What do you think?
The Courageous Princess #2
The Unremembered Lands
Her spirit is mightier than any sword!
The smart and plucky Princess Mabelrose has escaped a dragon and freed the people of Leptia from a tyrant. Journeying home, Mabelrose discovers that her father was coming to her rescue—but now, he and a posse of princes are the ones who need rescuing! So Mabelrose begins a new quest . . .
* The continuation of Rod Espinosa’s charming tale!
The smart and plucky Princess Mabelrose has escaped a dragon and freed the people of Leptia from a tyrant. Journeying home, Mabelrose discovers that her father was coming to her rescue—but now, he and a posse of princes are the ones who need rescuing! So Mabelrose begins a new quest . . .
* The continuation of Rod Espinosa’s charming tale!
240 pages, Hardcover
First published June 30, 2015
About the author
Rod Espinosa
296 books40 followersEspinosa's work on The Courageous Princess (Antarctic Press) got him on the nomination list for “Promising new talent” and also “Best artist” for the 2000 Ignatz Awards and the 2002 Eisner Award nomination list for “Best Title for Younger Readers”.
As both writer and artist, he has also authored the Neotopia series (4 volumes, 140 pages each), which was published in graphic novel form. In 2006, Novotopia, the German edition of Neotopia, got a nomination for the Max und Moritz Prize in the category 'Bester Comic für Kinder' (best comic book for younger audience).
His past work include the Battle Girlz series, a manga adaptation of Alice in Wonderland, The Alamo and Metadocs. He has also written and conceptualized popular Antarctic Press titles such as I Hunt Monsters, and Herc and Thor. His work is also be featured in a series of American History comic books dealing with the subjects of George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, Lewis and Clark, The Boston Tea Party, The Alamo, Jackie Robinson, The Underground Railroad, Abraham Lincoln, Patrick Henry, Cesar Chavez, The American Revolution, the Transcontinental Railroad, and Clara Barton. He has also worked on Classics such as: Around the World in Eighty Days, Moby-Dick, William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, and William Shakespeare's Midsummer Night's Dream. His latest graphic novel from Antarctic Press, is called Dinowars. He is currently working on an online graphic novel entitled The Prince of Heroes.
(Taken from here.)
As both writer and artist, he has also authored the Neotopia series (4 volumes, 140 pages each), which was published in graphic novel form. In 2006, Novotopia, the German edition of Neotopia, got a nomination for the Max und Moritz Prize in the category 'Bester Comic für Kinder' (best comic book for younger audience).
His past work include the Battle Girlz series, a manga adaptation of Alice in Wonderland, The Alamo and Metadocs. He has also written and conceptualized popular Antarctic Press titles such as I Hunt Monsters, and Herc and Thor. His work is also be featured in a series of American History comic books dealing with the subjects of George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, Lewis and Clark, The Boston Tea Party, The Alamo, Jackie Robinson, The Underground Railroad, Abraham Lincoln, Patrick Henry, Cesar Chavez, The American Revolution, the Transcontinental Railroad, and Clara Barton. He has also worked on Classics such as: Around the World in Eighty Days, Moby-Dick, William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, and William Shakespeare's Midsummer Night's Dream. His latest graphic novel from Antarctic Press, is called Dinowars. He is currently working on an online graphic novel entitled The Prince of Heroes.
(Taken from here.)
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 51 reviews
September 6, 2016
The first best thing about this volume is the font. The first volume had such tiny print I had to wear my reading glasses, then this one comes along and has a tidy large font. This continues to be a lovely fairytale type of story. Mabelrose returns home to find that her father has gone out to find her so she decides to go and rescue him. A few new people join Mabelrose and the King, her father, has a magical crew in tow. Fighting giants most of the time, all our characters end up going after the Dragon Queen and the book ends on a cliffhanger. The story is too sweet and nice for my personal likings but does make a delightful fantasy, especially for younger girls.
January 25, 2017
Viehättävää prinsessa ja lohikäärme -sarjakuvaa tarjolla! Taistelukohtaukset olivat tosin vähän julmia ja raakoja näin lastensarjakuvaan, mutta kerrassaan hyvää sarjakuvaa satufantasian ystäville. Kolmatta osaa kirjakaupan lähetyksessä odotellessa.
March 3, 2022
I have so many thoughts!!
