Book Review (Arc) ~ A Whole New World

A Whole New World

by Liz Braswell
published by Disney Press
expected release date: September 1, 2015
genre: YA, Fairy Tales, Re-Tellings, Fantasy,

*E-galley received from netGalley and publisher in exchange for honest review.

Summary (Goodreads): Welcome to a new YA series that reimagines classic Disney stories in surprising new ways. Each book asks the question: What if one key moment from a familiar Disney film was changed? This dark and daring version of Aladdin twists the original story with the question: What if Jafar was the first one to summon the Genie?

When Jafar steals the Genie’s lamp, he uses his first two wishes to become sultan and the most powerful sorcerer in the world. Agrabah lives in fear, waiting for his third and final wish.To stop the power-mad ruler, Aladdin and the deposed Princess Jasmine must unite the people of Agrabah in rebellion. But soon their fight for freedom threatens to tear the kingdom apart in a costly civil war.

What happens next? A Street Rat becomes a leader. A princess becomes a revolutionary. And readers will never look at the story of Aladdin in the same way again.

My Thoughts: This had all the elements to be a really great story for me. I love retellings, fairy tales, and Aladdin is one of my favorite Disney movies. Unfortunately, it just didn't work out for me. I didn't quite DNF but I skimmed most of the second half, hoping that something would happen to re-grab my attention.
It starts off well with the prologue taking us back to when Aladdin was little and his mother was still living. It was a nice look at his younger years and seeing how his mother influenced him as he grew. We also meet some street rats that are already friends and a Palace guard that plays a big part in the story.
Chapter 1 is where it starts to go downhill for me. It was line for line if not word for word the dialogue from the movie. From the moment it starts until Aladdin is in the cave of wonders and is handing the lamp to the old guy (Jafar). There was no deviation. Nothing that made this the re-telling it is supposed to be or the author's own version of Aladdin.
As we know Jafar gets the lamp and wishes to be Sultan. It pretty much matches the summary from there. Aladdin helps rescue Jasmine from the palace where Jafar is holding her until he can force her to wed him. They join up with the street rats, that we met when Aladdin was little, and build up the group that will assist them in getting rid of Jafar.
For me what this really needed was more Jafar. Because we see very little of him throughout I never felt he was as truly evil as the rebellion kept telling us. The story would have benefited more if we would have gotten some back and forth POVs from Jafar and then Jasmine/Aladdin.
Another thing that was missing were the side characters that I loved. What made the movie for me was Genie and he is barely around. We get little glimpses and meetings and while his character is different based on who is in charge of his lamp, I still wanted more.
I'll try to end this on a positive. I did like how Jasmine was more of a character. She was very pro active in trying to get back her city and seemed to be a bit more fleshed out as a character.
Some will like this more than I did. I just couldn't get fully back into it after the first part that was too exact to the movie. Even knowing this is from Disney I still would have preferred for the author to change it up in some way.

Rating: 3

Review ~ Fables Vol. 18; Cubs in Toyland

Fables Vol. 18; Cubs in Toyland

by Bill Willingham
Illustrated by Mark Buckingham, Gene Ha, Steve Leialoha
Genre: Graphic Novel, Adult, Fantasy, Fairy Tale Retelling

Summary (Goodreads): The most harrowing epic since the inception of the series starts when Snow and Bigby's cub Therese receives a Christmas gift from an unknown admirer. This red plastic boat may hold the key to a deep, disturbing secret that will incite a series of soul-crushing events for the denizens of Fabletown. Plus, a backup feature that shows how Bigby received his fate, drawn by artist Gene Ha.

My Thoughts: This may be my favorite volume. Not necessarily because of the story but I loved the graphics in this one.
It features the spoiled daughter of Snow and Bigby, Therese. Somehow she receives a plastic toy boat for Christmas. Therese ends up going on an adventure with said boat and ends up in Toyland. Unfortunately, being crowned the Queen of Toyland isn't everything Therese was hoping for. Everything is plastic or make believe which doesn't help a human cub survive. Through some eye opening experiences and great sacrifices by others Therese starts to grow up and finds away to not only save herself but the rest of the toys on this desolate place.
There is also a bit about the Fables moving back into the new Fabletown. I'm not sure where they are going with Spratt but she is not a favorite for me.
As I said, while the story was great, the graphics for this were some of my favorite in the series. There was something stark and creepy about the island and it's inhabitants. I cannot really say more than that but for me it worked.
The story and artwork of Bigby's fate was a nice addition/break from the main part of this volume.

