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The Land of Stories #2
The Enchantress Returns
Goodreads Choice Award
Nominee for Readers' Favorite Middle Grade & Children's (2013)After decades of hiding, the evil Enchantress who cursed Sleeping Beauty is back with a vengeance.
Alex and Conner Bailey have not been back to the magical Land of Stories since their adventures in The Wishing Spell ended. But one night, they learn the famed Enchantress has kidnapped their mother! Against the will of their grandmother, the twins must find their own way into the Land of Stories to rescue their mother and save the fairy tale world from the greatest threat it's ever faced.
Alex and Conner Bailey have not been back to the magical Land of Stories since their adventures in The Wishing Spell ended. But one night, they learn the famed Enchantress has kidnapped their mother! Against the will of their grandmother, the twins must find their own way into the Land of Stories to rescue their mother and save the fairy tale world from the greatest threat it's ever faced.
517 pages, Hardcover
First published August 6, 2013
3897 people are currently reading
25098 people want to read
About the author
Chris Colfer
58 books11k followersChris Colfer is an Emmy-nominated and Golden Globe-winning actor best-known for his portrayal of Kurt Hummel on the FOX television series "Glee".
He is also a New York Times bestselling author whose books include the first three novels in the "Land of Stories" series ("The Wishing Spell", "The Enchantress Returns" and "A Grimm Warning") as well as "Struck By Lightning: The Carson Philips Journal" which is a novelization based on the script he wrote for the film "Struck By Lighting" (Colfer also co-produced and starred in that movie).
He is also a New York Times bestselling author whose books include the first three novels in the "Land of Stories" series ("The Wishing Spell", "The Enchantress Returns" and "A Grimm Warning") as well as "Struck By Lightning: The Carson Philips Journal" which is a novelization based on the script he wrote for the film "Struck By Lighting" (Colfer also co-produced and starred in that movie).
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 4,329 reviews
September 9, 2013
Arrrgh these books frustrate me. The story is really fantastic. The characters are fun and interesting for the most part. Red is hilarious. But the wink wink, nudge nudge quality to the writing makes me crazy. Colfer definitely has a talent for storytelling, but it is so very obvious that he knows this. The entire time reading these books I got the distinct impression that there is a LOT of self flagalting going on. It isn't enough to write a great little bit of dialouge, there has to be a "see what I did there?!" moment immediately following it. Which comes across as pompous and condescending to the reader. I get it, you're clever, you can stop beating me over the head with it. That being said, Colfer is very young and very smart and I have little doubt that his tendency to self congratulate will dissapate as he matures as a writer. And of course none of this is to say I haven't enjoyed these books, I truly have. I'll just enjoy them more once Colfer relaxes and realizes his audience can and will find his cleverness without him having to hand feed it to them.
October 12, 2013
HOLY MOLY I CAN'T EVEN EXPRESS MY EXCITMENT RIGHT NOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
THE COVER LOOKS aMAZing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
BUT AUGUST ????? DO THESE PEOPLE HONESTLY THINK I CAN SURVIVE THAT LONG???????!!!!!!#@*^$
edit on Oct 11, 2013
Either my reading improved, or Chris Colfer's writing deteriorated, cuz this time I actually noticed his writing style. It was very.....childish.....or rather, I suppose it was because the targeted audience is younger than myself that I felt that some sentences didn't flow well, or were unnecessary. But I was willing to overlook these flaws and still give the book 5 stars,even if it did take Alex and Connor 9 chapters of 126 pages to return to the Land of Stories, and then another 8 chapters of 157 pages to actually begin their quest.
Why? Well, first off, any book that grabs me and doesn't let go until 1 am in the morning, (not that I wanted to sleep but I really had to rest my eyes), deserves a high rating. I LOVED how this book was another item-collecting quest. It's just so exciting to read about! The ending was sooo sad that tears actually welled up in my eyes a bit. I felt like I could totally understand
I'm wondering if the next book will be blue, red, or yellow? Food for thought!
THE COVER LOOKS aMAZing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
BUT AUGUST ????? DO THESE PEOPLE HONESTLY THINK I CAN SURVIVE THAT LONG???????!!!!!!#@*^$
edit on Oct 11, 2013
Either my reading improved, or Chris Colfer's writing deteriorated, cuz this time I actually noticed his writing style. It was very.....childish.....or rather, I suppose it was because the targeted audience is younger than myself that I felt that some sentences didn't flow well, or were unnecessary. But I was willing to overlook these flaws and still give the book 5 stars,
Why? Well, first off, any book that grabs me and doesn't let go until 1 am in the morning, (not that I wanted to sleep but I really had to rest my eyes), deserves a high rating. I LOVED how this book was another item-collecting quest. It's just so exciting to read about! The ending was sooo sad that tears actually welled up in my eyes a bit. I felt like I could totally understand
I'm wondering if the next book will be blue, red, or yellow? Food for thought!
January 15, 2023
this was so magical and i honestly liked it better than the first book in the series. the character of the villain was so well developed.
December 23, 2014
AHHH WHYYY. this book was amazing but the ending was truly the stand out... and i think there will be a third one (maybe, hopefully, or else). the real strength in this series is Colfer's ability to create sympathy. his characters although they may be well known, are given back-stories that change how you see both their fairytale and their character, he adds detail to the fairytale world creating shades of grey between the good and evil that characterizes them. Colfer's use of humor was wonderful and he knows just how to pull on heart strings all in all a beautiful book in a beautiful series.
October 15, 2013
Oh gosh, that was fantastic. Even better than book one. This series has so many incredible elements of fairytales that makes me fall in love with this series harder and harder with each book. So, so, so amazing.
Look for my full review soon!
Look for my full review soon!
October 10, 2017
It was so beautiful💜
Give me the third book RIGHT NOW
Give me the third book RIGHT NOW
December 10, 2021
این جلد هم به قشنگی و شیرینی جلد اول بود ولی پایانش خیلی احساسی تر بود و مطمئنا قراره شروع جالبی جلد سوم داشته باشه.
این مجموعه شاید تو نگاه اول بچگونه به نظر بیاد ولی اصلا اینطور نیست و طوریه که واقعا به دل میشینه. همه چیز یه جوری به هم مرتبط میشن که اصلا من نمیدونم تو ذهن نویسنده چه خبر شده که تونسته همچین دنیا جذابی رو با ترکیب ریتیلینگ های مختلف خلق کنه!
این مجموعه شاید تو نگاه اول بچگونه به نظر بیاد ولی اصلا اینطور نیست و طوریه که واقعا به دل میشینه. همه چیز یه جوری به هم مرتبط میشن که اصلا من نمیدونم تو ذهن نویسنده چه خبر شده که تونسته همچین دنیا جذابی رو با ترکیب ریتیلینگ های مختلف خلق کنه!
