Review by Booklist Review
Readers who loved Aislin's previous adventures (More than a Princess, 2018) will be delighted to see her back for another. When she's asked to help settle fairies into human lands, Aislin is surprised to learn that many are unhappy with the decision to make the move at all, and, what's more, they blame her personally. Aislin sets out to make things right, choosing some unconventional companions to help her along the way. This is an empowering read for middle-grade girls; it presents strong female characters, a fun and smart lead, and it rolls with themes about harmony between people who are quite different from each other. Baker is a superstar, well versed in writing princesses who are more than what's typical or expected. Aislin uses her wit and power for good, leaving the world a little bit better than the way she found it. It's an added delight that the story's world is so vividly described and well fleshed out, making any reader wish they could visit.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
In the series' second installment, Princess Aislin draws on her pedrasi powers to confront a powerful enemy.Exploring Mount Gora's tunnels at the behest of her royal pedrasi grandfather, Aislin discovers vicious trolls collecting dragons' eggs for a mysterious being they refer to as "her." Using pedrasi powers to dispatch the trollswith help from cavern-dwelling spriggansAislin, her guards, and her doll friend, Twinket, return to the pedrasi palace. On the way they meet angry fairies, upset that Aislin's royal fairy grandparents are moving to the human world and opening the borders for humans to enter the magic realms. Asked to help with the transition, Aislin travels to the fairy palace, where, ignoring relentless lobbying from fairy wannabes, she selects her own multispecies ladies-in-waiting, provoking more fairy ire. Her royal relatives, too, realize mischief's afoot. When, after the move, human nobles visitincluding odious Rory and Aislin's friend Tomasevents prove harm is intended, but by whom? After a strong opening, the story quickly loses steam, remaining flat and nearly action-free until the final 30 pages. Exciting events are summarized, not shown. The author's tendency to repeat what readers already know in dialogue that's long on introductory greetings and action summaries and short on plot advancement and character development doesn't help. Aislin's giftsexceptional magical powers, wide popularity, and prodigious beautydeprive her of challenges, leaching her story of suspense. Human characters default to white; nonhuman but human-seeming Aislin has brown skin and long, dark hair.Strictly for princess-culture devotees with a high boredom threshold. (Fantasy. 8-11) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
