REVIEWS
From Publishers Weekly
Starred Review. A set of linked nouveaux fairy tales, this graphic novel extends the story of Sleeping Beauty into a modern, feminist Chaucer for happy people. After Sleeping Beauty leaves with the prince, the three ladies in waiting, Patience, Prudence and Plenty, stay on in the castle, a hobgoblin-infested structure that becomes a refuge for those in need: a pregnant woman fleeing her abusive husband; Sir Destrier, a horse-headed knight who wants a place to rest between adventures; Beakie, a kindly bachelor merchant; and Sister Peace, a bearded nun. The ladies do things like dye their hair red with henna, but mostly they tell stories of their lives. The art is full of humor; we know each character as soon as we see them. The faces are particularly expressive. The stories of the bearded nuns go on a mite too long, but there's still plenty of humor in their invention of a whole order of nuns dedicated to showing up the idiocies of men. Medley's art is both exquisitely detailed and fantastically lighthearted. Though appropriate for all ages, this one-of-a-kind graphic novel is likely to appeal most to smart women in their 20s and older—much older—and to any man who believes in feminism and knows how to laugh. (May)
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From School Library Journal
Grade 9 Up–With its quiet blend of fantasy, folktales, and character-driven storytelling, this charming collection brings the first 12 issues of an Eisner Award-winning comic-book series to a wider audience. It opens with The Brambly Hedge, which gives the origin of the castle itself. In a comic retelling of Sleeping Beauty, a medieval castle and its loving inhabitants are abandoned when the princess wakes up, finds her Prince Charming, and rides off into the sunset with him. The castle transforms into an outpost of sorts for the unusual, the unwanted, and those just needing a place to hide from the world. Talking chivalrous horses, pregnant mothers on the run, and nuns who were once bearded ladies in the circus are just a few of the colorful inhabitants whose stories fill the remainder of the volume. Medleys storytelling becomes more assured and complex as the series progresses, and she uses flashbacks and stories-within-stories in a manner that creates a rhythm that is both fun and gripping. Hard-edged lines with simple forms create black-and-white artwork that melds nicely with the fairy-tale feel of the stories. This volume is accessible for younger readers but filled with enough layers and depth to satisfy those looking for a bit more sophistication.–Matthew L. Moffett, Fords Theatre Society, Washington, DC
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. retrieved from http://www.amazon.ca/Castle-Waiting-h...

Fractured fairy tales seem to be everywhere these days: the Shrek movies and the Fables series, for example. Castle Waiting is an earlier, gentler relative. The medieval/renaissance/early 18th ce. world is a generally cosy one: thieves with hearts of gold and humanist nuns are the order of the day. Abusive husbands do exist, but so do warm, welcoming (and surprisingly undemanding) communities. Sometimes I felt like I was at a Renn Faire; it's all a little too... nice.

I found the stereotypes unsettling. The horse-stealing, baby-trading gypsies provoked my first 'ick' moment, followed by the autocratic, cruel Muslim father who has a touch of the "evil vizier" look (Q: Wasn't Wilgeforis' father supposed to be the king of Portugal? Was Portugal Muslim at this point? A: It depends on when it's set). I understand that this is an older book, but my modern eyes were uncomfortable.

However, Medley gets at least one star for the inclusion of the nuns of St. Wilgeforte, a saint who has a wonderful story and is one of my favourites. That's the kind of religious order I could get behind. ( )

Castle Waiting brings together a diverse collection of fairy tales from all of the traditional authors such as the Brothers Grimm, Hans Christian Anderson, etc. The story centers around the traditional tale of Sleeping Beauty, however, the reader soon experiences some twists that leads the reader into other fairy tales and their characters. When Sleeping Beauty arises from her hundred year slumber, she finds her prince and runs away with him instead of staying in her own kingdom. Her parents died the same day in a carriage accident which leaves the entire kingdom without a ruler and causes it to fall into disrepair. When a young pregnant woman flees her own kingdom, she decides to seek refuge in Castle Waiting (the dilapidated kingdom from Sleeping Beauty). On the way she meets fighting horses, talking bears, dwarfs, gypsies, thieves, evil witches, and magical badgers.

As a graphic novel, it reads more like a comic book. The drawings are interesting, but not as intricate or meaningful as those of other graphic novels. The inter connectivity of the traditional fairy tales and their characters make for a great story. However, at over 450 pages, the novel is about twice as long as it should be. The reason for this could be because it was originally published in serials and was recently reprinted in one bound collection. Still, the story begins to lag at times and the enchanment of the fairy tale is not as captivating as it could be. Of course, this is no reason to abandon the graphic novel. It still sheds a unique light on fairy tales and the comedy of some of the graphics make for a humorous twist. ( )

The story of Sleeping Beauty involves a princess, an enchantment and a spinning needle. An entire kingdom falls to sleep for many, many years. And when a gallant prince comes along, plants a kiss on those ruby lips and breaks the enchantment, the entire kingdom reawakens and celebrates the marriage of the handsome prince to the lovely princess.

That's all fine and good, but in Castle Waiting the princess decides to leave for the prince's kingdom. The citizens of Castle Waiting are left without any royalty or leadership to fend for themselves. The castle falls into disrepair with only a handful of people to look after it. Still, it remains a place of solace and safety for some, as Lady Jain discovers as she seeks a refuge from her abusive husband.

Castle Waiting is a graphic novel that covers a lot of contemporary topics in a fairy tale setting. One of the main characters has a black eye and bruises on her face when we first see her. We discover that she's pregnant with her dead lover's child and that her husband, to whom she's been arranged to marry since childhood, has always been a violent man. Another character is a former circus employee/street hustler-turned-nun. All of the characters are interesting, even compelling to a point, and it's difficult to speculate why the series sold so poorly when it was originally published. The plot is ongoing and continually developing, and told from an omniscient point of view. A strongly recommended book for lovers of fantasy and graphic novels.

Awards/Reviews:
Eisner Award, Best New Series 1998
Eisner Award, Talent Deserving of Wider Recognition 1998
Publishers Weekly, First Annual PW Comics Week Critics Poll, tied for 3rd with 4 total votes (winner received 6 votes)
(the letterer for Castle Waiting, Todd Klein, has received many Eisner Awards for his work, including several during Castle Waiting's initial run) ( )

Coleman, T. (2006). Castle waiting. Booklist, 102(14), 56. Retrieved October 27, 2009, from Article Citation database

Moffett, M. (2006). Castle waiting. School Library Journal, 52(9), 244. Retrieved October 27, 2009, from Article Citation database.