Review: Gilded by Marissa Meyer

Title: Gilded

Series: Gilded #1

Author: Marissa Meyer

Genre: YA, fantasy, fairy tale reteling, German folklore

Publication date: November 2021

Published by: Feiwel & Friends

Source: Purchased hardcover

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Synopsis: Long ago cursed by the god of lies, a poor miller's daughter has developed a talent for spinning stories that are fantastical and spellbinding and entirely untrue.

Or so everyone believes.

When one of Serilda's outlandish tales draws the attention of the sinister Erlking and his undead hunters, she finds herself swept away into a grim world where ghouls and phantoms prowl the earth and hollow-eyed ravens track her every move. The king orders Serilda to complete the impossible task of spinning straw into gold, or be killed for telling falsehoods. In her desperation, Serilda unwittingly summons a mysterious boy to her aid. He agrees to help her... for a price.

Soon Serilda realizes that there is more than one secret hidden in the castle walls, including an ancient curse that must be broken if she hopes to end the tyranny of the king and his wild hunt forever.

Marissa Meyer, #1 New York Times-bestselling author, returns to the fairytale world with this haunting retelling of Rumpelstiltskin.

My rating: ★★★★★

I love a Marissa Meyer retelling, so I was very excited to find out that she was writing a Rumpelstiltskin retelling, and boy what a ride it was! I loved it!

Review- Cinder’s Adventure: Get Me to the Wedding! by Marissa Meyer

Title: Cinder’s Adventure: Get Me to the Wedding!

Series: The Lunar Chronicles

Previous books in this series: Cinder (#1) | Scarlet (#2) | Cress (#3) | Fairest (#3.5) | Winter (#4) | Stars Above (#4.5)

Other series/books mentioned: Renegades | Fortuna Beach | Heartless | Gilded

Author: Marissa Meyer

Genre: YA, sci-fi, fairy tale retelling

Publication date: March 2022

Published by: Feiwel & Friends

Source: Purchased ebook

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Synopsis: Cinder, the star of the Lunar Chronicles, is getting married! She and Emperor Kai have made it to their big day – now all Cinder has to do is show up and say "I do." But it’s not so easy when there are twists and turns and obstacles along the way, and you, the reader, are in control of her fate, along with the many friends and strangers she meets on this adventure. Can you and Cinder make it to happily ever after?

For fans of the #1 New York Times-bestselling author Marissa Meyer, this is the ultimate interactive celebration of all things Lunar Chronicles. And, bonus: you’ll also discover characters and settings from Heartless, Renegades, Instant Karma, and Gilded, along with so many possible endings! This inventive and fun adventure is a must-have for fans, only available as an e-book exclusive.

My rating: ★★★★★

As soon as I knew of this book’s existence I bought it and read it immediately! It’s been a while since I last read a choose-your-own-adventure-type book, but this was so much fun! And the fact that it takes place in The Lunar Chronicles universe and is about getting Cinder to her wedding with KAI...

Review: COVID-128 (The Lunar Chronicles #4.6) by Marissa Meyer

Title: COVID-128

Series: The Lunar Chronicles #4.6

Previous books in this series: Cinder (#1) | Scarlet (#2) | Cress (#3) | Fairest (#3.5) | Winter (#4) | Stars Above (#4.5)

Previous novellas in this series: Glitches (#0.5) | The Little Android (#0.6) | The Queen's Army (#1.5) | Fairest (#3.5)

Author: Marissa Meyer

Genre: YA, sci-fi, fairy tale retelling

Publication date: May 2020

Published by: Fierce Reads

Source: Read online

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Synopsis: "Surprise! I wrote a new Lunar Chronicles short story, inspired by the prompt from @fiercereads asking what our characters would be doing during a time of social distancing. It was really fun for me to hang out with these characters again for a little while, and I hope you'll enjoy it!"