I was a little disappointed. It felt like the story/drawing wasn't as good.. some of the characters looked different/just not drawn as well from the first volume.
The storytelling also felt a bit choppy or disconnected at times.. and even had some stuff that felt almost contradictory to the first volume. The main example I can think of is Mabelrose's cousins/grandparents. They were mentioned (the grandparents and at least one aunt) in the first volume but in this volume it seemed to imply that she basically grew up with her cousins.. who were never in the first novel.
Also.. the fact that the second novel ended on more of a cliffhanger than the first one kind of makes the whole series feel less connected.. more disjointed.
And I felt like there was a little character regression.. several points where Mabelrose wasn't consistent from her character in the first volume.. wasn't willing to tough it/do what was needed (example: didn't like the idea of getting dirty to throw off the trolls sent), was a little caught up by the fact that princes had come to save her (though to be fair.. that one seems like a pretty normal reaction..).. and then BIG SPOILER she seemed to be more concerned about Spiky getting sent into the portal of no return than her dad! I mean I guess I could make the argument that maybe at that point she was really starting to freak out because she was going to be alone again, for the first time since escaping the dragon in the first volume..
All that said.. I still enjoyed reading it! There were still parts that made me chuckle, and there were still some fun/cute drawings. The prince who turns into a frog when he's scared was fun 🤣 and Spikey is still adorable!
I was a little disappointed. It felt like the story/drawing wasn't as good.. some of the characters looked different/just not drawn as well from the first volume.
The storytelling also felt a bit choppy or disconnected at times.. and even had some stuff that felt almost contradictory to the first volume. The main example I can think of is Mabelrose's cousins/grandparents. They were mentioned (the grandparents and at least one aunt) in the first volume but in this volume it seemed to imply that she basically grew up with her cousins.. who were never in the first novel.
Also.. the fact that the second novel ended on more of a cliffhanger than the first one kind of makes the whole series feel less connected.. more disjointed.
And I felt like there was a little character regression.. several points where Mabelrose wasn't consistent from her character in the first volume.. wasn't willing to tough it/do what was needed (example: didn't like the idea of getting dirty to throw off the trolls sent), was a little caught up by the fact that princes had come to save her (though to be fair.. that one seems like a pretty normal reaction..).. and then BIG SPOILER she seemed to be more concerned about Spiky getting sent into the portal of no return than her dad! I mean I guess I could make the argument that maybe at that point she was really starting to freak out because she was going to be alone again, for the first time since escaping the dragon in the first volume..
All that said.. I still enjoyed reading it! There were still parts that made me chuckle, and there were still some fun/cute drawings. The prince who turns into a frog when he's scared was fun 🤣 and Spikey is still adorable!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 16, 2017
Princess Mabelrose is a kind fairy tale princess who isn't as pretty as people think a princess should be, who faces danger with pluck and solid determination.
In this story her father and a group of princes assemble to rescue her from a dragon, only to be captured. They soon discover that she's rescued herself and she's going to rescue them. The Princess and her great companions travel to magical places and have very grand adventures.
Copied from my review of book 1: The art style is a bit old fashioned like 70s manga and the storytelling is a bit formulaic but I think it adds to the classic fairy tale feel of the story. Princess Mabelrose is a good person, and I like the way she faces problems head on and stays positive. A good read for kids 6-12 but you might have to read it with the 6 year olds.
In this story her father and a group of princes assemble to rescue her from a dragon, only to be captured. They soon discover that she's rescued herself and she's going to rescue them. The Princess and her great companions travel to magical places and have very grand adventures.
Copied from my review of book 1: The art style is a bit old fashioned like 70s manga and the storytelling is a bit formulaic but I think it adds to the classic fairy tale feel of the story. Princess Mabelrose is a good person, and I like the way she faces problems head on and stays positive. A good read for kids 6-12 but you might have to read it with the 6 year olds.
July 18, 2015
~~Re-Read in 2019~~
I think my biggest question for Rod Espinosa, should I meet him again, would be what did he feel when he returned to the land of the Hundred Kingdoms and Mabelrose's story? Volume 1 was originally released quite awhile ago, and I remember seeing it in my local comic book store while in high school. And then in 2015, readers were given the answer to what happened following the events at the end of volume 1 to see Mabelrose continue her journey home. I'm glad to revisit this world again and will always guide others to her story.
