This volume is more focused on diplomacy, and less on battle. The fort has been saved, thanks to last minute help arriving with a surprise, and the Prince is able to return in some sort of triumph. When discussing the matter with his advisors, he is ridiculed for thinking anything but submitting to Sigurd's demands is the way to go, and is told he must get the King's permission. Freya must now try to fool the Prince's father, and make him believe she is Prince Edvard, to save Tyr. Will she be able to do it?
The art, as always, is lovely, with that dreamy, sparkly quality I've come to expect from Keiko Ishihara. The story has intrigue going on all over the place; while there's not really any action, there's plenty happening behind the scenes. There are some swoony moments, some bittersweet moments,and I do hope we get to see more of the King next time, I like him! A good addition to the series.

#PrinceFreyaVol4 #NetGalley

The introduction of the king helps the reader to understand why Edvard was the way he was and why it was so important that it never be known that he was murdered. I still love the art, though sometimes the battle scenes are too crowded and a bit difficult to read.

This was a good ending to an arc and I can tell I'm gonna enjoy where the story is headed. Especially since I'm getting hints of a possible love triangle! I do hope there is more time spent on character development than there is on war in the next coming issues! My favorite part of the manga so far has been the artwork, it is absolutely beautiful! I am eagerly anticipating volume 5!

*sigh* This series is so good! This volume is a little shorter than the previous three, but still manages to cover a lot of ground and hit you right in the heart.

This picks up right after Vol.3, so the castle is still under siege and they are in a critical moment when mysterious reinforcements arrive with someone unexpected. Freya's growth has been fantastic and I love just how much she is learning about her own strength and what it means to be a pillar for so many. She is so adorable and I love how infectious her joy is, but I also love just how opposite this is to the ruse she must continue as the prince.

The love triangle is one that I am surprisingly enthralled with now. I wasn't quite sure on it to be completely honest, as it usually fairly frustrating, but even with the fact that I have a favorite I'm loving the differences between the two and how they offer support.

This recent volume is a testament to Freya’s character development. We still see the Freya from volume one - a sensitive crybaby - and witness the maturity as she becomes more of a prince. And what this piece of work excels at is an intimate fondness and motivations amongst the many people we come to know; Aleksi’s earnest love for Freya; Tutor Lars’s fondness for the kingdom of Tyr; Edvard’s father (a new character) yearning for love from his son. Mangaka Keiko Ishihara has fleshed this plot out to something beyond engaging – compelling. My reservations for this series have overturned reading this volume and I am more than excited to read more of Freya’s journey in becoming the Prince of Tyr.

European fantasies about women becoming warriors will never not be my jam. Prince Freya from mangaka Keiko Ishihara focuses on a young village girl named Freya who has been tasked with becoming a prince and saving her country from war and ruin. Living a royal lie has been difficult with all the people she’s lost over the last few volumes. In volume 3, we saw Freya turn her grief and anger into a weapon that helped her fight and inspire her troops during the siege of Fort Leren. Now, Prince Freya Volume 4 picks up immediately where the last one ended: with the Kelds riding in to help save the day and with Alek, who everyone thought was dead, with them.

Prince Freya Volume 4 is localized in English by VIZ Media’s Shojo Beat imprint. It’s translated by John Werry and features touch-up art and lettering from Sabrina Heep. While the last volume was action-heavy, this one is slower and more focused on Freya developing her diplomatic skills and learning that not everyone is on their side—even if they aren’t with Sigurd. This is the one element that she realizes Tyr can use to their advantage. While Tyr doesn’t have allies, Sigurd’s campaign of conquering has led them to amass enemies, like the Kelds. As Freya learns these dynamics, we get the chance to see a different side of her: an inventive side that not only understands how to read people but how to strategize.

Additionally, the romance around Freya is pushed even further as Alek begins to move on his emotions. No longer having to hide his feelings for the sake of his brother, Alek has to deal with guilt and love as he tries to make moves but also does so while not understanding where Freya’s heart lies. This comes after Freya and Sir Julius shared a kiss last volume and the small moments that have made it appear that Julius’s commitment to Freya isn’t just because she is Prince Edvard.

