Book Review: Mistress of All Evil: A Tale of the Dark Fairy (Villains #4)

Release Date: October 3, 2017
Author: Serena Valentino
Publisher: Disney Press
Length: 309 pages
Source: Library Audio Book

The tale is told as if it's happening once upon a dream: the lovely maiden meets her handsome prince in the woods. The story has been told many times and in many ways. But always the maiden finds out that she is a princess-a princess who has been cursed by a dark fairy to prick her finger on a spindle and fall into an eternal sleep. Though her three good fairies try to protect her, the princess succumbs to the curse. But the power of good endures, as her true love defeats the fire-breathing dragon and awakens the princess with true love's first kiss. The two live happily ever after.

And yet this is only half the story. So what of the dark fairy, Maleficent? Why does she curse the innocent princess? What led to her becoming so filled with malice, anger, and hatred? Many tales have tried to explain her motives. Here is one account, pulled down from the many passed down through the ages. It is a tale of love and betrayal, of magic and reveries. It is a tale of the Mistress of All Evil.

    

Review:

Characters: Ahhhh, that's much better. With the previous installment, Poor Unfortunate Soul, I felt like the Villain the book focused on, Ursula, got sidelined by the original characters of this series, whereas in this book Maleficent very much takes center stage in this book. There's a great deal of focus on Maleficent's past, her interactions with the other fairies, and what led her to eventually curse Aurora to die. Like with the other villains this author writes about, it wasn't hard to be sympathetic to her and feel sad for what she went through. As the novel progresses her story unfolds bit by bit, which I really enjoyed, but Maleficent isn't the only character focus this story had. Like the previous installment, and since this is in many ways a direct sequel to the last, we learn more about Nanny's past as well, where she comes from and her role in Maleficent's story, though I do have to say I wish I understood the whole "One of Legends" nonsense, it feels as if I'm supposed to understand "who" Nanny is, but it's never really confirmed. That may come later, or she may be a completely original character with no ties to Disney movies or fairy tales, but with a title as grand as she has, it feels like you're supposed to know who she is. Lastly, for our main characters, we have Circe, the little sister of the three Odd Sister witches. After being freed from Ursula's imprisonment she hopes to wake her sisters who've fallen under a sleeping spell. Along the way, she teams up with a rather unlikely ally, someone you'll have met before if you've read all the previous installments, and they discover some rather startling secrets about Circe, the sisters, and even Maleficent herself. Of course, Princess Tulip and Prince Popinjay also make appearances, but they felt like minor characters compared to everyone else. They're there, they do things, they aren't annoying, and that's pretty much all I can say for them.

World Building: I almost breathed a sigh of relief while reading this book because after a rather rocky road with the first three installments, all of which are enjoyable but flawed, I finally felt like this series is really coming into its own. Much like with the previous installment, this book is more about the original characters of this series and how they fit into the more "behind the scenes" aspect of the story and their role in the life of the installment's villain. With this series getting as large as it is, I loved seeing the author really having fun with this Disney world and bring in characters that I wasn't expecting to have a larger role in this story as well as Maleficent's life. This story takes a rather large look at the roles of the fairies, since that's what Maleficent is, and their life. I loved getting an expanded look into the world of the fairies and how they work, their schooling, and their own personal aspirations.

Predictability: Given that the previous installments of this series felt rocky, to say the least, I really went into this book with zero expectations. I had no theories as to why Maleficent did the things she does in the movie, and I was more along for the ride than trying to ferret out this book's secrets. Still, even if I was trying to figure out all of the little twists and turns in this book, I highly doubt I'd succeed. There were a few twists that were quite obvious, but they were also rather small twists, the big things, the game-changing things, I didn't see coming a mile away. Eventually, I just rolled with each blow and enjoyed the ride.

Ending: Because there is a continuous plot through these books now, instead of feeling more like companion novels, when, after a final climax that felt familiar (of course) yet had a depth and sadness I wasn't prepared for, the story shifts back to one of the original characters and ends on, well I guess it's a cliffhanger, but it didn't feel like one. The book just sort of ends abruptly, which, considering I was listening to an audio book, felt extremely abrupt and I wish there was something to sort of plateau the ending a little bit more or I wish there was a more startling cliffhanger to agonize over.

Rating:

Between the original characters, their personal storylines, Disney characters popping up all over the place, and a villain backstory that wasn't, "I'm evil because a man I love(d) wronged me or died unnecessarily, " I both loved this installment and am truly excited to see where the story goes from here. Even if I had a couple problems with how this particular installment ended, I love this series more than ever and am so happy that it has found its groove... speaking of which an Yzma book would be amazing!

