The Knight Captain is the New Princess-to-Be Vol. 1

The Knight Captain is the New Princess-to-Be #1

by Yasuko Yamaru

In this shojo rom-com tale, a dashing female bodyguard pretends to be engaged to her childhood friend, the prince...but is their fake betrothal really just an act to him?

Christina, a.k.a. "Lady Chris," was born into a noble family and treated more or less like a boy growing up. Now a dashing young woman, Chris is not only captain of the imperial guards–she personally protects Prince Leonardo, who has been a dear friend since childhood. When his father, the king, demands he find a suitable girl to marry, Leo insists that he's already found Chris! Chris is shocked, but figures that Leo doesn't really love her like that; it's probably just some ploy to keep the king happy. Chris decides to play along, but as the charade goes on, she starts to wonder if maybe her princely pal has actually fallen for her!

Genres: Manga, Romance, Fantasy, Young Adult, Comics, Comics Manga, Graphic Novels

192 pages, Paperback

Published August 29, 2023

Reviews

[Jen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Meh. The knight captain to princess story goes the way one would expect.

The shorties at the end about the Demon King and the Ninja Husband were much better imho and I would rather read those as a full book, rather than the one that got top billing.

3, not bad and I don’t want to read the next one unless the Demon King and Ninja Husband stories are continued in it, stars.

[Rebecca · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5, and I'm rounding up because the unrelated short story about a demon lord who reads too many romance novels is a lot of fun. But the main story feels under baked, as does the other unrelated short story about a high school girl who marries a ninja. I might read a second volume if it turned up at the library, but I wouldn't seek it out.

[Sheepy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cute, I am intrueged at how it will go from here. Plus, I liked the other stories told at the end of this volume

[Erin Sharp · Rating 3 out of 5]

3-3.5

[Aly · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ehhhh I’m rounding this up to 3 stars because I enjoyed the one-shots included in this volume. The main title leaves a lot to be desired and I’m not too sure if I want to continue with the series. I liked it enough to try 1 more volume, but we’ll see if I actually end up getting it by the time it comes out. As of right now, this isn’t a series I’m too keen on.

[Jennifer Peña · Rating 4 out of 5]

The main story is funny and cute, but the extra one-shot stories about unrelated characters were a hit and a miss for me. I would’ve liked to read more of the main story in this first volume.

[bubbabooks · Rating 2 out of 5]

Weird and entertaining, just how I wanted it

but the real star of the show was…

THE DEMON KING LONGS FOR FORBIDDEN LOVE

literally what was that and why am I the demon king?!?!?

[Yuiko · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was alright

[Lydiah☾ · Rating 1 out of 5]

this was so so bad omg

[Ephemera · Rating 3 out of 5]

The main story is a 3 star but I absolutely loved the demon king who reads romance novels and the ninja side stories.

[Mk · Rating 2 out of 5]

I should've read more about this before buying it. I thought it would be a fun gender effery lady knight who is strong saving her prince story with fake engaged. Well he's stronger than her, it's a series of short stories, the pacing is bad, the art is not great, and it's completely unsatisfying. Good concept, terrible execution, missing all the things I would want from this idea.

[Haley · Rating 3 out of 5]

The main story was full of humor, but realistically it was only half the book. The first 100 pages are about Leo and Chris, but the last 100 pages are split between "The Demon King Longs for Forbidden Love" and "My Husband the Ninja". Don't get me wrong, they were cute and funny, but when I picked up the book, I expected the whole book to be about Leo and Chris, not them, and two other stories with different sets of love interests.

[Karina · Rating 4 out of 5]

― Rating: 4 Stars ★★★★
The Knight Captain Is The New Princess drew me in with the plot: a lady knight finds herself engaged to her childhood friend (the prince) in a fake betrothal??! what a premise!! while some of the execution was disappointing, the solid characters and underlying mystery threads to the plot & the cute romance have me so intrigued!!

Christina grew up as a noble & later found herself taking on the role as captain of the knights and protecting prince Leo but when he needs a fiancee he recommends Christina. I think the childhood friends-centered romance made for great development for their dynamic I just wish it was explored more because there's only a couple of brief flashbacks...my biggest issue was that I was expecting more lady knight stuff, but its mostly a romance where she has to hang up her armor to be the prince's betrothed leaving her in a sort of passive role (aside from occasional scenes) - I don't mind the romance focus, my assumption was there would be a bigger exploration of her role as a knight (there's some flashbacks & scenes in the intro) but it would have been better to see more imo

The story has such great pacing, I never wanted to put it down - the main plot revolves around the Prince and Christina making their fake engagement look real as a grand ball is underway, while fighting off assassins and enemies to the kingdom & realizing their true feelings - I like how the plot delved into the expectations & evils (evil stepmom maybe?! & neighboring kingdoms) Prince Leo faces as the heir to the throne.