With all of that said, Prince Freya Volume 4 is a sharply different narrative that aims to build out the political intrigue involved in the narrative. That said, it falls short. Not because it doesn’t provide much needed political elements to the series, but because Freya loses herself in them. This volume isn’t bad by any means, but it is hard to see a love triangle unfolding when so much of the last volume was dedicated to showcasing Freya’s strength and power. It is shojo, so this is to be expected, but Ishihara’s strength in writing Freya is showcased when Freya is filled with emotion, hate, anger, and grief created a compelling shojo heroine. Now though, Freya seems more docile again. Is she intuitive and creative? Yes, but she’s begun to shrink to the men around her.

It’s clear that Prince Freya Volume 4 is a set-up volume for larger elements, but the time spent expanding Tyr and its history isn’t thrilling to read and it’s presented in a clear expository way that makes it hard to find enjoyment in. The success of this volume comes from Freya’s interactions with Alek and Julius but beyond that, it was hard to build up interest in how she confronted other characters.

Overall, Prince Freya Volume 4 is the weakest part of the story so far, but that’s understandable given the strength and impact of volume 3. Truthfully, I just hope that Freya’s strength comes back to the forefront as she travels across the countryside to build allegiances against Sigurd. More specifically, I hope Ishihara can write Freya on her own as strongly as she can write Freya when she’s with Julius and Alek.

This volume was practically perfect in every way. I loved this so much! There were some amazing things going on, and I see a love triangle brewing! I can't wait for the next volume!!

Prince Freya vol. 4 sees Freya and companions right where we left them off at in volume 3 at the castle under siege and reinforcements and allies hopefully arriving and on their side. Freya takes the win at the fort as her next stepping stone on her goal to save Tyr.
Tyr may not have allies because of Sigurd, but Sigurd has many enemies. Enemies that might be willing to cooperate with Tyr, and so with the story of an old oath and jewelry helping her find those potentially committed to the oath Freya begins her next adventure.
I’m really, really loving this series. The last time I got this committed to a storyline was the manga Basara by Yumi Tamura (seriously, check it out if you’re loving Prince Freya).
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Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher I was able to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

I have a love / hate relationship with this series. There are volumes that are really good and make me want the second volume right away, but there are also volumes (like this one) that just leave me kind of eh about what happened.

One of the reasons I keep coming back for more is Freya. She has had a lot of development since the beginning and I love seeing her get stronger. She truly wants what is best for Tyr and in a way she reminds me of Yona from Yona of the Dawn.

At the beginning, I was very curious about the romantic aspect of this series but as time goes on I kind of have grown bored of it and also I’m not sure about the whole Julius thing. It just rubs me the wrong way.

Where other volumes have been more adventurous and exciting, this one was on the duller side but there were a few plot twists that I did enjoy. It definitely was a mix bag which isn’t always a terrible thing. At least we got more info about the King.

Overall, this wasn’t a favorite but I know that I will be back for more.

I was disappointed with the previous volume, thid volume was better than the last volume story wise.

My one of main complaints about this series is the scenes dont flow from one to the other well and it feels disconnected. The first volume had its pacing issues too, but Its easier to overlook in a first volume. But at this point that issue should be fixed.

I do like Freyas growth as a character and that is what keeps me reading, however Julius infatuation with Freya is very creepy/pedo. Also the final line spoken by the king of Sigurd was eye rolling.

Many thanks to Netgalley for the review copy.

3.5 stars
For the story, solid 4 stars. For the craft and flow? A 2 at best.

This is one of those series that I have a lot of feelings about. On one hand I'm invested because I love Freya and I'm genuinely curious about the fate of Tyr and the people. On the other hand I'm bothered by this weird lolita complex thing that's going on between Freya and Julius as well as the fact that the pacing is all over the place.

It has moments where I'm fully involved and invested and then the next scene isn't as well done or feels so out of place. The scenes don't flow well between one to the next.

I'm going to keep reading it, but something needs to change to make this story better than "meh. "