August 30, 2021
:«چون مهم نیست کجا بری و چی ببینی؛ همیشه دوست داری جایی باشی که بهش تعلق داری. »
September 11, 2015
The Land of Stories series, by Chris Colfer, published from 2012-2015 by Little Brown. The series consists of four books so far, and Colfer says the series will end with the fifth book, assumed to be published in 2016. I read the series because my daughter–and just about every other kid her age–is in to the series, and there was no way she was waiting until next year to read the first four.
The series is:
The Wishing Spell
The Enchantress Returns
A Grimm Warning
Beyond the Kingdoms
An un-announced fifth book
At least three spin-offs, coming out later this year
I really don’t like giving scathing reviews. But I don’t know if there is any other way for me to do this. I want to be all nice and give Chris Colfer a pat on his talented back, but for this, I can not. Absolutely. Can. Not.
I’m not exactly sure what it is about this series: the idea, the cover art, the marketing… but you want to like it. In fact, even as you are reading it, you still want to like the story. But there are so many obstacles, so many many obstacles, which begin with predictable and been-done. I knew almost all of the outcomes from near the beginning. I love the GoodReads review from Brett Axel, that asks, “What if C.S. Lewis, instead of honing his writing skills, watched lots of Shrek and Hoodwinked movies?” We are already getting to the point where we’ve seen way too much fractured fairy tale, and this one takes the been-done cake.
Which in itself would not be terrible. Doing something “old” well justifies itself if you do it well enough. But this one, not even close. Let’s just jump right in.
CHRIS COLFERMy daughter mentions frequently that mostly girls are drawn to the series. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out that only girls are going to tolerate all the outfit descriptions. Every time we encounter a new character, action pauses and Colfer gives a straight-forward, bland description. Example: “The Snow Queen was a tall woman with a large white fur coat, a snowflake crown, and a cloth wrapped around her eyes. Her skin was so pale and frostbitten it was practically blue. She had a strong jaw and tiny jagged teeth.” (By the way, where are the serial commas in that?) Mostly what a reader gets from this book series are prompts to imagine the story along with the writer. Mostly girls are going to enjoy this type of visual, especially about skin tone, clothing, and hair, not to mention the castles, throne rooms, and thrones. Then couple all that with the terrible action scenes. No, really terrible, and boys just aren’t going to be quite as interested.
But that’s just the tip of the iceberg, a random introduction to the issues with this series. Here’s a list of some of the many, many things that constantly distracted me from enjoying the books (and yes, I read every word of the available books):
Remedial writing. I just couldn’t get past it. I would swear Colfer wrote this as a teenager, or even a junior-higher.
Distracting and over-used adverbs
Slang. Modern, timely phraseology and expressions
Dangling pronouns
Inconsistencies
Misused words, like “got ahold of” and “dived”
Terrible action scenes (which don’t always make spatial sense)
Abbreviated heightened-tension areas and drawn out other areas
Confusion
Swear words? (Colfer has intimated that this series is for the kid in us grown-ups, but it is clearly written for a middle grades audience)
Geographical issues
Hyperbole! Lots of “always,” “never,” mixed with “almost never,” and “nearly always,” etc.
Telling, not showing: like the worst I’ve seen
Passive verbs
Passive language
Coincidences! not obstacles
Mixed prepositions
Complete lack of flow (writing intuition)
Jarring perspective shifts
Unrealistic reactions
Timing issues (especially while characters are conversing)
Hackneyed conversation
A blatant lack of editing, including obvious spelling and grammar mistakes. Chandler is printed as “chandelier”?!?
If you name a writing rule, it was broken ten ways.
I have to mention it again–and I also want to point out that I have company in this opinion–that I really felt like I was reading the work of a very determined teenager. And while I applaud the effort, I would rather see the content in someone’s more capable hands. Or not at all… I mean, this story has been told before, and it wasn’t nearly as cheesy the first time around.
What I really wonder–and was even distracted by the thought as I read–was if Colfer should have written this series as a screenplay, instead. Especially when you read sentences like this: “Reruns of a dramatic television show set in outer space did nothing to stop his procrastination.” Or, “The Enchantress forced out a theatrical laugh that did little to comfort him.” Dramatic television show? Theatrical laugh? This would be great for staging direction.
And the thought is furthered by all the telling, instead of showing. Like this: “The Evil Queen looked down at him coldly. She had no sympathy left inside her for anyone.”
By the time I got to the second book, I was hoping the writing had drastically improved with the series’ popularity. Even the first couple paragraphs have you going. But then right there, near the beginning, I was sad to be submitted to a terrible (and slightly insulting), in-no-way-covert attempt at arguing with his critics. Colfer highjacks a character to argue for him that writing does not need to be “high” writing, as long as it has passion. But let’s be honest. Simple writing includes the likes of Ernest Hemingway and William Carlos William’s wheelbarrow poem. The distinction between “simple” writing and “high” writing is not one between “good” and “bad,” or even between “passion” and “dispassion,” so Colfer is arguing oranges and apples, and doing it in the wrong place, besides. Passion may be a boon, but it does not make up for other things, like hard work, practice, education, natural talent, quality, etc. It’s like Colfer’s arguing for the participation award. Let’s compare these “simple” sentences:
“so much depends / upon // a red wheel / barrow // glazed with rain / water // beside the white / chickens.” -William Carlos Williams, “The Red Wheelbarrow”
“‘They’ll keep out of my way,’ she insisted. ‘It takes two to make an accident’” -F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby
“‘Fish,” he said softly, aloud, ‘I’ll stay with you until I’m dead.'” -Ernest Hemingway, The Old Man and the Sea
“Aunty had a way of declaring What Is Best For The Family, and I suppose her coming to live with us was in that category.” -Harper Lee, To Kill a Mockingbird
And I’ll have you know, as beautiful as all this writing is, Colfer has better ratings just about anywhere. Oh. My. Goodness.
I was so frustrated at one point, reading the book, that I stopped on the sentence I was at and asked, how would I re-write this? The sentence then went from “What had once been an imposing structure was just a massive pile of stone bricks and pieces of wood now,” to: What was once a majestic fortress had been reduced to a mountain of broken stone and splintered wood. Do you need me to walk you through the problems with the first sentence? It’s weak, imprecise, choppy, anachronistic (dimension-speaking), and distracting. I could do this to any sentence in the whole series, except for (maybe) the first paragraph of the third book, which Colfer seems to have polished up especially well… that is, until a carriage is shooting “like a cannonball” through a dense forest with a narrow, curvy path.
The real battle here is NOT whether or not Colfer’s style is simple, but whether it’s bad or worse and whether or not that means we should avoid reading it and discourage our children as well. Should we swallow a very popular book and all its bad art with its vaguely intriguing story and color-matching faeries in order to have some entertainment? One of the things that can really drive a person crazy in the arts biz is just this quandary. Because, while people swallow bad art in the name of being entertained (or titillated) every day, there are so many artists out there willing and trying to provide a product that is both beautiful and entertaining. In this sense, it matters more who holds the keys to the kingdom and not who’s making royalty-worthy art.