My rating: ★★★★☆

I was so glad to be back in this world! I missed these characters 😩 I admit I was a little hesitant to read this only for the fact that it has to do with covid. One of the things that's annoying about watching shows right now, is that some have incorporated the pandemic into them. Listen here shows, there is a thing called escapism and I watch you to get away from all this. We have enough of this IRL, I don’t need it in my fiction too 😩 That being said, this short story was great! Lol. It basically shows what the characters would be doing during quarantine, and I really enjoyed seeing this little snippet into their lives.

Review: Wires and Nerve by Marissa Meyer

Title: Wires and Nerve

Series: Wires and Nerve #1

Prequel series: The Lunar Chronicles

Author: Marissa Meyer

Genre: YA, graphic novel, sci-fi, fairy tale retelling

Illustrator: Doug Holgate

Publication date: January 2017

Published by: Feiwel & Friends

Source: Purchased paperback

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Synopsis: In her first graphic novel, bestselling author Marissa Meyer extends the world of the Lunar Chronicles with a brand-new, action-packed story about Iko, the android with a heart of (mechanized) gold. When rogue packs of wolf-hybrid soldiers threaten the tenuous peace alliance between Earth and Luna, Iko takes it upon herself to hunt down the soldiers' leader. She is soon working with a handsome royal guard who forces her to question everything she knows about love, loyalty, and her own humanity. With appearances by Cinder, Cress, Scarlet, Winter, and the rest of the Rampion crew, this is a must-have for fans of the bestselling series.

My rating: ★★★★☆

I was so excited to find out that there was a follow-up graphic novel to The Lunar Chronicles because I was just not ready to say goodbye to these wonderful characters just yet. This takes place after Winter but before the short story Something Old, Something New that is in Stars Above.

Review: Stars Above (The Lunar Chronicles #4.5) by Marissa Meyer

Title: Stars Above

Series: The Lunar Chronicles #4.5

Previous books in this series: Cinder (#1) | Scarlet (#2) | Cress (#3) | Fairest (#3.5) | Winter (#4)

Author: Marissa Meyer

Genre: YA, sci-fi, fairy tale retelling

Publication date: February 2016

Published by: Feiwel & Friends

Source: Purchased paperback

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Synopsis: The universe of the Lunar Chronicles holds stories—and secrets—that are wondrous, vicious, and romantic. How did Cinder first arrive in New Beijing? How did the brooding soldier Wolf transform from young man to killer? When did Princess Winter and the palace guard Jacin realize their destinies? With nine stories—five of which have never before been published—and an excerpt from Marissa Meyer’s novel, Heartless, about the Queen of Hearts from Alice in Wonderland, Stars Above is essential for fans of the bestselling and beloved Lunar Chronicles.

CONTENTS

The Keeper: A prequel to the Lunar Chronicles, showing a young Scarlet and how Princess Selene came into the care of Michelle Benoit.

Glitches: In this prequel to Cinder, we see the results of the plague play out, and the emotional toll it takes on Cinder. Something that may, or may not, be a glitch...

The Queen’s Army: In this prequel to Scarlet, we’re introduced to the army Queen Levana is building, and one soldier in particular who will do anything to keep from becoming the monster they want him to be.

Carswell’s Guide to Being Lucky: Thirteen-year-old Carswell Thorne has big plans involving a Rampion spaceship and a no-return trip out of Los Angeles.

After Sunshine Passes By: In this prequel to Cress, we see how a nine-year-old Cress ended up alone on a satellite, spying on Earth for Luna.

The Princess and the Guard: In this prequel to Winter, we see a young Winter and Jacin playing a game called the Princess and the Guard...

The Little Android: A retelling of Hans Christian Andersen’s “The Little Mermaid,” set in the world of The Lunar Chronicles.

The Mechanic: In this prequel to Cinder, we see Kai and Cinder’s first meeting from Kai’s perspective.

Something Old, Something New: In this epilogue to Winter, friends gather for the wedding of the century...

