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Ladycastle (Single Issues) #1-4
Ladycastle
When the King and all the men of the castle die, it’s time for the women to knight up.
When King Mancastle and his mighty vassals ride off on a crusade, the women left behind are not at all put out—that’s a lot less armor polishing to do. Of course, when the men get themselves eaten by a dragon and leave a curse that attracts monsters to the castle . . . well, the women take umbrage with that.
Now, Merinor, the blacksmith’s wife is King, Princess Aeve is the Captain, and the only remaining (and least capable) knight, Sir Riddick, is tasked with teaching the ladies of the castle how to fight, defend, build, and do all manner of noisy things the men had done while the women assumed they were just drunk.
Novelist Delilah S. Dawson (Star Wars: The Perfect Weapon, As Wicked as She Wants) brings her first original series to the graphic novel world, and is joined by breakthrough illustrator Ashley A. Woods (Niobe: She Is Life) for a rollicking fantasy adventure in Ladycastle.
When King Mancastle and his mighty vassals ride off on a crusade, the women left behind are not at all put out—that’s a lot less armor polishing to do. Of course, when the men get themselves eaten by a dragon and leave a curse that attracts monsters to the castle . . . well, the women take umbrage with that.
Now, Merinor, the blacksmith’s wife is King, Princess Aeve is the Captain, and the only remaining (and least capable) knight, Sir Riddick, is tasked with teaching the ladies of the castle how to fight, defend, build, and do all manner of noisy things the men had done while the women assumed they were just drunk.
Novelist Delilah S. Dawson (Star Wars: The Perfect Weapon, As Wicked as She Wants) brings her first original series to the graphic novel world, and is joined by breakthrough illustrator Ashley A. Woods (Niobe: She Is Life) for a rollicking fantasy adventure in Ladycastle.
112 pages, Paperback
First published October 24, 2017
11 people are currently reading
852 people want to read
About the author
Delilah S. Dawson
175 books2,805 followersDelilah S. Dawson is the New York Times-bestselling author of Star Wars: Phasma, Black Spire: Galaxy's Edge, and The Perfect Weapon. With Kevin Hearne, she writes the Tales of Pell. As Lila Bowen, she writes the Shadow series, beginning with Wake of Vultures. Her other books include the Blud series, the Hit series, and Servants of the Storm.
She's written comics in the worlds of Marvel Action: Spider-Man, Lore's Wellington, Star Wars Adventures, Star Wars Forces of Destiny, The X-Files Case Files, Adventure Time, Rick and Morty, and her creator-owned comics include Star Pig, Ladycastle, and Sparrowhawk.
Find out more at www.whimsydark.com.
She's written comics in the worlds of Marvel Action: Spider-Man, Lore's Wellington, Star Wars Adventures, Star Wars Forces of Destiny, The X-Files Case Files, Adventure Time, Rick and Morty, and her creator-owned comics include Star Pig, Ladycastle, and Sparrowhawk.
Find out more at www.whimsydark.com.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 301 reviews
July 28, 2018
so you're telling me that there is a whole town of only ladies and none of them are gay....
December 25, 2020
Ladycastle by Delilah S Dawson
Graphic novel.
When the men didn’t return, Mancastle became Ladycastle. The blacksmith’s wife, Merinor, is King. Princess Aeve is Captain. And The castle is cursed.
Werewolves, harpies, cliches and snakes.
And not very flattering drawings of either princess.
Good wins over evil in the end.
Graphic novel.
When the men didn’t return, Mancastle became Ladycastle. The blacksmith’s wife, Merinor, is King. Princess Aeve is Captain. And The castle is cursed.
Werewolves, harpies, cliches and snakes.
And not very flattering drawings of either princess.
Good wins over evil in the end.
June 3, 2019
Aeve, a princess of Mancastle, is locked in a tower by her father, King Mancastle, for her refusal to chose a husband. Aeve's younger sister, Gwyneff, is free to roam the castle, until she turns twelve and is subjected to the same fate as Aeve.
But Gwyneff doesn't understand her sister's choice and blames her for their father's time-consuming efforts to find a new husband for Aeve and his absence.
"Aeve ruins everything. If she'd married, father wouldn't go out hunting new princes. He'd be here. All the men would."
When King Mancastle and his men venture out to find a more suitable groom, and meet a foe they cannot overcome. One of the men returns to report to the women left behind — a curse has been laid on the castle and monsters will "be drawn as to a beacon".
"For not only was King Mancastle cursed, but so was his domain. This castle shall be a beacon to terrifying monsters until the wizard's curse is lifted."
The blacksmith's wife, Merinor, takes up the Lady of the Lake's sword and becomes king. She and the women begin preparations to defend themselves from the approaching monsters. And thus our tale begins...
The artwork in Ladycastle is beautifully drawn with bright colors. I enjoyed the premise of the story. But Ladycastle doesn't quite fulfill its promise in this volume.
In the beginning of each section, the ladies' inner monologue reads like a Disney or classic Broadway song, purposefully so. It's distracting and derivative. I get that this work was attempting to point out the inherent bias of the other works, but I feel it takes away from the originality of this one.
