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Fairy Tales of the Open Road #1
Americana Fairy Tale
Modern fairy-tale princess Taylor Hatfield has problems. One: He’s a guy. Two: His perfect brother Atticus is the reincarnation of Snow White. Three: Taylor has no idea which princess he is supposed to be. Four: Taylor just left his prince (a girl) at the altar. Despite his enchanted lineage, Taylor is desperate to find his Happily Ever After away from magic, witches, and stuffy traditions. Regrettably, destiny has other plans for him. Dammit.
When word reaches Taylor that Idi the Witchking has captured Atticus, Taylor is determined to save his brother. He enlists the help of rakish and insufferable Corentin Devereaux, likewise of enchanted lineage. A malicious spell sends Taylor and Corentin on a road trip through the kitschy nostalgia of roadside Americana. To save Atticus, they must solve the puzzles put forth by Idi the Witchking. As they struggle, Taylor and Corentin’s volatile partnership sparks a flash of something more. But princesses have many enemies, and Taylor must keep his wits about him because there’s nothing worse than losing your heart… or your head.
When word reaches Taylor that Idi the Witchking has captured Atticus, Taylor is determined to save his brother. He enlists the help of rakish and insufferable Corentin Devereaux, likewise of enchanted lineage. A malicious spell sends Taylor and Corentin on a road trip through the kitschy nostalgia of roadside Americana. To save Atticus, they must solve the puzzles put forth by Idi the Witchking. As they struggle, Taylor and Corentin’s volatile partnership sparks a flash of something more. But princesses have many enemies, and Taylor must keep his wits about him because there’s nothing worse than losing your heart… or your head.
340 pages, ebook
First published September 12, 2014
About the author
Lex Chase
17 books60 followersLex Chase once heard Stephen King say in a commercial, “We’re all going to die, I’m just trying to make it a little more interesting.” Now, she’s on a mission to make the world a hell of a lot more interesting.
Weaving tales of cinematic, sweeping adventure—and depending on how she feels that day—Lex sprinkles in high-speed chases, shower scenes, and more explosions than a Hollywood blockbuster. Her pride is in telling stories of men who kiss as much as they kick ass. If you’re going to march into the depths of hell, it better be beside the one you love.
Lex is a pop culture diva, her DVR is constantly backlogged, she has intense emotions about Hannibal’s Hannigram, and unapologetically loved the ending of Lost. She wouldn’t last five minutes without technology in the event of the apocalypse and has nightmares about refusing to leave her cats behind.
She is grateful for and humbled by all the readers. She knows very well she wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for them and welcomes feedback.
You can find her on those Facebook and Twitter things at:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LXChase
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Lex_Chase
Find her blog at http://lexchase.com
Weaving tales of cinematic, sweeping adventure—and depending on how she feels that day—Lex sprinkles in high-speed chases, shower scenes, and more explosions than a Hollywood blockbuster. Her pride is in telling stories of men who kiss as much as they kick ass. If you’re going to march into the depths of hell, it better be beside the one you love.
Lex is a pop culture diva, her DVR is constantly backlogged, she has intense emotions about Hannibal’s Hannigram, and unapologetically loved the ending of Lost. She wouldn’t last five minutes without technology in the event of the apocalypse and has nightmares about refusing to leave her cats behind.
She is grateful for and humbled by all the readers. She knows very well she wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for them and welcomes feedback.
You can find her on those Facebook and Twitter things at:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LXChase
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Lex_Chase
Find her blog at http://lexchase.com
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Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 40 reviews
June 11, 2019
3 On the Fence Stars
I’m not sure what to think of this, as it certainly is original in re-envisioning the reincarnations of all possible fairytales existing amongst us normal mundane humans. These “Enchants” each have a set of rules to live by, magic potential to explore, and possible curses to defeat. This is a world where it turns itself on its head eschewing convention where boys can be princesses and girls can be princes. Here, time warps and shifting reality are a dime a dozen, and fate and responsibility can hang upon a person like an albatross whether they know it or not.
This starts off with Taylor. Taylor has had it rough. He’s male, he’s been born a princess, and he doesn't even know which princess he is. The fact that Taylor just might be “curseless” is the worst possible outcome for someone of his status. Taylor is also gay and doesn’t want to marry his female Prince Charming, so when he jilts her at the altar this further compounds his scandalous situation and sets in motion a series of events that have been patiently waiting to repeat themselves for the last several hundred years. Said disaster waiting to happen involves his brother Atticus, the reincarnation of Snow White, who betrayed all she loved because she fell for the evil witch Idi, thus inciting war and genocide. So, Taylor’s “misbehavior” pushes history to the edge of repeating itself, influencing Atticus to take the wrong path. Taylor must now right his wrongs, all the while being chased by the mysterious huntsman Corentin, hired by a resurrected Idi, to kill Taylor and who has his own awful curse and issues to contend with.
Whew! Confused yet? Yeah… me too.
Obviously, the setup and premise are pretty darn intriguing. The execution?? Not so much. Often I was scratching my head, I was frustrated, things were weird and crazy, and Princess Taylor was all over the place. Ensue emotional ups and downs, frenzied fantastical fights, barely contained UST, feisty pixie godparents, insane brotherly rivalry, discovering awesome true love, and embodying horrible wondrous destiny all wrapped up in one mind boggling ride.
All of that should’ve been a guaranteed win, but a lot needs to be rectified. It remains to be seen if the payoff will be worth the strenuous calisthenics my poor brain was put through. Taylor and company definitely have their work cut out for them...
I’m not sure what to think of this, as it certainly is original in re-envisioning the reincarnations of all possible fairytales existing amongst us normal mundane humans. These “Enchants” each have a set of rules to live by, magic potential to explore, and possible curses to defeat. This is a world where it turns itself on its head eschewing convention where boys can be princesses and girls can be princes. Here, time warps and shifting reality are a dime a dozen, and fate and responsibility can hang upon a person like an albatross whether they know it or not.
This starts off with Taylor. Taylor has had it rough. He’s male, he’s been born a princess, and he doesn't even know which princess he is. The fact that Taylor just might be “curseless” is the worst possible outcome for someone of his status. Taylor is also gay and doesn’t want to marry his female Prince Charming, so when he jilts her at the altar this further compounds his scandalous situation and sets in motion a series of events that have been patiently waiting to repeat themselves for the last several hundred years. Said disaster waiting to happen involves his brother Atticus, the reincarnation of Snow White, who betrayed all she loved because she fell for the evil witch Idi, thus inciting war and genocide. So, Taylor’s “misbehavior” pushes history to the edge of repeating itself, influencing Atticus to take the wrong path. Taylor must now right his wrongs, all the while being chased by the mysterious huntsman Corentin, hired by a resurrected Idi, to kill Taylor and who has his own awful curse and issues to contend with.
Whew! Confused yet? Yeah… me too.
Obviously, the setup and premise are pretty darn intriguing. The execution?? Not so much. Often I was scratching my head, I was frustrated, things were weird and crazy, and Princess Taylor was all over the place. Ensue emotional ups and downs, frenzied fantastical fights, barely contained UST, feisty pixie godparents, insane brotherly rivalry, discovering awesome true love, and embodying horrible wondrous destiny all wrapped up in one mind boggling ride.
All of that should’ve been a guaranteed win, but a lot needs to be rectified. It remains to be seen if the payoff will be worth the strenuous calisthenics my poor brain was put through. Taylor and company definitely have their work cut out for them...
September 17, 2024
2.5 Stars
I’m going to be super vague here and simply say that this was a unique contemporary take on the countless classic fairy-tales we all know (and love - if you’re anything like me).
Perhaps not executed the best possible way, I still found myself intrigued by this sometimes baffling but mostly entertaining M/M themed, fairy-tale road-trip adventure, and I daresay I’ll be back (to at least try my hand) with the already released sequels.
For a review that tells it a hell of a lot better than I could ever hope to (or bother to), please read my GR BFF's thoughts on the matter. <3
I’m going to be super vague here and simply say that this was a unique contemporary take on the countless classic fairy-tales we all know (and love - if you’re anything like me).
Perhaps not executed the best possible way, I still found myself intrigued by this sometimes baffling but mostly entertaining M/M themed, fairy-tale road-trip adventure, and I daresay I’ll be back (to at least try my hand) with the already released sequels.
