The Princess Blog

This is not a typical discussion about an upcoming princess story, but it's still an important topic for those of us who desire to live the princess lifestyle . Princesses are generally known to be upbeat and spread happiness to those around them . While this is a wonderful trait, it can create some misconceptions about people who love princesses or want to portray them . Similar to the misconception that princesses never get angry , they are not happy all the time, nor are they unwilling to admit when something is wrong. In fact, this is a big reason why their "happily ever after" is so impactful. Pretending that everything is perfect all the time and denying the bad in any given situation can lead to toxic positivity. A great example of toxic positivity is Mother Gothel. By constantly reminding Rapunzel how lucky she is to be safely locked away from the world in a tower, she uses gaslighting to make Rapunzel think that there is nothing wrong with her situation. This ca...

Thirty years ago, it would have been considered a crime to twist the sweet, gentle princess archetype  into a cold-blooded murderer. Times have changed . Today, the type of violent nature required for horror movie leads is not so far off from how modern princesses act . That's why it's not too surprising that the niche fairy tale horror genre has increased in popularity over the past couple of years. In 2024 alone, there have been three gruesome, twisted princess films, two of which were based on the same fairy tale .  Cinderella's Revenge , Cinderella's Curse , and The Little Mermaid  all take a beloved protagonist known for her kind-hearted nature and turn her into a killer. Is there an audience for this growing trend, or is it merely a passing fad? The concept of combining the traditionally family-friendly fairy tale genre with the darker, more adult horror genre is not entirely novel. Original versions of fairy tales had many dark elements before they were Disney...

One of my favorite things about Valia Lind  is how well she develops romance in her fairy tale books . The  Skazka Fairy Tales  take place in a unique fantasy world built on Russian folklore that's split between the magical realm and the human realm. The Golden Slipper  is a "Cinderella" retelling from this series that provides a slow-burn romance where a prince and a hard-working peasant girl fall in love over time. It does a great job of providing both perspectives and building them into realistic, fleshed-out characters. There are also a lot of great supporting characters that give the protagonist someone to turn to when she feels overwhelmed by her stepfamily. The story is brimming with magic and romance. Mira is a hard worker who is skilled in many areas. She runs a flower shop and also helps her best friend, Oksana, with her bakery. Her least favorite duty is tending to her stepmother and stepsisters, who seem to be out to get her. When a clumsy young man show...

Four years ago, I shared a review of a cozy strategy game called Yes, Your Grace , in which players take on the role of a king who must wisely distribute resources to protect his family and his kingdom. Now, the game has released a sequel called Yes, Your Grace: Snowfall, in which the stakes have been raised exponentially. Snowfall features similar graphics and gameplay to the original, albeit with some small updates, along with a significantly darker tone. Players begin as King Eryk, the protagonist from the first game, but things quickly take a turn for the worse with his circumstances and health, and Queen Aurelea must step in to protect what's most dear to them. The game begins by allowing players to input over their story decisions from the first Yes, Your Grace. For those of us who played it almost five years ago, it might be hard to remember what those decisions were. This task can be bypassed by asking the advisor to make the best decisions, or just give it your best guess....

If you subscribe to my author newsletter , you saw that today is the first day of Fairy Tale Summer . This is a great annual event that takes place in the Clean Fairytales Facebook group . Readers can share reviews of fairy tale-inspired books with the hashtag #2025 all summer long to earn points for fun book-related prizes. I am one of over 40 featured authors in the event, along with all three books from  The Stolen Trilogy . My "author takeover" night in the group will be Monday, July 21st. I hope you join me.  Golden Goose  by Lea Doue  marks my first official review for this year's Fairy Tale Summer. This is the fourth ARC I have received from the multi-author All That Glitters series of fairy tale retellings . The book incorporated a lot of creativity to add depth to a relatively simple fairy tale . The first thing that stood out to me about Golden Goose  is that it takes place in an unapologetic fantasy world. Although the main character, Elowen, is poo...