Frightfully Ever After by Nick DeWolf

BOOK INFORMATION

Genre: Urban paranormal fantasy

• Paperback: 254 pages
• Publisher: Fey Publishing (June 4, 2015)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0692458190
• ISBN-13: 978-0692458198

Synopsis: "Do you know what the difference is between a fairy godmother and a witch?"

"What?"

"Not a goddamn thing."

Fairies and dragons are real, and live alongside giants, goblins and trolls. Fairy godmothers exist. The woodsman, that one from the story books? Yeah, he’s real too. They’re all out there, living in the world, right under your nose.

But they’re not alone. There’s another side to the coin. Witches are real. Monsters are real. Things that slither through shadows and bite at your skin are real.

The big bad wolf is very real.

And poor Anastasia – she was born with magical royal blood. She should have been a princess, but grew up under the thumb of a vicious crime boss. She’s lived a life of pain, fear, and violence. In a desperate attempt to get away, she will find herself surrounded by all those things she thought never existed.

Good, bad, and evil.

FRIGHTFULLY EVER AFTER is a slow burn urban fantasy with guns, horror, sex, and monsters. People get hurt. People get killed. People get eaten. And only the toughest get to live Happily Ever After. 

Review: This is definitely not your average fairy tale for children! It is more a combination of Disney and Stephen King--it has elements of fairy tales, but it also has drug dealers, shoot outs, sex, and lots of bloody violence. 

As I've always been a fan of the original, dark tales told by the brothers Grimm, this was a book that was right up my alley. I'm not a fan of the profanity and the graphic violence (hence only 4 stars instead of 5), but the overall story was intriguing enough to keep me reading in spite of those drawbacks.

One of my favorite things about the characters is that the good guys and bad guys weren't easily discernible. Just like in real life, some people seem to be on one side in the beginning, and as the story evolves, their real character emerges.

I would love to see Grimm, Inc. become an ongoing book series so we could learn more about the various folks in the company!

**I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are entirely my own.**

Rating: Four stars

Spelled by Betsy Schow

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.

My thoughts: A most unusual retelling of the Wizard of Oz, for sure. It was fascinating and different, but it just never really "grabbed" me. 

Dorthea is the Emerald Princess, confined to the castle due to a generations-old curse. When she makes a wish that goes VERY wrong, she is thrown into an adventure to beat all adventures. 

The characters are all very well written, and easy to like--or hate. The situations are a bit contrived at times, but aren't most fairy tales? It's interesting to see how Dorthea changes and matures throughout, however. By the end, she's much less the spoiled brat and more the caring princess and friend.

**I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are entirely my own.**

My rating: Three stars