And why aspire to great, or even good art, anyhow? What if no one wants it? Is the aesthetic a value unto itself? Is it a question of truth? Or reality? Or physicality: symmetry and alliteration? Or a Platonic form or God-ward longing? Are truth and beauty their own rewards? And am I in the position to encourage others to find the gems among the rough and discourage the fool’s gold?
Yes, I suppose that is exactly why I write reviews. After all, I don’t get paid for telling you if a book series stinks or if a novel deserves a standing ovation. And not that I am always correct in my reading. But while on one hand I want to be gentle and kind, I also feel excited to exalt the worthy or to push the mediocre to rise to the occasion.
So in the end, I find this extremely popular series to be terrible to a fault. My daughter reads it. No, she loves it. She is ten, and she anxiously awaits the next book, which I will buy for her. I would not say that reading bad literature is exactly harmless fun, but I will point out that I survived far worse than Land of Stories, and I expect my daughter to–through a life of reading and conversations with myself and others–eventually see the series for what it really is. She’ll probably fall in line with the rest of us, War and Peace under one arm and a battered old copy of The Wishing Spell under the other.
***REVIEW WRITTEN FOR THE DEVON TREVARROW FLAHERTY/STARVING ARTIST BLOG***
The series is:
The Wishing Spell
The Enchantress Returns
A Grimm Warning
Beyond the Kingdoms
An un-announced fifth book
At least three spin-offs, coming out later this year
I really don’t like giving scathing reviews. But I don’t know if there is any other way for me to do this. I want to be all nice and give Chris Colfer a pat on his talented back, but for this, I can not. Absolutely. Can. Not.
I’m not exactly sure what it is about this series: the idea, the cover art, the marketing… but you want to like it. In fact, even as you are reading it, you still want to like the story. But there are so many obstacles, so many many obstacles, which begin with predictable and been-done. I knew almost all of the outcomes from near the beginning. I love the GoodReads review from Brett Axel, that asks, “What if C.S. Lewis, instead of honing his writing skills, watched lots of Shrek and Hoodwinked movies?” We are already getting to the point where we’ve seen way too much fractured fairy tale, and this one takes the been-done cake.
Which in itself would not be terrible. Doing something “old” well justifies itself if you do it well enough. But this one, not even close. Let’s just jump right in.
CHRIS COLFERMy daughter mentions frequently that mostly girls are drawn to the series. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out that only girls are going to tolerate all the outfit descriptions. Every time we encounter a new character, action pauses and Colfer gives a straight-forward, bland description. Example: “The Snow Queen was a tall woman with a large white fur coat, a snowflake crown, and a cloth wrapped around her eyes. Her skin was so pale and frostbitten it was practically blue. She had a strong jaw and tiny jagged teeth.” (By the way, where are the serial commas in that?) Mostly what a reader gets from this book series are prompts to imagine the story along with the writer. Mostly girls are going to enjoy this type of visual, especially about skin tone, clothing, and hair, not to mention the castles, throne rooms, and thrones. Then couple all that with the terrible action scenes. No, really terrible, and boys just aren’t going to be quite as interested.
But that’s just the tip of the iceberg, a random introduction to the issues with this series. Here’s a list of some of the many, many things that constantly distracted me from enjoying the books (and yes, I read every word of the available books):
Remedial writing. I just couldn’t get past it. I would swear Colfer wrote this as a teenager, or even a junior-higher.
Distracting and over-used adverbs
Slang. Modern, timely phraseology and expressions
Dangling pronouns
Inconsistencies
Misused words, like “got ahold of” and “dived”
Terrible action scenes (which don’t always make spatial sense)
Abbreviated heightened-tension areas and drawn out other areas
Confusion
Swear words? (Colfer has intimated that this series is for the kid in us grown-ups, but it is clearly written for a middle grades audience)
Geographical issues
Hyperbole! Lots of “always,” “never,” mixed with “almost never,” and “nearly always,” etc.
Telling, not showing: like the worst I’ve seen
Passive verbs
Passive language
Coincidences! not obstacles
Mixed prepositions
Complete lack of flow (writing intuition)
Jarring perspective shifts
Unrealistic reactions
Timing issues (especially while characters are conversing)
Hackneyed conversation
A blatant lack of editing, including obvious spelling and grammar mistakes. Chandler is printed as “chandelier”?!?
If you name a writing rule, it was broken ten ways.
I have to mention it again–and I also want to point out that I have company in this opinion–that I really felt like I was reading the work of a very determined teenager. And while I applaud the effort, I would rather see the content in someone’s more capable hands. Or not at all… I mean, this story has been told before, and it wasn’t nearly as cheesy the first time around.
What I really wonder–and was even distracted by the thought as I read–was if Colfer should have written this series as a screenplay, instead. Especially when you read sentences like this: “Reruns of a dramatic television show set in outer space did nothing to stop his procrastination.” Or, “The Enchantress forced out a theatrical laugh that did little to comfort him.” Dramatic television show? Theatrical laugh? This would be great for staging direction.
And the thought is furthered by all the telling, instead of showing. Like this: “The Evil Queen looked down at him coldly. She had no sympathy left inside her for anyone.”
By the time I got to the second book, I was hoping the writing had drastically improved with the series’ popularity. Even the first couple paragraphs have you going. But then right there, near the beginning, I was sad to be submitted to a terrible (and slightly insulting), in-no-way-covert attempt at arguing with his critics. Colfer highjacks a character to argue for him that writing does not need to be “high” writing, as long as it has passion. But let’s be honest. Simple writing includes the likes of Ernest Hemingway and William Carlos William’s wheelbarrow poem. The distinction between “simple” writing and “high” writing is not one between “good” and “bad,” or even between “passion” and “dispassion,” so Colfer is arguing oranges and apples, and doing it in the wrong place, besides. Passion may be a boon, but it does not make up for other things, like hard work, practice, education, natural talent, quality, etc. It’s like Colfer’s arguing for the participation award. Let’s compare these “simple” sentences:
“so much depends / upon // a red wheel / barrow // glazed with rain / water // beside the white / chickens.” -William Carlos Williams, “The Red Wheelbarrow”
“‘They’ll keep out of my way,’ she insisted. ‘It takes two to make an accident’” -F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby
“‘Fish,” he said softly, aloud, ‘I’ll stay with you until I’m dead.'” -Ernest Hemingway, The Old Man and the Sea
“Aunty had a way of declaring What Is Best For The Family, and I suppose her coming to live with us was in that category.” -Harper Lee, To Kill a Mockingbird
And I’ll have you know, as beautiful as all this writing is, Colfer has better ratings just about anywhere. Oh. My. Goodness.