~~Re-Read in 2017~~
This story still holds my attention and adoration with each time I read it. Mabelrose continues to remain an amazing female role model for today's young women. Her kind of courage is what I see in the faces of our young adult library patrons. If you have a middle-school or high-school-aged teen who is curious about or really loves graphic novels, I recommend this trilogy over and over again.
~~~Originally read in 2015~~~
After such a long, long wait, Mabelrose's story continues! Needless to say I was overjoyed to see The Courageous Princess, Volume 2 at our local comic book store. And I'm even MORE thrilled that volume 3 is scheduled to release at the end of summer! Mr. Espinosa has not disappointed, and I await the conclusion of Princess Mabelrose's journey.
I think my biggest question for Rod Espinosa, should I meet him again, would be what did he feel when he returned to the land of the Hundred Kingdoms and Mabelrose's story? Volume 1 was originally released quite awhile ago, and I remember seeing it in my local comic book store while in high school. And then in 2015, readers were given the answer to what happened following the events at the end of volume 1 to see Mabelrose continue her journey home. I'm glad to revisit this world again and will always guide others to her story.
~~Re-Read in 2017~~
This story still holds my attention and adoration with each time I read it. Mabelrose continues to remain an amazing female role model for today's young women. Her kind of courage is what I see in the faces of our young adult library patrons. If you have a middle-school or high-school-aged teen who is curious about or really loves graphic novels, I recommend this trilogy over and over again.
~~~Originally read in 2015~~~
After such a long, long wait, Mabelrose's story continues! Needless to say I was overjoyed to see The Courageous Princess, Volume 2 at our local comic book store. And I'm even MORE thrilled that volume 3 is scheduled to release at the end of summer! Mr. Espinosa has not disappointed, and I await the conclusion of Princess Mabelrose's journey.
December 31, 2015
I. CAN'T. BELEIVE. THERE. IS. FINALLY. A. SEQUEL!!!
That being said, I feel that this book was a little lacking in the plot and art department--I noticed a lot of character and environment images being reused in a sort of cut-and-paste fashion. The plot also seemed somewhat thin, introducing new characters and complications without a ton of effort made to flesh them out further. However, seeing Maybelrose back for more adventure and action was more than enough to make me love every bit of this book! Can't wait to get my hands on VOLUME THREE (another minor disappointment--waiting MORE! D:)
That being said, I feel that this book was a little lacking in the plot and art department--I noticed a lot of character and environment images being reused in a sort of cut-and-paste fashion. The plot also seemed somewhat thin, introducing new characters and complications without a ton of effort made to flesh them out further. However, seeing Maybelrose back for more adventure and action was more than enough to make me love every bit of this book! Can't wait to get my hands on VOLUME THREE (another minor disappointment--waiting MORE! D:)
November 21, 2016
Another good read from Rod Espinosa. If your looking for a princess who flips the script, this is a book for you. There is suspense and humor that hold the overall story together from the first to the second volume. I like the world that this author created with the easy to believe laws of magic and the twists from the characters. Overall, a fun read that I will be suggesting to children who come to visit.
October 11, 2015
I waited so so so many years for this. I read the first book so many times in elementary school that it's falling apart! This second book did not disappoint. Extremely excited to read the third book as well. :) this sequel had beautiful illustrations and landscapes with a great storyline and new characters!
August 17, 2015
Mabelrose sets out from Leptia on her way home, but when she realizes her father is in danger, sets off to rescue him. I love how so many fairy tales are effortlessly woven into this story of adventure and courage.
November 2, 2015
It's been a very long wait and we're glad it's over. Blew through #2. It seemed a little more like a Riordan plot than #1, but we'll take it.
November 19, 2015
I've waited a while to read part two and it was just as great as the first part. I love Spikey the porcupine. Now I just need part three to finish it off.
January 14, 2016
This is just such a great series! :D
I loved this one so much!
I loved this one so much!
April 5, 2016
Enjoyed this entry in the series much more.
April 9, 2016
Some of it is a bit cheesy, but it's the kind of princess tale I'm happy for the girls to read. This volume was even more exciting and captivating than the first.
September 27, 2016
great new mix of retellings
October 23, 2016
This one is better than the first.
Want to Read
February 1, 2020Note: I accessed a digital review copy through Edelweiss.