For a review that tells it a hell of a lot better than I could ever hope to (or bother to), please read my GR BFF's thoughts on the matter. <3
October 13, 2014
3.5
This story starts out with a bang but there’s so much information dropped so quickly that it took a few chapters for me to get into it. Once I did though, I ended up falling in love with the characters and their journey. If you’re a fan of fairy tales this is a must read because it has such an incredibly unique spin on those familiar stories. A strange new world has been opened up here with Enchants existing and having their fates written by Mother Storyteller’s hand. It was honestly delightful to come across characters that I’ve read about for years and see them showcased in such completely modern way that still honors their origin.
I don’t want to give too much away because a huge part of the enjoyment of this book is how the story unfolds and how the twists are revealed. Basically though, Taylor is a curseless princess (a princess who has no origin) unlike his younger brother Atticus, who is Snow White. Taylor is on the run after leaving Prince Phillipa at the altar. He’s on the road accompanied by his fairy godfather Ringo and Corentin, a huntsman with his own curse. They find out that Taylor’s brother has been kidnapped by the Witchking so they’re racing to save him and themselves when it turns out that their roadtrip is under an evil spell.
Definitely a lot of information and if you’re like me and you find the beginning a struggle, I’d recommend you stick with it because there’s a huge payoff. I need to know what happens next.
**Copy provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review**
This story starts out with a bang but there’s so much information dropped so quickly that it took a few chapters for me to get into it. Once I did though, I ended up falling in love with the characters and their journey. If you’re a fan of fairy tales this is a must read because it has such an incredibly unique spin on those familiar stories. A strange new world has been opened up here with Enchants existing and having their fates written by Mother Storyteller’s hand. It was honestly delightful to come across characters that I’ve read about for years and see them showcased in such completely modern way that still honors their origin.
I don’t want to give too much away because a huge part of the enjoyment of this book is how the story unfolds and how the twists are revealed. Basically though, Taylor is a curseless princess (a princess who has no origin) unlike his younger brother Atticus, who is Snow White. Taylor is on the run after leaving Prince Phillipa at the altar. He’s on the road accompanied by his fairy godfather Ringo and Corentin, a huntsman with his own curse. They find out that Taylor’s brother has been kidnapped by the Witchking so they’re racing to save him and themselves when it turns out that their roadtrip is under an evil spell.
Definitely a lot of information and if you’re like me and you find the beginning a struggle, I’d recommend you stick with it because there’s a huge payoff. I need to know what happens next.
**Copy provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review**
August 17, 2016
Reimagined fairy tales, especially those with a twist or modernized to bring them up to date, and stories that challenge accepted gender identities and traditional roles are two of my favorite genres. Imagine my delight when I discovered the ‘Fairy Tales of the Open Road’ series and found out that it contains both elements in abundance. I know I’m late to the table with this first book having been out for a while, but now that I am into the concept of this somewhat crazy world, I am very motivated to catch up quickly. As I understand it, “Americana Fairy Tale” is the first of three books around the “screw-up princess” Taylor Hatfield (a guy with a few issues) and the “skillful huntsman” Corentin Devereaux (also a guy, and one with even more issues).
So far, so interesting. But here’s the thing. As much as the setup sounds like a fairy tale I sort of know, if you’re expecting any hint of tradition, this is not your book. Lex Chase has, instead, taken existing fairy tale characters and put them in a magical world of Enchants who live among nonenchanted humans in today’s world. Each Enchant has some sort of curse (except those who don’t – and that’s an issue in and of itself). Enchants also have an abundance of rules to obey and are tasked with keeping up tradition, which has led to princesses and princes being reincarnated over and over again, trying to follow the mysterious Storyteller’s plan.
Taylor is a princess, gay – much to his homophobic father’s disgust, and the older brother of “perfect” Atticus. Taylor has a few problems. He doesn’t want to adhere to tradition and get married to the prince of his parents’ choice (who happens to be a girl). Taylor doesn’t even know which princess he is supposed to be the reincarnation of – different from Atticus who is Snow White and, in this world, the highest-ranked princess of them all. When Taylor runs rather than marry a prince he doesn’t love, taking his equally unconventional fairy godfather with him, he sets in motion a series of events that will lead to the discovery of a nefarious plan, unprecedented cooperation between a princess and a huntsman, more ambition and spells than you can shake a wand at, and an adventure of epic proportions.
Corentin may be a feared (and somewhat despised) huntsman, but his spell has rendered him almost powerless. It is so bad that he is prepared to do almost anything, even work with the bad guys, to get back to a normal life. Meeting Taylor changes a few things for him, but their partnership is uneasy and volatile at first. Their road trip and efforts to solve the evil witchking’s riddles so they can save Atticus pushes them closer together, but a Happily Ever After seems more unlikely by the page.
If you’re looking for a highly imaginative story in the form of a novel that is so funny it might just make you laugh out loud, if you don’t mind this book just being the first part of a trilogy - which means more than one question remains without an answer by the end of it, and if you’re ready to have your preconceived notions about what a fairy tale “should be” challenged, you will probably like this novel as much as I do. I can’t wait to read the next installment!
NOTE: This book was provided by Dreamspinner Press for the purpose of a review on Rainbow Book Reviews.
So far, so interesting. But here’s the thing. As much as the setup sounds like a fairy tale I sort of know, if you’re expecting any hint of tradition, this is not your book. Lex Chase has, instead, taken existing fairy tale characters and put them in a magical world of Enchants who live among nonenchanted humans in today’s world. Each Enchant has some sort of curse (except those who don’t – and that’s an issue in and of itself). Enchants also have an abundance of rules to obey and are tasked with keeping up tradition, which has led to princesses and princes being reincarnated over and over again, trying to follow the mysterious Storyteller’s plan.
Taylor is a princess, gay – much to his homophobic father’s disgust, and the older brother of “perfect” Atticus. Taylor has a few problems. He doesn’t want to adhere to tradition and get married to the prince of his parents’ choice (who happens to be a girl). Taylor doesn’t even know which princess he is supposed to be the reincarnation of – different from Atticus who is Snow White and, in this world, the highest-ranked princess of them all. When Taylor runs rather than marry a prince he doesn’t love, taking his equally unconventional fairy godfather with him, he sets in motion a series of events that will lead to the discovery of a nefarious plan, unprecedented cooperation between a princess and a huntsman, more ambition and spells than you can shake a wand at, and an adventure of epic proportions.
Corentin may be a feared (and somewhat despised) huntsman, but his spell has rendered him almost powerless. It is so bad that he is prepared to do almost anything, even work with the bad guys, to get back to a normal life. Meeting Taylor changes a few things for him, but their partnership is uneasy and volatile at first. Their road trip and efforts to solve the evil witchking’s riddles so they can save Atticus pushes them closer together, but a Happily Ever After seems more unlikely by the page.
If you’re looking for a highly imaginative story in the form of a novel that is so funny it might just make you laugh out loud, if you don’t mind this book just being the first part of a trilogy - which means more than one question remains without an answer by the end of it, and if you’re ready to have your preconceived notions about what a fairy tale “should be” challenged, you will probably like this novel as much as I do. I can’t wait to read the next installment!
NOTE: This book was provided by Dreamspinner Press for the purpose of a review on Rainbow Book Reviews.
October 25, 2015
So, I've really been struggling with my focus and finding something to keep my attention. I'll admit, at the beginning, this book wasn't the solution. I persevered though and it got better, more exciting and overall I ended up liking it.
This is not your favorite Disney Fairy Tale. Not at all. This takes what you think you know and spins it into something not so pretty.
Really cool and clever part? Boys are Princesses and girls are Princes, sometimes. That I really enjoyed.
I think that this book set up a great world using some of what we all know and twisting it into something new and exciting and totally adventurous. It just wasn't executed in the best way. I know I was really confused a lot. Trying to keep up with each character, what was happening now, what happened in the past to effect the now, figuring out what and why and well, I was really confused. It made for some difficult reading.
But, at the end of the day I liked most of it and got most of it and am curious to how this will all play out. So, not the best Fairy Tale retelling I have read but honestly one of the most original.
This is not your favorite Disney Fairy Tale. Not at all. This takes what you think you know and spins it into something not so pretty.
Really cool and clever part? Boys are Princesses and girls are Princes, sometimes. That I really enjoyed.
I think that this book set up a great world using some of what we all know and twisting it into something new and exciting and totally adventurous. It just wasn't executed in the best way. I know I was really confused a lot. Trying to keep up with each character, what was happening now, what happened in the past to effect the now, figuring out what and why and well, I was really confused. It made for some difficult reading.