Rating: 4.5-5

Review ~ Inherit the Wind

Inherit the Wind (Fables volume 17)

by Bill Willingham
Illustrated by Mark Buckingham, Joao Ruas, Steve Leialoha, Andrew Pepoy, P. Craig Russell, Adam Hughes
Genre: Adult, Graphic Novel, Fantasy, Fairy Tale Re-Telling,

Summary (Goodreads): The tights and capes have been stored away forever, but it remains to be seen if Haven and its refugee inhabitants have survived the onslaught of. Where do the Fables go from here? Bigby and Snow White's cubs try to move forward after learning a hard lesson about life and death. And the loveable, fan-favorite hero Bufkin the Flying Monkey gets into more trouble when he finally reaches his homeland of Oz. This volume collects Fables issues #108-#113.

My Thoughts: There were three main parts to this collection. Finding the next North Wind, Bufkin in Oz, and Spratt getting ready for the return of the fables. There was a bit about returning to The Farm but not a big part.
I enjoyed the tests etc to figure out which of the cubs would become the North Wind. Spratt's storyline seemed more like setting up for future stories/conflicts. So far, what I've read in the last two volumes, the Oz story is good but not really grabbing me.
My biggest problem with this volume is the transitions. Usually there is more flow between the stories. In this volume it seemed to be jumping around every few pages. It made it more difficult to follow some of the things happening.
The artwork was still as great as usual. I also liked the mini stories (fables) at the end. Both the writing and the artwork keeps me interested and I will be finishing up the main Fables volumes and then tracking down all the side stories.

Rating: 4

Book Review ~ Dorothy Must Die

Dorothy Must Die (Dorothy Must Die #1)

by Danielle Paige
published by HarperCollins
Genre: YA, Re-Tellings, Fairy Tales, Fantasy

Summary (Goodreads): I didn't ask for any of this. I didn't ask to be some kind of hero.

But when your whole life gets swept up by a tornado - taking you with it - you have no choice but to go along, you know?

Sure, I've read the books. I've seen the movies. I know the song about the rainbow and the happy little bluebirds. But I never expected Oz to look like this. To be a place where Good Witches can't be trusted, Wicked Witches may just be the good guys, and winged monkeys can be executed for acts of rebellion. There's still a yellow brick road - but even that's crumbling.

What happened? Dorothy.

They say she found a way to come back to Oz. They say she seized power and the power went to her head. And now no one is safe.

My name is Amy Gumm - and I'm the other girl from Kansas.

I've been recruited by the Revolutionary Order of the Wicked.

I've been trained to fight.

My Thoughts: To Read or Not To Read. I hate when there is controversy surrounding an author of a book I really want to read. I'm not even sure what all is going on with this one, there seems to be two separate issues. I decided to let the book speak for itself. Books can still be good even when the author is not.
There were problems with this book but I couldn't put it down. It starts off with a very contemporary feel. Amy is the shy, quiet, poor girl that has no friends and is constantly dealing with her tormentor. We also find out that she has a pretty horrible home life. This of course leads to a freak storm that carries Amy, her trailer, and her mom's pet rat off to Oz.
The author created an Oz that is familiar but at the same time drained and lifeless from what we remember. Amy makes the obvious choice to make her way to the Emerald City. Along the way she makes friends with a munchkin and a flying monkey. These are not the characters that we met in the original. Both have been enslaved by Glinda and Dorothy. In order to not be under their thumbs some monkeys have chosen to cut off their wings so they cannot work. We also meet Pete who is not what he seems but we do not find that out until the end.
After getting into trouble at the palace, Amy finds herself with no choice but to join up with a group of "wicked" witches. This group includes Glinda's twin sister and the Witch of the North alongs with some others. They train Amy in everything she will need to infiltrate the palace and kill Dorothy.
As expected things don't go as planned. There are many deaths along the way and in the end Amy finds that killing Dorothy and righting Oz will not be an easy feat. To get to Dorothy she will first have to get rid of The Scarecrow, Cowardly Lion and Tin man.
A lot happened in this book but at the same time it didn't feel like anything was accomplished. There are too many groups trying to reach the same goal and it is hard to figure out who truly are the "good" guys in this world.

Rating: 3.5

Book Review ~ Stitching Snow

Stitching Snow

by R.C. Lewis
published by Hyperion
genre: YA, Fairy-tale retelling, Sci-Fi, Fantasy

**received e-arc from publisher and netGalley

Summary (Goodreads): Princess Snow is missing.

