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The Storymakers #2
Wanted
In the sequel to Spelled, can Robin Hood's daughter, Rexi, stop the Wicked Witch from finding Excalibur?
Fairy-Tale Survival Rule No. 52:
No matter how difficult the obstacles or all-powerful the evil villain, one can rest assured that the hero of the story never dies. The sidekicks though... they should be worried.
Rexi Hood is proud to be an outlaw. After all, she's the daughter of the infamous Robin Hood. But sidekick? Accomplice? Sorry, that wasn't in her story description. Yeah, she and Princess Dorthea of Emerald have been inseparable since they teamed up to fight the wickedest witch. But if Rexi doesn't figure out how to break the curse that binds them, forget being overshadowed by the spirited princess, Rexi's going to become a Forgotten, wiped from the pages of Story and reduced to a puddle of ink.
Not happening. No way in Spell.
Rexi's plan? Steal the sword Excalibur and use its magic to write her own tale. But Gwenevere has opened a new Academy of Villains in Camelot and danger lurks behind every plot twist. And you know how it goes in Story: keep your friends close and your enemies closer...
Fairy-Tale Survival Rule No. 52:
No matter how difficult the obstacles or all-powerful the evil villain, one can rest assured that the hero of the story never dies. The sidekicks though... they should be worried.
Rexi Hood is proud to be an outlaw. After all, she's the daughter of the infamous Robin Hood. But sidekick? Accomplice? Sorry, that wasn't in her story description. Yeah, she and Princess Dorthea of Emerald have been inseparable since they teamed up to fight the wickedest witch. But if Rexi doesn't figure out how to break the curse that binds them, forget being overshadowed by the spirited princess, Rexi's going to become a Forgotten, wiped from the pages of Story and reduced to a puddle of ink.
Not happening. No way in Spell.
Rexi's plan? Steal the sword Excalibur and use its magic to write her own tale. But Gwenevere has opened a new Academy of Villains in Camelot and danger lurks behind every plot twist. And you know how it goes in Story: keep your friends close and your enemies closer...
320 pages, Paperback
First published February 7, 2017
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February 11, 2017
2.5 I wish I could give it more stars
This is a hard review to write since there were some really great things in this book that I really liked so I want to say up front that I will be reading the next one. But, that said the flow of this book was wonky for me and it drove me a little crazy I had a hard time following the story and it seemed so jumpy more like someone skipping along instead of walking you through the story.
First the Good:
I like Fairy-tale mash ups and have since I started watching ONCE. So the blend of The Wizard of Oz and Baba Yaga still from Spelled, with the addition of Robin Hood and parts of Camelot was a new and interesting twist. I liked what Schow did with the possible thought that maybe Guinevere was the evil one and Mordred wasn’t really the villain he was made out to be in the stories.
Plus the possibility of a potential romance between him and Rexi was something I was completely on board with.
I again love all of the Fairytale spoofs and play on words. There are even a few Monty Python references thrown in for added measure.
It made a lot of the dialogue in the book really fun for me and yes sometimes it can me a little cheesy or campy but I really enjoy that part of this book so it totally works for me. But I think it will be a love it or hate it thing for a lot of people.
At the beginning of each chapter there is a fairytale rule or quote. They are all pretty funny and there were a lot more from the villainous side of Fairy in Wanted. They are one of the very special things in this book.
The quest for Excaliber and Rexi’s character growth was also one of the best parts of the story. With learning more of her backstory before coming to the Emerald Castle as a servant you could see why she has had the motto of save myself first and screw everyone else. But it was good to see her become closer to Dorthea and Kato and feel like she was possibly part of a family.
Now for the bad…
This story read a little like a patchwork quilt. It’s like a lot of segments woven together and sometimes I had a difficult time telling when we had transitioned from one square to another one. The entire thing with Baba Yaga’s head and finding a body for it for instance was totally confusing and I couldn’t really make sense out of it.
The other thing I didn’t really love was Rexi’s continued deaths. I mean she died about 13 times in this and every time she did she lost some memories and took on more of Dorthea’s traits and memories which lead to some very awkward and unnecessary feelings for Kato. I’ll just mention right here that I hate love triangles and it isn’t really a real one since Kato is clearly Dorthea’s one true love but still I didn’t like it and it felt super uncomfortable and forced. Maybe that was the point and how it was supposed to feel.
Then we get to the ending that just went kinda crazy and a bunch of stuff happened all at once and I have no idea wtf I just read. I reread that last 5 pages a few times trying to figure it out but alas I’m still not sure. Again maybe that is the point but I hate feeling like that at the end of a book. I mean Rexi is a daughter of the trees and I still have not freaking idea what that means. She is being groomed for something by Verte and again I don’t think we got to the point were we found out what that was yet either.
This book just felt incomplete. For me this book felt like maybe it needed another 50 pages to flesh it out a little better or possibly not just relaying the story through Rexi’s PoV. This could have really benefited from multiple PoVs in fact.
I can tell that Schow was trying to set it up so the next book would probably answer most of the questions I have but there was just something missing from the magic of Spelled.
Overall:
I’m glad I read it because there are a lot of fun things and creative unusual twists. I will totally read the next book because I really need to know how everything comes together at the end (I think that is the end anyway). If this is more than a trilogy though it is this series last chance to pull itself together and give me some coherent answers.
This is a hard review to write since there were some really great things in this book that I really liked so I want to say up front that I will be reading the next one. But, that said the flow of this book was wonky for me and it drove me a little crazy I had a hard time following the story and it seemed so jumpy more like someone skipping along instead of walking you through the story.
First the Good:
I like Fairy-tale mash ups and have since I started watching ONCE. So the blend of The Wizard of Oz and Baba Yaga still from Spelled, with the addition of Robin Hood and parts of Camelot was a new and interesting twist. I liked what Schow did with the possible thought that maybe Guinevere was the evil one and Mordred wasn’t really the villain he was made out to be in the stories.
