Name: Shelby Goodwin's review of Crisanta Knight: Protagonist Bound by Geanna Culbertson
Item: Crisanta Knight: Protagonist Bound
Rating: 4
Author: Shelby Goodwin

Geanna Culbertson

I was going to be a great protagonist. At least that's what my mom, Cinderella, kept telling me. I, however, had my doubts. Unlike most main characters at Lady Agnue's School for Princesses & Other Female Protagonists, I was opinionated, bold, and headstrong. Moreover, for a princess, I had a lot of issues. I'm talking vicious nightmares about people I've never met, a total stalker prince, and a Fairy Godmother for an enemy. But I digress. Because here's the thing about living in an enchanted realm of fairytale characters, crazy junk you never planned on happens all the time. One minute you could be practicing fainting exercises in Damsels in Distress class, sword fighting in a field, or flying on a Pegasus, and the next, BAM! Your book has begun and you're saddled with a prophecy that changes everything. I still don't know if I will be a great protagonist one day. But I know one thing about my fate, for certain. Despite what The Author and the antagonists have in store for me, whatever it costs. . .I'll be the one taking charge of my own story.

Crisanta Knight: Protagonist Bound

Aubrey Rutledge

Shelby Goodwin

The Lion, the Witch, and the Wormhole follows Crisanta Knight, Cinderella and Prince Charming’s daughter, as she traverses the magical wonderland called Book with her band of besties, all of whom are also related in some clever way to other fairy tale figures. The ever-mysterious Author has prophesied that Crisa’s fate is to end up a “subservient wife” and her quest is to change this unsavory destiny; however, after finding the Author and learning more in books 1-3, Crisa discovers that this fate in fact a fabrication, while her true “prologue prophecy” foretells of Crisa’s ultimate destruction of the evil forces at work, the corrupt villains from the kingdom of Alderon. In book 4, we pick up with this newfound purpose: combat the antagonists, monsters, and magic hunters who attempt to thwart Crisa and her friends at every turn.

By far, the most successful thing about this book is the masterful blending of fairy tale and folklore settings. From the whimsy of Neverland and Oz to the spookier vibes of Sleepy Hollow, this book covers several beloved wonderlands; it was fascinating to see elements of some of my favorite stories intertwine together so seamlessly. However, I will say that I was initially very intrigued by this particular installment’s title, excited to see one of my favorites (The Chronicles of Narnia) come alive in the world of Book. Alas, it seems as if Narnia served only to inspire the title and is not actually a realm explored here. Altogether, though, I think the mashup of fantasy worlds in this book is expertly done by a storyteller who clearly knows her stuff! I caught myself fangirling with the namedrops of Walt Disney, Tim Burton, Stephen Spielberg, J.M. Barrie, among other creators who have traveled the various wonderlands through portals with “storyteller visas.” I thought this little detail was brilliant, especially with the inclusion of “Earth” on the list of wonderlands. Overall, it was fun to follow Crisanta Knight and her crew throughout these experiences as a burgeoning badass heroine.

As a whole, I really liked how this book handles quintessential themes (Good versus Evil; Fate or Free Will; Friendship and Betrayal) of the fantasy genre in a completely unique and unexpected way, but still taps into all those nostalgic feels for me as a lifelong avid fantasy reader and Disney/fairytale lover! There’s tons of nonstop action and magical adventures, but I did struggle with the fact that all of books 1-3 had to be communicated through the Prologue in order for me to have a leg to stand on while reading this fourth installment. While I did enjoy the story, at times I felt left out of necessary plot background and character development. It is ensured that you can read this installment as a standalone, and while I absolutely agree this is the case, I felt that personally as a reader, I feel this is one of those series that is best read in order to get the full scope of the epic story and its characters!

Chiara Vitale Zelaia

Walking into a series with its fifth book is a new experience for me, but seen that the author claims the books in the Crisanta Knight series can be enjoyed as standalones, I decided to try To Death and Back because of its core theme: Arthurian lore. I love stories about King Arthur and Camelot, but I rarely consume any books on the topic and this seemed like the perfect opportunity.