Her home planet is filled with violence and corruption at the hands of King Matthias and his wife as they attempt to punish her captors. The king will stop at nothing to get his beloved daughter back-but that's assuming she wants to return at all.

Essie has grown used to being cold. Temperatures on the planet Thanda are always sub-zero, and she fills her days with coding and repairs for the seven loyal drones that run the local mines.

When a mysterious young man named Dane crash-lands near her home, Essie agrees to help the pilot repair his ship. But soon she realizes that Dane's arrival was far from accidental, and she's pulled into the heart of a war she's risked everything to avoid.

In her enthralling debut, R.C. Lewis weaves the tale of a princess on the run from painful secrets . . . and a poisonous queen. With the galaxy's future-and her own-in jeopardy, Essie must choose who to trust in a fiery fight for survival.

My Thoughts: Yes, there are similarities between this and the first Lunar Chronicle books. It's very easy to get past considering they are both re-tellings of another story. Neither is an original. Also, while not graphic in detail this story does deal with some serious topics.
While I thought Essie was a great main character my favorite had to be her seven drones. We get to know two of them better than the rest but they all have unique personalities. It is clear that they mean as much to Essie as she does to them.
Instead of the normal fairy princess, we have Essie who lives on a mining planet and earns her way by cage fighting. She can definitely take care of herself and making sure everyone knows it. I do wish her abilities would have either been more fleshed out or something more stable. Not having any clue but being able to use them perfectly when the need arises didn't work for me.
Then there's Dane. He got better as the story progressed but the romance between him and Essie never really caught for me. I think the author put him in a bad spot from the beginning and it was harder for me to forget what he did to Essie than it was for Essie.
Overall, I enjoyed this story. The author did a good job building up unique planets that make up Essie's world. You get a chance to experience them all and see how different they are. The characters fit into the retelling aspect. The King and Queen fit the evil roles, I just wished we had gotten more time with them to flesh out their characters. Rather than just saying "hey evil" with very little show.
As expected with most fairy-tales there is an HEA for the Essie/Snow and Dane.

Rating: 4 

Review ~ Fables Vol. 11 and Vol 12

Fables: War and Pieces and The Dark Ages

by Bill Willingham
illustrated by Mark Buckingham, Peter Gross, Andrew Pepoy, Steve Leialoha, David Hahn, Mike Allred
published by Vertigo
genre: Adult, Graphic Novel, Fantasy, Fairytale retelling,

Summary (Goodreads): vol. 11: The final battle between the free Fables of the mundane world and the Empire occupying their former Homelands is about to begin, and the scrappy storybook heroes have already managed to even the odds considerably. With his previously unstoppable wooden soldiers neutralized, the Adversary is about to get his first taste of high technology in the form of steel-jacketed bullets and laser-guided bombs. But the ruler who

conquered a hundred different worlds didn’t do it by fighting clean—and he’s still got a surprise or two left to spring on the residents of Fabletown.
vol. 12: Tourists of the world unite! If you've ever craved a guided tour of Fabletown's secret Manhattan location, prepare to be voraciously satiated. Pinnochio has a field day taking a certain VIP around the city. And exactly which Fabletown denizens are no longer active (dead, alive or otherwise) just might shock you into a comic book coma. Also in this volume, you'll find the 4-part story featuring Freddy and Mouse, two local rogues who just want to get along and perhaps turn a bit of profit in the post-war, topsy-turvy world. Meanwhile, in Fabletown, a new political group forms called the Society of Seconds, and what they want doesn't seem very reasonable at all.

My Thoughts: I think vol. 11 is one of my favorites so far. We finally have the Fables doing something about the adversary and they were doing it before he did anything more to them. This was also one of the few volumes that I actually liked Prince Charming. He was more in the role of Prince running military maneuvers rather than being a cad. Blue also had a big part in this that had repercussions going forward.
vol. 12 seems to follow the pattern of a really big volume followed by one that is more transitional. There are several things that happen in this volume but I had a harder time stating focused on this one. Part of me is interested in the Dark One but will have to see where they go with it.
Overall, I'm still enjoying these graphics and will be continuing to read them. Between the stories and the great artwork these are some of my favorite I've come across.

Rating: vol 11: 4.5; vol 12: 4 

Book Review ~ The Falconer

The Falconer (The Falconer #1)

by Elizabeth May
published by Chronicle Books
genre: YA, Historical Fantasy, Steampunk

Summary (Goodreads): Heiress. Debutant. Murderer. A new generation of heroines has arrived.