Book Review: Once Upon a Dream (Twisted Tales #2)

Release Date: April 5, 2016
Author: Liz Braswell
Publisher: Disney Press
Length: 448 pages
Source: eGalley via NetGalley

What if the sleeping beauty never woke up? Once Upon a Dream marks the second book in a new YA line that reimagines classic Disney stories in surprising new ways.

It should be simple--a dragon defeated, a slumbering maiden, a prince poised to wake her. But when said prince falls asleep as soon as his lips meet the princess's, it is clear that this fairy tale is far from over.

With a desperate fairy's last curse infiltrating her mind, Princess Aurora will have to navigate a dangerous and magical landscape deep in the depths of her dreams. Soon she stumbles upon Phillip, a charming prince eager to join her quest. But with Maleficent's agents following her every move, Aurora struggles to discover who her true allies are, and moreover, who she truly is. Time is running out. Will the sleeping beauty be able to wake herself up?

    

Review:

Protagonist: So Aurora is by all accounts a quintessential Disney Princess. There wasn't much substance to her in the movie and very little character building beyond "beautiful" and "a good singer." However in this twist on the classic tale we see Aurora make a similar discovery and grapples with trying to figure out who she is. I really enjoyed the character development of Aurora in this book, instead of seeing a girl who is in such utter despair because she can't ever see "that guy she met in the forest that one time", we see a confident, smart, fierce, and brave princess who will do whatever it takes to escape her dreamworld and take down Maleficent once and for all.

Romance: So when Aurora sees Phillip for the first time in this dream world, due to the magic that Maleficent has cast, she doesn't recognize him, though he does recognize her. This time though, luckily there's no love at first sight, and through their journey towards the truth and their hope for freedom they get to really know each other. This time around the love seemed genuine, though granted love at first sight doesn't really feel real unless you're a small child. It took a little time but eventually I even started to root for them.

World-Building: So the world building in this book is weird. I'm going to try and explain it as best I can without spoilers, but essentially the author managed to change both one thing and everything. In this book as soon as Phillip kisses Aurora he too falls asleep and enters Aurora's dream world. In this dreamworld events transpired differently it's in this messed up mirror world that we first see Aurora, with a new set of memories, trapped inside her parents' castle. I'm very split on how I feel about the world-building, on the one hand it does make for a fun and fantastic fantasy adventure, on the other hand it's so off base of the Disney movie that while there are callbacks to the film here and there, the source material gets lost among the world-building and doesn't hold the same magic as A Whole New World did.

Predictability: So for the most part I expected this book to be pretty predictable. It was easy to see where certain storylines were going to go and where foreshadowing would lead our characters. That being said there are a few twists in this story. They aren't all that many, but there are some moments where either something came completely out of the blue or that the author had led me to believe a lie.

Ending: Okay so the ending I felt was done pretty well, Like the first installment in this twisted series, the final climax of the book, in a lot of ways, mirrored the movie, albeit with some rather obvious changes. However, it's the calm after the storm that I liked best. This moment is where everything comes to fruition the battle has concluded and for good or bad, it's time to sweep up the mess and move on, so to speak. Since this is a series of standalone twisted tales there is a very conclusive ending to this tale, and in fact one that up until the last sentence or two I didn't quite think we'd get enough closure on.

Rating:

So, I think if the introduction into this world wasn't so jarring, or if it didn't change so drastically it would have been easier to connect this story with the movie and tale it twists, but since the twist comes so late in the story, it really wouldn't have been prudent to add the same amount of set up as the first book in this series.

Book Review: Charmed (Fairy Tale Reform School #2)

Release Date: March 1, 2016
Author: Jen Calonita
Publisher: Sourcebooks Jabberwocky
Length: 288 pages
Source: eGalley via NetGalley

Charmed is the exciting sequel to the wildly popular Flunked -- second in the brand new Fairy Tale Reform School series where the teachers are (former) villains. "Charming fairy-tale fun." -Sarah Mlynowski, author of the New York Times bestselling Whatever After series.

It takes a (mostly) reformed thief to catch a spy. Which is why Gilly Cobbler, Enchantasia’s most notorious pickpocket, volunteers to stay locked up at Fairy Tale Reform School…indefinitely. Gilly and her friends may have defeated the Evil Queen and become reluctant heroes, but the battle for Enchantasia has just begun.

Alva, aka The Wicked One who cursed Sleeping Beauty, has declared war on the Princesses, and she wants the students of Fairy Tale Reform School to join her. As her criminal classmates give in to temptation, Gilly goes undercover as a Royal Lady in Waiting (don’t laugh) to unmask a spy…before the mole can hand Alva the keys to the kingdom.