The dark ages were brutal on women. I get it. Each lady in Ladycastle has a backstory of abuse or neglect from the man who ran her life, except for Gwyneff who hadn't yet attained an age to be given away by her father for political purposes.
I liked how this comic flips that gender-issue on its head, the women rule the roost now. But the delivery of the lesson is heavy-handed, especially in the first two sections of the book.
As other readers have noted, there is a stab at diversity in this book, but no inclusion of LGBTQ characters. I can't see any reason for this over-sight.
Recommended for readers who enjoy graphic novels, but with the reservations listed above. I felt like this topic was handled more deftly in the graphic novel for children, Princeless, Vol. 1: Save Yourself.
But Gwyneff doesn't understand her sister's choice and blames her for their father's time-consuming efforts to find a new husband for Aeve and his absence.
"Aeve ruins everything. If she'd married, father wouldn't go out hunting new princes. He'd be here. All the men would."
When King Mancastle and his men venture out to find a more suitable groom, and meet a foe they cannot overcome. One of the men returns to report to the women left behind — a curse has been laid on the castle and monsters will "be drawn as to a beacon".
"For not only was King Mancastle cursed, but so was his domain. This castle shall be a beacon to terrifying monsters until the wizard's curse is lifted."
The blacksmith's wife, Merinor, takes up the Lady of the Lake's sword and becomes king. She and the women begin preparations to defend themselves from the approaching monsters. And thus our tale begins...
The artwork in Ladycastle is beautifully drawn with bright colors. I enjoyed the premise of the story. But Ladycastle doesn't quite fulfill its promise in this volume.
In the beginning of each section, the ladies' inner monologue reads like a Disney or classic Broadway song, purposefully so. It's distracting and derivative. I get that this work was attempting to point out the inherent bias of the other works, but I feel it takes away from the originality of this one.
The dark ages were brutal on women. I get it. Each lady in Ladycastle has a backstory of abuse or neglect from the man who ran her life, except for Gwyneff who hadn't yet attained an age to be given away by her father for political purposes.
I liked how this comic flips that gender-issue on its head, the women rule the roost now. But the delivery of the lesson is heavy-handed, especially in the first two sections of the book.
As other readers have noted, there is a stab at diversity in this book, but no inclusion of LGBTQ characters. I can't see any reason for this over-sight.
Recommended for readers who enjoy graphic novels, but with the reservations listed above. I felt like this topic was handled more deftly in the graphic novel for children, Princeless, Vol. 1: Save Yourself.
June 10, 2021
Something of a feminist Monty Python & the Holy Grail. When the men all get themselves killed while crusading, the women must learn how to run the kingdom and take charge of themselves. By the way, the men also got the land cursed to be continuously attacked by monsters. At only 4 issues, it's a bare bones version of an empowerment twist on a fairy tale with lots of humor sprinkled in as well. It's a fun, breezy read.
June 26, 2018
The art is pretty on point but the dialogue seemed off at times. I found it very very strange that this is an entire kingdom of women but there were no lgbtq characters. Hopefully they will be some gays in the volumes to come!
January 2, 2018
2.5
This series would benefit from some subtlety. Felt a lot like prince-less for adults. But all the bash you over the head with fantasy style feminism is way less enjoyable for adults.
Look, nothing would please me more then a well written feminist fantasy comic. Lady castle just refuses to be it! Under developed characters and interpersonal drama, diversity lip service that at times feels problematic. And 0 queer storylines!? Scrap it and make something better please!
This series would benefit from some subtlety. Felt a lot like prince-less for adults. But all the bash you over the head with fantasy style feminism is way less enjoyable for adults.
Look, nothing would please me more then a well written feminist fantasy comic. Lady castle just refuses to be it! Under developed characters and interpersonal drama, diversity lip service that at times feels problematic. And 0 queer storylines!? Scrap it and make something better please!
July 20, 2018
3.5 stars. Though the story and some of the statements lack some subtlety in pointing out the ridiculousness of many tropes, traditions, conventions and biases, this story is still a fun and pointed take on the stereotypical (i.e., tired) epic fantasy tale. Though Aeve is a princess locked in a tower by her father until she marries some prince, the story quickly veers into a different direction, with the manly men quickly dispatched into a dragon's stomach, thanks to a wizard's curse, leaving all the women in the castle and surrounding village having to pick up the pieces. Which they do, deciding the blacksmith's wife Merinor will be king, and all the other women rapidly finding themselves in charge, and happily taking on new responsibilities, and enjoying themselves without the constant, difficult and denigrating attitudes and expectations of their men.
The curse also ensures that the castle would be under attack from monsters, and each woman must find a way to protect those around her, using her existing and new skills.
The tone is light and a little silly, but at the same time makes it clear that this is a story where ladies are important, and find their own, not necessarily combative, ways to take care of problems.
The curse also ensures that the castle would be under attack from monsters, and each woman must find a way to protect those around her, using her existing and new skills.
The tone is light and a little silly, but at the same time makes it clear that this is a story where ladies are important, and find their own, not necessarily combative, ways to take care of problems.
June 23, 2018
While I loved the overall idea of this comic (all the men die, women take over, women empowerment) this really fell flat for me.
The events were pretty disappointing, the characters fairly lackluster, and the storyline kind of lame.
