Scrapped Princess, Volume 1
Publisher: Tokyopop
Author: Ichiro Sakaki
Synopsis:
In the Kingdom of Lineven, the 5111th Oracle of Saint Grendel, of the Mauser church, has just concluded the most odd and distrubing prophecy. An infant girl – the royal heir, no less – must be killed, lest the world fall to the Apocolypse. Before the act can be carried out, however, the girl mysteriously disappears.
Fifteen years later, there are rumours and tales abound of the Scrapped Princess. To Pacifica Casull, youngest member of the Casull family and semi-kinda-maybe helper around the Casull Weapons Shop, these rumours mean little. But the death of her father will reveal a dreadful secret that will change hers – and her siblings – future forever…
Review (possible spoilers):
Thus begins the first novel in the acclaimed series, “The Scrapped Princess”, which chronicles the journey of Shannon and Raquel Casull as they protect their sister, Pacifica – known to the rest of the world as the Scrapped Princess – from the prophecy made fifteen years ago. Now, many involved in anime will have no doubt come across the TV adaptation of Scrapped Princess , and like myself, may have high hopes on the novel based upon their viewing.
A Tale of Destiny is, at the moment, a light romp of fantasy, drama, comedy and action. Much of the comedy comes from the interactions between three siblings. Shannon Casull, cast warrior for the story, is apathetic and serious; Raquel, the (powerful) sorcerer sister, is the peculiar one, remaining friendly and calm even in the heat of the battle ; Pacifica is the feisty, hot-blooded and sly young ‘un.
A Tale of Destiny does a good job of introducing the characters and some of the mechanics of the world in which they operate, such as explaining some of the points of magic and the overbearing Mauser religion that dominates. Without giving too much away, the tale progresses from the discovery that Pacifica is the Scrapped Princess to their first confrontation.
While Scrapped Princess has its moments, If I had one word to describe the feeling I get from the book, it would be amateurish. The language is basic, but this is forgivable given the target audience is the younger teen market. About half of the jokes fall flat, and the plot is so transparent I’d have guessed the novel was written on tracing paper. And certain literary choices suspend the level of belief you need when reading a fantasy story. After all, why is it that all the characters have names like Raquel, Duke Franki, Finebell and Christopher, why do you break the continuity and call one of the main villains of this particular novel Big Shot?
This is not to say the novel is all bad, though. The action sequences are well-done, being fast-paced and well-described, and Ichiro’s darker side shines through as the better part of his talent, with many scenes giving a hopeful glimmer of things to come. Shannon takes the centre-stage, which will please and displease certain readers. Raquel and Pacifica came across as bit characters, and the novel may have done better with a more general approach to the three.
Outside the actual writing, Tokyopop have once again changed the cover of the novel. While I quite like the new cover, you have to ask why they would try to adjust it to make it more appealing to the common reader and then include the in-book illustrations which are clearly in the manga style. The illustrations are done Yukinobu Azumi, who has a rather unique art style. But due to the nature of his other work (which is normally adult in nature), I can’t be sure how many of the images (which may have been in the fan-service/ecchi vein) have survived the transition from the Japanese to English adaptation.
Another issue is the lack of numbering on the novels. When I purchased the book, I was not allowed to open it, and the book attendant was unable to tell me if it was the first book in the series. In a series as long as Scrapped Princess, this decision baffles me; I can imagine many first-time readers and purchasers being sorely disappointed to find that the novel they’ve just bought is not, in fact, what they thought it was.
Conclusion and Overall Impression:
While not the most sparkling start to the series, Scrapped Princess – A Tale of Destiny does hold a lot of promise. While it lacks the polish lavished on Crest of the Stars, it is an easy story to read with a fair dollop of action, comedy and suspense to keep the average reader interested. If you’re a fan of Scrapped Princess, like myself, and perhaps have a bit of extra cash on the side, I’d recommend giving it a go. If not, you would perhaps be better served finding reviews of the next two books to decide whether it’s a series you would like to complete. No one wants to buy thirteen books only to be mildly disappointed.
