bigbean's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
banana83854's review
3.0
**ARC provided by NetGalley for honest review**
The Court Charade, script by Kerascoët & Flore Vesco, art by Kerascoët was a full length, complete comic story about a young girl trying to seek her fortune as the queen's lady-in-waiting. It could be described as very loose historical fiction, but it feels more like a fairy tale as she has to outwit her enemies in court while making friends, assuming an alter ego, and trying to save the kingdom of course!
A very lighthearted and often silly graphic novel with beautiful sketched drawing and colors. Would recommend for teens and above as there is some brief nudity.
The Court Charade, script by Kerascoët & Flore Vesco, art by Kerascoët was a full length, complete comic story about a young girl trying to seek her fortune as the queen's lady-in-waiting. It could be described as very loose historical fiction, but it feels more like a fairy tale as she has to outwit her enemies in court while making friends, assuming an alter ego, and trying to save the kingdom of course!
A very lighthearted and often silly graphic novel with beautiful sketched drawing and colors. Would recommend for teens and above as there is some brief nudity.
mehsi's review
5.0
I received this book from Netgalley/the publisher in exchange of an honest review.
In this book we meet the delightful Serine. A girl who is a countess, though her parents have little left that really shows they are of that rank/those riches. I immediately liked Serine. I loved her attitude. Loved how, even when things go bad with her dad or how her family has little money, she keeps up her head, makes a fun tune, and tries to get along with life. Nothing gets her down.
And that is definitely wants she needs in this book when she decides to go to the palace to become a lady-in-waiting. A job that is very coveted… and that is filled with girls eager to push each other down in sneaky (or not so sneaky ways). Serine quickly becomes the favourite of the queen… but we see that life isn’t easy for her. The other girls are rich, bundled in gorgeous clothes, and sometimes weird wigs. They are elegant and stuffy. Serine is totally different. Has one dress. Likes to talk to the people lower in the castle and befriend them. Isn’t afraid to speak her mind. Is charming and sweet and kind. And see that not everyone is happy with her. Especially a girl named Crisante who is vying to become the best lady-in-waiting and will truly do all she can to get Serine out of the way. Or that one guy close to the queen who is just a piece of poop. When he tries to cosy up with Serine she rejects him and he is not accepting that.
I loved the parts where she was wandering through the castle at night after the other girls tricked her and something happened (of course Serine got the blame). I loved the stories she found, the stories she invented.
Leon was such a treasure and I loved how he helped her out at times. With words. With stories. Or just being there.
But while I loved how resilient she was, I was also sad for her. She just wants to be part of the palace and everyone is making it hard for her. Well, OK, not the people in the lower parts, but people in the higher parts? Everyone is just making it hard. And add to that a queen who isn’t taking any bull and just doesn’t believe her… it is hard.
So I was delighted when even at her lowest point she didn’t give up. Instead she turned into what we saw on the cover and I love how she was there for the king. How she made him laugh. Advised him.
Of course, chaos still ensues as Serine is taking her role very serious.
And then there is a murder plot! Oh yes!
The last part was both unexpected and wonderful and oh so chaotic and also SO SO SWEET! Perfectly fitting for the book!
I really enjoyed the art in this book. It was whimsical, fun, playful, colourful, and oodles of fun! I want more of this artist!
All in all, sorry for the long review but DANG this was a good read and I had so much fun. I was just cheering for Serine in all her roles, loved the palace, loved the murder plot, and loved all the other things around it! Recommended!
Review first posted at https://twirlingbookprincess.com/
In this book we meet the delightful Serine. A girl who is a countess, though her parents have little left that really shows they are of that rank/those riches. I immediately liked Serine. I loved her attitude. Loved how, even when things go bad with her dad or how her family has little money, she keeps up her head, makes a fun tune, and tries to get along with life. Nothing gets her down.
And that is definitely wants she needs in this book when she decides to go to the palace to become a lady-in-waiting. A job that is very coveted… and that is filled with girls eager to push each other down in sneaky (or not so sneaky ways). Serine quickly becomes the favourite of the queen… but we see that life isn’t easy for her. The other girls are rich, bundled in gorgeous clothes, and sometimes weird wigs. They are elegant and stuffy. Serine is totally different. Has one dress. Likes to talk to the people lower in the castle and befriend them. Isn’t afraid to speak her mind. Is charming and sweet and kind. And see that not everyone is happy with her. Especially a girl named Crisante who is vying to become the best lady-in-waiting and will truly do all she can to get Serine out of the way. Or that one guy close to the queen who is just a piece of poop. When he tries to cosy up with Serine she rejects him and he is not accepting that.
