The Princess Blog

Realms of Caelia by Sara Farnsworth  is my favorite new series. Each book combines two well-known fairy tales to create a story filled with magic, adventure, and romance. I was thrilled to receive an ARC of her latest book, The Arrow and the Sword . Instead of fairy tales, this book combines two well-known British legends, King Arthur  and Robin Hood . It follows the popular trend of turning Robin Hood into a woman . I think I've read more books about female Robin Hoods at this point than male ones. What makes this book unique is that it combines the character of Robin Hood with Lady Guinevere, or Gwynn, as she is referred to here. As a child, I was a huge fan of Princess Gwenevere and the Jewel Riders , which loosely combined the King Arthur legends with the magical girl genre  and made Princess Gwenevere a strong leader . This book brought back many of the feelings I got from watching that show. Lady Gwynn is a master archer who can't seem to stay out of trouble. As sh...

Since I have a tendency to binge things, it's difficult for me to keep track of newer visual novels in Time Princess  when they keep getting split into two separate releases. Even though I completed the Mirror of Masks story, I had a hard time following it. Still, I have received positive feedback on my other Time Princess reviews, so I will cover this one as well. If nothing else, I love the overall vibe that Mirror of Masks gives off. Its 2D cover is a work of art, and it does a great job of creating a metaphor for espionage under the guise of  fake and pretentious  Hollywood glamour. That said, this story bit off more than it could chew by attempting to cover too many genres at once. Leila Federer is a young ingenue who just got her big break in a major motion picture. Nothing on set is what it seems when an actress is mysteriously murdered, and Leila is recruited to join a secret organization investigating the scandal. Suddenly, her ambitious quest for stardom turns i...

It's been three years since the announcement  that Jennifer Lopez was working on a serial adaptation of Rodgers and Hammerstein's Cinderella . At this point, it seemed like the project was cancelled, given that nothing else was announced since then. Impossible things are happening every day, and  Disney+ has landed the rights to it after a bidding war with Amazon. It looks like the pumpkin is still fresh. When it was first announced, three other Cinderella adaptations  were released within the same year. Enough time has passed that it isn't as derivative now as it was at the time. Still, the serial format is perplexing, not to mention the fact that it has been in production for at least three years and still doesn't have a release window. There have been new developments since the project was first announced, namely that it will be the backstory of the Fairy Godmother, which is reminiscent of another series that got announced years ago. The Deadline article states th...

The transformation sequences  from the upcoming Winx Club reboot were released a few months ago with a tease of the show coming "this fall." Now, the full trailer is available along with the official release date. We can expect to see this new iteration of the 2004 Italian Magical Girl series streaming on Netflix on October 2nd. To the best of my knowledge, this is the fourth time the show has been rebooted in the last twenty years, and hopefully it will be better than the previous attempts . The trailer reveals footage that is more reminiscent of the original series with some modern updates to the animation and characters, such as the transition from hand-drawn to CGI  and the soft-spoken Flora's Spanish accent in an obvious attempt to add more diversity to the show. A lot of the footage in the new Winx Club trailer had been leaked previously over the years that the reboot was in development, but the official trailer shows the finalized animation and designs, which lo...

Gilded Locks  by Julene Johnson  is the final ARC I received from the All That Glitters multi-author series of fairy tale retellings. I was eager to read a clean retelling of "Goldilocks and the Three Bears"  because the ones I had read  previously were not. Yet, the book veers way more toward an adaptation of Robin Hood  than Goldilocks, even though it is promoted as both, and the title gives off strong "Goldilocks" vibes. It is primarily a political drama with some romance and fantasy on the side. In that way, it differs from the other books in this series and may appeal to a different audience than the rest of the series. Still, it was a unique and interesting concept for the author's first novel. Grace Robbins is a Protector whose family's goal is to protect their community from a dangerous substance that melts everything it touches into liquid gold. The substance has little use outside of its destructive purposes, but it could be deemed valuable to th...

The princess lifestyle is a relaxing one that involves taking the time to admire the beauty in the world around us. Although the most obvious type of beauty is visual, which is typically  through clothing , princesses also create auditory beauty through their songs . While I've always loved singing, I've never done it professionally or at an advanced level. Non-operatic singing is generally pretty easy. It doesn't require an understanding of music theory or the ability to perform multiple notes simultaneously (which I'm pretty sure is physically impossible). Since I have recently acquired a great deal of free time, I decided to take my musical know-how to the next level by learning to play piano. My goal in learning piano is not necessarily to become an entertainer but to have a deeper and more intimate understanding of the songs I've known and loved for most of my life by being able to read and interact with the notes that comprise them. That's why I started my...

Lost Starlight  by Kayla Eshbaugh is the newest book in the All That Glitters multi-author series of fairy tale retellings. This book is a retelling of Peter Pan  that veers drastically from the themes of its source material. The author put in her end notes that she wrote it because she wanted to see a version of Peter Pan  where Peter and Wendy get together. While this made for a lovely fantasy romance, it detracts from the character's essence as the boy who never grew up. Still, this is a charming and sweet book that only touches on the J. M. Barrie play. Lady Gwendolyn is a shy storyteller who enjoys reading books to children. One day, she is hired for an important job at the castle, where she becomes the official storyteller for Prince Peter. Peter is enamoured with her upon sight and looks forward to hearing her read to him each day. After spending enough time with her, he decides he wants her with him always. His desire to marry her is interrupted when she is kidn...