My rating: ★★★★★

After finishing Winter, I was not quite ready to say goodbye to this world just yet, so I was very happy to find out that this exists. I loved it! It’s basically a collection of short stories set in the TLC world. We get a couple of different POVs, and most of them are prequels and go into the character’s past. There is one that doesn’t have a familiar main character, but it does take place in this same world. And then the very last story takes place AFTER Winter, so that was a nice insight into what they’ve been up to. And yeah, I obviously loved them all 😉

Review: Winter (The Lunar Chronicles #4) by Marissa Meyer

Title: Winter

Series: The Lunar Chronicles #4

Previous books in this series: Cinder (#1) | Scarlet (#2) | Cress (#3)

Previous novellas in this series: Glitches (#0.5) | The Little Android (#0.6) | The Queen's Army (#1.5) | Fairest (#3.5)

Author: Marissa Meyer

Genre: YA, sci-fi, fairy tale retelling

Publication date: November 2015

Published by: Feiwel & Friends

Source: Purchased paperback

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Synopsis: Princess Winter is admired for her grace, kindness and beauty, despite the scars on her face. She's said to be even more breath-taking than her stepmother, Queen Levana...

When Winter develops feelings for the handsome palace guard, Jacin, she fears the evil Queen will crush their romance before it has a chance to begin.

But there are stirrings against the Queen across the land. Together with the cyborg mechanic, Cinder, and her allies, Winter might even find the power to launch a revolution and win a war that's been raging for far too long.

Can Cinder, Scarlet, Cress, and Winter claim their happily ever afters by defeating Levana once and for all?

My rating: ★★★★★

This book was SO good! I literally finished all 823 pages in under two days!

Review: Fairest (The Lunar Chronicles #3.5) by Marissa Meyer

Title: Fairest

Series: The Lunar Chronicles #3.5

Previous books in this series: Cinder (#1) | Scarlet (#2) | Cress (#3)

Previous novellas in this series: Glitches (#0.5) | The Little Android (#0.6) | The Queen's Army (#1.5)

Author: Marissa Meyer

Genre: YA, sci-fi, fairy tale retelling

Publication date: January 2015

Published by: Feiwel & Friends

Source: Purchased paperback

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Synopsis: In this stunning bridge book between Cress and Winter in the bestselling Lunar Chronicles, Queen Levana’s story is finally told.

Mirror, mirror on the wall,
Who is the fairest of them all?

Fans of the Lunar Chronicles know Queen Levana as a ruler who uses her “glamour” to gain power. But long before she crossed paths with Cinder, Scarlet, and Cress, Levana lived a very different story – a story that has never been told . . . until now.

Marissa Meyer spins yet another unforgettable tale about love and war, deceit and death. This extraordinary book includes full-color art and an excerpt from Winter, the next book in the Lunar Chronicles series.

My rating: ★★★★★

This novella was all about Levana, and I was very excited to read this because I always wondered why Levana was the way she was. This gives us some insight into that, and it’s not pretty 😬

Review: Cress (The Lunar Chronicles #3) by Marissa Meyer

Title: Cress

Series: The Lunar Chronicles #3

Previous books in this series: Cinder (#1) | Scarlet (#2)

Previous novellas in this series: Glitches (#0.5) | The Little Android (#0.6) | The Queen's Army (#1.5)

Author: Marissa Meyer

Genre: YA, sci-fi, fairy tale retelling

Publication date: February 2014

Published by: Feiwel & Friends

Source: Purchased paperback

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Synopsis: In this third book in the Lunar Chronicles, Cinder and Captain Thorne are fugitives on the run, now with Scarlet and Wolf in tow. Together, they're plotting to overthrow Queen Levana and her army.

Their best hope lies with Cress, a girl imprisoned on a satellite since childhood who's only ever had her netscreens as company. All that screen time has made Cress an excellent hacker. Unfortunately, she's just received orders from Levana to track down Cinder and her handsome accomplice.

