Book Review: Spelled

Title - Spelled

Author - Betsy Schow

Genre - Young Adult Fairy tale 

Published - June 2nd 2015

Publisher - Sourcebooks Fire

Format - Kindle Review copy

(Goodreads)(Amazon)

Synopsis

Fairy Tale Survival Rule #32: If you find yourself at the mercy of a wicked witch, sing a romantic ballad and wait for your Prince Charming to save the day.

Yeah, no thanks. Dorthea is completely princed out. Sure being the crown princess of Emerald has its perks—like Glenda Original ball gowns and Hans Christian Louboutin heels. But a forced marriage to the brooding prince Kato is so not what Dorthea had in mind for her enchanted future.

Talk about unhappily ever after. 

Trying to fix her prince problem by wishing on a (cursed) star royally backfires, leaving the kingdom in chaos and her parents stuck in some place called "Kansas." Now it's up to Dorthea and her pixed off prince to find the mysterious Wizard of Oz and undo the curse...before it releases the wickedest witch of all and spells The End for the world of Story. 

Review

I received Spelled in return for an honest review from the publisher via Edelweiss. Dorthea has grown up locked in the Emerald palace kept away from fire due to an ancestor who’s curse didn’t divulge which princess would be the one to burn.  Dorthea hatches a plan to break the barrier that kept her from being able to leave the palace and in doing so opens up the palace to what may be trying to get in.  Next to trying to escape the palace on Dorthea’s list is avoid marrying one of the many prince’s attempting to win her affection. It’s during the ball she learns that her parents have arranged her wedding and to none other than the guy she thought was a gardener.

When Dorthea casts a wish on a star given to her by a child she doesn’t know that her wish will change not just her life but the lives of everyone including the rules of magic. When the girl who gave Dorthea the wish shows up and reveals that she’s the grey witch Griz determined to end Dorthea and take the Emerald Throne. With the help of some unlikely friends Dorthea escapes the palace but must find the end of the rainbow if she is going to be able to fix the damage. Will Dorthea be able to beat Griz? Will she find her parents? Will she be able to fix magic and the storybook?

I admit I was a little nervous that Dorthea would be a spoiled princess that I wouldn’t’ be able to connect with but she quickly proved she may be fashionable but still has her heart. I enjoyed watching Dorthea grow from just a princess to the hero of the story risking her life and using her new gifts to save her friends regardless of the consequences. I really enjoyed the supporting characters like Kato and Rexi who stuck with Dorthea . I loved the characters they are easy to connect with and had my laughing throughout the novel.

I wasn’t sure what to expect with Spelled other than the cover is stunning. Spelled is a mixture of different fairy tales combined together to create one intricate story. I’ve always been a fan of Dorothy so of course I had to jump at the chance to check this one out. I found spelled to be a fast paced action packed novel with just a little romance. It’s well written it flows from start to finish and was easy to get lost in the novel. I really enjoyed all the little tips throughout the book from different sources, and found myself anxiously looking forward to the next one. I enjoyed Spell it was a fun story and I know I can see myself reading it again when I’m craving fairy tales again.