The Story
Thad and Arianna Glavan's mother was murdered, they don't know who their father is, and they've been thrown out of the city, hunted by the royal family and left to fend for themselves. When the royal family mysteriously dies, they return to the kingdom and Thad takes over the throne. Arianna, who doesn't care for nobility or being a princess, soon learns that Thad's ascension was no mere strike of luck. He made a deal with a Wish Granter called Alistair Teague who conned Thad into wishing for his and Ari's safety and the crown.
But Thad has wished away his soul, and now Arianna is fighting like anything to break the wish and get Thad's soul back. Sebastian, the new weapons master, teaches Ari to fight, and together they learn more about Teague's criminal goings-on in the kingdom. Teague though, knows Ari's weaknesses, and soon Ari and Sebastian find themselves in a horrific position that looks more dire by the day.
My Thoughts
The Wish Granter was a great retelling of Rumpelstiltskin. Although the story line I've just tried to outline for you doesn't really have the Rumpelstiltskin-feel we might be use to, Teague's character is definitely evil, cunning, and everything you expect a Rumpelstiltskin-like character to be. Think The Dark One/Mr.Gold when he's evil from
Once Upon A Time.
Ari was a great main character. She was funny, but stern, courageous but smart about what should scare her. She stood up for what she believed in and for others around her, even if they didn't deserve it. Thad was a bit of a flake, but every story needs one, and Teague was your typical bad-guy villain wanting to take over the world. Sebastian was brilliant, and while it was obvious (don't worry, it's not a spoiler if it's obvious right?) that he and Ari would fall in love, it was beautifully written.
Speaking of writing, I do love the way Redwine tells a story. She has the knack for taking stories that many are already familiar with and spinning them into something new and exciting. (I just made a pun without realising it - spinning...as in spinning things to gold...like Rumpelstiltskin? No? Okay.)
This is actually the second in her
Ravenspire series, however you don't need to have read the first,
The Shadow Queen. There are several references to the first book in
The Wish Granter, but it's no biggy if you read them out of order. The next in the series is called
The Traitor Prince, which is going to be 'based on old Arabian tale called The False Prince with a dash of The Prince and the Pauper' according to C.J. Redwine on Goodreads. It's due for release next year.
If you like
YA novels, with a
fantasy, or
fairy tale twist, then pick up The Wish Granter. It's a fun, quick read, and I really enjoyed it.
