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Review: Time Princess - Coming Calamities

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New visual novels in Time Princess  have been less frequent over the past few years and are usually posted in two parts. Such was the case for Coming Calamities, the latest visual novel in the popular dress-up app. This story is inspired by Norse mythology, which is a first for this game, with its impressive ability to come up with new content after having released so many other stories . The new fashions match well with the theme, providing a nice mix of Viking warrior ensembles and glamorous fantasy gowns. While the story was a bit lacking on the emotional side, it introduces a rich and whimsical world rooted heavily in Norse mythology. Travelers exploring Coming Calamities take on the role of Kaiya, a warrior chosen by Odin and prophesied to bring about Ragnarok, the fabled end of the age of gods. Since visual novel characters in Time Princess come are not always royalty, as the game's title would imply, Kaiya is portrayed as a member of a Viking family from humble roots in a fr...
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Review: Falling for the Enchantress

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Falling for the Enchantress  by Lyndsey Hall is the latest ARC I completed from the To Win a Dark Heart multi-author series of villainous retellings. This book combines the legends of King Arthur and Robin Hood , a combination that I have seen in another book I reviewed recently . These stories complement each other well because both take place in medieval England, and both were famously adapted by Howard Pyle in the late 19th century. This book stands apart from The Arrow and the Sword  in many ways, primarily that it focuses on different villains instead of heroes. Morgan Le Fay is known here as Morgraine, who must win over Stefano, the sheriff/witch hunter for Prince John. The dark romance in this book begins with an accidental magical binding spell that would have fit in well with last year's Tethered Hearts series . Stefano is a witch hunter, which fits well with this time period and setting, and Morgraine is in hiding to protect herself and her coven. When an accident...
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Review: Adriana and the Apothecary's Apprentice

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Adriana and the Apothecary's Apprentice  is the latest fairy tale retelling by my friend Kae-Leah Williamson , set in a mermaid universe. Like her other stories , this book is available for free on Wattpad , but don't be deceived. It has the length and depth of a full-length novel, combining two classic fairy tales in a rich fantasy setting. This book is a retelling of "The Little Mermaid"  and "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs"  with themes of prejudice, superficiality, and grief. It brings together an unlikely couple who have trouble fitting into their societies and find solace in each other. As customary of Kae-Leah's stories, this one begins with a prologue of how the main character's parents met, foreshadowing her future romance. Adriana is the princess of Bellasea, a superficial mermaid kingdom that places the most value on physical appearances . Unfortunately, her father is not conventionally attractive, which creates some discord in the kingdo...
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First Official Look at Sofia the First: Royal Magic!

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There has been a great deal of anticipation  for the upcoming sequel series to Sofia the First , Royal Magic. After many subtle hints on social media, an official trailer has finally dropped, giving us our first official look at the show. Set to premiere this May, Sofia the First: Royal Magic has an updated aesthetic that more closely matches other shows currently on the Disney Jr. roster. The color scheme has gotten a bit brighter, focusing more on rich jewel tones than the original series' soft pastels, but the character designs are faithful overall. Sofia's appearance has not changed too much despite having graduated Royal Prep , and she now has some new friends from the Charmswell School for Magic. The first thing that stood out to me about this teaser is how respectful it is to fans of the original show, unlike many  modern reboots or remakes  that tend to overlook what made the original so great, often alienating its core audience. The creators of this show clea...
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Review: Falling for the Wolf

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Falling for the Wolf  by Megan Charlie is the next ARC I read from To Win a Dark Heart , which brings together villains from different fairy tales. This book combines "Cinderella" and "Little Red Riding Hood" with slightly more focus on the latter. The story involves a werewolf, but his transformations have little to no effect on the plot. The espionage and criminal activity make the book feel more like an urban fantasy than a fairy tale. Overall, I thought this book was okay in comparison to the other ones I've read so far in this series. Tasia is exiled to a foreign land after revealing a secret to a prince and is forced to deliver goods for her extended family. Her poor sense of direction makes this a difficult task for her to follow without a guide, so she seeks the aid of Mitch, who she later learns is a werewolf. Mitch takes an instant dislike to Tasia's family, who are manipulative and abusive. He continues to aid Tasia until an even more dangerous...
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Review: Falling for the Dark Mage

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At long last, I've returned to the other half of the books in To Win a Dark Heart . Each book in this series combines two villains from different fairy tales to create a unique story, similar to Displaced Fairytales . My next ARC is Falling for the Dark Mage  by Lucy Winton . This book is the shortest in the series and can be completed within one or two sittings. It combines "The Frog Prince" with "East of the Sun and West of the Moon," with more of a focus on the latter. Set in a fantastical world, the book contains some beautiful descriptions of magic alongside lush settings and worldbuilding. Falling for the Dark Mage  tells the story of Seraphina, the daughter of a powerful sorceress who is trapped on an island full of mages with wicked intent. There, she meets Damario, a sorcerer who cursed a certain prince to become a frog. Seraphina is no stranger to animal transformations , as her mother botched an attempt to turn a prince into a type of enchanted bear...
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Review: Tangled Sails

