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4.21 AVERAGE
4.21 AVERAGE
An African-American princess who decides that waiting around for a prince to come and rescue her is BS and sets off not only to rescue herself but her sisters, as well? Sign me up. Thank goodness for Renata who ordered this for our library.
Even as a young child, Princess Adrienne doesn't understand the tradition of keeping the king's daughters trapped in towers guarded by dragons until a brave and lucky knight can rescue them. That doesn't keep her from winding up in her own tower, but when she discovers a sword hidden under the bed, she decides to take matters into her own hands. She torches her own tower and rides off on her trusty dragon to save her sisters who have also been confined in towers awaiting rescue.
This is a perfect fit for readers who want a feminist twist on princess tropes and/or who have enjoyed RAPUNZEL'S REVENGE by Shannon & Dean Hale. Huzzah!
Even as a young child, Princess Adrienne doesn't understand the tradition of keeping the king's daughters trapped in towers guarded by dragons until a brave and lucky knight can rescue them. That doesn't keep her from winding up in her own tower, but when she discovers a sword hidden under the bed, she decides to take matters into her own hands. She torches her own tower and rides off on her trusty dragon to save her sisters who have also been confined in towers awaiting rescue.
This is a perfect fit for readers who want a feminist twist on princess tropes and/or who have enjoyed RAPUNZEL'S REVENGE by Shannon & Dean Hale. Huzzah!
Girl power is nothing new these days. I grew up in the slow surge of it, reveling in the gradual increase of spunky princesses and superheroes who took no shit from nobody, be they man, woman or monster. I saved the world and kicked butt with Sailor Moon and the Powerpuff Girls. You can even throw in some kind of Spice Girls reference in here, but I'm not sure how to word it (in a way, they had the Elements of Harmony before My Little Pony). I'm actually reading Wrede's Dealing with Dragons at the same time, and the parallels are uncanny. I really wish that I had Princeless and the books like it when I was younger, when the Girl Power movement was just starting to get its running legs. Because I think it would have progressed that much quicker. Princeless is excellent.
That said, it doesn't trash boys, which makes it even better. True feminism is not about squashing males and being dominant over them; it's about freakin' gender equality. And some boys are shown in a rather unflattering light here, but that's not because of their gender. It's because they also happen to be evil. Adrienne's dad for one.. not the best guy around. But her brother? Love him. He could totally be a fighter, and he's proven that he can handle it. But as he watches his father and how he treats his daughters, he realized he doesn't want to become his father. Way to go, Devin; way to not fall into the mold.
These serious themes, though, are wonderfully covered with great comedy. You will not be bogged down with glorious purpose. You will be laughing at all the exploits of both Adrienne, her blacksmith friend, her trusty dragon, and even the bumbling knights who try to save her before she saves herself. This story is one great combo. I can't wait to read volume 2.
That said, it doesn't trash boys, which makes it even better. True feminism is not about squashing males and being dominant over them; it's about freakin' gender equality. And some boys are shown in a rather unflattering light here, but that's not because of their gender. It's because they also happen to be evil. Adrienne's dad for one.. not the best guy around. But her brother? Love him. He could totally be a fighter, and he's proven that he can handle it. But as he watches his father and how he treats his daughters, he realized he doesn't want to become his father. Way to go, Devin; way to not fall into the mold.
These serious themes, though, are wonderfully covered with great comedy. You will not be bogged down with glorious purpose. You will be laughing at all the exploits of both Adrienne, her blacksmith friend, her trusty dragon, and even the bumbling knights who try to save her before she saves herself. This story is one great combo. I can't wait to read volume 2.
I want my future children, boys or girls, to read this book.
Princeless is pure fun. I picked it up on a whim and am really glad that I did. It plays on a lot of fairy tale and fantasy tropes, much like Rat Queens, but in a more wholesome way. The main character is a teenage princess, Adrienne, that is locked away in a tower with a dragon placed to fight off any knights that come to take her away. After watching incompetent men try to rescue her, she decides to take matters into her own hands.
Together with her dragon protector, Sparky, she goes on a mission to save her sisters. This leads her into encounters with her family, the army, and a young female blacksmith (apprentice technically) that specializes in making armor for women. I feel like the book really took off after she entered the picture.
I love that this book pokes fun at all the stories that portray women as damsels-in-distress or glorified sex objects in skimpy armor. Adrienne is smart, funny, and capable. There are moments where things don't go according to plan, but these make her more likeable. Sparky provides some nice comic relief. The book doesn't take itself too seriously on the whole though. I will definitely continue to read this series.
