I picked this book up on a whim from the library and was very pleasantly surprised with what I found inside. When I started- I thought it was a knock off of sleeping beauty- but instead I found it to be full of bearded nuns, poltersprites, lions and good characters. Throughout the book the characters were witty, loving and supportive. It was the perfect book for light reading between heavy classics. Definitely going to read the second one too!

Excellent storytelling and art. Fairy tale vibe with bearded nuns, demons, witches, curses, romance, circuses, a secret castle, and lots more. In black and white, but I didn't miss the color.

Whenever I read these comics, it always brings a smile to my face. I love all the characters but Peaceful will always be my favorite. She is funny, spirited, a loyal friend and a beacon of what it means to be a great person. It's not that she is religious or a nun, she's just a great person to be and to be around. She brings hope and even her little demon friend knows it.

Speaking of which the folklore and magic in the universe of these stories is so whimsical but also mysterious. I vibe more with that then straightforward magical school stuff (where it's very much an A-to-Z kind of thing) as I like the idea of magic being this art that lives on the fringes of our day to day lives. We know it's there and powerful but only a few truly understand it with time and commitment. Including curses and omens.

A little slow to get started, but it gained depth and got delightfully weirder the further I read. Quietly brilliant storytelling. Highly recommended for anybody who likes graphic novels about castles filled with stork stewards and bearded nuns. Ages 11-adult.

This graphic novel was very enjoyable, with b&w art that is detailed and lively. Although there is no "proper" plotline in this unhurried depiction, the linked tales are rewarding with a strong slant toward feminine strength, uniqueness, and alternative families/communities.

2.5/5

When I was in high school and college, manga was my mainstay, albeit peripheral to a literary scene that still viewed any sort of picture/comic/graphic highly askance. That experience continues to imbue the proliferation of graphic novels in libraries and beyond a surreal tinge for me, and so when I finally got my hands on this work, it seemed fitting that this piece added so long ago would only show up after I had relocated far enough to make the author local. Outside of my usual natterings on my literary memory road, this is an interesting graphic novel to come back to during what can be argued are the heydays (if not the complete acceptance) of the form; indeed, once could easily see Medley as a vanguard of the genre, turning as she does her comic book experience into a sustained 'novel' form. In terms of the content, this work certainly was an easy enough read and does a great deal of admirable things in the feminist realm (enough for me to be pleased to see it in the young adult genre), but man is the latter insufferably white enough to bleed into flat out racism once in a while. As such, I won't be following up on the series ending sequel any time soon, but if the local library keeps a copy long enough for me to be willing to risk some Christocentric nonsense for the sake of reader closure, there are worse ways I could spend my time.