The Grimm Legacy

The Grimm Legacy #1

by Addie J. King

Being the descendent of the Grimm Brothers doesn't make life a fairy tale . . . it's a curse. Once upon a time Janie Grimm thought she led a normal life, but within the first week of law school she's started losing her mind. Her father just died, her stepmother Evangeline is evil, her professors already hate her, and a frog named Bert keeps talking to her. Then, there's her growing attraction to the accident-prone Aiden, who tries to explain magic murdered her father and it was trying to kill her, too. Janie learns her father's death was due to a fairy trying to restore the magic bound by Janie's ancestors, the Brothers Grimm. Now the target of this fairy's bid to regain power, Janie has only the protection of the mysterious Holder of the Legacy, the members of the F.A.B.L.E.S. organization, and the promises Evangeline made to Janie's father before his death . . . but will it be enough?

Genres: Fantasy, Urban Fantasy, Fairy Tales

264 pages, Paperback

First published May 24, 2012

About the author

Addie J. King spends her days as an attorney in Urbana, Ohio, and writes paranormal mystery and contemporary fantasy whenever she can. Her novels, THE GRIMM LEGACY, THE ANDERSEN ANCESTRY, THE WONDERLAND WOES, THE BUNYAN BARTER and THE PERRAULT VOW are available from Loconeal Publishing, an imprint of Hydra Publications. Addie is also the author of SHADES OF GRAY, the first book in The Hochenwalt Files series. Addie also has a number of short stories published in various anthologies. Her website is www.addiejking.com

Reviews

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

A delightful romp through fairy tales our parents used to read to us but with many twists. Janie Grimm has just started law school six months after the death of her father. Strange things start happening during her first class including her introduction to a talking frog. Full of familiar story lines and humorous lines. The first of a series.

[Sheryl Nantus · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you love fairy tales with a twist, this is the book for you! From talking frogs to strange things happening around a budding lawyer, this is a lovely and delightful read for all ages!

[books are love · Rating 4 out of 5]

received in exchange for a honest review.

So sadly for me the one character that stole the book was Bert the once prince who is now a frog. I don't know why but he just was my favorite character. After him is Aiden. The half breed who is clumsy but sweet and wants to help Janie so bad is adorable.

This is a fast paced, fun book that has a interesting twist on the grimm legacy and fairy tales. Janie is in law school and facing new challenge. Her dad died 6 months ago, her stepmother is having her have brunch each week with her in exchange for helping her financially a promise she made to her dad, a frog (love him) suddenly shows up and the clumsy waiter is telling her she is in danger. All this while she is trying to adjust to everything.

When the group FABLES insinuates things aren't as they seem with her dad's death Janie is further quagmired and confused. She is behind in school, trying to keep her sanity, has a growing attraction to Aiden, a frog helping her to stop serenading animals living with her and a stepmother who she is wary of. suddenly her world is turned upside down again at a fundraiser and nothing is normal again.

that is the premise of the story Janie is in danger and the FABLES crew is trying to help her even if she doesn't quite believe all that is being said. this is a fun take on fairytales and the Grimm brothers.

the characters are all unique and fun. doris the grandma like character is so sweet. Aiden is adorable but truly bert is the one that just steals it for me. He is there to guide Janie even when she resists. David is a odd one but totally didn't expect that outcome with him. Her stepmother is the one we all do not like.

The writing keeps you on your toes and attached to the characters. A fun enchanting story that keeps you entranced and excited for more from this band of friends and foes.

[Star · Rating 5 out of 5]

There are many new books, movies, and TV shows which are bringing back the true Grimm tales, which were dark, nasty, and oh so good. In The Grimm Legacy, Janie Grimm lost her father 6 months ago to what she believed was cancer and now she's going to law school with the inheritance she received. However, on her first day, she meets an enchanted frog prince and from there her life is turned upside down. She now has to deal with the Grimm Legacy and defeat the evil faerie queen who cursed her and her father. I loved this story, the characters, and the unique twist on the Grimm family history. Janie was strong and determined, yet tenderly vulnerable. Ms. King made me laugh out loud and bite my nails all within the same paragraph. The Grimm Legacy is an excellent novel and I'd love to read more about Janie and her family in the future!

[K.M. Herkes · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5. A fun introduction to a world with tons of potential. Straightforward fairy tale-inspired plot, a relatable protagonist, and plenty of local color. (I loved fictional Dayton OH) Slow burn in the beginning, but it's a steady build-up that leads step by step to a juicy final confrontation.

[Brianna · Rating 4 out of 5]

For me it started off slow but when it picked up i couldn't put it down!

[Abby · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was a fun read for any good old-fashioned fairy tale addict. Law students will probably have nightmares reliving their 1L year in this book, but in a good way.

[Julie Blasofsel · Rating 2 out of 5]

Book: The Grimm Legacy by Addie J. King
Genre: literary fantasy
Dates Read: 08/23-08/30/2025
Format: physical book
Pages: 264
Publication Date: July 2015
Book Club &/or Challenge: simply pleasure after meeting the author at the LaGrange Book Festival

Summary: Six months after her father passed away, Janie attends her first day of law school only to be confronted with some very unusual happenings… like a talking frog! With the help of some unusual friends she discovers she’s cursed and is also the only one who can save the world from an evil witch.

