Hi everyone, I hope this month has treated everyone fairly. This year has sped by so quickly it feels strange to see people preparing for Christmas!! My oldest niece turns seven this week!! I still can’t believe it since it feels as if it was yesterday when she was a giggling baby!! Today’s post is a bit of a present for her as she loves her fairy tales just like I did when I was her age!
Growing up I had this big treasury of fairy tales that kept me captivated and quiet for hours on end. It has travelled the world with me and despite it’s condition still brings those childhood memories to life. Delving into another world with Red Riding Hood, Cinderella and the musicians of Bremen was how I spent much of my Sundays!! My niece has grown up with the Disney versions of these characters but as she learns to read by herself now, she’s discovering the characters I grew up with in the little books that fill her shelves. Watching her imagination grow and flourish made me realise how much we rely on these early tales to take us on adventures!!
The titles I want to share with you on this post will take you back into the world of fairy tales and, I hope, back into your own childhood memories and imagination.
Series: The Land of Stories
Author: Chris Colfer
Illustrator: Brandon Dorman
Publication details: Little, Brown & Company; NY, 2012 – 2017
What these books are about: When Alex and Connor Bailey’s grandmother gives them a treasured fairy-tale book, they have no idea they’re about to enter a land beyond all imagining: the Land of Stories, where fairy tales are real. But they soon discover, the stories they know so well haven’t ended in this magical land. Each story will take readers on a thrilling quest filled with magic, spells, laugh-out-loud humour, and page-turning adventure. Fall in love with Colfer’s Bailey twins in this magical series as they fight against magical evil villains alongside Jack, Rapunzel and other fairy tale heroes!!
My review: What an exhilarating series this was!! Finding this series was a happy accident and led to a fantasy-filled two weeks!! Chris Colfer’s take on the legendary tales of yore gave my reading buds a tickling with lots of humour and quirky characters!! Filled with all the drama you get with twins, adult versions of my favourite fairy tale heroes and some epic adventures, readers young and old will love reading these stories. I won’t be breaking down each title but I’ll tell you this, even if you start from the middle, you’ll still end up wanting more!! Chris Colfer has also authored quite a few additional companion titles to this series. Sadly, they’re sitting quite far down my TBR list so I won’t get to them this side of Christmas!! This is a great series for both girls and boys of all ages!!
My rating: 5 ⭐
This next series of fairy tales is actually the one that introduced me to retold fairy tales. Taking the more popular graphic novel format, this series took me to distant lands as I followed the footsteps of a unique heroine!! See if you enjoy the adventures of Princess Mabel Rose as much as I did…
Series: The Courageous Princess
Author: Rod Espinosa
Genre: Fiction – fantasy (Graphic Novel)
Publication details: Dark Horse Books; Milwaukie, OR, 2015
What these books are about: This series of tales is about a princess like no other. Princess Mabel Rose may not be the fairest of the land, but she has the brains and bravery to fend for herself!! From a mighty dragon, to the evil grip of the Dragon Queen, Princess Mabel Rose must use all of her luck and intelligence to escape and find her way home. With the help and friendship of the many kindred spirits she encounters in her quest, Princess Mabel Rose must save her family and the one hundred kingdoms in this epic set of tales!
My review: What a delightful series of graphic novels!! For once, the princess is the true hero, with not just courage and determination, but compassion and kindness and a very generous heart. A series with all your favourite fairy tales mixed together into a lovely collection of graphic reads! Rod Espinosa seems to bring these characters to life in the way he draws. Other than the exciting action sequences, I loved the emotions that play on their faces and the funny and quirky dialogue between the characters!! A great series for both girls and boys!! The edition I read of this series is actually a much more recent one than the original which I believe was from 1998.
My rating: 4 ⭐
Well, I hope this selection was one that captivated your fantasy buds. I do apologise to those who were after some meatier titles. I’m a bit of a softie when it comes to fantasy and tend to delve into ones with happy endings and such. In saying this I can also truthfully add that if anyone came to me at my library and asked me for help finding fantasy reads, these would not be first on my list. I’d actually ask them what kind they wanted and go from there, as a good librarian should!!
Well friends, I hope you enjoy your reading and stay safe. I have an amazing month of December planned for all you bibliophiles out there!!
Miss Mahee
Miss Mahee's Library of Reads 