I was so frustrated at one point, reading the book, that I stopped on the sentence I was at and asked, how would I re-write this? The sentence then went from “What had once been an imposing structure was just a massive pile of stone bricks and pieces of wood now,” to: What was once a majestic fortress had been reduced to a mountain of broken stone and splintered wood. Do you need me to walk you through the problems with the first sentence? It’s weak, imprecise, choppy, anachronistic (dimension-speaking), and distracting. I could do this to any sentence in the whole series, except for (maybe) the first paragraph of the third book, which Colfer seems to have polished up especially well… that is, until a carriage is shooting “like a cannonball” through a dense forest with a narrow, curvy path.
The real battle here is NOT whether or not Colfer’s style is simple, but whether it’s bad or worse and whether or not that means we should avoid reading it and discourage our children as well. Should we swallow a very popular book and all its bad art with its vaguely intriguing story and color-matching faeries in order to have some entertainment? One of the things that can really drive a person crazy in the arts biz is just this quandary. Because, while people swallow bad art in the name of being entertained (or titillated) every day, there are so many artists out there willing and trying to provide a product that is both beautiful and entertaining. In this sense, it matters more who holds the keys to the kingdom and not who’s making royalty-worthy art.
And why aspire to great, or even good art, anyhow? What if no one wants it? Is the aesthetic a value unto itself? Is it a question of truth? Or reality? Or physicality: symmetry and alliteration? Or a Platonic form or God-ward longing? Are truth and beauty their own rewards? And am I in the position to encourage others to find the gems among the rough and discourage the fool’s gold?
Yes, I suppose that is exactly why I write reviews. After all, I don’t get paid for telling you if a book series stinks or if a novel deserves a standing ovation. And not that I am always correct in my reading. But while on one hand I want to be gentle and kind, I also feel excited to exalt the worthy or to push the mediocre to rise to the occasion.
So in the end, I find this extremely popular series to be terrible to a fault. My daughter reads it. No, she loves it. She is ten, and she anxiously awaits the next book, which I will buy for her. I would not say that reading bad literature is exactly harmless fun, but I will point out that I survived far worse than Land of Stories, and I expect my daughter to–through a life of reading and conversations with myself and others–eventually see the series for what it really is. She’ll probably fall in line with the rest of us, War and Peace under one arm and a battered old copy of The Wishing Spell under the other.
***REVIEW WRITTEN FOR THE DEVON TREVARROW FLAHERTY/STARVING ARTIST BLOG***
January 1, 2014
Easily the biggest Middle Reader dud of 2013. True, this book has enjoyed popular success on the NYT Children's list, in part thanks to the author's acting fan following that helped build the fan base for his first TLOS installment. I enjoy Colfer's acting, including his self-penned film debut. But I'm not reviewing Colfer the actor, I'm reviewing Colfer the writer. Given the target audience / genre and other truly good intermediate titles out there, this book suffers from cliche character tropes and a poorly mapped plot arc. It should not take half the book before the main characters undertake the main quest / journey, nor should each 'major' hurdle of that journey be resolved in a single chapter. Given the age range for middle reader fiction, there are numerous language and situational choices in TLOS:TER that are more suited for a YA base. In fact, I can envision this series transformed for the mainstream tween audience; hopefully with more sophisticated character development -- right now it plays like plastic Disney Channel fare. I would not, ex., recommend this book for an above-level reader in the 2nd - 4th grade or even for a 5th - 8th grader who gravitates toward chewier plots. TLOS:TER is 'fast food' reading at best, though that is a kind assessment.
February 7, 2016
I was crying at the end of this book - so good was it!
February 5, 2022
I feel vaguely underwhelmed and disappointed.
it may just be me, but I would rather be a villain and take over the world than be on the good side and be a puppet. zero contest.
Thank you RoRo for an amazing buddy read 💛
2.5 stars
original review:
This was supposed to be an easy read with a rating of 4 or 4.5 stars, but here we are. I loved this book two years ago, but now when I read it, I see clunky dialogue, awkward writing, and plot holes.
The characters stayed the same and I enjoyed reading about them again. Except they were all white. The only diverse characters in the book are the fairy council, and if there's only one or two BIPOC people in your story, is it really diverse? There were no LGBTQIA+ couples or people, at all. I’m just putting this out there, if Froggy and Jack weren’t in the picture, Red and Goldilocks could have some sparks fly, they would be a great enemies-to-lovers couple. I mean, stealing a diamond necklace off the other’s neck is pretty flirty to me.
The writing was juvenile. Which is normal for a middle grade novel, but still. Everything was spoon fed to me and it made me feel like I was being talked to like a toddler. There were only four ways that the characters talked to one another. Yelling, talking at a normal voice level, asking a question, or whispering. Aren’t there other words for talking to one another? Chris Colfer’s writing style definitely improved from this book to A Tale of Magic, so that’s a plus.
The plot was fantastic. Really. The pacing was fairly good and the foreshadowing was on point. This is how you plot a fantasy series, people. Since I’ve read this many times before it was pretty boring, but in comparison to other fictional books I’ve read, the plot of The Enchantress Returns is up there. It’s just the writing that makes this book bad. There was a plot hole that took me out of the story and made me write a paragraph in my notes. During the scene with the sea witch, she pricked Goldilocks’ finger to check if she was of royal blood, but even if she pricked Red’s finger, the cuttlefish would have turned blue. Because Red was born a peasant. It isn’t brought up much, but her parents weren’t kings and queens. She was elected queen by the people, she was technically voted in as a president-queen person. Or does your blood become Royal when you become queen? That’s not how blood works, it doesn’t change suddenly. My point being, Red isn’t ‘royal blooded’ (she’s royal minded, but that’s besides the point), so it doesn’t make sense that the sea witch would make such a big deal, unless she’s cut off from society and doesn’t know that Red was elected in.
The world building was the same as the first book and I didn’t really get much from it. I learned a bit more about the Snow Queen, but A Tale of Magic goes more in depth. I learned a bit about the lore of the world, but other than that, nothing worthwhile was given to me. I wish I learned more, but I think this book is mostly a bridge to the next part of this series.
In conclusion, if you are looking for an original fairy tale retelling, this is a fantastic option, but as an older person who has read more books than my younger self, it isn’t that great anymore. Mixed messages, I know, but basically, if you are looking for a greatly plotted fairy tale retelling this is the series for you. Just be warned, if you are looking for great writing and banter, you won’t like this book as much.
3 stars
it may just be me, but I would rather be a villain and take over the world than be on the good side and be a puppet. zero contest.
Thank you RoRo for an amazing buddy read 💛
2.5 stars
original review:
This was supposed to be an easy read with a rating of 4 or 4.5 stars, but here we are. I loved this book two years ago, but now when I read it, I see clunky dialogue, awkward writing, and plot holes.
