General Observation: ~The Plot Thickens: While I thoroughly enjoy this series thus far, the short number of pages inside these volumes leaves little spGeneral Observation: ~The Plot Thickens: While I thoroughly enjoy this series thus far, the short number of pages inside these volumes leaves little space for plot development, which means the author and the artist have to justify every page. In my view, I suspect this is going to be a series that requires multiple re-readings for all the pieces to come together.
In the previous volume, the ghosts of the Elder Gods are wandering around in this dimension, easily seen by the Arcane. During this volume, the reader finds out a little more about the Elder Gods, how they came to be in this dimension, and small hints of the war between The Ancients and The Elder Gods. Although, given the fact that the reader receives this information via the Bloody Fox, it might not be the most reliable.
On the plus side, it was good to finally know something about the Elder God lurking inside of Maika, and his connection to the mysterious Shaman Empress. It was also good to finally know something a little more about Maika’s mother Moriko. Let’s just say that Moriko Half-wolf is a very mysterious woman with plenty of enemies and allies. In this volume, the reader gets a small amount of information on the Half-wolf family politics, why Maika doesn’t have any contact with relatives, and how the Dawn Court is involved in all this mess.
~Character Development: It’s great to see Kippa’s personality develop in this volume. Kippa still follows Maika around like a lost puppy, but in this volume, Kippa learns how to swim, she’s quite capable of standing up for herself, and asserting what she wants.
At first, I kind of objected to Maika’s attitude and treatment of Kippa. I get why Maika is the way she is: her mother was killed mysteriously and she was forced to live in horrific conditions inside of slave concentration camp. Poor social skills and a lack of empathy are a given under those conditions.
On the other hand, the reader sees Maika’s flashbacks of her childhood and the sorts of… “lessons” her mother taught her, all with the “good intentions” of making sure Maika survives. To me, it’s clear Moriko loved her daughter, but she doesn’t appear to have a conventional way of showing it. Then again, given how the plot is going, perhaps Moriko suspected Maika’s life would be harder than the average Arcane.
So I guess, in a weird way, it makes sense that Maika has been treating Kippa the same way her mother treated her. Maika wants Kippa to survive even though Maika is the biggest threat to Kippa’s safety. The bonding between the main trio is sweet but concerning.
All in all, an intriguing volume to a complex series that unfortunately raised more questions than it answered, but I guess that’s okay, I assume that it’s all part of the plan. Hopefully, there will be more answers about the Dawn and Dusk Court in volume three (which isn’t out until August)....more
**spoiler alert** General Observations: ~Before, During and After: The Princess Diarist goes through three phases: Carrie Fisher’s life before Star War**spoiler alert** General Observations: ~Before, During and After: The Princess Diarist goes through three phases: Carrie Fisher’s life before Star Wars, during Stars Wars and after Star Wars. I must confess the before and after periods were more interesting to me that the segment during Star Wars.
That is not to say the during Star Wars segment lacked for interest. I liked reading about how she was nervous for her audition, how she was afraid she would be fired for not losing weight, I enjoyed reading about her hair and make-up sessions and her talking to the cast and crew, these parts were genuinely interesting. But a large chunk of the section was Carrie Fisher being obsessed with Harrison Ford.
As it was a three-month affair with little substance, it was far more interesting to Carrie Fisher than it was to me, but given Carrie Fisher’s age at the time, it’s understandable. There’s a reason why some people re-read their old journals containing passages written by a love-sick teenager and wish to burn them, however, I’m glad Carrie Fisher resisted that impulse (even if it did drag on a little too long).
~Sexism in Cinema: Seriously, Carrie Fisher is one of the greatest examples of Sexism and Misogyny in Cinema, while Harrison Ford and even Mark Hamill get to move on from Star Wars and complete other projects, Carrie Fisher is immortalised in that stupid metal bikini outfit (seriously, Madame Tussauds Wax Emporium has immortalised Carrie Fisher as Princess Leia in that particular outfit with Jabba the Hut holding the chain and lurking right behind her, what the holy fuck?). Carrie Fisher is a brilliant writer and damn good actress and she deserves/deserved better than that.
~Right In The Feels: Unlike Wishful Drinking and Shockaholic, The Princess Diaries were difficult for me to get into, I suppose when you read memoirs detailing Carrie Fisher’s problems with alcohol, then read chapters from a nineteen-year-old Carrie Fisher’s perspective about how she doesn’t like to drink, there can be some disconnect.
I suppose the biggest problem I had with The Princess Diarist was that parts of the book were long segments of introspection of a young woman, starting out as an emerging artist, playing the role of entertainer to cover up the fact that she was deeply unsure and insecure of herself, in other words, it was deeply and uncomfortably familiar.
Wishful Drinking and Shockaholic are the recollections and reflections of an older woman who knows that she has bi-polar, the recollections and reflections of The Princess Diarist are from the perspective of nineteen-year-old woman who isn’t aware that she has bi-polar yet, and is struggling to figure out who she is and what she wants, as well as how to deal with undiagnosed mental health problems.
It was difficult to for me to grapple with the idea that, at one time, Carrie Fisher could be someone like myself, which I suppose was the purpose of the book, one must be a princess before one can become a general.
In conclusion, an interesting insight into the mind of Carrie Fisher, a legendary icon, at a particular stage of her life. It’s a little slow to get into, and there’s not as many jokes, but I consider it a worthy read as I was glued to every page....more
B. R. Kyle
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