This volume solidifies Prince Freya as a must read fantasy series, although there aren't many volumes out. I was absolutely floored when another never of the cast gets killed (or at least a deadly injury) happens at the end of this book too. I enjoyed the setup on how we takes anyone and you need to think of yourself and allies first before saving any possible Innocents. I enjoyed that Freya learned enough to fight in a duel and used her wits in a difficult duel where her opponent outmatched her. Definitely pick up this series and I can't wait to read volume 3!

Fyi although I got a review copy from Netgalley, I ended up buying the print book since the first volume was so good.

This was a great follow up to the fist volume. I found myself enjoying it even more than the first. I am growing to love Freya as a character, and I can't wait to continue on with this series.

Freya, our pretending-to-be-Prince-Edvard heroine, gets to flex her muscles and bare her teeth a bit in this volume, and while it's nice to see her grow into her role as Prince of Tyr, the circumstances that cause this growth have been heart-wrenching; prepare to get punched in the feels. There is lots of juicy intrigue going on, with some treachery and betrayal to make it spicy. More hints of romance, gotta hit all the tropes! Is this the most original story I've ever read? No. Do I really care? Also no, because the story is good and hits the right notes, plus the art is dreamy! Now, where's volume 3?

#PrinceFreyaVol2 #NetGalley

While the first volume of this series showed Freya having to deal with enemies from a foreign land, in the second her main problems come from traitors from her own land.

At the end of the opening volume, Freya, a girl who has been forced to step in and pretend to be the late Prince Edvard of Tyr after he was assassinated, discovers one of her own personal guards, Mikal, being abducted. She thus hides in the caravan to rescue him. While in the caravan, she learns that the abduction is on the orders of Mahrukh, one of her own council who is actually for the neighbouring expansionist Siguardians, and the main plan was to release a Siguardian soldier, Sable, who was responsible for killing Freya’s friend Aaron. Sable soon reveals himself to be on the caravan and wounds Mikal, but then Freya’s other friend Aleksi arrives to sort out all the trouble.

Read the full review at Anime UK News: https://animeuknews.net/2020/07/prince-freya-volume-2-review/

Prince Freya makes great development in this installment. My problems from the first - typical shoujo tropes, lackluster characters - are much more fleshed out. I have a better idea of who Prince Edvard was and how his public image softens with Freya's involvement. In addition, Freya herself shows dramatic development on the field of battle. This is the second wind that I feel the series needed for someone with a mild interest in the series. There are still prominent shoujo elements - MC's character development from weakling to heroic, hot men, blank white fills indicating emotional moments - yet by the end we explore a more destructive side to it, "hate." I look forward to seeing Freya's development as well as the series as a whole.

This was a great continuation of the first volume.
I loved getting to see Freya step more into the Prince's shoes and away from the naive/"crybaby" from the first volume.
I feel like many of her guards are starting to develop slight romance feelings, and I'm not too sure how to feel about that, we'll see in future installments.
Also, like the first books, this one is dark and bloody.
And, THAT ENDING! (Talk about a cliffhanger!) I NEED volume 3 ASAP.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for providing the E-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Prince Freya is a European fantasy from mangaka Keiko Ishihara. The series focuses on a young girl, Freya, who is thrust into the aftermath of a treacherous plot against her king. Prince Freya Volume 2 is published in English by VIZMedia and translated to English by Emi Louie-Nishikawa, with touch-up and letter design by Sabrina Heep. This is a great second volume after its debut earlier this year.

In the last volume, we met the titular character Freya, a simple village girl who has been protected most of her life by her childhood friends, Aleki and Aaron. As a part of the kingdom of Tyr, the village she lives in and its inhabitants are caught between the kingdom’s battle with Sigurd, which has slowly been conquering all the lands that share its borders. Now, having turned its eyes Tyr. While we got the chance to see a small romance between Freya and Aaron including a kiss early on, Ishihara rips that romantic rug out from under us by killing Aaron and leaving Freya and his brother Aleki to grieve his death and look to the future.