The characters stayed the same and I enjoyed reading about them again. Except they were all white. The only diverse characters in the book are the fairy council, and if there's only one or two BIPOC people in your story, is it really diverse? There were no LGBTQIA+ couples or people, at all. I’m just putting this out there, if Froggy and Jack weren’t in the picture, Red and Goldilocks could have some sparks fly, they would be a great enemies-to-lovers couple. I mean, stealing a diamond necklace off the other’s neck is pretty flirty to me.
Alexandra Bailey
Same as always. Booksmart and eager to please others. She is a nice character and I see myself in her, but the dialogue was badly written, so I was disconnected from her as a character and seeing her as a human. I didn’t notice this the first couple times I read this, but these kids yell a lot. Alex is now just an average character for me.
Connor Bailey
I used to think he was funny, but now he’s just dull. I like him the same amount I like Alex and his dialogue was also clunky and hard to get through.
Bob
I like Dr. Bob. He’s nice and the perfect man for their mom. He’s kind of funny too.
The Fairy Grandmother
We didn’t get much of her in this book. She appeared maybe, 3 times because Ezmia took her soul, but I still like her because she’s this grandmotherly figure who loves her grandchildren very much.
Red
She had a really nice arc from the first book to the end of the second book. I think that she would be a great match with Goldi, but Red being with Froggy is still a great way for her to arc and turn into a better person who doesn’t care as much about looks. She’s just self absorbed and a bit selfish, but not selfish enough to keep children away from the meeting that might tell them where their mother is.
Goldilocks
The twist on her character from her fairy tale is interesting, but the trope ‘not like other girls’ is heavily used. Alex even specifically says, “You’re unlike any girl that I’ve ever met.” Oh my god, to be a feminist doesn’t mean that you don’t like dresses and are incredibly tomboyish. There is nothing wrong with being that type of person, but doing that alone doesn’t make you a feminist or a strong person. I like her because she’s a strong woman, but the fact that Alex mentioned how she’s different from the female community as a whole makes me annoyed and not want to like her as much. I will continue to push a lesbian agenda of shipping Goldi and Red because they are flirting without actually saying that they’re flirting.
Jack
I didn’t really learn anything about him or anything that added to his character. I think most of his characterization happened in the first book and then in later books. I know he’s in love with Goldi and is a great storyteller *cough* info-dumping *cough*. That’s about it.
Ezmia
She’s a pretty cool villain. A lot of her backstory was info dumped onto me, so I couldn’t enjoy it as much as I did in the past. The part with her different lovers, was honestly not needed. It showed her character, sure, but it was revealed later that Ezmia cursed the Beast during The Lady of the East chapter. Her motivation was fine, but the way it was revealed made me not want to enjoy her character.
The writing was juvenile. Which is normal for a middle grade novel, but still. Everything was spoon fed to me and it made me feel like I was being talked to like a toddler. There were only four ways that the characters talked to one another. Yelling, talking at a normal voice level, asking a question, or whispering. Aren’t there other words for talking to one another? Chris Colfer’s writing style definitely improved from this book to A Tale of Magic, so that’s a plus.
The plot was fantastic. Really. The pacing was fairly good and the foreshadowing was on point. This is how you plot a fantasy series, people. Since I’ve read this many times before it was pretty boring, but in comparison to other fictional books I’ve read, the plot of The Enchantress Returns is up there. It’s just the writing that makes this book bad. There was a plot hole that took me out of the story and made me write a paragraph in my notes. During the scene with the sea witch, she pricked Goldilocks’ finger to check if she was of royal blood, but even if she pricked Red’s finger, the cuttlefish would have turned blue. Because Red was born a peasant. It isn’t brought up much, but her parents weren’t kings and queens. She was elected queen by the people, she was technically voted in as a president-queen person. Or does your blood become Royal when you become queen? That’s not how blood works, it doesn’t change suddenly. My point being, Red isn’t ‘royal blooded’ (she’s royal minded, but that’s besides the point), so it doesn’t make sense that the sea witch would make such a big deal, unless she’s cut off from society and doesn’t know that Red was elected in.
The world building was the same as the first book and I didn’t really get much from it. I learned a bit more about the Snow Queen, but A Tale of Magic goes more in depth. I learned a bit about the lore of the world, but other than that, nothing worthwhile was given to me. I wish I learned more, but I think this book is mostly a bridge to the next part of this series.
In conclusion, if you are looking for an original fairy tale retelling, this is a fantastic option, but as an older person who has read more books than my younger self, it isn’t that great anymore. Mixed messages, I know, but basically, if you are looking for a greatly plotted fairy tale retelling this is the series for you. Just be warned, if you are looking for great writing and banter, you won’t like this book as much.
3 stars
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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October 4, 2018I hate to say it but.... dnf.
I've been reading this sucker for over a week and am only halfway. The beginning was good but I'm not enjoying it anymore.
I've been reading this sucker for over a week and am only halfway. The beginning was good but I'm not enjoying it anymore.
June 7, 2015
Ok, so I read this book a LONG time ago, and I am only now getting around to reviewing it, so I apologise for vagueness.
Firstly, I need to say that I am madly in love with Chris Colfer, so anything he does in my opinion is going to be amazing. The Wishing Spell was fantastic, and I was more than excited to read The Enchantress Returns.
This book was incredible. It was amazingly written, well thought out and developed, and it had great character development. It also worked really well as a sequel; it had it's own story, but at the same time continued from the first book. Generally, this book was an amazing read and I love being transported into this incredible fairy tale world. And that ending-WOW!
However, this book was incredible long. This isn't a negative, in fact many will see it as a positive,however for me, it took a lot of time and effort to read, which I was willing to give. But if I had to nit pick, it would have helped me if it was shorter! Also, this book follows the same formula as the first; looking for items in the fairy tale world. I did not mind one bit and I was just as enthralled as I was with the wishing spell, but I wonder if this formula will continue throughout the series, and if so, if it will become a bit samey.
However I have utmost confidence in Chris Colfer's abilities and I absolutely adored this book. Any negatives I have was just me trying really hard to find negatives in order to have a balanced review. This book is fantastic and good for all ages. I highly recommend.
Firstly, I need to say that I am madly in love with Chris Colfer, so anything he does in my opinion is going to be amazing. The Wishing Spell was fantastic, and I was more than excited to read The Enchantress Returns.
This book was incredible. It was amazingly written, well thought out and developed, and it had great character development. It also worked really well as a sequel; it had it's own story, but at the same time continued from the first book. Generally, this book was an amazing read and I love being transported into this incredible fairy tale world. And that ending-WOW!
However, this book was incredible long. This isn't a negative, in fact many will see it as a positive,however for me, it took a lot of time and effort to read, which I was willing to give. But if I had to nit pick, it would have helped me if it was shorter! Also, this book follows the same formula as the first; looking for items in the fairy tale world. I did not mind one bit and I was just as enthralled as I was with the wishing spell, but I wonder if this formula will continue throughout the series, and if so, if it will become a bit samey.
