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The Courageous Princess #1
Beyond the Hundred Kingdoms
Collected for the first time, get all 3 volumes of the acclaimed fairy-tale adventures of Princess Mabelrose and her companion Spiky the talking porcupine in this special, deluxe megatrade!
232 pages, Hardcover
First published March 24, 2015
21 people are currently reading
1086 people want to read
About the author
Rod Espinosa
292 books39 followersEspinosa's work on The Courageous Princess (Antarctic Press) got him on the nomination list for “Promising new talent” and also “Best artist” for the 2000 Ignatz Awards and the 2002 Eisner Award nomination list for “Best Title for Younger Readers”.
As both writer and artist, he has also authored the Neotopia series (4 volumes, 140 pages each), which was published in graphic novel form. In 2006, Novotopia, the German edition of Neotopia, got a nomination for the Max und Moritz Prize in the category 'Bester Comic für Kinder' (best comic book for younger audience).
His past work include the Battle Girlz series, a manga adaptation of Alice in Wonderland, The Alamo and Metadocs. He has also written and conceptualized popular Antarctic Press titles such as I Hunt Monsters, and Herc and Thor. His work is also be featured in a series of American History comic books dealing with the subjects of George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, Lewis and Clark, The Boston Tea Party, The Alamo, Jackie Robinson, The Underground Railroad, Abraham Lincoln, Patrick Henry, Cesar Chavez, The American Revolution, the Transcontinental Railroad, and Clara Barton. He has also worked on Classics such as: Around the World in Eighty Days, Moby-Dick, William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, and William Shakespeare's Midsummer Night's Dream. His latest graphic novel from Antarctic Press, is called Dinowars. He is currently working on an online graphic novel entitled The Prince of Heroes.
(Taken from here.)
As both writer and artist, he has also authored the Neotopia series (4 volumes, 140 pages each), which was published in graphic novel form. In 2006, Novotopia, the German edition of Neotopia, got a nomination for the Max und Moritz Prize in the category 'Bester Comic für Kinder' (best comic book for younger audience).
His past work include the Battle Girlz series, a manga adaptation of Alice in Wonderland, The Alamo and Metadocs. He has also written and conceptualized popular Antarctic Press titles such as I Hunt Monsters, and Herc and Thor. His work is also be featured in a series of American History comic books dealing with the subjects of George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, Lewis and Clark, The Boston Tea Party, The Alamo, Jackie Robinson, The Underground Railroad, Abraham Lincoln, Patrick Henry, Cesar Chavez, The American Revolution, the Transcontinental Railroad, and Clara Barton. He has also worked on Classics such as: Around the World in Eighty Days, Moby-Dick, William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, and William Shakespeare's Midsummer Night's Dream. His latest graphic novel from Antarctic Press, is called Dinowars. He is currently working on an online graphic novel entitled The Prince of Heroes.
(Taken from here.)
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 180 reviews
February 28, 2018
Princess Mabelrose has been kidnapped and struggles to find her way home. She isn't kickass, but she has grit.
On the negative side - This book is a little heavy on the prayer. While the word Christian isn't used, and there is no clear sense of what type of god is occuring, the kneeling before bed with clasped hands image is used and it is one of the most important things she is taught.
Yet,
Her parents are interracial and not the only interracial couple in the book. Mabelrose's skin color is her father's darker shade than her mother's pale whiteness. While Mabelrose isn't kick ass, she is determined and steadfast, so her strength is of a different type. It's entertaining enough.
On the negative side - This book is a little heavy on the prayer. While the word Christian isn't used, and there is no clear sense of what type of god is occuring, the kneeling before bed with clasped hands image is used and it is one of the most important things she is taught.
Yet,
Her parents are interracial and not the only interracial couple in the book. Mabelrose's skin color is her father's darker shade than her mother's pale whiteness. While Mabelrose isn't kick ass, she is determined and steadfast, so her strength is of a different type. It's entertaining enough.
October 17, 2018
A grand kids' graphic novel fantasy adventure trilogy full of magic, danger, and friendship. As happens to young female royalty, Princess Mabelrose gets kidnapped by a dragon. Being unwilling to stay kidnapped, and quite worried about how her parents feel with her missing, she sets about rescuing herself. Adults may find Mabelrose suspiciously perfect, but I couldn't resist loving her anyway. Espinosa's art is lovely, and his world-building and plot design are incredibly strong. If you're looking for epic fantasy, this is a great series. Bonus for those of us who crave diversity: Mabelrose is biracial/bicultural. Her mother is from a kingdom that appears to be based on Western European culture. Her father is from a kingdom that appears to be based on a Middle Eastern culture. People from both sides of her family appear in the story.
My son's thoughts: "It's a very adventurous story, and also Mabelrose herself is very adventurous. It's funny in parts, and it's a tiny bit scary in parts. There are a lot of cliffhangers, which leave you wanting to read the next volume or the next chapter." (He's not wrong. Waiting between the second and third books was painful.)
My son's thoughts: "It's a very adventurous story, and also Mabelrose herself is very adventurous. It's funny in parts, and it's a tiny bit scary in parts. There are a lot of cliffhangers, which leave you wanting to read the next volume or the next chapter." (He's not wrong. Waiting between the second and third books was painful.)
October 15, 2020
The Courageous Princess book 1.
The beloved Princess Mabelrose, her parents' only child, goes to a ball -- and has a horrible time. And when she returns home, a dragon kidnaps her. It intends to hold her for ransom despite her kingdom's poverty.
The tale winds on from there. It involves Mabelrose's tricking the dragon into leaving for a time, a magical rope, her father's leaving home in search for her, a sage, a king in a cage, a fair number of fairy tales, talking animals, and more.
The beloved Princess Mabelrose, her parents' only child, goes to a ball -- and has a horrible time. And when she returns home, a dragon kidnaps her. It intends to hold her for ransom despite her kingdom's poverty.
The tale winds on from there. It involves Mabelrose's tricking the dragon into leaving for a time, a magical rope, her father's leaving home in search for her, a sage, a king in a cage, a fair number of fairy tales, talking animals, and more.
May 24, 2012
When I first read the back of the cover and looked it over, I was expecting some kind of Rapunzel spin-off; the princess is captured by an evil doer and instead of being saved by a prince, gets out of there herself and lives the practical happily-ever-after. I was wrong.
Mabelrose, although it is told that her education is limited, is one of the wittiest characters and my overall favorite in the book. Although she is sometimes very stubborn and sentimental, her attitude and hilarious personality made me laugh out loud.
Spiky is adorable. The way he is drawn in the book makes me smile. He is very protective over Mabelrose and would never betray her! Although his hugs are rather prickly, he makes a wonderful friend and companion throughout the book.
Whenever Shalathrumnostrium showed up, I wanted to throw the book at the wall. My hatred for that evil dragon makes me want to shriek. His character is well thought-out and his sudden appearances made my heart beat faster.
The ending was very unusual. You'd think that Mabelrose would eventually find herself back to her parents and live happily-ever-after. It made me want more and more! Overall, this book was a treat to read and I hope to be reading another book like this soon.
Mabelrose, although it is told that her education is limited, is one of the wittiest characters and my overall favorite in the book. Although she is sometimes very stubborn and sentimental, her attitude and hilarious personality made me laugh out loud.
Spiky is adorable. The way he is drawn in the book makes me smile. He is very protective over Mabelrose and would never betray her! Although his hugs are rather prickly, he makes a wonderful friend and companion throughout the book.
Whenever Shalathrumnostrium showed up, I wanted to throw the book at the wall. My hatred for that evil dragon makes me want to shriek. His character is well thought-out and his sudden appearances made my heart beat faster.
The ending was very unusual. You'd think that Mabelrose would eventually find herself back to her parents and live happily-ever-after. It made me want more and more! Overall, this book was a treat to read and I hope to be reading another book like this soon.
June 15, 2013
Loved it! Aladin married into the Charming family and has a lovely daughter who is kidnapped by a dragon. The dragon explains to Princess Mabelrose that he took her because she's not very pretty so no one will ever come to rescue her and so she'll be his plaything for the rest of her life. But Mabelrose is her father's daughter and isn't about to let a self-esteem crushing lizard steal her bliss...and then she escapes. The dragon is shocked. And now on the hunt. Thus begins our exciting adventure.
September 9, 2015
I thought this book was gonna be full of action when it came to the overall artwork. I was wrong.
This book is a fairy tale story of a Princess named Mabelrose, who in retrospect is extremely similar to Snow White in reference to humble and selfless personality. Her parents taught her how to treat everyone with respect and kindness and to pray. She attends a ball only to be ridiculed by other princesses and one day she wishes that she had more gold to buy more jewelry and better clothes so that way the prince can notice her and she is magically transported to an abandon castle far far away who an dragon inhabits and wants her to be his slave and thus this big journey begins...
She becomes best friends with different creatures and along the way learns about different kingdoms and it's inhabitants. Unfortunately this book lacks background information in regards to certain characters or artifacts but nonetheless it is a fairy tale story and I really like the artwork and the general storyline.
This book is a fairy tale story of a Princess named Mabelrose, who in retrospect is extremely similar to Snow White in reference to humble and selfless personality. Her parents taught her how to treat everyone with respect and kindness and to pray. She attends a ball only to be ridiculed by other princesses and one day she wishes that she had more gold to buy more jewelry and better clothes so that way the prince can notice her and she is magically transported to an abandon castle far far away who an dragon inhabits and wants her to be his slave and thus this big journey begins...
She becomes best friends with different creatures and along the way learns about different kingdoms and it's inhabitants. Unfortunately this book lacks background information in regards to certain characters or artifacts but nonetheless it is a fairy tale story and I really like the artwork and the general storyline.
September 16, 2024
The Courageous Princess is a story of a young princess' adventures set in a familiar fairy tale world.This has been well-reviewed already, but... it's a bit TOO wholesome, with weird (which is spelled "wierd" in this story... twice) pseudo-Christian undertones but without any framework (one mention of God, whereas others have 'spirits' or 'gods', depending on the region. All of these are unspecified deities and faiths). I actually had to look up to see if it was an Evangelical American publisher. While Antarctic Press is based in San Antonio, Texas, it apparently also ran an erotic imprint called 'Venus' in the 90s. So I don't know. I think there's a chance they have kowtowed to a prevailing pseudo-Christian (American Evangelical) sales audience. I guess it was Espinosa's way of showing the 'good character' of Mabelrose. It's just a bit clunky.
Although raised by kind parents, Princess Mabelrose's life was anything but rosy. Contrary to most fairy tales, she bungles her first ball and the prince will not even dance with her. Kidnapped by a dragon, she is told no one will come for her as she is "not the fairest in the land". So instead of waiting for a prince to rescue her, Mabelrose takes action and decides to escape on her own!
Join Mabelrose in her adventures along with her loyal companion and friend Spiky, a talking porcupine, as they journey through unfamiliar lands in a quest to find her home.
Lots of interracial heterosexual marriage... which I guess is a good thing, only it was so strongly emphasized (and superfluous to the plot!), that it seemed totally bizarre and forced (as were the mix of what I might call 'identifiable human ethnic groups and cultures' with various world animals... like the American Indian 'hermit' in top-knot, feathers and loincloth who married a very blonde, braided northern european beauty (or maybe she was meant to be like Helen of Troy? Toga?!) who joyfully comes to serve food to the guest, and they are surrounded by wallabies and Aussie parakeets?) And honestly, VERY traditional gender roles of all the males and females here, with queens serving men, and would-be usurpers looking forward to impregnating comely queens (implied, but pretty overtly). Even with Mabelrose, who was a great heroine, but still someone hoping to marry a prince most of all (even willing to kiss a talking boar in case he was under a spell and really a handsome prince in disguise).
I have to say that as an non-American adult female, there was a lot about this that felt as if it was LDS Literature and belonged on the shelf in a Mormon children's library - all the quite pronounced mixing of the world cultures (everyone represented as an extreme expression or cariacature of that culture!), coming together in a very traditional Americanized ideal, where women proudly serve refreshments to their manly men, regardless of anyone's talents or stature. I'm willing to bet Espinosa is Mormon, or perhaps a Jehovah's Witness, now. It would make a lot of sense.
November 28, 2016
Kauniisti piirretty tarina köyhän maan prinsessasta, Mabelrosesta, joka joutuu julman lohikäärmeen sieppaamaksi. Mabelrose ei varsinaisesti ole mikään pikkunäppärä ja näsäkkä selviytyjätyyppi, mutta olosuhteiden pakosta hän päättää karata lohikäärmeen linnasta. Sattuman kaupalla hän ottaa mukaansa tarvikkeita, jotka vaikuttavat aivan tavallisilta, mutta joilla on taikavoimia, lukuunottaatta taikasormusta, jonka Mabelrose arvioi auttamaan lentämisessä. Mabelrosella on enimmäkseen onni matkassa, sillä lohikäärmeen kynsistä pakeneminen ei todellakaan ole mikään helppo homma.
Sarjakuva soveltuu seikkailuista pitäville lapsille/varhaisnuorille, mukana on myös melko jännittäviä kohtauksia. Tämä on mukavan vanhanaikainen prinsessatarina, jossa on aivan oma maailmansa. Erityisesti pistin merkille sen, kuinka päähenkilö Mabelrose sekä hanen vanhempansa ovat hyvin hurskaita, mikä tekee tästä sarjakuvasta aivan omanlaisensa.
Sarjakuva soveltuu seikkailuista pitäville lapsille/varhaisnuorille, mukana on myös melko jännittäviä kohtauksia. Tämä on mukavan vanhanaikainen prinsessatarina, jossa on aivan oma maailmansa. Erityisesti pistin merkille sen, kuinka päähenkilö Mabelrose sekä hanen vanhempansa ovat hyvin hurskaita, mikä tekee tästä sarjakuvasta aivan omanlaisensa.
October 1, 2021
I wanted to like this more than I did, especially since the author/artist provides some much-needed Filipinx rep in the comics industry. I was drawn to the cover of a princess riding a boar, probably subconciously hoping for a story that evoked a Miyazaki film. Even without holding my standards as impossibly high as a Miyazaki film, I think that this would've disappointed. The story actually bored me, and it was a turn-off that the Princess' praying is (not-so) subtley included multiple times (though it is a bit unfair of me, because I realize that I have a knee-jerk reaction to prayer in books), and that the story was reminiscent of older moralistic tales for children. The fantasy adventures that Princess Mabelrose goes on borrow from other recognized fantasy stories with too slight of a twist to hold my interest.
May 4, 2018
Cute J graphic novel. It mixes all the fairytales and fantasy stories with a brave princess finding her way back home after being captured by a dragon (think Smaug). It has some humor in it too. Enjoyed it
June 13, 2025
This is a review of a graphic novel I read ten years ago, and have only now decided to repurchase and reread.
I don't know what I wasn't impressed by before, for me to give it a low rating, because 'The Courageous Princess' is one of the most original, creative, refreshing, charming and exciting Western female-led comics I have ever come across. It is certainly one of the better manga-influenced comics from the 2000s era out there (an "Amerimanga", which sounds... stupid, embarrassing, and dated).
Rod Espinosa certainly took inspiration from classic 90s anime and manga, as well as fairy tales - the influences and allusions are there, but are cleverly placed and not distracting. The art - like a manga in colour - is absolutely wonderful, fresh, well detailed, and childlike in the best meaning of the term.
I will be continuing this epic fantasy adventure series, starring a strong female lead, with the two subsequent volumes that are now available to buy (maybe the reason why I didn't think much of 'The Courageous Princess' all those years ago is because I thought the series didn't have an ending, as I'd preferred).
'The Courageous Princess' is indeed about a courageous princess - the young, adorable, sweet teenage Mabelrose. She is an unlikely and unconventional princess, in that she is not conventionally beautiful, and is humble, quite homely, and active and loves playing, including with other children, no matter their status. And she will visit anyone of any status. Her penchant for nature and playing outside will prove useful to her on her adventures. She loves her people and she shows it daily. She wants to help them, and she will share whatever she can with them, even if it is just her time. Her beloved parents have taught her well about giving back to the people, respecting others, and being kind.
I'm relieved that Mabelrose is not a typical action heroine and warrior princess. She is not a tiny bit like what you'd expect from the 90s and 2000s idea of a "strong female character" i.e., a scantily-clad, violent, cold, grumpy and angry bore with a tragic past and baggage, and who is "independent" yet still in need of men to calm her down and fulfil her life. Good goddess no. Mabelrose is just a person with brains, heart, perseverance, and the determination and hope to find her way home to her loving parents after being kidnapped by a terrifying, greedy dragon. She is uncorrupted, unjaded and uncynical. Even though it is made clear that she is also religious and prays for help, she develops into a self-reliant, proactive, independent (genuinely so, with a talking porcupine as her new best friend and constant companion) and confident girl on her perilous journey back to her own kingdom. She is practical from the start, anyhow.
Mabelrose's courage, bravery, friendliness, helpfulness, selflessness, generosity, and kindness to everyone she meets are what matter the most about her. Greed and power for the sake of it are the overall antagonists of this graphic novel. She is a princess in the truest sense of the word.
It took me ages to figure out what anime character she reminds me of, and now I know that she looks and acts like Belldandy from 'Oh My Goddess!'. And maybe Milly Thompson from 'Trigun'. Wow it's been such a long time since I saw those classic anime. The unique fable comic has made me nostalgic.
And like the anime shows of old, 'The Courageous Princess' - a travelling adventure fairy tale homage series - isn't solely about the protagonist, Mabelrose. Other characters are memorable and receive their chance to shine and have an arc and be believable people, too. Including the talking animals. In a comic full of "proper royal etiquette" (conventions, such as wanting to be beautiful and rich, and waiting for a prince to come rescue the damsel-led princess, are deconstructed, and while at first Mabelrose doesn't mind being conservative, she remains a kid who plays and is not afraid to get dirty), magical items, and the aforementioned talking animals, it is very much a humanising fairy tale, and it is all the more fun and endearing for it.
What a wonderful, charming, totally and unfairly underrated "princess adventurer" comic. I'll be reviewing the sequel volumes once I get them. I can't wait to see how the dear, darling, brave and thoughtful Mabelrose's quest for home ends! No romance for this princess!
If you like a similar comic, 'Rapunzel's Revenge', and Disney movies such as 'Tangled' and 'Moana', and heck, if you love the classic children's epic fantasy adventure stories, such as 'The Last Unicorn' (link to my review of the novel is here, and my review of the graphic novel adaptation is here) and 'The Neverending Story', then you're sure-fire to enjoy and love 'The Courageous Princess'. I'm surprised it hasn't been adapted into anything. A real shame and disgrace.
So much heart and passion was put into this. It deserves more recognition, definitely. A resurgence. A second chance.
A chance to shine, brighten, enlighten, and charm once again, at the right time for it.
Final Score: 4/5
I don't know what I wasn't impressed by before, for me to give it a low rating, because 'The Courageous Princess' is one of the most original, creative, refreshing, charming and exciting Western female-led comics I have ever come across. It is certainly one of the better manga-influenced comics from the 2000s era out there (an "Amerimanga", which sounds... stupid, embarrassing, and dated).
Rod Espinosa certainly took inspiration from classic 90s anime and manga, as well as fairy tales - the influences and allusions are there, but are cleverly placed and not distracting. The art - like a manga in colour - is absolutely wonderful, fresh, well detailed, and childlike in the best meaning of the term.
I will be continuing this epic fantasy adventure series, starring a strong female lead, with the two subsequent volumes that are now available to buy (maybe the reason why I didn't think much of 'The Courageous Princess' all those years ago is because I thought the series didn't have an ending, as I'd preferred).
'The Courageous Princess' is indeed about a courageous princess - the young, adorable, sweet teenage Mabelrose. She is an unlikely and unconventional princess, in that she is not conventionally beautiful, and is humble, quite homely, and active and loves playing, including with other children, no matter their status. And she will visit anyone of any status. Her penchant for nature and playing outside will prove useful to her on her adventures. She loves her people and she shows it daily. She wants to help them, and she will share whatever she can with them, even if it is just her time. Her beloved parents have taught her well about giving back to the people, respecting others, and being kind.
I'm relieved that Mabelrose is not a typical action heroine and warrior princess. She is not a tiny bit like what you'd expect from the 90s and 2000s idea of a "strong female character" i.e., a scantily-clad, violent, cold, grumpy and angry bore with a tragic past and baggage, and who is "independent" yet still in need of men to calm her down and fulfil her life. Good goddess no. Mabelrose is just a person with brains, heart, perseverance, and the determination and hope to find her way home to her loving parents after being kidnapped by a terrifying, greedy dragon. She is uncorrupted, unjaded and uncynical. Even though it is made clear that she is also religious and prays for help, she develops into a self-reliant, proactive, independent (genuinely so, with a talking porcupine as her new best friend and constant companion) and confident girl on her perilous journey back to her own kingdom. She is practical from the start, anyhow.
Mabelrose's courage, bravery, friendliness, helpfulness, selflessness, generosity, and kindness to everyone she meets are what matter the most about her. Greed and power for the sake of it are the overall antagonists of this graphic novel. She is a princess in the truest sense of the word.
It took me ages to figure out what anime character she reminds me of, and now I know that she looks and acts like Belldandy from 'Oh My Goddess!'. And maybe Milly Thompson from 'Trigun'. Wow it's been such a long time since I saw those classic anime. The unique fable comic has made me nostalgic.
And like the anime shows of old, 'The Courageous Princess' - a travelling adventure fairy tale homage series - isn't solely about the protagonist, Mabelrose. Other characters are memorable and receive their chance to shine and have an arc and be believable people, too. Including the talking animals. In a comic full of "proper royal etiquette" (conventions, such as wanting to be beautiful and rich, and waiting for a prince to come rescue the damsel-led princess, are deconstructed, and while at first Mabelrose doesn't mind being conservative, she remains a kid who plays and is not afraid to get dirty), magical items, and the aforementioned talking animals, it is very much a humanising fairy tale, and it is all the more fun and endearing for it.
What a wonderful, charming, totally and unfairly underrated "princess adventurer" comic. I'll be reviewing the sequel volumes once I get them. I can't wait to see how the dear, darling, brave and thoughtful Mabelrose's quest for home ends! No romance for this princess!
If you like a similar comic, 'Rapunzel's Revenge', and Disney movies such as 'Tangled' and 'Moana', and heck, if you love the classic children's epic fantasy adventure stories, such as 'The Last Unicorn' (link to my review of the novel is here, and my review of the graphic novel adaptation is here) and 'The Neverending Story', then you're sure-fire to enjoy and love 'The Courageous Princess'. I'm surprised it hasn't been adapted into anything. A real shame and disgrace.
So much heart and passion was put into this. It deserves more recognition, definitely. A resurgence. A second chance.
A chance to shine, brighten, enlighten, and charm once again, at the right time for it.
Final Score: 4/5
March 3, 2022
I remember reading this as a kid and loving it!! And reading it again I still really enjoyed it! Some of the storytelling could have been better/more developed. But I still really enjoyed it. Love the characters and the drawings.
September 2, 2025
Read this for the first time when I was 14 and it's still one of the best graphic novels I've ever read. The way it takes old fairy tale trends and flips them on their head is just amazing. The family and found family in this breaks and heals your heart and it's a kind but badass princess that you don't feel obligated to root for but want to anyways.
September 1, 2022
Loved it until the very end. Hated the ending. Loved the other fairy tale references.
September 16, 2024
For once, I have a complete volume of a series, though it seems that Rod Espinosa, its author and artist, may be returning to it. Thus far, there are three books in 'The Courageous Princess' series, first published in 2000, 2001 and 2002: "Beyond the 100 Kingdoms', 'The Quest for Home' and 'The Kingdom of Leptia'. All three are collated into this heavy large format hardback, which is labelled 'Masterpiece Edition'. Weight aside, this is surely the version to get if you're interested in diving into this story, which landed Filipino creator Rod Espinosa onto a few award nomination lists.
It's a gentle story with splashes of darkness, told and drawn cleanly with art that reminds me a lot of Studio Ghibli. This is absolutely the sort of story that Hayao Miyazaki might animate, especially given that it's rooted in classic fairy tale. Espinosa has apparently dipped into both literature and history often, including graphic adaptations of Poe, Verne, Dickens and Shakespeare, among quite a few others; a series of steampunk takes on fairy tales; a manga version of 'Alice in Wonderland'; and biographical looks at various American presidents and other historical characters. No wonder he seems so at home in a fairy tale mindset here.
The courageous princess of the title is Princess Mabelrose of the tiny kingdom of New Tinsley, one of the Hundred Kingdoms. In the first of many snubs to convention, she's clearly mixed race. Her mother, Queen Helena, is part of the Charming family, so is flaxen haired and blue eyed, clearly in the European tradition. However, her father, King Jeryk, is obviously middle eastern and it's been suggested that he's descended from Aladdin. However, they get along wonderfully and are firmly able to compromise, as the princess's name proves: Helena wanted Mabel and Jeryk wanted Rose, but they lumped them together to make her Mabelrose.
The early scenes are happy, active and pastoral. Everyone gets along with everyone else, whether they're royalty or peasants, and Espinosa appears to be almost unwilling to draw any human being without their mouth being open. However, that's just New Tinsley and that's not how things are in the rest of the Hundred Kingdoms, as we'll soon discover. King Alreon of Warwick is hosting a ball in his son's honour and he invites Princess Mabelrose to attend, but it turns into a big wake-up call for her. She's ignored, ridiculed and laughed at. After all, while she looks good to us, Espinosa has clearly pointed out that she's not the fairest in the land, and the other princesses clearly agree.