There were diverse characters, but it wasn't enough to save the storyline for me. It tried really hard to be quirky and upbeat but just was childish and awkward.
The events were pretty disappointing, the characters fairly lackluster, and the storyline kind of lame.
There were diverse characters, but it wasn't enough to save the storyline for me. It tried really hard to be quirky and upbeat but just was childish and awkward.
November 20, 2017
What's to be done when King Mancastle and all his knights and squires and well...all the men in his kingdom are obliterated by a dragon? Put the women in charge!
Oh Delilah S. Dawson you scamp you. You thought you could sneak your way into my heart with clever little "Hamilton" references and Shakespeare samples and wonderfully varied, beautiful, bad ass women be wonderfully beautiful badasses while still retaining their femininity?!
It worked you fiend! I am now forever dedicated to Ladycastle and its "King" the gorgeous blacksmith Merinor and her champion (and best friend) princess Aeve and Aeve's hellspawn of a little sister Gwyniff and all the other amazing sisters doing it for themselves to defend their cursed home. Because if getting themselves eaten wasn't bad enough the menfolk also managed to get themselves cursed by a pissed off wizard and now all things malevolent from harpies to werewolves to tiny little flaming salamandars are hellbent on attacking the castle.
This is quick and clever and has just enough witty pop culture references to make me feel all "with it" when I get them (see previous note regarding the "Ten Duel Commandments" song from "Hamilton"). The art work is also gorgeous. Its kind of a blend of Disney and cartoon network and "Sandman" if that's even possible.
Please go read this. Its a treasure.
Oh Delilah S. Dawson you scamp you. You thought you could sneak your way into my heart with clever little "Hamilton" references and Shakespeare samples and wonderfully varied, beautiful, bad ass women be wonderfully beautiful badasses while still retaining their femininity?!
It worked you fiend! I am now forever dedicated to Ladycastle and its "King" the gorgeous blacksmith Merinor and her champion (and best friend) princess Aeve and Aeve's hellspawn of a little sister Gwyniff and all the other amazing sisters doing it for themselves to defend their cursed home. Because if getting themselves eaten wasn't bad enough the menfolk also managed to get themselves cursed by a pissed off wizard and now all things malevolent from harpies to werewolves to tiny little flaming salamandars are hellbent on attacking the castle.
This is quick and clever and has just enough witty pop culture references to make me feel all "with it" when I get them (see previous note regarding the "Ten Duel Commandments" song from "Hamilton"). The art work is also gorgeous. Its kind of a blend of Disney and cartoon network and "Sandman" if that's even possible.
Please go read this. Its a treasure.
March 27, 2019
3.5 This was fun and the art was great, but it definitely would have benefited from being a longer series with more time to develop some subtlety. I enjoyed it, though.
March 27, 2018
A castle full of ladies (plus one of them has a pet two headed snake) what's not to love? Unfortunately, this book misses the mark by a mile and is also the most boring thing I have come across in recent memory.
The king of the castle gets himself and all the other males killed in combat and gets a curse put on the castle so that it attracts monsters. The remaining women instantly set up a perfect society and work together to quickly and easily repel one monster after another.
In this world, patriarchy isn't the problem; men themselves are. The male characters are all portrayed as having medieval world views while all the females are #woke. The men are hopelessly violent and stupid while the women are all kind and wise. (For example, they find a woman who was locked away by her husband after an accident left her in a wheelchair, and in a library, because men don't read books anyway. All the female characters react like "sure, what man wouldn't do that? That's just how they were. But you're free now!" WTF?)
All the female characters are completely identical in their personalities (unless you count things like "is in a wheel chair" or "wears a hijab" as personality traits) and completely identical in beliefs except for the kings younger daughter, who exists only to slowly learn that she is wrong. All flickers of interpersonal conflict are resolved in less than a page, usually when both women agree that men are the problem and now that they're gone, there is nothing stopping them from functioning as a perfect hive mind. I can not overstate how incredibly boring the lack of characters makes this book.
Also, the humor was not for me. If you think that cleaning ads where the husband is useless and the wife roles her eyes at him are hilarious, or if you didn't find the song parodies the most skip-able part of Mad Magazine when you were a kid, it might be up your alley though.
Oh, plus that sweet two headed snake never shows up again after the beginning!
Oh, and also, I was expecting lesbians. How were there no lesbians in a book called LadyCastle. I'm calling Shenanigans on that alone.
The king of the castle gets himself and all the other males killed in combat and gets a curse put on the castle so that it attracts monsters. The remaining women instantly set up a perfect society and work together to quickly and easily repel one monster after another.
In this world, patriarchy isn't the problem; men themselves are. The male characters are all portrayed as having medieval world views while all the females are #woke. The men are hopelessly violent and stupid while the women are all kind and wise. (For example, they find a woman who was locked away by her husband after an accident left her in a wheelchair, and in a library, because men don't read books anyway. All the female characters react like "sure, what man wouldn't do that? That's just how they were. But you're free now!" WTF?)
All the female characters are completely identical in their personalities (unless you count things like "is in a wheel chair" or "wears a hijab" as personality traits) and completely identical in beliefs except for the kings younger daughter, who exists only to slowly learn that she is wrong. All flickers of interpersonal conflict are resolved in less than a page, usually when both women agree that men are the problem and now that they're gone, there is nothing stopping them from functioning as a perfect hive mind. I can not overstate how incredibly boring the lack of characters makes this book.