But, at the end of the day I liked most of it and got most of it and am curious to how this will all play out. So, not the best Fairy Tale retelling I have read but honestly one of the most original.
November 20, 2014
2,5 stars
A princess....
Uf...what a weird, quirky story.
i started reading this book and the opening scene, dialogue between Taylor and his pixie tingled something in my brain...like I read this style somewhere and when I checked, I saw I actually did- I read Pawn Takes Rook, so if you liked that one- the snark is present here as well.
The book is very different, though. Like a.... Tim Burton's Disney version of fairytale urban fantasy. On crack. That means that imagery is rich, characters are quirky, scenes are sometimes funny, and sometimes they came out just awkward and odd.
So, bare bones: it's an urban setting, but fairy tale characters (Enchants in book) are living among regular humans. But Enchantment world is messed up: they are forced to stick to and follow old rules that are not logical to apply in every situation. For example, every princess who is a descendant of Snow White gains her power, a fairy godmother and a magical chastity belt that can be only broken by kiss of a prince who is her true love. So, all that sounds nice...unless you are a descendant of Snow White and a guy. So, by logic you think he would be prince, no?
Nope. Enchantment law says he is a princess. And has a fairy godmother. And aforementioned chastity belt. And he has to wait for a prince who is his true love...who again, to be able to produce offspring has to be a girl.
So, our main character Taylor is a princess, arranged to a marry a prince Phillipa. But he is also gay, so he runs away.
Villain, of course, (come on, it's a fairy tale, it has to be a villain somewhere) sends huntsman to catch him. And this is how this adventure on the road starts.
Biggest problem of this novel is its pace. Plot gains steam rapidly, it's fast-paced but that was the case with PTR as well. But then there was so many action scenes they start to blur and actually do opposite of their intended use- they bore reader. I dare saying there was too many of them.
Romance was ok, logical, fun.
But I had issues with development of Atticus's character. Whole that transformation into hating, grudge-holding, lustful drama queen was unconvincing to me and I didn't really buy it.
So, I had no idea how to rate this: I mean,idea and imagery behind it is amazing, but developing that idea into story majority of readers would have fun reading seems to be a problem...
p.s. (Fantastic work on cover art).
A princess....
Uf...what a weird, quirky story.
i started reading this book and the opening scene, dialogue between Taylor and his pixie tingled something in my brain...like I read this style somewhere and when I checked, I saw I actually did- I read Pawn Takes Rook, so if you liked that one- the snark is present here as well.
The book is very different, though. Like a.... Tim Burton's Disney version of fairytale urban fantasy. On crack. That means that imagery is rich, characters are quirky, scenes are sometimes funny, and sometimes they came out just awkward and odd.
So, bare bones: it's an urban setting, but fairy tale characters (Enchants in book) are living among regular humans. But Enchantment world is messed up: they are forced to stick to and follow old rules that are not logical to apply in every situation. For example, every princess who is a descendant of Snow White gains her power, a fairy godmother and a magical chastity belt that can be only broken by kiss of a prince who is her true love. So, all that sounds nice...unless you are a descendant of Snow White and a guy. So, by logic you think he would be prince, no?
Nope. Enchantment law says he is a princess. And has a fairy godmother. And aforementioned chastity belt. And he has to wait for a prince who is his true love...who again, to be able to produce offspring has to be a girl.
So, our main character Taylor is a princess, arranged to a marry a prince Phillipa. But he is also gay, so he runs away.
Villain, of course, (come on, it's a fairy tale, it has to be a villain somewhere) sends huntsman to catch him. And this is how this adventure on the road starts.
Biggest problem of this novel is its pace. Plot gains steam rapidly, it's fast-paced but that was the case with PTR as well. But then there was so many action scenes they start to blur and actually do opposite of their intended use- they bore reader. I dare saying there was too many of them.
Romance was ok, logical, fun.
But I had issues with development of Atticus's character. Whole that transformation into hating, grudge-holding, lustful drama queen was unconvincing to me and I didn't really buy it.
So, I had no idea how to rate this: I mean,idea and imagery behind it is amazing, but developing that idea into story majority of readers would have fun reading seems to be a problem...
p.s. (Fantastic work on cover art).
August 27, 2018
Fun ridiculous over the top romp that with the fairy tale characters we all know. I loved the little twist on princesses/princes and how the HEAs we all know aren't really what we think they are. Snow White being a Big Bad is a fun twist. I really liked Taylor and Corentin together. I am still more skeptical on Atticus/Idi's "true love" but I suppose I should go with it. I feel like Atticus "turns" a little too quickly with pretty much zero motivation. I'm curious what happens next given how this one ended.
July 19, 2017
Funny, crazy, and sweet.
Mash up every single fairytale you grew up with, stretch it out, bake it, and shatter it into bite sized pieces. That's how I felt entering this crazy modern day world where "Enchants" live among the "mundane;" where princesses and are reincarnated regardless of gender; and where true love still conquers all. At least for a little while until the evil Witchking returns.
Mash up every single fairytale you grew up with, stretch it out, bake it, and shatter it into bite sized pieces. That's how I felt entering this crazy modern day world where "Enchants" live among the "mundane;" where princesses and are reincarnated regardless of gender; and where true love still conquers all. At least for a little while until the evil Witchking returns.
October 1, 2014
4.5 Stars
Frankly, I have not one idea how to begin a synopsis of this novel. To say that this was a multi-layered plot with continual surprises, beginning with the fact that both Taylor and Atticus were “princesses” and that each had a fairy sprite godparent named Ringo and Honeysuckle, respectively, is just scraping the tip of the proverbial storyline iceberg. And boy, does this berg run deep! Then we layer on Idi the Witchking, who is the ultimate baddie and who has also taken over the body of a childhood friend names Charles, and is the soul mate of Snow White—I mean, Atticus—and another layer emerges. Then we have the Cronespawn, who is our tortured hero Corentin, who is falling in love with Taylor, who he is actually supposed to kill. For you see, Corentin is also the huntsman and, as such, is inextricably bound by Idi to do his evil bidding. Idi wants Taylor dead so that he and Snow White can rule the world together, and now you have hit the jackpot of all plot lines.
Are you confused yet? Well, listen, don’t try to understand my feeble attempts at summarizing this incredibly well crafted, smart, funny, fractured fairy tale. You simply need to read it. Why? Because despite my inability to give you a succinct synopsis, this is really, hands down, the funniest romance story I have ever read. Taylor and Corentin go from being at each other’s throats and, in Corentin’s case, fighting the urge to kill one another, to the sweetest of soul mates who promise always to bring the other home. They fight everything, from Corentin’s curse (complete memory loss every seven days) to massive metal elephants and nearly indestructible flying dragons. Every time you think their end is slated, they somehow pull another life out of the bag, with the aid of the spunkiest wisecracking fairy sprite named Ringo.
To say this story is action-packed is to highly underrate all the various threads that make up this amazing plot. And throughout it all, Lex Chase uses her stunning writing ability to pull all the loose ends together to create an incredibly fun novel that kept me gasping in shock at its many twists and turns, until the very end. I loved the fact that the happy-ever-after didn’t come without sacrifice and was not near perfect. There were still curses to be dealt with and struggles for both Corentin and Taylor to overcome, but the fact remained that they would face them together, and that made this story’s ending all the better.
Perhaps the only niggle I had with Americana Fairy Tale was the very beginning. I must admit to being momentarily lost in the opening chapters due to there being so many layers that needed to be uncovered about Atticus and Taylor in order to begin laying down the groundwork for the plot to unfold. It was a fast-paced glut of information, and I struggled for a bit trying to make sense of it all. However, once I got it the story just took off for me and became an incredibly fun ride to the end.
Americana Fairy Tale by Lex Chase is just outstanding. It’s fun, action, and romance all rolled into one—just like a fairy tale should be.
