being more than just a precious object stored in a tower and become the hero she always wanted to be.
There's very little to remark about when it comes to flaws in this story. Author Jun excels at unreliable narrator, and while the reader might be able to read through the lines, it is intended to be narrated this way to give it a personal feel. As a YA novel, this isn't exactly YA for the current teenager demographic. Many of the references are targeted towards Millennials (but since the majority of people reading YA fiction are for some odd reason 30+ year old white ladies (I'm guilty, and yes, this is a stat. Look it up), then this might not be a problem.) The climax feels fast, almost rushed, and this is only because the general length and building of a proper training montage and so on is being used to develop Sara as a wannabe hero.
This is an amazing read. I've always loved Emma Jun's work, and is a stellar example of her work. I emphatically recommend it.
March 6, 2026
I picked up The Damsel because I thought the premise was intriguing. In a world where everyone has superpowers, one girl doesn't, and her status as nature-made weakling and victim chafes at her. It's her job, her custom-made identity, her duty to humanity, to spend however many years she happens to survive chained to a rock, in essence, providing heroes with the affirmation they need that they're special even though they're literally a dime a dozen and proving to the world that saving the day means punching someone. Until one day, a damsel was born who said ...no thank you, I'll just save myself?
I did *not* buy this book for the writing but wound up in love with the writing, so bonus points for me. Absolutely fantastic, pithy prose. I'm a fool for wordplay and this book frequently had me cackling. I have been known to struggle with teen protagonists but found Sara to be such a snarky, angry kick in the pants that her angst just had me rooting harder for her. Like, yes, kid, you have wildly misread this situation and have everything back to front, but you're agonizing about it so wittily that I'm cool to hang around and listen to you.
I didn't find her relatable at all because her strength of will and determination are unnatural. Give up already, it's too hard! I jest, but honestly you do want her to win because she's facing off against a barrage of turds who deserve to lose. The conflation of her role as society's sacrificial victim with real world misogyny is blunt and obvious, and in my mind this was a smart choice on the author's part.
Weird book, which is as always praise on my part. Enjoyable read. Check it out.
I did *not* buy this book for the writing but wound up in love with the writing, so bonus points for me. Absolutely fantastic, pithy prose. I'm a fool for wordplay and this book frequently had me cackling. I have been known to struggle with teen protagonists but found Sara to be such a snarky, angry kick in the pants that her angst just had me rooting harder for her. Like, yes, kid, you have wildly misread this situation and have everything back to front, but you're agonizing about it so wittily that I'm cool to hang around and listen to you.
I didn't find her relatable at all because her strength of will and determination are unnatural. Give up already, it's too hard! I jest, but honestly you do want her to win because she's facing off against a barrage of turds who deserve to lose. The conflation of her role as society's sacrificial victim with real world misogyny is blunt and obvious, and in my mind this was a smart choice on the author's part.
Weird book, which is as always praise on my part. Enjoyable read. Check it out.
July 14, 2025
This is the story of a young girl living in a parallel world where everyone has super powers but her.
The story was interesting. There were a few annoying bits, but once the story reached the climax you understood why they were there.
The only thing that let it down for me was that I wanted to understand more about her background and whether things could be changed, and it was never fully explained.
The story was interesting. There were a few annoying bits, but once the story reached the climax you understood why they were there.
The only thing that let it down for me was that I wanted to understand more about her background and whether things could be changed, and it was never fully explained.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews