The Princess Blog

The latest ARC I received from NetGalley was The Princess Knight  by Cait Jacobs. This book has a generic-sounding title , which made me expect something along the lines of the overdone warrior princess trope . I was pleasantly surprised to find that it actually had a feminine protagonist who wasn't much of a fighter. The book is actually a stealth medieval retelling of Legally Blonde , particularly the Broadway version. Being a huge fan of the musical, I had a lot of fun catching the many references to it peppered throughout the book. For marketing purposes, I do wish the title made it more obvious that this is a retelling because I think that would help widen its reader appeal. I'm not sure exactly what it should be called to do that, though. Royally Blonde ? Legally Knighted ? Legally Princess ? Princess Clia is in an arranged marriage with Prince Domhnall to forge an alliance between their kingdoms. She is blindsided when Domhnall unexpectedly breaks off the engagement for...

Rapunzel's Gambit  by Mary Mecham is the second ARC I received from the upcoming  All That Glitters mult-author series of fairy tale retellings. Though it is meant to be a retelling of "Rapunzel,"  it has a lot more in common with a book from 1990 called Dealing with Dragons , which was about a princess who was tired of her royal duties and ran away to live with a dragon. This version of Rapunzel is feisty, aggressive, and a bit spoiled. A far cry from an innocent maiden who was kidnapped as a child, she is raised by a wealthy king and believes she can do a better job running the kingdom than him due to his overtaxation of the people. It follows many of the modern princess tropes  from recent Disney remakes . Princess Rapunzel's favorite hobby is causing trouble for everyone around her. She is a shameless flirt, a shrewd chess player, and a royal rebel. Her father is frustrated with her antics and decides to marry her off to the first person who can slay the dragon...

The recent talk about live-action "Snow White" adaptations has brought to light some older ones that may have otherwise been lost to time. One such example is The Charmings , a family sitcom from 1987 about Snow White and her family waking up after a thousand-year sleep in modern-day Burbank and adjusting to life in the real world. It gives off major Enchanted vibes, but a lot more campy. Even watching the show today feels like a fever dream, so I can only imagine how people who grew up with it as a faint memory would still question its existence. All 21 episodes of its limited run are available to watch on YouTube in their full hokey glory. This version of Snow White many not pick up a sword and lead a revolution against her wicked stepmother like most modern interpretations , but she does learn to become a career woman by designing dresses for a successful fashion company. She lives with her husband, Eric Charming, their two children, Thomas and Cory, a dwarf named Lut...

After Disney has destroyed their legacy  with one of the worst live-action adaptations of "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" in history, it seems like a good time to explore other options. Snow White and the Three Stooges  is a 1961 musical that retells the fairy tale with the famous comedian entertainers Larry, Curly, and Mo, better known as the Three Stooges, taking the place of the seven dwarfs. The title might make the movie sound like a tongue-in-cheek comedy, but from the moment it opens with its classic storybook illustrations, it is clearly something special. Far from a comedy, this film treats every picture-perfect fairy tale moment with the utmost sincerity, from the tragic loss of the king to the prince's found family. It stars Olympic figure skater Carol Heiss  as Snow White and incorporates graceful ice choreography into the film's picturesque winter aesthetics. Snow White and the Three Stooges  starts out similarly to the fairy tale, with a beautiful ...

Rapunzel and the Sea Witch (or, The Little Mermaid and the Tower)  by Kim Bussing is the third book from the traditionally published series The Princess Swap . I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley. Unfortunately, I have not read the second book in the series yet, but I don't think I missed anything important since each book can be enjoyed as a standalone. Like Cinderella and the Beast , this book contains a role reversal between two classic princesses. In this case, the swap occurs between "The Little Mermaid,"  whose name here is Hana, and the self-titled "Rapunzel."  Since these are two of my favorite fairy tales, I'm going easy on this one. While I think this book would be an enjoyable read for its younger target audience, I'm not sure I'd recommend it for teens and adults who also enjoy fairy tales. Hana, the youngest mermaid of six sisters, was always curious about the human world. She also hopes to stop a dangerous storm from swallowi...

Amphibian's Kiss by Lichelle Slater is the first ARC I received from an upcoming multi-author series of fairy tale retellings called All That Glitters . This entry in the sparkling series is a unique retelling of "The Frog Prince" with an organized magic system, a fairy realm , and lots of romantic tension. It does an excellent job of paying homage to the fairy tale while keeping the story fresh with surprises and drama. The main character is a witch living in a world where magic is banned, a plot thread that is near and dear to my heart . The book contains some fun animal sidekicks and a main character who is a vegetarian due to her innate ability to communicate with animals. Elowyn cannot forgive Prince Kaison for her mother's imprisonment, and who can blame her? It isn't easy being a witch in a kingdom where magic is illegal. Though Kai was once her best friend, El now has only her talking hedgehog for companionship. That is, however, until Kai finds himsel...

Ties of Shadow by Alora Carter is another ARC I received from the Tethered Hearts multi-author series about characters who are binded together by magical ties. So far, this series has been surprisingly dark, especially in comparison to Sacrificed Hearts , which shares similar themes. Despite its simplistic nature, this book has some levity to it in the form of cute animal sidekicks that live the shadow world and make wisecracks to the main characters. It does a good job developing the romance and is thematically similar to Mask of Deception and Sacrifice , which was inspired by "Beauty and the Beast" and Phantom of the Opera . The dark/light dynamic of the lead characters works well, allowing them to balance out each other's strengths and weaknesses. Lady Aelia has a hard time saying "no." She is dangerously loyal to the crown and Prince Leon who was once a dear friend to her. However, when those she is most loyal to ask her to sacrifice herself based on the...