
Rating: High Five!
Who I'd Recommend to: Fans of very complex fractured fairy tales... but be warned, this is darker than it seems.
Fav Quote: (coming soon)
Summary (from Amazon):
Sophie and Agatha are back in Gavaldon, living out their Happily Ever After, but life isn't quite the fairy tale they expected. When Agatha wishes she'd chosen a different Happy Ending, she accidentally reopens the gates to the School for Good and Evil, and the girls find that the world they knew has changed.
Witches and princesses reside at the School for Girls, where they've been inspired to live a life without princes, while Tedros and the boys are camping in Evil's old towers. A war is brewing between the schools, but can Agatha and Sophie restore the peace? Can Sophie stay good with Tedros on the hunt? And whose heart does Agatha's belong to—her best friend or her prince?
I love Sophie. Okay, in the first book I hated her more than anything, but in this one, you really understood the motivation behind her evil. All she wants is to be loved. And Tedros stole the only person that loved her back - Agatha. I get that. I mean, obviously I wouldn't turn into a mad, evil witch because of it, but I know everyone gets that horrible, desolate feeling of loneliness.
Agatha and Tedros... were messy. Not love scene messy. Just... character wise. Their relationship was so unreal. Seriously Tedros? You want to kill her because you thought she attacked you with pink clouds? Speaking of motivation... HORRIBLE MOTIVATION. And Agatha didn't seem very good at the end, what with being so bad to Sophie.
Anyways, moving on from characters, this story was a little sexist. The girls say they can't win Trial by Tale because boys are better. And may I add that this book is written by a boy? I know that that's probably the general opinion of princesses - that boys are better, stronger, tougher - but the witches? And with their newfound disrespect for them?
The ending was the best part, though. No problems there (except the one I mentioned earlier with Agatha). I like how Evelyn brought back the SchoolMaster, and how Sophie was so desperate that she actually stayed with him. I'm very curious to see how the next book plays out, especially when the description mentions them fighting the past and present.
Overall, an incredible series that leaves me with tears in my eyes... and wondering how in the world Soman Chainani managed to weave such an intricate story.