Also, the humor was not for me. If you think that cleaning ads where the husband is useless and the wife roles her eyes at him are hilarious, or if you didn't find the song parodies the most skip-able part of Mad Magazine when you were a kid, it might be up your alley though.
Oh, plus that sweet two headed snake never shows up again after the beginning!
Oh, and also, I was expecting lesbians. How were there no lesbians in a book called LadyCastle. I'm calling Shenanigans on that alone.
January 9, 2022
Interesting concept, but the story didn't fully commit to either a serious or a comedic approach, and that left it feeling muddled and less interesting than it could have been if either option had been really explored. I also found the song parodies intrusive - again, if the story had been more fully comedy, that might have worked, but the tone just didn't suit. There were enough serious elements (a disabled woman whose husband literally hid her underground, and the multiple implications that King Mancastle was a marauding asshole, to name but two) that went unexplored that it just felt unfinished.
I think this would have been better as a longer-form true graphic novel, rather than short issues, with more room to develop characters and actually address their internal conflicts. Ultimately mildly entertaining but left me feeling like I don't need to read any of Dawson's other work.
I think this would have been better as a longer-form true graphic novel, rather than short issues, with more room to develop characters and actually address their internal conflicts. Ultimately mildly entertaining but left me feeling like I don't need to read any of Dawson's other work.
December 24, 2017
More an outline than a fully fledged series that shows what women have to do when all the men of the castle are killed. It felt rather meandering and didn’t really delve into any one single character with any detail, instead rushing from one escapade to the next. Maybe if the focus had stuck to a single character, I might’ve enjoyed it more. Reminded me a bit of Princeless, Princess Princess, and Cucumber Quest, in its attempts to twist fantasy-tropes and stereotypes.
March 1, 2018
I like the female empowerment theme, and the art was okay, but the writing was awful. Beyond the setup, the story made little sense to me. The dialogue was awkward, up to and including odd references to song lyrics. And frankly, randomly inserting a parody of a song from the Hamilton Broadway musical is just going to draw my attention to the fact that my time would be better spent listening to that soundtrack instead of reading this book.
March 8, 2018
It felt like diversity bingo and audience pandering/fan service, yet I finished it without much struggle.
Also felt very young, but with references to pop culture that adults/parents would appreciate.
Also felt very young, but with references to pop culture that adults/parents would appreciate.
September 21, 2018
That was so much fun! Hopefully there will be more Ladycastle in the future.
July 13, 2017
Delilah Dawson is a relative newcomer to the world of graphic novels, having previously made her name as a steampunk and dark fantasy author for teens and adults. In Ladycastle, she collaborates with Ashley Woods for a new take on the standard medieval cursed castle fairytale. When King Mancastle and the rest of his men ride off on crusade, they leave the women in charge of the castle. When the men meet with an unfortunate end via a wizard’s curse (it does not pay to cheat people with magic), it’s up to the women to take charge. Mancastle and the men not only managed to get themselves killed but caused the castle itself to be cursed. When the Lady of the Lake presents a sword to determine the new king, it is none other than Merinor, the blacksmith’s wife, who finds herself as king. The two daughters of Mancastle, Princesses Aeve and Gwyneffar, become her knight and squire respectively and the rest of the women at the castle pitch in to not only make life at the castle sustainable but to defend themselves from the threats drawn by the curse. It’s a fresh take on the cursed castle theme with women at the center of the action as they try to make their own way in a world which has historically done its best to exclude them.
When you have a series that’s setting stereotypes on its head, the danger is always in becoming too gimmicky. I will admit that I had some frustration in reading Ladycastle in this regard. While the story is entertaining and filled with all sorts of allusion to standard fairytales and fantasy (randomly breaking out into song, the lady of the lake, etc, etc), it tends to feel like it’s checking boxes rather than organically having characters or themes. Towards the end of the series, Merinor becomes a very interesting, fully fledged character but at the beginning, she feels like the token sassy black lady. The same can be said for several other characters. Ladycastle has a lot of heart but it’s plagued with the kind of heavy message that overwhelms an otherwise interesting story and take on the old standard. The artwork by Woods is a perfect match for the writing though, with a comedic but pretty style (overlooking silly armor choices) that fits Dawson’s writing.
If you’re a fan of fantasy and want something with a different take and plenty of strong female characters and girl power, Ladycastle is well worth checking out. It isn’t perfect and may annoy others in the same spots that it did me but I’m still glad to see a fantasy story try to upend the stereotypes and gender roles that have been so prevalent in the genre until recently.
When you have a series that’s setting stereotypes on its head, the danger is always in becoming too gimmicky. I will admit that I had some frustration in reading Ladycastle in this regard. While the story is entertaining and filled with all sorts of allusion to standard fairytales and fantasy (randomly breaking out into song, the lady of the lake, etc, etc), it tends to feel like it’s checking boxes rather than organically having characters or themes. Towards the end of the series, Merinor becomes a very interesting, fully fledged character but at the beginning, she feels like the token sassy black lady. The same can be said for several other characters. Ladycastle has a lot of heart but it’s plagued with the kind of heavy message that overwhelms an otherwise interesting story and take on the old standard. The artwork by Woods is a perfect match for the writing though, with a comedic but pretty style (overlooking silly armor choices) that fits Dawson’s writing.