Now, in Prince Freya Volume 2 having become Prince Edvard, Freya puts her new identity to the test. After jumping onto a runaway wagon at the end of the last volume, Freya comes face to face with the people looking to hurt Tyr and King Edvard. Through this process, we get the chance to see Freya’s physical strength and capability as she and one of her knights fight. When Aleksi joins the fight, they’re able to find a lord’s castle and it’s all downhill and battles from there. Through it all, Freya finds her charade as Prince Edvard difficult to maintain as she battles her own crushing grief and treacherous Tyrish nobles. With the help of her dear friend Aleksi and her new guardian Sir Julius, however, she’s determined not to give up and instead leans into impulsivity to keep fighting.

Ishihara’s story is developing at a rapid pace and that’s a good thing. There is political intrigue, murder, and epic moments in the story that continues to prove to be as action-packed as romance tinged. Her artwork is a wonderful balance of softness and strength that navigates the balance between then Freya’s story and Edvards. While the same character, Ishihara’s ability to tell the perspective of which part of her identity is in play at the moment through art is complex and stunning. This complexity leads to the undercurrent of romance in the story.

On this note, Ishihara leans into the gender-bending romance that is prevalent in shojo but it is clear that the romance is between Freya and Aleksi, while it’s less so if Julius is more attracted to Freya or her, acting as Edvard. Not to give to much away but the seeming love triangle is well executed and the shocking events of the last chapter in this volume throw another twist in the story’s trajectory and showcase how Ishihara is building a story that will subvert as many shojo tropes as possible and keep readers on their toes. Freya’s growth in this one volume alone is extraordinary and I can’t wait to see where her journey leads.

Overall, Prince Freya Volume 2 is a standout on the VIZ Media’s Shojo Beat imprint. It’s filled with action, questions of morality and duty, and carries enough romance to balance it all out. With yet another unthinkable ending, volume 3 can’t come soon enough.

Wow! This second volume packs quite a punch!

After the loss that Freya suffers in the first volume, she feels motivated to do her best for the kingdom, despite the turmoil that she is facing in front of her. She feels stronger knowing that she has allies within the castle. Alek in particular gives her a comfort that she didn't realize that she needed.

Without going into spoilers, we see Freya make a new friend, and Freya suffers another huge loss at the end of this volume. I can't lie, I was having a small panic attack I was so invested in the volume, so fair warning.

All in all, I still think this is a top tier series, and I am so grateful that Viz is publishing it.

Prince Freya Vol. 2 by Keiko Ishihara, 188 pages. GRAPHIC NOVEL. VIZ Media, 2020. $11.
Language: (3 swears, 0 “f”); Mature Content: PG13; Violence: PG13
BUYING ADVISORY: HS - OPTIONAL
AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE
By pretending to be the prince in order to save her country, Freya has a responsibility to act like the prince and put her own life before others. But Freya has seen people die, and she won’t stand for that any longer. With the power of the prince, Freya can be an influence for good, if only she has the courage.
My interest was piqued by volume one, and volume two did not disappoint in its continuation. Freya is in a tough spot, and I admire the changes she is trying to make as she sacrifices for her country in ways they are completely unaware of. While the story has some inconsistencies, it’s engaging enough to encourage readers to keep following the series. The mature content rating for nudity, and the violence rating for battle gore and death.
Reviewer: Carolina Herdegen

Thank you so much for the chance to read Prince Freya 2 before release. (I've already preordered my physical copy but I love the series so much I had to request it on NetGalley to read it sooner!)

Volume 2 of this amazing series did not disappoint! There was non-stop action with hardly any chance for down time. I like how Freya is progressing into her role as the prince and making the crown truly her own. Despite the advice from everyone around her, her primary focus is on protecting her people, and she is so firm in her resolve that everyone else naturally follows her even if her plans aren't what they had in mind. She is emerging as a true leader.

I liked the introduction of new characters, both good and evil. The events that unfold prove leading a country won't be an easy task, and Freya learns that her actions have consequences. She is developing a keen sense for politics already, and advancing her skill in combat as well. I am enjoying her character development a lot.