TO DEATH AND BACK starts off with a detailed description of previous important events and I found that really helpful to get a feel of the story I was walking into. In To Death and Back, Crisanta and her friends are on a quest to claim Excalibur before the “antagonists” (among whom is her brother). To do so, they venture to Camelot, but during their adventure Crisanta must also face her growing powers of Pure Magic which could lead her on the road to corruption. These trials constantly challenge Crisanta and force her to question herself and her morality…but to find out what happens, you’ll have to read the book!

So let’s start with the obvious question: can To Death and Back be read without reading the previous four books in the series? The simple answer is yes. The author provides not only the aforementioned introduction, but paragraphs within the book itself to briefly explain characters, prophecies, relationships and anything that the reader might otherwise not understand. I can’t speak for the other books, but this one was easily read on its own. Despite this, I do feel like I might have appreciated some character dynamics more if I’d been following them from the start but it didn’t impact my overall enjoyment of the story.

I was very happy with the world-building of this novel. The Crisanta Knight characters draw from fairytales that we all know. Crisanta, for example, is Cinderella’s daughter. Her friends SJ, Blue and Jason are related to Snow White, Red Riding Hood and Jack and the Beanstalk. The way the author was able to bring so many different stories together and create a vast universe in which stories had a limitless potential was really interesting and I could feel the whimsicality I love so much of fairytales in every page.

The cast of characters was also very interesting. I loved seeing Culbertson’s interpretation of the characters belonging to Arthurian lore (Merlin in particular, because he reminded me so much of Disney’s Sword in the Stone, which is one of my favorite movies!), but I especially loved Crisanta’s group of friends. Even without reading the previous installments, I could feel the genuine love that connects these characters and was able to navigate their dynamics quite easily. My favorites? Crisanta and Daniel, of course. My ship senses are tingling.

The many action scenes, the fast pace and the fun tone of the story make it the perfect read for readers of any age, but I find it particularly indicated for younger audiences. If you love fairytales, definitely give this series a shot!

Thank you to the author for sending me a copy! All opinions are my own.

Maria Elena Vitale Zelaia

What a fun twist on fairytales!

Protagonist Bound is the first in the Crisanta Knight series that revolves around Crisanta, the daughter of Cinderella and Prince Charming. The world in which the book is set is called Book, and its citizens are either secondary characters or protagonists of the stories the mysterious Author decides to write. Crisanta attends Lady Agnue's School for Princesses & Other Female Protagonists, where other princesses and commoners are trained for the moment the Author begins writing their story.

Though most of the girls at school seem content with the idea that their fates are decided by this mysterious entity, Crisanta isn’t of the same opinion. She’s a princess, yes, but she believes she could be more than a damsel, a princess and the love interest of some prince or hero. She could carve her own path and be a hero. Crisanta is a very head-strong young woman who refuses to back down from a challenge and let other people define who she is, which is something I greatly admired about her.

I also loved her friends, Blue and S.J, who are respectively Little Red Riding Hood’s sister and Snow White’s daughter. Both these girls had very distinct and lovable personalities, and like Crisanta, they both try in their way not to be defined by their famous fairytale relative. Another character I liked was the new arrival in the boy’s school, Daniel. He and Crisanta immediately start as sort-of rivals, but they also grow to have mutual respect and understanding of one another. I hope this connection leads somewhere on a romantic level because the two together make sense.

I’m sure I’m not the only one who’s ever tried to imagine what happens after the Happily Ever After. Seeing the daughters, sons and relatives of famous fairytale characters allowed for some funny spins on fairytale clichés and anecdotes. The whole idea of a school where girls (and boys, in a different school) are trained to be protagonists was very original. The names of some of the classes, like the Damsel In Distress class, was hilarious and I felt for Crisanta. Honestly, I would hate learning how to faint, too.

Thank you to the author for providing me with a copy of this book. Opinions are my own.

Aubrey Rutledge &
Crisanta Knight: Protagonist Bound by Geanna Culbertson

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Aubrey Rutledge &Crisanta Knight: Protagonist Bound by Geanna Culbertson

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Aubrey Rutledge &
Crisanta Knight: Protagonist Bound by Geanna Culbertson