Cursed Princess Club: Season Three - LambCat - ★★★★.½

-
AUTHOR & ILLUSTRATOR: LambCat
SERIES: Cursed Princess Club #3
GENRE: Webcomic, Graphic Novel.
RATING: 4.5 stars.

In a Nutshell: Still going full-strength! Still recommended as heartily! The subplots are getting deeper now, and the episodes are correspondingly getting longer. This review is for the ENTIRE third season and not specifically for this graphic novel.


NOTE: I'm reading this book on the WEBTOON app, but as Goodreads doesn't have that option, I'll be updating my progress against the graphic novel entries.
The first two graphic novels corresponded with the first two seasons of the webcomic. However, from this book onwards, the paths diverge. This third volume of the graphic novel series is based on episodes 62 to 77 of the webcomic. However, season three ends at episode 106. My review is for the entire third season, so it will go far beyond the content of this graphic novel.


The plot continues from the events of the second season, and should NOT be read as a standalone work. No plot preview, as I don’t want to go into spoilers.

All the feedback I wrote in my review for the two books is valid for this third book as well. The first review highlighted the key themes while the second review spoke of my favourite characters. In this review, I shall focus on some of the special features that elevate the plot from the good to the outstanding.

💖 The core concept of cursed princesses who don’t get a happily ever after, thanks to the spell on them not being broken. Innovative!

💖 The idea of the ‘cursed” princesses being a club for mutual support and independence.

💖 The Easter Eggs that are sprinkled so generously that it is easy to miss a few if you aren’t reading carefully. Even the illustrations contain hidden clues.

💖 The idea of how important self-love is in dealing with confidence issues and mental health struggles.

💖 The twists in the plots that come out of nowhere and yet make so much sense in retrospect.

💖 The subtle jabs at social attitudes, such as how men clamp up at the mention of menstruation or how beauty and brains  aren't supposed to go hand in hand.

💖 The female characters, so varied in behaviour. We have the flirt as well as the fighter, the anxious as well as the overconfident, all in perfect harmony. I love how the book uses even supposedly negative female traits and turns them into endearing features.

💖 The tackling of social expectations and beauty standards, which aren't just about those who don't fit into the assumed beautiful mould but also for those who are considered gorgeous.

💖 The way it constantly made me challenge my perceptions, not just of the characters but also of how I viewed them as per earlier fairy tale clichés.

💖 The multitude of arcs, so rare in a graphic novel. In no way can the plot be called straightforward, and yet all the arcs get equal focus and aren’t rushed.

💖 The balance between comedy and seriousness, which creates an excellent way of keeping readers educated as well as entertained.


The series isn’t perfect, of course; no book ever is. But the balance is overwhelmingly tilted towards the positive side. It is after decades that I have read so many comics within three days. But my interest in the book hasn’t diminished at all. This is turning out to be the most fulfilling and eye-opening series.

Still strongly recommended to all, but read the series in the right order.

4.5 stars.

Onto the final season! I am on track so far with my plan of completing all episodes by the 24th before this becomes a daily pass webcomic. However, the episodes are getting much longer in the final season, with many arcs yet to be resolved. Fingers crossed I’ll reach the finish line on time!

My thanks to the WEBTOON app for this free access to the story!

For your reference: here’s a comparative listing of the episodes on the WEBTOON app and the physical graphic novels.

WEBTOON:

The end.

PHYSICAL GRAPHIC NOVELS:

Volume 1: Complete Season 1, Episodes 1 to 29.

Volume 2: Complete Season 2, Episodes 30 to 61.

Volume 3: Season 3, Episodes 62 to 77.

Volume 4 (To be released in December 2024): Season 3, Episodes 78 to 93.

Comments

Post a Comment

Explore more posts from this blog:

Takeout Sushi - Christopher Green - ★★★★

-
Image
  AUTHOR: Christopher Green GENRE: Contemporary Short Story Collection, Japanese Fiction. PUBLICATION DATE:  May 2, 2024 RATING: 3.9  stars. In a Nutshell: An interesting collection of stories, with most of them set in Japan. Loved the writing style and enjoyed the diverse emotions. Much recommended! This story collection has, as the title suggests, a strong Japanese flavour. So let me begin by confessing that I am not a fan of Japanese literature. Most Japanese fiction that I tried hasn’t suited my reading tastes, so I generally keep away from this genre. The reason I picked this collection up is... No, no, the sushi had no role to play in my decision; I can’t stand even the thought of sushi! The reason I wanted to read this is that the author is NOT a Japanese! 😁 I know this sounds quite silly to declare, but had the author been Japanese, I would have resisted opting for this. But by virtue of his being an “outsider”, I thought it was a great opportunity to get a look at Japan witho
Read More»