If you’re a fan of fantasy and want something with a different take and plenty of strong female characters and girl power, Ladycastle is well worth checking out. It isn’t perfect and may annoy others in the same spots that it did me but I’m still glad to see a fantasy story try to upend the stereotypes and gender roles that have been so prevalent in the genre until recently.
June 6, 2019
When the men of Mancastle get eaten by a dragon, the women must cast off their aprons and take matters in hand. Wave after wave of monsters besiege the castle and get handled, lady-style.
Ladycastle has an excellent, intriguing concept, but it turns out to be disappointingly clumsy and inarticulate. It opens with a torturous Disney princess musical number mixed with confusingly referenced letters and goes downhill from there.
It's silly and childish. The monster attacks are defeated with varying forms of nonviolent kindness (at least in the half of the book I slogged through). Expletives include phrases like "Gadsbudlikins!" and "Zooterkins!"
All the men are simple, abusive, incompetent brutes. "MY husband locked me up because he was embarrassed by my wheelchair." "Well MY husband told me women are better unseen and not heard." "Well MY husband..." These aren't characters, they're caricatures.
It's unperceptive as social commentary, unfunny as a comedy, and uninteresting as a heroes-and-monsters tale. There's nothing here beyond the cool premise and great title.
Ladycastle has an excellent, intriguing concept, but it turns out to be disappointingly clumsy and inarticulate. It opens with a torturous Disney princess musical number mixed with confusingly referenced letters and goes downhill from there.
It's silly and childish. The monster attacks are defeated with varying forms of nonviolent kindness (at least in the half of the book I slogged through). Expletives include phrases like "Gadsbudlikins!" and "Zooterkins!"
All the men are simple, abusive, incompetent brutes. "MY husband locked me up because he was embarrassed by my wheelchair." "Well MY husband told me women are better unseen and not heard." "Well MY husband..." These aren't characters, they're caricatures.
It's unperceptive as social commentary, unfunny as a comedy, and uninteresting as a heroes-and-monsters tale. There's nothing here beyond the cool premise and great title.
March 4, 2019
This was so much fun! I loved how the women took action and that there were diverse looks (skin color, hairstyle, handicaps, etc.) even though it had a medieval setting and we don't necessarily picture wheelchairs and black women in that type of setting. I also liked the musical numbers and how they were clearly spoofs off of Disney songs and other pop culture songs (Fresh Prince of Bel-air theme song anyone?)
Also, the little sister figure reminded me of Arya from Game of Throne and I love Arya.
All in all, a great read. I'm hoping that there will be more issues to come. (Except a quick search seems to suggest that there won't be more issues. Sad day.)
Also, the little sister figure reminded me of Arya from Game of Throne and I love Arya.
All in all, a great read. I'm hoping that there will be more issues to come. (Except a quick search seems to suggest that there won't be more issues. Sad day.)
February 13, 2020
Oh my gosh, this is such a perfect confluence for Margaret things--fairy tales, feminist, musicals, epic fantasy. I loved it.
Editing to add, I thought this would be one big series! I'm so disappointed that this is it. Definitely thought latter volumes would have LGBTQ rep, I wanted to explore feminist rule farther down the road...
Editing to add, I thought this would be one big series! I'm so disappointed that this is it. Definitely thought latter volumes would have LGBTQ rep, I wanted to explore feminist rule farther down the road...
January 14, 2019
I didn't have a successful start with the first issue but I decided to read the next ones and unfortunately it got worse, it had the potential to be good but...
December 19, 2017
Ladycastle delivers exactly what the title calls for: a castle run by ladies. If you like one-note humor related to the idiocy of the patriarchy, you'll enjoy Ladycastle a lot. If you're looking for something with a little more plot, something to sink your teeth into, Ladycastle doesn't quite pass muster.
But it's still a very good, very enjoyable volume. Each character deals with unique issues and the character design also ensures that everyone is both visually appealing and distinct. In a castle run entirely by women, it's great to see women of all shapes, sizes, colors, abilities. V progressive! The four issues are focused on four different villains who seem to randomly wander into Ladycastle while the place is shifting to new management. Each villain is essentially resolved in a single issue, so the entire volume tends to feel like a series of interconnected stories rather than a cohesive narrative. I'm on board for future adventures if only to hang out with the characters again, but I might prefer a stronger through-line next time.
But it's still a very good, very enjoyable volume. Each character deals with unique issues and the character design also ensures that everyone is both visually appealing and distinct. In a castle run entirely by women, it's great to see women of all shapes, sizes, colors, abilities. V progressive! The four issues are focused on four different villains who seem to randomly wander into Ladycastle while the place is shifting to new management. Each villain is essentially resolved in a single issue, so the entire volume tends to feel like a series of interconnected stories rather than a cohesive narrative. I'm on board for future adventures if only to hang out with the characters again, but I might prefer a stronger through-line next time.