When a daring rescue of Cress goes awry, the group is separated. Cress finally has her freedom, but it comes at a higher price. Meanwhile, Queen Levana will let nothing prevent her marriage to Emperor Kai. Cress, Scarlet, and Cinder may not have signed up to save the world, but they may be the only hope the world has.

My rating: ★★★★★

So this book follows the beats of the Rapunzel fairy tale, with Cress being our Rapunzel. Poor Cress has been locked away in a freaking satellite in space for a long time! However, Thorne and Cinder launch a rescue mission to save her... but then things go all sorts of wrong 😬

Review: The Beauty of Being a Beast by Jennifer Estep

Title: The Beauty of Being a Beast

Author: Jennifer Estep

Genre: Adult, fantasy, fairy tale retelling

Publication date: February 9th 2021

Published by: Jennifer Estep

Source: Purchased ebook

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Synopsis: Some curses aren’t meant to be broken...

Lady Griselle Mottern is cursed. On her sixteenth birthday, an evil wizard transformed Griselle into a wolflike beast because of a past misdeed by one of her ancestors. Now, with her twenty-first birthday approaching, Griselle has only a few days left to make a boy fall in love with her, or the curse will become permanent, and she will forever be a beast.

But breaking the curse isn’t Griselle’s only problem. An evil is lurking in the forest, one that is creeping closer and closer to her castle. Griselle will have to summon all her beastly strength to defeat this evil, even if it means dooming herself forever . . .

Note: This 7,000-word short story originally appeared in the Von Flusshexen und Meerjungfrauen German-language anthology in 2020.

My rating: ★★★★★

When I first found out Jennifer had written a fairy tale retelling of Beauty and the Beast, I was ridiculously excited! I wasn’t sure what to expect, especially because I didn’t even read the synopsis before I read the novella 😅 But there was no need—I knew I was going to love it anyway 😉 But wow, I was not expecting all the interesting twists! It was SO GOOD!

Review: Scarlet (The Lunar Chronicles #2) by Marissa Meyer

Title: Scarlet

Series: The Lunar Chronicles #2

Previous book in this series: Cinder

Previous novellas in this series: Glitches (#0.5) | The Little Android (#0.6) | The Queen's Army (#1.5)

Author: Marissa Meyer

Genre: YA, sci-fi, fairy tale retelling

Publication date: February 2013

Published by: Feiwel & Friends

Source: Purchased paperback

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Synopsis: Even in the future, beware of the big, bad wolf...

Cinder, the cyborg mechanic, returns in the second thrilling installment of the bestsrlling Lunar Chronicles. She is trying to break out of prison-even though if she succeeds, she'll be the Commonwealth's most wanted fugitive.

Halfway around the world, Scarlet Benoit's grandmother is missing. When Scarlet encounters Wolf, a street fighter who may have information about her grandmother's whereabouts, she is loath to trust this stranger, but is inexplicably drawn to him, and he to her. As Scarlet and Wolf unravel one mystery, they encounter another when they meet Cinder. Now, all of them must stay one step ahead of the vicious Lunar Queen Levana, who will do anything for the handsome Prince Kai to become her husband, her king, her prisoner.

My rating: ★★★★★

Not much time has passed since Cinder. In fact, we pick up pretty much where we left off, except we drop in on a new character: Scarlet. We’re going from Cinderella and moving right into Little Red Riding Hood, so Scarlet’s story is also going to be a familiar one. Basically, her grandmother has gone missing so she goes off to look for her, with the help of a guy she met, Wolf.

Review: The Queen's Army (The Lunar Chronicles #1.5) by Marissa Meyer

Title: The Queen's Army

Series: The Lunar Chronicles #1.5

Previous books in this series: Glitches (#0.5) | The Little Android (#0.6) | Cinder (#1)

Author: Marissa Meyer

Genre: YA, sci-fi, fairy tale retelling

Publication date: November 2012

Published by: Feiwel and Friends

Source: Purchased Stars Above

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Read it for FREE here!