Frankly, I have not one idea how to begin a synopsis of this novel. To say that this was a multi-layered plot with continual surprises, beginning with the fact that both Taylor and Atticus were “princesses” and that each had a fairy sprite godparent named Ringo and Honeysuckle, respectively, is just scraping the tip of the proverbial storyline iceberg. And boy, does this berg run deep! Then we layer on Idi the Witchking, who is the ultimate baddie and who has also taken over the body of a childhood friend names Charles, and is the soul mate of Snow White—I mean, Atticus—and another layer emerges. Then we have the Cronespawn, who is our tortured hero Corentin, who is falling in love with Taylor, who he is actually supposed to kill. For you see, Corentin is also the huntsman and, as such, is inextricably bound by Idi to do his evil bidding. Idi wants Taylor dead so that he and Snow White can rule the world together, and now you have hit the jackpot of all plot lines.
Are you confused yet? Well, listen, don’t try to understand my feeble attempts at summarizing this incredibly well crafted, smart, funny, fractured fairy tale. You simply need to read it. Why? Because despite my inability to give you a succinct synopsis, this is really, hands down, the funniest romance story I have ever read. Taylor and Corentin go from being at each other’s throats and, in Corentin’s case, fighting the urge to kill one another, to the sweetest of soul mates who promise always to bring the other home. They fight everything, from Corentin’s curse (complete memory loss every seven days) to massive metal elephants and nearly indestructible flying dragons. Every time you think their end is slated, they somehow pull another life out of the bag, with the aid of the spunkiest wisecracking fairy sprite named Ringo.
To say this story is action-packed is to highly underrate all the various threads that make up this amazing plot. And throughout it all, Lex Chase uses her stunning writing ability to pull all the loose ends together to create an incredibly fun novel that kept me gasping in shock at its many twists and turns, until the very end. I loved the fact that the happy-ever-after didn’t come without sacrifice and was not near perfect. There were still curses to be dealt with and struggles for both Corentin and Taylor to overcome, but the fact remained that they would face them together, and that made this story’s ending all the better.
Perhaps the only niggle I had with Americana Fairy Tale was the very beginning. I must admit to being momentarily lost in the opening chapters due to there being so many layers that needed to be uncovered about Atticus and Taylor in order to begin laying down the groundwork for the plot to unfold. It was a fast-paced glut of information, and I struggled for a bit trying to make sense of it all. However, once I got it the story just took off for me and became an incredibly fun ride to the end.
Americana Fairy Tale by Lex Chase is just outstanding. It’s fun, action, and romance all rolled into one—just like a fairy tale should be.
September 11, 2016
4.75 stars
Frankly, I have not one idea how to begin a synopsis of this novel. To say that this was a multi-layered plot with continual surprises beginning with the fact that both Taylor and Atticus were “princesses” and that each had a fairy sprite godparent, named Ringo and Honeysuckle, respectively, is just scraping the tip of the proverbial story line iceberg. And boy does this berg run deep! Then we layer on Idi the Witchking, who is the ultimate baddie and who has also taken over the body of a childhood friend names Charles and is the soul mate of Snow White, I mean, Atticus and another layer emerges. Then we have the Cronespawn, who is our tortured hero Corentin, who is falling in love with Taylor, whom he is actually supposed to kill. For you see, Corentin is also the huntsman and, as such, is inextricably bound by Idi to do his evil bidding. Idi wants Taylor dead so that he and Snow White can rule the world together and now you have hit the jackpot of all plot lines.
Are you confused yet? Well, listen—don’t try to understand my feeble attempts at summarizing this incredibly well crafted, smart, funny, fractured fairy tale. You simply need to read it. Why? Well, despite my inability to give you a succinct synopsis, this is really hands down the funniest romance story I have ever read. Taylor and Corentin go from being at each other’s throats and, in Corentin’s case, fighting the urge to kill one another to the sweetest of soul mates—who promise always to bring the other home. They fight everything from Corentin’s curse (complete memory loss every seven days) to massive metal elephants and nearly indestructible flying dragons. Every time you think their end is slated, they somehow pull another life out of the bag with the aid of the spunkiest wisecracking fairy sprite named Ringo.
To say this story is action-packed is to highly underrate all the various threads that make up this amazing plot. And throughout it all, author Lex Chase uses her stunning writing ability to pull all the loose ends together to create an incredibly fun novel that kept me gasping in shock at its many twists and turns till the very end. I loved the fact that the happy ever after didn’t come without sacrifice and was not near perfect. There were still curses to be dealt with and struggles for both Corentin and Taylor to overcome, but the fact remained that they would face them together and that made this story’s ending all the better.
Perhaps the only niggle I had with Americana Fairy Tale was the very beginning. I must admit to being momentarily lost in the opening chapters due to their being so many layers that needed to be uncovered about Atticus and Taylor in order to begin laying down the groundwork for the plot to unfold. It was a fast-paced glut of information and I struggled for a bit trying to make sense of it all. However, once I got it, the story just took off for me and became an incredibly fun ride to the end.
Frankly, I have not one idea how to begin a synopsis of this novel. To say that this was a multi-layered plot with continual surprises beginning with the fact that both Taylor and Atticus were “princesses” and that each had a fairy sprite godparent, named Ringo and Honeysuckle, respectively, is just scraping the tip of the proverbial story line iceberg. And boy does this berg run deep! Then we layer on Idi the Witchking, who is the ultimate baddie and who has also taken over the body of a childhood friend names Charles and is the soul mate of Snow White, I mean, Atticus and another layer emerges. Then we have the Cronespawn, who is our tortured hero Corentin, who is falling in love with Taylor, whom he is actually supposed to kill. For you see, Corentin is also the huntsman and, as such, is inextricably bound by Idi to do his evil bidding. Idi wants Taylor dead so that he and Snow White can rule the world together and now you have hit the jackpot of all plot lines.
Are you confused yet? Well, listen—don’t try to understand my feeble attempts at summarizing this incredibly well crafted, smart, funny, fractured fairy tale. You simply need to read it. Why? Well, despite my inability to give you a succinct synopsis, this is really hands down the funniest romance story I have ever read. Taylor and Corentin go from being at each other’s throats and, in Corentin’s case, fighting the urge to kill one another to the sweetest of soul mates—who promise always to bring the other home. They fight everything from Corentin’s curse (complete memory loss every seven days) to massive metal elephants and nearly indestructible flying dragons. Every time you think their end is slated, they somehow pull another life out of the bag with the aid of the spunkiest wisecracking fairy sprite named Ringo.
To say this story is action-packed is to highly underrate all the various threads that make up this amazing plot. And throughout it all, author Lex Chase uses her stunning writing ability to pull all the loose ends together to create an incredibly fun novel that kept me gasping in shock at its many twists and turns till the very end. I loved the fact that the happy ever after didn’t come without sacrifice and was not near perfect. There were still curses to be dealt with and struggles for both Corentin and Taylor to overcome, but the fact remained that they would face them together and that made this story’s ending all the better.
Perhaps the only niggle I had with Americana Fairy Tale was the very beginning. I must admit to being momentarily lost in the opening chapters due to their being so many layers that needed to be uncovered about Atticus and Taylor in order to begin laying down the groundwork for the plot to unfold. It was a fast-paced glut of information and I struggled for a bit trying to make sense of it all. However, once I got it, the story just took off for me and became an incredibly fun ride to the end.
October 24, 2014
A Joyfully Jay review.
5 stars
This book is all of fairy tale land on speed. In a good way. I’m so very in love with these characters and the world in general. I’m having a hard time not gushing all over the page and ruining this whole book for you. It’s that good. I read this book because, first and foremost, I love fairy tales. Who doesn’t? We’re raised on them. But geez, I love a good (and sexy) twist on them too. Americana Fairy Tale is all kinds of twisted. Second is the fact that I have come to adore this author’s work. This is a lesser reason for me to pick up the work, but still a good reason for the simple fact that I never know what to expect from Chase. I’m happy to say I was pleasantly surprised at all turns.
Chase has taken fairy tales remade to a new level with this book. There are so many twists, quirks, happenings–whatever you want to call them–that kept me off balance enough to keep me guessing and wondering throughout the entire story. First, the author created a fairy tale world inside a world–which, yes, has been done before. The world of magic and wonder inside of our reality, America. Here, in Chase’s world, there are male princesses. Several characteristics define a male princess, the greatest being their fairy godmother or fairy godfather. In Taylor’s case, he’s Ringo. Geez, I love Ringo. Princesses in general have rules in this world–they can’t have sex or feel pleasure outside of being with their one true love, at the age of twenty-five the oldest is married off, they have to continue the line. There are more, but really, do you want me to give everything away?
Read Michelle's review in its entirety here.