After being tripped up by a bullying princess, she escapes to a side room, befriends young Prince Edward and uses a frog he found in the garden to cause chaos at the ball. It's glorious and I'd love to see it animated. The next scene would be more challenging, because, on her return home, she's promptly kidnapped by a dragon called, and I kid you not, Shalathrumnostrium, who's huge but is also able to whisk her away to his castle in the Unremembered Lands, which is almost as far away from New Tinsley as anyone can get and yet remain on the map that Espinosa kindly provides for us. So it goes.
Now, your standard fairy tale would have Princess Mabelrose the fairest in the land, which she's apparently not, because that's Princess Giovanna. And the dashing prince would quickly sprint to her rescue, which he doesn't, not only because he's too busy getting married to Princess Giovanna but because he didn't even notice Mabelrose at the ball. And so to plan B, which would be for her parents to pony up the sizeable ransom of gold that this dragon wants for her release, which they don't because they simply don't have the money. And so Shalathrumnostrium decides to keep her as a pet.
Of course, King Jeryk, being a decent and heroic sort, promptly sets out on horseback to rescue his daughter, but he has a long way to go and she doesn't even know that he's coming, so she rescues herself. The rest of the first book and the two that follow involve Jeryk getting progressively less far away but never close, Mabelrose getting progressively further away from the captor but never close to home and Shalathrumonstrium doing everything he can to re-capture the first princess to ever escape his castle and make a mockery of his kidnap and ransom schemes.
And, with that framework established, there lie the stories. Princess Mabelrose is easy to like and younger audiences ought to lap her up, but she's maybe a little too perfect for older readers. My feeling was that, while she's absolutely the courageous and even determined princess of the title, it's her inner peace and goodness that prove even more important as she meets a progression of characters during her travels.
Two join her, though I'd only call one a sidekick. He's Spiky, a talking porcupine which she meets in a forest of thorns. The other is a magical rope she takes from the dragon's castle and completely fails to notice helps her out time and time again. Spiky, on the other hand, notices the first time and Espinosa's greatest achievement in this book is to endow a scene featuring a porcupine and a rope with serious emotional power. That's artistry.
Everyone else comes and goes, whether she finds them or they find her, and the vast majority of them are decent everyday folk rather than the rich and powerful. Back in Warwick, we discovered that the rich and powerful are generally assholes, but they're never villains because they're rich and powerful. Sure, the villains that Mabelrose encounters, like the dragon and his tiger minion, King Irgerat, the tyrant of Leptia, certainly end up rich and powerful but that's because they're villains, so the progression is the right way round.
In fact, the only obvious flaws I'd call out in Espinosa's storytelling are his stereotypical choices of anthropomorphic animals to be good guys and bad guys and a mild reliance on prayer. Neither is a big deal but both are annoyances and the book would have been better with them resolved.
The former means that the bad guys are dragons, wolves, vultures, crocodiles and the like, each a cheap choice for villain. Sure, Espinosa includes a boar as a good guy, leading to a great scene in which he asks Mabelrose for a kiss and she obliges, convinced that he's a bespelled prince, but no, he's just a boar who wants a kiss.
The latter is mild because there doesn't seem to be any religion in the Hundred Kingdoms. I don't think we ever encounter a priest or a place of worship but there are a few scenes where characters pray, even though we have no idea who to, and their prayers are rewarded. The first of those is the princess herself, because her parents couldn't conceive until they prayed enough and boom, there she was. It seems to me that Espinosa would have been better off either leaving this out entirely or actively including religion in his worldbuilding.
So this is a gentle but very enjoyable adventure in which Espinosa channels anime and fairy tales into something new and subtly subversive. It's not the greatest thing since sliced bread, but it's a thoroughly enjoyable read and I want to see what happens next. And I want to see Miyazaki make it an anime.
Originally posted at the Nameless Zine in September 2024:
https://www.thenamelesszine.org/Illus...
Index of all my Nameless Zine reviews:
https://books.apocalypselaterempire.com/
It's a gentle story with splashes of darkness, told and drawn cleanly with art that reminds me a lot of Studio Ghibli. This is absolutely the sort of story that Hayao Miyazaki might animate, especially given that it's rooted in classic fairy tale. Espinosa has apparently dipped into both literature and history often, including graphic adaptations of Poe, Verne, Dickens and Shakespeare, among quite a few others; a series of steampunk takes on fairy tales; a manga version of 'Alice in Wonderland'; and biographical looks at various American presidents and other historical characters. No wonder he seems so at home in a fairy tale mindset here.
The courageous princess of the title is Princess Mabelrose of the tiny kingdom of New Tinsley, one of the Hundred Kingdoms. In the first of many snubs to convention, she's clearly mixed race. Her mother, Queen Helena, is part of the Charming family, so is flaxen haired and blue eyed, clearly in the European tradition. However, her father, King Jeryk, is obviously middle eastern and it's been suggested that he's descended from Aladdin. However, they get along wonderfully and are firmly able to compromise, as the princess's name proves: Helena wanted Mabel and Jeryk wanted Rose, but they lumped them together to make her Mabelrose.