However I have utmost confidence in Chris Colfer's abilities and I absolutely adored this book. Any negatives I have was just me trying really hard to find negatives in order to have a balanced review. This book is fantastic and good for all ages. I highly recommend.
October 28, 2021
"I am not a tragic case of the world; I am the world cruel, unfair, and not a fairy tale. People are not born hero's or villains; they're created by the people around them. And one day when your bright-eyed and bushy-tailed view of life gets its first taste of reality, when bitterness and anger first run through you veins, you'll discover that you are just like me- and it'll scare you to death"
Alex shook her head and gripped the Wand even tighter.
"No, Ezmia, I'll never be like you," she said. "Because I would rather have nothing and a big heart than everything and have no heart at all."
Everything went quite in the colosseum. Ezmia's hair was flowing above her, out of control.
"Oh, snap!" Connor yelled. "You need some ointment for that burn, Ezmia?"
I think I liked this one more than the first, and that's saying a lot
I've been reading a lot of classics lately, and, unfortunately, I've also been having a bit of a reading block (kinda like a writers block, don't lie, you've all had it!). I needed something quick and easy, but still hold my attention. I picked the perfect book. I loved the first book, but I couldn't find a copy of this one anywhere. Thankfully, my friend owns a copy, so I borrowed it.
The character were delightful, with Connor and Red being my favorite, both being hilarious in different ways (I also loved Xanthueus). And, as in the first book, the way Colfer connects all the fairy tales together is mind-boggling (my particular favorite being Rumpilstilskin being the seven dwarfs youngest brother).
The character development in this book was great. Alex and Connor are realistically matured from the last book, and Red is slightly less shallow.
I loved the writing. The buildup to the action was a little slow at times, but that is my only complaint. It was really easy for me to picture the characters and landscapes, and I am not the most imaginative person, so that is an accomplishment.
All in all, amazing book, can not recommend highly enough. Read it. You. Will. Not. Regret. It!
P.S.
Guys, Mother Goose is in this book, and she is not what you expecting in the least. She is kinda crazy and freaking awesome, plus, she has a goose named Lester. Need I say more?
Alex shook her head and gripped the Wand even tighter.
"No, Ezmia, I'll never be like you," she said. "Because I would rather have nothing and a big heart than everything and have no heart at all."
Everything went quite in the colosseum. Ezmia's hair was flowing above her, out of control.
"Oh, snap!" Connor yelled. "You need some ointment for that burn, Ezmia?"
I think I liked this one more than the first, and that's saying a lot
I've been reading a lot of classics lately, and, unfortunately, I've also been having a bit of a reading block (kinda like a writers block, don't lie, you've all had it!). I needed something quick and easy, but still hold my attention. I picked the perfect book. I loved the first book, but I couldn't find a copy of this one anywhere. Thankfully, my friend owns a copy, so I borrowed it.
The character were delightful, with Connor and Red being my favorite, both being hilarious in different ways (I also loved Xanthueus). And, as in the first book, the way Colfer connects all the fairy tales together is mind-boggling (my particular favorite being Rumpilstilskin being the seven dwarfs youngest brother).
The character development in this book was great. Alex and Connor are realistically matured from the last book, and Red is slightly less shallow.
I loved the writing. The buildup to the action was a little slow at times, but that is my only complaint. It was really easy for me to picture the characters and landscapes, and I am not the most imaginative person, so that is an accomplishment.
All in all, amazing book, can not recommend highly enough. Read it. You. Will. Not. Regret. It!
P.S.
Guys, Mother Goose is in this book, and she is not what you expecting in the least. She is kinda crazy and freaking awesome, plus, she has a goose named Lester. Need I say more?
July 4, 2025
4.5 stars ...
(Re-read as audiobook: July '25)
(Re-read as audiobook: July '25)
February 5, 2022
2.75
thank you to Cass for buddy reading this book with me! 💛
I am just going to go through the messages, that me and Cass texted, because I feel that is going to be easier.
In the beginning of the book, I felt that Alex was a little annoying and that Conner was probably going to be my favorite character (Conner stayed my favorite character). I had also remembered that this book was one of my least favorite books in the series.
In the 45% way point of the book, I was one of the Froggy/red anti-shipper because I do not like the relationship between them. Alex was still getting a little annoying too. I also guess that I had higher expectations for this book.
About 65% of the way through, I loved the fairys because it was just so cool. Goldilocks and Alex, even though they were really strong characters were just really annoying girls too.
About 80% of the way through, I was being extremly weird because I was liked all of the villans. Redwas being annoying as usual, Alex was like the pick-me girl that is so strong in the fantasy world but when she was back in school she was "quirky", Goldilocks even though she is such a strong character I feel is so overrated, she also just felt so unrealistic to me. Jack as well felt unrealistic. Bob was just meh to me too.
Overall, at the end of the book, I got emotional at sume parts, but I didn't really get connected to everyone. Alex was just annoying the whole book, the fairy godmother kinda felt like she had little to no emotion.
Hope you all have a happy and healthy day!
BYE!!
thank you to Cass for buddy reading this book with me! 💛
I am just going to go through the messages, that me and Cass texted, because I feel that is going to be easier.
In the beginning of the book, I felt that Alex was a little annoying and that Conner was probably going to be my favorite character (Conner stayed my favorite character). I had also remembered that this book was one of my least favorite books in the series.
In the 45% way point of the book, I was one of the Froggy/red anti-shipper because I do not like the relationship between them. Alex was still getting a little annoying too. I also guess that I had higher expectations for this book.
About 65% of the way through, I loved the fairys because it was just so cool. Goldilocks and Alex, even though they were really strong characters were just really annoying girls too.
About 80% of the way through, I was being extremly weird because I was liked all of the villans. Redwas being annoying as usual, Alex was like the pick-me girl that is so strong in the fantasy world but when she was back in school she was "quirky", Goldilocks even though she is such a strong character I feel is so overrated, she also just felt so unrealistic to me. Jack as well felt unrealistic. Bob was just meh to me too.
Overall, at the end of the book, I got emotional at sume parts, but I didn't really get connected to everyone. Alex was just annoying the whole book, the fairy godmother kinda felt like she had little to no emotion.
Hope you all have a happy and healthy day!
BYE!!
January 20, 2016
2.5 stars, I had so many issues with this book. Watch my review here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QyzRN...
The beginning of this book was slow in boring. The plot felt like it was just a recycled version of the first book (they need to collect 6 items to complete a spell... doesn't that sound familiar to you?!).
The evil characters tell you right away why they are evil, there is no mystery to them at all. The female characters were horrible.