5 stars
This book is all of fairy tale land on speed. In a good way. I’m so very in love with these characters and the world in general. I’m having a hard time not gushing all over the page and ruining this whole book for you. It’s that good. I read this book because, first and foremost, I love fairy tales. Who doesn’t? We’re raised on them. But geez, I love a good (and sexy) twist on them too. Americana Fairy Tale is all kinds of twisted. Second is the fact that I have come to adore this author’s work. This is a lesser reason for me to pick up the work, but still a good reason for the simple fact that I never know what to expect from Chase. I’m happy to say I was pleasantly surprised at all turns.
Chase has taken fairy tales remade to a new level with this book. There are so many twists, quirks, happenings–whatever you want to call them–that kept me off balance enough to keep me guessing and wondering throughout the entire story. First, the author created a fairy tale world inside a world–which, yes, has been done before. The world of magic and wonder inside of our reality, America. Here, in Chase’s world, there are male princesses. Several characteristics define a male princess, the greatest being their fairy godmother or fairy godfather. In Taylor’s case, he’s Ringo. Geez, I love Ringo. Princesses in general have rules in this world–they can’t have sex or feel pleasure outside of being with their one true love, at the age of twenty-five the oldest is married off, they have to continue the line. There are more, but really, do you want me to give everything away?
Read Michelle's review in its entirety here.
January 4, 2015
This book was a fascinating read of epic proportion! Lex give a very cool and wicked twist to the classic children's fairy tales, namely Snow White, The Huntsman, and Sleeping Beauty. Where all the re-encarnated princessses are guys. There will be no mome spoilers. I have already hinted enough. That was quite refreshing to me. The fascinating parts was the setting of the story is all over the United States. There are all sort of elements put into this story: Drama, action, intrigue, suspense, hope, loss, redemption, etc. There were interesting happenings in every chapters. It was definitely a "on the edge of your seat page turner" In my opinion , it would be a blockbuster if it make into a movie. It could rival The Lords of the Ring, but set in modern time. Lex is definitely a great story teller. I hope there will be a second installment to this book. In the mean time, I will definitely check out her other works.
December 16, 2014
This book had good bones. I always enjoy a good retelling of an old favourite, and I like roadtrips and enemies-to-lovers stories. But the frenetic pace and winding plot did it no favours. I stopped being able to keep track and eventually just stopped caring. I basically just skimmed the last 25% or so.
April 6, 2015
3.5 whimsically fun stars
This was an extremely fast paced, potpourri of wackiness that just seemed to work for me. I did lose track of where/what/who a couple times, and there were some things left unanswered, but I didn't seem to care in the end.
Just plain fun.
This was an extremely fast paced, potpourri of wackiness that just seemed to work for me. I did lose track of where/what/who a couple times, and there were some things left unanswered, but I didn't seem to care in the end.
Just plain fun.
February 15, 2015
Review can be read at It's About The Book
I’m convinced that no one but Lex Chase could take two classic fairy tales, mix them up, twist them around each other, add just the right amount of quirky humor, and end up with a completely original and delightful story!
Taylor is the black sheep of the Hatfield family, a prominent family of Enchants. His brother Atticus is the hereditary Snow White and, according to Taylor’s parents, the perfect son. Taylor, on the other hand is not. He’s rather an embarrassment to the family, and they are trying very hard to ignore that he exists. He’s apparently curseless, a terrible stigma for an Enchant, and he’s gay. Could it get any worse? Well, yes, it can.
Taylor and his fairy godfather Ringo are preparing to celebrate Taylor’s 25th birthday when a most unwelcome visitor appears. It is Prince Phillipa Montclair, Taylor’s chosen bride, come to fetch him home for their wedding. Taylor is trapped. Afraid he has no choice other than to do his duty to Enchant tradition and the Hatfield legacy, he agrees to the marriage. The day comes, and Taylor realizes that he absolutely cannot do this. He and Ringo take off in the middle of the ceremony, leaving Atticus to deal with the fallout.
Atticus gets quite a surprise when he learns that Charles, an apparently harmless friend, turns out to be harboring the spirit of Idi, the Witchking. Taylor’s marriage is part of a larger scheme and Charles is very unhappy to see his plan falling apart. He calls out Corentin Devereaux, a Huntsman, to find and kill Taylor. Corentin finds Taylor and Ringo at a rest stop, broke and out of gas, and offers them a ride, intending to take care of matters as soon as the opportunity presents itself. It’s a good plan, but Corentin learns that Atticus is being held captive by Charles and decides instead to help Ringo and Taylor save Atticus.
Charles is in no mood to be thwarted and sends the trio on an endless road trip, jumping from place to place but never accomplishing anything except seeing some of the kitschiest roadside attractions in the country and generally wreaking havoc along the way. Nothing is as it seems, and it’s interesting to see the relationship develop between the MCs as they learn more and more surprising things about each other. I can’t tell you anymore without spoiling the fun, but I can say that I loved the way everything turned out.
This book is pure fun. If you’re looking for a lighthearted, thoroughly enjoyable read with a good dash of pure fantasy, I would highly recommend it. It’s the first in a series, and I’m anxious to see what Lex comes up with next.
I’m convinced that no one but Lex Chase could take two classic fairy tales, mix them up, twist them around each other, add just the right amount of quirky humor, and end up with a completely original and delightful story!
Taylor is the black sheep of the Hatfield family, a prominent family of Enchants. His brother Atticus is the hereditary Snow White and, according to Taylor’s parents, the perfect son. Taylor, on the other hand is not. He’s rather an embarrassment to the family, and they are trying very hard to ignore that he exists. He’s apparently curseless, a terrible stigma for an Enchant, and he’s gay. Could it get any worse? Well, yes, it can.
Taylor and his fairy godfather Ringo are preparing to celebrate Taylor’s 25th birthday when a most unwelcome visitor appears. It is Prince Phillipa Montclair, Taylor’s chosen bride, come to fetch him home for their wedding. Taylor is trapped. Afraid he has no choice other than to do his duty to Enchant tradition and the Hatfield legacy, he agrees to the marriage. The day comes, and Taylor realizes that he absolutely cannot do this. He and Ringo take off in the middle of the ceremony, leaving Atticus to deal with the fallout.
Atticus gets quite a surprise when he learns that Charles, an apparently harmless friend, turns out to be harboring the spirit of Idi, the Witchking. Taylor’s marriage is part of a larger scheme and Charles is very unhappy to see his plan falling apart. He calls out Corentin Devereaux, a Huntsman, to find and kill Taylor. Corentin finds Taylor and Ringo at a rest stop, broke and out of gas, and offers them a ride, intending to take care of matters as soon as the opportunity presents itself. It’s a good plan, but Corentin learns that Atticus is being held captive by Charles and decides instead to help Ringo and Taylor save Atticus.
Charles is in no mood to be thwarted and sends the trio on an endless road trip, jumping from place to place but never accomplishing anything except seeing some of the kitschiest roadside attractions in the country and generally wreaking havoc along the way. Nothing is as it seems, and it’s interesting to see the relationship develop between the MCs as they learn more and more surprising things about each other. I can’t tell you anymore without spoiling the fun, but I can say that I loved the way everything turned out.
This book is pure fun. If you’re looking for a lighthearted, thoroughly enjoyable read with a good dash of pure fantasy, I would highly recommend it. It’s the first in a series, and I’m anxious to see what Lex comes up with next.
January 12, 2016
This book was so good..
It was so different from anything I have read before. Taylor is a princess who has no idea which one he is.. Oh and he is a man! I loved the comedy in this book! Taylor runs from his wedding which was supposed to be to a prince in a woman's body. That is when he meets Corentin who is a huntsman but also is so much more, which I cant say without giving away any spoilers.
There was so much action in this book and secrets that I was on the edge of my seat until I finished because I could not put this book down! Also the sweet and steam between these two was perfect.
I really loved this world the author created and the pretense of this book was awesome!
Oh and the ending was so good when he finds out everything! You get to also meet so many characters in this book. The ones you will love and the ones you thought were good then they show you their true self.
All together I really loved this book!
I would definitely recommend this book!
I received this book free in exchange for an honest review from Inked Rainbow Reads.
It was so different from anything I have read before. Taylor is a princess who has no idea which one he is.. Oh and he is a man! I loved the comedy in this book! Taylor runs from his wedding which was supposed to be to a prince in a woman's body. That is when he meets Corentin who is a huntsman but also is so much more, which I cant say without giving away any spoilers.
