The Princess and the Fangirl Book Review

Others who are older and wiser than us will sometimes say that we cannot understand another person until we walk a mile in their shoes.

The Princess and the Fan Girl, by Ashley Poston, was published in 2020 and is the second book in the Once Upon a Con trilogy. Based on the Mark Twain fable/fairy tale The Prince and the Pauper, the book follows two young women who look remarkably alike.

Imogen Lovelace loves the television series turned film adaption of Starfield with a passion. Her goal at this year’s ExcelsiCon is to get the keeper of the proverbial keys to revive the IP’s now-dead female lead, Princess Amara.

The actor playing Amara, Jessica Stone, would like nothing more than to leave the character behind in the rearview mirror. While she wants to be respected for her work, she loathes fame and constant attention.

When the script for the next film is released, Jess believes that she is responsible for the leak. The only way to find out the truth is to switch places with Imogen. While both believe that this plan will be simple to execute, they have no idea what they are in store for.

Though the narrative starts out a little slow, it picks up at about the halfway point. Instead of putting it down and moving on to the next book, I am glad I pushed through. It is a lovely story that just because we think we know someone does not mean that we actually know them.

My favorite part of the tale was that Jessica is out and proud. Moreover, her romance proves once more that love knows no bounds.

Do I recommend it? Yes.

The Princess and the Fangirl is available wherever books are sold.

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Throwback Thursday-The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen (2003)

When a film is adapted from a comic book, it must two serve purposes and two masters. It must please the comic’s core fanbase while appealing to new fans. It must also, as best as the creative team can, full transplant the narrative and characters from the page to the screen.

In 2003, the film adaptation of the comic book The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen hit the big screen. In an AU (alternate universe) Victorian era, a group of heroes from famous novels must come together to save the world. The group includes Tom Sawyer (Shane West), from the classic Mark Twain novel, The Adventures Of Tom Sawyer, and Mina Harker (Peta Wilson) from Bram Stoker’s Dracula. Led by Allan Quatermain (Sean Connery) from H. Rider Haggard’s King Solomon’s Mines, this band of adventurers and heroes must save the world from a villain known as the Fantom.

Bear in mind that I have never read the comic book and when I saw the movie, I was unaware that the source material comes from a comic book. As a standalone movie, it’s ok. It’s just the run of the mill film adaptation of a comic book that is top-heavy on special effects and light on both character and narrative.

Do I recommend it? Maybe.

Throwback Thursday- A Kid In King Arthur’s Court (1995) & Black Knight (2001)

I think it’s pretty safe to say that a book is favorably viewed when it is adapted multiple times in new and different ways.

A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court was written by Mark Twain in 1889.  It has been adapted several times over the years.

The first of the two adaptations is A Kid In King Arthur’s Court (1995). Calvin Fuller (Thomas Ian Nicholas) has somehow found his way to Camelot. But this is not the idealized Camelot. King Arthur (Joss Ackland) is a widower with two daughters, the Princesses Sarah (Kate Winslet) and Katherine (Paloma Baeza). His confidence needs a major boost as he watches the scheming Lord Belasco (Art Malik) try to take the throne.

If you were a kid in the mid 1990’s, this movie was not that bad. But looking back, there are elements of this movie that as an adult, makes you question why you enjoyed the movie in the first place.

In 2001, a multicultural adaptation of the book, Black Knight was released. Jamal Walker (Martin Lawrence) works at an medieval times esque amusement  park. He thinks his job is a joke. Then he falls in the the moat and wakes up in 14th century England. Jamal only then realizes that he is not in Kansas anymore when he sees someone beheaded. King Leo (Kevin Conway) is the fraud on the throne. Sir Nolte (Tom Wilkinson) and Victoria (Marsha Thomason) are both working to return the rightful queen to the throne.  Can Jamal return to the 21st century and how can he overcome the forces of Sir Percival (Vincent Regan)?

This movie, well, it could be better. The major issues with this film is that not only has it been watered down , but in trying to reach a more diverse audience, the filmmakers just lost the magic that inhabits the original novel.

Do I recommend them? If your 10-14, then I recommend the first film. Otherwise, I do not. Do I recommend the second film? Not unless there is nothing (and i mean absolutely nothing) else to watch.