I thought I would end 2017 with a post about an amazing book series that everyone should read. Enjoy!
As much as I love reading, I loved listening to this series on audio. Chris Colfer himself recorded for this series, and his voice brings the whole series together. His voice for Mother Goose alone makes these books worth listening to. I actually hope these books arent made into movies because the audiobooks are so much better than any movie could possibly be.
6th Grade and Up
Through the mysterious powers of a cherished book of stories, twins Alex and Conner leave their world behind and find themselves in a foreign land full of wonder and magic, where they come face-to-face with the fairy tale characters they grew up reading about.
But after a series of encounters with witches, wolves, goblins, and trolls alike, getting back home is going to be harder than they thought.
This book is exceptionally clever in every way. All the fairy tales you grew up in one story told in a completely different way. For one thing, these arent the Disney versions weve grown accustomed to. These are the original Fairy Tales, and they are much darker. And second, what if the Prince Charmings in Cinderella, Snow White, and Sleeping Beauty were actually three brothers! That really blew my mind. And thats only part of a spoiler. There are even bigger secrets waiting for you in this book.
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 who cursed Sleeping Beauty 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 has ever faced.
Chris Colfers adaptation of Mother Goose is absolute genius. She is nothing like anything you have seen before. Every word out of her mouth was brilliant and made my mom and I crack up.
All the fairy tales line up in a way that makes sense, but it is hard to follow sometimes. Dont get me wrong, these books are fantastic, but with so many characters and each one having their own story, it made my head spin.
WARNING: If you havent read the first two books, do not read the rest of this post. TOO MANY SPOILERS!!
Connor Bailey thinks his fairy-tale adventures are behind him – until he discovers a mysterious clue left by the famous Brothers Grimm. With help from his classmate Bree and the outlandish Mother Goose, Conner sets off on a mission across Europe to crack a two-hundred-year-old code.
Meanwhile, Alex Bailey is training to become the next Fairy Godmother, but her attempts at granting wishes never go as planned. Will she ever be truly ready to lead the Fairy Council?
When all signs point to disaster for the Land of Stories, Connor and Alex must join forces with their friends and enemies to save the day. But nothing can prepare them for the coming battle or the secret that will change the twins lives forever.
The story switches between Conner and Alexs points of view, which I enjoyed very much, especially Conners parts. Conner is my favorite character, not including Mother Goose. He has a twisted sense of humor and is always quick with a sarcastic comment, each more hilarious than the last.
I dont know how Chris Colfer is going to outdo Conners adventure through Europe. It is brilliant. Not only is his friend Bree along for the ride, but also a special guest. Theres a twist with the guest thats so great. I practically cheered with joy.
Fairy tales and classic stories collide.
The Masked Man is on the loose in the Land of Stories, and its up to Alex and Conner Bailey to stop him. Except Alex has been thrown off the Fairy Council, and no one will believe theyre in danger.
With only the help of the ragtag group of Goldilocks, Jack, Red Riding Hood, and Mother Goose and her gander, Lester, the Bailey twins discover the Masked Mans secret scheme: He possesses a powerful magic potion that turns every book it touches into a portal, and he is recruiting an army of literatures greatest villains!
So begins a race through the magical Land of Oz, the fantastical world of Neverland, the madness of Wonderland, and beyond. Can Alex and Conner catch up to the Masked Man, or will they be one step behind until its too late?
If I had this magic potion, Id go into the Harry Potter books. Wouldnt everyone? I mainly want to see what house I would be sorted into. Probably HufflePuff. I wouldnt mind that. What books would you like to travel in? Post in the comment section?
Ill be honest, Ive never been very interested in any of the other literary worlds mentioned in this book. Im more into worlds like ChalkZone, where you can draw anything and it becomes real, or the Toy Box World from Fosters Home for Imaginary Friends. But Chris Colfers writing got me interested. Ill have to read these books if I can find the time. It might be hard to believe, but I do have a life outside of this blog.
Conner learns that the only place to fight the Masked Mans literary army is inside his own short stories.
When the twins and their friends enter worlds crafted from Conners imagination, finding allies no one else could have ever dreamed of, the race begins to put an end to the Masked Mans reign of terror. Can the twins finally restore peace in the fairy tale world?
Fight literary characters with literary characters. We get to meet some new out-of-this-world characters based on the already fantastic characters. We also learn that writers put more of themselves into their stories than they realize.
Listening to this story made me wish I could write my own stories. Im only good at writing fanfiction and book reviews. Im beginning to write my own comic stories. They arent great, but Im getting better.
Conner and Alex must brave the impossible. All of the Land of Stories fairy tale characters heroes and villains are no longer confined within their world!
With mayhem brewing in the Big Apple, Conner and Alex will have to win their biggest battle yet.
Like I said in my review for the 3rd book, I didnt think Chris Colfer could outdo the Europe adventure. But he somehow managed to do so. I still think the Europe adventure was the best, but, in this story, he has some of the characters on an airplane! It goes exactly the way youd think it would go! But I wont spoil that part. I will say that Chris Colfer has outdone himself again. This book starts great and ends great. I hope you all will love these books as much as my mom and I did.
Well, thats it for 2017! See you all next year!