There was so much action in this book and secrets that I was on the edge of my seat until I finished because I could not put this book down! Also the sweet and steam between these two was perfect.
I really loved this world the author created and the pretense of this book was awesome!
Oh and the ending was so good when he finds out everything! You get to also meet so many characters in this book. The ones you will love and the ones you thought were good then they show you their true self.
All together I really loved this book!
I would definitely recommend this book!
I received this book free in exchange for an honest review from Inked Rainbow Reads.
December 5, 2014
You're not supposed to judge a book by the cover, but look at this cover! It's gorgeous!
This was a fun mix of all kinds of fairy tales into one adventure/fantasy story. The story was clever and I liked the way the characters took a road trip to obscure parts of the country and then put a fun fairy tale spin on those places. I didn't really get a romance vibe out of this story other than the requisite happy ever after. The romance didn't really pick up until the end which was fine with me. I ended up skimming the sex scenes anyway.
This was a fun mix of all kinds of fairy tales into one adventure/fantasy story. The story was clever and I liked the way the characters took a road trip to obscure parts of the country and then put a fun fairy tale spin on those places. I didn't really get a romance vibe out of this story other than the requisite happy ever after. The romance didn't really pick up until the end which was fine with me. I ended up skimming the sex scenes anyway.
February 22, 2017
This was an amazing twisted fairy tale road trip! The scenes were well described and vivid. The characters well developed and interesting. The plot was unique and very engaging. I had a hard time putting it down!
There is something thought provoking when dealing with male princesses and all the princess rules. A look at how we treat women, and women in fairy tales in particular.
I am going to jump into book 2 right away!
There is something thought provoking when dealing with male princesses and all the princess rules. A look at how we treat women, and women in fairy tales in particular.
I am going to jump into book 2 right away!
November 17, 2016
Enjoyable and lightweight. This was a likeable and easy fairy-tale mashup romance. It was entertaining and fast-paced. I liked it, but I'm not keen enough to read the second book. I love the covers for this series--they are fresh and different and very cool.
December 3, 2017
Reviewed on The Blogger Girls
3.5 stars
I’m at a loss on how to review this book. On one hand, I really enjoyed this one and the twists and turns there is. But on the other hand, I had a lot of issues with it. Let’s start with the characters. I adored Taylor as a character. At first, I wasn’t really feeling him because I felt like even though Taylor was a guy, he acted like a girl, totally embracing the ‘princess’ title even though he hated being labeled a princess. It was a little aggravating but as the story progressed, I started to adore him and his quirkiness. The fact that he couldn’t seem to get a break and kept getting himself into awkward situations was just too cute.
Corentin was a bit of a mystery but I grew to like his gruffness and how cryptic he was. I liked that his curse caused him to have such a huge journal and I liked that even though he was in a bad position, he couldn’t help but develop feelings for Taylor. I also really liked his curse and it was interesting to see him struggle with wanting to tell Taylor and keep it a secret. He was definitely my favorite character.
While I really enjoyed this story, when I got to about 40% it just started to drag. It felt like the same thing over and over (which it kind of was) and I just got tired of it. It was a struggle to keep reading. On top of that, the story starts off with a lot of information and questions. Even at the end of the book, I still didn’t get answers. For instance, how is one determined if they’re a princess or a prince? How is it determined which princess or prince they are? Why was it okay for Taylor’s parents to both be princesses but not okay for him to be a gay princess? How did no one know that his line continued to have princesses? Why would no one help Taylor and Corentin? Gosh, I just have so many questions. Add to that, I really didn’t like the ending…. well I did but it was just so open-ended. After that entire novel (a HUGE one), I felt like the story should have been much farther along and should have answered way more questions for how long it was. There should have been a good amount of conclusion to it but there wasn’t so I was a bit disappointed with it.
In the end, I won’t deny that I did enjoy the story. I loved the characters and I did ultimately enjoy the journey they went through to overcome their obstacles but I felt like for such a monster of a book, we should have gotten a lot more answers than were given. I’m not sure if I want to continue reading the series, though, considering how confused I still am after 300+ pages. But readers should determine that for themselves if they want to try this one. It IS an interesting story so I do encourage readers to at least try it.
3.5 stars
I’m at a loss on how to review this book. On one hand, I really enjoyed this one and the twists and turns there is. But on the other hand, I had a lot of issues with it. Let’s start with the characters. I adored Taylor as a character. At first, I wasn’t really feeling him because I felt like even though Taylor was a guy, he acted like a girl, totally embracing the ‘princess’ title even though he hated being labeled a princess. It was a little aggravating but as the story progressed, I started to adore him and his quirkiness. The fact that he couldn’t seem to get a break and kept getting himself into awkward situations was just too cute.
Corentin was a bit of a mystery but I grew to like his gruffness and how cryptic he was. I liked that his curse caused him to have such a huge journal and I liked that even though he was in a bad position, he couldn’t help but develop feelings for Taylor. I also really liked his curse and it was interesting to see him struggle with wanting to tell Taylor and keep it a secret. He was definitely my favorite character.
While I really enjoyed this story, when I got to about 40% it just started to drag. It felt like the same thing over and over (which it kind of was) and I just got tired of it. It was a struggle to keep reading. On top of that, the story starts off with a lot of information and questions. Even at the end of the book, I still didn’t get answers. For instance, how is one determined if they’re a princess or a prince? How is it determined which princess or prince they are? Why was it okay for Taylor’s parents to both be princesses but not okay for him to be a gay princess? How did no one know that his line continued to have princesses? Why would no one help Taylor and Corentin? Gosh, I just have so many questions. Add to that, I really didn’t like the ending…. well I did but it was just so open-ended. After that entire novel (a HUGE one), I felt like the story should have been much farther along and should have answered way more questions for how long it was. There should have been a good amount of conclusion to it but there wasn’t so I was a bit disappointed with it.
In the end, I won’t deny that I did enjoy the story. I loved the characters and I did ultimately enjoy the journey they went through to overcome their obstacles but I felt like for such a monster of a book, we should have gotten a lot more answers than were given. I’m not sure if I want to continue reading the series, though, considering how confused I still am after 300+ pages. But readers should determine that for themselves if they want to try this one. It IS an interesting story so I do encourage readers to at least try it.
July 27, 2017
3.5 ROUNDED UP!
A good mix of action, familial drama, fairy-tale derived fantasy, and romance!
This book was right down my alley! Gimme a modern day, fairy tale-laced action-adventure any day of the week!
I'll make this review way easier and less ramble-y than my others. (At least, that's my goal. :P Not sure if I'll actually succeed.)
Hope you enjoy the review!
THE GOOD:
- Length-wise, this book was fantastic, and at 300+ pages, you really get to absorb all the details and pace yourself to enjoy everything it has to offer.
- The fantasy, even though not fully realized (as there are two other novels in the series), was still bang on. There was enough info-dumping to keep me satisfied and not in the dark.
Magic is kinda tricky to write, especially because everyone has their own opinion on how others should write it (EVEN THOUGH IT'S MAGIC, pfft), but LC did a reasonable job at introducing the laws of her world to us, and was pretty consistent throughout the novel as far as how magic worked in this universe.
- The action was REEAAAL good, y'all. LC is great at writing action scenes, and while not the smoothest I've read, it was still really enjoyable.
- The cast! The cast was great! Not too many side characters, and the ones that were there were fully utilized (except for one)!
THE BAD
- Sooo, the pacing of the story was "meh". "Inconsistent" might be a better word. It's kinda slow, then fast, then slow, then really fast and then kinda slow again. In some novels that kind of pacing works, but it just seemed a little off in this one. Yoou'll know it when ya read it.
- The overall "tone" of the novel missed the mark by a little, too. While the general feeling of any given scene can change, the underlying tone of the novel wasn't really well-established(eg. Is it supposed to be light-hearted adventure-time, or super pathos-rich drama fantasy?).
I wasn't sure whether to put a Bryan Singer- or Guy Ritchie-filter on my mind-movie, if you know what I mean.
- So, I mentioned info-dumping and consistency up there. While there was consistency in how the laws of magic played out in her universe throughout the novel, the info-dumping wasn't smooth enough for me. The fact that the MC had a fairy-godfather there to help him along his quest wasn't used to his fullest potential in introducing the more intimate details of magic, and you were left a tad bit confused.
