Once upon a time, in a land far away, there was a benevolent queen who ruled over her kingdom with wisdom and compassion. The queen was loved by her subjects, and they were grateful for her kind and just rule. However, there was one sorcerer who harbored a deep resentment towards the queen. This sorcerer had long desired to be king and believed that he was more deserving of the throne than the queen. Enraged by his own jealousy and bitterness, he hatched a plan to cast a spell on the queen, hoping to strip her of her powers and take the throne for himself. After months of secret research and preparation, the sorcerer found the perfect incantation to carry out his wicked plan.
After months of secret research and preparation, the sorcerer found the perfect incantation to carry out his wicked plan. Under the cover of darkness, he snuck into the queen's chambers and performed the spell. Unbeknownst to the queen, a change had come over her, although she couldn't quite put her finger on what was different.
Bratzillaz magical princesses
I have been noticing that Bratz and Bratzillaz dolls are not being restocked at my local Target and Walmart (Toys R Us is still getting a few. ) but Tina was the first person who explained to me what is going on. Apparently, MGA plans to take a year-long Bratz hiatus in 2014, during which time they will remove their products from the shelves in the United States and revamp the brand for a 2015 re-release. This is similar to what the company did after the big lawsuit with Mattel in 2010, but apparently the quality and sales of the dolls have not been up to standard since that time.
I think the original announcement of this news is the article written over at Bratz Boulevard. It's a great article with an optimistic long-term perspective, but it leaves me with some head-scratchers. First of all, it doesn't seem like a real hiatus if the dolls are are still being developed and sold in other countries. Does that mean that there will be some new Bratz dolls in other parts of the world, but they'll just be harder to get in the United States. perhaps with higher shipping costs? There's some equity here, given that the situation is usually reversed. The other thing that doesn't make sense to me is that quality is being cited as a reason for the re-invention of the brand. I don't know much about Bratz dolls, but I have quite a few Bratzillaz, and while the quality of these dolls was not great at first (Meygana's hair. ugh!), I have seen steady improvement over the last few years.
After hearing about MGA's decision, I'll admit that I did a bit of panicked Bratzillaz hoarding. I went to Amazon and ordered a few dolls from the Back to Magic series and a few from the Witchy Princesses line (they're all on sale!). All of my new dolls impressed me from inside their boxes. It was actually quite difficult to choose a single doll to review, so I decided to show you a doll from each group. Here are Angelica Sound (from the Witchy Princesses, $12.95) and Illiana Honesty (from Back to Magic, $13.98):
Bratzillaz, "Angelica Sound" (L) and "Illiana Honesty" (R). |
The reason I am excited about this particular group of dolls is that they all come with bird cage hats.
. that glow in the dark.Bird GLOWS in the dark! Score! |
Can I just say, it's hard for me to imagine a company having trouble with sales when they're offering dolls with glowing bird cage hats.
I have always liked the style of the Bratzillaz box art. These cartoon versions of the characters are even prettier than the dolls. Angelica's drawing is especially nice because of the adorable little (glowing!) bird in her hat:
He looks kinda sad, though. |
This wave of Bratzillaz features three princesses who were trapped inside of a book by the jealous Tona Toola. The other Bratzillaz hear the princesses' birds crying out, and this launches them on an adventure to find and rescue the princesses.
The princesses are named Carolina Past, Siernna Calmer and Angelica Sound. Each princess has a special power: Carolina can see into the past (I can see into the past, too, or at least the past few weeks), Siernna has the power to keep anyone calm (I wish I could do that) and Angelica has the power to manipulate sound (I frequently say "hush" to my dogs, but it doesn't do anything).
Carolina actually has side-glancing eyes that look to the right. |
I have seen all of the Witchy Princess dolls in the stores, and I think Angelica and Carolina are the prettiest. Siernna has very pale forward-glancing eyes that make her look crazed. Also, what is up with that name? If anyone out there is named Siernna, please accept my apologies, but to me, this sounds like the drunken pronunciation of "Sienna". or like how people might say that name here in Maine.
The box design for Bratzillaz has not changed much over the years from what I can tell. It is still fairly easy to pull off the plastic front of the box, which gives excellent access for removing the doll and her accessories. Angelica does not come with a stand, which is too bad. The Magic Night Out dolls came with stands, so I assumed that only the basic dolls like the Midnight Beach crew would be without them. Angelica does come with the useless plastic broom brush, though:
The only difficult parts of Angelica's de-boxing were the three (three!) plastic ties in her head, and this fancy hair-control extravaganza:
Rows and rows of pink thread and plastic supports on either side of the head. Sheesh. |
I was extremely eager to get a close look at the bird cage hat. It's a small domed cage attached to a black headband:
Siernna's hat has a different design, with a larger cage that's missing a floor--it just sits directly on the doll's head. Personally, I would not wear a bird cage hat unless the cage offered some line of protection between me and the bird. I have four birds, and I've seen what kind of mess they can make. No thank you.