The world and grander conflict about spying kingdoms, Prince Leo's evil stepmom make for really interesting stakes and I'd to see them build as the series goes on - I also genuinely liked the dynamic between Prince Leo & Christina (exploring their friendship, the growing friends-to-lovers relationship) however, I think one of my biggest issues is that we see this sliver of the lady knight's role as captain and a sprinkling of her previous role as a knight (even flashbacks to her childhood with Leo) leaving you feel like her new role becomes somewhat passive - I love where she & Leo were fighting off assassins together (why wasn't there more of that?!) - to where it becomes intently focused on the romance...which again don't mind (its very cute) but again lady knights are such a cool premise, I think it had more potential to be deftly handled parallel to the romance.

The lady knight was such a solid lead, she's used to being in a tougher role and is adjusting to more princess-like things & I like that there was depth to the prince character with what his responsibilities are + the forces against him as he ready's for the throne! They are both loyal hearted characters and they fit well together.

All in all, an interesting premise of the lady knight & her prince I think the plot could have utilized the royal x knight dynamic a lot more - was also kind of bored with the knight constantly bringing up how she's not used to girly stuff (idk I feel like that's something I've seen before)...I hope it doesn't lean on that too much in the future books.

To the romance itself, it was so cute I'll admit seeing the prince & knight realize their feelings for each other was adorable - it to me never felt like a diluted element to the story. The thematic moments shine on par with the romance, the story doesn't ultimately feel fulfilling with wholly focusing on just the romance, the knightly mc & politics of the world could have been explored a lot more for a more well-balanced plot with the stakes involved.

Will I continue with the series??! Yeah I think so, I'm intrigued to see where the the lady knight & prince's story goes, it reminded a bit of Savior's Cafe (the li already being in love with the fmc always makes the romance better) - So I'm intrigued to see where their roles will change + grow with the series, despite my gripes! THERE'S ALSO UNRELATED BONUS STORIES TOO?? That was such a surprising addition ( i didn't finish them tho lol, but definitely a nice bonus to the main story)

Overall, a solid start to a shojo manga series about a lady knight becoming the prince's fiancee - it has its clever moments alongside the romance-focused plot, intriguing stakes that leave you wondering what happens next.

[Brian Wilkerson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a “pretend to be my lover” sort of rom-com, and while there can be various issues with this premise, I like this one because it makes sense and it is well executed.

The king tells his son, Prince Leonardo, that he needs to choose a bride within a week, because evidently Leonardo has been dragging his feet on the subject. Right from the start, we can get the sense that the king has asked many times already and has run out of patience. Thus, the deadline, and thus Leonardo grabbing his bodyguard, Lady Knight Chris. It is a shock to Chris herself, but it makes perfect sense.

As the story unfolds, we see that Chris truly is the one who Leonardo wants to marry, having been in love with her with ten years. They’ve known each for a total of fourteen, ever since they were children. Between the time Leonardo had to spent in a neighboring country as a political hostage and dodging the schemes of his step-mother, the current queen, Chris has been his truest friend and staunchest ally. The whole reason that Chris became a knight in the first place was to become strongest enough to protect him.

And that is what makes the story work.

Chris absolutely loves Leonardo. That is never in question. She wants to protect and support him in any way she can. No, the question, and relationship drama, personal tension etc. is the precise nature of that love and whether she can support him as his princess in addition to being his bodyguard, because she is absolutely still his bodyguard.

It is an interesting wrinkle to the Battle Couple trope. On one hand, Leonardo trusts Chris with his life and has full faith in her abilities, but on the other hand, she is also the woman he loves, and so he also wants to protect her. This frustrates Chris, who points out that it is literally her job to get hurt on his behalf, and it is a job that she loves, because again, she loves him. It is a conflict of goals that is cute and wholesome, also funny, such as when a group of assassins feel like they are witnessing a weird lover’s quarrel.

The cute art is a bonus, and the side-stories as well. I’d like to see more of those.

Trickster Eric Novels gives The Knight Captain is the New Princess-to-Be manga volume 1 an A+

[kuristina- tabreez · Rating 4 out of 5]

This volume is only half comprised of The Knight Captain is the New Princess-to-Be. It contains the first three chapters, plus two very cute yet slightly heavy one-shot stories at the end. All three stories seem to carry the same theme of heavy atmosphere with a comedic air to lighten it. I enjoyed all three of them, each of them made me smile and laugh in earnest. The two one-shots were perfectly contained as they are, but considering that the main story is on-going, it felt a bit lacking. It feels very much like it could end at any point without conclusion, because it feels like, while we're progressing the plot, there is little to no tension being built. It feels almost like a comedic romance with plot, rather than the heavy story it's attempting to convey. It's really just an odd mixture of elements, but I do recommend giving it a try. It's an enjoyable read. Furthermore, it's quite simple and straightforward with obvious jokes, so it's an easy read even after a long day at work or school (aka a good braindead read).