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Tangled Sails  by Annette K. Larsen is the third and final ARC I signed up for in the upcoming Displaced Fairytales series. This book brings together the protagonists from "Rapunzel" and "The Little Mermaid" with a heavier focus on "Rapunzel." It is a heartwarming tale of healing, generosity, and personal growth. As the title implies, the book borrows some elements that are unique to the Disney version of the tale, but the worldbuilding and characters set it apart as an original take. Lyrielle has been locked in a tower ever since her magic powers manifested when she was a child. Her aunt invited the local villagers to stand at the base of the tower any time they needed healing from her long, magical hair. One day, in an attempt to escape her captivity, she fell through a portal into the ocean of another realm, where she was rescued by a prince named Tavric, who was searching for a mermaid who once rescued him from drowning. In order to pull Lyrielle f...
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Review: Scarlet

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There are many modern feminist adaptations of classic Shakespeare plays . One such movie is Rosaline , a comedic retelling of Romeo and Juliet  from the perspective of Juliet's jilted cousin from 2022. In 2018, Ophelia , a more serious take on Hamlet,  unveiled the perspective of Hamlet's ill-fated lover. Now, the concept of rewriting Shakespeare is taking over the Eastern world with the anime movie, Scarlet . This film is a creative and original feminist take on Hamlet , in which the titular character is gender-bent into a vengeful princess who traipses through the underworld in search of her wicked uncle. After witnessing her father's execution, Princess Scarlet is poisoned before she has the opportunity to enact her revenge. She wakes up in the underworld, where she undergoes a transformation into a warrior princess  and searches tirelessly for the undead spirits of her father and uncle. She encounters Hijiri, a paramedic from the modern world, who helps her see beyond...
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Review: Transformed Tail

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Transformed Tail  by Leialoha Humpherys is the second book I read from the Displaced Fairytales multi-author series. This book merges "The Little Mermaid" with "The Frog Prince," and I don't think anyone could ask for a better combination of fairy tales! Both stories are about transformed aquatic royals who need each other's love to maintain their human forms. This story takes the fun even further with its unique Hawaiian setting, positive environmental messaging, and adorable main couple. I'm  generally  biased towards "Little Mermaid" retellings , and this one did not disappoint . Prince Ezra has his reservations about a marriage alliance with Princess Cressida, but he feels obligated to perform his duty as second in line to the throne. He never expected to end up in the body of a frog when he came into contact with her magic ball. And not just any frog! Ezra is transformed into a coqui frog, a tiny invasive species that's being hunte...
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Why I'm Writing Original Princess Songs

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It's been seven months since I started studying music theory and learning to play piano . I've learned a lot in that time, even though I still have a long way to go. One of my longer-term goals, aside from my Princess Piano series , is to create an album of original princess songs that cover the topics Disney tends to shy away from in their adaptations. The working title for this album is Locked Tower. I recently recorded my first song, "Silent Siren," inspired by Hans Christian Andersen's "The Little Mermaid."  I went through a few setbacks along the way when trying to determine how to get the best quality sound. After testing out two microphones and recording three different tracks and mixing them together on my computer, I was pretty happy with the result, even though I know it's not perfect. The Little Mermaid is the story that was changed the most drastically by Disney due to its tragic ending and darker themes. I wanted to write a song that p...
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So Diva! Magazine Is Here for Your Girly Media Needs

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Remember when convenience stores had full racks of magazines with the latest news and gossip about every topic imaginable? Those days are behind us now, as digital media has taken over every facet of our lives. A small group of independent creators is out to change that. The MaryLoo  has teamed up with a few other girly media creators to launch a new girly media magazine, So Diva !  The first issue was released yesterday, and it covers everything from movies to books to original comics. This magazine promises to be a one-stop shop for all the current trends in female-targeted media. Right now, the magazine is only available in digital format, but the creators are hard at work producing print copies to distribute to their readers. I enjoyed most of the first issue since it covered many topics I have discussed in my blog, like the Winx Club reboot , Disney remakes , and girly games like Bye Sweet Carole . I also learned about some new things, like doll releases  based...
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Review: Burning Snow

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I'm taking a short break from my many To Win a Dark Heart ARCs to draw attention to another multi-author series of dual retellings releasing around the same time. Like To Win a Dark Heart, the Displaced Fairytales series  combines characters from two different fairy tales to create a new story. The only difference is that this time, the heroes get together instead of the villains. There are eight books in all, and they sound amazing! The first ARC I received from this series is Burning Snow  by Abigail Manning , which combines "The Little Match Girl" with a gender-bent version of "The Snow Queen."  I've devoured every book I've read from Abigail Manning so far , so I couldn't wait to dive into this one. Princess Safara has no idea what she's in for when she enters a marriage alliance with Prince Blamore. One broken mirror later, their kingdoms are cursed with an endless winter and a deadly disease plaguing the land by burning a special type o...
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Review: Falling for the Crystal Fae

