The Princess Blog

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...

When I think of witches, I think of Bewitched , Sabrina the Teenage Witch , and most recently, Wicked . So when Time Princess announced a new visual novel called Vengeance of the Witch, I expected something along those lines, especially after their latest collaboration with Wicked . Instead, the robust dress-up game app pulled the old bait and switch, releasing yet another bland Chinese story about demons . This app contains several other visual novels inspired by Chinese mythology that are way more interesting than this one, including White Snake  and Ancient Dreams . If you are looking for a compelling story that incorporates Chinese myths, I recommend playing one of those. The Apothecary  is much closer to what I expected from Vengeance of the Witch, as that story actually focuses on magic and sorcery with some compelling plot twists. Vengeance of the Witch tells the story of Qingqing, who is part of a demonic cult that we're apparently supposed to root for. To be fair, it...

"The Fairy and the Witch" Once upon a time, in a faraway kingdom, there was a princess named Amara. She was beautiful, kind, and clever, but she was also very lonely. Her parents, the king, and queen were always busy with their royal duties, leaving Amara with no one to talk to or play with. One day, Amara decided to take a walk in the forest to clear her mind. As she was walking, she stumbled upon a small cottage. Curious, she knocked on the door, and an old woman answered. "Hello, my dear. What brings you here?" the old woman asked. "I was just taking a walk in the forest, and I stumbled upon your cottage," Amara replied. "Well, you're welcome to come in and rest for a while," the old woman said, leading Amara inside. As Amara sat down, she noticed a beautiful flower on the old woman's table. "What a beautiful flower. May I have it?" Amara asked. The old woman smiled. "Of course, my dear. But be warned, this is no ordinar...

This latest visual novel in Time Princess  is the biggest drain on resources in the game yet. With four chapters requiring players to boost their companions to level eight, and an average of 60 of each required clothing item for crafting, it seems like the developers have caught on to hoarders like me who have saved up loads of in-game currency over the years. Fortunately, the story, characters, and fashions in The Apothecary make it well worth the effort. While a bit late for Halloween, this story has a pleasant witchy vibe to it with a protagonist who collects mystical ingredients and brews up magic potions in a crucible. The visual novel contains the perfect amount of romance, magic, and suspense in a fully fleshed-out fantasy world. The leading lady in The Apothecary is Emelia Farrow, a humble apothecary who is desperate to maintain her place in the guild so she doesn't lose her shop. She struggles to stay in the good graces of her trainer, Greta, while facing off against the w...

The School for Good and Evil  is a middle grade book series released in 2013 with a similar plot to Ever After High  and Descendants  and with all the ambition of Harry Potter . Considering how popular this fairy tale-inspired series seems to be, I'm surprised I never heard of it until a little over a week ago when I learned that Netflix is turning it into a movie . Perhaps one of the reasons it was so overlooked is its super generic title, which sounds like it could be about literally anything. Most fictional stories are about the battle between good and evil. A better title would have been The School for Princesses and Witches , which would have been more eye-catching to lovers of fairy tales. Maybe the vagueness is good, though, since this book contains many horror elements that could scare off young fairy tale aficionados or particularly sensitive older ones like myself. When I began reading The School for Good and Evil , I had many questions that were mostly resolved...