The early scenes are happy, active and pastoral. Everyone gets along with everyone else, whether they're royalty or peasants, and Espinosa appears to be almost unwilling to draw any human being without their mouth being open. However, that's just New Tinsley and that's not how things are in the rest of the Hundred Kingdoms, as we'll soon discover. King Alreon of Warwick is hosting a ball in his son's honour and he invites Princess Mabelrose to attend, but it turns into a big wake-up call for her. She's ignored, ridiculed and laughed at. After all, while she looks good to us, Espinosa has clearly pointed out that she's not the fairest in the land, and the other princesses clearly agree.
After being tripped up by a bullying princess, she escapes to a side room, befriends young Prince Edward and uses a frog he found in the garden to cause chaos at the ball. It's glorious and I'd love to see it animated. The next scene would be more challenging, because, on her return home, she's promptly kidnapped by a dragon called, and I kid you not, Shalathrumnostrium, who's huge but is also able to whisk her away to his castle in the Unremembered Lands, which is almost as far away from New Tinsley as anyone can get and yet remain on the map that Espinosa kindly provides for us. So it goes.
Now, your standard fairy tale would have Princess Mabelrose the fairest in the land, which she's apparently not, because that's Princess Giovanna. And the dashing prince would quickly sprint to her rescue, which he doesn't, not only because he's too busy getting married to Princess Giovanna but because he didn't even notice Mabelrose at the ball. And so to plan B, which would be for her parents to pony up the sizeable ransom of gold that this dragon wants for her release, which they don't because they simply don't have the money. And so Shalathrumnostrium decides to keep her as a pet.
Of course, King Jeryk, being a decent and heroic sort, promptly sets out on horseback to rescue his daughter, but he has a long way to go and she doesn't even know that he's coming, so she rescues herself. The rest of the first book and the two that follow involve Jeryk getting progressively less far away but never close, Mabelrose getting progressively further away from the captor but never close to home and Shalathrumonstrium doing everything he can to re-capture the first princess to ever escape his castle and make a mockery of his kidnap and ransom schemes.
And, with that framework established, there lie the stories. Princess Mabelrose is easy to like and younger audiences ought to lap her up, but she's maybe a little too perfect for older readers. My feeling was that, while she's absolutely the courageous and even determined princess of the title, it's her inner peace and goodness that prove even more important as she meets a progression of characters during her travels.
Two join her, though I'd only call one a sidekick. He's Spiky, a talking porcupine which she meets in a forest of thorns. The other is a magical rope she takes from the dragon's castle and completely fails to notice helps her out time and time again. Spiky, on the other hand, notices the first time and Espinosa's greatest achievement in this book is to endow a scene featuring a porcupine and a rope with serious emotional power. That's artistry.
Everyone else comes and goes, whether she finds them or they find her, and the vast majority of them are decent everyday folk rather than the rich and powerful. Back in Warwick, we discovered that the rich and powerful are generally assholes, but they're never villains because they're rich and powerful. Sure, the villains that Mabelrose encounters, like the dragon and his tiger minion, King Irgerat, the tyrant of Leptia, certainly end up rich and powerful but that's because they're villains, so the progression is the right way round.
In fact, the only obvious flaws I'd call out in Espinosa's storytelling are his stereotypical choices of anthropomorphic animals to be good guys and bad guys and a mild reliance on prayer. Neither is a big deal but both are annoyances and the book would have been better with them resolved.
The former means that the bad guys are dragons, wolves, vultures, crocodiles and the like, each a cheap choice for villain. Sure, Espinosa includes a boar as a good guy, leading to a great scene in which he asks Mabelrose for a kiss and she obliges, convinced that he's a bespelled prince, but no, he's just a boar who wants a kiss.
The latter is mild because there doesn't seem to be any religion in the Hundred Kingdoms. I don't think we ever encounter a priest or a place of worship but there are a few scenes where characters pray, even though we have no idea who to, and their prayers are rewarded. The first of those is the princess herself, because her parents couldn't conceive until they prayed enough and boom, there she was. It seems to me that Espinosa would have been better off either leaving this out entirely or actively including religion in his worldbuilding.
So this is a gentle but very enjoyable adventure in which Espinosa channels anime and fairy tales into something new and subtly subversive. It's not the greatest thing since sliced bread, but it's a thoroughly enjoyable read and I want to see what happens next. And I want to see Miyazaki make it an anime.
Originally posted at the Nameless Zine in September 2024:
https://www.thenamelesszine.org/Illus...
Index of all my Nameless Zine reviews:
https://books.apocalypselaterempire.com/
September 6, 2016
A perfectly lovely tale of a kind, sweet princess. She's kidnapped by a dragon and prays for a Knight to come save her. She learns the dragon's defences have never been broken so she decides to help herself and escape. There we find this princess has a plucky spirit, she's able to take care of herself but being a lovely girl she still dreams of a romantic prince. The book is a quest as she travels her way across the whole land trying to reach home. She meets people along the way, some good, others evil, and stays a bit each time till things have been sorted out. This book brings the main story arc to a closure, so there is a happy ending. But the princess is not home yet and will be continuing on her travels to reach her home. An all ages book, but one I think will be most appreciated by girls in the "princess" phase.