Notable Characters:
Janie - MC; new law student
Evangeline - Hanie’s stepmother
Bert - frog
Aiden - clumsy researcher

Themes/Topics: family legacy; the importance of keeping promises; showing up and helping your friends; never underestimate yourself; trusting others; accepting individuals and ourselves

Favorite Quote(s):
* “Don’t ignore it. Grief can make you do strange things if you don’t deal with it” page 129).

Likes: 1) recognizing so many of the components of different fairytales, like the wicked stepmother, the cursed frog-prince, the seven dwarfs, Rapunzle’s hair, etc.; 2) loved Bert: his candidness and perseverance to do so much within his capabilities as a frog;

Distractions: 1) Arrghhh… I did not like Janie, the MC. She was too clueless, as if she’d never heard of any of these fairytale components and her priorities were all wrong.. who cares about law school when you think your hallucinating; 2) the plot line was very predictable

Overall Rating: While I typically enjoy fairytale rewrites, this one was a bit too juvenile to hold my interest and therefore only rate it 2-stars. Maybe my granddaughters would like it.

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[Stacy Bender · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute. Magic in the modern world.

[Melissa Burcham · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was given an ARC book for an honest review free of persuasion from the author or anyone else affiliated with this book.

CONTAINS SOME SPOILERS

This book was wonderful! I enjoyed it immensely! I wasn't sure what to expect when I picked up the book. I didn't read the synopsis or anything else related to the book, so I went into reading this book blind. I was completely captured within the book. I had to force myself to put the book down half way through to get some sleep. I finished the book the very next day. I love fairy tales and the Grimm brother fables. This book put a whole new spin on it that I absolutely adored.

Janie Grimm has just lost her father leaving her with an evil stepmother as her only family left. She is now living in her own apartment and about to start law school. Everything is going as she has planned. That is until magic starts appearing in her life. Within the span of a week, her life is completely turned upside down. Does she really believe in magic? Does she have a choice? With the help of a talking frog and other friends of the magic realm, Janie finds that she has been cursed. What does it have to do with being a Grimm Brothers direct descendant? Why can Janie not remember much from her childhood? Is Janie able to solve all the problems that face her and get her life back on track?

This is the first book I have read by Addie King. I loved it! I am on to read book 2 of this series to see where we go next! I highly recommend this book. It is a good clean fun book!

[Naomi Polovich · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great Read for all ages, This is an wonderful book and does an awesome job at making the stories of The Grimm legacy and fairy ales different then what we have read or seen yet. A story about Janie, and how she has to follow her dads legacy after his death and finds a frog prince along the way. A book you can't put down and just want to keep reading till then end. This is book 1 of three so make sure you also pick up the other two so you are not delayed in reading the whole series. The author did an awesome job in writing the story and all the details in it as well. I am looking forward to reading the next two books in this series.

[Molly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely loved this! Found it hard to put down and I'm thrilled I was right about a certain character:) Wonderful job, Addie, and now I'm sorry I didn't snap the others up at the same time. Looking forward to book #2!!!

[Jenn Swanson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was surprised on how much I enjoyed this story. The beginning was a little slow for me but the middle and end forced me to not put it down. Highly recommend.

[Sandy Lender]

I read this for the Fractured Fairy Tales Reading Challenge taking place at my BookTube channel.
Fun and full of fairy tale references that keep you entertained with those winks and nods in between the plot: first-year law student Janie Grimm is off to a rough start when magical mayhem invades her life and she learns (is convinced by some convincing magic-users) that someone is trying to find a device that will reverse a spell her ancestors put in place to "contain" badness. (I'm trying to not spoil everything.)
The story had some predictable elements but Addie J. King did a nice job of "showing" and storytelling to make those predictable elements (evil stepmother, anyone?) interesting to read/experience.
I enjoyed the friendship that grew between Janie and the talking frog prince.
I REALLY enjoyed "the scent of magic" concept. Nice touch.
Overall...good addition to the Fractured Fairy Tales! You can watch my full review here: https://youtu.be/kT16B3HPQto?si=nwkHm...

[Nathan Woll · Rating 2 out of 5]

So the first paragraph already bothered me. It's the annoying trope of the protagonist who is not a morning person, needs coffee, newscaster is too perky, blah, blah... Seen it a million times. How come no fictional protagonist is ever a morning person or at least not an anti-morning person?

The whole book was very formulaic. Maybe it was for YA?

I could not believe that the stepmother was really the evil witch. It was obvious only a few chapters into the book (plus, the whole Grimm thing). This cliche was so annoying. Like really? You named your main character Grimm AND her stepmother is the bad guy??? Have you ever heard of subverting expectations?

There were no twists, no surprises, no delights. If you read the synopsis you can probably extrapolate the entire plot.