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Synopsis:

It is time. The boy must leave his family to serve in the Queen's army. To be chosen is an honor. To decline is impossible. The boy is modified. He is trained for several years, and learns to fight to the death. He proves to the Queen—and to himself—that he is capable of evil. He is just the kind of soldier the Queen wants: the alpha of his pack.

My rating: ★★★★☆
The Queen’s Army takes place just before Scarlet and it’s about Wolf aka Z, and him being turned into a soldier. It tells the story from the moment they came for him in his home, to his transition through the mutations, to how he became an alpha.

Review: Cinder (The Lunar Chronicles #1) by Marissa Meyer

Title: Cinder

Series: The Lunar Chronicles #1

Previous novellas in this series: Glitches (#0.5) | The Little Android (#0.6)

Author: Marissa Meyer

Genre: YA, sci-fi, fairy tale retelling

Publication date: January 2012

Published by: Feiwel & Friends

Source: Purchased paperback

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Synopsis:

Humans and androids crowd the raucous streets of New Beijing. A deadly plague ravages the population. From space, a ruthless lunar people watch, waiting to make their move. No one knows that Earth’s fate hinges on one girl.

Cinder, a gifted mechanic, is a cyborg. She’s a second-class citizen with a mysterious past, reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister’s illness. But when her life becomes intertwined with the handsome Prince Kai’s, she suddenly finds herself at the center of an intergalactic struggle, and a forbidden attraction. Caught between duty and freedom, loyalty and betrayal, she must uncover secrets about her past in order to protect her world’s future.

My rating: ★★★★★
I loved, loved, LOVED this book! I’ve actually had this book for a very long time. I’ve met Marissa Meyer TWICE at TLC signings and I’m only just reading this book now.

I’m really mad at myself because I really loved it and I just can’t believe I waited this long to read it 😩😅 I mean, there are A LOT fairy tale retellings out in the world, but this is one of the best, and definitely one of the most unique, ones that I have read! I mean sci-fi and a cyborg Cinderella?

Review: The Little Android (The Lunar Chronicles #0.6) by Marissa Meyer

Title: The Little Android

Series: The Lunar Chronicles #0.6

Previous novella in this series: Glitches #0.5

Author: Marissa Meyer

Genre: YA, sci-fi, fairy tale retelling

Publication date: January 2014

Published by: Feiwel and Friends

Source: Purchased Stars Above

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Read it for FREE here!

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Synopsis:

The Little Android is a retelling of The Little Mermaid, set in the world of The Lunar Chronicles by New York Times-bestselling author Marissa Meyer.

When android Mech6.0 saves the life of a handsome hardware engineer, her body is destroyed and her mechanics discover a glitch in her programming. Androids aren’t meant to develop impractical reasoning or near-emotional responses…let alone fall in love.

My rating: ★★★★★
The Little Android is a retelling of The Little Mermaid... the Hans Christian Andersen one, not the Disney one. And yikes 😬

Review: Glitches (The Lunar Chronicles #0.5) by Marissa Meyer

Title: Glitches

Series: The Lunar Chronicles #0.5

Author: Marissa Meyer

Genre: YA, sci-fi, fairy tale retelling

Publication date: December 2011

Published by: Feiwel and Friends

Source: Purchased Stars Above

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Read it for FREE here!

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Synopsis:

Cinder, a gifted mechanic, is a cyborg. She’s a second-class citizen with a mysterious past, reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister’s illness. In Glitches, a short prequel story to Cinder, we see the results of that illness play out, and the emotional toll that takes on Cinder. Something that may, or may not, be a glitch...

My rating: ★★★★★
Glitches is a prequel to Cinder, it actually takes place a few years back, when little Cinder meets her new family.

Book Spotlight: If I Die Before I Wake by Martii Maclean

Today I have a fun book for you (plus a giveaway!) that you will absolutely be interested in, especially if you love fairy tale retellings!