Edinburgh, Scotland, 1844

Lady Aileana Kameron, the only daughter of the Marquess of Douglas, was destined for a life carefully planned around Edinburgh’s social events – right up until a faery killed her mother.

Now it’s the 1844 winter season and Aileana slaughters faeries in secret, in between the endless round of parties, tea and balls. Armed with modified percussion pistols and explosives, she sheds her aristocratic facade every night to go hunting. She’s determined to track down the faery who murdered her mother, and to destroy any who prey on humans in the city’s many dark alleyways.

But the balance between high society and her private war is a delicate one, and as the fae infiltrate the ballroom and Aileana’s father returns home, she has decisions to make. How much is she willing to lose – and just how far will Aileana go for revenge?

My Thoughts: I so wanted to like this book. I loved the cover, the summary sounded like it had a lot of promise, and everyone was raving about it. The last one should have tipped me off. For some reason whenever there is a lot of hype about a book I don't fall in line with the rest.
The world building was well done, incorporating small steampunk details without hitting you over the head with them. For me I didn't feel like I was reading a book set in Scotland, it felt more British, until the author reminded you they were in Scotland. This did not take away from the story at all just something I noticed.
The characters. This is where I had the most problems with the book. Aileana starts off as a broken young girl who has recently lost her mother and just wants revenge against the Fae that killed her. Not only does she want to kill the specific one but she is out to get everyone she can find. If the author had stuck with this and kept her as a strong female character, even making the hard choices, I would not have disliked this book as much as I did. Enter Kiaran, the cliche YA boy (I can't even call him the bad boy, he didn't have enough personality for that). Everything you just learned about Aileana and liked about her goes out the window. Instead of being the strong female she is reduced to the simpering schoolgirl who can focus on nothing but his lips and how he makes her feel. This would have almost been fine if he wasn't the very thing that we are told she hates with all her being.
Needless to say the story went downhill from there. We also have a Gavin, who is just trying to do the right thing, saves Aileana's life and ruins his own in the process. I've mentioned before how much I dislike love triangles and this is no exception.
The ending. I'm not sure how I felt about the cliffhanger (ish) ending. I will say it showed that the author could write great characters in a short time. Sorcha and her brother were two of the most interesting in the book. Their personalities were solid (even if they were evil) and more there than Kiaran's who we had been reading about since the beginning of the book. The seal, Kiaran's sister, the reason that Sorcha can't be killed, these may be reasons to read the next book but I'm just not sure. I'll have to wait and read some reviews from bloggers I trust before I decide.

Rating: 3.5

Review ~ Fables: The Good Prince

Fables: The Good Prince; Volume 10

by Bill Willingham
illustrated by Mark Buckingham, Steve Leialoha, Aaron Alexovich, Andrew Pepoy
genre: Graphic Novel, Adult, Fary-Tales, Fantasy

Summary (Goodreads): With war looming between the forces of the Adversary and the free Fables living in the mundane world, everything now depends on a humble janitor known as Flycatcher. Released from centuries of trauma-induced amnesia, Prince Ambrose (as he was known in happier times) faces a long and difficult road—one that will take him through the lands of the dead and into the heart of the enemy’s realm. Once there, this unassuming and unlikely hero will face his greatest and most arduous test—and the future of both Fabletown and the Homelands will turn on the outcome.

Collects issues #60-69 in Bill Willingham’s Eisner Award-winning Vertigo series.

My Thoughts: Took a bit for me to get into this volume. Then when I was finally engrossed in the story there was a break from Fly's story to insert a story about Snow, Bigby and family. I get how the contents of this was/will be important but the change in illustrations was off for me. I spent more time trying to figure out who Rose was (even though it couldn't have been anyone else) that enjoying what was in front of me.
Once it got back to Ambrose (Fly) and his journey I could not put it down. There were a lot of things that happened that I could see having consequences in future volumes. I'm most curious about the villains and also who decides to leave The Farm.
Overall, The main part of this worked. I liked the story and the illustrations. Finding out who the old knight was and getting redemption for some characters that truly deserved it, including Ambrose. Still a long ways to go before I catch up on this series but as long as I'm enjoying them I'll keep reading.

