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4.21 AVERAGE
4.21 AVERAGE
Adrienne Ashe doesn't want to be a princess. It's boring and, to be brutally honest, she doesn't understand why princesses always need to wait for a prince to do the rescuing anyway.
That doesn't stop Adrienne's parents from locking her in a tower on her sixteenth birthday. It also doesn't stop Adrienne from bitterly complaining out the injustice and pointing out how she doesn't even look like a stupid traditional princess with her brown skin and dark, curly hair (not to mention her prowess with a sword!).
Instead of pining for some handsome prince, Adrienne spends her time in the tower befriending the dragon guarding the tower. When Adrienne finds a sword hidden in the tower, she decides she has waited to be rescued long enough.
With a sword in her hand and a dragon by her side, Adrienne sets out to escape the tower and rescue her other sisters in Princeless Book 1: Save Yourself (2012) by Jeremy Whitley and illustrated by M. Goodwin.
Princeless Book 1: Save Yourself collects the first 4 issues of Princeless. It is the first of four bindups. There is also a spinoff series.
Whitley delivers a frank and self-aware story that is refreshingly and unapologetically feminist. Adrienne is a no-nonsense heroine who isn't afraid to do what she thinks is right and point out hypocrisy and double standards when she sees them. This plays out to especially good effect when she meets up with a girl who makes armor for warriors and discovers the vast inequity between standard armor for men and women.
Goodwin's illustrations bring this story to life with wry humor and charming artwork that beautifully compliments the story. The facial expressions for characters throughout are especially priceless.
Princeless Book 1: Save Yourself is a great set up for this series. Whitley and Goodwin introduce many of the key players and the basic premise of the series while also delivering a lot of fun arcs along the way. This series is a delightful addition to the typical princess and anti-princess fare. Highly recommended for readers of comics, fans of fairy tales and retellings, as well as anyone looking for a new kickass heroine to cheer on.
Possible Pairings: Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine, Rapunzel's Revenge by Shannon and Dean Hale, I Am Princess X by Cherie Priest, Nimona by Noelle Stevenson, A Well-Timed Enchantment by Vivian Vande Velde, Dealing with Dragons by Patricia C. Wrede
That doesn't stop Adrienne's parents from locking her in a tower on her sixteenth birthday. It also doesn't stop Adrienne from bitterly complaining out the injustice and pointing out how she doesn't even look like a stupid traditional princess with her brown skin and dark, curly hair (not to mention her prowess with a sword!).
Instead of pining for some handsome prince, Adrienne spends her time in the tower befriending the dragon guarding the tower. When Adrienne finds a sword hidden in the tower, she decides she has waited to be rescued long enough.
With a sword in her hand and a dragon by her side, Adrienne sets out to escape the tower and rescue her other sisters in Princeless Book 1: Save Yourself (2012) by Jeremy Whitley and illustrated by M. Goodwin.
Princeless Book 1: Save Yourself collects the first 4 issues of Princeless. It is the first of four bindups. There is also a spinoff series.
Whitley delivers a frank and self-aware story that is refreshingly and unapologetically feminist. Adrienne is a no-nonsense heroine who isn't afraid to do what she thinks is right and point out hypocrisy and double standards when she sees them. This plays out to especially good effect when she meets up with a girl who makes armor for warriors and discovers the vast inequity between standard armor for men and women.
Goodwin's illustrations bring this story to life with wry humor and charming artwork that beautifully compliments the story. The facial expressions for characters throughout are especially priceless.
Princeless Book 1: Save Yourself is a great set up for this series. Whitley and Goodwin introduce many of the key players and the basic premise of the series while also delivering a lot of fun arcs along the way. This series is a delightful addition to the typical princess and anti-princess fare. Highly recommended for readers of comics, fans of fairy tales and retellings, as well as anyone looking for a new kickass heroine to cheer on.
Possible Pairings: Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine, Rapunzel's Revenge by Shannon and Dean Hale, I Am Princess X by Cherie Priest, Nimona by Noelle Stevenson, A Well-Timed Enchantment by Vivian Vande Velde, Dealing with Dragons by Patricia C. Wrede
Loved this!! Really explicitly takes on the crazy assumptions about women (and some of the ones we have about boys, too) that show up in stories about princesses and women warriors, and has a blast doing it.
The actual content of the comic is great, but the physical book the first trade is printed on is pretty terrible. Low quality images, pages glued together, and they didn't put big enough gutters so a lot of the content just disappears into the binding. Track down the original issues or buy them on Comixology if you want to read it.
I really enjoyed it! I was excited about the premise, and the execution turned out to be great! I am so eager to recommend it to people who I know will love it.
Characters 3.5
The characters are so enjoyable! Adrienne and Bedalia are so cute! I'm excited to see where this journey takes these girls!
Setting 3
Seems pretty typical fantasy setting.
Plot 3.5
Adrienne is just sick of being a DID! Same girl subvert that trope! Rescue your sisters! It really so far is just subverting tropes which is what I am here for!!! I'm interested to see where this goes!
Art 3.5
I like that we are seeing Black hairstyles on Black princesses and the art seems to showcase it on Adrienne. The artsyle is playful and vibrant!
Dialogue 4
These characters are playful and the dialogue showcases that. I also love the constant refrences this comic showcases from the characters. It's fun : )
Enjoyability 5
I enjoyed this comic a lot. It's cute and a light read.
Overall Rating 3.75
The characters are so enjoyable! Adrienne and Bedalia are so cute! I'm excited to see where this journey takes these girls!
Setting 3
Seems pretty typical fantasy setting.
Plot 3.5
Adrienne is just sick of being a DID! Same girl subvert that trope! Rescue your sisters! It really so far is just subverting tropes which is what I am here for!!! I'm interested to see where this goes!
Art 3.5
I like that we are seeing Black hairstyles on Black princesses and the art seems to showcase it on Adrienne. The artsyle is playful and vibrant!
Dialogue 4
These characters are playful and the dialogue showcases that. I also love the constant refrences this comic showcases from the characters. It's fun : )
Enjoyability 5
I enjoyed this comic a lot. It's cute and a light read.
Overall Rating 3.75
i enjoyed this! and best yet i think middle school age girls would too which y'know. nice to see a book working for its intended age group. especially books making an effort to write feminism and racial diversity into fantasy landscapes which are often sadly lacking in both. plus it's funny! :D 4 stars
This isn't earth-shattering, but it's a fun, funny princess adventure story that pokes fun at fantasy tropes without seeming snobbish. I have a soft spot for this series because Sparky the dragon is cute; Adrienne is darker-complected with kinky hair; and there is a "sidekick" half dwarf girl with a Harley-sized hammer.
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
This is a really great and empowering story. It show girls that they don't have to live up to the stereotypes set out for them, but it's not just a book for girls. I think it would be great for boys to read as well not only to show them a view of a powerful woman, but also to show that they too can be their own person - that a gentle and caring nature can be better than trying to fit into a socially-expected machismo.