Mordred’s not as bad as all the legends say.” I picked up my crossbow and put it in the corner. “And need I remind you that all the stories and wanted posters say we’re the bad guys who ruined all of Story? So it’s like that crazy lady was saying. You can’t believe what you hear cuz the winner is the only one that gets to tell their side.”
Plus the possibility of a potential romance between him and Rexi was something I was completely on board with.
I again love all of the Fairytale spoofs and play on words. There are even a few Monty Python references thrown in for added measure.
The Knights of Knee gave Mordred a potted bush as a sign of friendship, but as they moved past me, the knights whispered that the hybrid poison-ivy plant should free up the throne by morning. And they weren’t the only ones playing the game of thrones.
It made a lot of the dialogue in the book really fun for me and yes sometimes it can me a little cheesy or campy but I really enjoy that part of this book so it totally works for me. But I think it will be a love it or hate it thing for a lot of people.
At the beginning of each chapter there is a fairytale rule or quote. They are all pretty funny and there were a lot more from the villainous side of Fairy in Wanted. They are one of the very special things in this book.
“Rule #9: Dysfunctional families are a cornerstone of fairy tales. If you want to be a happy ever after, it’s imperative that you get an evil stepparent. If your parents are perfect, try getting cursed by an evil fairy and raised by strangers.”
—Definitive Fairy-Tale Survival Guide, Volume
“Strong people don’t put others down; they lift them up. Makes the fall that much more satisfying.”
—Red Queen, Lots of Heart: How to Get a Head
The quest for Excaliber and Rexi’s character growth was also one of the best parts of the story. With learning more of her backstory before coming to the Emerald Castle as a servant you could see why she has had the motto of save myself first and screw everyone else. But it was good to see her become closer to Dorthea and Kato and feel like she was possibly part of a family.
Now for the bad…
This story read a little like a patchwork quilt. It’s like a lot of segments woven together and sometimes I had a difficult time telling when we had transitioned from one square to another one. The entire thing with Baba Yaga’s head and finding a body for it for instance was totally confusing and I couldn’t really make sense out of it.
The other thing I didn’t really love was Rexi’s continued deaths. I mean she died about 13 times in this and every time she did she lost some memories and took on more of Dorthea’s traits and memories which lead to some very awkward and unnecessary feelings for Kato. I’ll just mention right here that I hate love triangles and it isn’t really a real one since Kato is clearly Dorthea’s one true love but still I didn’t like it and it felt super uncomfortable and forced. Maybe that was the point and how it was supposed to feel.
Then we get to the ending that just went kinda crazy and a bunch of stuff happened all at once and I have no idea wtf I just read. I reread that last 5 pages a few times trying to figure it out but alas I’m still not sure. Again maybe that is the point but I hate feeling like that at the end of a book. I mean Rexi is a daughter of the trees and I still have not freaking idea what that means. She is being groomed for something by Verte and again I don’t think we got to the point were we found out what that was yet either.
This book just felt incomplete. For me this book felt like maybe it needed another 50 pages to flesh it out a little better or possibly not just relaying the story through Rexi’s PoV. This could have really benefited from multiple PoVs in fact.
I can tell that Schow was trying to set it up so the next book would probably answer most of the questions I have but there was just something missing from the magic of Spelled.
Overall:
I’m glad I read it because there are a lot of fun things and creative unusual twists. I will totally read the next book because I really need to know how everything comes together at the end (I think that is the end anyway). If this is more than a trilogy though it is this series last chance to pull itself together and give me some coherent answers.
October 28, 2018
This wasn't as good as the first book. I got really bored once the Camelot arc came in. But I still had fun and will continue the series.
March 23, 2017
I received a free copy of this book from the publishers via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
DNF - 40%
Wanted is the second book in the Soelled series and this time follows sidekick character Rexi Hood as she tries to make her mark in the land of fairy tales and magic.
I quite enjoyed Spelled, the first book in this series and though it was a bit silly and juvenile at times, I was mostly just amused and entertained. However with Wanted, I kind of feel like everything that I didn't like about Spelled was multipled tenfold in this book. It just felt a bit rushed and messy and I was just so confused the way it seemed to jump all over the place all the time. I would think Rexi was going to one place and had a goal and next minute she'd be somewhere else. It felt like a map with a start and an end but then the middle was just a bunch of squiggles.
I also think a proper recap would have worked at the beginning as I did find I had forgotten a lot of the finer details from Spelled and scrambled to figure who was who and what was happening at the start.
DNF - 40%
Wanted is the second book in the Soelled series and this time follows sidekick character Rexi Hood as she tries to make her mark in the land of fairy tales and magic.
I quite enjoyed Spelled, the first book in this series and though it was a bit silly and juvenile at times, I was mostly just amused and entertained. However with Wanted, I kind of feel like everything that I didn't like about Spelled was multipled tenfold in this book. It just felt a bit rushed and messy and I was just so confused the way it seemed to jump all over the place all the time. I would think Rexi was going to one place and had a goal and next minute she'd be somewhere else. It felt like a map with a start and an end but then the middle was just a bunch of squiggles.
I also think a proper recap would have worked at the beginning as I did find I had forgotten a lot of the finer details from Spelled and scrambled to figure who was who and what was happening at the start.
April 9, 2017
Well.... This was fun.... But I was lost and confused a good amount of the book. It had a little bit to do with the fact I could not remember squat from the first book. It also had to do with the jumpyness of the book....First where here then where there and now where here but wait where over there! (confusing right!:P) Another thing is this: Modred, Mic, Morte, Merlin. All different people!!! And I got them all mixed up constantly. Then most finally THAT ENDING! Sooo gonna have to read the next book!:)
Want to read
August 1, 20168/1/16 - It has a cover!!!! And it's so pretty!!!!!