With a multitude of  new anime shows  coming out every season, it's easy to spot trends in Eastern culture and observe how they differ from Western tropes . One trend that has been popular in anime for many years is the unassuming hero or heroine. This is a character who came from a life of emotional abuse, and is unexpectedly thrust into a supportive environment that they don't think they are worthy of. This is one of my favorite tropes because it often includes sweet and supportive romantic leads that blend well with the classic "Cinderella" story. It also adds more meaning to the glitz and glamour of royal life. The latest example of this trope is Betrothed to My Sister's Ex , which premiered as part of the Summer 2025 anime season. Betrothed to My Sister's Ex is the story of a mistreated noblewoman named Marie who was brushed aside by her parents in favor of her sister, Anastasia. When Anastasia dies in a freak accident, Marie is sent to marry Anastasia...

Diamond Wishes  by Abigail Manning  is the next of many ARCs I have received from the All That Glitters  multi-author series of fairy tale retellings. This gender-bent retelling of "Aladdin"  gives a fresh new take on the story, and not because it's about a female thief . It follows a similar premise to many other gender-bent retellings of "Aladdin,"  in which a thief is transformed into a princess with the help of some magic and joins a group of potential royal prospects for a prince. However, the third act takes the story in an entirely new and surprising direction that I never saw coming, much like Abigail Manning's other retellings . Kya is an orphaned thief who has been dodging the guards her whole life with a combination of skill and luck, as well as a mute guard she nicknames Jean, who was always looking out for her. Her pet parrot, Kipu, occasionally provides assistance as long as he can keep his beak shut. One day, Kya is propositioned by a mysterio...

I made a post here a long time ago about how to dress like a modern princess . However, I didn't provide many specific recommendations on where to find princess-themed fashions that can be worn casually in public. It is absolutely possible to have a princess wardrobe that isn't just Halloween costumes or fancy gowns. When I go out in public, the most common question people ask me is where I find my clothes. The good news is that in the years since I started my blog, it has become easier than ever to find affordable dresses inspired by or resembling classic princess gowns. As a disclaimer, this is not a sponsored post. My reviews of these vendors represent my honest opinions and experiences. Retro Stage  is a "fast fashion" website I saw advertised on social media a few months ago. They specialize in vintage fashion and feature many recreations of popular movie costumes, particularly Disney. They also have a large collection of themed bathing suits. All of their dresse...

Snow Bound  by CJ Brightley  is the latest ARC I've read from the multi-author  All That Glitters series  of fairy tale retellings. It retells the story of "East of the Sun and West of the Moon,"  which can be challenging to adapt. The author does a great job of avoiding the pitfalls of the original fairy tale while remaining true to its essence. All the main plot points are present, including the polar bear that turns human at night, the peasant girl who must break the curse, and the wicked goblin queen. The story eliminates the elements of forced marriage and broken promises, which makes the romance more acceptable. Aside from a few gratuitous violent scenes, it's a pleasant retelling of the original fairy tale. Gytha's family is starving and may not survive the winter if not for the help of a magical polar bear named Alexander. Since Gytha is the only one who can understand Alexander, she must convince her family that he does not wish them harm. Inspired by h...

Most people are familiar with  Shirley Temple and Shelley Duvall , but few are aware of their passion for fairy tales and how they used their fame and success to create new adaptations of classic stories and share them with the world. Both were successful actresses who had prolific careers during their lifetimes. After they became established in Hollywood, each of these women produced, hosted, and occasionally starred in a self-titled anthology series covering well-known and obscure fairy tale stories with celebrity guest stars from different decades. Though their fairy tale adaptations are not as well-known as Disney's, they played a key role in contributing original live-action fairy tale media  to the public that generally stayed close to the source material, aside from a few creative liberties. Shirley Temple's Storybook  premiered in 1958 when television was still a fairly new medium. Shirley Temple's talents were mostly used by Hollywood directors and producers whe...

At this point, I've read over half the books from the All That Glitters  multi-author series of fairy tale retellings. The newest release in this series is Feathered Thief  by JM Stengl , a retelling of an obscure Brothers Grimm fairy tale called "The Golden Bird."  It is an interesting and creative take on the story and incorporates a romance spanning many years. My biggest struggle with this book is that one of the characters has their memories altered, which is a trope that I've struggled with in other books I've read  in the past. The beginning and ending of the book are straightforward and romantic, but the middle portion can get murky at times. Regardless, it's a magical tale that is filled with enchanting and whimsical imagery. How can you not fall in love with this gorgeous artwork by Jenelle Hovde ? Prince Kazik has known since childhood that he wants to be with Princess Helena. It's too bad he doesn't know how to express that desire without t...

For the last thirty years or so, Disney on Broadway  has been protective of their live shows, encouraging fans to come to New York City and watch them with their families at high costs. A lot of things changed during the COVID lockdowns . For one, it has become more common for professional recordings of live theater to be made available for people to watch in the comfort of their own homes. In 2020, Disney shared their proshot of Tangled: The Musical , which had previously only been available on their cruise ships. They also tested the waters by releasing a proshot of the record-breaking Hamilton on Disney+. The lockdowns may be over, but their effects have had lasting changes on the media, making it more common than ever to watch live theater from home. The most recent example of this is their West End proshot of Frozen: The Musical , which is available to stream starting today on Disney+. I have my issues with the Frozen movie , but in my opinion, the stage show is the best adap...