Philomel the Fake

After finding a mysterious book in the imperial garden, a princess realises that its villain shares her name and that events in the story are coming true. She believes she is an imposter and that the real princess will take her place. The premise is an urgent race against a written fate.The strongest element is the stakes. The threat of execution gives every choice weight, and the idea of rewriting a book that is already happening is clever. The long strip format and full colour make the drama vivid.The weakness is convolution. The rules of the book's fate can become tangled, and the romance beats follow familiar paths. Some supporting characters are less defined than the heroine.If you enjoy fantasy about fate and rewriting stories, it is a satisfying pick. It is tense and dramatic. Expect a desperate heroine, an unreliable book and a plot that keeps trying to close around her.