Together with her dragon protector, Sparky, she goes on a mission to save her sisters. This leads her into encounters with her family, the army, and a young female blacksmith (apprentice technically) that specializes in making armor for women. I feel like the book really took off after she entered the picture.
I love that this book pokes fun at all the stories that portray women as damsels-in-distress or glorified sex objects in skimpy armor. Adrienne is smart, funny, and capable. There are moments where things don't go according to plan, but these make her more likeable. Sparky provides some nice comic relief. The book doesn't take itself too seriously on the whole though. I will definitely continue to read this series.
Loved it! Found in a Little Free Library, thinking of adding it to the teen collection at my library!
A damsel in distress revenge fantasy where the main character starts taking down the system that imprisoned her and her sisters in a colourfully-illustrated and colourfully-charactered romp.
Fun, light, cute and interesting. Though the message hits you over the head a bit hard, (you don't need a man to save you, do it yourself!), it is only the first volume, so let's see where we go from here. I thoroughly enjoyed every minute of this and I'm sorry I didn't find this sooner! Princess Adrienne and her friends Bedelia and Sparks are great!
Oh my GOD.
This is brilliant. Absolutely brilliant. You know who would probably love this? Hermione Granger (esp racebent Hermione Granger, who is probably my favorite version of Hermione Granger).
The story starts with the typical princess story, about a white girl who needs to be rescued by a white guy. This story is being read to a young black girl by her mother, and the girl immediately calls it "hogwash" and says it's "full of plot holes." The mom tries to argue with her daughter while also trying to brush her hair so she can wrap it before bed---which is amazing because you know what we rarely see? The process women of color go through in order to look acceptable to white people (Viola Davis removing her wig on HTGAWM may be the only other example I can think of right now). The story then flashes forward ten(?) years, and the girl, Adrienne, has been locked in a tower by her family. And she's pissed. There's a dragon guarding the tower, and the dragon keeps eating princes, and we see Adrienne yell at the current prince who is trying to save her ("Do you know what fair MEANS?" "Um...beautiful?" "Wrong-o, Prince Chuckles. It means WHITE." YES YES THANK YOU). The dragon chases the prince away, Adrienne finds a sword under her bed, and then she decides she can save herself and that she should also save her sisters, who are also locked in towers. BAM.
Other characters include: her twin brother, who is basically emotionally abused by their father because he's not "manly" enough--he sucks at fighting, he likes poetry, and we see him cry; a blacksmith's daughter named Bedelia, who runs her father's store because he's kind of a drunk, and there's a whole conversation about how girls who fight should have normal armor and not that flimsy bullshit most female superheroes have to deal with. Oh, and the dragon is also a female.
I love everything about this.
This is brilliant. Absolutely brilliant. You know who would probably love this? Hermione Granger (esp racebent Hermione Granger, who is probably my favorite version of Hermione Granger).
The story starts with the typical princess story, about a white girl who needs to be rescued by a white guy. This story is being read to a young black girl by her mother, and the girl immediately calls it "hogwash" and says it's "full of plot holes." The mom tries to argue with her daughter while also trying to brush her hair so she can wrap it before bed---which is amazing because you know what we rarely see? The process women of color go through in order to look acceptable to white people (Viola Davis removing her wig on HTGAWM may be the only other example I can think of right now). The story then flashes forward ten(?) years, and the girl, Adrienne, has been locked in a tower by her family. And she's pissed. There's a dragon guarding the tower, and the dragon keeps eating princes, and we see Adrienne yell at the current prince who is trying to save her ("Do you know what fair MEANS?" "Um...beautiful?" "Wrong-o, Prince Chuckles. It means WHITE." YES YES THANK YOU). The dragon chases the prince away, Adrienne finds a sword under her bed, and then she decides she can save herself and that she should also save her sisters, who are also locked in towers. BAM.
Other characters include: her twin brother, who is basically emotionally abused by their father because he's not "manly" enough--he sucks at fighting, he likes poetry, and we see him cry; a blacksmith's daughter named Bedelia, who runs her father's store because he's kind of a drunk, and there's a whole conversation about how girls who fight should have normal armor and not that flimsy bullshit most female superheroes have to deal with. Oh, and the dragon is also a female.
I love everything about this.