June 28, 2025
I finally got my hands on the second volume of 'The Courageous Princess', 'The Unremembered Lands', after revisiting and enjoying the classic first story.
I have to say, I don't think it is as good. There's just... a lot going on suddenly.
A lot of new characters and ideas are introduced, that are crammed in and seem to be fighting for attention. There is a new history and backstory for the protagonist, Mabelrose, and her royal family - mainly, its added-in members who were supposedly always there - when nothing of the sort was alluded to before. It's like a retcon, and revision of the original.
Even the artwork is a bit too clean, crisp, and standard in comparison. It is not as carefully detailed, fresh, richly coloured, and charming as before. Some backgrounds, like forests, mountains and landscapes, are clearly photographs. Not to mention, there's the creepiness of blot-eyes and empty-eyes on characters when they are not that far away in perspective in a panel.
The pacing is rather inconsistent, seesawing and jolty. The first 46 pages are dedicated to introducing new characters, where Mabelrose - you know, the titular courageous princess - isn't even present, and the next 11 pages are dedicated to the rewritten backstory for her (or is expanded upon, depending on your mileage). Everything culminates in a rushed ending (with a few reused character art panels).
Still, the actions scenes and set pieces are excellent and creative. Despite so much stuff going on, and characters to keep track of at every turn, they are there for a reason and are relevant. 'The Unremembered Lands' does progress the story and arc of Mabelrose, so it does not suffer from the typical middle book syndrome. The humour is clever, witty, effective and on point for the better part of the volume. The fairy tale inclusions, homages and influences are everywhere. Greek mythology characters are even added.
With an ungodly amount of (mostly male) characters vying for page time, Princess Mabelrose, the Courageous Princess herself, manages to outshine them all in every panel she's in.
She's a wonderful and fantastic heroine. She's not a typical action girl - she's a good and caring person trying to survive, train, and find her way home to her family. She is a leader and strategist in this volume. When men and male talking critters are not saving her, she is ordering them around and trying to keep them safe.
You see Princess Mabelrose and immediately think home, warmth, love and safety, regardless of being "the fairest in the land".
She is an absolute pro on a magic carpet. Makes sense, as she's canonically a descendant of Aladdin.
She has earned her character development. She really is a "strong female character", and she is no Mary Sue.
It's a shame that she has the worst fairy godmother ever. Seriously.
To go back to that retconned backstory of Mabelrose's: apparently Giovanna, the beautiful princess who outshone her at a prince's ball in the previous book, is her cousin! Whom she grew up playing with, along with Giovanna's twin sister, Anastasia. The cousins grew and eventually drifted apart, yet when Giovanna did appear in the original book, there was no indication that Mabelrose knew her at all. Or was that a different blonde Princess Giovanna? Or was the author reusing names?
Mabelrose's cousins - her mother Helena's older sister's daughters - are not real characters, anyway. I've read the third and final volume of 'The Courageous Princess' trilogy, and they are never given any dialogue, nor any interaction with Mabelrose; they only appear in the background of a few panels. Seems a bit wasteful, and a wasted opportunity to me.
Why can't Mabelrose have any female family and friends who aren't either absent, useless, treacherous or evil? Don't leave the female empowerment and non-stereotyping entirely on this teenager's shoulders! She needs strong girl power support and influence.
Is Gaze, one of the princes recruited by Mabelrose's father, Jeryk, in joining him in finding and saving Mabelrose, supposed to be of ambiguous gender or sexuality? "He" is thought to be a girl once by the other princes (including womanising git Hearfar), because he isn't interested in beautiful female fairies. Gaze (who is that Medusa's child, BTW) is never shown to be interested in Mabelrose romantically, unlike the other princes (with varying degrees of shallowness). Queercoding in children's media in the 2000s and early 2010s was weird.
'The Unremembered Lands' also has the best iteration - the coolest cat - of Puss in Boots since Antonio Banderas.
That's all I'll say. Fortunately, in my opinion, the final instalment in 'The Courageous Princess' comic book trilogy, 'The Dragon Queen', is an improvement on this one.
Stay tuned for my review of that, and my concluding thoughts on this particular, unique fairy tale princess series.
Final Score: 3/5
I have to say, I don't think it is as good. There's just... a lot going on suddenly.