October 22, 2016
Honestly? I don't even really know what I just read. There were so many convoluted and back-and-forth plot lines that by the middle of the book I didn't even really care what happened anymore. I'm disappointed because Spelled was such an amazing book and this is such a step backwards both character and story-wise.
There's also a weird love triangle thing going on that seems so unnecessary and annoying to read that I was rolling my eyes every single time it came up.
If you loved Spelled like I did, my advice would be to just pretend everything ended perfectly fine and well with that, even though this has a pretty cool cover.
There's also a weird love triangle thing going on that seems so unnecessary and annoying to read that I was rolling my eyes every single time it came up.
If you loved Spelled like I did, my advice would be to just pretend everything ended perfectly fine and well with that, even though this has a pretty cool cover.
February 4, 2020
I really loved this sequel even if it did take just a little time to remember things from the first I really think this book was way better than the first one. I really loved the characters especially Rexi she is my ideal kind of character the strong yet not so strong that she actually needs help. I found Rexi to be a well written with a lot of depth that makes her to be a very relatable character. I really liked how fast paced the plot moved along and how it was action packed through most of the story. The story continues with the trying to fix what Dorthea managed to mess up and the rest of the story is spent looking for things to help with that. The plot mixes Arthurian legend into the story very well nothing seems like it is out of place. So overall I really liked this book and will read the final book in the series soon.
February 6, 2022
Well... Yesterday evening I was a little unsure what to read. There is a lot of cycling today, which meant I didn't have time to read two bigger books and I was also in the mood for something with a fairytale-vibe and then this book caught my eye. I really enjoyed the first book in the trilogy and even before I finished it I ordered the second one and when I saw the book again yesterday I was very excited to get started with this sequel.
But, what a mess. I understand that the current situation in this fairytale country is quite messed up. Someone made a wish upon a star and it changed each and every story. I also understand that at the moment the characters have absolutely no idea how to fix this. I just kinda got the impression during this book that the author isn't entirely sure how she is gonna fix this either. Because there seemed to be no plot, no structure and no direction.
It doesn't happen to me often, but I was on the brink of not finishing this book. However, I could at least read the book very quickly and it's not a big book so I decided to push through, but my mind checked out at some point. I was still reading words and sentences, but I had truly given up on trying to understand what was happening and what was going on. And at first I thought that maybe I was just tired, but reading the other reviews it seems it wasn't just me.
And since this book is such a big mess, it was also quite hard to build a connection with the heroine in this book. Although, that's also because it's quite clear she has absolutely no personality. I think that was ALSO the intention of the author. After all, she's a side-kick, a character made to be forgotten, a tool in the stories of others. But I didn't get the impression that the character, and the author, was working very hard to change that.
I will read the last book in the series, but I truly hope it's better than this one was.
But, what a mess. I understand that the current situation in this fairytale country is quite messed up. Someone made a wish upon a star and it changed each and every story. I also understand that at the moment the characters have absolutely no idea how to fix this. I just kinda got the impression during this book that the author isn't entirely sure how she is gonna fix this either. Because there seemed to be no plot, no structure and no direction.
It doesn't happen to me often, but I was on the brink of not finishing this book. However, I could at least read the book very quickly and it's not a big book so I decided to push through, but my mind checked out at some point. I was still reading words and sentences, but I had truly given up on trying to understand what was happening and what was going on. And at first I thought that maybe I was just tired, but reading the other reviews it seems it wasn't just me.
And since this book is such a big mess, it was also quite hard to build a connection with the heroine in this book. Although, that's also because it's quite clear she has absolutely no personality. I think that was ALSO the intention of the author. After all, she's a side-kick, a character made to be forgotten, a tool in the stories of others. But I didn't get the impression that the character, and the author, was working very hard to change that.
I will read the last book in the series, but I truly hope it's better than this one was.
February 7, 2017
*ARC provided by Netgalley and Sourcebooks Fire - who is on fire with me lately.*
As you might remember from my What Am I Reading?! Books of 2016 post, Spelled by Betsy Schow made the top of the list. It was quirky, outlandish, kind of insane at parts, but it was fun - so much fun. It was such an entertaining book, and even though I couldn't believe what I was reading at parts, I couldn't stop reading it because it was such an easy and entertaining read.
What didn't change from the original story was the ability to binge read it easily. I sped through this book in a matter of two days, and I was still astounded by the creativity that Schow presents in this book. She comes up with the quirkiest and coolest ideas, and while some of them are laugh out loud strange, it works and I love them all.
But there were still a lot of issues I had with this followup, and I really didn't know what to do with it.
Let's start off with the basics, though: Rexi Hood is that person in the story - the sidekick. Yes, the dreaded sidekick that falls in the background, only meant to add in snarky comments every once in a while but meant to be Forgotten in the long run. She's not meant to be the hero of this story - that belongs to Dorothea, the new Storymaker of land of Story who brought the Emerald Curse (on accident of course) but now wields some of the most powerful magic in all of Oz...I mean, Story. Oh, yeah, and Rexi also happens to be magically linked to her - which is helpful whenever Rexi dies (yeah, a total of 3 times and counting) but not so happens when she starts to feel Dorothea's feelings and her memories. Will Rexi manage to become the hero of this story when Camelot comes to the land of Oz or...become the villain?
Okay, what I wrote up there in the summary sounds amazing. I was completely and utterly sold by this premise, and I had enjoyed Rexi a lot in the first novel. She was sassy, spunky, and she was 100% over all of the drama. I knew she was going to make an amazing narrator, and I was so pumped to hear her story. How many times does the cliche sidekick get to become the narrator of the story?
