Review by Booklist Review
The prince and his dear knight return in another tender adventure. The story begins with the union and crowning of the two, but then things change. "It started with a wisp / that slowly veiled the sky." Soon darkness covers the kingdom, the work of the evil Shadow King. The pair rides to the Shadow King's fortress to confront him, where they are attacked by monsters. The knight saves the prince from the final creature, only to fall into a raging river, making it the prince's turn to perform a rescue. The Shadow King, seeing their love, confesses that he has been banished because of his love for a squire. The knight tells him "our differences make us unique / let's celebrate them with pride." The rhythmic verses that tell the story can be a wee bit didactic, but the tale is captivating nevertheless. Lewis' pictures charmingly show the couple's love for each other as they hold hands, cup each other's faces, and share a kiss. Another welcome celebration of love for the younger set.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
Prince and knight return to take on an evil adversary. This sequel to Prince & Knight (2018) picks up after the prince and knight's wedding day and begins with a coronation (but, a little puzzlingly, the prince is never referred to as a king). The two men's love "inspired everyone in sight," but soon a "fog of darkness" descends upon the realm. Daylight disappears. The crops suffer blight. The prince gravely tells his husband, "We must face this threat tonight!" The pair consults with the kingdom's "wise old sage," who sends them to find the Shadow King, whose "soul is filled with rage." After "trudging through the wilderness," the prince and knight make it to the Shadow King's fortress and best his army of monsters. Eventually, they reach the Shadow King and help repair the harm that resulted from his evil ways. With rich colors and cinematic sequences, Lewis' animation-inflected art shines in this fantastical tale. Whereas in the first book knight rescued prince, the reverse happens here--a delightful counterpoint to heteronormative gender roles. Though excellent in its positive depiction of queer heroes, the book's heavy-handed message is made worse by Haack's awkward, rhyming text. Aside from the brown-skinned knight, the royal family presents White. Supporting characters add additional racial diversity. With the addition of the Shadow King and his squire, the story moves from tokenization toward a sense of queer community. (This book was reviewed digitally with 8.3-by-19.6-inch double-page spreads viewed at 56% of actual size.) Pretty but preachy. (Picture book. 4-8) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