Her parents think Gilly the Hero is completely reformed, but sometimes you have to get your hands dirty. Sometimes it’s good to be bad…

    

Review: 

Protagonist: Gillian Cobbler is back and is being heralded as a hero around Enchantasia. Although she remains at the Fairy Tale Reform School, for the most part Gilly is already reformed. She has no real desire to go back to thieving and with her father's business booming she doesn't really need to. Her character development in this book stems more from the fact that she doesn't know quite how to handle the praise she's been showered with and because of that it causes some tension with her and her friends. When this all comes to a head I have to admit I felt like things were resolved just a bit too quickly and easily but other than that I really enjoyed Gilly's character development in this book.

World-Building: So I will say that I was really impressed with the world-building in this installment. We get to see more about how the kingdom of Enchantasia is run, how things are decided and how the three princesses that rule it work together. While I am still a bit confused as to where their princes fit into all of this, mainly as they are never mentioned, but considering that I feel much less left in the dark as to the politics and government of this world I'll let it slide for now. In this book we do meet a new teacher to the reform school, I won't give anything away but I thought he was a great addition to the cast of former villains, though he wasn't the one I initially thought he would be. As for any possible romance in this book, well there's not enough to warrant a separate section, and it's not that I need a romance in this book or anything, but I do feel as though there were so many hints at a romance the previous installment that I had expected to see a bit more. Again, not a criticism, more of an observation.

Predictability: Much the previous installment in this series things were pretty predictable. While the foreshadowing may go over the heads of the younger audience that this series is intended for, it was really easy for me to pick up on where things in the story were going. However I was never annoyed or bored by that, probably because I knew it wasn't intended for a 22 year old, but I still found immense enjoyment out of both the story and the twists within.

Ending: So going into the final climax I began to wonder if this "series" was going to end up being a duology. Things were wrapping up rather well and I couldn't see enough content for more installments unless the author invented some after the dust had settled. However after the fabulous final climax, which unlike the previous book wasn't over to quickly or easily, I began to see the threads of where things might go from here, but it wasn't until after the final chapter, yes, I said "after," that I knew there was at least one more adventure in this series. The end is a cliffhanger and a doozy of one at that.

Rating:

So I knew in my gut once I finished this book that it deserved four stars. It's such an enjoyable adventure and if I was as young as the target audience (8-12) I think I would have loved this book all the more. I can't wait for another adventure in Entantasia!

Book Review: Alice Takes Back Wonderland

Release Date: September 28, 2015
Author: David D. Hammons
Publisher: Curiosity Quills Press
Length: 283 pages
Source: Review Copy via NetGalley

After ten years of being told she can't tell the difference between real life and a fairy tale, Alice finally stops believing in Wonderland. So when the White Rabbit shows up at her house, Alice thinks she's going crazy.

Only when the White Rabbit kicks her down the rabbit hole does Alice realize that the magical land she visited as a child is real.

But all is not well in Wonderland.

The Ace of Spades has taken over Wonderland and is systematically dismantling all that makes it wonderful. Plain is replacing wondrous, logical is replacing magical, and reason is destroying madness. Alice decides she must help the Mad Hatter and all those fighting to keep Wonderland wonderful.

But how can she face such danger when she is just a girl?

Alice must journey across the stars to unite an army. She discovers that fairy tales are real in the magical world beyond the rabbit hole. But they are not the fairy tales she knows.

Fairy tales have dangers and adventures of their own, and Alice must overcome the trials of these old stories if she wants to unite the lands against Ace.

With the help of Peter Pan, Pinocchio, Snow White and heroes old and new, Alice may have the strength to take back Wonderland.

    

Review:

Protagonist: When our story begins Alice is just leaving Wonderland and reentering the real world. After that she's put on medication and goes to counseling to quell these delusions she has. Over time, even she begins to doubt Wonderland's existence, then, 10 years after she left Wonderland, the White Rabbit appears. She's thrown back into a Wonderland she doesn't know, on that has changed and shifted to become more logical and orderly, and has lost most of it's wonder. Alice now has to assemble an army of fairy tales and take back Wonderland. Alice is a fantastic character, at first she comes off witty, but not someone to always take charge, she does sometimes, but you can't really rely on her to lead. However over the course of the book she becomes more sure in herself, her motivations, and her decisions. She grows into a character born to lead her army into war for Wonderland.

Romance: So there's actually very little romance in this book. In fact it's so subtle that I didn't fully realize it was romance until Alice and her love interest kissed. I was sort of vaguely aware but I had figured that it was more that I wanted them together than actually thinking their interactions were intentionally romantic. The romance is good, the characters fit and have some great chemistry, but I just wish it'd been more obvious that they were flirting or that the romantic tension was more palpable.

