The Princess Blog

The story of "Cinderella" has been told so many ways  with a prince as the main love interest that I think it is the best candidate for a queer-friendly adaptation. With her latest novel, A Wish of Ashes and Glass , my favorite fantasy artist, Selina Fenech , agrees. The ARC I received of this book contained every new element I've seen in a "Cinderella" retelling with the addition of a female love interest for our tormented heroine. Political intrigue ? Check. A selfless heroine with magic powers ? Check. A royal conspiracy revolving around the use of magic ? Check. Nicer stepsisters ? Check. Despite having so many similar elements to other retellings, the story remains fresh and interesting thanks to its surprise romantic lead, a mighty warrior princess who exudes qualities that are similar to queer-coded anime heroines of the past like Princess Knight , Utena, and Oscar . Ellasyn was born with healing powers that allow her to absorb other people's pain,...

The latest visual novel in the Time Princess app is a western, which comes as a surprise since there are few female-oriented stories in that genre aside from a few old musicals like Annie Get Your Gun and Calamity Jane . What also came as a surprise is that Showdown in Glitter Rise is the least violent and most culturally sensitive western story I have seen to date with an extremely relatable protagonist who has a heart of gold, a black female sheriff, and a Native American companion. I've never thought of westerns as being particularly female-friendly, but this one rises to the challenge beautifully and fits right in with the other visual novels in this game that cover various cultures and historical time periods . The costumes are unique to the game's infinitely expanding wardrobe. There had not been any western wear provided as an option in one of its many events and stories up to this point. Showdown in Glitter Rise is about a gentle cowgirl named Bella who works at a sa...

While princesses return to their storybook roots  and Hollywood goes on strike , one highly anticipated movie that encapsulates the face of pop culture today is hitting theaters: Barbie . One of the many things that sets this live-action adaptation of a previously animated property and toy line  apart from Disney's endless onslaught of live-action remakes is that this film is an original story that only uses the familiarity of its brand as a selling point. It isn't entirely original since similar concepts were used in Disney's 2007  Enchanted  and the 2000 made-for-TV movie,  Life-Size  that Tyra Banks as a living doll, but this is the first time that Barbie has ever been portrayed in the real world. Her many animated films and series, which are directed toward younger audiences, feature her living in a fantasy version of Malibu with her sisters or reenacting classic fairy tales, ballets, and other popular stories. This movie depicts Barbie learning about...

It's a well-known fact that most feature films begin their life as books. Even the classic Disney movies that are considered the epitome of children's cinema were mostly adapted from old fairy tales that were published around the late 19th century . However, for the majority of the 20th century, most fairy tale fans were more interested in seeing these stories come to life on the screen than they were in the source material, and who could blame them? Classic Disney movies are visually stunning, beautifully orchestrated, and fleshed out beyond their short-form origins in a way that is less violent and more family-friendly . However, the current decade seems to be a transitional period that takes fairy tale adaptations back to their roots. Countless issues in Hollywood including union strikes and a long-running dearth of creativity  make it more difficult than ever to enjoy modern adaptations of classic media. The past decade has also seen a steep increase in fairy tale authors ...

As a member of the street team for Once Upon a Prince , an upcoming collaborative series of gender-bent fairy tale retellings, I get to take advantage of some amazing perks. One such perk includes early ARCs of the books from the series, such as The Crownless Prince  by Selina R. Gonzalez , a gender swap of "Maid Maleen."  This book won't be available to the public until December 1st, so it was a real treat to get to read it so soon. "Maid Maleen" had not been a very popular story until Brittany Ficther's retelling, The Seven Years Princess , which likely inspired many authors to realize its potential for adaptations. Selina's version did a better job with the story by coming up with a more believable explanation for elements that made less sense in The Seven Years Princess  and incorporated it in a creative way by turning Maid Maleen into a prince named Marcus. As punishment for loving a princess from an enemy kingdom, Prince Marcus was imprisoned  in a...

"The Betrayed Bride" Princess Caroline was elated to finally marry the man she loved, Prince Reynard. Not only had they overcome countless struggles to be together, but their marriage would signify peace between their two kingdoms after endless years of war. She stood at the door to the grand hall in a simple silk gown with a bouquet of pink roses and patiently awaited her queue. After some time, her patience shifted to impatience. She peaked through the crack in the grand doors and saw a large crowd in attendance for the event. Yet, the orchestra did not play, and the attendants looked restless. "Can you find out if there's something wrong?" she asked a nearby servant. "It should have started by now." The servant bowed in response, but before he could make a move, Caroline's father burst through the double doors. "He's not coming," said the king. "The wedding has been called off. You should change out of that gown. It's goin...

I don't have anything to review this week, so I'm going to try something a little different. Since my new job involves working with small children, I've come up with some ideas for fun crafts that girls who love princesses can do at home. Not everyone has  a 3D printer , but there are smaller things that children can do at home with affordable materials. For princess crafts, it's best to look for craft supplies that sparkle or shimmer such as glitter, sequins, plastic gems, or metallic paper. Here are some ideas that I've done in the past or have seen at events . Decorate/Make Your Own Tiara You will need: A foam tiara with decorative gems OR Metallic posterboard  with sequins or gems Scissors Every princess needs her signature crown! There are many affordable sets of foam tiaras available in various colors and styles that come with stick-on gems so princesses can customize them in a way that is unique to their own personal tastes. For further customization, make a ...

