Mentally Challenged Royalty: YA Fairytales about Mental Disease

Peter D. Weiler is the author of five YA fairytales tackling psychological issues like bipolar disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), and addictions such as sleep disorder. Weiler uses personal experiences with mental illness to buoy his characters making their problems very believable. The suffering the author experienced during his life acts as a common thread for his stories. In each short book, the main characters’ mental disorder is helped by a good friend who therapeutically assists the young royal to improve and recover. 

Weiler provides inspiration to his readers. He writes, “The common motif in my work is: No matter how isolated, mentally ill, or downtrodden you are, you can always find health, love, and hope.”

The writer’s books, though short and without literary depth, are wonderful reads for children and adults lacking the patience to read a more comprehensive work. The books provide hope to mentally challenged children giving them characters they can relate to with similar disabilities and how they could overcome their difficulties. 

The Anguished Prince: A Fairytale in Reverse

Imagine growing up in a family where you don’t fit in. That is Prince Tim’s problem as he struggles with bipolar disorder. Tim’s family doesn’t think the prince has any redeeming qualities. The Queen considers Tim a mistake, and the King constantly points out Tim’s flaws shaming the child. And don’t get me started on Grandmother Eva who tells her grandson, “You’ll never amount to anything,” and make fun of his stuttering. Finally, there’s Uncle Murdoch, a devious teen, who verbally and emotionally abuses his nephew mercilessly. 

Tim has a friend Johnny, but he moves away before Tim turns ten. And to add to his difficulties, Tim begins stuttering soon after the birth of his brother, Cornelius. However, one day Tim meets Emma, an optimistic and cheerful peasant girl who lives beyond the palace gates. Tim and Emma enjoy a secret friendship that eventually blossoms into a sweet romance. 

In Anguished the author tells the story of an unhappy prince who discovers true love and the incredible healing powers it brings. Eventually, the evil queen is banished and the king promises to give his son a wedding gift that would help educate the female population of the kingdom, provide Emma a job as Royal Librarian, encourage the men of the kingdom to treat the women with respect, and better treatment of the peasantry. 

And like most fairytales of yore, The Anguished Prince has a happy ending. 

Pop’s Rating:

Cost of ebook: $2.99

Link: https://amzn.to/332KKZU 

The Sleeping Princess: A Fairytale About Being Up

Weiler attacks the difficult subject of sleep addiction in the 40-page novella. Princess Tess wakes up every day in the early afternoon, suffers from excessive napping, and insomnia. 

One day, while out for a walk, Princess Tess meets Edward, also a sleeper, who teaches her the 12-Step Program to her recovery. In so doing, the author demonstrates the power of the 12-Step program and the life changing effects that it has on the princess and the people she relates to. 

The book acts as a springboard for readers of any age to apply the 12-steps for their recovery. The author provides them with the information leaving it to them to research and seek help for their personal addiction. 

Pop’s Rating:

Cost: $2.99

Link: https://amzn.to/3bvJItd

The Terrified Prince

This 38-page novella addresses fears and anxieties. Here, Prince Alan suffers from OCD and is fearful of the cold, the heat, enclosed spaces, rain, and smelly animals. He is bullied by his father and the girl he is betrothed to marry when he turns eighteen.

Weiler tells about the prince’s relationship with Agnes, the daughter of the royal stableman. Agnes understands Alan’s fears and is determined to help the prince overcome his fears. 

Throughout the short novella, Agnes helps Alan fight his fears and like all fairy tales, the couple lives happily ever after. 

This reviewer feels The Terrified Prince is a fantastic outline for a compelling novel. All Weiler needs to do is fill in the blanks with a more satisfying plot. 

Pop’s Rating:

Cost: $2.99

Link: https://amzn.to/2F7RTzU

The Challenged Prince: A Fairytale About a Different Kind of Ability

Prince William’s father, King John, is an overbearing parent pushing his son to excel in areas Will has little interest. Academically, Will is a failure, especially in Math. However, he does have one friend, Mary, who offers the young prince encouragement throughout the years and her devoted love. 

Will does enjoy acting, but during the school play he goes off script disrespecting royalty. The principal, Mr. Grave, suspends him for two weeks. However, Will’s farewell comments affect the school administrator. 

As a former school administrator, I found Will’s comments trite and couldn’t fathom why the principal appreciated what Will said to him. It just didn’t ring true.

During his punishment, Mary visits Will and when the prince finally returns to school, he has the student and principal’s respect. (Go figure.)

Here’s an important element to the novella: Mary understands that not all student intelligences can be measured by a test. When Will takes the college board exams in his sixteenth year, he fails dismally while Mary excells and gets accepted to every school in the kingdom. However, Mary remembers her childhood promise to Will—to always be with him—and therefore sacrifices her education and future to remain with her prince. 

Set in part at a school site, as an educator, I found the dialogue between student and principal forced and unrealistic. Mary’s devotion to Will is beautiful, but Will shows few behavior patterns to deserve the girl sacrificing her life for him. I just don’t buy it. I also appreciate the author uncovering learning disabilities and presenting the problem openly in The Challenged Prince. However, I think Weiler skirts over the problems too quickly without showing his readers, in greater depth, the affect these issues have on children. Finally, the book ends abruptly and I feel it needs to show a career the prince would choose and why. 

Pop’s Rating:

Cost: $2.99

Link: https://amzn.to/325R3fQ

The Lonely Prince: A Story of Acceptance, Friendship, and Love

When Prince Boka turns five, his baby brother is born causing the child to feel rejected by his mother. The King is a bitter and angry man while his kingdom, Lorindia, is in constant fear of war with its neighbors, the Solandians. 

The author writes, “Many of the kingdoms who had suffered under Solandia hated Lorindians, so they collaborated with the Solandians.” I would have loved to have read why this occurred with stories to show the causes of this problem. But the author has a bad habit of telling his readers rather than showing the events leading up to a key plot point. This, in my opinion, is poor writing. 

Be as it may, Prince Boka finds solace in the beautiful and caring Maruvka, who also changes the negative feeling tone of the palace into a more caring place to visit. However, unbeknownst to the royal family, Maruvka is Solandian. The author cleverly integrates prejudice into his story and the challenges of seeing one’s faults and doing something about them. 

Pop’s Rating:

Cost: $2.99

Link: https://amzn.to/2EVp61H

I don’t normally invest time in one author and all of his published works. Peter Weiler’s books delve into mental illness, a subject rarely presented to a YA audience. The books are short and will grab the attention of reluctant readers and hopefully offer them focused light on their disability and ideas as to where they can get help for their problems. And for this I give Mr. Weiler 5 pops.