[Bex Mae · Rating 4 out of 5]

The stories about the demon king and ninja husband were not expected, but still a pleasant surprise. I hope we get to read more about them in future volumes. That being said, I enjoyed the main story a lot, I love a good knight x royal romance, but the stories with that trope that I usually read are knight x princess, so this knight x prince felt like a nice subversion of the trope. I hope to see Chris getting in touch with her feminine side (she refers to herself as and thinks of herself as a man) and part of me thinks it's a way of combating the misogyny that she faces frequently as a female knight. It's fascinating to see, and I'm looking forward to these characters and their romance develop!

[Lillian · Rating 5 out of 5]

1) I NEED the next volume.
2) WHY IS THERE 2 MINI MANGA VOLUMES IN THIS?! Like I was so confused. They was ok. The one about a demon lord that just reads waaaay to much smut what pretty funny. Like shatty friend zoned himself, and I wanna see how he gets himself out of this. The ninja story was pretty good too, and I am kinda excited to see how this plays out.
3) This manga was super cute. Chris is super blond and we love that for her. Leandro Loblovskie (or how ever you spell that last name) Is now something I WILL be walking around saying, because that's a ridiculous last name. Like his parents must hate him. Also I hate his little pony tail thing going on, like I get its a thing and ppl do that still, but its give the founding fathers.

[Kay Adelin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was hilarious! Maybe because in part it reminded me of my WIP so much, but I mean, come on. The misunderstandings and how Leo really does like Chris and she’s just so confused is adorable. And how they both want to look after each other and take care of one another, and how their love just isn’t purely physical but also comes from a deeper appreciation of who each other are as individuals was very sweet. And Leo’s obedience to his father is also another admirable thing. I will definitely be reading on in this series!

The side stories in the back were okay. The “demon king” one made me a bit uncomfortable since he was called a “demon” but there was no magic (other than the mention that he created all the furniture in his castle and that he’s immortal) so there wasn’t any witchcraft or anything. The second story I liked a lot more, but again, I enjoy stories set between married couples overcoming their misunderstandings and differences to truly love each other.

Personal Rating: 4.5/5 Stars

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was worried that I was going to have to go through several volumes of Chris not taking Leo seriously. I feel like there was some development here, what I didn't like was the random stories at the last half of the whole manga....I only read 3 chapters of the actual story and the last 3 were random other stories...???

[Shibi · Rating 4 out of 5]

bit of a reach

I enjoyed the story but found the female lead a bit dense and intense for someone who works as the person in charge of the crown prince’s security. I just feel like someone in that role would be more intelligently proactive with regards to security and knowledgeable about social behaviors.

[Sushie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Light and pretty shallow, but I like the premise. I hope Chris gets to be a little stronger in her emotions as well as her actions as the story goes on, so I'll pick up volume two. The short stories in the back that padded out this tankobon were fun too. I liked the ninja one quite a bit even though the demon king's first love reminded me a lot of I'm Taming the Final Boss which I adored.

[Cassandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked the bonus stories which isn’t typical for me. But I liked the story. It reminds me of others (a dragon one I read recently) but this is better in my opinion. He’s been in love with her forever, she sees him as a friend she loves and wants to protect. This is there journey to love. Evil step parent and assassination attempts are expected in helping to build their love relationship.

[Mariána K · Rating 5 out of 5]

A cute story

A charming addition to my collection of oblivious heroines. I particularly like how committed to the mental gender swap for our knight captain. I think this story takes gender identity well.

[Gretchen · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's a cute premise, I will need to read Vol 2 to decide if I truly like it. You can definitely tell the Prince was all in with Chris and the romantic side of things, so I am curious how her feelings will progress as the story goes.

[Lissa Hawley · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Knight Captain story was Ok, but then it cut off suddenly and there were 2 other unrelated stories. (The Ninja one was OK, but the Demon King one was goofy and tedious.) I was looking for a whole volume dedicated to one story, not a short story anthology. May or may not continue.

[Eloise · Rating 2 out of 5]

Short, fluffy, cheesy, kind of really weird - everything I need at the moment tbh. Didn't expect much, didn't get much, perfect - shoutout to my local library for always seeming to have exactly what I'm looking for.

[Cindy ✩☽♔ · Rating 3 out of 5]

It’s a cute start, but the verdict is still out on whether I’m committing the series.

[Maggie Goldwood · Rating 5 out of 5]

Adorable. So blind to each other, but adorable

[Katee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty ah yep

[myblackbookish_life · Rating 4 out of 5]

The main story and the additional bonus stories? Goofy (affectionate).