However, there were a few things that got lost in this amazing premise, and instead of being excited about it, I just started to get sad about the execution of this book.
For the most part of the novel, I was confused. When I was reading Spelled, I had no clue what was going on some of the time, but it was in the fun way - if that even makes sense. There would be all of this random, outlandish things going on, but it worked in a way that was entertaining. For this book, I was just confused. Things would jump around quickly and I totally lost the plot of the story quite a few times in the book. I literally couldn't follow what was supposed to be happening, and every time I thought I found the missing plot, something new would happen and I would be confused again. I can't even tell you most of the major events that tied it all together.
Another issue became the connection with Dorothea. In the first novel, Dorothea brought Rexi back from the dead with her emerald powers. This led them to somehow become magically connected - which was an interesting premise. This led to some confusion and an unnecessary plot twist...aka a super unnecessary love triangle. It came sort of halfway through the book that all of a sudden Rexi was now in love with Dorothea's love interest, which felt super forced and weird. Like, where did that come from and why did it have to happen? I was also confused about most of their interactions from then out because I couldn't tell if Kato actually had feeling for her as well because it would act supremely awkward around her for some odd reason and then it was never developed. Again, I was confused...which seems to be a major theme here. It was the most unnecessary thing ever, and truthfully, Rexi had more chemistry with Mordred even when he was trying to kill her with his ax every two seconds.
Those two major issues really brought down the novel for me. I couldn't figure out what was going on for a majority of the read, and I was upset with the new and super unnecessary plot development. The ending was also super duper confusing, and I just kind of blinked at my iPad at the end and went, "Well, okay then. That's that? Maybe? What the book heck?"
However, there were so good parts of the novel. The creativity was still amazing as ever, and I did enjoy Rexi for the most part as a narrator. She was sassy, fun, and she didn't have "oh poor me" feeling for most of the novel. The premise was also super fun, and I enjoyed the addition of Camelot. Schow also has this way of writing that just feels like it's a breeze, and it's so easy to devour one of her books.
Truthfully, I didn't know quite what to do with this book, and I'm super sad that it didn't turn out quite how I wanted it to be. It seems like they are leaving it open for a third book, and if they are going the direction that I think it is, it's going to be so much fun. This book definitely didn't make me give up on the series, but it definitely made me a bit upset with it. I would definitely still recommend reading Spelled...but go into Wanted prepared to not love it nearly as much.
Two crowns for this read, and another ironic Princess rating - it's Cinderella since shoes are so very important to both of these novels and it fit my feelings for this particular Disney Princess.
Check out more of my reviews here!
As you might remember from my What Am I Reading?! Books of 2016 post, Spelled by Betsy Schow made the top of the list. It was quirky, outlandish, kind of insane at parts, but it was fun - so much fun. It was such an entertaining book, and even though I couldn't believe what I was reading at parts, I couldn't stop reading it because it was such an easy and entertaining read.
What didn't change from the original story was the ability to binge read it easily. I sped through this book in a matter of two days, and I was still astounded by the creativity that Schow presents in this book. She comes up with the quirkiest and coolest ideas, and while some of them are laugh out loud strange, it works and I love them all.
But there were still a lot of issues I had with this followup, and I really didn't know what to do with it.
Let's start off with the basics, though: Rexi Hood is that person in the story - the sidekick. Yes, the dreaded sidekick that falls in the background, only meant to add in snarky comments every once in a while but meant to be Forgotten in the long run. She's not meant to be the hero of this story - that belongs to Dorothea, the new Storymaker of land of Story who brought the Emerald Curse (on accident of course) but now wields some of the most powerful magic in all of Oz...I mean, Story. Oh, yeah, and Rexi also happens to be magically linked to her - which is helpful whenever Rexi dies (yeah, a total of 3 times and counting) but not so happens when she starts to feel Dorothea's feelings and her memories. Will Rexi manage to become the hero of this story when Camelot comes to the land of Oz or...become the villain?
Okay, what I wrote up there in the summary sounds amazing. I was completely and utterly sold by this premise, and I had enjoyed Rexi a lot in the first novel. She was sassy, spunky, and she was 100% over all of the drama. I knew she was going to make an amazing narrator, and I was so pumped to hear her story. How many times does the cliche sidekick get to become the narrator of the story?
However, there were a few things that got lost in this amazing premise, and instead of being excited about it, I just started to get sad about the execution of this book.
For the most part of the novel, I was confused. When I was reading Spelled, I had no clue what was going on some of the time, but it was in the fun way - if that even makes sense. There would be all of this random, outlandish things going on, but it worked in a way that was entertaining. For this book, I was just confused. Things would jump around quickly and I totally lost the plot of the story quite a few times in the book. I literally couldn't follow what was supposed to be happening, and every time I thought I found the missing plot, something new would happen and I would be confused again. I can't even tell you most of the major events that tied it all together.
Another issue became the connection with Dorothea. In the first novel, Dorothea brought Rexi back from the dead with her emerald powers. This led them to somehow become magically connected - which was an interesting premise. This led to some confusion and an unnecessary plot twist...aka a super unnecessary love triangle. It came sort of halfway through the book that all of a sudden Rexi was now in love with Dorothea's love interest, which felt super forced and weird. Like, where did that come from and why did it have to happen? I was also confused about most of their interactions from then out because I couldn't tell if Kato actually had feeling for her as well because it would act supremely awkward around her for some odd reason and then it was never developed. Again, I was confused...which seems to be a major theme here. It was the most unnecessary thing ever, and truthfully, Rexi had more chemistry with Mordred even when he was trying to kill her with his ax every two seconds.
Those two major issues really brought down the novel for me. I couldn't figure out what was going on for a majority of the read, and I was upset with the new and super unnecessary plot development. The ending was also super duper confusing, and I just kind of blinked at my iPad at the end and went, "Well, okay then. That's that? Maybe? What the book heck?"
