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Title:  Real/Fake Princess Vol 5

Author:  I-Huan

Publisher:  DrMaster

ISBN:  9781597960830

May Contain Spoilers

Reunited with her love, both Zhi Li and Zhong Lu become Yang Ye’s prisoners.   Yang Ye is broken-hearted to learn that the beautiful Zhi Li is a Song princess, and that she’s already pledged her heart to his enemy.  Determined to use them as pawns in his quest to become the next emperor, he ignores the pleas of his sister and Hui Tang to release them.  As the Song army begins to mercilessly attack the rebels to have Zhong Lu freed, Hui Tang becomes even more disillusioned with his new friend.  Doesn’t Yang Ye see that he’s causing his people even more misery to achieve his ambitions?  When Yang Lui frees the couple, Zhi Li is determined to meet with the emperor, even though it could mean her death.  Has Zhong Lu found Zhi Li again, only to lose her, this time forever?

This final volume of Real/Fake Princess managed to satisfactorily tie up all of the sub-plots that were running through the series, though some of the minor characters could have used a few more pages to fully flesh out the end of their stories.  This is the first DrMaster title that I have read to completion, and overall, it was an emotionally engaging read.  The books are attractively packaged, but the editing really needs some work.  As in previous volumes, there are a number of jarring, obvious typographical errors littered within the pages.

Zhi Li matured from a spoiled, willful child into a thoughtful, caring woman.  Not content to run off with Zhong Lu and live the life of a fugitive, she quietly insists that she meet with her brother, so she can learn why he’s determined that she’s a fake princess.  Catching Zhong Lu off guard, she gives him a sleeping drug so she can meet with Fang Yao and demand that he take her to the Emperor.  Despite himself, Fang Yao responds to Zhi Li’s newly regal demeanor with a deference reserved for royalty, and he begins to believe that she might, indeed, be the real princess.  However, because of the rumors swirling around her birth, he wistfully concludes that she was born in the wrong place, in the wrong time.  To protect his emperor, her identity can never be confirmed.

To protect his throne, the Emperor must deny his relationship to Zhi Li.  This somber, regrettable  truth weighs heavily on his shoulders.  To save his reputation, he can never accept Yi Fu and must order her death.  She has become a liability to his rule, and there’s no way to quell the ugly rumors that have surfaced.  Until the meeting between Zhi Li and her brother, I considered the Emperor a weak, pliable individual.  Now I see him as a sad, solemn man who has to make some very difficult decisions to ensure the peace and prosperity of his subjects. 

Though it got off to a rocky start, Real/Fake Princess was a surprisingly enjoyable series.  Though at times the plot was uneven and the art a little inconsistent, this title gave an entertaining glimpse into historical China during the end of the Northern Song dynasty. 

Grade: B-

Rated for 13+