Review: Beanstalker and Other Hilarious Scarytales by Kiersten White

Title: Beanstalker and Other Hilarious Scarytales

Author: Kiersten White

Genre: Middle Grade, fantasy, fairy tale retelling

Publication date: July 2017

Published by: Scholastic

Source: Own Hardcover

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Synopsis:

Once upon a time, a girl skipped into the forest and became a zombie.

Wait, no, that's not how this story is supposed to go. Let's try again.

Once upon a time, a boy did a horrible job as a sheep-sitter and burned his tongue on stolen pie.

No, children in these stories are always good and virtuous. From the top.

Once upon a time, a king and queen tried to find a princess for their son to marry, and he wound up fleeing from a group of very hairy vampires.

Hmmm...

What about, once upon a time, a bunch of fairy tales got twisted around to be completely hilarious, a tiny bit icky, and delightfully spooky scarytales... in other words, exactly what fairy tales were meant to be. Grab some flaming torches, maybe don't accept that bowl of pease porridge, and get ready for a wickedly fun ride with acclaimed author Kiersten White and fairy tales like you've never heard them before.

My rating: ★★★★★

Vampires and Zombies and Stepmothers, Oh my!

I can always count on Kiersten White for a fun, humorous read, and this was no exception! While yes it is an MG novel, I do like to read them every once in awhile, and this one was amazing! I thoroughly enjoyed it!

Review: My Fairly Dangerous Godmother (My Fair Godmother #3) by Janette Rallison

Title: My Fairly Dangerous Godmother

Series: My Fair Godmother #3

Previous books in this series: My Fair Godmother (#1) | My Unfair Godmother (#2)

Author: Janette Rallison

Genre: YA, fantasy, fairy tale retelling

Publication date: April 2015

Published by: Rally Point Press

Source: Own e-book

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Buy it: Amazon

Synopsis:

Some people bomb auditions. Sadie Ramirez throws up during her tryouts on TV show America's Top Talent. Her performance is so bad, it earns her a fairy godmother through the Magical Alliance's Pitiful Damsel Outreach Program. Enter Chrysanthemum Everstar: a gum-chewing, cell phone-carrying, high heel wearing fairy godmother in training. She misinterprets Sadie's wishes and sends her back in time to be a part of The Little Mermaid story and then makes her one of the twelve dancing princesses. Wishes are permanent, and if Sadie wants to get back to her home, she'll have to strike a magical bargain--one that involves stealing a goblet from a powerful fairy queen.

My rating: ★★★★★
I love this series SO much! And Chrissy too! The crazy, astonishingly-bad-at-her-job fairy godmother. Like I’ve said before, teens will be teens whether they are supernatural creatures or not. Lol. But, gods! She can actually be frustrating sometimes with how wrong she can get the wishes! It’s ridiculous, really. Ridiculously fun! Haha.

Review: Don't Expect Magic (Magic #1) by Kathy McCullough

Title: Don't Expect Magic

Series: Magic #1

Author: Kathy McCullough

Genre: YA, paranormal

Publication date: November 2011

Published by: Delacorte Press

Source: Own Paperback

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Synopsis:

Delaney Collins doesn't believe in fairy tales. And why should she? Her mom is dead, her best friend is across the country, and she's stuck in California with "Dr. Hank," her famous life-coach father—a man she barely knows. Happily ever after? Yeah, right.

Then Dr. Hank tells her an outrageous secret: he's a fairy godmother—an f.g.—and he can prove it. And by the way? The f.g. gene is hereditary. Meaning there's a good chance that New Jersey tough girl Delaney is someone's fairy godmother.

But what happens when a fairy godmother needs a wish of her own?

My rating: ★★★★☆
After her mother dies, Delaney is forced to move across the country to live with her father, a quite famous life-coach she barely knows. Little does Delaney know that her father is hiding a big secret: he is a freaking Fairy Godmother (Godfather?)! At first Delaney doesn't believe him, but she soon realizes it is all true and that the F.G. gene may or may not have been passed on to her and then BAM! She gets her first case: Flynn, a classmate from her new school. Using her F.G. magic, she helps Flynn get the girl he is crushing on by granting his wishes in hopes that completing her first case will upgrade her status to a full fledged Fairy Godmother and finally get her wand. But no one said wish-granting would be easy...

