The Princess Blog

Charms and Cinders  by Amanda Thompson is my last Fairytale Summer review . I received an ARC of this gender-bent "Cinderella" retelling and was intrigued because I haven't read many gender-bent versions of this story. Aside from that change, it's a fairly direct retelling without too many twists. The romance is sweet and follows the same trope as most modern "Cinderella" stories  in which the couple forms a bond with each other before the ball. It borrows elements primarily from the Perrault version of the story, with the classic fairy godmother  and two balls. Overall, it was a light and enjoyable read. Since  Charms and Cinders  is split between the perspectives of the male Cinderella archetype and the princess character, I was confused by the girl featured on the cover of the book. Even though Cinderella is generally a more female-oriented story, the titular role went to the male lead of the book, so I'm not sure why he wouldn't be featured mor...

Part 2 of the Winx Club reboot  dropped on Netflix yesterday, and it seems like fans are completely disengaged with this franchise. No one is talking about it, and it was pretty poorly received in So Diva! Magazine . The latest drop was fairly short, with only six episodes. This batch of episodes focuses more on the Winx girls than Damien, who seemed to be the star of the initial drop. However, the reboot is stuck between old and new story developments with a lot of revisited material from the superior original series , and not all of the changes they made to it are for the better. The first episode of the drop, "The Truth About Bloom," threw me for a loop because the reboot didn't make it clear that Bloom didn't realize she was adopted. Those of us who have been watching the original series for years were well aware of this fact, and dragging it out slowed the reboot to a crawl. After Bloom learned that she was the secret keeper of the dragon flame, had a magical gui...

I won a paperback copy of Fairest Hunter  by MK Felix  for this month's Fairytale Summer. It was very exciting because I wasn't expecting to win anything. I don't usually read physical books, but this one was beautiful with lots of black and white character artwork between chapters. This book is a gender-bent retelling of "Snow White" and Robin Hood . I have to give the author props for creativity. Not only did she combine two unlikely stories, but by gender-bending both protagonists, she's created a work of fiction that is wholly unique to the fairy tale retelling genre. In Fairest Hunter , Lady Rowena takes on the role of both Robin Hood and the Huntsman from "Snow White," two characters that are typically portrayed as male. She is hired to assassinate Prince Alvor, one of her dearest childhood friends. The king believes that Rowena will assassinate anyone he asks her to without question, thanks to the mind-controlling powers of his magic mirror, ...

Disney, as a company, has been a bit of a train wreck lately . First, they spat on the legacy of the first animated feature film of all time , and then they did a shot-for-shot remake of a movie everyone had already seen  and expected people to go back to theaters for it. Their latest blunder revolves around the cancelled Tiana series , a highly anticipated show about a beloved character . At the same time the Tiana series was announced, Disney also unveiled plans for a Moana series  that was also cancelled. The Moana series was then converted into a 2024 sequel . Now, Disney wants to do something similar with Tiana, but in live-action. Over the weekend, Disney announced plans  for a live-action movie to be co-written by Colman Domingo and Robert O'Hara, featuring Tiana. The movie is not a live-action remake (thank goodness) and will likely be either a sequel or a prequel focusing on Tiana's goal of running a restaurant. Many fans have complained that, despite being the ...

I was excited to receive an ARC of Dance of the Nutcracker  by Ashley Mendoza because I haven't read many adaptations of "The Nutcracker and the Mouse King."  Though this was not an exact  adaptation of the E.T.A. Hoffman story , it stays true to the spirit of the fairy tale and incorporates fun winter and Christmas lore. The book reminded me a little of Once Upon a Time in Wonderland  since it follows a girl and a boy traveling through a magical land to rescue her love. It was a light-hearted and whimsical adventure that ended in a twist that I didn't see coming. Princess Clara lives in a magical fae kingdom and is eager to form a marriage alliance with Prince Nicholas, who plays the dual role of the Nutcracker Prince and St. Nicholas, known to us as Santa Claus. She expresses her disdain for his twin brother, Jack, when she learns that Nicholas has been kidnapped, and she must work with Jack to save him. The duo embarks on a journey together through a winter wonde...

