Review by School Library Journal Review
Gr 4-7-An overly sappy tale of magic, adventure, and true love. The Fairy Queen has disappeared, and the realm of Greater Greensward is under siege. There are dangerous creatures on the prowl, fights over who should rule are breaking out, and the once lustrous land is facing difficulties sustaining life. Princess Emma teams up with Prince Eadric on a quest to discover the location of the missing Fairy Queen. Before they can begin their journey, Princess Adara arrives, intent on winning Eadric's heart. Readers will find the plot predictable, the characters one-dimensional, and the world-building bland. Portrayals of the romantic relationships rely on extremely stereotypical behavior typically associated with young love. Readers who were fans of this series 15 years prior may find nostalgia in revisiting this world, but newer ones are not likely to be won over. VERDICT Middle graders who love magical adventures should instead check out Jewell Parker Rhodes's Bayou Magic, Patricia C. Wrede's Dealing with Dragons, Jean Ferris's Once upon a Marigold, Alex Flinn's A Kiss in Time, or Jessica Day George's Sun and Moon, Ice and Snow.-Jessica Bratt, Grand Rapids Public Library, MI © Copyright 2017. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
When Queen Willow vanishes, Princess Emeralda, aka Emma, embarks on a quest to find her and restore harmony to the fairy community in this latest addition to the Tales of the Frog Princess series.As the Green Witch, the independent, white princess also has the "responsibility of watching out for the humans and fairies in Greater Greensward." Even though Emma has transformed her fiance, Eadric, back from a frog into human form, his parents still oppose their marriage. Accordingly, when attractive, nasty, white Princess Adara arrives unexpectedly, claiming to be a distant relative, the interloper's pursuit of Eadric arouses Emma's suspicions. Before Emma can convince Adara to leave, she's embroiled in bitter, disruptive fighting among the fairies over who will be their new ruler. Accompanied by devoted Eadric and hindered by irritating Adara, Emma travels on her magic carpet to Soggy Molvinia, wielding her magical powers on the fly and hoping to discover missing Queen Willow. Featuring comic scenes, a romantic subplot, and wacky animal, fairy, and witch characters, the fantasy falls a bit flat, feeling formulaic at this point despite its independent heroine, breezy first-person voice, fairy-tale elements, and fast pace. This humorous, ongoing extension of the frog-turned-prince saga should appeal to fans of the series who want more of the same. (Fantasy. 8-12) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