April 10, 2018
A bit simplistic and definitely lacking in any kind of subtlety, but still a pretty fun read overall. I would have liked to see this be a little bit longer [personally I think 6 issues is the perfect length for a graphic novel but so many companies seem to be doing 4 as the default these days] so we could spend a little more time getting to the know the various characters, but it was fun and made me laugh and the art is decent as well. Yes, other titles like Princeless are definitely better than this one, but I feel like it is still worth a quick read.
Some highlights:
Some highlights:
December 31, 2020
This is another in that genre of feminist reimaginings of the fairy tale tropes, and one of the most successful of them. When all but one man of a castle get killed by a dragon, also triggering a curse of attacks on that castle, the women who were left behind take up the mantle of leadership and deal with the attacks. Their tactics and responses are a lot more nuanced than 'kill everything' and end up being more successful than fighting would be. The characters all have some depth, from the princess who has been locked up for 6 years due to refusing to marry, to the blacksmith who pulled the sword from a stone and inadvertently (and reluctantly) becomes 'king.' There may be a little too much focus on the dynamics between the two princess sisters, but it pays off in the end. At turns funny, always warm, and well illustrated, I found this a very enjoyable take on the tropes, subverting them very successfully and telling a good story as it did so.
December 29, 2017
2.5 stars. I was so looking forward to reading this mini-series, but unfortunately found it to be kind of disappointing. I'm a huge fan of Boom! Studios and was super down when this series was announced: all the men in a kingdom are eliminated in one fell swoop (dragon, obviously) and the women take over the running and defense of the castle.
I was not into the writing...the way every issue started in song was kind of irritating. The plot wasn't super well-developed. The jokes fell flat and overall, the writing was so heavy-handed and obviously moralizing. It lacked the subtlety of other Boom! titles like the fantastic Goldie Vance or Giant Days. You don't need to hit readers over the head with a ~message~; this series would have benefited from having more trust in the reader and allowing her to make her own connections.
I was not into the writing...the way every issue started in song was kind of irritating. The plot wasn't super well-developed. The jokes fell flat and overall, the writing was so heavy-handed and obviously moralizing. It lacked the subtlety of other Boom! titles like the fantastic Goldie Vance or Giant Days. You don't need to hit readers over the head with a ~message~; this series would have benefited from having more trust in the reader and allowing her to make her own connections.
June 19, 2018
Yay for a fun medieval castle inspired comic that features diverse female representation!
From female friendships to the representation of disabled and abled bodies, Ladycastle was a great read. Gotta love all the wide range of outfit changes too haha.
From female friendships to the representation of disabled and abled bodies, Ladycastle was a great read. Gotta love all the wide range of outfit changes too haha.
August 5, 2019
Princess Aeve has been locked up in a tower for the past six years. She'll only be let out when her father finds a husband for her who hopefully isn't too horrible. Until then, she keeps herself busy with songs, as well as letters to and from the local women, who were all left behind when their husbands, brothers, and sons went adventuring with the king.
One lone man, Sir Riddick, comes back to the castle with news that all the men were killed by a dragon and that a monster-attracting curse was cast upon the village. Merinor, who'd been acting as the local blacksmith while her husband was gone, accepts a sword from a lady in a fountain and becomes the new king. She, Princess Aeve, and Sir Riddick try to prepare everyone to face the monsters that will soon be arriving.
I found out about this graphic novel while doing a bit of research for a possible grant proposal. Ladycastle got a Virginia Library Association Graphic Novel Diversity Award honorable mention in 2017. It sounded interesting, so I requested a copy.
My description (and the publisher's) makes it sound a bit like this graphic novel has lots of women training to fight and battle monsters. Although there's a little of that, that isn't really what happens. Instead, most of the monster problems are solved in nonviolent ways, much to Sir Riddick's confusion.
The publisher's description also makes it sound a bit like the women suddenly realized that the men had done all sorts of useful tasks, once all the men were gone and they had to do those tasks themselves. Uh... That didn't really happen. In fact, the only person in the entire village who actually seemed to miss any of the men was Gwyneff, Princess Aeve's younger sister. From the sounds of things, Merinor got to do a lot more while her husband was gone than when he was around. Yanni, a disabled woman, was kept hidden by her husband and told that she was a drain on resources. Aeve was locked in a tower for years by her own father. Ms. Physik was kept as a slave. The list could go on.
There was a funeral, and the characters looked sad for a bit, but I didn't really get the impression that anyone except Gwyneff cared that all those men had died, or even had reason to care. And honestly, Gwyneff's anger at being the only upset person was somehow more annoying than anything. You'd think this town would have had at least one decent guy worth mourning. Or heck, one male child. Were there any children, aside from Gwyneff?
It was kind of fun trying to match the snippets of song lyrics throughout the volume to the tunes they were supposed to be sung to (the ones I knew without having to do some googling: Beauty and the Beast's "Little Town" and "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air"), and the solutions to the various monster problems were creative. That said, my overall feelings for Ladycastle were only so-so.