Rating: 4

Review ~ Fables: Wolves; Sons of Empire

Fables: Wolves; Sons of Empire (Volume 8 & 9)

by Bill Willingham
illustrated by Mark Buckingham, Steve Leiahola, Andrew Pepoy, Shawn McManus
published by Vertigo
genre: Adult, graphic novel, Fantasy, Fairy-Tales, Re-Tellings

Wolves Summary (Goodreads): Collecting issues #48-51 of writer and creator Bill Willingham's award-winning Vertigo series, WOLVES also includes newly-created maps of Fabletown and the Homelands illustrated by Willingham and, as a special bonus, Willingham's complete script to the double-sized issue #50.
Sons of  Empire Summary (Goodreads): Collecting FABLES #52-59! Pinocchio suffers seriously divided loyalties between his father, the evil Adversary, and his fellow Fable refugees in New York. Plus, Bigby Wolf reluctantly decides it's finally time to square accounts with his long-estranged father, the North Wind, and makes a journey with Snow White and their kids to find him.

My Thoughts: Wolves: This was another solid overall volume. I liked Mowgli's trek across every remote place trying to track Bigby. His interactions with the wolf packs was a different insight than the one normally gotten from Bigby's POV.
Bigby's mission and reward for carrying it out was a nice way to bring Snow, Bigby, and cubs together as a family. The wedding was another story line that helped round out Bigby's story.

Sons of Empire: The meeting with The Adversary and all his main people was glimpse into the other side. The weapons they have at their disposal along with the smarts to use Pinocchio's knowledge of the mundy world against him showed why they are where they are. By the end of the volume I felt bad for Pinocchio. He obviously just wants to make his father happy and may be realizing that's not possible.
My favorite from this volume was the ride to North's castle as well as everything that happened there. The story from Ambrose POV was more telling than if it had just been from Bigby's. Already aware of how he felt about his father, I was surprised that there was no let up at all given how great the relationship is between grandfather and children. Interested to see what happens with his brothers.

Rating: 4 for both

Review ~ Werewolves of the Heartland

Werewolves of the Heartland (Fables OGN)

by Bill Willingham
Illustrated by Jim Fern, Craig Hamilton
published by Vertigo
genre: Graphic Novel, Fairy-tales, Retellings, Adult

Summary (Goodreads): Bigby Wolf embarks on a quest through the American Heartland to find a new location for Fabletown, a secret society of exiled fairy tale characters living among the "mundys." In his wanderings, Bigby stumbles across Story City, a small town that seems to be occupied solely by werewolves. Oddly enough, they seem to already know and revere Bigby, but at the same time they've captured and caged him.

FABLES: WEREWOLVES OF THE HEARTLAND tells an epic tale that began well before Bigby Wolf set foot in the bucolic plains of the Midwest. It began long ago when he served in World War II and became mired in a Nazi experiment that would change nations. It's soon evident that murder in Story City is the least of their sins, and unraveling the town's many mysteries may cost Bigby, the seventh son of the North Wind, much more than his own life.

This new hardcover is a must-have for any longtime FABLES fan, as well as a great entry point for new readers.

My Thoughts: So I read this completely out of order. Meant to grab Wolves (#8) and grabbed this instead. It seems to be inclusive and didn't really ruin anything for me in the volumes between where I am and when this one came out.
As I've come to expect, I really liked the graphics of this. They were more muted and had an almost pastel dream quality at times. The characters were easy to distinguish from each other.
Overall, I enjoyed this trek to Story City. How the residents came to be tied in with previous stories and flowed into this one. I liked seeing Bigby be who he is without any apologies. Didn't matter if one was a close friend/ally. He did what needed to be done. Now to get back on track with the series in the correct order.

Rating: 4

Waiting on Wednesday ~ Stitching Snow

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Jill over at Breaking The Spine. It's a weekly event that spotlights upcoming releases we are eagerly anticipating.

Stitching Snow

by R.C  Lewis
published by Disney-Hyperion
expected release date: October 14, 2014
genre: Sci-Fi, YA, Retelling, Fairytales,

Summary (Goodreads): Princess Snow is missing.

Her home planet is filled with violence and corruption at the hands of King Matthias and his wife as they attempt to punish her captors. The king will stop at nothing to get his beloved daughter back—but that’s assuming she wants to return at all.

Essie has grown used to being cold. Temperatures on the planet Thanda are always sub-zero, and she fills her days with coding and repairs for the seven loyal drones that run the local mines.

When a mysterious young man named Dane crash-lands near her home, Essie agrees to help the pilot repair his ship. But soon she realizes that Dane’s arrival was far from accidental, and she’s pulled into the heart of a war she’s risked everything to avoid. With the galaxy’s future—and her own—in jeopardy, Essie must choose who to trust in a fiery fight for survival.