However, there were so good parts of the novel. The creativity was still amazing as ever, and I did enjoy Rexi for the most part as a narrator. She was sassy, fun, and she didn't have "oh poor me" feeling for most of the novel. The premise was also super fun, and I enjoyed the addition of Camelot. Schow also has this way of writing that just feels like it's a breeze, and it's so easy to devour one of her books.
Truthfully, I didn't know quite what to do with this book, and I'm super sad that it didn't turn out quite how I wanted it to be. It seems like they are leaving it open for a third book, and if they are going the direction that I think it is, it's going to be so much fun. This book definitely didn't make me give up on the series, but it definitely made me a bit upset with it. I would definitely still recommend reading Spelled...but go into Wanted prepared to not love it nearly as much.
Two crowns for this read, and another ironic Princess rating - it's Cinderella since shoes are so very important to both of these novels and it fit my feelings for this particular Disney Princess.
Check out more of my reviews here!
February 6, 2017
Full review - http://tinyurl.com/zpxc4j9
__________
A fun twisted fairy tale romp and sequel to Spelled! Recommended if you enjoy the Lunar Chronicles by Meyer and the Dorothy Must Die books by Paige.
__________
A fun twisted fairy tale romp and sequel to Spelled! Recommended if you enjoy the Lunar Chronicles by Meyer and the Dorothy Must Die books by Paige.
February 3, 2021
This book was AMAZING!! I loved that the story was in Rexi's perspective. Here story was crazy!! The ending is killing me!!!!!! I can't wait to find out what happens in the last book.
December 30, 2020
I think I enjoyed the overall story of this one more than the first but I really missed reading from Dot’s POV
February 7, 2017
Note: I received an ARC of this book from the publisher in return for an honest review. This in no way influences my opinion.
Can I just mention how long I have been pining for this book?? I feel like it has been sine forever! I read Spelled last year April and immediately wanted more! It has become one of my favourite books ever and this book is joining it up there... because it was just as good as the first book!!
This instalment is told from the perspective of Rexi - our favourite sidekick, daughter of Robin Hood. I loved the fact that her voice was its own and didn't mix with Dorthea's. Despite some of the events that take place in this book, it was easy to tell her voice apart and it was so refreshing. I loved her voice and her opinions on things and I found myself connecting to her on a deeper level because she was an extremely relatable character for me. I really wanted her to pull through and make it to the end in tact!!
Just like in the first book, there was always something happening! As soon as you think you can have a 5 minute breather, something else happened which had you reading not o see what would happen next!
Can we also just talk about the ending for a second. Not in the spoilery sense, but in the OMG WHAT DID I JUST READ?!?!? kind of sense!!! I got to the end and I'm still pretty gobsmacked... how do I even carry on with that ending? *Sigh* #problemsofabookaholic
I really loved the little tips at the beginning of each chapter (as also featured in the first book) - they really brought an extra something something original to the story itself. Each of the tips and the character and stories, whilst they had links to the original stories and plots etc. The author managed to twist and change them to make them her own and she owned it! I absolutely loved it!
I really loved this instalment and I am seriously hoping there is more to come because I don't think I can cope if there isn't and ... with that ending, I really need more! I gave this book 5/5 stars!
Can I just mention how long I have been pining for this book?? I feel like it has been sine forever! I read Spelled last year April and immediately wanted more! It has become one of my favourite books ever and this book is joining it up there... because it was just as good as the first book!!
This instalment is told from the perspective of Rexi - our favourite sidekick, daughter of Robin Hood. I loved the fact that her voice was its own and didn't mix with Dorthea's. Despite some of the events that take place in this book, it was easy to tell her voice apart and it was so refreshing. I loved her voice and her opinions on things and I found myself connecting to her on a deeper level because she was an extremely relatable character for me. I really wanted her to pull through and make it to the end in tact!!
Just like in the first book, there was always something happening! As soon as you think you can have a 5 minute breather, something else happened which had you reading not o see what would happen next!
Can we also just talk about the ending for a second. Not in the spoilery sense, but in the OMG WHAT DID I JUST READ?!?!? kind of sense!!! I got to the end and I'm still pretty gobsmacked... how do I even carry on with that ending? *Sigh* #problemsofabookaholic
I really loved the little tips at the beginning of each chapter (as also featured in the first book) - they really brought an extra something something original to the story itself. Each of the tips and the character and stories, whilst they had links to the original stories and plots etc. The author managed to twist and change them to make them her own and she owned it! I absolutely loved it!
I really loved this instalment and I am seriously hoping there is more to come because I don't think I can cope if there isn't and ... with that ending, I really need more! I gave this book 5/5 stars!
March 8, 2021
Two things I do remember from Spelled; and not just because I looked back on my review for it, I loved the mix of stories and Rexi was my favorite.
Just my luck because in this one we get twice the amount of both; so many new stories mixed in and this time it's Rexi telling the story.
It's not just a fairy tale mash in this one but well known legends and a bit of pop culture too, which was so much fun. And I think that's the overall point of this book: fun. Betsy Schow must have had so much fun coming up with some of these ideas because I had a blast reading it.
It's so imaginative and yet so familiar because you will know the characters and little things referenced. It's like looking for easter eggs in movies, but you really don't have to pay too close attention because you won't miss any.
As I already mentioned Rexi was always my favorite so I absolutely loved getting to spend time with just her. Not that we don't see all the characters from Spelled, they do show up and have some pretty interesting plot twists themselves. But, for me, Rexi has always been the best because in the first book she wasn't the hero, it was naturally expected that she would fall into the role of "faithful sidekick;" and she herself made it obvious that she is no sidekick. Which is what makes the story being all about her so great, we get more from her, her background, and who she really wants to be.
