Book Review: Unlocking the Spell by E. D. Baker

Now that Annie has helped her sister Gwendolyn (a.k.a. Sleeping Beauty) wake up from the 100-year curse by finding her beloved prince, you would think that things would get back to normal. Think again! That beloved prince, Beldegard, is stuck in the body of a bear and the only way that Annie can be free of the two irritating lovebirds is to help-by finding the evil dwarf who cast the spell. Luckily, Annie has assistance from handsome prince Liam, and she has many tricks up her non-magical sleeve . . . (From Goodreads)

Best Bits: Along the same lines of The Wide-Awake Princess, I absolutely loved all of the fairy tale characters that popped up in this one. Snow White, Rose Red, and so many more that I won't spoil for you. There's something so fun about seeing how Annie's anti-magic gift will impact the fairy tales we've all heard about, and then how she'll fix any problems that arise. This time around, Gwendolyn is along for the quest (to turn Beldegard back into a human). This creates a new sort of trouble for the street-wise Annie, because Gwendolyn has never been away from home. She doesn't quite understand why they need to keep their identities secret, or why Beldegard shouldn't follow them into towns and villages. It's a great contrast between the two princesses. 

Nit Picks: My only issue is that Annie feels unsure throughout the book about Liam's feelings for her. I didn't think it was necessary and if it had been omitted I could have focused on the variety of ways that Annie is able to help the many characters that cross her path. 

Unlocking the Spell 
By E. D. Baker
261 Pages
Published by Bloomsbury USA
Purchased
Rating: B