All of the characters felt like cardboard, even Aeve, Merinor, and Gwyneff - if those three felt fleshed out at all, it was only because everyone else was so flat. The volume dug into Gwyneff and Aeve's relationship a little, as well as their relationship with their stepmother, but it was just scratching the surface. Same with Merinor, her private fears and self-doubt, and her possibly complicated feelings about her husband. And I outright snorted at Sir Riddick's out-of-the-blue epiphany about the negative aspects of chivalry. Was that one little panel supposed to count as character growth?
The artwork disappointed me a little too. It didn't look all that bad (I preferred Becca Farrow's art style to Ashley A. Woods'), but the transitions between some of the panels weren't very good. This was most noticeable in Chapter 1. In one scene, Sir Riddick was sitting at one end of the table while Merinor was standing at the other end. The next panel featured a close-up of Riddick saying something stupid and demeaning, and in the panel after that one Merinor was suddenly standing on the table in front of Riddick. I know that she had to have jumped on the table, but the actions weren't communicated as well as they could have been.
All in all, this was okay, but it felt like a joke that was stretched out longer than it should have been, starring characters who needed more room to breathe and grow.
Extras:
A cover gallery.
(Original review posted on A Library Girl's Familiar Diversions.)
One lone man, Sir Riddick, comes back to the castle with news that all the men were killed by a dragon and that a monster-attracting curse was cast upon the village. Merinor, who'd been acting as the local blacksmith while her husband was gone, accepts a sword from a lady in a fountain and becomes the new king. She, Princess Aeve, and Sir Riddick try to prepare everyone to face the monsters that will soon be arriving.
I found out about this graphic novel while doing a bit of research for a possible grant proposal. Ladycastle got a Virginia Library Association Graphic Novel Diversity Award honorable mention in 2017. It sounded interesting, so I requested a copy.
My description (and the publisher's) makes it sound a bit like this graphic novel has lots of women training to fight and battle monsters. Although there's a little of that, that isn't really what happens. Instead, most of the monster problems are solved in nonviolent ways, much to Sir Riddick's confusion.
The publisher's description also makes it sound a bit like the women suddenly realized that the men had done all sorts of useful tasks, once all the men were gone and they had to do those tasks themselves. Uh... That didn't really happen. In fact, the only person in the entire village who actually seemed to miss any of the men was Gwyneff, Princess Aeve's younger sister. From the sounds of things, Merinor got to do a lot more while her husband was gone than when he was around. Yanni, a disabled woman, was kept hidden by her husband and told that she was a drain on resources. Aeve was locked in a tower for years by her own father. Ms. Physik was kept as a slave. The list could go on.
There was a funeral, and the characters looked sad for a bit, but I didn't really get the impression that anyone except Gwyneff cared that all those men had died, or even had reason to care. And honestly, Gwyneff's anger at being the only upset person was somehow more annoying than anything. You'd think this town would have had at least one decent guy worth mourning. Or heck, one male child. Were there any children, aside from Gwyneff?
It was kind of fun trying to match the snippets of song lyrics throughout the volume to the tunes they were supposed to be sung to (the ones I knew without having to do some googling: Beauty and the Beast's "Little Town" and "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air"), and the solutions to the various monster problems were creative. That said, my overall feelings for Ladycastle were only so-so.
All of the characters felt like cardboard, even Aeve, Merinor, and Gwyneff - if those three felt fleshed out at all, it was only because everyone else was so flat. The volume dug into Gwyneff and Aeve's relationship a little, as well as their relationship with their stepmother, but it was just scratching the surface. Same with Merinor, her private fears and self-doubt, and her possibly complicated feelings about her husband. And I outright snorted at Sir Riddick's out-of-the-blue epiphany about the negative aspects of chivalry. Was that one little panel supposed to count as character growth?
The artwork disappointed me a little too. It didn't look all that bad (I preferred Becca Farrow's art style to Ashley A. Woods'), but the transitions between some of the panels weren't very good. This was most noticeable in Chapter 1. In one scene, Sir Riddick was sitting at one end of the table while Merinor was standing at the other end. The next panel featured a close-up of Riddick saying something stupid and demeaning, and in the panel after that one Merinor was suddenly standing on the table in front of Riddick. I know that she had to have jumped on the table, but the actions weren't communicated as well as they could have been.
All in all, this was okay, but it felt like a joke that was stretched out longer than it should have been, starring characters who needed more room to breathe and grow.
Extras:
A cover gallery.
(Original review posted on A Library Girl's Familiar Diversions.)
February 4, 2020
On first glance, Ladycastle seems like a super fun, diverse adventure graphic novel series that could be close in spirit to Noelle Stevenson’s Lumberjanes, but I think comparing the two in my mind before setting off may have set Ladycastle up for failure.
Representation:
The King of Ladycastle, King Merinor, is a black woman.
There are many diverse characters in the background, such as a disabled inventor, a muslim alchemist, etc.
When news reaches Mancastle that all of the men have died (except the messenger, of course), the kingdom drastically changes. For one, Princess Aeve is released from her tower, free from marrying anyone she doesn’t want to. Secondly, the blacksmith’s wife, Merinor, picks up a mysterious sword from the lake, which names her the new King of Mancastle -- promptly changed to Ladycastle. Lastly, all the women left behind have to deal with the curse the men have unleashed on them by refusing to pay a bridge toll -- which in turn angered the wizard that killed them all.