[Shannon Everyday · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed The Grimm Legacy. Janie Grimm is just starting law school, dealing with the recent death of her father and has to face weekly meetings with her stepmother. Strange and magical things start happening to Janie, leading her into a world she didn't know existed. Janie is a great character. She has worries like any student starting college, and rises to the challenge when her world is turned upside down. I loved all the characters she interacted with as well. The Grimm Legacy tied up many elements perfectly and left the door open for more books. If you enjoy true life heroines finding their way in a world with fairy tales, this is a great book to check out.

[Anne Wolfe · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a creative twist! The fairy tale you grew up reading, but from a completely different perspective and in a modern setting. And I learned some law terms and tactics. The author has a talent for drawing you in by creating characters you care about and you just have to keep reading to see what happens next. I couldn't put it down, there was no lull in the story! I stayed awake until I finished!

[Dawn-Lorraine · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good read that brings fairytales into the real world. (It did give me flashbacks of law school though!) The slow build mystery worked well, with the reader finding things out as the protagonist does.

[H.L. Carpenter · Rating 4 out of 5]

Funny frog, spunky MC, and a touch of magic. This present-day YA version of a Grimm Brothers family descendant and her evil stepmother is an easy-read mix of fairy tale and modern travail.

[Ellie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book! I throughly enjoy it!!

[Tina Fraser · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great story line. Anxious to get to the second book.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

I waffled over how to rate this book. There are definitely many five star chapters and moments.
I will tell you the major drawbacks for me first, as there are far FEWER of them.
Conspiracy theory.
I felt it detracted from the storyline and if it was used, the topics should have been more fairy tale related.
The disappearance and possible murder of Janie's biological mother. I felt there should have been more clarification.
Bert, how we ALL love him, needed a little more backstory explanation. Why did no one ever try to kiss him?
I felt it could have been a running joke or occurence that would have added much to the book, but then again, I did not write it. Admit it, you all have had the thought, "if I had written this book, such and such would have happened or not happened."

I enjoyed the sarcasm and caustic wit used in the witty dialogue.
The vague references, when caught, made me smile, e.g. the stepmother's name of Evangeline Kravits Grimm.

While no longer a child, Janie Grimm is still at an age where she has much to learn and her emotions are nowhere close to stable. Having lost her father just six months before and now entering law school, that is quite understandable. Finding a talking frog who claims her father was murdered by a faerie curse and having to explain to her best friend that she was NOT crazy only add to her stress, discomfort and confusion. Starting another new school one is expected to make new friends. Janie's trouble is, she can't quite tell which friends are "real" and who is magic. She has no family to turn to, as her stepmother, the "plastic Barbie doll of Botox," is quite literally evil but a necessary evil until Janie finishes law school.

You will find characters from fairy tales you heard in your youth making an appearance (or a disturbance) in the storyline. Janie's life will be on the line regularly unless and until she can figure out what someone wants from her and who she can trust and count on. Oh- and not go crazy and fail law school during her first week. She may be struggling with her classes but she learns some good life lessons: "Just because you haven't heard of it doesn't mean it doesn't exist."

After I read the book I thought back on passages that made more sense now and clues I might have not given enough weight to. I enjoy retellings and alternate endings. This book was a fun read that gave me a different viewpoint.

I did receive this series in exchange for an honest review. I look forward to seeing where else it will take us.

[Katinka · Rating 4 out of 5]

Janie Grimm is getting ready to start law school. Her father had passed away from cancer not too long ago, but at least she had been able to tell him that she had been accepted prior to his passing. Her stepmother had agreed to pay her tuition costs, though part of that agreement included a weekly brunch together. Janie has kept her end of the deal, despite not always getting along very well with Evangeline.

But recently some very strange things have begun happening around Janie. She meets a talking frog who seems to be determined to stay near her, and then her hair began to suddenly grow as if she were Rapunzel. And those weren’t the only strange things that have started happening around her either. It was as if the fairy tales that most children grow up hearing were suddenly coming to life and congregating around her.

My daughter and I met this author at a book signing in Ohio. At the time, neither of us had yet had a chance to read any of her books, but after talking to her we wound up buying this whole series. So far I’ve only read this one, but I did greatly enjoy it. (I had a very hard time putting it down at night rather than trying to read straight through to the end of the book!)

It was a very unique twist on Grimm’s fairy tales. In this case, it focuses on a young woman who was descended from the Grimm family, and had been previously unaware of some of the problems and surprises that her heritage might wind up sending her way. After all, while the Grimm’s tales (or at least the versions mostly read to younger children these days) may have happy endings, there is much that happens in them that was not always so pleasant for the characters.

Ms. King has found a unique and enjoyable way to twist the story of the Grimm family legacy and entertain us all. I will be continuing to read more once I manage to download the next book in the series onto my kindle. Recommended.

[M]

DNF at 30%. This was just not for me. The world building feels odd and choppy. The characters are irritating, and the antagonist is highlighted so blatantly that I assumed it was a red herring. It wasn't. I cheated and checked in the last chapter. The prose is easy to read and understand. Some aspects of the story were very interesting, and if this was a few years ago, I probably would have soldiered through to the end. Unfortunately, I have a long TBR and a limited amount of reading time, so I am abandoning this one. I'll probably keep it just in case I decide to give it another shot at some point.