The first Descendants  movie  premiered in 2015, with two moderately successful sequels  that proved nobody cares about continuity when it comes to Disney as long as it's fun. The franchise took a five-year-long break from 2019 to 2024 and came back with The Rise of Red , which introduced new characters, a new storyline, and tons of new plot holes. Featuring the daughters of Cinderella and the Queen of Hearts, The Rise of Red  was one of the weakest entries in the franchise, giving Disney ample opportunity to redeem themselves with the latest sequel, Wicked Wonderland . Did they succeed? Surprisingly, yes, at least in my opinion. Though it's a direct sequel to The Rise of Red , Wicked Wonderland  could not be more different in terms of story and production values. Chloe and Red are significantly more fleshed out as protagonists, and Pink, Red's little sister, is a wonderful new addition. The movie has better music, set design, writing, and characters, overshado...

The Summer 2026 anime season has begun, and with it comes many new fairytale-inspired shows, some more original than others. The broken engagement trope  is still a big one, as well as the fake villainess trope , which seems to have a new series every season. One thing we don't see as much in modern anime is shows based directly on well-known fairy tales. That's why one of the most anticipated shows of the new season was Goodbye, Lara , an original take on "The Little Mermaid."  There are also two new "Cinderella" inspired shows that offer unexpected twists on the classic tale of the abused maiden. Goodbye, Lara  premiered last week, with its second episode out later today. Although its pilot followed all the major beats of the Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale about a young mermaid who made a deal with a sea witch to win over a human prince, this show is a far cry from the 1975 anime movie adaptation . Many visual queues set it apart, such as giving Lara...

When Dwayne Johnson announced that Disney was working on a live-action "reimagining" of Moana , a lot less was left to the imagination than implied. Following Disney's decade-long remake trend , Moana is the latest victim in a series of soulless cash grabs that add absolutely nothing new to the story, visuals, or even performers, at least when it comes to Maui. Most of the past Disney remakes have at least tried to add something new to the animated classics by introducing new songs or costumes , but Moana   is a literal carbon copy of the 2016 animation, right down to the animated assets for the ocean, animal sidekicks, and goddesses, which have only been slightly enhanced to fit with the new setting. When I talk about anticipated upcoming princess media , I am referring to new stories about princesses, not the same ones we've already seen. This movie is neither anticipated nor new. Barely two years have passed since Disney gave us a brand new story about Moana  that...

I received an ARC of Princess of Curses & Croaks  by Victoria Benty , which is the second book in the Seasons of Magic series. Although I didn't read the other books, I don't feel that I missed anything important. I understood and enjoyed the references to "Cinderella," which from the first book, Princess of Cinders & Secrets . Princess of Curses & Croaks  is a retelling of Pride and Prejudice  and "The Frog Prince." Though magic is a large part of the story as a whole, the book is about 90% Pride and Prejudice  and 10% "The Frog Prince." Lyranore is a castle chambermaid who believes she is meant for bigger and better things. She receives a proposal from her long-time boyfriend that she begrudgingly accepts, but feels he isn't good enough for her. When Prince Thomas rescues her niece from drowning, she slowly grows closer to him and starts taking magic lessons under his tutelage. During the time they spend together, she realizes t...

As someone who's struggled to find wholesome "Goldilocks" retellings in the past, I was not prepared for just how much I would love Bearly Free . If there's anyone who can take a juvenile cautionary tale about breaking and entering and turn it into a sweeping romantic thriller, it's Abigail Manning . This book is the second story in her Emerald Realm series . It takes place in a world that contains magic, but it's not a major part of the story, which makes sense, given the source material. Instead, it's an epic romance with a runaway bride and lots of shocking twists. Lady Aurelia Lockly is a 16-year-old girl whose parents sold her hand in marriage to the highest bidder to help fund their business. Not wanting to be tied down to a stranger who was after her family's money, she runs away and finds herself trapped in an expansive mansion when the owners come home and lock her out of all her potential escape routes. The book builds up suspense as Aurelia...

If you've been following my blog for a while, you may have seen me mention Fairytale Summer in some of my previous book reviews over the years. The summer festivities are back again for 2026, and will last for the entire month of July! If you'd like to share reviews for a chance to win bookish prizes or get to know some talented fairy tale authors, make sure you join the True Flame Fairytales Facebook group . The event started on Wednesday. There are already tons of posts filled with friendly interactions between readers and writers. In fact, I already won a prize! I will be receiving a paperback copy of Fairest Hunter  by M.K. Felix  in the mail, and I am eager to share my review when I receive it. Fairytale Summer isn't only about winning prizes. Every evening, a new author will be sharing a fun "takeover" of the group, where she will get to know readers by posting about her books along with games and other fun goodies. I am thrilled to announce that I will be ...