Snow White, Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty... I could not for the life of me keep them apart! Their voices are so much the same, they could have been one and the same character! The only two female characters that had a voice of their own were Goldilocks and Red. And they too were horrible characters! Red is CHOSEN queen, the people picked her out of everyone to be their queen. You would think that they would go with someone who is smart and kind right? Well think again, Red is extremely vain and the only moment when she is not busy with herself is when she is fighting Goldilocks.
And finally the cheesiness in this book was horrible, it made me feel sick!
I'm not sure if I want to pick up the next book in the series, are the twins going to collect things to use a spell AGAIN?!
The beginning of this book was slow in boring. The plot felt like it was just a recycled version of the first book (they need to collect 6 items to complete a spell... doesn't that sound familiar to you?!).
The evil characters tell you right away why they are evil, there is no mystery to them at all. The female characters were horrible.
Snow White, Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty... I could not for the life of me keep them apart! Their voices are so much the same, they could have been one and the same character! The only two female characters that had a voice of their own were Goldilocks and Red. And they too were horrible characters! Red is CHOSEN queen, the people picked her out of everyone to be their queen. You would think that they would go with someone who is smart and kind right? Well think again, Red is extremely vain and the only moment when she is not busy with herself is when she is fighting Goldilocks.
And finally the cheesiness in this book was horrible, it made me feel sick!
I'm not sure if I want to pick up the next book in the series, are the twins going to collect things to use a spell AGAIN?!
April 12, 2024
This was an incredible adventure. I love the concept of collectibles. Only Colfer can make it so much fun.
And, again, the Wand of Wonderment wasn't so significant. But everything has to happen while the apocalypse, of course.
I LOVE LOVE LOVE the concept of backstories and broken hearts, and Colfer explains it beautifully. I hate and love Ezmia at the same time. And it was fun to face the villains.
So many more things were unraveled in this book, and I think it was the best one. I am not sure. I can never rank Colfer's books.
The symbolism was well done too. The way the twins are separated again and again shows the separation in the end. It broke my heart. (But I am NOT Ezmia).
I loved this reread. Colfer writes beautifully.
And, again, the Wand of Wonderment wasn't so significant. But everything has to happen while the apocalypse, of course.
I LOVE LOVE LOVE the concept of backstories and broken hearts, and Colfer explains it beautifully. I hate and love Ezmia at the same time. And it was fun to face the villains.
So many more things were unraveled in this book, and I think it was the best one. I am not sure. I can never rank Colfer's books.
The symbolism was well done too. The way the twins are separated again and again shows the separation in the end. It broke my heart. (But I am NOT Ezmia).
I loved this reread. Colfer writes beautifully.
August 28, 2021
4,5 ⭐️ Eine wunderbare Fortsetzung, die mir wieder ein paar magisch-unterhaltsame Lesestunden geschenkt hat. Ich liebe es einfach wie der Autor hier klassische, bekannte Märchen mit neuen Ideen, interessanten Charakteren & Abenteuern verwebt und weitererzählt. Auch wenn sich dieser Band an der ein oder anderen Stelle für mich etwas gezogen hat, war das Ende unerwartet. Ich freu mich auf Band drei! 😍🧙🏻♀️🪄
November 26, 2013
While it is helpful to have read the first book in the series, The Wishing Spell, the book does a good job of summarizing how 13-year-old twins Alex (a girl) and Connor (a boy) first discovered that their deceased father came from the fairy tale world and that their grandmother is in fact the Fairy Godmother. While they ended up in The Land of Stories by accident last time, in this tale they actively seek a portal to the other world to rescue their mother, who has been kidnapped by an enchantress bent on seizing power. Colfer reimagines fairy tale characters from a variety of sources and gives them new personalities, and I enjoyed the way he weaves what we think of as separate stories together. (Would you have imagined there was a rivalry between Red Riding Hood and Goldilocks?) A fun read.
March 17, 2019
A theme presented in this book is to follow your heart. When one of the main characters, Alex, has to decide whether she wants to go back to her childhood home with her family, or stay with her grandmother in her new home, Alex is reminded to follow her heart. Alex says this when deciding where to stay, "I wonder, though, if home sometimes isn't where you're from." Alex's mom later reassures her after making Alex announced her decision, "I'm saying, I'm not going to let you leave the place where you belong." This reminds me to always follow my heart and work hard for it even when everyone else is telling you otherwise.
January 31, 2020
This was a nice, light, & fun second volume in the “Land of Stories” series. The author did a great job of cleverly linking some traditional tales together and also sprinkled in some mirror-shards of mature wisdom. The protagonist tweens were smart but not brilliant; independent but still in need of assistance. There were some good laughs and some tough decisions and even an unexpected ending! I am looking forward to the next adventure.
September 6, 2016
Makes you feel like a little kid again! I was already a big fan of Chris Colfer on Glee, I was a big fan of him with his first Land of Stories Book but again he knows how to amaze me. I'm an adult and even I fell in love with the story!
So if you want a nice read, full of adventure that makes you want to be a kid again, read the Land of Stories novels!
So if you want a nice read, full of adventure that makes you want to be a kid again, read the Land of Stories novels!
June 9, 2019
I wanted to read this sequel as an audiobook, because it makes Colfer’s passion is all the more obvious. Unfortunately, Scribdr didn’t have it available. Nonetheless, as a physical book, it was still captivating, much more than The Wishing Spell.
A year has passed by since Alex and Connor went to the Land of Stories. The twins have difficulty dealing with this, and as if that wasn’t enough, their mother is dating again. The evening her new partner wants to ask her to marry him, Charlotte Bailey disappears. The twins find out the evil Enchantress is behind this, the villain responsible for Sleeping Beauty’s curse and possibly the most powerful fairy alive. She has been terrorizing the Land of Stories for weeks now, ready for her revenge. After they get back to their second home, the twins reunite with Goldilocks, Jack, Red and Froggy. Together, they’ll have to find the most prized possessions of 6 villains. It’s the only way to defeat the Enchantress, before all hope is lost.
This book was definitely more exciting than the first. The impact of prophecies made me think of Percy Jackson, and this time, the heroes had actual obstacles to overcome. The quest was more complicated, and it explored the virtuous sides of many villains (like Cinderella’s stepfamily). Colfer clearly shows the ‘grey area’ in popular fairytale characters. The humor and sassy comments were still comical, even though it was clear sometimes the readers were supposed to be middle graders. There were some twists that I didn’t see coming, and the ending was just heartbreaking.
Colfer clearly invests a lot of work in character building. There are backstories hidden everywhere, and there was one particular family tree that intrigued me. I was like, “ how did you come up with that?”. There is a small lack of character-building though. This is the second book, and still, Cinderella and all the other famous princesses have no identity to me. They could even pass as the same person to me. Also, while I liked how Colfer weaved all the stories together, some things were a bit illogical. Apparently, Snow White’s Evil Stepmother was born after Sleeping Beauty? I always thought all the princesses were supposed to be around the same age, so that doesn’t make any sense to me.
