A Tale of Magic by Chris Colfer is absolutely amazing. “The only way to fix a curse of the mind is with the mind itself.” There is a range of true struggles and difficulties with hope sprinkled throughout. I thought when getting this book that it would be less full of dark details and may be appropriate for a younger age than it really is. I would not personally let my children read this until they were a certain level of nature, maybe around 9th grade; however, this book is more than a great read and will not be forgotten by me. This book is not directly diverse, yet is full of nods to the lgbtq community as well. I have seen where others may not feel that this book aligns with their religion or values, but if that is the case the name of the book is a good enough indication of whether or not this book is fitting for your personal requirements. I would say to avoid books that are written about witchcraft if your religion indicates that, and not to let other people’s beliefs on whether or not this book or others like it is for you. If you love books about hope, magic, and depth, I would give this series a try. ( )

This book was a bit of a slow start for me, since I had a hard time not being incredibly annoyed with the blatant sexism that set the tone for our protagonist’s revolution and adventures, but I stuck with it to see if Brystal Evergreen could overcome adversity and I was not disappointed! Colfer borrows his base plot from the likes of other well-regarded YA and children’s fantasy stories like the Chronicles of Crestomanci and Harry Potter, placing his characters in a world where they are out of place because of (SURPRISE) latent magical abilities and are subsequently rescued by a mysterious benefactor to be educated in their newfound talents. I don’t think that Colfer’s story is intrinsically as interesting as other examples in the genre, but it was an easily engaging read and I can see a lot of young girls picking this book up because the protagonist is female. He builds a complex world, which is potentially occupied by many interesting characters and plagued with the potential for political revolution, but to an extent this distracts from the central tenants of the story he’s trying to tell - establishing Brystal and her magical friends in their newfound roles as the Fairy Council, and setting out to change the world. A little bit less to begin with would have set the book up for even more world exploring in future endeavors, which seem to be forthcoming. Yet, the story is still solid and the characters are engaging as they grow into themselves alongside their magic, so I can see this book being quite popular with the younger crowd who are looking for stories full of magic and adventure. ( )

If I were younger when I read this, it would have really resonated strongly... I was the weird, bookish girl that never felt understood. I don't think I'm necessarily the target audience... I definitely think it's geared toward tweens and teens.

As an adult, I wish this book was around when I was younger. The concepts are important -- inclusion, judgment, prejudice, fear, embracing differences. I think it's so important this book is around for younger children, so they can see themselves in books and know that even if their pasts or presents aren't easy, their futures can be full of magic.

I really enjoyed the characters. The concepts were possibly simplified for the younger people reading, which I like, but the characters were so nuanced and complicated. My favorite character is Lucy. She made me laugh out loud throughout the whole book. I love her.

There was a twist at the end too, that I did not see coming! Whoa. Such a good book to read along with kids - a lot of great and important discussions will ensue!

I loved this book. The twists and turns are amazing. We are back in the Land of Stories, and we learn about the past, and how the fairy council came to be. It’s so good, and I know that this series will be another amazing one. ( )

Prequel series to the very popular Land of Stories series. It was fun being back in the same world, learning about the origin stories of some famous fairies in the Land of Stories. I enjoyed listened to the audio book which is read by author/actor Chris Colfer. Very positive messages about not having to conform to gender roles, being different is okay and accepting others different than yourself. This prequel seemed to have a bit more violence/cruelty, magical or otherwise, than I remember the original series having. ( )