**Two of my favorite genres, Sci-Fi and Fairytale retellings combined. This sounds promising and I'm looking forward to reading it.

Review ~ Fables: Homelands

Fables: Homelands, Vol. 6

by Bill Willingham
illustrated by Mark Buckingham, David Hahn, Steve Leialoha
genre: Graphic Novel, Adult, Fantasy, Fairy-Tale, Retellings

Summary (Goodreads): Collecting issues #34-41 of writer Bill Willingham's Eisner Award-winning creation, Homelands follows Boy Blue on a mission of revenge as he uncovers the Adversary's true identity! Plus, the two-part story of Jack's adventures in Hollywood and the one-shot story of Mowgli's return to Fabletown.

My Thoughts: This was another big volume. A lot going on and reveals that we have been waiting for since volume 1.
I didn't dislike Jack's story but at the same time I'm not sure I would have read it if it hadn't been included with other stories. Jack has always been up to one scheme or another so finding him in Hollywood making his name as well known as Snow's, so he wold be immortal, made sense for his character. The ending made it seem like he was disappearing for good but I cannot imagine him not coming up with some way to get into something else.
I enjoyed Blue's adventures in the Homelands.  I've been waiting for this reveal and when it happened I was a little underwhelmed. At first I thought okay this works but they lost me when the Adversary started telling his story. There is still a lot of potential with this character, especially with how it ended between him and Blue.
Overall, a lot happened in this volume. Both the writing and the graphics were what I have come to expect from this series. As long as they keep entertaining me I'll keep reading.

Rating: 4

Review ~ Fables: The Mean Seasons

Fables: The Mean Season, Vol. 5

by Bill Willingham
illustrated by Tony Atkins, Jimmy Palmiotti
genre: Graphic Novel, Fantasy, Fairy-Tales, Retelling

Summary (Goodreads): Fables is the hugely imaginative story of a group of fairy tale characters exiled from their mythical homelands and forced into a secret existence in modern-day America. Featuring such familiar names as Snow White, Prince Charming and Bigby (formerly Big Bad) Wolf, this is hard-edged fantasy in the grand tradition of The Sandman. Exploring, amongst other tales, the strange story of Dog Company—involving the hair-raising escapades of Bigby Wolf during World War II and how he dealt with an underhanded Nazi experiment! Volume five of this superb Titan series continues to explore this surreal underworld created by scribe extraordinaire Bill Willingham

My Thoughts: After the huge battle in the last volume this set really felt like filler/transition stories. There were some good stories with some better graphics.
My favorite had to be Bigby's war story. The Big Bad Wolf vs Frankenstein. I liked the way it was told and why. I also liked Bigby's father showing up to meet and help out with his new grandkids. Hope to see more of them. That said, I wasn't thrilled with Snow being relegated to the Farm. Not crazy about the new regime. Charming, Beast, and Beauty just don't work as well for me right now. This may change but not so far.
I'm really enjoying this series and am glad that I have so many more to go before I am caught up.

Rating: 4 mainly for Bigby's story and the graphics

Book Review ~ The Stepsister Scheme

The Stepsister Scheme (Princess #1)

by Jim C Hines
published by DAW
genre: Adult, Fantasy, Fairytale, Retellings,

Summary (Goodreads): You know how all those old fairy tales take you through lots of scary adventures till you finally reach that inevitable line: "And they lived happily ever after..." Guess what? It's not true. Life in never-never land isn't all sweetness and light. Cinderella - whose real name is Danielle Whiteshore (nee Danielle de Glas) - does marry Prince Armand. And (if you can ignore the pigeon incident) their wedding is a dream-come-true.

But not long after the "happily ever after," Danielle is attacked by her stepsister Charlotte, who suddenly has all sorts of magic to call upon. And though Talia - otherwise known as Sleeping Beauty - comes to the rescue (she's a martial arts master, and all those fairy blessings make her almost unbeatable), Charlotte gets away.

That's when Danielle discovers a number of disturbing facts: Armand has been kidnapped and taken to the realm of the Fairies; Danielle is pregnant with his child; and the Queen has her very own Secret Service that consists of Talia and Snow (White, of course). Snow is an expert at mirror magic and heavy-duty flirting.

Can three princesses track down Armand and extract both the prince and themselves from the clutches of some of fantasyland's most nefarious villains?