This is a fun adventure, great escape and a pretty interesting story all around.
Just my luck because in this one we get twice the amount of both; so many new stories mixed in and this time it's Rexi telling the story.
It's not just a fairy tale mash in this one but well known legends and a bit of pop culture too, which was so much fun. And I think that's the overall point of this book: fun. Betsy Schow must have had so much fun coming up with some of these ideas because I had a blast reading it.
It's so imaginative and yet so familiar because you will know the characters and little things referenced. It's like looking for easter eggs in movies, but you really don't have to pay too close attention because you won't miss any.
As I already mentioned Rexi was always my favorite so I absolutely loved getting to spend time with just her. Not that we don't see all the characters from Spelled, they do show up and have some pretty interesting plot twists themselves. But, for me, Rexi has always been the best because in the first book she wasn't the hero, it was naturally expected that she would fall into the role of "faithful sidekick;" and she herself made it obvious that she is no sidekick. Which is what makes the story being all about her so great, we get more from her, her background, and who she really wants to be.
This is a fun adventure, great escape and a pretty interesting story all around.
March 3, 2018
I didn’t think this book was as good as the first one but I still really enjoyed it!
This one was definitely more serious because it followed Rexi instead of Dorthea. Rexi is a more sarcastic and morbid character than Dorthea is but I thought she was way more relatable because she didn’t constantly act like an airhead. Plus she had some serious character development in this one.
I still loved all the snippets at the top of the chapters too! They’re always so funny!
I liked the addition of the legends in this book too. It mixed things up added something different to the story. I’m excited to see how it all wraps up in the next book!
This one was definitely more serious because it followed Rexi instead of Dorthea. Rexi is a more sarcastic and morbid character than Dorthea is but I thought she was way more relatable because she didn’t constantly act like an airhead. Plus she had some serious character development in this one.
I still loved all the snippets at the top of the chapters too! They’re always so funny!
I liked the addition of the legends in this book too. It mixed things up added something different to the story. I’m excited to see how it all wraps up in the next book!
August 26, 2017
Reader thoughts: In short, it was still funny and pulled in familiar characters in fun ways. However, it wasn't as well organized as book 1.
I got lost a few times. There's one time Rexi dies, and she wakes up apparently several weeks later. The other characters don't bother explaining what she has forgotten (she trades memories to the death guy in order to return to life), and she never asks. I might have caught more if I was reading instead of listening, though.
The love interest(s) was(were) strange and unclear. Why was Rexi taking more of Dorothea's personality and memories, exactly?
If Rexi is running around in heels all the time, why do people keep assuming she is a boy? Why does Mordred never question her coming back to life? He personally kills her once or twice!
I'm so glad she finally had a heart-to-heart-to-arrow with her dad. Robin Hood is usually one of my favorite characters, but not in this book.
The details of the climax and end have faded, but I remember being disappointed that it wasn't more clever. It was like we needed two more editing passes to smooth out some themes, ideas, and transitions. Maybe this was on purpose because Rexi doesn't see the bigger picture, so why should the reader audience?
Dorothea's love interest (erm, Kato?) used his magical fingernails way too often and too fast. Why were he and Dorothea so insistent to keep Rexi alive anyway? They kept nearly killing themselves to save Rexi when she was likely to get herself killed in the next day or two anyway. She wasn't magical, brilliant, or all that helpful. She couldn't even shoot straight. She was just sarcastic and forgetful.
Writer thoughts: It's strange how death can become so meaningless. It's morbid, but death wasn't even threatening anymore, not when the MC dies on page 2 and every 20 pages after that. How is an author supposed to raise the stakes?
Well, BS threatened the friends and Rexi's soul and Rexi's honor and her freedom. Rexi's life was already in danger, and so it had to be something else on the line after that.
This book reminds me of The Lives of Christopher Chant because the MC dies so often. It really makes me wonder if characters that have extra lives can get seriously wounded WITHOUT dying. I mean, neither one (Christopher or Rexi) ever suffer a broken bone or concussion or fever. They just die again and again.
I got lost a few times. There's one time Rexi dies, and she wakes up apparently several weeks later. The other characters don't bother explaining what she has forgotten (she trades memories to the death guy in order to return to life), and she never asks. I might have caught more if I was reading instead of listening, though.
The love interest(s) was(were) strange and unclear. Why was Rexi taking more of Dorothea's personality and memories, exactly?
If Rexi is running around in heels all the time, why do people keep assuming she is a boy? Why does Mordred never question her coming back to life? He personally kills her once or twice!
I'm so glad she finally had a heart-to-heart-to-arrow with her dad. Robin Hood is usually one of my favorite characters, but not in this book.
The details of the climax and end have faded, but I remember being disappointed that it wasn't more clever. It was like we needed two more editing passes to smooth out some themes, ideas, and transitions. Maybe this was on purpose because Rexi doesn't see the bigger picture, so why should the reader audience?
Dorothea's love interest (erm, Kato?) used his magical fingernails way too often and too fast. Why were he and Dorothea so insistent to keep Rexi alive anyway? They kept nearly killing themselves to save Rexi when she was likely to get herself killed in the next day or two anyway. She wasn't magical, brilliant, or all that helpful. She couldn't even shoot straight. She was just sarcastic and forgetful.
Writer thoughts: It's strange how death can become so meaningless. It's morbid, but death wasn't even threatening anymore, not when the MC dies on page 2 and every 20 pages after that. How is an author supposed to raise the stakes?
Well, BS threatened the friends and Rexi's soul and Rexi's honor and her freedom. Rexi's life was already in danger, and so it had to be something else on the line after that.
This book reminds me of The Lives of Christopher Chant because the MC dies so often. It really makes me wonder if characters that have extra lives can get seriously wounded WITHOUT dying. I mean, neither one (Christopher or Rexi) ever suffer a broken bone or concussion or fever. They just die again and again.