A lot of new characters and ideas are introduced, that are crammed in and seem to be fighting for attention. There is a new history and backstory for the protagonist, Mabelrose, and her royal family - mainly, its added-in members who were supposedly always there - when nothing of the sort was alluded to before. It's like a retcon, and revision of the original.
Even the artwork is a bit too clean, crisp, and standard in comparison. It is not as carefully detailed, fresh, richly coloured, and charming as before. Some backgrounds, like forests, mountains and landscapes, are clearly photographs. Not to mention, there's the creepiness of blot-eyes and empty-eyes on characters when they are not that far away in perspective in a panel.
The pacing is rather inconsistent, seesawing and jolty. The first 46 pages are dedicated to introducing new characters, where Mabelrose - you know, the titular courageous princess - isn't even present, and the next 11 pages are dedicated to the rewritten backstory for her (or is expanded upon, depending on your mileage). Everything culminates in a rushed ending (with a few reused character art panels).
Still, the actions scenes and set pieces are excellent and creative. Despite so much stuff going on, and characters to keep track of at every turn, they are there for a reason and are relevant. 'The Unremembered Lands' does progress the story and arc of Mabelrose, so it does not suffer from the typical middle book syndrome. The humour is clever, witty, effective and on point for the better part of the volume. The fairy tale inclusions, homages and influences are everywhere. Greek mythology characters are even added.
With an ungodly amount of (mostly male) characters vying for page time, Princess Mabelrose, the Courageous Princess herself, manages to outshine them all in every panel she's in.
She's a wonderful and fantastic heroine. She's not a typical action girl - she's a good and caring person trying to survive, train, and find her way home to her family. She is a leader and strategist in this volume. When men and male talking critters are not saving her, she is ordering them around and trying to keep them safe.
You see Princess Mabelrose and immediately think home, warmth, love and safety, regardless of being "the fairest in the land".
She is an absolute pro on a magic carpet. Makes sense, as she's canonically a descendant of Aladdin.
She has earned her character development. She really is a "strong female character", and she is no Mary Sue.
It's a shame that she has the worst fairy godmother ever. Seriously.
To go back to that retconned backstory of Mabelrose's: apparently Giovanna, the beautiful princess who outshone her at a prince's ball in the previous book, is her cousin! Whom she grew up playing with, along with Giovanna's twin sister, Anastasia. The cousins grew and eventually drifted apart, yet when Giovanna did appear in the original book, there was no indication that Mabelrose knew her at all. Or was that a different blonde Princess Giovanna? Or was the author reusing names?
Mabelrose's cousins - her mother Helena's older sister's daughters - are not real characters, anyway. I've read the third and final volume of 'The Courageous Princess' trilogy, and they are never given any dialogue, nor any interaction with Mabelrose; they only appear in the background of a few panels. Seems a bit wasteful, and a wasted opportunity to me.
Why can't Mabelrose have any female family and friends who aren't either absent, useless, treacherous or evil? Don't leave the female empowerment and non-stereotyping entirely on this teenager's shoulders! She needs strong girl power support and influence.
Is Gaze, one of the princes recruited by Mabelrose's father, Jeryk, in joining him in finding and saving Mabelrose, supposed to be of ambiguous gender or sexuality? "He" is thought to be a girl once by the other princes (including womanising git Hearfar), because he isn't interested in beautiful female fairies. Gaze (who is that Medusa's child, BTW) is never shown to be interested in Mabelrose romantically, unlike the other princes (with varying degrees of shallowness). Queercoding in children's media in the 2000s and early 2010s was weird.
'The Unremembered Lands' also has the best iteration - the coolest cat - of Puss in Boots since Antonio Banderas.
That's all I'll say. Fortunately, in my opinion, the final instalment in 'The Courageous Princess' comic book trilogy, 'The Dragon Queen', is an improvement on this one.
Stay tuned for my review of that, and my concluding thoughts on this particular, unique fairy tale princess series.
Final Score: 3/5
July 2, 2024
It’s awkward to read a book that’s part of a trilogy and plops you down in the middle of the action. But this graphic novel came into my hands by accident and I’ve read another work by the author/illustrator that I liked a great deal. So I assayed the task of unraveling the story.
Our tale thus far: Princess Mablerose was kidnapped by a dragon. She managed to escape. Along the way, she made unusual friends, liberated a realm, hobnobbed with other royalty and forged powerful ties with other kingdoms. Mablerose’s independence, valor, intelligence and battle cunning mean that she doesn’t wait around for princes to come rescue her.