Angelica and Carolina's birds have smaller, fully-enclosed cages. There's even a molded door area (but it doesn't open):
The bird is a very pale glow-in-the-dark greenish yellow color and has no painted details. He's a little hard to see through the chunky bars of the cage. He has bits of black string (hair? Plastic?) stuck on him in some areas--the most obvious one is on his beak:
Fortunately, the cage comes apart very easily (without breaking anything) and so I could remove the bird for a clearer picture:
This little guy doesn't glow very much--certainly nowhere near as brightly as what is suggested in the commercial. I tried to get some pictures of him glowing, but the light was too faint and it faded too quickly. This was a slight disappointment, but I'm still thrilled with the fact that he glows at all.
The cage sits off to one side of the headband, so Angelica has to wear the hat on one side of her head or the other. It doesn't fit on the left side because one of her hair twists sits too far back:
But it fits perfectly on the right:Angelica has great hair. There's no comparison between this hair and the hair on the first wave Bratzillaz dolls. Her hair is very long and slightly wavy, yet it's not at all difficult to manage. The fiber is soft and smooth and has a fun two-toned sugary pink color that reminds me of Ever After High Cupid.
I love the three hair twists at the top of Angelica's head. This is a simple style that could easily be taken down, but it doesn't get in the way of brushing the back of the hair, and it adds a quirky element of fun to the character's style.
The only problem with this hair is that each twist is tied off with a clear rubber band that leaves a short section of hair hanging down the back of Angelica's head. Two of these sections are beautifully blended in with the longer hair, but on my doll one of the ends sticks out quite a bit and is hard to tame:
Angelica has pale pink side-glancing eyes with heavy eyeshadow. Her eyebrows are simple black lines, but she has some additional scrolling embellishments decorating her left eye:
Her eyeshadow has three bands: a pale outer band that starts right below her eyebrows, a thin middle band of bright pink, and a layer of dark burgundy above her eyes.
The eyes are very unique. The irises are pale pink with darker pink spikes and squiggles. The design almost looks like flames in some places:
I have always liked the style of the Bratzillaz box art. These cartoon versions of the characters are even prettier than the dolls. Angelica's drawing is especially nice because of the adorable little (glowing!) bird in her hat:
As the spell took hold, the queen's once wise and just decisions turned into rash and impulsive choices. Her compassion for her subjects waned, replaced by a sense of entitlement and cruelty. The people of the kingdom began to suffer as their queen became a tyrant, ruling with an iron fist and showing no mercy. Word of the queen's transformation spread throughout the kingdom, and the people became increasingly desperate for a solution. They pleaded with the sorcerer, who finally admitted to his treacherous act in a fit of guilt. Determined to make amends, the sorcerer set out on a quest to find the antidote and break the spell he had cast on the queen. After facing many challenges and obstacles, the sorcerer finally discovered the antidote hidden deep within a forbidden forest. With great effort, he made it back to the kingdom and presented the antidote to the queen. The queen, now aware of the spell that had been cast upon her, agreed to drink the potion in the hopes of regaining her former self. As the antidote took effect, the queen could feel the darkness lifting from her soul. She apologized to her subjects for the pain and suffering she had caused during her time under the spell. Determined to make amends, she set out on a mission to undo the damage she had done and rebuild the trust of her people. With time, the kingdom began to heal, and the queen's reign was once again marked by wisdom and compassion. The sorcerer, grateful for the queen's forgiveness, became her most loyal advisor, working tirelessly to ensure that no harm would ever befall the kingdom again. This cautionary tale reminds us of the destructive power of jealousy and the importance of trust and forgiveness. It serves as a reminder that even the most powerful of individuals can fall prey to their own weaknesses, but with courage and determination, it is possible to overcome even the darkest of spells..
Reviews for "The Aura of Magic: A Closer Look at the Queen's Spell"
1. Emily - 2 stars - I had high hopes for "A Spell on the Queen" but unfortunately, it fell flat for me. The characters were underdeveloped and lacked depth, making it difficult for me to connect with any of them. The plot felt disjointed and rushed, with abrupt shifts that left me confused and unsatisfied. The writing style also didn't resonate with me, as I found it to be overly descriptive and lacking in concise dialogue. Overall, this book wasn't what I expected and I wouldn't recommend it.
2. Jason - 1 star - "A Spell on the Queen" was a major disappointment. The storyline was predictable and clichéd, making it difficult to stay engaged. The dialogue between characters felt forced and unnatural, hindering the flow of the narrative. Additionally, the pacing was slow and there were unnecessary details that added nothing to the plot. I couldn't connect with any of the characters and the ending felt rushed and unsatisfying. This book simply wasn't for me.
3. Rachel - 2 stars - I struggled to enjoy "A Spell on the Queen" due to the lack of originality in both the plot and the characters. It felt like a rehashing of other fantasy novels without bringing anything new to the table. The protagonist was bland and lacked any unique qualities that would make me root for her. The world-building was also lacking, leaving me feeling disconnected from the story. While there were a few moments of excitement, they were overshadowed by the overall lackluster nature of the book. I wouldn't recommend it to fans of the genre.