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Falling for the Crystal Fae  by Anabelle Raven  is the most recent ARC I read from To Win a Dark Heart , placing me about halfway through this multi-author series. So far, every book has been a completely different experience, even though they all follow the same format of combining villains from two different fairy tales. This book combines the villains from "Aladdin" and "The Snow Queen" in an original fae fantasy realm. It takes place after their classic tales have completed, making it an original story about two villains on a quest for revenge against the heroes who took away their happy endings. The story begins similarly to Once Upon a Time in Wonderland , in which the female lead, Khiona, finds a lamp with a handsome genie inside, who offers her anything her heart desires. She agrees to free Andar, the genie, in exchange for a chance at revenge against the people who overthrew her. Andar has experience with overthrowing those in power since he once tried to...
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Review: Cosmic Princess Kaguya

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The latest princess movie on Netflix is inspired by an old Japanese legend, but it isn't a direct retelling \like The Tale of Princess Kaguya . Instead, Cosmic Princess Kaguya  takes place in a futuristic world where most young people are obsessed with a popular virtual reality game, similar to the anime movie  Belle . It also follows the recent trope of modern musicals like  Six  and Between the Lines  of taking back the narrative by attempting to give Kaguya a happier ending than she had in the fairy tale. Many aspects of the movie are fun and interesting, but it tends to jump around between too many different ideas. Cosmic Princess Kaguya  tells the story of Iroha, a teenage girl whose mother all but abandoned her, leaving her to grow up quickly at a young age. When she finds a baby trapped in a utility pole, she struggles with the decision to take it in or bring it to the police. The baby magically grows into a preteen overnight and bonds with Iroha, wh...
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Review: Falling for the Trickster

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Falling for the Trickster  by Lucy Tempest was the seventh or eighth ARC I received from To Win a Dark Heart , a multi-author series of villainous fairy tale retellings. When I realized it was the first in the series and released this weekend, I bumped it up on my list. This is the perfect book to kick off the series since it directly follows the premise of combining two fairy tales and bringing two villains together without overcomplicating it by adding  additional layers . The book is a retelling of "Rumpelstiltskin" and "The Goose Girl" with a heavier focus on "Rumpelstiltskin." It is a swoony fairy tale romance with relatable characters that takes place in a whimsical world of humans and fae . Ottoline was frustrated by her life of servitude to the spoiled Princess Gertrude, who mistreated her so badly that a fae noble took pity on her. Roderick granted Ottoline the power to impersonate Princess Gertrude just in time to meet her betrothed, a prince ...
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Review: Falling for the Pirate

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Among the ARCs I've read so far in To Win a Dark Heart , Falling for the Pirate  by Nicki Chapelway was the most surprising. This book subverted all my expectations of this multi-author series of dual villainous fairy tale retellings and gave me something I rarely see in this genre. It reads like a modern isekai show , in which the protagonists are regular people who are reborn as fictitious characters in a story they are somewhat familiar with. In this case, it happens to be a story that one of them wrote. This is a plot frequently used in anime, most recently with last season's The Dark History of the Reincarnated Villainess , but I don't see it as often in fairy tale retellings , and especially wasn't expecting it from this series, which already contains several unique features. Vera is a struggling screenwriter who just sold an edgy version of "The Little Mermaid"  that crosses over with Peter Pan  in the trend-setting style of  Once Upon a Time . Vera...
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Disney Casts Its Live-Action Tangled Stars

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After the massive Snow White  debacle , Disney was said to have put their future live-action remakes on hold , particularly one they were planning of the 2010 animated classic, Tangled . That plan didn't last long. It was only a few short months later that casting for the film began. Earlier this week, the official announcement was made  that the auditions were complete, and Teagan Croft  and Milo Manheim  were selected to play Rapunzel and Flynn Rider/Eugene, respectively. These two actors certainly resemble their animated counterparts and are safer choices than the diversity castings for The Little Mermaid   and Snow White , which resulted in much controversy despite both actresses giving the roles their all. Still, should this movie even be made ? I get it. Sixteen years is long enough for a child to become an adult, and yet the animated version of Tangled  still feels fresh in recent memory. Maybe it's because it never really faded away, being heavily...
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Is This Sofia the First's New Look?

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Disney Jr. has been sharing sporadic updates on their social media  to remind us that the upcoming Sofia the First sequel series, Royal Magic , is set to debut later this year. The frustrating part is that they are keeping the project very much under wraps, avoiding any artwork, plot, or production details, and focusing instead on nostalgic clips of the original show. This makes fans hungry for more information, causing them to turn to less reliable sources for any nugget of hype they can find. The Disney fan insiders delivered these coveted nuggets with The Disney Scope: Magic at a Glance , a Discord panel, which revealed some early leaks of Sofia's new design, along with potential new character and plot information about the upcoming show. Since this is not an official press release, all of this information should be taken with a grain of salt, much like the Mexican Sleeping Beauty project . Sofia fans had a lot to say about this first look at the sequel series redesign shared o...
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