- How the MC, Taylor, was written. How many times can one person "screech" or "squeal" their dialogue? (Hint: A LOT)
Taylor's dialogue and development was the least fleshed out, and I was left unimpressed and a lil' annoyed at him.
OVERALL, I'D RECOMMEND YOU GUYS TO READ THIS!
ANYWAYS, KISSES! MUAH!
XO
- M
A good mix of action, familial drama, fairy-tale derived fantasy, and romance!
This book was right down my alley! Gimme a modern day, fairy tale-laced action-adventure any day of the week!
I'll make this review way easier and less ramble-y than my others. (At least, that's my goal. :P Not sure if I'll actually succeed.)
Hope you enjoy the review!
THE GOOD:
- Length-wise, this book was fantastic, and at 300+ pages, you really get to absorb all the details and pace yourself to enjoy everything it has to offer.
- The fantasy, even though not fully realized (as there are two other novels in the series), was still bang on. There was enough info-dumping to keep me satisfied and not in the dark.
Magic is kinda tricky to write, especially because everyone has their own opinion on how others should write it (EVEN THOUGH IT'S MAGIC, pfft), but LC did a reasonable job at introducing the laws of her world to us, and was pretty consistent throughout the novel as far as how magic worked in this universe.
- The action was REEAAAL good, y'all. LC is great at writing action scenes, and while not the smoothest I've read, it was still really enjoyable.
- The cast! The cast was great! Not too many side characters, and the ones that were there were fully utilized (except for one)!
THE BAD
- Sooo, the pacing of the story was "meh". "Inconsistent" might be a better word. It's kinda slow, then fast, then slow, then really fast and then kinda slow again. In some novels that kind of pacing works, but it just seemed a little off in this one. Yoou'll know it when ya read it.
- The overall "tone" of the novel missed the mark by a little, too. While the general feeling of any given scene can change, the underlying tone of the novel wasn't really well-established(eg. Is it supposed to be light-hearted adventure-time, or super pathos-rich drama fantasy?).
I wasn't sure whether to put a Bryan Singer- or Guy Ritchie-filter on my mind-movie, if you know what I mean.
- So, I mentioned info-dumping and consistency up there. While there was consistency in how the laws of magic played out in her universe throughout the novel, the info-dumping wasn't smooth enough for me. The fact that the MC had a fairy-godfather there to help him along his quest wasn't used to his fullest potential in introducing the more intimate details of magic, and you were left a tad bit confused.
- How the MC, Taylor, was written. How many times can one person "screech" or "squeal" their dialogue? (Hint: A LOT)
Taylor's dialogue and development was the least fleshed out, and I was left unimpressed and a lil' annoyed at him.
OVERALL, I'D RECOMMEND YOU GUYS TO READ THIS!
ANYWAYS, KISSES! MUAH!
XO
- M
June 22, 2017
I found this a little unusual to get into and a bit choppy as things got moving, but after that I was hooked and really enjoyed this story!
There is a whole other world within our own of the Enchants. They have stories like our Disney fairy tales but less.....Disney. The Storyteller wrote the stories of these souls and they keep being reborn within the lines of the Enchants to live our their Curse and try to break it.
Taylor is a guy, but he is a Princess of the Hatfield line. He is the screw-up of the family, no known curse, no course in life, and to top off everything he is gay. Being gay, and unwilling to fake being straight, means he won't pass on his line, which is the entire goal in life of Enchants. His family keeps trying to get rid of him, so he is lonely and sad and angry. I found him easy to fall into soon, and very amusing.
Corentin is a huntsman, and in Enchant history that falls to the bloody rather than the benevolent. He has been tasked to kill Taylor, but as a Curseless he sees no point. However the two get cursed on a road trip and only time will tell how they end up. Corentin has his own twisted history that was gruesome to learn. He is more difficult to get a fell for at first, but plenty of that has to do with his curse, and the more we learn the more you see of this fascinating complicated man. I fell for him as he went on the journey and it was wonderful to see how he dealt with everything.
The road trip I found a bit misleading compared to the idea. They aren't simply on a quest, ending up at different points of the country. They are actually stuck in an enchantment so that every mile of road they end up in an entirely different part of the country and are always alone. They can't even voluntarily choose to go to a road stop or motel because the land changes so much they don't always show up. The idea is not so much a quest, but to kill the on the road, either them killing each other, the challenges, or the general constant lack of sleep and food. Once I really got that, the story flowed much better, and I found that I could concentrate on the characters and their complicated world.
A really cool twist on a fairy tale, and the whole world of fairy tales in general. There is much left to explore and I look forward to the next book!
There is a whole other world within our own of the Enchants. They have stories like our Disney fairy tales but less.....Disney. The Storyteller wrote the stories of these souls and they keep being reborn within the lines of the Enchants to live our their Curse and try to break it.
Taylor is a guy, but he is a Princess of the Hatfield line. He is the screw-up of the family, no known curse, no course in life, and to top off everything he is gay. Being gay, and unwilling to fake being straight, means he won't pass on his line, which is the entire goal in life of Enchants. His family keeps trying to get rid of him, so he is lonely and sad and angry. I found him easy to fall into soon, and very amusing.
Corentin is a huntsman, and in Enchant history that falls to the bloody rather than the benevolent. He has been tasked to kill Taylor, but as a Curseless he sees no point. However the two get cursed on a road trip and only time will tell how they end up. Corentin has his own twisted history that was gruesome to learn. He is more difficult to get a fell for at first, but plenty of that has to do with his curse, and the more we learn the more you see of this fascinating complicated man. I fell for him as he went on the journey and it was wonderful to see how he dealt with everything.
The road trip I found a bit misleading compared to the idea. They aren't simply on a quest, ending up at different points of the country. They are actually stuck in an enchantment so that every mile of road they end up in an entirely different part of the country and are always alone. They can't even voluntarily choose to go to a road stop or motel because the land changes so much they don't always show up. The idea is not so much a quest, but to kill the on the road, either them killing each other, the challenges, or the general constant lack of sleep and food. Once I really got that, the story flowed much better, and I found that I could concentrate on the characters and their complicated world.
A really cool twist on a fairy tale, and the whole world of fairy tales in general. There is much left to explore and I look forward to the next book!
May 5, 2019
This is one of the series I was dying to love but it just did get there for me. I think there were too many ideas thrown out there and the worldbuilding wasn't concise enough for me. It took me a while to find my feet in this series and get caught up on how things were suppose to work. I'm still not clear on a lot of things in the world. I'm still trying to figure out how the princess, prince, witch, ect linages work and how they relate to families they were born into. I did like Tyler and Corentin as a couple and I'm curious to see where this series takes off to next.
February 8, 2020
Interesting story and concept, but in the middle of the book, it gets horribly boring and just repetitive.
Really love the concept of the male princesses even if sometimes it is confusing, the chemistry between the two MC is explosive and amazing. Ringo, OMG I loved him! What really troubled me is Atticus, his motivations seem rather dull and stupid, empty in some way, I think that I'll wait some time to read the second one, don't want to get tired.
3 stars!
Really love the concept of the male princesses even if sometimes it is confusing, the chemistry between the two MC is explosive and amazing. Ringo, OMG I loved him! What really troubled me is Atticus, his motivations seem rather dull and stupid, empty in some way, I think that I'll wait some time to read the second one, don't want to get tired.
3 stars!
May 6, 2019
It was difficult rating this book. On one hand, I liked the concept, the plot, the characters. On the other, I kept drifting off. Some of the specifics were a bit dubious and unfinished, sometimes even confusing.
But overall it was a good story and I enjoyed it.
But overall it was a good story and I enjoyed it.
December 3, 2015
Actually 3.75 stars
This very different take on fairy tales gives us a new and ultra-modern concept of male fairy princesses and female fairy princes. You read that right. This very fun romp is the first I've read from the author and I confess the concept amused me from page one. Visualization is definitely a friend on this read.
Princess Taylor Andrew Hatfield has lived in the shadow of his brother, the perfect Princess Atticus, all his life. Everybody knows Princess Atticus is the reincarnation of Snow White but who the heck was Taylor before the reincarnation? He's a curse-less embarrassment to the prominent Enchant family and to top it off he's gay much to his father's chagrin and rampant homophobia!
Taylor's life turns from the mundane to the 'what the heck' sublime when his fairy Prince Phillipa Montclair comes to remind Taylor of their impending nuptials. Taylor decides fate is a crock and he cannot do his duty especially with treats like Billy Goddamn Bunyan blowing up his phone and wanting to fill him up. Doggone chastity belts! Not to mention his parents won't attend the ceremony.