Review: My Unfair Godmother (My Fair Godmother #2) by Janette Rallison

Title: My Unfair Godmother

Series: My Fair Godmother #2

Previous book in this series: My Fair Godmother

Author: Janette Rallison

Genre: YA, fantasy, fairy tale retelling

Publication date: April 2011

Published by: Walker Books for Young Readers

Source: Won signed copy from author's giveaway!

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Synopsis:

Tansy Miller has always felt that her divorced father has never had enough time for her. But mistakenly getting caught on the wrong side of the law wasn't exactly how she wanted to get his attention. Enter Chrysanthemum "Chrissy" Everstar, Tansy's fairy in shining, er, high heels. Chrissy is only a fair godmother, of course, so Tansy's three wishes don't exactly go according to plan. And if bringing Robin Hood to the twenty-first century isn't bad enough for Tansy, being transported back to the Middle Ages to deal with Rumpelstiltskin certainly is. She'll need the help of her blended family, her wits, and especially the cute police chief's son to stop the gold-spinning story from spinning wildly out of control. Janette Rallison pulls out all the stops in this fresh, fun-filled follow-up to the popular My Fair Godmother.

My rating: ★★★★★
Tansy's life sucks. Her parents are divorced, and since she was a Daddy's Little Girl, her dad's abrupt departure really hit her hard. She lives with her mom and younger sister, but her mom seems to pay more attention to her sis. Eventually Tansy's sister gets an acting gig, and since she is underage, their mom goes along on this "trip," forcing Tansy to move states away with her estranged father and his new family. Being new at this school, the only person who really "got" her was bad boy Bo, her now boyfriend. But this bad boy might be more trouble than Tansy can handle.

Guest Post: A Time Of Once - Laura Briggs

I have a guest post today for you from author Laura Briggs! Enjoy! And make sure you check out these books...especially if you like fairy tale-type books!

Kickstarting a Series with Fan Feedback

This week, I’m excited to see the debut of something a little different in my writing career. My co-author S.E. Steinbrenner and I are launching two special edition prequels for a fantasy series set to debut in 2014. And we’re asking fans to help us write it.

The prequles–Once: The Series Beginnings and A Time of Once: The Series Prequel– are currently available for free via Smashwords and Amazon. These short volumes offer readers a glimpse of the series’ key characters and plotlines, while providing interactive ways for them to share feedback and get to know the series as it progresses.





What the Time of Once Series is Like

My co-author and I have previously done historical fairytale retellings, with First Bite: The Wicked Queen’s Tale and its companion books in THE DARK WOODS series.

A Time of Once, however, will be a contemporary setting, as reality begins to collide with the fairytale realm. It’s basically our own twist on the worlds created in TV shows like Grimm and Once Upon a Time, with a healthy dose of the original fairytales we all know and love.

There will be an ordinary town and citizens that start to undergo changes, to transform beneath the shadow of the fairytale world. Certain characters­­–a mild-mannered sheriff, a tough female reporter, and a clever little girl–will be among the first to notice the darkness that’s coming. But will they be able to stop it before everything they know and love is caught up or destroyed in its wake?

A quote from the series’ character known as the Storyteller pretty much sums it up: “What's evil becomes evil. What's good becomes good. And what's in between, it gets caught up either way.”

How Readers Can Get Involved

From July 9th-13th, readers can grab a free copy of A Time of Once: The Series Prequel on Amazon.

Once: The Series Beginnings–which features completely different scenes–is currently free on Smashwords. The Smashwords volume will be available at other major retailers (B&N, Kobo, etc) within approximately three weeks.

Visit the series webpage. Here, readers can view a photo gallery, character bios, and leave their suggestions, questions, and comments concerning the series so far. More interactive features, such as a discussion forum, will be available soon.

Also, check out the Goodreads page.