My Thoughts: I'm not really familiar with the darker fairytales. I mostly know the basic Disney tales with a few side facts here or there that come from other tellings. This is definitely not a Disney story.
The author has created an interesting world. Both Snow White and Sleeping beauty's stories have already taken place. After the tragedy of their stories they both end up living with Cinderella's mother-in-law as a secret group that takes care of things the King would be better off not knowing.
Danielle (Cinderella) is still newly married when this starts and not confident in her place. I liked watching her grow as a character. While she still had doubts about her abilities, she still did what had to be done in order to protect her child and try and save the Prince.
Talia (sleeping beauty) was probably my favorite. There was something about how able she was (do to the gifts from the fairys) and yet she was also the most damaged of the three. Hearing bits of her story throughout just made her that much stronger.
Overall, I always enjoy finding new retellings of old stories and this one didn't disappoint. From finding out how and why the stepsister were suddenly able to pull all this off to the whole world of Fairytown, it kept me engaged in the story. I liked that there was an HEA in this story even if it wasn't what you normally think of one. I'm looking forward to reading the next story and watching the bonds and abilities of these three princesses grow.

Rating: 4

Review ~ Fables; Storybook Love

Fables: Storybook Love (Volume 3)

by Bill Willingham
illustrated by Mark Buckingham, Steve Leialoha
published by Vertigo
genre: Graphic Novel, Adult, Fairy Tales, Fantasy

Summary (Goodreads): In the Fables' world, there isn't a lot of happily-ever-after to go around. As refugees from the lands of make-believe, the Fables have been driven from their storybook realms and forced to blend in with our gritty, mundane reality.

But that doesn't mean they don't have any room for romance—or the pain, betrayal and jealous rage that go along with it. In fact, love may be blooming between two of the most hard-bitten, no-nonsense Fables around. But are they destined for happiness— or a quick and untimely death?

My Thoughts: I liked the graphics more than the stories in this volume. The stories did not seem to go together. We had a story about Jack in old days with a magical bag and a deal with death that was interesting but didn't factor into the rest of the volume.
The stories of smalltown and snow/wolf were also interesting but didn't seem to go together either.
Overall, this felt more like a transition volume. There was a lot of moving characters around and also moving their stories forward. I'm hoping that the stories in this volume make more sense and play bigger roles in other stories going forward.

Rating: 4

Review ~ Fables, Vol. 1: Legends in Exile

Legends in Exile (Fables, Vol.1)

by Bill Willingham
illustrated by Lan Medina, Steve Leiahola, Craig Hamilton, James Jean
published by Vertigo
genre: Graphic Novel, Fairy Tales, Adult

Summary (Goodreads): When a savage creature known only as the Adversary conquered the fabled lands of legends and fairy tales, all of the infamous inhabitants of folklore were forced into exile. Disguised among the normal citizens of modern-day New York, these magical characters have created their own peaceful and secret society within an exclusive luxury apartment building called Fabletown. But when Snow White's party-girl sister, Rose Red, is apparently murdered, it is up to Fabletown's sheriff, a reformed and pardoned Big Bad Wolf (Bigby Wolf), to determine if the killer is Bluebeard, Rose's ex-lover and notorious wife killer, or Jack, her current live-in boyfriend and former beanstalk-climber.

My Thoughts: I heard about this series while I was looking at reviews for the Sisters Grimm series of books. I tend to enjoy fairy tale retellings  and have started looking at more graphic novels so I thought I would give it a try.
The summary pretty much tells it all without telling you the ending. This felt more like a murder mystery than a fairy-tale, but still a good read.
I liked the illustrations in this more than the previous graphics (not many) I had looked at.  Each panel told the story and really helped the story.
Overall, it was interesting seeing some favorite characters in a different light. While this was definitely adult it wasn't too graphic or dark considering the topic. I will be reading more from this series.

Rating: 4 

Book Review ~ The Fairy-Tale Detectives

The Fairy-Tale Detectives (The Sisters Grimm #1)

by Michael Buckley
Illustrated by Peter Ferguson
genre: MG, Fairy-tale, fantasy,

Summary (Goodreads): For Sabrina and Daphne Grimm, life has not been a fairy tale. After the mysterious disappearance of their parents, the sisters are sent to live with their grandmother--a woman they believed was dead! Granny Relda reveals that the girls have two famous ancestors, the Brothers Grimm, whose classic book of fairy tales is actually a collection of case files of magical mischief. Now the girls must take on the family responsibility of being fairy tale detectives.