This book sets her on another adventure. Unbeknownst to her, her father has gone on his own quest to free his daughter from the dragon, unaware that she has already freed herself. This emphasizes that unusual nature of this story: two questers, working at cross purposes and certain to miss each other.
The novel manages to present quite a few surprises as Mablerose tries to get back to her kingdom of New Tinsley, only to double back when her father gets captured and dragged into enemy territory. She meets familiar characters in…curious skins, to say the least. The action is well paced and even manages a fight scene or two.
The illustrations place figures that look like something out of anime against photorealistic backdrops, such as when Mablerose and her inept fairy godmother look out upon a vista of mountains, lakes and a flat gray sky. It’s glorious, breathtaking visuals interspersed with humorous or poignant moments. The revelation of the villain was a shock and the author keeps the tension and suspense going even after we learn who’s seemingly behind the attack on Mablerose. The motivation, plans and future actions of the villain will have to wait. In the meantime, I need to get my hands on volumes one and three of this series.
Our tale thus far: Princess Mablerose was kidnapped by a dragon. She managed to escape. Along the way, she made unusual friends, liberated a realm, hobnobbed with other royalty and forged powerful ties with other kingdoms. Mablerose’s independence, valor, intelligence and battle cunning mean that she doesn’t wait around for princes to come rescue her.
This book sets her on another adventure. Unbeknownst to her, her father has gone on his own quest to free his daughter from the dragon, unaware that she has already freed herself. This emphasizes that unusual nature of this story: two questers, working at cross purposes and certain to miss each other.
The novel manages to present quite a few surprises as Mablerose tries to get back to her kingdom of New Tinsley, only to double back when her father gets captured and dragged into enemy territory. She meets familiar characters in…curious skins, to say the least. The action is well paced and even manages a fight scene or two.
The illustrations place figures that look like something out of anime against photorealistic backdrops, such as when Mablerose and her inept fairy godmother look out upon a vista of mountains, lakes and a flat gray sky. It’s glorious, breathtaking visuals interspersed with humorous or poignant moments. The revelation of the villain was a shock and the author keeps the tension and suspense going even after we learn who’s seemingly behind the attack on Mablerose. The motivation, plans and future actions of the villain will have to wait. In the meantime, I need to get my hands on volumes one and three of this series.
September 24, 2020
Princess Mabelrose has escaped the dragon who kidnapped her, and after many adventures, is on her way home. Her father, however, doesn't knot that, and is still in the process of gathering a force to go rescue her. He's having trouble getting people to help, though, since the giants are mounting an attack on the Hundred Kingdoms (all inhabited by different fairy tale characters) and the local rulers are harboring their forces to fight it back. The king does manage to collect about ten heroes teenaged children of heroes with specific powers to help in his quest, so he sets off for the Unremembered Lands just as Mabelrose is returning. Mabelrose doesn't get to stay long in the Hundred Kingdoms, though, as she hears that her father is now in need of her help. More adventure, anyone?
These are such fun and adventurous graphic novels, with gorgeous illustrations and interesting characters, like Mabelrose's sidekick, who is a talking porcupine. Also a sentient rope and a flying carpet. It's fun trying to figure out which fairy tale the characters are originally from (or which one their parents are from), and despite being in the fractured fairy tale genre, this is a perilous adventure and you do care about the characters and what happens to them. Humor and heart is always a combination that wins me over!
These are such fun and adventurous graphic novels, with gorgeous illustrations and interesting characters, like Mabelrose's sidekick, who is a talking porcupine. Also a sentient rope and a flying carpet. It's fun trying to figure out which fairy tale the characters are originally from (or which one their parents are from), and despite being in the fractured fairy tale genre, this is a perilous adventure and you do care about the characters and what happens to them. Humor and heart is always a combination that wins me over!
April 24, 2023
At a certain point, a whole lot of characters are added to the story, and I do think it achieves the aim of making this more of an epic fantasy, and it’s obvioüos that we’re supposed to recognize them from other tales (as mentioned in my review of #1, this series takes place in one of those post-fairy-tale mish-mash worlds, but dœsn’t dwell on it), but they were introduced in an almost-montage, and after that it became a little hard to follow. The author helpfully differentiätes among them by having some of them end of with the main character and some with her father, but it wasn’t totally effective.