Unsure if he should faint or vomit, Taylor escapes the altar with Ringo leaving Atticus to continue to be the good and responsible one to sire a son with jilted bride Phillipa. (This reader might have had some of the same issue as Taylor if the pixies tried to put me in a baby pink wedding shroud of silk and brocade, trimmed in gold flowers and fur. And ribbons French braided into my hair! I pictured tulle too. Shroud?)
But of course there is a plot afoot and Atticus is now in the hands of a treacherous and once valued friend that has been taken over by the spirit of Idi, the Witchking. In the guise of rescuing Atticus, Taylor, Ringo and huntsman Corentin Devereaux are off on a road trip taking the reader to some of the most unique, kitschy, bizarre and not to mention, just plain odd stops America has to offer.
While at times this read took me to places I couldn't comprehend the concept and the adventure were both fun. The visualization of a male princess complete with tiara getting drunk on hard lemonade with his pixie sized fairy godfather, Ringo, (who is drinking from a Barbie teacup and lives in Barbie's dream house) at a wobbly card table made this reader laugh out loud. This is quite the quirky, new and very different fairy tale.
This very different take on fairy tales gives us a new and ultra-modern concept of male fairy princesses and female fairy princes. You read that right. This very fun romp is the first I've read from the author and I confess the concept amused me from page one. Visualization is definitely a friend on this read.
Princess Taylor Andrew Hatfield has lived in the shadow of his brother, the perfect Princess Atticus, all his life. Everybody knows Princess Atticus is the reincarnation of Snow White but who the heck was Taylor before the reincarnation? He's a curse-less embarrassment to the prominent Enchant family and to top it off he's gay much to his father's chagrin and rampant homophobia!
Taylor's life turns from the mundane to the 'what the heck' sublime when his fairy Prince Phillipa Montclair comes to remind Taylor of their impending nuptials. Taylor decides fate is a crock and he cannot do his duty especially with treats like Billy Goddamn Bunyan blowing up his phone and wanting to fill him up. Doggone chastity belts! Not to mention his parents won't attend the ceremony.
Unsure if he should faint or vomit, Taylor escapes the altar with Ringo leaving Atticus to continue to be the good and responsible one to sire a son with jilted bride Phillipa. (This reader might have had some of the same issue as Taylor if the pixies tried to put me in a baby pink wedding shroud of silk and brocade, trimmed in gold flowers and fur. And ribbons French braided into my hair! I pictured tulle too. Shroud?)
But of course there is a plot afoot and Atticus is now in the hands of a treacherous and once valued friend that has been taken over by the spirit of Idi, the Witchking. In the guise of rescuing Atticus, Taylor, Ringo and huntsman Corentin Devereaux are off on a road trip taking the reader to some of the most unique, kitschy, bizarre and not to mention, just plain odd stops America has to offer.
While at times this read took me to places I couldn't comprehend the concept and the adventure were both fun. The visualization of a male princess complete with tiara getting drunk on hard lemonade with his pixie sized fairy godfather, Ringo, (who is drinking from a Barbie teacup and lives in Barbie's dream house) at a wobbly card table made this reader laugh out loud. This is quite the quirky, new and very different fairy tale.
September 3, 2019
Re-read Aug/19 2.5 stars
I concur with my original 3 star rating. And I also remember it being much more cohesive than I found it this time around. There was a lot of jumping around in the story, and a lot of things left unexplained.
3 stars
synopsis:
taylor is a fairy tale princess, although he doesn't know who he is, and is born male. he hasn't found his true love, but his parents arrange a marriage for him. he runs away, and then finds out that his brother his been captured by the winter king and is being held captive. he meets corentin, the huntsman, who is working for the witch and has orders to kill him. corentin also has a re-set button every 7 days and can't remember things that happened, so he writes in his notebooks. while trying to get back to save his brother, taylor and corentin, along with taylor's fairy godfather, are sent all over the country so they can't get closer to the witch. taylor's brother, meanwhile, who is snow white, the highest princess to be, is betraying the fairy folk by being bewitched by the witch and throwing his lot in with him. as taylor and corentin get closer to each other, the lengths that the witch will go to in order to control everything in the fairy world grow exponentially.
what i liked: the premise. i liked taylor and corentin. i liked that, even though he couldn't remember things, corentin took steps so that he wouldn't kill taylor. i liked that he and taylor got to know each other, and i liked that they were working together at the end. i liked that it didn't follow the average fairy tale, and that taylor had a true love who wasn't a prince.
what i didn't like: uggh. taylor's brother. what a twit. i didn't like that there were some holes in the story; it felt as though some things just weren't explained well enough.
I concur with my original 3 star rating. And I also remember it being much more cohesive than I found it this time around. There was a lot of jumping around in the story, and a lot of things left unexplained.
3 stars
synopsis:
taylor is a fairy tale princess, although he doesn't know who he is, and is born male. he hasn't found his true love, but his parents arrange a marriage for him. he runs away, and then finds out that his brother his been captured by the winter king and is being held captive. he meets corentin, the huntsman, who is working for the witch and has orders to kill him. corentin also has a re-set button every 7 days and can't remember things that happened, so he writes in his notebooks. while trying to get back to save his brother, taylor and corentin, along with taylor's fairy godfather, are sent all over the country so they can't get closer to the witch. taylor's brother, meanwhile, who is snow white, the highest princess to be, is betraying the fairy folk by being bewitched by the witch and throwing his lot in with him. as taylor and corentin get closer to each other, the lengths that the witch will go to in order to control everything in the fairy world grow exponentially.
what i liked: the premise. i liked taylor and corentin. i liked that, even though he couldn't remember things, corentin took steps so that he wouldn't kill taylor. i liked that he and taylor got to know each other, and i liked that they were working together at the end. i liked that it didn't follow the average fairy tale, and that taylor had a true love who wasn't a prince.
what i didn't like: uggh. taylor's brother. what a twit. i didn't like that there were some holes in the story; it felt as though some things just weren't explained well enough.
May 10, 2016
Crazy-twisted fairy-tale awesomeness. I've put off reading this book for quite a while. Maybe it's because it's weird reading a book written by a friend (*waves* Hi, Lex.), or maybe I just wasn't in the mood, I dunno. Whatever, the reason, I'm so glad I stopped putting it off. I love retold fairy tales, so really there was no question. I also love quirky craziness, which is good, because this is not your typical retelling. There are no Prince Charmings in sight. The princess is a guy. And "Happily Ever After"? That's just Storybook legalese, folks.
If you're into off-the-wall adventures, with hints of dark pasts and futures, and an HFN, I highly recommend this.
If you're into off-the-wall adventures, with hints of dark pasts and futures, and an HFN, I highly recommend this.
October 13, 2014
Wow strange I totally had a review of this book up and it's disappeared on me. Someone liked it! I still have the email! Well, it was more about the cover than the book since the book hadn't even come out yet, but still.
Gosh, I wish I had liked this more than I did. I definitely went in expecting a more traditional fairy tale-ish feel overall than I got. The book is kind of too long and just too much altogether for that. Basically, the author throws everything she's got at you for 300+ pages. It's overwhelming.
Around two and a half stars, rounded up for the fab cover and the premise, which really is terrific. Where the rubber meets the road, though, it just didn't work for me.
Gosh, I wish I had liked this more than I did. I definitely went in expecting a more traditional fairy tale-ish feel overall than I got. The book is kind of too long and just too much altogether for that. Basically, the author throws everything she's got at you for 300+ pages. It's overwhelming.
Around two and a half stars, rounded up for the fab cover and the premise, which really is terrific. Where the rubber meets the road, though, it just didn't work for me.
January 30, 2015
I was so excited about reading this book, but I had a really difficult time getting into it. Once I was about 1/3 of the way through though, it picked up. I wavered between 3 and 4 stars, but ended up going with 4, because in the end I enjoyed the premise, characters, and the uniqueness of the story.
There is a lot of back story and world building here, and while most of it is great, some of it needed more development to make sense. Despite that, I did enjoy it, and would recommend it. I'd also enjoy a sequel.
There is a lot of back story and world building here, and while most of it is great, some of it needed more development to make sense. Despite that, I did enjoy it, and would recommend it. I'd also enjoy a sequel.
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