October 29, 2015
A very light mashing up of various tales with a courageous young heroine and her spikey companion, aptly names Spiky. The drawing style was rather old fashioned manga influenced, and felt a bit dated to me because of that. And it's a rather heavy tome with the hardcover, but it still was a quick and fun romp through a fantasy realm. I do wish that the characters were a bit more three-dimensional, though, past the whole selfless Mabelrose bit...sure, she was raised that way, but I'm sure she has a bit more to her character than the morals instilled within her by her parents.
I could see fans of Guardians of Gahoole, Redwall, and various other animal-centric books enjoying this, as well as fans of fantasy stories in general.
I could see fans of Guardians of Gahoole, Redwall, and various other animal-centric books enjoying this, as well as fans of fantasy stories in general.
August 4, 2016
This always catches my eye when it is returned to the library. It's a sweet and simple story of a kind fairy tale princess who is the daughter of Aladdin. She is kidnapped by a dragon but rescues herself, and then has adventures around the 100 kingdoms with her magical items and her talking porcupine friend Spiky. The art style is a bit old fashioned like 70s manga and the storytelling is a bit formulaic but I think it adds to the classic fairy tale feel of the story. Princess Mabelrose is a good person, and I like the way she faces problems head on and stays positive. A good read for kids 6-12 but you might have to read it with the 6 year olds.
March 12, 2015
I'm not sure why this was YA. A curious, inquisitive princess grows up with loving parents; who teach her to be generous, humble and kind. However, her first ball is not a success. She is kidnapped by a magical dragon. When the dragon tells her no one is going to rescue a second class princess from a poor kingdom, she decides to escape herself. I'm not usually a graphic novel fan, but this was a grand adventure with talking animals.
February 24, 2016
This little story has a lot of good reviews. Mine is not one of them. While I did like some of the artwork and the mentioning of other fairytales, all in all I found this book to be pretty lackluster. I felt like the ending was rather abrupt and felt unresolved and the characters weren't very interesting. The dragon didn't seem threatening because he was just done. Perhaps very very young children would like it, but honestly there are better stories out there.
February 11, 2019
Mabelrose is sweet, loving, smart, caring, and awesome! When a dragon captures her she has the skills to escape. But will she ever make it back home?
Read this book and the next one to find out.
I love how Mabelrose prays. I'm a Christian and I pray so she's relatable for me. I also love the porcupine or is it a Hedgehog? Hmmmmm? If anyone knows comment. Over all it's a pretty awesome princess story !!!!!
Read this book and the next one to find out.
I love how Mabelrose prays. I'm a Christian and I pray so she's relatable for me. I also love the porcupine or is it a Hedgehog? Hmmmmm? If anyone knows comment. Over all it's a pretty awesome princess story !!!!!
April 25, 2021
Some fun references to various fairy tales, an energetic princess with a heart of gold and an obliviousness to magic ropes, and a willingness to blur past some minor concerns (the winter in the mountains?) make this a fun and quick read. I enjoyed seeing the princess move beyond waiting for rescue, and I like the touches that make her seem real -- her prayers at night, her carelessness with wealth, and her selective blindness towards magic.
June 7, 2021
Oh, I wish more people knew about this! SO GOOD...
Loved all the references to all the other fairytales. The story itself is so cute and the beautiful illustrations have an anime style to them, which is a nice change from the graphic novels I usually read. It's so easy to slip into this story and just get lost. Well worth the read. Definitely recommend this adorable book!
5/5.
Loved all the references to all the other fairytales. The story itself is so cute and the beautiful illustrations have an anime style to them, which is a nice change from the graphic novels I usually read. It's so easy to slip into this story and just get lost. Well worth the read. Definitely recommend this adorable book!
5/5.
August 29, 2016
Although this book doesn't follow the path of any one particular fairy tale, bits and pieces of traditional tales are sprinkled among the plot... I thought the ending was a little rushed, and there are still loose ends to tie up, but then I realized this is volume one of a trilogy. So now I have to go find the other two!
April 8, 2008
long and cheesy at first. Once the narrative slows and the plot gain steam, the book becomes a great piece of a princess who can't rely on waiting for the prince to save her, she has to become her own hero. Its nothing new, but a lot of fun to read.
September 21, 2012
Really fun! I wasn't bored at any point while reading it. A simple, almost manga-like, graphic novel. Best buy ever; only $ .25 at my local booksale. But this is definitely worth reading more than once a year.
July 6, 2014
This is a good read, especially for kids. I liked the emphasis on faith and family. The princess relies on herself and friends to escape, and it's her father who goes out to rescue her, not a prince. A good tale.
January 23, 2017
Loved this story, but it felt incomplete. As though there should be a sequel. Hoping that there is indeed a sequel, because the story of the lovely young princess was compelling and called for more stories, more focus on her life.
December 17, 2007
I have related so much to this book and I love the way she finds her courage!
go to your library and get it as soon as you can, it's basically a comic book but longer and TONS better!!!
go to your library and get it as soon as you can, it's basically a comic book but longer and TONS better!!!
March 28, 2016
A nice story but I did not fall for the characters or the illustrations.
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