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(4 / 5)
The Land of Stories #1
What happens after Happily Ever After? That’s what “>The Land of Stories seeks to answer. If you are a fan of classic fairy tales with a new twist, then you’ll definitely enjoy this series. In The Wishing Spell, our young heroes Conner and Alex accidentally fall through an old family story book and end up in The Land of Stories, where all their favorite fairy tale characters are real and living out their happily ever after…or are they? For the most part yes, but there are still dangers and challenges awaiting them, and we get to experience the world through fresh young eyes that are set on an adventure of their own — trying to find their way back home.
I have always been a fan of fairy tale retellings, and The Wishing Spell did not disappoint (though it is not technically a retelling, more like a continuation and reimagining). Colfer breathes new life into the characters we know and love, giving them unique and interesting personalities. A lot of characters make a cameo in these books, which would normally seem overwhelming to young readers, but as many of them are iconic characters from the fairy tales we already know, they just serve to further enhance the world.
I very much enjoyed the world that Colfer built, and the protagonists Conner and Alex and simply delightful. While the writing is simple, its appropriate for the age group and yet still engaging enough to keep older readers interested. Some of the themes explored in the story go much deeper than you typically see in children’s books, with an especially interesting look at the nature of evil. I look forward to seeing the world expanded and going a bit more in depth with the characters as the series continues.
Since I listened to the audio edition of this book, which is read by Colfer himself, I thought I would take a moment to comment on how well done it was. I’m relatively new to the audio bandwagon, but I have heard both good and bad audio renditions, and this is one of the better ones. Colfer transitions seamlessly between different characters voices (and yes, every character has a unique voice), which makes it all the more interesting. While I will likely continue with the series in print (audio is just a bit slow to take in), I definitely recommend the audio edition to those that are interested.