The Princess in Black Books

Start with The Princess in Black and follow the publisher's order through The Princess in Black and the Trick-or-Treating Trouble, book #12. Each monster problem has a satisfying ending, but publication order introduces Princess Magnolia's secret, recurring monsters, and fellow heroes most naturally.

Three-in-one editions and boxed sets simply collect stories from this same sequence. They can be convenient purchases, but they are not additional numbered adventures.

Sources: Candlewick's official Princess in Black collection, Candlewick's official Book 12 page.

Most books include a monster attack, endangered goats or party guests, chases, falls, and hand-to-hand superhero action. The watercolor-and-ink pictures keep battles energetic but gentle: there is no graphic injury or character death, and problems usually end with monsters returned underground or given a better outlet.

The stories play with assumptions about what princesses and heroes look like. Princess Magnolia keeps a secret identity, sometimes lies to protect it, and occasionally worries that her roles conflict, while the growing hero team shows that bravery and kindness can take many forms.