Adapted by Mo9Rang
The little mermaid fairy tale has become completely intertwined in Abigail's story, but not how she expected it. She swears to help Princess Nadia break her curse. In doing so, Abigail discovers that the solution is not exactly what she assumed it would be from what she knows of the original fairy Hans Christian Anderson version of the tale. All of the mix ups lead to more misunderstandings between Abigail and Sabrian in terms of their feelings for one another, leaving Blanche scared and ready to take matters into her own hands to keep her family together.
0 Comments
Adapted by Mo9Rang
Abigail’s brother comes to visit, and he treats her horribly. Not only does he berate her for not producing an heir, he insults her body and makes her feel self-conscious. His meetings with Sabrian also leave a bad taste in the king's mouth. On the sweet side of things, Blanche tries to help Verite experience the outside world, and that leads to curiosity for both of them about the ocean. Abigail and Sabrian decide to plan a trip to the ocean under the auspices of a royal visit, and Verite gets to come along in a smaller mirror. 
Booklist starred review
Sara's Rating: 9/10 Suitability Level: Grades 9-12 Publisher: Kodansha Publication Date: Nov 4, 2025 ISBN: 9798888776346 (Hardcover) Tags: Rating: 9/10, Suitability: High School, Manga, Horror, Folklore, Supernatural, Fantasy, Kodansha 
Adapted by Mo9Rang
Now that the entire royal family knows of Verite, they seem to all want his council! And it seems he’s no ordinary magic mirror, as Abigail and Blanche find out on a recent visit to the tower of mages. Later, Sabrian’s half brother, Raven, worms his way into Abigail's life by asking Abigail for help with designing his clothes. Some folks aren't certain that his intentions are all pure. Verite begins to investigate Abigail’s magical ability, which is based in curses and poisons — fitting for the evil queen of the Snow White stories. He also questions Sabrian’s affection for Abigail — is it just familial? Is it more? 
Adapted by Mo9Rang
Abigail and Sabrian decide to start sharing a bed together, but Blanche doesn’t want to be left out. This cuts down on the awkwardness between the two parents at first. Then, the Queen Mother, Sabrian’s mom, comes for a visit, and Sabrian worries she will continue to be manipulative. She tries some of her tactics on innocent Blanche. Abigail and Sabrian converse about the best way to raise Blanche as a potential future ruler — is it better to be strict and raise her with a firm hand? Or is it better to let her enjoy her childhood and raise her with compassion? Then, a new music tutor is appointed, but Abigail gets a bad feeling from him and begins investigating his motives and family business. Sabrian also investigates, and what he finds out makes him more than a little perturbed. 
La Médium prepares to unveil the final stage of her plan with the Queen, but the Beast, and Belle if she can convince him to accept her help, make one final push to stop her. Then, The Beast must come to terms with his two Belles -- Princess Belle, the one who claims to love him and has awoken from her slumber, and the Belle with the purple hair who has been framed by his fianceé. If that weren't enough, Belle then discovers an even deeper secret about her past and who she truly is, including a secret about when she first met Cyril and her heritage.
Adapted by Mo9Rang
It's almost Abigail's birthday, and, because they're starting to publicly get along, Sabrian wants to throw her a large birthday celebration, at least as large as last year's 3-day marathon event. Abigail would love nothing more than a quiet celebration with just the three of them, but such an intimate affair would actually spark rumors again! Sabrian also struggles to find Abigail the perfect birthday present, and even presses Abigail's personal maid for some ideas. While Abigail is busy making new dresses for Blanche and herself for the parties, a mysterious illness strikes the kingdom and reaches plague-like status, and even hits within the castle walls! 
Vol 2: As Above, So Below
Booklist review Sara's Rating: 9/10 Suitability Level: Grades 10-12 Reviews of previous volumes in this series: vol 1 Publisher: Oni Press Publication Date: April 22, 2025 ISBN: 9781637154892 (Paperback) Tags: Rating: 9/10, Suitability: High School, Graphic Fiction, Fantasy, LGBTQ+, Folklore, Romance, Oni Press 
Illustrated by Mo9Rang
Sabrian visits Abigail after their failed dance practice and confesses his trauma about touching her and why the Foundation Ball will be so difficult for him. The Ball finally arrives, and Abigail and Blanche make a splash with matching dresses designed by Abigail. They’re in the style of chemise A la Reine, one by Marie Antiunette that doesn’t require a corset or panniers, so it’s perfect for the summertime ball. Also at the ball is Lady Karen Stoke, sister to Abigail’s mother, who is Abigail’s rival and would love nothing more than to usurp Abigail. Later, Abigail hosts a tea party and Karen comes in another dress style, mi-parti, and instead of showing Abigail up, she becomes an object of fascination as Abigail explains the intricacies of the dress to the attendees. 
Adapted by Mo9Rang
A botched attempt at revenge causes Abigail to confess her fondness for Blanche, but this works out for Abigail in the end as Blanche becomes more comfortable around her. With the Foundation Ball coming up, Abigail's family is worried she will be snubbed again like last year, owing to the fact that Sabrian refuses to dance with his queen. Compounding their worries is Abigail's failure to produce an heir for her new kingdom. When Abigail asks Sabrian to ensure he will dance with her this year, he confides that he lacks the confidence to dance with her because he is terrible at dancing. Abigail invites him to practice sessions with her and Blanche, hoping to help his skill level but also repair some of the relationship between Sabrian and Blanche. |
About MeI've been reading manga and comicbooks for years. Now, I write reviews and other helpful things for School Librarians, teachers, parents, and students. Search this site
Ratings, Audience, and Subject Tags
All
Archives
July 2026
|
© 2026 Sara Campbell |
|
|