The dragons in the world have some long names. My son and I were joking that unwieldy names are how dragons in this world source their power. I probably wouldn’t’ve noticed, but I’m reading it aloud to him (and nominally to my daughter who, despite the title, is not overly interested) and I stumbled over them at first.
I think I’m more invested in the narrative than after the first volume, and this one definitely ends on a cliffhanger, so we’re likely to finish the trilogy one of these days.
The dragons in the world have some long names. My son and I were joking that unwieldy names are how dragons in this world source their power. I probably wouldn’t’ve noticed, but I’m reading it aloud to him (and nominally to my daughter who, despite the title, is not overly interested) and I stumbled over them at first.
I think I’m more invested in the narrative than after the first volume, and this one definitely ends on a cliffhanger, so we’re likely to finish the trilogy one of these days.
April 23, 2022
If you like fairy tales and fractured fairy tales then this is the comic for you.
In the second volume Mabelrose goes to find her father and save him. Along the way she meets his crew that went out to save her. This time she saves them and they help her too. Finally she is able to help her father but he and his crew make a sacrifice to save her. The whole point of her father’s mission. But I believe they trust her and have faith in her that if she was able to save herself, she might be able to save them too…. again.
In the second volume Mabelrose goes to find her father and save him. Along the way she meets his crew that went out to save her. This time she saves them and they help her too. Finally she is able to help her father but he and his crew make a sacrifice to save her. The whole point of her father’s mission. But I believe they trust her and have faith in her that if she was able to save herself, she might be able to save them too…. again.
April 27, 2019
Just like the first book, I am not disappointed! My favorite character is probably the little hedgehog guy-Spikey, (right?)the whole family or Mabelrose,(they are supppppperr kind) and the Lion-Argaile,(also super nice).
I lovvvveee the drawing style the author used, so beautiful and appealing.
I like this book slightly better because there are more characters now, and the action is getting more awesome.
Again, probably one of my favorite graphic novels!!!
Read thisssssssssssssss
I lovvvveee the drawing style the author used, so beautiful and appealing.
I like this book slightly better because there are more characters now, and the action is getting more awesome.
Again, probably one of my favorite graphic novels!!!
Read thisssssssssssssss
May 4, 2021
A little disappointed if I am being honest. There wasn't much of a plot and the characters were meh because we didn't spend a lot of time with them. Gaze is growing on me but we still don't get to know the princes as much and that is a shame. It dragged a bit in parts, especially when the characters were just retelling the previous story from Book 1 to remind us what happened.
I give it a meh and a shoulder shrug but since this is a trilogy I may as well see how it ends.
I give it a meh and a shoulder shrug but since this is a trilogy I may as well see how it ends.
October 15, 2017
Wonderful illustrations. I loved all the mentions of numerous fairy tales - especially those that are less known. Several different events transpire that help me get to know the characters more and make me really like Mabelrose. I love the hardback book with the raised graphic on the cover. It is definitely a series I want to continue to read.
December 27, 2017
Princess Mabelrose's story continues. This book is pretty evenly split between the story of her father gathering a team to try and rescue her and Mabelrose's journey to try and get home. New characters are introduced and a new villain. Mabelrose continues to be a dynamic character who doesn't just sit and let things happen but works to further her goals.
July 19, 2022
Fantasy comic book with a strong female lead. The illustrations were similar to Studio Ghibli style. It was a fast read filled with familiar characters like Puss in boots, the frog prince, the beanstalk giants, Medusa and some have aged to have children of their own. The children have now gone on their own adventure to save the Princess, who didn't need to be saved.
July 13, 2017
I didn't enjoy the story line or the artwork in this second book quite as much as the first. It seemed to lack the sweet simplicity that made the first so memorable and appealing. But it was still very enjoyable and climactic.
August 18, 2019
I’m hovering between a 4 and a 5 for this one. I love the classic fairy tale incorporations in the story. I love how Princess Mabel is strong and capable, but is still vulnerable and needs help from her friends. I’ll read the next book in the series to make up my mind.
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September 30, 2022I love love love that Mabelrose is brown and that her dad is Middle Eastern looking.
This was a good story.
I wish it didn't mention thanking the plural gods so much so that I could recommend this to more people.
This was a good story.
I wish it didn't mention thanking the plural gods so much so that I could recommend this to more people.
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