Written By: Andrew Wheeler
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Illustrated and Colored By: Paulina Ganucheau
Another Castle puts readers in the shoes of Princess Artemsia, who lives in the city of Beldora. She’s not at all enthralled with the upcoming wedding arrangement to a young prince, but unlike other characters in this type of role, she is still respectful of the kingdom-centric duties that her position is responsible for.
From early on we see how self-sufficient Artemsia is, more concerned with protecting the kingdom than hair and makeup, though what I enjoyed about her is that she readily admits that she likes those perks, just that they alone aren’t enough to satisfy her. Writer Andrew Wheeler straddles that line keenly, not letting her drift into a rote teenage angst archetype that occupies so many youthful characters these days.
That rebelliousness doesn’t come out of thin air either, but rather is instilled in her by her father and mother. Nowhere is this more apparent than in an exchange between Misty and her father, when she asks “Where is it written that a princess can’t fight for her kingdom?” The King responds “In Don Diego’s Book of Conduct. The book you use to prop open your window.”
The story at its heart is about saving a kingdom, and a world really, from the evil ruler Badlug, who rules over the kingdom of Grimoire. It is here that we meet some of the most interesting characters, like Fogmoth, a jailer who so rarely has something to do that he has taken up baking, and loves his scones. We also have Gorga, who has Medusa-like characteristics, but is more concerned with being a great attendant to the princess than hurting anyone. Any great adventure style story needs its colorful supporting cast, and things look good on that front here.
You could say the same about the art. Paulina Ganucheau’s pencils are lovely, full of smooth rounded lines and lively expressive faces. Her colors don’t disappoint either, as Another Castle looks like it would fit perfectly next to a classic fairy tale, with beautiful splashes of brightly hued blues, pinks, and reds.
If you’re looking for a book that’s fun and light-hearted, but with some significant depth to its characters, you really might want to give Another Castle #1 a try.
