Take a photo of a barcode or cover
4.21 AVERAGE
4.21 AVERAGE
Adrienne may be a princess, but she refuses to be a damsel in distress. She’s tricked into her tower, guarded by a dragon with nothing to do but wait for her “prince charming”. But instead of languishing, Adrienne befriends the dragon and set out to rescue the rest of her sisters, who are neglected in towers of their own.
Princless, Vol. 1: Save Yourself is intended for middle grade, and it does show. The feminist points are blatant – which sometimes lead to very funny situations (Adrienne, who is black, challenging a prince’s claim that she’s a “fair maiden”) and sometimes lead to awkward, ham-handed ones (a young woman who has secretly made a line of bikini armor “just for women” realizes the error of her ways in a short two pages). There’s no real subtlety in this book, but it works – particularly since flagrant girl power messages make sense in the context of a middle grade book.
The main story progresses slowly – Adrienne seems to be still assembling her team – but I’m willing to wait it out for more snarky, feminist, lovable Princess Adrienne.
Read more of my reviews (plus cat pics!) on Her Little Book Review.
Princless, Vol. 1: Save Yourself is intended for middle grade, and it does show. The feminist points are blatant – which sometimes lead to very funny situations (Adrienne, who is black, challenging a prince’s claim that she’s a “fair maiden”) and sometimes lead to awkward, ham-handed ones (a young woman who has secretly made a line of bikini armor “just for women” realizes the error of her ways in a short two pages). There’s no real subtlety in this book, but it works – particularly since flagrant girl power messages make sense in the context of a middle grade book.
The main story progresses slowly – Adrienne seems to be still assembling her team – but I’m willing to wait it out for more snarky, feminist, lovable Princess Adrienne.
Read more of my reviews (plus cat pics!) on Her Little Book Review.
What it's about: Our story begins in a far away kingdom, where little Princess Adrienne's mother reads her a bedtime story about a fair princess being rescued by a heroic knight.
But little Adrienne is having none of it. Why does the princess have to be "fair", unlike the dark-skinned Adrienne? Why does the knight have to kill the dragon guarding the tower? Didn't the princess's family put her in the tower? Why can't she just fight her own way out?
But when Adrienne comes of age, her own father locks her in a tower guarded by a dragon until she can be rescued by a knight.
Adrienne is not amused. And she doesn't just sit back and let her story unfold like some storybook princess - she's going to go out and make her own story!
After she breaks out of the tower, she encounters a half-dwarf girl selling armor - but she has a secret. And pretty soon, the two are swept up in a grand adventure!
This ladies can handle things on their own - they are happy to be prince-less!
What I thought: This first installment of the series was a really fun romp! it starts by questioning so many of the tropes of fairy tales, and features a main character who is not going to let someone else put her in a box. For those who are familiar with the tropes of fantasy stories, there are some fun take-downs of the more sexist concepts. But even readers new to the genre will be able to appreciate the humor being tossed about.
There also an appealing sense of danger for the characters - they are operating in a realm where bad things can happen, and it's normal for knights to get swallowed up by dragons, or to find themselves on the wrong end of a king's wrath.
Nor does the story limit itself to a consideration of female tropes - Adrienne's brother is presented as a prince who may be in need of saving.
Why I rated it like I did: This was an enjoyable fantasy romp with some very positive messages for all readers. I look forward to checking out the next volumes of this series!
But little Adrienne is having none of it. Why does the princess have to be "fair", unlike the dark-skinned Adrienne? Why does the knight have to kill the dragon guarding the tower? Didn't the princess's family put her in the tower? Why can't she just fight her own way out?
But when Adrienne comes of age, her own father locks her in a tower guarded by a dragon until she can be rescued by a knight.
Adrienne is not amused. And she doesn't just sit back and let her story unfold like some storybook princess - she's going to go out and make her own story!
After she breaks out of the tower, she encounters a half-dwarf girl selling armor - but she has a secret. And pretty soon, the two are swept up in a grand adventure!
This ladies can handle things on their own - they are happy to be prince-less!
What I thought: This first installment of the series was a really fun romp! it starts by questioning so many of the tropes of fairy tales, and features a main character who is not going to let someone else put her in a box. For those who are familiar with the tropes of fantasy stories, there are some fun take-downs of the more sexist concepts. But even readers new to the genre will be able to appreciate the humor being tossed about.
There also an appealing sense of danger for the characters - they are operating in a realm where bad things can happen, and it's normal for knights to get swallowed up by dragons, or to find themselves on the wrong end of a king's wrath.
Nor does the story limit itself to a consideration of female tropes - Adrienne's brother is presented as a prince who may be in need of saving.
Why I rated it like I did: This was an enjoyable fantasy romp with some very positive messages for all readers. I look forward to checking out the next volumes of this series!
Beautiful illustrations, quirky characters, and strong female leads - count me in! I know what I'm getting my sister for Christmas!
This is a really cute story, and a princess story that fits for the current times. The art work is lovely as well.
Can honestly say that I really like the dragon in this one. Looking forward to reading the rest of this series.
Can honestly say that I really like the dragon in this one. Looking forward to reading the rest of this series.
This is a fun and witty story of a young princess with a feminist bent. It had me laughing out loud and is a great and quick read. I'll be picking up other volumes.
The Princeless series is off to a great start with volume one. The art and dialogue are both sharp, while the art is also beautiful, and the story is both smart and fun. I love how the diverse representation flows seamlessly into the story--and only increase the visual beauty and story dynamics. Adrienne is a great character, smart and determined and struggling for her independence, who also grows a lot during this story. The supporting characters are effective as well. Spark is my favorite, but I also like Adrienne's siblings that I've seen so far, and her new sidekick. I love that the story addresses real issues, in a way that is funny and seamless within the own story, but also clearly relevant to contemporary life. Reading the special edition was both good and bad--while I appreciate the extra content, I also found it a bit distracting or confusing, as I just wanted more of the main plot. But that's a tiny quibble for a volume that I read in one night and highly enjoyed. I'll be looking for more of this series. You should too. I recommend it for YA and adult audiences.
I *LOVED* this! Because feminism. And also because it was absolutely amazing.
Also, the library has this listed as juvenile - I definitely think it should be in the teen section.
I enjoyed the art, I loved the jokes, and the story itself was awesome and fun and powerful and I just want to give this to other women and make them read it. For reasons.
Already recommending this to a bunch of my friends. Can't wait to read the next one!
Also, the library has this listed as juvenile - I definitely think it should be in the teen section.
I enjoyed the art, I loved the jokes, and the story itself was awesome and fun and powerful and I just want to give this to other women and make them read it. For reasons.
Already recommending this to a bunch of my friends. Can't wait to read the next one!
This is the princess story I have always wanted to exist. Can't wait to read more!