"The Lost Siren Song" Once upon a time, in the depths of a shimmering ocean, there lived a water faery named Kaia. Her translucent skin sparkled like the sunlight dancing on the waves. While her sisters were content to spend their days creating rain storms and typhoons, Kaia had always dreamt of singing with the sirens on the enchanted island of Anthemusa, a place where magnificent melodies filled the air. Among the sirens, there was one who captivated Kaia more than any other - Princess Su-Lynn. She possessed a voice so enchanting that when she sang, the sailors who heard her would fall under her spell, remaining by her side forever. Kaia admired many things about Su-Lynn, including how she effortlessly commanded the attention of the sea, and how she used her captivating songs to allure sailors and ensure the island's prosperity. The sirens on Anthemusa depended on the sailors they charmed to help maintain their beautiful homes, provide them with food, and gather resourc...

When I saw a Facebook promotion for Snow So White  by C. Gockel , I was curious but hesitant. The book was promoted as urban fantasy , which is not usually my cup of tea. When I finally got around to reading it, I was pleasantly surprised to find that it bears more similarities to some lesser-known fairy tales than it does to "Snow White."  The accurate marketing also helped me ease into the modern setting and urban fantasy creatures within it like vampires and monsters. I was pleasantly surprised by how strong the book's world-building is and how emotionally connected I felt to the characters. While it may not be the type of fairy tale retelling I'm used to reading, it has a strong sense of what it wants to be. Cherie lives in a world that is similar to our own with one major difference. One day, the earth was infused with magic, causing ordinary people to gain supernatural abilities, monsters to roam freely, and certain forms of technology to become unnecessary. Peo...

Some days, you feel like a mermaid princess . Other days, you feel more like a kraken that wants to lash out at anything that disturbs your peace. DreamWorks' newest animated feature, Ruby Gillman: Teenage Kraken  finds the best of both worlds by providing a relatable kraken princess who just wants to be an ordinary girl with ordinary problems. Several years ago, I thought I was being ironic as a princess fan playing a kraken in the King of Tokyo board game . I never imagined there would be a movie someday that combines the two genres alongside a villainess who bears a tongue-in-cheek resemblance to my favorite Disney Princess . When you push the parody and jokes aside, Ruby Gillman  is a pretty standard coming-of-age teen drama that can easily compare to any other mainstream teen movie from the past few decades. Apart from her blue hair and skin, Ruby Gillman is an average awkward nerdy girl who just wants to fit in with the rest of the kids in her high school. The biggest pr...

Maiden of the Sea  is the second book I've read from Sarah Beran's Order of the Fountain series  and the third book in the series. My opinion of this series hasn't changed from what it was when I read Princess of the Beans . It uses popular fairy tale names and elements as a selling point and then removes the magic and whimsy that make these stories appealing. I've read some decent fairy tale adaptations that remove the magical elements  to create a sense of realism, but what's odd about this series is that while it still has magic in it, it removes the most iconic magical aspects of each fairy tale it retells. In the two books I've read so far, these include the magic beanstalk from "Jack and the Beanstalk," Rapunzel's impossibly long hair, and in the case of this "Little Mermaid" adaptation , the merfolk race and the whimsical undersea kingdom. Ariel is a maiden working in a temple who gave up her ability to use her legs when she went o...

"The True Princess" Mira was born with only one purpose: to overthrow the monarchy. The rebel alliance that raised her had trained her for her entire life to fight by their side. Their goal was to defeat the wicked queen and king who had abused their power with taxation and greed. The day was finally at hand for them to take down the wicked monarchs' daughter, Princess Larissa, at her coronation ceremony and claim the kingdom by force. Mira knew exactly what she had to do. She was ready. The palace looked even more beautiful than Mira could have imagined. Royal crests decorated the halls, and colorful banners were on display over every turret in honor of the princess's coming of age. Yet, she knew that all of this extravagance represented everything the kingdom had taken away from its citizens. She silently slipped in and out of passageways like a fly on the wall, avoiding the guards' notice. Finally, she found her destination. Princess Larissa was surrounded by h...

Time Princess  recently released a poll on social media asking whether fans prefer fantasy or urban stories. This provided better language for me to define the discrepancies between the visual novels they've released in the past and the ones that have come out recently . Mysteries of Zentico, the newest story in the game, falls yet again into the urban category. It is the first story that the dress-up app that was released in two separate parts. There are many other great stories  in this game that had open endings and could have benefitted more from a tiered release. Though I can understand the necessity of the extended release time for this particular story due to its length and overly complicated plot, it was not one that I was eager to complete for those same reasons. No matter how many new chapters I unlocked, I still had a limited understanding of what was going on and didn't care much about any of the characters. Mysteries of Zentico takes place on a fictional volcani...