World-Building: Surprisingly this adventure takes place mostly outside of Wonderland. Since most of the wonder has been sucked out of Wonderland, Alice needs to find and army to join her in her fight to overthrow the Ace of Spades. Along the way she teams up with familiar fairy tale characters such as Peter Pan, Pinocchio, Snow White, and Robin Hood all of whom are twisted versions of the classic characters we know and love. Even though we didn't get to see that much of Wonderland I did really enjoy getting to see this vast world and learn how it works. As I said before, these aren't the fairy tales you're used to. Some have become more modern while some keep the same feel of the classic story they come from, and some are a bit of both.

Predictability: So, in terms of the identities or sometimes dual identities of certain characters, those surprises were pretty easy to figure out. There was a lot of foreshadowing for them and by the time the big reveal happened I either had it figured out or the author over killed on the foreshadowing so much that any surprise I could have had was gone a long time ago. That's not to say that I was never surprised during this book. On the contrary, there were many times throughout this book that I wasn't all that sure what was going to happen and definitely during the grand finale I was so unsure of how everything, if anything, would turn out well to give our characters their Happily Ever After.

Ending: So I was relieved that this book ends with a spectacular battle. With as much build up as we had I would have been very annoyed if the ending just sort of sorted itself out without much fighting and casualties. While the final battle isn't as epic as I would have wanted it to be, it was pretty darn epic, and the fallout of it was stressful enough. This doesn't have a perfect or idealistic ending, I was surprised with how surely the author stuck to the whole "not everyone gets happy endings" shtick. The book does however tie up most if not all loose ends which was fantastic, and while it was a bit sad to say goodbye to this world even after only one book, it was a bittersweet one.

Rating:

While I really enjoyed this story, I felt the romance could have either been more pronounced or taken out, the foreshadowing could have been less heavy handed at times, and we could have seen a bit more of Wonderland. Other than that however, this book is chock full of magic, fairy tale twists, and all the action and adventure you could want, oh and flying, there's lots of flying!

Novella Review: The Sleeper and the Spindle

Release Date: September 22, 2015
Author: Neil Gaiman
Illustrator: Chris Riddell
Publisher: HarperCollins
Length: 69 pages
Source: Library E-book

A thrillingly reimagined fairy tale from the truly magical combination of author Neil Gaiman and illustrator Chris Riddell – weaving together a sort-of Snow White and an almost Sleeping Beauty with a thread of dark magic, which will hold readers spellbound from start to finish.

On the eve of her wedding, a young queen sets out to rescue a princess from an enchantment. She casts aside her fine wedding clothes, takes her chain mail and her sword and follows her brave dwarf retainers into the tunnels under the mountain towards the sleeping kingdom. This queen will decide her own future – and the princess who needs rescuing is not quite what she seems. Twisting together the familiar and the new, this perfectly delicious, captivating and darkly funny tale shows its creators at the peak of their talents.

Lavishly produced, packed with glorious Chris Riddell illustrations enhanced with metallic ink, this is a spectacular and magical gift.

    

Review:

Protagonist: This story is told, from the most part, from the point of view of a young queen who sets off the day before her wedding to help people who are being cursed by a sleeping spell that has begun to expand from another castle. So, I liked the queen enough, she's a strong character who takes control of her destiny, but there's no real character development. That would be all fine and dandy for a story this short, except she goes from feeling trapped to doing something so fast it just felt a little off.

World-Building: So I love fairy-tale retellings and this one that mashes up two tales about sleeping princesses is awesome, however I do have one very glaring problem with it. The author dances around the fact that it's about Snow White and Sleeping Beauty. I could respect the fact that he didn't want to say their names, but it's blatantly obvious who they are so not acknowledging that fact didn't so much help the story as it did hinder my reading experience. That being said I did really enjoy the world-building, the twists on the classic tales and world the author has created around these stories is fantastic and makes me want to know more.

Predictability: So there's a pretty big twist here. in fact it wasn't at all something that I could have predicted, though maybe if I read the synopsis I may have had an inkling, but because I didn't I was rather shocked to find out what was really going on. There was something else, a twist that I thought was going to happen that didn't actually this was something that I felt like there was sufficient foreshadowing for, but instead the author seemed to go in a crazy, but awesome, other direction.

Ending: So there isn't enough to this story. Yes, the basic plot wraps up, but I felt that there needed to be more. There were a lot of unanswered questions at the end of this story, and if it was a series I wouldn't be at all upset with the almost cliffhanger like ending, but because I haven't found any evidence that there will be another story, or with any luck a full sized book, I just feel like this world and these characters could have been fleshed out so much more than they were.

Rating:

Honestly, while I was entertained by the story and the twists to these classic tales were awesome, I just can't get over the fact that there was so much just left up in the air by the end of the book, and my biggest pet peeve is when an author purposely tries to to say or reference something and then does everything but say the words they decided not to say, it's just annoying.