Fantasy fans know that heroines are always disguising
themselves as boys to escape a life of sewing and curtseying. In
BOY PRINCESS, young Prince Nicole must disguise himself as a girl
--- but not because he has a secret passion for embroidery. After
Princess Elena runs away to escape an arranged marriage to the
prince of a neighboring kingdom, Nicole must take her place to save
the strategic alliance. Despite his protestations, his brothers
insist that with his youthful good looks and some apples down his
shirt he'll be fine. After all, his future fiancé Prince Jed
is said to have little interest in anything but battle.

Nicole's new kingdom proves to be a place of dangerous secrets,
where princes and princesses plot ruthlessly against one another to
seize the throne. No one here is exactly what they seem, even cold
Prince Jed. As lies are uncovered and Nicole and Jed grow closer,
their position becomes ever more dangerous. To Nicole, Jed is the
role model he always wanted; to Jed, Nicole is a dangerous
distraction. Can he allow his feelings for Nicole to grow and still
protect himself and his family? Can they preserve their charade?
What happens when Princess Elena is found?

BOY PRINCESS is an entertainingly melodramatic Korean manwha with
attractive art; the costumes and hair are spectacular. It's nice to
see a twist on the traditional fantasy crossdressing tale, and
there's plenty of drama and tension here. There's also some
sensuality, though nothing more explicit than the cover (on which
the characters appear to be unclothed). Unfortunately, the awkward
translation may distract readers from the story. Netcomics offers
several promising-looking titles, so one must hope that they'll
solve their readability problems. If they do, BOY PRINCESS's
medieval-flavored romance could win a larger following.

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