Big Bad Wolf Investigates Fairy Tales - Catherine Cawthorne - ★★★★★

-
Image
AUTHOR: Catherine Cawthorne ILLUSTRATOR: Sara Ogilvie GENRE: Children's Nonfiction PUBLICATION DATE: April 25, 2024 RATING: 5 sparkly, scientifically accurate stars. In a Nutshell: This book and I were a match made in book heaven! Loved the approach that combines humour and logic to debunk the sillier elements of some fairy tales. Strongly recommended! I enjoy fairy tales. I love scientific thinking. I adore logic. I relish humour. Seeing all four of these together in a single work was almost a “bookgasmic” moment for me! 😆 Had the book not delivered on any of these factors, I might still have been happy reading it. But the content not only reaches but also surpasses the promise made by the title and cover. All of us know that there are several logically impossible elements in fairy tales. In childhood, we might have oohed and awwwed at the stories without overthinking the practicalities. In adulthood, we might have cringed at the gender bias, wealth bias, and the lack of conse
Read More»

Red Runs the Witch's Thread - Victoria Williamson - ★★★★

-
Image
  AUTHOR: Victoria Williamson GENRE: Historical Fiction, Horror. RATING:  4 stars. In a Nutshell: A psychological horror inspired by the last witch burning in Scotland in 1697. A disturbing yet compelling read. I wanted more closure at the end for my own peace of mind, but other than that, this was a satisfying book. Recommended! Plot Preview: 1722. Paisley, Scotland. Thirty-seven-year-old widow Christian Shaw is obsessed with perfecting her thread bleaching process. She wants to make the thread the purest white, so it can sell better and restore their family fortunes. In the absence of any male family members, it is up to her as the eldest daughter to ensure the security of their house, her mother and two younger sisters, and her late father’s social position as the laird (landowner.)  However, Christian’s mind is troubled. With the 25th anniversary of the witch burnings of 1697 approaching, Christian’s thoughts go frequently to the past, and to the role she played in the burning of s
Read More»

The Great Divide - Cristina Henríquez - ★★★★.¼

-
Image
AUTHOR: Cristina Henríquez GENRE: Historical Literary Fiction PUBLICATION DATE: March 5, 2024 RATING: 4.25 stars. In a Nutshell: A literary fiction focussed on Panama during the time of the construction of the Panama Canal. Note that this isn’t a book directly about the canal or its construction, but about the people connected to the canal in some way or the other during that period. A great book if you go in with the right expectations and enjoy character-oriented fiction. Plot Preview: 1907, Panama. Francisco, a Panamanian fisherman, hates the commercialisation of his country under the foreigners, and hence resents his son Omar’s joining the canal construction crew. Omar, however, wants to learn and earn more than his little village can offer him. Sixteen-year-old Ada has heard about Panama having many jobs. She has stowed away to Panama, hoping to get some work and earn enough for her ailing sister’s surgery back in Barbados. Her mother Lucille, a tailor, doesn’t yet know of her ru
Read More»

Making Up the Gods - Marion Agnew - ★★★★.¼

-
Image
AUTHOR: Marion Agnew GENRE: Contemporary Fiction PUBLICATION DATE: October 15, 2023 RATING: 4.25 stars. In a Nutshell: An indie drama with some quirky characters and a great setting in Lake Superior, Canada. Mellow in tone, genuine in content, thought-provoking in themes. I enjoyed this unusual novel. Plot Preview: Simone, almost 70, is a retired widow who lives an isolated life in her cottage on the banks of Lake Superior and still misses her husband, though he’s been dead for five years. While she is now active in her local church and finds solace in baking for those grieving, she is fiercely protective of her privacy. But when the local reverend asks her to take care of nine-year-old Chen while his widowed mother goes on a much-needed trip, Simone finds it tough to refuse a fellow-mourning widow. Just before Chen arrives, a stranger named Martin knocks at Simone’s door, claiming to be her cousin. Simone is suddenly handling two strangers at once, and she worries that they will dis
Read More»