My Thoughts: This was an entertaining start to a series. Having many of your favorite fairy-tale characters stuck in one place as long as their is a Grimm living there has led to some interesting twists and turns that you might not expect.
My favorite characters were Grandma Grimm and Daphne. I loved all the quirks, like saying goodbye and hello to the house, that the grandma had and how willing Daphne was to accept it all in stride. On the other side of that is Sabrina. While I understand why she acts the way she does and it completely in character, I still found myself disliking her most of the time.
Overall, if you enjoy fairy-tale retellings this is a promising start to a series. With the girls learning to become Grimm detectives while trying to find out who has their parents alongside familiar characters in unexpected roles (three little pigs as local law enforcement) I'm looking forward to reading book 2.

Rating: 4

Book Review ~ Storybound

Storybound (Storybound #1) 

by Marissa Burt
published by Harper Collin's
genre: MG, Fantasy, Fairy Tales

Summary (Goodreads): In the land of Story, children go to school to learn to be characters: a perfect Hero, a trusty Sidekick, even the most dastardly Villain. They take classes on Outdoor Experiential Questing and Backstory, while adults search for full-time character work in stories written just for them.

In our world, twelve-year-old Una Fairchild has always felt invisible. But all that changes when she stumbles upon a mysterious book buried deep in the basement of her school library, opens the cover, and suddenly finds herself transported to the magical land of Story.

But Story is not a perfect fairy tale. Una’s new friend Peter warns her about the grave danger she could face if anyone discovers her true identity. The devious Tale Keeper watches her every move. And there are whispers of a deadly secret that seems to revolve around Una herself....

With the timeless appeal of books like A Wrinkle in Time and the breathtaking action of Inkheart, Storybound has all the makings of a new classic. Brimming with fantastical creatures, magical adventure, and heart-stopping twists, Storybound will leave readers wishing they too could jump through the pages into this enchanting fairy-tale world.

My Thoughts: This book starts with Una in the "real" world, trying to get through the day when she finds someone is sitting in her spot in the library. After finding a new spot and mysterious book that is about her, another run in with the stranger where she wakes up in Story. We don't really get much about who sent her to Story or how (only why). This is really when the story begins.
The author did a great job creating a world (Story) that trains all the characters in your favorite books. I liked how the places they came from were based on their story genre and you could tell by what they were wearing.
Una is an interesting character. She's trying to figure out why she was Written In as well as what really happened between the Muses and the first Tale Keeper. Along with Peter (hero) and Sam (talking cat) they try to piece together the real story based on scraps of info and stolen books.
Overall, this was an enjoyable read. There is a character for just about everyone and a setting to go with them. I'm interested in finding out more about Una and The Muses (all of them) and what happens next. While a lot was found out I didn't feel as if anything was resolved. This was a definite  to be continued type book. Luckily, the second book, Story's End, came out in April so I don't have to wait,

Rating: 4

Book Review ~ The Hero's Guide to Saving Your Kingdom

The Hero's Guide to Saving Your Kingdom (League of Princes #1)
by Christopher Healey 
Illustrated by Todd Harris
published by Waldon Pond Press
genre: MG, Fairy Tales, Fantasy

Summary (Goodreads): Prince Liam. Prince Frederic. Prince Duncan. Prince Gustav. You've never heard of them, have you? These are the princes who saved Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella, Snow White, and Rapunzel, respectively, and yet, thanks to those lousy bards who wrote the tales, you likely know them only as Prince Charming. But all of this is about to change. Rejected by their princesses and cast out of their castles, Liam, Frederic, Duncan, and Gustav stumble upon an evil plot that could endanger each of their kingdoms. Now it's up to them to triumph over their various shortcomings, take on trolls, bandits, dragons, witches, and other assorted terrors, and become the heroes no one ever thought they could be.

My Thoughts: I really enjoyed this fairy tale retelling. It changes what we know of some very popular old stories and mixes it with what could have come next. I'll also add that the illustrations added to the story and helped bring it to life.
All the Princes had their high and low points. You couldn't help but feel bad for them and how they got the short end in their respective stories. I also liked how Duncan and his "luck" happened upon his Princess and yet theirs was the only story that seemed to be working out.
My favorite princess has always been Briar Rose and they made her evil in this story. I can't say I still liked her but the original is still my favorite.
Overall, this is a great book if you like fairy tales or if you're looking for a story that is more from the male POV (always looking for books for my son).

Rating: 4