My favorite scenes from volume 2 were those brief moments of relaxation, when the guys had their bath tub banter and Freya made friends with a kitchen maid. It humanized the warriors. But you never know who may be killed next, and it adds a sense of realistic peril to the plot.

This time I was disappointed with the author's side-panel notes. Last volume I thought they were amazing. While I still loved seeing the commentary on the side of the pages instead of just at the end of the book, this time they didn't really have a purpose. There were no behind-the-scenes notes or descriptions, just pictures of the characters' faces that said "so-and-so is fantastic" over and over.

The art is beautiful, I love the characters, and the story has me hooked. I'll definitely be buying up every volume of this amazing series.

Keiko Ishihara takes you into the medieval times, which I enjoy greatly! Freya is trying to be as strong as Prince Edvard and also showing that she is him. Julius is having to struggle in helping Freya and keeping her safe, which she doesn't make easy. She tends to act before thinking on the consequences and what will happen. She has to remember her sword play and to keep the peace with in her kingdom while dealing with politics and crafty noblemen who are trying to plot the kingdom's demise.

Aleksi is trying to do his best, be better than his brother because he wants to help Freya, and to get her to shine. He wants her vision to happen, to keep their home safe while being someone she can lean on for support. Working for Julius is aggravating to say the least and he's trying to put his differences with the man who is suppose to train him to be a knight.

The suspense is thrilling and I can't wait for Vol. 3 to resume the cliff hanger. I'm enjoying the story and want to know what Freya's next move is going to be and how they plan on being able to save the kingdom.

Poor Freya! So much drama, so much trauma! I'm super interested in seeing where this is going to go because every time I think I know what's going to happen the plot goes in another direction. I'm curious to see how long this series will be. This author has written short series so far, but this story feels like it can support a much longer run.

Volume 2 of this series raises the stakes even higher for Freya, disguised as Prince Edvard of Tyr. Freya discovers just how treacherous those who should be loyal to Tyr are and has her world shaken as she steps up, slowly leaving the scaredy cat girl she’s been to do her best as the fake prince. With Alek and Julius at her side and aware of the lie she plays out Freya has a long way to go still.
While this series isn’t groundbreaking in anyway for a manga I’m still 100% invested in this already and will probably end up buying every volume that comes out of what will probably be a very long series.
***
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher I was able to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

Volume 2 picks up immediately after volume 1 and while it doesn't cover as much ground as volume 1 did, volume 2 offers more insight to the knights' mindset as well as continued character growth for Freya. I found the story riveting and couldn't stop reading once I began. The pacing was fast throughout the whole story, never once pausing, and the tension continues to build. The end leaves off on a cliffhanger that makes you want volume 3 just to know what on earth is going to happen because characters are separated and injured, possibly even dead, but the story cuts off right before you find out if characters will return or if the injured ones are possibly dead.

I definitely recommend this for manga fans and fantasy fans. The idea of someone taking the place of a famous person has been speculation throughout history and conspiracy theories, and while this is a fantasy world, it's fascinating to watch characters who don't know the truth about Freya try to understand how their prince is so different yet so similar to who they knew before. Freya allows the character of the Prince to gain new depth and meaning while growing more like him while also retaining much of herself.

When I had read the first volume at earlier this year, I wasn't sold on this series. There were just a few things I had problems with but let me tell you, vol. 2 has solidified that I need to continue!

Freya has had some time to think about her situation and she reminds me a lot of Yona from Yona of the Dawn. She is finding her voice in this cruel world where she needs to be the light in a dark time. She is standing strong and wanting to better her fighting so that she can also protect the ones who want to protect her. I'm really enjoying her character development!

When it comes to romance, there is hints here and there of character's feelings but nothing that is concrete. Honestly, I am just here for all the subtle hints of flirting. I can't pick who I like the most because they all just hit me a certain way, haha.

I thought that the plot in vol. 1 had intense plot twists but vol. 2 came out swinging and I was blown away while also being in quite shock. There is no mercy.

Overall, I definitely enjoyed this one more than the first volume. I will be continuing this series because I am now hooked!