Scrapped Princess Vol. 1 - A Tale of Destiny

Description

In the kingdom of Linevan, it was prophesized that the king and queen would bear twins–one male and one female–and that the female child, on her 16th birthday, would cause the world to end and therefore must be immediately executed. The queen, who could not bear to murder her daughter, sent her to live with a family friend and his two children outside of town. This Scrapped Princess, now named Pacifica, grows up with two siblings: a powerful sorcerer named Raquel and a robust warrior named Shannon. She knows nothing about her past, other than that she was adopted and that someone has killed their father. When the truth of her heritage is revealed, she, Shannon, and Raquel set out to avenge their father's murder and see if the ominous prophecy is true. Tokyopop's aspiring entry into the fiction market is a decent story, although it uses conventions more typical to manga than to fantasy. Some of the dialogue is laced with sexual innuendo–not unusual for Japanese manga, though not as prevalent in fantasy. The setting, an anachronistic blend of a medieval world with futuristic weaponry, would work well visually depicted, but obfuscates readers' clear perception of where and when the story takes place. Inspired by the anime series, this first title in a 13-volume run will most likely appeal to teens because of its tie-in and manga-style illustrations, and fans of the original manga will be intrigued about the characters' pasts.–Jennifer Feigelman, Goshen Public Library and Historical Society, NY>