The story was once again very slow-paced. We’re spending 100 pages into the Otherworld before heading to the Land Of Stories, and then it takes another +100 pages before their quest actually starts. It makes me wonder how middle graders feel about this. I didn’t necessarily mind, because we got to know more about the characters and it gave us time to be anxious about the plot. Still, it does put off the upcoming action.
Colfer’s writing hasn’t improved that much. He describes nearly everything, and every description could improve with synonyms. I keep seeing the same adverbs pop up. He even mentioned in one storyline how stories didn’t have to be well written, they just had to be written with passion. I don’t entirely agree? If the concept is great but the writing is not, it could just as easily be written by another person. Isn’t that what ghostwriters are for? Yet, I’m willing to forgive the writing style, because pre-teens probably won’t mind it as much as I did.
Nonetheless, I love being transported into this world, and Jack and Goldilocks just keep me hooked. 4 stars. Please, let there be a dark storyline for a good character next time, and maybe a different set-up. A quest doesn’t need to be an object hunt all the time. Well, I guess that ending kind of made sure there would be something different about the story in the third book.
If you love Percy Jackson, fairytales and redemption arcs, this series is perfect for you.
A year has passed by since Alex and Connor went to the Land of Stories. The twins have difficulty dealing with this, and as if that wasn’t enough, their mother is dating again. The evening her new partner wants to ask her to marry him, Charlotte Bailey disappears. The twins find out the evil Enchantress is behind this, the villain responsible for Sleeping Beauty’s curse and possibly the most powerful fairy alive. She has been terrorizing the Land of Stories for weeks now, ready for her revenge. After they get back to their second home, the twins reunite with Goldilocks, Jack, Red and Froggy. Together, they’ll have to find the most prized possessions of 6 villains. It’s the only way to defeat the Enchantress, before all hope is lost.
This book was definitely more exciting than the first. The impact of prophecies made me think of Percy Jackson, and this time, the heroes had actual obstacles to overcome. The quest was more complicated, and it explored the virtuous sides of many villains (like Cinderella’s stepfamily). Colfer clearly shows the ‘grey area’ in popular fairytale characters. The humor and sassy comments were still comical, even though it was clear sometimes the readers were supposed to be middle graders. There were some twists that I didn’t see coming, and the ending was just heartbreaking.
Colfer clearly invests a lot of work in character building. There are backstories hidden everywhere, and there was one particular family tree that intrigued me. I was like, “ how did you come up with that?”. There is a small lack of character-building though. This is the second book, and still, Cinderella and all the other famous princesses have no identity to me. They could even pass as the same person to me. Also, while I liked how Colfer weaved all the stories together, some things were a bit illogical. Apparently, Snow White’s Evil Stepmother was born after Sleeping Beauty? I always thought all the princesses were supposed to be around the same age, so that doesn’t make any sense to me.
The story was once again very slow-paced. We’re spending 100 pages into the Otherworld before heading to the Land Of Stories, and then it takes another +100 pages before their quest actually starts. It makes me wonder how middle graders feel about this. I didn’t necessarily mind, because we got to know more about the characters and it gave us time to be anxious about the plot. Still, it does put off the upcoming action.
Colfer’s writing hasn’t improved that much. He describes nearly everything, and every description could improve with synonyms. I keep seeing the same adverbs pop up. He even mentioned in one storyline how stories didn’t have to be well written, they just had to be written with passion. I don’t entirely agree? If the concept is great but the writing is not, it could just as easily be written by another person. Isn’t that what ghostwriters are for? Yet, I’m willing to forgive the writing style, because pre-teens probably won’t mind it as much as I did.
Nonetheless, I love being transported into this world, and Jack and Goldilocks just keep me hooked. 4 stars. Please, let there be a dark storyline for a good character next time, and maybe a different set-up. A quest doesn’t need to be an object hunt all the time. Well, I guess that ending kind of made sure there would be something different about the story in the third book.
If you love Percy Jackson, fairytales and redemption arcs, this series is perfect for you.
April 5, 2015
I'm really surprised at all the 5 star ratings. I suppose I should say that I am an adult who read this with/for a child. So this is from my point of view, not a child's. Kids will provably like this book.... However, even my 10 year old didn't want to finish it.
The first book was good. This one... terrible. We started this a year ago (my daughter and I read together out loud). We had to stop. It is so long and drawn out with unnecessary dialogue, and completely boring plot twists. The chapters are really really long and I found that we would have to pause for a break half way through a chapter. That break would last for weeks sometimes.
For most of the book there has been zero action. I'm not looking for blood and gore, but there is an evil enchantress taking over the Land of Stories... come on! At least a little magic fighting would be nice. And they introduced Rumplestilskin (spelling may be off sorry) at the beginning of the book and we are about 2/3 through and we haven't seen anything of him since then.
I bought the 3rd book but am very skeptical about beginning it. IF we ever get through this one that is.
The first book was good. This one... terrible. We started this a year ago (my daughter and I read together out loud). We had to stop. It is so long and drawn out with unnecessary dialogue, and completely boring plot twists. The chapters are really really long and I found that we would have to pause for a break half way through a chapter. That break would last for weeks sometimes.
For most of the book there has been zero action. I'm not looking for blood and gore, but there is an evil enchantress taking over the Land of Stories... come on! At least a little magic fighting would be nice. And they introduced Rumplestilskin (spelling may be off sorry) at the beginning of the book and we are about 2/3 through and we haven't seen anything of him since then.
I bought the 3rd book but am very skeptical about beginning it. IF we ever get through this one that is.
March 7, 2020
I like this series so much, I'm adding it to my library. There's just enough adventure and tension mixed with humor and insight to make it an enjoyable read, but not without merit. It should become a classic. At the end of each book is a preview of the next, although each could stand alone.
Chris Colfer is also an actor from Glee (and other endeavors). I never saw the show, but he certainly has talent to spare. He's created a world to rival JR Tolkien, maps included in each book.
Highly recommended for teens and pre-teens, and for us adults who refuse to grow up and still believe.
Chris Colfer is also an actor from Glee (and other endeavors). I never saw the show, but he certainly has talent to spare. He's created a world to rival JR Tolkien, maps included in each book.
Highly recommended for teens and pre-teens, and for us adults who refuse to grow up and still believe.
May 4, 2022
I love this book! It is always interesting and grabs your attention. It made me never want to put the book down!
“Just because anyone can do something doesn't mean everyone should. Besides, anyone with an Internet connection feels they have the credentials to critique or belittle anything these days.”
“Just because anyone can do something doesn't mean everyone should. Besides, anyone with an Internet connection feels they have the credentials to critique or belittle anything these days.”
July 30, 2018
Loved it just as much as the first time I read it 💕
May 13, 2021
when you look at your old reviews: 😬😳
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