September 7, 2017
AudioBook Review:
Stars: Overall 3 Narration 4 Story 3
Best read shortly after Spelled, the first in the series, this book picks up right after and follows the story of Rexi Hood, Dorothea’s servant and eventual friend from the first. And I hoped for the promise shown in the first: the mash up of fairy tales, pop culture, and other solidly literary references that jumped out and instantly felt ‘familiar’ even in the new setting. But without a recap, some may be confused, and even with it, the lack of clear direction in the plot, with plenty of moments that jumped about without being connected in any substantial way to the events just before, this became a story that was far more difficult to follow.
Yes, there are some of the wonderful moments: characters have intriguing and unique views on the world around them, and those moments did shine even as the plot was all over the place and difficult to follow. And Rexi, held true to her rather plain-spoken and determined self we met in the first book, even as it seemed she couldn’t set her course to one step after another, and the arc that introduced Camelot, and Rexi’s desire to live up to her famous father’s legacy (Robin Hood) AND then write her own story just never did gel for me. I’m hoping that the missing pieces and ideas will come together to bring the conclusion and tie up the repeated and many loose ends in this one.
Narration for this story is provided by Arielle DeLisle and she does become Rexi with a voice that is appropriate to a teenaged, angsty, often angry and scattered girl. Each moment is as fully realized as the writing will allow, and new characters are clearly presented and distinct. A solid performance that did attempt to keep intrigue and interest in the many twists and skips throughout the story, even as readers may have lost the plot threads a few times.
I received an AudioBook copy of the title from Tantor Audio for purpose of honest review. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own responsibility.
Review first appeared at I am, Indeed
Stars: Overall 3 Narration 4 Story 3
Best read shortly after Spelled, the first in the series, this book picks up right after and follows the story of Rexi Hood, Dorothea’s servant and eventual friend from the first. And I hoped for the promise shown in the first: the mash up of fairy tales, pop culture, and other solidly literary references that jumped out and instantly felt ‘familiar’ even in the new setting. But without a recap, some may be confused, and even with it, the lack of clear direction in the plot, with plenty of moments that jumped about without being connected in any substantial way to the events just before, this became a story that was far more difficult to follow.
Yes, there are some of the wonderful moments: characters have intriguing and unique views on the world around them, and those moments did shine even as the plot was all over the place and difficult to follow. And Rexi, held true to her rather plain-spoken and determined self we met in the first book, even as it seemed she couldn’t set her course to one step after another, and the arc that introduced Camelot, and Rexi’s desire to live up to her famous father’s legacy (Robin Hood) AND then write her own story just never did gel for me. I’m hoping that the missing pieces and ideas will come together to bring the conclusion and tie up the repeated and many loose ends in this one.
Narration for this story is provided by Arielle DeLisle and she does become Rexi with a voice that is appropriate to a teenaged, angsty, often angry and scattered girl. Each moment is as fully realized as the writing will allow, and new characters are clearly presented and distinct. A solid performance that did attempt to keep intrigue and interest in the many twists and skips throughout the story, even as readers may have lost the plot threads a few times.
I received an AudioBook copy of the title from Tantor Audio for purpose of honest review. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own responsibility.
Review first appeared at I am, Indeed
August 12, 2018
This book was confusing. It probably didn't help that our protagonist was losing her memory throughout.
What I enjoyed:
* Mordred - he knows what he wants and won't let anything stop him from getting it.
* The Lady of the Lake -
* the ending
What could be better:
* The story overall was disjointed and very difficult to follow.
* Rexi - the constantly dying was very confusing. Also the out of nowhere love triangle with Kato was horrible.
* Robin Hood -
* I had difficulty keeping some of the characters straight, as they really don't have much personality.
What I enjoyed:
* Mordred - he knows what he wants and won't let anything stop him from getting it.
* The Lady of the Lake -
* the ending
What could be better:
* The story overall was disjointed and very difficult to follow.
* Rexi - the constantly dying was very confusing. Also the out of nowhere love triangle with Kato was horrible.
* Robin Hood -
* I had difficulty keeping some of the characters straight, as they really don't have much personality.
February 6, 2017
**I voluntarily reviewed this ARC**
I am so torn on what to think of this one. I had a lot of fun reading Spelled, but Wanted just didn't have the same appeal. If you love puns, there were plenty of them. The problem is, that is about all it has. The plot was basically Rexi dying and coming back to life, and shocking twists that don't have any real purpose.
I am so torn on what to think of this one. I had a lot of fun reading Spelled, but Wanted just didn't have the same appeal. If you love puns, there were plenty of them. The problem is, that is about all it has. The plot was basically Rexi dying and coming back to life, and shocking twists that don't have any real purpose.
August 27, 2018
I enjoyed the first book, but this one was slower and I had a harder time getting through it. I was kind of confused with Hydra/Gwen, and the Lady of the Lake and Blanc. And Rexie was back and forth whether she wanted to help Dot and Kato or herself. The plot just seemed a bit all over the place and made it hard to follow. I didn't like Rex falling in love with Kato, it was too much and you knew that couldn't work out. He loved Dot, that was the whole point of the first book. I did like seeing some of the evil characters in the school and Mordred was interesting. Maybe it would've been better if I read the book instead of listening?
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October 9, 2017I loved this second installment to the story maker series. One of my favorite parts is how the author has the characters related. Example: Rexi Hood is Robin Hoods daughter and Little Red Riding Hoods cousin . It's great! It all fits together
January 26, 2020
If you didn't like all the silly fairytale references in the last book...they're probably worse in this one. I like them. Yes they are kinda stupid but it fits my humor. I like the winners write the stories message of this book. I was going to wait but....on to the next book.