I loved the parts where she was wandering through the castle at night after the other girls tricked her and something happened (of course Serine got the blame). I loved the stories she found, the stories she invented.
Leon was such a treasure and I loved how he helped her out at times. With words. With stories. Or just being there.
But while I loved how resilient she was, I was also sad for her. She just wants to be part of the palace and everyone is making it hard for her. Well, OK, not the people in the lower parts, but people in the higher parts? Everyone is just making it hard. And add to that a queen who isn’t taking any bull and just doesn’t believe her… it is hard.
So I was delighted when even at her lowest point she didn’t give up. Instead she turned into what we saw on the cover and I love how she was there for the king. How she made him laugh. Advised him.
Of course, chaos still ensues as Serine is taking her role very serious.
And then there is a murder plot! Oh yes!
The last part was both unexpected and wonderful and oh so chaotic and also SO SO SWEET! Perfectly fitting for the book!
I really enjoyed the art in this book. It was whimsical, fun, playful, colourful, and oodles of fun! I want more of this artist!
All in all, sorry for the long review but DANG this was a good read and I had so much fun. I was just cheering for Serine in all her roles, loved the palace, loved the murder plot, and loved all the other things around it! Recommended!
Review first posted at https://twirlingbookprincess.com/
katbenimble's review
3.0
Thank you to Europe Comics and Netgalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review!
hana_alfayez's review
4.0
My thanks to NetGalley and Europe Comics for giving me the opportunity to read this book. The Court Charade is the story of Serine; a girl that had to work in the palace as a lady-in-waiting to provide for her family. She goes in there with great expectations but she is shocked by the meanness of the queen and the plots and intricacies of the court life. But not all people in the palace are awful. There are many pleasant people with whom Serine becomes acquainted. It was an enjoyable read and the ending was the best thing.
thewordsdevourer's review
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
3.0
*Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC
The Court Charade is a fast-paced, romping read about a girl's time in the palace, the people she meets and how she winds up changing things through her witty, determined, go-getter attitude.
I don't care much for the story or the characters especially as the latter can be one-dimensional, but overall the book still manages to keep me invested because of Serine's hijinks and shenanigans. I do like how the palace staff got Serine's back though, which illustrates the value of kindness and its returns. The story ties up nicely in the end as well, all the hints and plot threads finally coming together to shed light on the big reveal, though I wish the ending was longer and wasn't so abrupt.
The art is very expressive and effective, with the characters, their physical dynamics, the settings and scenes illustrated nicely and very fittingly for the story. My one complaint about the art, however, is how the pages are often so crammed that it's difficult to discern either the text or the art in more detail; the comic would've benefited more from being longer so each page has more room to breathe and space to be utilized with more techniques, as the artist has illustrated they're capable of.
This is a good read for anyone looking for something lighthearted, quick, and not too hung up on story technicalities and plot plausibility.
The Court Charade is a fast-paced, romping read about a girl's time in the palace, the people she meets and how she winds up changing things through her witty, determined, go-getter attitude.
I don't care much for the story or the characters especially as the latter can be one-dimensional, but overall the book still manages to keep me invested because of Serine's hijinks and shenanigans. I do like how the palace staff got Serine's back though, which illustrates the value of kindness and its returns. The story ties up nicely in the end as well, all the hints and plot threads finally coming together to shed light on the big reveal, though I wish the ending was longer and wasn't so abrupt.
The art is very expressive and effective, with the characters, their physical dynamics, the settings and scenes illustrated nicely and very fittingly for the story. My one complaint about the art, however, is how the pages are often so crammed that it's difficult to discern either the text or the art in more detail; the comic would've benefited more from being longer so each page has more room to breathe and space to be utilized with more techniques, as the artist has illustrated they're capable of.
This is a good read for anyone looking for something lighthearted, quick, and not too hung up on story technicalities and plot plausibility.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Classism, and Torture
Minor: Murder
lilyv's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
nessas_lair's review
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
4.0
Thank you Netgalley for the eARC! This was such an easy read. I ended up really enjoying it, but I didn't have any strong feelings toward the story or the characters. I wasn't super invested, but I still enjoyed the story 😅 The plot was interesting, and I thought the art was really pretty. The font was easy to read on my kobo as well which was nice. I'd recommend this story for a light, quick read.
sura_reads_books's review
4.0
I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this story! It was lighthearted, with not too many or too few twists, and the colors and art style used brought everything together nicely. The jokes were actually funny, and the use of rhyme didn’t take me out of the story.
Thank you to Netgalley!
Thank you to Netgalley!