The concept sounds promising! And what I loved are the little tiny bits where these characters interact and really deal with the reality of their situation rather than the kind of silly spiffs or jokes on Disney songs, Arthurian themes, etc. (aka Princess/Knight Aeve talking to her little sister about loss and their father and how he may not have been the perfect man her little sister thinks he was, how King Merinor is actually terrified and doesn’t know what to do in every situation, etc.).
Unfortunately these moments were overshadowed by those silly jokes -- especially the beginning of every issue wherein Princess Aeve sings for about half each issue itself. Usually it’s recognizably a Disney princess song with different words about the situation they’re in (a harpy attack, a werewolf attack, etc.) set to, for example, “When Will My Life Begin?” from the movie Tangled. This leaves little page time for the development between characters and for the characters themselves that I craved.
I also wish there were more LGBT characters here. I know I seem to be asking a lot, since the graphic novel is already diverse, but in a kingdom of only “women” (except one), you’re telling me they’re all straight and cis? It also made me uncomfortable with all the Ladycastle vs Mancastle, women vs men, etc. It seemed very much like a simple white feminist story (if you know what I mean?), even with a black King.
Ah, I don’t want to be too critical, because it is a children’s graphic novel, and though very simple, I think kids will enjoy it. It has some good things going for it and some very sweet and lovely moments. However, I do believe there are better stories out there for this age group.
Edit:
Never mind, I just saw this was for young adult, and not middle grade. I think it’s much better suited to a younger audience. It works for middle grade; for YA I think you’d be better off skipping it.
Representation:
The King of Ladycastle, King Merinor, is a black woman.
There are many diverse characters in the background, such as a disabled inventor, a muslim alchemist, etc.
When news reaches Mancastle that all of the men have died (except the messenger, of course), the kingdom drastically changes. For one, Princess Aeve is released from her tower, free from marrying anyone she doesn’t want to. Secondly, the blacksmith’s wife, Merinor, picks up a mysterious sword from the lake, which names her the new King of Mancastle -- promptly changed to Ladycastle. Lastly, all the women left behind have to deal with the curse the men have unleashed on them by refusing to pay a bridge toll -- which in turn angered the wizard that killed them all.
The concept sounds promising! And what I loved are the little tiny bits where these characters interact and really deal with the reality of their situation rather than the kind of silly spiffs or jokes on Disney songs, Arthurian themes, etc. (aka Princess/Knight Aeve talking to her little sister about loss and their father and how he may not have been the perfect man her little sister thinks he was, how King Merinor is actually terrified and doesn’t know what to do in every situation, etc.).
Unfortunately these moments were overshadowed by those silly jokes -- especially the beginning of every issue wherein Princess Aeve sings for about half each issue itself. Usually it’s recognizably a Disney princess song with different words about the situation they’re in (a harpy attack, a werewolf attack, etc.) set to, for example, “When Will My Life Begin?” from the movie Tangled. This leaves little page time for the development between characters and for the characters themselves that I craved.
I also wish there were more LGBT characters here. I know I seem to be asking a lot, since the graphic novel is already diverse, but in a kingdom of only “women” (except one), you’re telling me they’re all straight and cis? It also made me uncomfortable with all the Ladycastle vs Mancastle, women vs men, etc. It seemed very much like a simple white feminist story (if you know what I mean?), even with a black King.
Ah, I don’t want to be too critical, because it is a children’s graphic novel, and though very simple, I think kids will enjoy it. It has some good things going for it and some very sweet and lovely moments. However, I do believe there are better stories out there for this age group.
Edit:
Never mind, I just saw this was for young adult, and not middle grade. I think it’s much better suited to a younger audience. It works for middle grade; for YA I think you’d be better off skipping it.
July 12, 2018
In a terrible tragedy, King Mancastle and all the men are killed, leaving only the women to prepare for the coming curse. A curse which was caused by the arrogance of the former king. By divine right, does Merinor, former wife to the blacksmith, become King. With the men gone, men's rules for women are also out the door. Wives and princesses are no longer locked away, young ladies become knights, they can read, and dress, and do what they want. They also make changes to how they govern, and fight, etc. Essentially showing how these women act and react in a different manner than the men. To balance out the more serious topics, the creators incorporate random bits of comedy at regular intervals. They especially poke fun at medieval story tropes, and readers will be amused by the songs with the Disney-inspired lyrics. Ladycastle has a mixture of characters with different ethnic backgrounds, body types, and physical ableness. Unfortunately this group does not seem to include LGBTQ persons; a notable omission for a story encouraging such values. For those that are included, they are all treated with respect, and are given the opportunity to contribute, showing how the whole benefits because of them. Even though the creators genuinely try to express the ideals of acceptance, inclusiveness, equality, and independence, the writing isn't always up to the task. It can feel a little unnatural. Much of the process is also skipped over, and although this is done consistently throughout, it doesn't help. Overall though, it is a good story, that shows that violence isn't always the answer, and it is a good comic for all ages.
December 17, 2020
This was an epic disappointment. I was hoping for a fantasy read that would be empowering and entertaining like Rat Queens. But instead, this turned out to be a semi-musical bore of a read about a bunch of gals who don't leave their castle all that much. I found it to be weak and immature. BAH...bullshit read.
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