February 20, 2021
2.5 stars
I really wanted to like this book, as I had previously enjoyed the first one in the series. However, this one just didn't live up to my expectations. The plot was meandering and crawled to an almost standstill at times; the characters were underdeveloped and never really grew into fully rounded characters. I will read the last one in the series - but I'm not holding my breath.
I really wanted to like this book, as I had previously enjoyed the first one in the series. However, this one just didn't live up to my expectations. The plot was meandering and crawled to an almost standstill at times; the characters were underdeveloped and never really grew into fully rounded characters. I will read the last one in the series - but I'm not holding my breath.
July 28, 2021
Fun twisted fairytale. The 2nd in this series, and this time it's from a different character's perspective. I think I like Rexi better than Dorothea.
February 3, 2018
this book was irKSOME! and disappointing.
September 25, 2020
This story is a little bit grittier than the first, but they are tied together well. Singular books 3 stars....series may get 4 stars. Fixing to start 3rd book.
November 19, 2017
I would have enjoyed this book more if I had read book 1 first entitled "Spelled". This book "Wanted" was number two in the series, I did not realize that when I picked it up. But I did enjoy it a lot. I like the way the author criss-crossed all of our favorite children's stories and changed up the characters and made them modern, really unique idea. I also enjoyed the quotes that were at the beginning of each chapter with quotes from fake publications in reference to how to be the best villain you can be etcetera, very funny, laughed out loud.
April 13, 2022
This was the possibly the most disappointing book I’ve ever read. The story is confusing, slow, and just weird. Rexi falls in love with Kato even though he’s already in love with Dorothea (Rexi totally ruined the whole enemies to lovers storyline). The end was really odd and confusing. I had such high hopes for this book after the first one, but almost didn’t even finish it. The only part I liked was the random references to the fairy tales. Do not recommend.
February 21, 2017
Wanted is the second book in Betsy Schow’s Storymakers series, but whereas the first book, Spelled, was charming and fun, Wanted is merely chaotic and confusing.
Read the rest of the review HERE @ The Geekiary.
Read the rest of the review HERE @ The Geekiary.
February 6, 2017
Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for approving my request for a free digital copy in exchange for a review.
"Spelled" was easily one of my favourite books of 2015 so I was over the moon when I saw that the sequel was available for request.
Just like "Spelled" the cover of "Wanted" is absolutely gorgeous. Seriously, whoever is doing the cover designs for these needs to start getting a lot more gigs. The cover is sure to be a standout on the shelves.
"Wanted" picks up from where "Spelled" left off and in that regard I suggest reading both books back to back as it may otherwise be easy to get muddled by the storyline. In a way this is a bit of a disappointment for me. I like that a minor character's arc became the main one but I felt like that story line relied too much on the characters from "Spelled" and this made it difficult for me to have a true appreciation for Rexi, she just feels like Dot's shadow.
Speaking of shadows, Rexi's death and reincarnation felt a bit repetitive which may explain why I also found the content a bit morbid for a children's/MG story. The plot itself felt a bit uneven at the start, it felt, patchy. This may be tied to the gaps in Rexi's memory but I'm not entirely sure if it was intentional. The story picks up around a quarter of the way through and its actually decent from there to the end.
The romance is a bit muted given the love-triangle and this may not sit well with everyone. I think the story could have been told within the love triangle as it added almost nothing to the plot other than to serve as a Macguffin.
The characters were okay, not as endearing as the first but tolerable. Alas, nothing worth truly mentioning. Only a handful of new characters were introduced and they were relatively bland. A true disappointment as it would have been beautiful to see the father-daughter dynamic between Rexi and her father.
Despite the flaws, I did find myself fully engrossed in the book and wanted to keep reading. In fact, I spent my entire weekend reading this book and could easily have finished it in one day. I guess this speaks to the testament that it is in fact enjoyable despite these flaws.
Overall, I recommend Wanted as a fun book. One which will definitely be a stand-out hit among the target audience. Adult readers may however be a bit weary.
"Spelled" was easily one of my favourite books of 2015 so I was over the moon when I saw that the sequel was available for request.
Just like "Spelled" the cover of "Wanted" is absolutely gorgeous. Seriously, whoever is doing the cover designs for these needs to start getting a lot more gigs. The cover is sure to be a standout on the shelves.
"Wanted" picks up from where "Spelled" left off and in that regard I suggest reading both books back to back as it may otherwise be easy to get muddled by the storyline. In a way this is a bit of a disappointment for me. I like that a minor character's arc became the main one but I felt like that story line relied too much on the characters from "Spelled" and this made it difficult for me to have a true appreciation for Rexi, she just feels like Dot's shadow.
Speaking of shadows, Rexi's death and reincarnation felt a bit repetitive which may explain why I also found the content a bit morbid for a children's/MG story. The plot itself felt a bit uneven at the start, it felt, patchy. This may be tied to the gaps in Rexi's memory but I'm not entirely sure if it was intentional. The story picks up around a quarter of the way through and its actually decent from there to the end.
The romance is a bit muted given the love-triangle and this may not sit well with everyone. I think the story could have been told within the love triangle as it added almost nothing to the plot other than to serve as a Macguffin.
The characters were okay, not as endearing as the first but tolerable. Alas, nothing worth truly mentioning. Only a handful of new characters were introduced and they were relatively bland. A true disappointment as it would have been beautiful to see the father-daughter dynamic between Rexi and her father.
Despite the flaws, I did find myself fully engrossed in the book and wanted to keep reading. In fact, I spent my entire weekend reading this book and could easily have finished it in one day. I guess this speaks to the testament that it is in fact enjoyable despite these flaws.
Overall, I recommend Wanted as a fun book. One which will definitely be a stand-out hit among the target audience. Adult readers may however be a bit weary.
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